How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?

**OhOh** · 30-09-2021, 05:50 PM

Global gas wars: the fun has just begun!

2021-09-28 at 14:43

"Spot price for natural gas in Europe has just breached the psychologically important level of $1000 per thousand cubic meters, or a buck a cube. This has already had some significant results all across Europe. In the UK, fertilizer plants can’t operate at such prices and have shut down. This will in due course cause food price inflation later on, but the immediate effect is to deprive consumers of packed meat and beer because of a shortage of dry ice that is a byproduct of fertilizer production.

Meanwhile, all the way on the other side of what remains of the European Union, in the Baltic statelets electricity prices are now 10 times higher than just across the border in Russia. Of course, they are welcome to buy cheap and plentiful electricity from Russia, but that has to come in via Belarus and Lithuania and the Lithuanians have strategically wrecked relations with Belarus by harboring the fugitive Tikhanovskaya the cutlet queen who is a sort of Belarussian Juan Guaidó.

On the other side of Belarus lies the Ukraine, where things are even more fun. Back in spring of 2019 the Ukraine declined Russia’s gracious offer to sell it gas $240-260 per thousand cubes (a quarter of the current spot price) and instead opted to buy it on the spot market. The result is that the Ukraine needs 13 billion cubes of gas in storage to get through the heating season but has less than 5. But it can always buy what it needs on the spot market, right? Wrong!

The Ukraine is broke and has zero budgeted for this purpose. Luckily, it can still buy cheap electricity from Russia—at least until Ukrainian nationalists decide to blow up the transmission lines to Russia like they did with the ones to Russian Crimea a while back, causing energy shortages there and forcing the Russians to construct an energy bridge to it from the mainland in a process that took close to a year.

But Unlike the Ukraine, which is broke, countries within the EU don’t have to freeze because they can just buy the gas they need on the spot market, in the form of liquified natural gas, right? Wrong!

The LNG market is global, and Europe’s East Asian competitors—China, South Korea and Japan—can always outbid them for the available supply. These three countries have been running structural deficits with the United States for decades and have accumulated an unwholesome hoard of US federal debt. With the US now nearing national bankruptcy and/or triggering dollar hyperinflation by allowing its national debt to breach the $30 trillion threshold, they are eager to unload as much of this hoard as possible, exchanging it for needed commodities such as natural gas.

They don’t much care how much the gas is going to cost because the eventual price of the US debt is going to be zero and something is always better than nothing. Thus, there is a good chance that the EU will be shivering in the dark this winter in solidarity with the Ukraine.

But things are much better in the United States which, after all, is a proud exporter of natural gas thanks to what is left of its fracking industry. Wrong again!

The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a chemical and food industry lobbying group, has just demanded that the US Department of Energy place limits on LNG exports. Otherwise, they say, very high natural gas prices will render numerous US enterprises noncompetitive and force them to shut down. Prices have already gone up by 41% over the past year.

But that’s not enough to stimulate production: natural gas production in the US is falling together with the drilling rig count and the amount of gas in storage is currently 7.4% below the previous five year average. Attempting to put limits on LNG exports will cause loud screams from energy industry lobbyists, who have plenty of clout on Capitol Hill, and result in protracted political battles in an already sharply divided and disagreeable US Congress.

Meanwhile, back in the EU, there is something that can be done immediately to avert this crisis: turn on NordStream2, which has just been completed, by setting aside European bureaucratic foot-dragging protocols that will stretch out the process of certifying it and by throwing out the truly idiotic restriction that it only be used at 50% capacity.

Russia’s Gazprom would be perfectly willing to sign a long-term supply agreement at a reasonable price, just as it did with Hungary just a few days ago. But for now such a change of heart seems unlikely. On the one hand the free market fundamentalists are still full of blind faith that the free market will somehow keep their people from freezing; on the other, environmentalists seem to believe that freezing would be a virtuous act that will help save the planet from overheating.

Come next spring, melting snow may reveal a political landscape littered with the frozen corpses of environmentalists and free market zealots.

We should all wish them the best of luck, of course, whether they deserve it or not."

Global gas wars: the fun has just begun! | ClubOrlov

**harrybarracuda** · 30-09-2021, 06:35 PM

This is quite a respected Security company who have probably got too close to identifying all the scummy russian filth vlad uses to hack everyone.

So another one who is going to be facing trumped up charges and carted off to prison.

MOSCOW, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Russian authorities have arrested the chief executive of a leading Russian cybersecurity company on suspicion of state treason, a court said on Wednesday, sending a chill through Russia's IT and business sectors.

Ilya Sachkov, 35, who founded Group IB, one of Russia's most prominent cyber security firms, was arrested on Tuesday, the RTVI TV channel reported as law enforcement officers carried out searches at the Moscow offices of the firm.

State news agency TASS cited an unnamed security source as saying Sachkov was accused of working with unspecified foreign intelligence services and of treason that hurt Russia's national interests. He denied both allegations, it said.

Group IB said in a statement it was sure Sachkov was not guilty of the allegations, but that it was unable to comment further on them. There was no official comment about the case from the security services.

Moscow's Lefortovo district court said it had ordered Sachkov to be held in custody for two months.
State treason is punishable by up to 20 years in jail. The details of such cases seldom come to light in full because of their classified nature.

Global IB focuses on investigating high-tech crimes and online fraud, with a global client base that includes banks, energy companies, telecoms firms and Interpol.

Russia arrests top cybersecurity executive in treason case | Reuters

**OhOh** · 30-09-2021, 08:25 PM

Is the NaGastan VP a foreign agent?

After causing concern in Vietnam:

US vice president pledges Vietnam COVID jabs; says China bullies

US vice president pledges Vietnam COVID jabs; says China bullies | Politics News | Al JazeeraThe Vietnamese Prime Minister reassures China:

Vietnam says it will not side against China, as US’ Kamala Harris visits

Vietnam says it will not side against China, as US’ Kamala Harris visits | South China Morning PostFollowed by a telephone call to THE LORD:

Telephone conversation with President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc, at the latter’s initiative.

Telephone conversation with President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc • President of Russia

Yesterday a meeting was held in Moscow:

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answer to a media question during a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son, Moscow, September 28, 2021

1931-28-09-2021

"Good afternoon,

Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son and I held talks in a constructive and friendly atmosphere. We had an in-depth conversation and exchanged views on a wide range of matters of mutual interest, reaffirming our shared commitment to consistently strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between our countries, building on the long-standing traditions of friendship, solidarity and mutual support.

We welcomed the regular and meaningful political dialogue at the high and highest levels that has continued despite the coronavirus pandemic.

We paid special attention to carrying out the agreements by our respective leaders, including those reached during a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and Vietnam on September 16, 2021.

On trade and economic relations, we share the view that the Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and Vietnam has had a really positive impact on bilateral trade. In 2020, it increased by 15 percent, and was up 24 percent in January-July 2021. We also discussed ways to address the imbalances in mutual trade, including by enabling Russian exporters to expand their foothold in the Vietnamese market.

We agreed on fast tracking the project to set up the assembly of Russian vehicles in Vietnam by moving to a practical stage in its implementation. Large-scale initiatives in industrial manufacturing, infrastructure construction and transport are also among our priorities.
We talked about opportunities to combine our efforts in spheres like information security, e-government and smart cities, banking, agribusiness, and communications.We also praised the developments in the oil and gas sector, and decided to create favourable conditions for Gazprom, Zarubezhneft and Novatek in Vietnam, as well as for PetroVietnam in Russia.
We reaffirmed our consistent commitment to expanding our military-technical collaboration and cooperation in the defence and security sector.

It is essential that we step up efforts to build a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam, as well as ensure the stable operation of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Centre.We praised cooperation in education and personnel training, especially in terms of Vietnamese nationals receiving scholarships, paid for by funds from the federal budget, to study in Russia. In the 2021 academic year, one thousand Vietnamese citizens received this opportunity, while there are as many as 6,000 under- and post-graduate students and interns from Vietnam studying in Russia. According to this indicator, Vietnam is one of the leading nations among our partners.

We share convergent or very close approaches to most topical global issues. We discussed our cooperation within the United Nations, as well as developments in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR). We share the view on the need to develop an architecture of equal and indivisible security in the APR that would be in step with the times and rooted in the universally recognised principles of international law. We also share the view that attempts to draw new dividing lines within the APR would be counterproductive.

These were very useful talks. They enabled us to outline further effective efforts to carry out the agreements between our respective leaders.

Thank you.

Question:

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the Second Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It took Russia an immense effort to stop this war a year ago. What do you think about the post-war period in terms of how the trilateral statement was implemented? What are the main achievements, from your perspective?

Recently, our French and US partners have been proactive in pushing the idea of the need to settle the Karabakh status issue. In your opinion, could these proposals be premature, as you mentioned earlier? What are the current objectives of the Minsk Group? Can we expect the efforts to unblock transport and economic ties to yield any tangible results before the year is over?

Sergey Lavrov:

With almost a year having passed since November 9, 2020, the enduring stability has been the main outcome. It is still there. The Russian peacekeeping force has helped ensure that we no longer see any violent acts. There were some minor incidents initially, but they were promptly settled. Let me emphasise that the situation there is stable. Of course, many problems have yet to be addressed, primarily in terms of getting life back to normal, completing the demining operation, freeing detainees, etc.

The main goal is to make sure that a tranquil, peaceful and stable life is restored on the ground, so that the Armenian and the Azerbaijani communities regain trust in their relations just as there was many decades ago, before the First Karabakh War, to enable refugees to return home and resolve other everyday challenges.

As for the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, just a few days ago three co-chairs representing Russia, the United States and France, had a meeting in New York with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. As far as I can see, they agreed to resume their trips to this region in order to visit Armenian and Azerbaijani representatives and talk to them.

Some meetings are scheduled to take place in Stepanakert. I think that their main objective is to encourage and reinforce positive trends, which need to be encouraged in every possible way, while ensuring the coexistence and cooperation between the Armenian and the Azerbaijani communities.

At this stage, I would stop at that in our planning."

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answer to a media question during a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son, Moscow, September 28, 2021 - Statements and speeches by Minister Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Vietnam seeks Russia's support in vaccine production technology transfer

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has proposed the Russian Government to support the acceleration of COVID-19 vaccine production technology transfer to Vietnam in a bid to ensure a stable and sustainable supply.

15:33 29/09/2021

Vietnam seeks Russia's support in vaccine production technology...

It appears that the result was to strengthen the Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian"

" comprehensive strategic partnership between our countries, building on the long-standing traditions of friendship, solidarity and mutual support."

Not part of the VP's assigned duties, one would presume.

**harrybarracuda** · 01-10-2021, 05:09 PM

Everyone loves a bargain hoohoo.

Just remember that you gets what you pays for.

**OhOh** · 01-10-2021, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

ust remember that you gets what you pays for.

Less deaths if you utilise Chinese vaccines.

**harrybarracuda** · 01-10-2021, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

Less deaths if you utilise Chinese vaccines.

When are you getting yours?

**OhOh** · 01-10-2021, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

When are you getting yours?

I don't believe it's mandatory, in Thailand, yet.

Or did I miss the announcement?

**harrybarracuda** · 01-10-2021, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

I don't believe it's mandatory, in Thailand, yet.

Or did I miss the announcement?

Oh woe.

What would Mr. Shithole think about you being scared of his shiteovax?

**helge** · 02-10-2021, 04:30 AM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Mr. Shithole

Been ass-fucked by your arab master tonight, Harriet ?

Or been busy drinking and discussing world affairs with your.....sheik friends ?

Tool

**sabang** · 02-10-2021, 05:03 AM

Australia has just approved the Sinovac jab. I think they are desperate for them Chinese students to return to our Unis.

**harrybarracuda** · 02-10-2021, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by helge

Been ass-fucked by your arab master tonight, Harriet ?

Or been busy drinking and discussing world affairs with your.....sheik friends ?

Tool

Dribbling scandihooligan wanker.

**OhOh** · 07-10-2021, 12:18 PM

Putin instructs Russian energy minister to ensure gas transit through Ukraine is maintained & Gazprom honours existing contracts

6 Oct, 2021 17:39 / Updated 9 hours ago

"Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom should honor its existing, controversial, arrangements with Ukraine instead of fully switching to the more efficient Nord Stream pipelines, President Vladimir Putin directed on Wednesday.

Putin explained that even if paying EU-imposed penalties was more profitable, he preferred to see the continuation of contracts with Kiev. The Russian President's comments came as gas prices reached unprecedented levels across Europe.

“Gazprom believes it would benefit more from paying a fine to Ukraine and enhancing gas transit through new systems,” he told Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov, from his residence at Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow, adding that he is asking the energy giant to not pursue that course.

As the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is almost finished, the Saint Petersburg-based company believes that it would be much more profitable to deliver gas to Europe through the new pipeline system directly from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea rather than using old transit route via Ukraine, Putin said.

The president added that he is aware that, according to Gazprom’s calculations, it would reduce CO2 emissions from gas transit and would be around $3 billion cheaper per year. However, Putin believes that honoring long-term commitments is more important than quick financial gain.

One should not put anyone in a predicament, including Ukraine, despite all the issues linked to Russian-Ukrainian relations at the moment.

The president also noted that Gazprom’s reputation as an “absolutely reliable partner in all respects” should not be tarnished. Putin asked Shulginov to personally ensure that commitments under the gas transit contract with Ukraine are respected."

Putin instructs Russian energy minister to ensure gas transit through Ukraine is maintained & Gazprom honors existing contracts — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

and here:

‘Speculative frenzy is of no use to us,’ Putin says as Moscow mulls selling additional gas to combat soaring prices in Europe — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union
The worlds "spot market", for natural, climate change approved gas, is available for those not having agreed delivery agreements with Russia.

At a free market price, of course.

**OhOh** · 07-10-2021, 12:26 PM

US is only country in the world still hanging on to chemical weapons, Russia says, after Washington unveils ‘Novichok’ questions

6 Oct, 2021 10:35

"Russian diplomats have hit out at the US after American officials signed a letter demanding information on the circumstances of the purported poisoning of opposition figure Alexey Navalny, accusing Washington of double standards.

On Tuesday, Moscow’s embassy in Washington issued a fiery statement after the US and 44 other countries presented a series of answers from Russia over the incident as part of a missive passed over to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Navalny and his German doctors insist that he was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok last year. The envoys blasted the allegations as “unfounded,” and the Kremlin has argued that all requests for evidence from Berlin have gone unanswered.

In response to the allegations, the embassy argued that Russia “is committed to its obligations” under chemical weapons treaties and, “in 2017, our country destroyed all national stocks of chemical warfare agents, which was documented by the OPCW.”

However, the envoys argue that “the US continues to be the only country in the world that has not destroyed its impressive arsenal of chemical weapons.” In 1991, then-US President George H.W. Bush committed to destroying its stockpiles of lethal agents, but progress has since been hampered by a number of issues and decommissioning is still underway, leaving large quantities of chemical munitions, including mustard gas shells.

In March, the US slammed Russia with sanctions, urging Moscow to get rid of the country’s chemical weapons stockpile following the allegations of the use of Novichok against Navalny. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, however, maintained that “Russia declared and verified the destruction of all chemical weapons on its territory many years ago and fully complied with international conventions… Russia has no chemical weapons.”

“By the way,” Peskov added, “we expect that our counterparts will also comply with these conventions.”

This is not the first time that Russia has called on the US to dispose of its chemical weapons. In 2018, the spokesperson for the country’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, responded to former US President Donald Trump’s request for Russia to “stop the arms race” developing between the two nations. “Great idea,” Zakharova said. “Let’s start by getting rid of chemical weapons. American ones.”

In response to the US’ latest accusations regarding Russia’s supposed chemical warfare capabilities, the embassy said that it is in the world’s interest that Washington complies with the UN’s international regulations surrounding disarmament. “We call on Washington to complete the chemical demilitarization program as soon as possible and fulfill international obligations, making the world safe from the potential use of this type of weapon,” the embassy added.

US is only country in the world still hanging on to chemical weapons, Russia says, after Washington unveils ‘Novichok’ questions — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

**harrybarracuda** · 07-10-2021, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

US is only country in the world still hanging on to chemical weapons, Russia says

**sabang** · 07-10-2021, 02:02 PM

**OhOh** · 07-10-2021, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

The worlds "spot market",

Reacts to THE LORDs words:

Gas prices in Europe plummet below $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters

The TTF index lost more than 22%

7 Oct, 14:47Updated at: 15:39

"MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. The price of gas on the ICE exchange continued to decline on Thursday. By 10:30 Moscow time, it dropped below $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first time since September 29.

The price dropped to $973 per 1,000 cubic meters, although at the opening it was around $1,250 per 1,000 cubic meters.

On Wednesday, the price of November futures surpassed $1,900 per 1,000 cubic meters, setting a new historical maximum, but later it began to rapidly decline. By the end of the trading session, the index fell 1.5-fold.

The high volatility of prices on the European gas market is associated with low reserves in gas storage facilities ahead of the coming winter."

Gas prices in Europe plummet below $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters - Business & Economy - TASS

Early Christmas present.

**harrybarracuda** · 07-10-2021, 06:38 PM

What better way to send the message that you should not be overly dependent on Vlad for gas?

**OhOh** · 07-10-2021, 07:05 PM

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian,

Moscow, October 6, 2021

"Ladies and gentlemen,

We held talks during Mr Amirabdollahian’s first visit to our country as the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We discussed specific ways of expanding cooperation on bilateral projects based on the decisions made at the top level, including telephone conversations on August 18 and September 14 of this year between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi.

We focused on bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Our trade is steadily growing. Despite the pandemic and the US’ unlawful sanctions, it increased by 42 percent in the first seven months of this year to reach $1.9 billion. We agreed not to stop at this figure and to continue promoting this trend by developing business ties, including at the regional level.

We expressed a positive view on our humanitarian cooperation. Our priority is to counter the COVID-19 pandemic with joint efforts. The related departments are working for this purpose. We signed a contract on sending the Sputnik V vaccine to Iran and agreed to take measures to expedite this. We also reviewed the possibility of producing the vaccine in Iran.

We spoke about international and regional problems and supported the development of international relations on the firm principles of the UN Charter. Our Iranian friends and Russia reject the West-promoted neocolonial “rules-based world order.” The West drafts this behind the scenes, obviating universal associations, with a view to imposing it on others later. As we have said more than once, our rules are based on the UN Charter.

We coordinated our approaches at different international venues. We again welcomed the decision made at the 21^st SCO summit in Dushanbe on the start of the procedure of accepting Iran in the SCO as a full member of this organisation.

We reviewed the issues linked with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on settling Iran’s nuclear deal. We believe the way to restore the agreement, fixed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, lies only in consistent and full implementation by all parties based on the initially recorded balance of interests. Both Moscow and Tehran believe the Vienna talks must be resumed as soon as possible. My colleague confirmed to me that Iran is ready for this. There is also an understanding that the talks are not an end in itself. The international community is waiting for the US to return to the legal field of the nuclear deal and the abrogation of illegal restrictions on Iran and its trade and economic partners.

We consider pointless the attempts by some countries to link the JCPOA’s preservation to Tehran’s consent to make concessions on other issues that are unrelated to the deal. We are convinced that we must discuss the situation in the region all-together, at one negotiating table and beyond the JCPOA’s framework. This approach rests at the foundation of the Russian concept on security in the Persian Gulf. It was updated in August and published as an official document of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council.

We urge our Iranian and Arab friends to continue moving to mutual rapprochement, discussing and coordinating their positions on any issues in response to any concerns.

We talked a lot about the developments in Afghanistan. Our countries are solidary in their belief that the Afghans that suffered from Washington’s geopolitical experiments for two decades, have a lawful right to well-being and tranquility in their homeland. They can implement this right by achieving internal political stabilisation, ensuring a balance of interests between all ethnic and religious groups and adhering to the principle of inclusivity in forming institutions of authority. All these things should help this ancient nation restore its economy and bring life back to normal with consideration for its centuries-long traditions.

Afghanistan should stop being a source of regional and global instability. We urge the new Afghan authorities to wage an uncompromising struggle against terrorist groups, illegal drug trafficking and arms sales.

Noting the extreme character of Afghanistan’s economic problems, we recalled that responsibility for this rests with Washington and its supporters. We believe it is necessary to involve relevant international agencies in resolving the entire range of humanitarian problems. We are seeing serious practical steps by international organisations and Afghanistan’s neighbours in this regard. We welcome the tangible contribution of Iran that hosted millions of Afghan refugees. In this context, we discussed prospects for stepping up regional and international cooperation in facilitating Afghanistan’s post-conflict recovery.

Russia and Iran have initiatives in this respect. We discussed the best ways of pooling our efforts in implementing them

We exchanged views on the military, political and humanitarian situation in Syria and expressed our mutual resolve to continue closely coordinating our actions with a view to reaching long-term peace and improving the socio-economic situation in Syria. We will continue our vigorous cooperation in the Astana format. This format includes Russia, Iran and Turkey and has already proved its efficiency. The three countries will convene their third summit in Iran as soon as the sanitary and epidemiological situation allows. For now, we will focus our efforts on promoting the success of a regular session of the Small Body of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva later this month.

We reviewed a number of other regional issues, including cooperation between the Caspian Five, and efforts to ensure the ratification of the convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. We discussed developments in the South Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa.

We will stay in touch on all issues discussed.

Question:

With Iran as an SCO member and closely cooperating with the EAEU, how do you assess Iran-Russia interaction in these organisations?

Sergey Lavrov:

We assess it positively. We welcomed last month’s decision of the SCO summit in Dushanbe to start the procedure for Iran to become a full SCO member. Even now, Tehran, as an observer, can participate in practically all SCO activities, including the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group. This format is becoming increasingly important. We are interested in making effective use of it and other areas of the organisation's activities, such as security, fighting terrorism, extremism and separatism, and ensuring economic and transport connectivity. All the above fully meet the interests of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

With regard to the EAEU, Iran has been a party to the interim agreement on liberalising mutual trade for a long time now. More recently, we have begun to negotiate a comprehensive permanent agreement on a free trade area between the EAEU and Iran. I think the benefits arising from this process are clear to the participants.

Question:

The latest developments in the Caucasus clearly show that some regimes in that region are trying to strengthen their relations, to sow discord and to deliver a blow to Iran’s vital interests. On the other hand, as it conducts trilateral exercises with Turkey and Pakistan, Azerbaijan is setting the stage for the presence of foreign states in the Caspian Sea region. This runs counter to the obligations that these countries have assumed with regard to the Caspian Sea. Russia's position on this matter is not very clear. What does Russia think can be done to settle this issue and how does it approach this matter?

Sergey Lavrov:

We have stated our position on multiple occasions. Russia played a decisive role in stopping the war one year ago and having a trilateral declaration signed at the level of the President of Azerbaijan, President of Russia and Prime Minister of Armenia, under which a Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed in the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh to ensure peace and create a proper environment for a return to peaceful life. In addition, the same joint declaration contained principles defining further steps to advance the settlement, including unblocking all transport links and economic ties in the region. This will benefit not only Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also Georgia as another South Caucasus country, as well as Iran, Russia and Turkey as the closest neighbours of these three South Caucasus republics.

In this context, we discussed today the initiative to create a “3+3” format to include the three South Caucasus countries and the three “big” neighbours, namely, Russia, Iran and Turkey. Our Iranian friends are supportive of this initiative, as are Azerbaijan and Turkey. We are working on it with our Armenian colleagues. We hope that despite its current problems, Georgia will be able to realise its fundamental interest in creating such a mechanism for consultations and approving decisions for the accelerated development of this region, which had been held back for a long time by the ongoing conflicts. We are opposed to building up military activity in this region or conducting any exercises of a provocative nature. Azerbaijan has expressed concern over the exercises that were recently held by our Iranian friends near its borders.

With regard to the Caspian Sea region and setting the stage for foreign states’ interference in the affairs of the Caspian Sea region countries, we spoke with our partners and friends today and have more than once underscored the need to ensure the entry into force of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea which explicitly prohibits the presence of military forces or any non-Caspian states in the Caspian Sea as soon as possible. The convention will enter into force as soon as the last instrument of ratification is received. This matter is now being reviewed by the parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I hope that the decision on ratification will be taken swiftly, and the convention will become a full-fledged international legal document that ensures a proper state of affairs in the Caspian Sea region."

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Moscow, October 6, 2021 - News - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

**harrybarracuda** · 07-10-2021, 09:33 PM

We talked a lot about the developments in Afghanistan.

I bet they fucking did.

**OhOh** · 08-10-2021, 08:13 AM

Russia is fulfilling all its contractual obligations for gas orders & is not to blame for soaring prices, Germany’s Merkel says

The gas price at the Dutch TTF hub, the benchmark gas price for Europe, soared on Tuesday to above EUR 100 per MWh for the 1st time ever

Germany´s Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected suggestions that the increased price of gas is due to Russian policy and is instead pointing the finger at European Union policy, asking whether the bloc could have acted differently, RT reported.

Speaking on Wednesday, Merkel noted that Russia has never refused to deliver gas and has fulfilled its contractual obligations.

Merkel asked, according to London’s Financial Times:

That’s why we should ask the question: was enough gas ordered or is the high price at the moment maybe the reason for not ordering so much?

The European Union has sought to move gas trading to the spot market in recent years, whereas Russia has consistently preferred long-term contracts, often as long as 25 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pointed at the reluctance of the bloc to sign longer deals as a cause for rising prices.

The view of outgoing Chancellor Merkel was also reflected on Wednesday by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who recalled that Russian gas corporation Gazprom is pumping as much gas as it can «within the framework of the existing contracts», insisting that Moscow is playing no role in the raised prices.

In September, a group of around 40 members of the European Parliament called on the EU to investigate Gazprom, alleging that it was abusing its dominant position on the market by deliberately pushing the value up.

It was suggested that Moscow is intentionally limiting gas supplies to Europe as a means to speed the launch of the controversial pipeline Nord Stream 2, which was recently completed.

https://neftegazru.com/news/politics...-soaring-pric/

Gas markets whipsaw after Russia offers to stabilise energy prices

UK gas contracts for November delivery soar almost 40% before falling back after Putin’s comments

Yesterday

"Gas markets swung sharply on Wednesday after Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said his country was prepared to stabilise the soaring global energy prices that are threatening to curb industrial activity and sharply raise inflation.

UK and European natural gas prices shot higher early in the day to trade at close to 10 times their level from the beginning of the year.

But prices abruptly reversed course hours later when Putin hinted that Russia’s state-backed monopoly pipeline exporter, Gazprom, may increase supplies to help Europe avoid a full-blown energy crisis.

“Let’s think through possibly increasing supply in the market, only we need to do it carefully. Settle with Gazprom and talk it over,” Putin said. “This speculative craze doesn’t do us any good.”

Gas traders say one of the drivers of the rally in prices is that Russia is limiting its European gas supplies to the levels in long-term contracts, and has let Gazprom’s storage facilities in the continent fall to very low levels. Putin said Gazprom was exceeding its contractual obligations for gas supplies through Ukraine this year.

His remarks appeared aimed at staving off criticism from Europe that Russia is holding back supplies as it awaits approval for the controversial new Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which bypasses Ukraine to send gas to Germany. That project edged closer to going live on Wednesday after a judicial opinion in the EU. UK gas contracts for November delivery surged almost 40 per cent as trading opened to reach more than £4 per therm, having started the year below 50p. But after Putin’s intervention, they ended the day down 9 per cent, at £2.71.

The gas industry was shaken by the swings in the price. Tom Marzec-Manser at ICIS, a consultancy, said it was “the most volatile and unpredictable day that many in the industry will ever witness”. Jennifer Granholm, the US secretary of energy, told the FT the US was “carefully” watching Russia’s role in the European gas crisis and trying to find ways to help, including assessing whether Gazprom was manipulating the market. “You don’t want to see energy made into a weapon,” she said. Ukraine and other eastern European countries have accused Russia of trying to “weaponise” gas supplies. Poland’s climate minister Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński called on the European Commission to investigate what he said were “clear signs of market manipulation” from Gazprom. Speaking at a meeting of EU ministers on Wednesday, the minister said: “We have to be assertive in the face of Russian coercion.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was “absolutely no Russian role in what is happening on the gas market”.

Angela Merkel appeared to lend support to Moscow, saying it was “not the case” that there were orders for gas that Russia had not supplied.

“Russia can only deliver gas on the basis of contractual obligations,” Germany’s chancellor said. “That’s why we should ask the question: was enough gas ordered, or is the high price at the moment maybe the reason for not ordering so much?”

Record natural gas prices are one symptom of a global battle to secure fuel supplies after demand rebounded rapidly from the depths of the pandemic. The price of coal, which is used to generate electricity and for heating, has also surpassed its all-time peak set in 2008.

“An energy crisis is unfolding with winter in the northern hemisphere still to begin,” said Stephen Brennock of PVM, an energy brokerage in London. Domestic production of gas in Europe has fallen sharply, while demand in Asia has risen as countries increasingly seek alternatives to highly polluting coal, creating a bidding war for cargoes of liquefied natural gas. Rising energy prices are fuelling concerns about inflation, which has dented government bond prices, particularly in the UK. The UK is seen as more vulnerable to record gas prices than some countries in Europe because it has very limited storage capacity, leaving it reliant on a near just-in-time system of domestic production and imports from pipelines and seaborne cargoes.

The vast majority of UK homes are heated with natural gas, and the country has shut more of its coal-fired power stations while adding renewables such as wind farms. On still days when wind power generation is lower, gas can make up more than 50 per cent of all electricity generation. Europe is also suffering from very high electricity prices as a result of the surge in energy costs. The EU said on Wednesday it would review the region’s power market and consider changes to regulation. French building materials company Saint-Gobain underscored the corporate impact on Wednesday when it said it was expecting energy and raw material cost inflation of about €1.5bn in 2021, up from its previous estimate of €1.1bn."

https://www.ft.com/content/e06c3b5d-...9-0d5447d58e76

Damned if they help, damned if they don't.

C'est la vie.

**sabang** · 08-10-2021, 10:44 AM

**harrybarracuda** · 08-10-2021, 12:40 PM

The European Union has sought to move gas trading to the spot market in recent years, whereas Russia has consistently preferred long-term contracts, often as long as 25 years.

Putin treating Gas like Heroin.

He wants Europe addicted to it so he can wield the threat of shut offs over them.

**sabang** · 08-10-2021, 01:06 PM

Is that why the US has so much military stationed in the Middle East?

**harrybarracuda** · 08-10-2021, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by sabang

Is that why the US has so much military stationed in the Middle East?

No. That would be because it has two thirds of the world's oil you fucking moron.

**sabang** · 08-10-2021, 01:23 PM

So to summarise- the US has those enormous military resources permanently stationed in the Middle East because it has two thirds of the worlds oil, but not because [ipso facto] it can then

wield the threat of shut offs

I think we have found a new Kissinger.

Thread: How dangerous is Vladimir Putin?

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