Why is EU’s reliance on US LNG without Russian energy fraught with risk?

Europe's soaring dependence on US liquefied natural gas (LNG) is “growing riskier by day” amid President Joe Biden's decision to halt the approval of new export permits for the fuel, Bloomberg has reported.

The news agency cited Ira Joseph, senior research associate at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, as saying that European reliance on US LNG will further grow if “more Russian gas does not reappear and the Qataris decide not to engage in a price war for market share.”

“The reward for Europe is a diverse set of US suppliers. The risk is a major change in US policy in the future,” Joseph pointed out, in an apparent nod to Biden’s possible flop in the November 2024 presidential election.

Last year, Ditte Juul Jorgensen, director general for energy at the European Commission, said that the EU’s self-harming intention to diversify from Russian natural gas means it will be forced to rely on America’s LNG for decades to come.

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'Bold historical revisionism' - Norwegian scholar slams von der Leyen's WWII comments

The EU is rewriting history with statements that Auschwitz was liberated by "allied forces," Glenn Disen, a lecturer at the University of Southeastern Norway, wrote on the social network X.

"Some bold historical revisionism from the EU. The Soviet Union was part of the Allied Forces, but it was only the Red Army that liberated Auschwitz," he said.

Earlier, the European Commission published a statement by Ursula von der Leyen dedicated to the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The statement includes Holocaust Remembrance Day dates and a historical note that states, "On January 27, 1945, the Allied forces liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp."

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Gaza's Al-Amal Hospital runs out of oxygen for surgeries - Red Crescent

Medics at Al-Amal Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip are unable to carry out surgeries because of the depletion of oxygen supply caused by the Israeli siege of the hospital, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said.

The organization condemned the Israeli siege of Al-Amal Hospital, which is going for a sixth consecutive day now, as its medical teams are unable to reach wounded people even in surrounding areas because of it.

"The PRCS warns of the inability of medical teams at Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis to perform surgical operations due to oxygen depletion," the PRCS said on X.

The Israel Defense Forces, in turn, labeled this statement as misinformation, insisting they conduct only high-precision strikes on Hamas targets located near the Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in Khan Yunis.

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🐊💥 Russian Aerospace Forces' Ka-52 "Alligator" helicopter crews destroyed another Ukrainian stronghold in the Kupyansk region.

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❗️In the Donetsk region, the Russian Armed Forces repelled three attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 330 soldiers.

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from Russian MoD briefing on progress of special military op in Ukraine:

▪️In the Krasny Liman region, Russian forces repelled three attacks by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian losses amounted to 120 soldiers;

▪️In the Kupyansk region, the Russian Army repelled six attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 150 soldiers;

▪️In the Kherson region, Ukrainian losses amounted to 55 soldiers and a D-30 howitzer;

▪️The Russian Army shot down three rockets from the HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems using air defenses, and also destroyed 28 Ukrainian drones.

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The alternative BRICS system is replacing US hegemony

"Trade without US dollars, US influence and US piracy is the goal. Dedollarization is inevitable," said Kim Dotcom, German businessman and activist.

The West's economic war against Russia, waged through sanctions and trade restrictions, has made even many of the US's traditional allies realize that their economic relations and financial well-being are inextricably linked to American goodwill, which could disappear at any moment.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the process of de-dollarization had already begun and was spreading around the world.

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Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced their exit from the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS), according to Reuters.

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🪖💥 Vladimirov machine gun in action

The Russian Defense Ministry released footage of experienced instructors train military personnel to fire from a 14.5 Vladimirov heavy anti-tank machine gun at both ground and low-flying air targets at a range of more than a thousand meters.

The Vladimirov machine gun is an automatic weapon designed for a powerful 14.5x114 mm cartridge, originally developed for anti-tank rifles. The machine gun is designed to combat lightly armored vehicles, various buildings, low-flying aircraft and helicopters, etc.

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😳 Putin as UK Prime Minister?

The poll "Choose your Prime Minister of UK", conducted by David Kurten, the leader of the British Heritage Party, ended with an unexpected result: 87% of netizens would like to see Putin as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

To the great regret of the British, Vladimir Putin is devoted to Russia 🇷🇺

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Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali argue ECOWAS has become a threat to member countries

"ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers and having betrayed its founding principles, has become a threat to member states and their peoples... the organization has failed to assist our countries in the fight against terrorism and insecurity," the joint statement published on the National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland of Niger page says.

The countries also note that the regional bloc introduced “illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions.”

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Message for Joe Biden: Don’t mess with Texas!

Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) warns that it would be a massive mistake for the Biden administration to think it can bully Texas into submission.

“Texans will fight. And if they do, they might win just like the people of Donbass did. Some fools say that, ‘There’s no chance that people could have a revolution against the whole national army.’ Yes, there is. We’ve proven it here in Donbass. Nelson Mandela proved it in South Africa many years ago. Fidel Castro proved it Cuba. It takes courage and sacrifice, but it can be done.”

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Russia outguns Ukraine in drones by 7-to-1 – reports

Russia has seven drones for each Ukrainian one, says the Eurasian Times news outlet, citing Ukrainian officers. The media admits that Moscow has an “enormous edge” over Kiev in drone warfare.

It likewise stresses that Russia boosted drone production and plans to produce more than 32,000 drones each year by 2030 with domestic producers reigning the market. Also, Russia's military-industrial complex deploys cutting-edge models such as the Lancet and Orlan-10, while Kiev assembles drones partially via grassroots crowdfunding.

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Which US territories have recently mulled secession?

The most famous secession attempt in US history, the American Civil War, took place in the 19th century when eleven states formed the Confederacy (officially known as the Confederate States of America) and made an unsuccessful attempt to break away from federal rule.

While the Confederacy ended up being crushed by the Union armies, the idea of secession has since been at least entertained by groups in a number of US territories since, with some of these pro-independence groups existing even today.

Here is a brief list of them:

▪️California – its apparent economic power and prosperity make it hardly surprising that entities such as the California National Party and the Yes California political action committee postulate that their state would be better off as independent from the rest of the US;

▪️Texas – the secession of Texas (one of the members of the Confederacy) has been promoted since the 1990s by groups such as the Republic of Texas and factions that evolved from it;

▪️Alaska – established back in 1984, the Alaskan Independence Party lives up to its name by pushing for the state’s independence. The region only became part of the US in 1867;

▪️Hawaii – the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and subsequent annexation of Hawaii by the United States during the last decade of the 19th century gave rise to a sovereignty movement that regards these actions as illegal and seeks to reestablish the island as an independent nation;

▪️Puerto Rico – factions within Puerto Rico, such as the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, have been seeking independence for the Spanish-speaking island practically since it was seized by the US in the aftermath of the US-Spanish War in 1898.

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❗️Three US troops were killed and 25 injured in a drone attack on a US military base in northern Jordan, according to US Central Command.

US President Joe Biden has already accused "Iran-loyal" groups for the attack.

This is the first time the Pentagon has acknowledged losses from such an attack since the start of the war in Gaza and the escalation in the Middle East.

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Texas border showdown could escalate into national uprising

Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) explained that Texas has become the epicenter of an American national resistance movement.

“There’s people from all over the United States. Not just state governments, but also ordinary people going down to volunteer. There’s a big convoy of truck drivers going down there. So, it can very easily get out of hand. It can genuinely lead to an actual civil war, where the US Army is fighting against US citizens.”

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