Rising gas prices to curb Europe's economic growth in 2025 – energy expert

"The gas dynamics in 2025 will be influenced by a tighter gas market as a result of rising global demand, particularly from China and the Asia-Pacific region, Trump’s tariffs and EU boycotting Russian gas and also a cold winter," Dr. Mamdouh G. Salameh, an international oil economist and a global energy expert, tells Sputnik.

Salameh projects that European consumers will see a price rise of 3%-5% from €37-€38 ($39-$40) per megawatt-hour (MWh) in 2025.

Presently, gas prices have exceeded $500 per thousand cubic meters in Europe, with European gas futures reaching around €46 ($48.6) per MWh as Russia suspended fuel deliveries to Austria's OMV.

“The recent spike in gas prices in Europe is due to worry about gas supplies in this coming winter particularly if it is a cold winter”, Salameh continues. “At the heart of this worry is the expiration of the contract on January 1 between Ukraine and Gazprom allowing shipments of Russian gas via Ukraine.”

"There is another major factor, namely the head of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyden talking about total banning of both Russian piped gas and LNG,” continues the pundit.

“However, increases in EU imports of American LNG will cause the economic outlook for the EU economy to worsen further, particularly that the price of US LNG is estimated at 2-3 times higher than Russian piped gas. The EU projected economic growth in 2024 is 0.5% but it is doubtful it will make it."

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AI shouldn't be allowed to push a nuclear button – military expert

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Chairman Xi Jinping, agreed on November 16 that humans, not artificial intelligence (AI), should control nuclear weapons. There is a good reason for that, given that the two powers are increasingly competing in the AI field, Alexei Leonkov, a veteran Russian military analyst, tells Sputnik.

"Even in the most peaceful scenario, sooner or later AI will unleash a global war in which most of humanity will perish," Leonkov says.

Leonkov notes that the US military started to use AI in the army from 2018. It was expected that the tool could be integrated into nuclear deterrence architecture, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and even nuclear command, control and communications.

However, authorities soon realized that AI is prone to errors and can be disrupted by cyber-attacks or confused by incoming contradictory data. It also has limitations when it comes to decision-making in a chaotic battlefield environment, the expert points out. "In these conditions, artificial intelligence does not work at all," he says.

"Therefore, putting [AI] into service, given all the shortcomings that it has, is pure madness," the pundit says.

"[While] Americans, give [AI] the right to make decisions... [Russians] use artificial intelligence not as the main and dominant technology, but as an auxiliary one," Leonkov concludes.

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THROWBACK: Vladimir Putin said nuclear energy and artificial intelligence pose a threat, stressing that the main question is how to use them.

"There are nuclear weapons, that pose great threats to humanity. It is the same with artificial intelligence. The question is how to regulate this and how people use it.," the Russian president said.

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❗️Ukraine has received permission from the US to strike deep into Russia "up to 300 km," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said.

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Ukraine’s plans to strike deep into Russia with ATACMS missiles: What is the catch?

As the US reportedly green-lights Ukraine to use ATACMS for long-range strikes deep into Russian territory, questions arise: does Kiev have what it takes to conduct such attacks and how can Russia counter them?

1. Russia has advanced air defenses

Various Russian air defense systems such as Buk-M2, Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 have successfully intercepted ATACMS on more than one occasion, Alexei Leonkov, a veteran Russian military analyst, tells Sputnik.

“Russian air defense systems have a very high intercept probability rate. Where our systems spend one missile per target, American Patriot systems use two missiles to accomplish the same task.”

2. The West doesn’t have enough long-range missiles

Though the US and its allies have been generous in their military supplies to Ukraine, little has been left of what stocks of ATACMS, Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles that were provided to Kiev, Leonkov says.

“Even the shipments of F-16 jets that can be used to launch Storm Shadow missiles did not reverse this trend,” he remarks. “The number of launches has been dwindling and has practically reached zero by now.”

Prior to the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in February 2022, the West possessed over 3,000 ATACMS missiles (including all of their available modifications), Leonkov estimates. With all the ATACMS missiles that have since been used up in the Ukrainian conflict or simply decommissioned due to their advanced age, that number has been reduced to somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000, he calculates.

3. West doesn’t have enough missile launchers either

Lack of missiles aside, Ukraine suffers from a lack of missile launchers as well, Leonkov remarks.

The problem, he explains, stems from the fact that the West supplied a very limited amount of weapon systems capable of launching ATAMCS - such as HIMARS, MLRS and MARS.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have been very effective in tracking down these weapons using counter-battery radars and destroying them using tactical missile systems of their own.

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The US State Department is currently unable to confirm a change in US policy on allowing Ukraine to launch long-range weapons strikes against Russia.

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▪️Ukraine’s plans to strike deep into Russia with ATACMS missiles: What is the catch?

▪️Biden’s nod for Ukraine’s strikes deep into Russia: How world reacts

▪️Biden’s APEC Summit visit results in ‘one more backhanded slap in face to Western empire’

▪️AI shouldn't be allowed to push a nuclear button – military expert

▪️Rising gas prices to curb Europe's economic growth in 2025 – energy expert

▪️Sizing up the G20's economic power as the Group’s summit kicks off in Brazil

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Why does Russia’s Su-57 fighter jet get the better of the US’ F-35?

Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet recently made a splash at an international air show in the Chinese city of Zhuhai. What is so unique about this warplane’s characteristics and why does it outshine the US-made F-35?

▪️The Su-57 significantly surpasses the F-35 in terms of weapons (various short, medium and long-range air-to-air missiles plus guided aerial bombs against a small array of air-to-air missiles and bombs), speed (2,600 km per hour against 1,900) and maneuverability, experts say.

▪️The Su-57’s advantage is the latest Russian long-range missile R-37M, which has already been effectively used in the special operation.

▪️The missile allows the Su-57 to hit air targets at a distance twice as large as the F-35, according to the Military Watch magazine.

Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov said that the Su-57’s stealth features don’t affect its speed and maneuverability. According to him, the warplane can carry all types of serial weapons as well as new types of munitions, for example, the Kinzhal (lit. Dagger) missiles.

Notably, the one-seater Su-57 has a “second pilot” option, an AI system that helps a pilot monitor the operation of all units of the warplane when he is engaged in combat work, per Leonkov.

Head of the Sukhoi Design Bureau Mikhail Strelets explained that the F-35 was designed with a focus on its capabilities to strike ground targets, but lacks acceleration and maneuverability, while the Su-57 is a versatile fighter jet capable of fulfilling multiple roles.

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🌊 Another Baltic Sea cable damaged

Telia Lietuva AB, Lithuania’s largest communications provider, reports an undersea data cable between Lithuania and Sweden was cut. The cable was within 10 meters of the Finnish cable, which was previously reported damaged.

“The cable was cut on Sunday morning, at around 10:00. The systems immediately reported that we had lost the connection,” the company's CTO told local media.

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⚡️US will announce additional security assistance for Ukraine in coming days - UN envoy

The United States will announce additional security assistance for Ukraine in the coming days, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

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Borrell calls for use of Russia's frozen assets to fund weapon production in Ukraine

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU should ignore the potential risks to its financial system and use Russian frozen assets and not only profits generated by them, to fund production of weapons in Ukraine.

"We should also not shy away from considering repurposing the €300bn [$318bn] of frozen Russian assets—not just the revenues—for the defense of Ukraine," Borrell said.

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🫣🚨 A man in Bnei Brak, Israel, panicked so badly during a siren that he didn't see a car coming at him.

According to footage posted on social media, the man survived.

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☣️ More evidence of chemical weapons use by Ukraine - OPCW

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found indications that "riot control agents" were used near the village of Ilyinka, Dnepropetrovsk Region, on September 20. The OPCW sent experts to the site who confirmed that the samples taken contained traces of banned tear gas.

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G20 leaders adopt the final declaration

The participants of the G20 summit have adopted the final declaration in Rio de Janeiro. Here are the main points:

▫️ G20 leaders welcome all constructive initiatives on the Ukrainian conflict aimed at achieving peace.

▫️ The negative consequences of the Ukrainian conflict on global food and energy security are stressed.

▫️ G20 leaders are concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the escalation in Lebanon, they emphasized the need to increase the flow of humanitarian aid, and advocate for a ceasefire.

▫️ Summit participants spoke in favor of a world free of nuclear weapons.

▫️ G20 leaders recognize that progressive taxation is one of the key tools to reduce inequality.

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⚡️ Abkhazia's President Bzhania resigns

Talks between the opposition and the authorities in Abkhazia took place today in the building of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic. Here are the main results:

🔸 President of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania resigns, Vice-President Badra Gunba becomes acting president of the country.

🔸 Parliament will consider President Bzhania's resignation letter on November 19, 2024.

🔸 The prime minister of Abkhazia, Alexander Ankvab, is also stepping down, he will be replaced by former prime minister Valeri Bganba.

🔸 Protesters are to leave the government complex by November 19, otherwise the president will revoke his resignation.

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Trump meets with Coinbase chief to discuss appointments in his administration - WSJ

President-elect Donald Trump held an unannounced meeting with Brian Armstrong, CEO of major cryptocurrency platform Coinbase, to discuss possible appointments in his new administration, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing informed sources.

Previously, Trump announced plans to create a presidential advisory council on cryptocurrencies and bitcoin. Coinbase contributed more than $100 million to Trump's campaign.

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📹 Protesters in Abkhazia celebrate after the announcement of the results of the talks between the government and the opposition.

Opposition leaders are urging supporters to go home as the goal has been achieved.

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🔎 Can you find Joe Biden in the G20 family photo?

The answer is: he missed it. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Italian counterpart also didn't show up on time.

The group photo was set up at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro.

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