Egyik 19

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Hungary
Feb. 2, 2022  The House of Music, Hungary opened at City Park in Budapest. Designed by the Japanese architect Fujimoto, chosen as the House of Music’s architect in an international competition, the cultural center which opened in the museum district of the historic City Park on Jan. 23, offers exhibitions, education and concerts. An interactive permanent show guides visitors through the historical development of Western music; celebrates the contribution of Hungarian composers like Liszt, Bartók and Kodály and traces Hungary’s folk music tradition to its Central Asian roots. One room, painted in the colors of the Hungarian flag, features video displays on the country’s political history and famous athletes, with the national anthem as a soundtrack. The House of Music’s “sound dome,” is a 360-degree film and music experience. It’s glass walls are animated by reflections of construction elsewhere in the park. This new building is mired in controversy. It is the first of several planned buildings that will transform the 200-year-old City Park into a museum district. In 2012, Orbán’s government announced an ambitious plan to transform the park, in disrepair after decades of neglect, into a district of five museums. The estimated cost at the time was about $250 million, but that had ballooned to nearly five times original projections by 2017. A spokeswoman said in a statement that the government had so far spent about $800 million, on the project. Lederer of K-Monitor, an anti-corruption watchdog, said that public records indicate the House of Music alone had cost Hungarian taxpayers as much as $100 million. Critics have said that the government’s plans to develop the old City Park into a museum district disturbs the natural environment, deprives locals of much-needed public space and raises concerns about corruption. In 2016, private security guards clashed with park conservationists at the future site of the House of Music. Those behind the project say the site has always been more than a public park, and  that the undertaking is Europe’s largest urban development project. In a speech, Orbán described the transformation as an “unfinished work of art.” The House of Music’s Jan. 22 unveiling took place on the Day of Hungarian Culture, a national celebration. Orbán, unveiling the House of Music, attacked critics of the park’s transformation as leftists who opposed beauty. He added that national election’s in April would be “a period” that would end debate over the future of the park. Hungary’s cities are currently blanketed in political ads featuring Orbán’s main political opponent as Mini-Me from the Austin Powers movies. Orbán’s political machine interprets culture as “something that must be occupied or conquered,” said Nyáry, an author who grew up near City Park. He added: “Do we need a House of Music? I don’t know. I see it’s a beautiful building, and I’m sure they’ll have exciting events, but it doesn’t belong there.” Repurposing the park transforms its function, he said, jeopardizing a  valuable natural environment that has served as “the lungs” of surrounding neighborhoods. (Source: TheNewYorkTimes)

Germany
February 2, 2022 Germany's media regulator announced today that it will ban the German-language TV channel of Russian state broadcaster RT, which was previously taken off air in December. "The organization and distribution of the TV program via live stream on the internet, via the mobile and smart TV app 'RT News' and via satellite must be discontinued," according to a statement by the Commission for Authorization and Supervision. Additionally, it said RT cannot "rely on any other permission legitimate under European law." Regulators said that RT did not have the correct license for broadcasting in Germany - and that the channel had not applied for one. RT -  formerly known as Russia Today - had previously attempted to run its operations in Germany using a Serbian broadcasting license. Its German-language outlets have built an audience that leans to the political far right and is receptive to vaccine skepticism. The "top stories" on its front page are led by a report on COVID-19 vaccine side effects in U.S. soldiers and on a warning by U.S. billionaire Gates - a hate figure for anti-vaxxers - on future pandemics. Last December, RT went live with its German channel, but within days it was taken off air by satellite operator Eurosat and its YouTube channel was banned. RT can seek a judicial review of the latest German decision. (Source: Politico)

Romania
2022-02-02 When asked in Parliament to comment on the statement of Russian President Putin that NATO forces should leave Romania and Bulgaria, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Ciolacu declared today, that Romania has a strategic partnership with the United States of America, and the country's approach "to the tensions on the Ukrainian border is the right one". 'I don't remember us having such an agreement with Russia or being subordinated to Russia, for someone to dictate us what to do on Romanian soil.' "I have seen some very clear decisions from the President of the United States and the President of France, with whom again we have a strategic partnership, to send troops to Romania, and it's not just these two forces," he added. (Source: Agerpres)

Russia
2 Feb 20222  Russia denies it is planning an attack, but is increasingly frustrated by Washington and NATO’s refusal to heed its security demands – chief among them a promise that the military alliance will never allow Ukraine membership. Moscow says Ukraine should be a buffer state, but Western powers fear Russia wants Kyiv in its sphere of influence. Russian volunteers are being sought to support rebels in the two separatist statelets in eastern Ukraine over social media networking sites such as VK, the Russian-language equivalent to Facebook which has hundreds of millions of subscribers. A VK page titled “Army of the DPR”, which refers to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), is a post providing both Russian and Ukrainian contact numbers, as well as relevant street addresses in the city of Donetsk. The page has nearly 27,000 followers. Another post is of an old World War II poster that says careless chit-chat helps the enemy, with a warning against revealing the details of operations and military positions – and a call to disable geolocation on phones. “If you are drunk – do not write or call anywhere!” the post says. More recent posts on the page include a recruiter, apparently from Donetsk, looking for men aged 18 to 55 to serve. Perks include a stable allowance of up to 36,000 roubles ($474) with bonuses for drivers and gunners, career growth, three meals a day, two vacations a year and the “opportunity for free education in higher educational institutions of the DPR”. Several similar adverts posted today seek recruits for the “security battalion” and “artillery corps”. The recruiters’ pages are either set to private or reveal scant personal info. Another VK page, Humanitarian Volunteers of Novorossiya, with 7,000 followers, calls on subscribers to send watches, antennas, electronics, clothing, medical supplies and even chairs to the front line. “People are being sought both through the channels of the Union of Donbas Volunteers and through a whole network of recruiters – usually respected veterans from various Russian law enforcement agencies with combat experience,” said Yapparova, a correspondent for the news site Meduza. She believes that the Russian-centred recruitment networks described above, as well as representatives of the breakaway Donbas republics, are behind the online ads. People are now being sought not so much to ensure a virtual ‘Russian offensive’, but to strengthen the front line from the LPR and DPR themselves, whose armed forces in their current state are unlikely to withstand a full-scale conflict, she said. The Union of Donbas Volunteers (SDD) is an organisation that provides Russian citizens who fought in the Ukraine conflict with social and financial support, including prosthetics and rehabilitation programmes. (Source: AlJazeera)

2 Feb, 2022  In December, Russia requested that the US and NATO produce definitive written responses to its proposals on assurances addressing security concerns. The letters were sent to Moscow last week. It seems the West has rejected Moscow’s core demands, but proposed steps to ease tensions - the West has apparently offered general transparency and confidence-building steps. These include utilizing existing military communication channels, setting up a civilian hotline for emergencies, and the reopening of the respective missions in Moscow and Brussels. The main point of contention seems to be the concept of the ‘indivisibility of security’ in Europe. Russia often points to the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security, which says that each country “has an equal right to security,” and countries “will not strengthen their security at the expense of the security of other states.” This formula was affirmed in the OSCE’s declaration at the 2010 summit in Astana (now Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan. Moscow argues that this means NATO and the US cannot expand their military infrastructure eastward without Russia’s consent. In a letter to the US and its allies Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov accused Western countries of ignoring the concept of indivisibility of security altogether in favor of cherry-picking “elements that suit them” from international documents, namely those guaranteeing the freedom of individual states to choose their alliances. He  highlighted that the West’s written responses demonstrated “serious differences” in the understanding of the issue. Last week, Lavrov argued that it was “difficult” to view NATO as a defensive alliance, considering its interventions in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Libya. NATO specifically writes about exchanging information about military drills with Russia, and measures like earlier notices of snap exercises and sending more observers to monitor them.  This could reduce some day-to-day tension and dangerous incidents along East European borders, as both sides have frequently accused each other of provocative maneuvers in the air and at sea. NATO presented a laundry list of demands, including the withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, which implies that Moscow must return Crimea to Kiev. Russia has repeatedly stated that Crimea’s reunification with the country in 2014 is irreversible. It's also constitutionally impossible, under amendments voted on in 2020. It is highly unlikely that Moscow will remove its peacekeepers from Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region, where they have been stationed since the early 1990s, until the frozen conflict there is resolved. It is similarly hard to see Russian peacekeepers being removed from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, whose independence from Georgia was recognized by Russia in 2008. The US has allegedly written it stands ready to talk about “reciprocal commitments” not to deploy offensive ground-launched missile systems and permanent combat troops in Ukraine, which also implies that Russia must abandon Crimea. Russia’s demand for NATO to publicly abandon its so-called ‘open-door policy’ of accepting new member states seems equally unrealistic at this point, after the US and NATO reaffirmed the right of any country to seek membership in the bloc. (Source: RT)

February 2, 2022  Russian President Putin speaking at a yesterday news conference following a five-hour meeting in Moscow with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that his government was studying the responses from the United States and NATO to his security demands related to Ukraine but that it was clear the Kremlin's main complaints "had been ignored." "It is already clear - I informed the Prime Minister about this - that the fundamental Russian concerns were ignored. We did not see an adequate consideration of our three key requirements," Putin said. Putin added: Russia had not seen "adequate consideration of our three key demands regarding NATO expansion, the renunciation of the deployment of strike weapons systems near Russian borders, and the return of the [NATO] bloc's military infrastructure in Europe to the state of 1997, when the Russia-NATO founding act was signed." Putin accused the US directly of attempting to "draw us into armed conflict" over the Ukraine crisis by using the country as a "tool" for NATO operations. He claimed that Washington's main goal is to force "allies in Europe to impose the very tough sanctions against us," or "draw Ukraine into NATO." The US and NATO have said Putin's demands - which include a promise to never expand eastward to countries including Ukraine - violate NATO's open-door policy and are non-starters in negotiations. Putin did not offer any solutions yesterday, but did say he was open to more talks. "I hope that this dialogue will continue," he said, adding: "I hope that we will eventually find this solution, although it is not an easy one, and we are aware of this. But what that will be, I'm not ready to say today, of course." He characterized as NATO's history of deceptions, claiming that the alliance promised to expand "not an inch" eastward. "They said one thing, they did another," Putin said. "As people say, they screwed us over, well they simply deceived us." Russian officials have repeatedly made this claim in the past; the US and NATO have denied making such promises. Putin also reiterated his opposition to the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, and said Kyiv was attempting to retake Crimea by military force, potentially bringing the alliance into open conflict with Russia. "This [Crimea] is sovereign Russian territory, the question is closed for us," he said. "Let's imagine that Ukraine is a NATO country and starts these military operations. Then what, we should fight against the NATO bloc? So, has anyone thought about this? Looks like no." US State Department officials confirmed in January 31 they had "received a written followup from Russia" to a document of proposals the US sent to the Kremlin last week on how to defuse tensions and pave the way for further security talks in response to Russia's demands on security. US Secretary of State Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov held a phone call yesterday. Blinken told Lavrov that if Putin "does not intend war or regime change," then it was time to pull back troops and heavy weaponry and engage in serious, diplomatic discussions. Lavrov responded that the escalation that the US was claiming was not occurring, but that it was merely Russia moving troops within its own borders. Yesterday, the Kremlin said that Russia had not yet sent its "main reply" to the US. "There was a mix-up," Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said in a conference call. "It [the Russian correspondence] regarded a different matter. The main reply on this issue hasn't been handed over, it's still being prepared." (Source: CNN)

United States
02.02.2022  Two documents from NATO and the US - responses to Russian security demands in Europe - revealed the United States was willing to discuss a deal on missile deployments, showing Washington is ready to discuss troops and missile reductions with Moscow. The documents contain no mention of Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO -  the key issue that has riled Moscow. In the NATO document, 30 allies said they reaffirm their commitment to NATO's Open Door policy. The US document read the United States is willing to discuss conditions-based reciprocal transparency measures and reciprocal commitments by both the United States and Russia to refrain from deploying offensive ground-launched missile systems and permanent forces with a combat mission in the territory of Ukraine. The US said it would be willing to discuss a transparency mechanism to confirm the absences of Tomahawk cruise missiles at Aegis Ashore sites in Romania and Poland. That offer is conditional on a Russian offer of reciprocal transparency measures on two ground-launched missiles bases in Russia. US Aegis Ashore systems are meant for defending against short- or intermediate-range missiles. Russia claims that these systems could be armed with Tomahawk intermediate-range missiles and used to attack Russia. The document  says it would have to consult closely with NATO allies, particularly Romania and Poland. Shortly after the documents were openly showing Washington is ready to discuss with Moscow troops and missile reductions, US President Biden said he will send some 2,000 soldiers in Poland and Germany, while 1,000 troops would move from Germany to Romania. The troops in Poland will be put on high-readiness. (Source: DW)

02/02/2022   The US is to send extra troops to Europe this week. US President Biden has approved the deployment of nearly 3,000 American troops to Europe in the coming days, in what the Pentagon said today was a signal of US readiness to defend NATO allies. 1,700 US troops would deploy from Fort Bragg in North Carolina to Poland and another 300 from the base to Germany. About 1,000 Germany-based troops would to head to Romania. The deployments are above and beyond the 8,500 troops the Pentagon put on alert last month to be ready to deploy to  Europe. Together, the moves are avoiding new deployments to Ukraine itself, which is not part of NATO. (Source: France24)

Feb 02, 2022 US offered disarmament measures to Russia in exchange for deescalation of military threat in Ukraine. The Russian authorities demanded written response to their proposal - presented by Russia on December 17, 2021 - to sign a deal that gave security guarantees to Moscow regarding the expansion of NATO to the east. Moscow even included a draft version of the hypothetical deal. The responses were two texts on the part of Washington and from the Atlantic Alliance. The US and NATO have coordinated their responses, which are complementary but do contain some differences. The responses from Washington and NATO to Putin’s demands reject closing the door on future incorporations to the Alliance but do pave the way for mutual trust-building measures. Both Washington and the Alliance offer Putin negotiations on disarmament agreements and trust-building measures in different forums – such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the US-Russia Strategic Stability Dialogue, and the NATO-Russia Council – the success of which are conditioned on the start of a deescalation of the Russian military threat to Ukraine. The documents were sent in January 25, last Wednesday, by Washington and NATO to Moscow. Considering the substantial, ongoing Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine and in Belarus, NATO calls on Russia to immediately de-escalate the situation in a verifiable, timely and lasting manner. It is the position of the United States government that progress can only be achieved on these issues in an environment of de-escalation with respect to Russia’s threatening actions towards Ukraine, warns Washington. The main difference between both texts is that Washington is prepared to discuss the concept of indivisibility of security, which the OSCE approved at its summit in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan in 2010. Moscow has included this in the first article in its draft deal, using this principle to allege that the eventual entry of Ukraine into NATO would affect its security. From the beginning, the document from Washington makes clear that it continues to firmly support NATO’s Open Door Policy, and so does not exclude the future incorporation of Ukraine or Georgia into the Alliance. The NATO text also reinforces its open-door policy and underlines the right of all states to choose their agreements in terms of security free from outside interference. Moscow is yet to send a written reply, but Russia has called on the United States and NATO to unify their responses and for the latter to agree to a discussion of the concept of indivisibility of security, as the US has done. With relation to Ukraine, the Biden administration is offering Russia conditions-based reciprocal transparency measures under which Russia and the US would agree to refrain from deploying offensive ground-launched missile systems and permanent forces with a combat mission in the territory of Ukraine. For this, Washington announces its proposal to consult with Kiev. The mutual trust agreements, together with the disarmament pacts, are the two keys of the texts sent by Washington and the Alliance. The US states that it is prepared to deal with this process in good faith, while reproaching Putin for having deployed more than 100,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine, for having occupied the Crimean Peninsula, and encouraging the conflict in Donbas (the eastern region of Ukraine, mostly Russian-speaking). It is imperative, that discussions take place on the basis of the core founding documents on European security, such as the Helsinki Final Act, the NATO-Russia Founding Act, and the Paris and United Nations charters, which enshrine the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and every state’s right to choose its security agreements and alliances. A number of US proposals imply limits on missiles that could culminate in new disarmament agreements. Washington has said it is prepared to start bilateral conversations with Russia on the control of short- and medium-range missiles and their launchers, although it criticizes the breaking of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with the production and deployment of SSC-8 missiles and other systems. The US government reaffirms its commitment to the New START treaty for intercontinental missiles, which is in force until 2026, but it proposes the inclusion of new launchers, non-strategic arms and undeployed nuclear warheads. It suggests beginning discussions immediately on follow-on measures to New START and discussing how future deals would include all US and Russian nuclear weapons. The document shows the concern of Washington and its allies given the efforts of Russia to diversify and increase its nuclear arsenal, develop new intercontinental missiles and deploy dual and non-strategic missiles near NATO borders. One of the novel proposals is the offer to Russia of a transparency mechanism to verify the absence of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are capable of reaching Russian territory, at the NATO anti-missile shield bases in Romania and Bulgaria, and which house the Aegis system. In return, Washington calls for an identical approach with two missile-launching bases of its choice in Russian territory. Moscow had proposed limiting the deployment of short- and long-range missiles and expressed its concern for the fact that the anti-missile shield bases in Romania and Bulgaria could house Tomahawk missiles. Given the unease of the European Union over its exclusion from these negotiations, the United States guarantees that it will discuss all of the issues that affect the security of Europe with its allies. (Source: ElPais)

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Hungary    Magyarország
01/02/2022  A peaceful solution to the standoff between Russia and Ukraine through dialogue is in Hungary’s interest, Defence Minister Benkő told public television yesterday. Benkő also warned against ratcheting up Cold War rhetoric. Referring to a recent request to station NATO troops in Hungary, Benkő said the country’s Armed Forces had undergone a comprehensive development programme since 2017, resulting in “robust defence capabilities” that NATO had acknowledged. “This is why we say there is no need for a 1,000-strong NATO contingent to be stationed in Hungary,” he added. In the current situation, Hungary’s armed forces are tasked with ensuring peace and security in the country and the region rather than “show force that would rouse people’s fear and anxiety”. NATO’s plan for the conflict includes peaceful solutions as well as deterrence, Benkő said. Referring to his talks with UK counterpart Wallace earlier yesterday, Benkő said Wallace had praised the standard and professionalism of Hungary’s armed forces and agreed there was no need to offer troops to the country. Benkő said Hungary’s government had always rejected the notion of foreign forces being stationed in the country.  Benkő said the government had made it “very clear” that Hungary was a part of NATO and the EU organisations. The government sees the country’s future as part of those alliances, he said. (Source: DailyNewsHungary)

2022. II. 1. Élelmiszerárstop. "Megvédjük a magyar családokat az inflációtól: fenntartjuk a rezsicsökkentést, bevezettük a kamatstopot, emellett rögzítettük az üzemanyagok árát." Mindezek mellett a kormány arról döntött, hogy három hónapra árstopot vezet be egyes alapvető élelmiszerekre. Az érintett termékek árát úgy kell megállapítani, hogy az nem lehet magasabb a 2021. október 15. napon alkalmazott árnál. Az árstop 2022. február 1-től május 1-ig tart. Az árszabályozás alapvető élelmiszerekre terjed ki: kristálycukor, búzafinomliszt, finomított napraforgó-étolaj, házi sertéscomb, csirkemell, csirke far-hát, ultramagas hőmérsékleten hőkezelt, 2,8% zsírtartalmú tehéntej. Ha a 2021. október 15. napján alkalmazott ár kiárusítás, leárazás, akció, szezonális kedvezmény, promóciós értékesítés során alkalmazott ár lenne, úgy a kedvezményes értékesítés előtti árat kell alkalmazni. Az árszabályozással kapcsolatos tájékoztatást a kereskedőknek ki kell függeszteniük az üzletek bejáratánál jól látható helyen, csomagküldő kereskedelem esetén pedig a nyitólapon közzétenni azt, a vonatkozó rendeletben foglalt formai és tartalmi előírásoknak megfelelően. A szabályok betartását az általános fogyasztóvédelmi hatóság, azaz a megyei és fővárosi kormányhivatalok a Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal bevonásával ellenőrzik. A szabályok megszegése pénzbírsággal vagy az üzlet bezárásával büntethető. (Forrás: Kormány)

Czechia
February 01, 2022 Yesterday, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala held talks with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Prague Perebyinis about bilateral relations and the crisis on the Ukrainian-Russian border. Last week, the Czech government agreed to provide Ukraine with 4,000 artillery shells for about 37 million korunas (€1.5 million). Fiala stated at the time that Czechia supports Ukraine and believes in a diplomatic solution. “We are trying to get the situation resolved peacefully, through diplomacy and to discourage Russia from any military aggression,” he said, adding that the government was preparing for worse-case scenarios. According to Kiev, Moscow is intent on  destabilizing Ukraine rather than using military force. (Source: Remix)

Poland
February 1, 2022  Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says Warsaw is ready to supply Ukraine with military aid including ammunition and various types of drones. “We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian neighbors in light of the threat they are now facing from Russia. However, solidarity and words are not enough today; now they need to be forged into action,” Morawiecki told in the Polish capital. “For this and other reasons, which are related to the very threatening military situation, which, unfortunately, has developed there, we are also ready to hand over defensive weapons.” (Source: AlJazeera)

European Union
01 February 2022   Approval for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been put on hold, and the European Commission will scrutinise the project’s compliance with the trading bloc’s energy policy, revealed the commission’s vice president Dombrovkis yesterday. He argued the European Union (EU) will do everything it can to ensure Russia is unable to use natural gas as a weapon. The £8.4bn Nord Stream 2 project was completed last September, with its certification held up last year amid governance concerns from German regulators. No decision on the pipeline from the domestic authorities was expected until this summer, but the pipeline also needs to be approved by the European Commission. It has the right to examine whatever position Germany takes, with a possibility to extend the period by another two months under certain conditions, and it can also pause the process unilaterally. The German regulator, Bundesnetzagentur, initially raised concerns over Nord Stream AG’s independence from Kremlin-backed gas giant Gazprom and laid down requirements last November for Gazprom to set up a separate company to oversee the German section of the pipeline. However, worries over its political influence have only grown since then, with the International Energy Agency accusing Russia of throttling supplies into Europe, and of trying to minimise the role of Ukraine by reducing its transit fees from pipes flowing through the country. Russian President Putin has dismissed such accusations as ‘politically motivated blather’, while Gazprom has insisted it has fulfilled every contract it has brokered in Europe. The gas titan failed to reach its fully-year export targets for Europe and Germany last year, and cut its export growth into the continent to five per cent over the last three months of the year. Dombrovkis said: “It is important that the United States, NATO and all EU Member States continue to cooperate closely, supporting Ukraine in response to Russian escalation. We are united in sending a clear message to Russia: any further aggressive action would bring it severe political and economic consequences.” Dombrovskis also said the commission plans to approve a €1.2bn financial aid package to Ukraine today. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has threatened to place sanctions on the pipeline if Russia instigates conflict in the region. The US has said the pipeline will not be greenlit if Ukraine is invaded. Another aggravating factor is the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which typically supplies Europe with around a sixth of its gas imports. It has flowed eastwards away from Germany for over a month and Gazprom currently has no exports planned via the pipeline this month. Wholesale prices rose five-fold over the course of 2021, and while prices have effectively halved since Christmas they remain historically high with fears that elevated costs could effectively be baked into the market. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline would double Russia’s exports with Germany, pumping 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year into the continent via the Baltic sea floor. Any call to reject Nord Stream 2 would not come without costs, as the trading bloc currently relies on Russia for around 40 per cent of its natural gas imports. The decision would infuriate Moscow. European gas prices have gone on a wild journey over recent months and remain historically high. The continent scarcely escaped serious difficulties this winter, effectively bailed out by a flotilla of US tankers last month. In the end, only Moldova and Kosovo suffered from power outages. It is unlikely that new deals with non-Russian gas suppliers would sustainably replace both the potential gains in supplies Nord Stream 2 could provide, and Russia’s current gas offerings to the continent. EU-focused think tank Bruegel has recently suggested that the trading bloc would only be able to temporarily keep up with consumption demand if there were severe shortages. Platts Analytics suggest European storage stocks are around 19 bcm below the five-year seasonal average. Over the past few weeks, the US has been scrambling to procure deals with non-Russian gas suppliers such as Qatar, while EU energy chief Simson is set to attend conferences in Azerbaijan and Washington to negotiate potential energy settlements. Qatar does have contracts to fulfil across the world amid rebounding demand in Asia, with Europe just one of many players in a global gas supply crisis. The country typically favours long-term contracts. Qatar has also attached strings to any future arrangements. The current crisis could provide new partners with previously unexpected opportunities. In gas markets, the deep shortage that has developed on both global LNG markets and in the European gas market point to some market opportunities for producers to find high interest in those volumes. This may allow new pipeline projects from Central  Asia or the Mediterranean region, new fields in the North Sea, or new LNG projects (especially in the US) to lock in volumes at prices that would have been difficult to negotiate just 12 months ago. LNG has to be converted to usable supplies through an extensive storage process. European LNG imports hit a record high last month, at 11.8 bcm, compared with a previous record in November 2019 of around 9 bcm. With supplies rising from 51 per cent to 75 per cent of capacity in Western and Southern Europe, this means the continent only has limited capabilities to absorb further flows of LNG. Nearly 45 per cent of the LNG imports were from the United States. (Source: CityA.M.)

Russia     Oroszország    
1 February 2022  Text of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mr. Lavrov`s written message on Indivisibility of Security addressed to the Heads of Foreign / External Affairs Ministers / Secretaries of the US, Canada and several European countries    "134-01-02-2022     Unofficial translation     You are well aware that Russia is seriously concerned about increasing politico-military tensions in the immediate vicinity of its western borders. With a view to avoiding any further escalation, the Russian side presented on 15 December 2021 the drafts of two interconnected international legal documents – a Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Security Guarantees and an Agreement on Measures to Ensure the Security of the Russian Federation and Member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The U.S. and NATO responses to our proposals received on 26 January 2022 demonstrate serious differences in the understanding of the principle of equal and indivisible security that is fundamental to the entire European security architecture. We believe it is necessary to  immediately clarify this issue, as it will determine the prospects for future dialogue. The Charter for European Security signed at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul in November 1999 formulated key rights and obligations of the OSCE participating States with respect to indivisibility of security. It underscored the right of each participating  State to be free to choose or change its security arrangements including treaties of alliances, as they evolve, as well as the right of each State to neutrality. The same paragraph of the Charter directly conditions those rights on the obligation of each State not to strengthen its security at the expense of the security of other States. It says further that no State, group of States or Organization can have any pre-eminent responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the OSCE area or can consider any part of the OSCE area as its sphere of influence. At the OSCE Summit in Astana in December 2010, the leaders of our nations approved a declaration that reaffirmed this comprehensive package of interconnected obligations. However, the Western countries continue to pick up out of it only those elements that suit them, and namely – the right of States to be free to choose alliances for ensuring exclusively their own security. The words ‘as they evolve’ are shamefacedly omitted, because this provision was also an integral part of the understanding of ‘indivisible security’, and specifically in the sense that military alliances must abandon their initial deterrence function and integrate into the all-European architecture based on collective approaches, rather than as narrow groups. The principle of indivisible security is selectively interpreted as a justification for the ongoing course toward irresponsible expansion of NATO. It is revealing that Western representatives, while expressing their readiness to engage in dialogue on the European security architecture, deliberately avoid making reference to the Charter for European Security and the Astana Declaration in their comments. They mention only earlier OSCE documents, particularly often – the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe that does not contain the increasingly ‘inconvenient’ obligation not to strengthen own security at the expense of the security of other States. Western capitals also attempt to ignore a key OSCE document – the 1994 Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, which clearly says that the States will choose their security arrangements, including membership in alliances, ‘bearing in mind the legitimate security concerns of other States’. It will not work that way. The very essence of the agreements on indivisible security is that either there is security for all or there is no security for anyone. The Istanbul Charter provides that each OSCE participating State has equal right to security, and not only NATO countries that interpret this right as an exceptional privilege of membership in the ‘exclusive’ North Atlantic club". (...) "The situation demands a frank clarification of positions. We want to receive a clear answer to the question how our partners understand their obligation not to strengthen their own security at the expense of the security of other States on the basis of the commitment to the principle of indivisible security. How specifically does your Government intend to fulfil this obligation in practical terms in the current circumstances? If you renege on this obligation, we ask you to clearly state that". (...) "Your response will help to better understand the extent of the ability of our partners to remain faithful to their commitments, as well as the prospects for common progress toward decreasing tensions and strengthening European security". (Source: mid.ru): https://tinyurl.com/3b2fyh6y

2022. II. 1. 17:30 - 18:06. Orbán Viktor magyar miniszterelnök és Vlagyimir Putyin orosz elnök a találkozó utáni sajtótájékoztatón.     Putyin, orosz elnök kifejezte örömét, hogy Orbán Viktor az orosz fővárosban tárgyalt. A kétoldalú együttműködés részleteit, a 2019-es budapesti látogatása óta eltelt eredményeket és a további célokat tárgyalták, fogalmazták meg. A két ország közös vállalatot hoz létre a Dél-Európába irányuló szállítás elősegítésére. Emlékeztetett: az egészségügyben is együttműködik a két ország, Magyarország a Szputnyik V-t engedélyezte és folytatódnak a tárgyalások a Szputnyik Light kapcsán is. Hangsúlyozta: Magyarország fontos partner. Felhívta a figyelmet, hogy Magyarország a felhasznált kőolaj 55 százalékát és a gáz 80 százalékát Oroszországból vásárolta. Magyarországon keresztül haladnak a tranzit útvonalak, melyek Nyugat-Európába irányulnak. A Mol kőolaj-kitermelésben játszott szerepéről is elismerően szólt. A magyar és orosz fél az atomenergia tekintetében is komoly együttműködést tud felmutatni. Elmondta, hogy megvitatták az ukrán helyzetet és az emberi jogok kérdését is. Beszéltek a nemzeti kisebbségek aggasztó helyzetéről is. Oroszország NATO felé támasztott biztosíték-igényeiről is tárgyaltak. Putyin szerint a nyugati hatalmak nem vették figyelembe Oroszország kéréseit és az aggályokat. Végezetül megköszönte Orbán Viktornak a közös eredményes munkát. Biztos abban, hogy a továbbiakban is sikeres együttműködés lesz a két ország között.     Orbán Viktor magyar kormányfő emlékeztetett: tizenkettedik alkalommal találkozott az orosz elnökkel. Jelenlegi látogatása nyilvánvalóan az eddigi legfontosabb és azt békemissziónak is tekintette. Az EU a békében érdekelt, és különösen igaz ez a közép-európaiakra. Elmondta: mikor a nyugat és a kelet egymással versengett, arra Közép-Európa rajtavesztett. Érdekünk, hogy a feszültség alább hagyjon és ne térjen vissza a hidegháború – ehhez párbeszédre van szükség. Orbán Viktor erre biztatja a nyugati partnereket is. Magyarország tagja a NATO-nak és az EU-nak, közben pedig kiváló kapcsolatokat tud ápolni Oroszországgal. Ennek alapja a kölcsönös tisztelet, amit a két ország vezetői mindig megadtak a másiknak. A világjárvány során 900 ezer magyar embert sikerült beoltani orosz oltóanyaggal. Az energetikai együttműködés továbbra is jól működik, hiszen sikerült meghosszabbítani a hosszú távú gázszállítási szerződéseket. Az orosz elnök ígéretet tett arra, hogy tárgyalni fognak a Magyarországra szállítandó gáz mértékének emeléséről is. A nemzeti oltóanyaggyár is erősíti a két ország közötti együttműködést. A paksi beruházás segít abban is, hogy a magyar energiagazdálkodás teljesen zölddé váljon – fogalmazott. Kiemelte: ígéretet kapott arra, hogy több repülőjáratot indítanak Oroszországból Magyarország felé, ezzel is segítve a turizmust. További két közvetlen járat létesítéséről is tárgyalások folynak majd.     Újságírói kérdésre válaszolva Putyin elnök elmondta: több orosz vállalattal is tárgyalt, például a gázszállítás kérdésében. Azok egytől egyig a magyar fél számára kedvező álláspontot mutattak. A gázszállítás növelése Oroszország számára nem fog gondot jelenteni. Bár a földrészen talán lesznek problémák az energiabiztonsággal, de Magyarországnak ilyen problémái nem lesznek. Arról is beszélt, hogy a logisztika területén nagyon jó közös lehetőségek vannak. Vegyesvállalat létrehozása is ezt segíti elő. A mezőgazdasági együttműködés új formáit is lehetségesnek tartja Magyarországgal. Putyin emlékeztetett: korábban ígéretet kaptak arra, hogy a NATO nem terjeszkedik tovább Oroszország felé. Az Egyesült Államok kilépett egy korábban megkötött megállapodásból és rakétaindító állomásokat telepítenek Európa keleti felére. A következő lépésnek Ukrajnát tekintik. Ukrajna doktrinális dokumentumaiban az áll, hogy a Krímet katonai úton szeretnék visszaszerezni – mondta Putyin. Ott lesznek a csapásmérő eszközök, ugyanúgy, mint Romániában. Feltette a kérdést: ha Ukrajna a NATO tagja lenne, rengeteg fegyverrel elkezdené támadni a Krímet és a donbaszi területet, mi lesz akkor? "Ekkor a NATO-val fogunk harcolni, valaki gondolt erre?” Az orosz elnök szerint Ukrajna egy eszköz a nyugat kezében, hogy áthágja Oroszország biztonsági igényeit. Putyin szerint mindenki szempontjait figyelembe kell venni, Oroszországét is.     Orbán miniszterelnök emlékeztetett: Nyugat-Európában két-háromszorosára emelkedett az energia ára, egyedül Magyarországon nem. Ebben jelentős szerepe van az orosz gáznak. Ha orosz gáz van, rezsicsökkentés is van – jelentette ki. A nukleáris együttműködés a jó magyar klímapolitika nélkülözhetetlen eleme, és ebben is biztató az orosz fél hozzáállása – tette hozzá. A gazdasági együttműködés további területeit tekintve tárgyaltak az új együttműködési lehetőségekről. Emlékeztetett:a nyugati büntető rendelkezéseket Oroszország jól viselte. Hozzátette: a nyugati szankciók nagyobb kárt okoztak hazánknak, mint Oroszországnak. Piacot vesztettünk, míg Oroszország piackiváltó kapacitásokat teremtett. Kiemelte: a szankciós politika nem célravezető - kudarcra ítélt eszköz. Orbán Viktor szerint lehetséges olyan megállapodást kötni, ami mind Oroszország, mind a NATO és a Nyugat számára elfogadható. A NATO és Oroszország viszonyát firtató újságírói kérdésre válaszolva kifejtette: a helyzet komoly, a különbségek is jelentősek. Oroszország igényei - amelyeket a világ ismer - és az arra adott válasz nem találkoznak egymással. Ez a távolság bár jelentős, de nem áthidalhatatlan. (Forrás: Híradó)
Lásd még: 2022.02.01. "Orbán Viktor: Békemisszió is a moszkvai látogatás" /video/ (Forrás: Híradó / MTI/: https://tinyurl.com/2p8fbh96

2022.02.01.  “No EU leader wants war,” says Orbán. “My visit today is also a kind of peace mission. I would like to reassure you that none of the leaders of the European Union and its member nations want a war or conflicts,” Prime Minister Orbán said, meeting with President Putin in Moscow today, regarding the rapidly escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to reports by Russian news agency TASS, based on the few minutes of  that were made public. “We call for political solutions and mutually beneficial agreements,” Orbán added, noting that the European Union is “ready for a reasonable agreement.” Prior to the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said yesterday that Moscow was impressed with “Hungary’s independent approach to representing its interests and picking its friends.” “It is also impressive that we could carry on with our many economic projects despite the coronavirus pandemic, and continue to discuss international affairs, including the most pressing ones,” he said. Regarding Ukraine, the Russian President noted that Moscow has already sent its proposals concerning international security to NATO and the US. “It would be very important to me to exchange opinions with you on the current situation in the security sphere. I will gladly inform you on how this process is developing,” Putin said. In his opening remarks, Orbán outlined that he had met with Putin twelve times during the past thirteen years. “The two of us have had the longest history in EU-Russia ties,” he added, noting that “Practically everybody who used to be a colleague of mine in running an EU country is not a colleague anymore.” Referring to the gas contract, the Hungarian PM said Hungary aims to negotiate an increase in the volume of natural gas delivered to the country under its long-term gas contract with Russia. President Putin said that the gas contract in effect until 2036 ensured Hungary’s long-term stability. Under the contract, Hungary can also purchase gas well below the market price, Putin added. Orbán called the contract “very important,” adding that Hungary aimed to negotiate an increase of the gas volume therein. The Hungarian PM thanked Putin for Russia’s deliveries of coronavirus vaccines, noting that some 900,000 Hungarians were inoculated with Sputnik V. Orbán said that despite the current “difficult times,” 2021 had been the most successful year in bilateral cooperation with Russia. The coronavirus pandemic and energy supplies, he added, had been the biggest challenges. Viktor Orbán also mentioned the upcoming parliamentary elections to the Russian President. Orbán said he wasn’t planning to leave. “There are elections in April. I’m going to run and win,” he said. “That’s why I have a reasonable assumption that you and I will cooperate for many years to come.” In response, Putin said the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán did a lot to develop Russian-Hungarian relations. “We usually say on occasions like this, when our partners are holding elections soon, that we will work with any government that will be elected,” Putin said at the meeting. “But I have to mention your work with respect to Russia has resulted in a lot of achievements in the interests of the Hungarian people and in the interests of Russia.” “I hope this mutual work will be continued,” he went on to say. Orbán said  cooperation related to the Paks nuclear power plant was “progressing fantastically,” and Hungarian investments which were also approved by the Russian government had taken place, adding that he would put forward proposals to further develop cooperation in this area. Putin noted that bilateral trade turnover increased by 30 percent in the first 11 months of last year, adding that besides nuclear energy, major projects in engineering were also taking place between the two countries. (Source: HungaryToday)

February 1, 2022  Russian President Putin is readying for talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has taken a softer line on the Ukraine crisis than other fellow NATO and European Union member states. The Kremlin said ahead of the meeting that the leaders would discuss bilateral ties as well as “security issues on the European continent and regional conflicts,” an allusion to the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Orbán has said he will seek an agreement to increase Hungary’s gas imports from Russia at a time when some in Europe accuse Moscow of orchestrating an energy crisis to pressure European countries. (Source: AlJazeera)

February 1, 2022, Tuesday. After the United States and several allies announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games, Putin publicly supported Beijing, saying Russia was “standing together with China against the politicization of sport and demonstrative boycotts.” Putin is expected to visit Beijing for Friday’s Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies and for talks with his Chinese counterpart. In Beijing, Putin will have his first offline meeting with President Xi in nearly two years, to discuss Ukraine and other issues. The China-Russia bond has deepened considerably in recent years. They share resources and technology. At the same time Xi and Putin have been united by U.S. sanctions against their countries, but also by their ambition to expand their international influence and hard-fisted governing styles. Both have rewritten their country’s laws to extend their own rule and cracked down harshly on those perceived as threats to their power. Chinese diplomat Yang called Sino-Russian relations “the best in history” last year. The last time China hosted the Olympics in 2008, Russia invaded Georgia, as Putin was in Beijing to watch the Opening Ceremonies. China and Russia are divided on many issues, including some territorial claims, and their alliance remains informal. China does not recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, while Russia does not recognize China’s “nine-dash line” asserting its claims in the South China Sea. It was precisely the pressure of the United States on Russia and on China that provided this common platform, said Maslov, director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University. “It is very important to note that neither Russia makes concessions in its national interests, nor does China,” he said. The Beijing-Moscow ties have further deepened in recent years as the two faced sanctions and other similar challenges from the West. Both Beijing and Moscow see the partnership as key to countering a world dominated by the United States. In the face of the common threat of U.S. pressure, Sino-Russian trade has grown. Russia has vast natural resources and a strong software industry. China excels in technological hardware and manufacturing. The Trump administration accused Huawei and other Chinese tech companies of posing national security threats, slapping similar restrictions on Russian companies for alleged cyberattacks. The sanctions prompted Huawei’s founder, Ren, to declare a push to hire more engineers in Russia. Moscow welcomed the move, seeing partnerships as a way to advance its own high-tech industry. The growing alliance has echoes of the 1950s, when the Soviet Union and China aligned against the West in the Cold War. In a massive technology-transfer program, the Soviets helped China set up 156 major industrial enterprises, with 11,000 specialists sent from 1954 to 1958, said Torigian, a historian at American University in Washington. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Sino-Russian relations warmed again, with the two countries pledging in 1996 to build an “equal and reliable partnership.” “If we look at who are China’s allies, meaning not only in its military power but in its political ideas, we will see that only Russia is its unequivocal ally,” Maslov said. China stands to benefit from the Ukraine crisis. It has monopolized the attention of Western governments at a time when they had planned to highlight China’s human rights violations with a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. If Russia suffers economic sanctions from the West, it could create business opportunities for China. And steady trade with China may also shield Russia from the worst effects of sanctions. There are also risks for China in a Ukraine war. China buys a significant amount of military equipment from Ukraine and would be caught in the middle. So far, though, China’s rhetoric internationally has been firmly in Russia’s corner. Last month, Beijing voiced support for Russia’s deployment of troops to Kazakhstan to quell unrest. Ties have also strengthened in other areas, such as in defense, cybersecurity and counterterrorism. “They don’t have a formal military agreement, so they have not created a formal military alliance, but the countries de facto act already as this military union,” Maslov said. “We see joint exercises being conducted and even the participation of third countries.” Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has lauded the relationship as “a model of interstate cooperation in the 21st century.” In a phone call in January 27 with U.S. Secretary of State, China’s foreign minister said that Russia’s security concerns should be taken seriously and that regional security could not be guaranteed by expanding  military blocs. (Source: TheWashingtonPost)

February 1, 2022   Russia introduces travel bans against certain EU persons. On 28 January 2022, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the representative office of the European Union about the expansion of the list of representatives of EU member states and institutions prohibited from entering the territory of the Russian Federation. The names of the banned persons did not become public. No economic sanctions have been imposed against them. The sanction has been imposed on executives of several European private military companies;  representatives of law enforcement agencies; members of legislative authorities of a number of EU member states; officials of executive authorities of a number of EU member states. According to the Russian MFA, these individuals are personally responsible for promoting anti-Russian policies and “imposing” measures that infringe on the legal rights of Russian-speaking residents and the media. The measures are based on Federal Law, in response to the inclusion of Crimean security officers, judges, deputies and executive branch officials in the sanctions list. (Source: SanctionsnewsBakerMcKenzie)

Ukraine
February 1, 2022   Ukraine will increase the size of its armed forces by 100,000 people over three years, Zelenskyy says. Addressing Ukraine’s parliament, the president told legislators he hoped the date of another round of peace talks with Russia, France and Germany would be agreed soon. (Source: AlJazeera)

Asia
1 Feb 2022 COVID worries muted Lunar New Year celebrations across Asia, even as increasing vaccination rates raised hopes that the Year of the Tiger might bring life back closer to normal.    Some 85 percent of Chinese people are now fully vaccinated, and more Chinese have been travelling domestically this year, despite government warnings. The Beijing Winter Olympics open near the end of the weeklong holiday. The Chinese capital has been tightening controls to contain outbreaks ahead of the sporting event. Hong Kong saw a surge in cases in January. The  city has closed schools because of outbreaks and required restaurants to close at 6pm, forcing many to have their traditional New Year’s Eve family dinners at home.     In Myanmar the new year coincides with the one-year anniversary of the military’s seizure of power from the democratically elected government. Supporters of the anti-military movement have called for people to close their shops and businesses in a nationwide “silent strike” from 10am to 4pm. People have responded to the call, in defiance of the military leaders who warned that anyone who  participates could face legal action, including charges of violating the country’s counterterrorism law.     In Singapore, the rules are likely to get in the way of the tradition of visiting relatives during the holiday. New Year celebrations are more subdued due to coronavirus restrictions that allow residents to receive only five unique visitors a day, and preferably only one visit daily.     Business was brisk at a flower market in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei today as people made last-minute purchases. Some 73 percent of Taiwanese are fully vaccinated.     In Thailand, Bangkok decided not to hold traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown for the second year in a row but was going ahead with lighting seasonal lanterns on the district’s main street. 69 percent of people are fully vaccinated.     In the old quarter of Hanoi, people flocked on the weekend to the traditional market to get decorations and flowers for the festival, known as Tet in Vietnam. More than 70 percent of Vietnamese people are  fully vaccinated, and 80 percent have had at least one shot. Vietnam’s daily case count remains at about 15,000 new infections but its low hospitalisation and death rate has allowed the country to reopen for business and cautiously resume social activities. (Source: AlJazeera)

United States
February 1, 2022 The US State Department has ordered the family members of staff at its embassy in Belarus to leave the country. The move, announced in updated guidance issued today, came as the department also warned US citizens against travel to Belarus due to an “unusual and concerning Russian military buildup” along Belarus’ border with Ukraine. (Source: AlJazeera)

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Europe

Hungary
January 31, 2022 5:51 PM GMT+1 British defence minister backs de-escalation of Ukraine-Russia crisis. Britain's defence minister Wallace said today it was important to defuse the Ukraine-Russia crisis as a war would lead to greater instability, higher fuel prices and migrant flows. Wallace also expressed support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's planned trip to Russia tomorrow for talks with President Putin, adding: "We need to de-escalate this and stand up for the right for sovereignty of Ukraine". Wallace said it was "important to signal to Putin that the very thing he fears, that is, more NATO close to Russia, would be the consequence of invading Ukraine ...This is why the UK offered NATO more ground forces, more readiness as a deterrent." Hungarian Defence Minister Benkő told the same news conference that right now there was no need for a deployment of foreign NATO troops in Hungary, an alliance member state that borders to the northeast with Ukraine. Benkő said the Hungarian government was not against NATO deploying troops in central and eastern European countries closer to Ukraine but that Hungary was able "to perform this task on its own" in its territory. "If any country is not  able to do this on their own, its their sovereign right to receive NATO forces," he added. Orbán's Hungary has relatively good relations with Russia despite tensions between the alliance and Moscow over Ukraine. Orbán said on Friday, January 28, he would seek to increase the amount of gas it receives from Russia at his talks with Putin in Moscow, after Hungary agreed a new long-term gas supply agreement with Russia's Gazprom in August. Orbán is also expected to discuss an ongoing expansion of Hungary's Paks nuclear plant, where Rosatom is building new reactors. Moscow denies planning to attack Ukraine and is demanding security guarantees including a promise by NATO never to let Kyiv join the alliance. /video/ (Source: Reuters)? https://tinyurl.com/2p8dkudj

Germany
January 31, 2022  It’s too early and too counterproductive to write off Berlin and jump to the conclusion that Germany looks East rather than West. Germany’s new government is under fire for its Russia policy during one of the worst crises in European security since the Balkan wars. Recent signals coming out of Berlin on sanctions and defensive weapon deliveries created confusion across the Atlantic, threatening to upend a unified response to a Russian incursion into Ukraine. Is Germany reverting to its weaker stance on Russia from before the country invaded Crimea in 2014? Or, is Germany returning to its historical Mittellage, moving to the middle between Moscow and Washington? Both NATO secretary-general Stoltenberg and U.S. secretary of state Blinken traveled to Berlin last week to scrutinize Germany’s position and shore up the ally’s support. That’s because the status quo is confusing. An array of messaging came from German officials comprising its multiparty government, making it difficult to distinguish which voices represent Germany’s official position and which are a confusing casualty of coalition governance. For the first time in the country’s history, Germany is governed by a three-party coalition. There is political infighting both within and between the governing parties. For example, the left-wing of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which has been traditionally softer on Russia, has become stronger in recent years; whereas the Greens have come a long way from their pacifist roots. The coalition agreement outlining the government’s policies only papered over points of contention, resulting in a lot of confusion over internal dynamics within the new government. The German chancellor had been silent for too long while some members of his own party have created confusion within the alliance, undermining confidence at a time when it is absolutely critical. As a result, this skepticism still persists. Despite all the criticism, there is no indication that Germany wants to be responsible for fracturing the U.S.-led approach. Germany sees as a diplomatic necessity to bring Russia back to the negotiation table and away from military escalation. (Source: TheNationalInterest)

Spain
January 31, 2022   Right leaders agree on ‘roadmap for sovereign and patriotic Europe’. Nine European leaders, among others Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and France’s Le Pen, have agreed on a “roadmap” for a patriotic Europe during a meeting held in Madrid. The Madrid summit was organised by Spain’s right Vox party, the third political force in the Spanish parliament after the socialist PSOE and centre-right Partido Popular (PP). Some of other European leaders who took part in the summit: Svazek (Austria), Van Grieken (Belgium), Karakachanov (Bulgaria), Helme (Estonia), Sofo and Borchia (Italy), Tomasevski (Lithuania), Roos (the Netherlands) and Pavelescu (Romania). The nine parties met for the first time in Warsaw in December 2021. Now they reiterated their concern about “internal and external attacks” on the European Union. Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki expressed his conviction that the nine parties who met in Madrid are the “alternative for the future of Europe”, with common values and a joint defence of sovereign states. The text signed by those in attendance was clear that they "condemn Brussels’ politically motivated attacks on Poland and Hungary, which show a complete disregard for EU basic principles and a breach of the spirit of the treaty. "We must cooperate and join forces to protect Europe from the ideologies imposed on it and the anti-democratic slide that leads to its loss.” In a joint declaration approved in January 29, Saturday, the nine leaders focused on Russia’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border. “Russia’s military actions on Europe’s eastern border have brought us to the brink of war,” they stressed. “Solidarity, determination and defence cooperation between the nations of Europe are necessary in the face of such threats,” the joint document reads. Viktor Orbán advocated “peace, de-escalation and negotiation” in the face of the Ukrainian crisis and rejected the notion that the solution to the conflict is a strategic agreement between Russia and the United States on European security without the participation of Europeans. The nine parties which attended the Madrid summit have signed a document with nine specific commitments for the future, including fighting illegal immigration, promoting the birth rate and defending the sovereignty of member states. “We are the ones who defend Europe. We will not allow the flag of the hammer and sickle to be raised here, nor the crescent flag, nor the dark flag of the globalisation elites,” Abascal said in his closing speech. (Euractiv / EFE)
See also: 2022. jan. 29. "La Cumbre de los «partidos patriotas europeos» concluye con nueve compromisos" (Source: euroefe)

United Kingdom
January 31, 2022  Gray’s report into Downing Street parties was published. Top government official Gray said Scotland Yard had prevented her from publishing details of the most egregious offenses - including a party in Johnson’s private apartment at the height of lockdown restrictions - but she still concluded that the events “should not have been allowed,” rejecting the defense that these were merely work events. The report confirmed that the police are now carrying out criminal investigations into 12 parties held by the government allegedly in contravention of their own coronavirus legislation. (Source: TheDailyBeast)
The following events were in scope:    • 15 May 2020; a photograph showing a number of groups in the garden of No 10 Downing Street;     • 20 May 2020: a gathering in the garden of No 10 Downing Street for No 10 staff;    • 18 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a No 10 private secretary;    • 19 June 2020: a gathering in the Cabinet room in No 10 Downing Street on the Prime Minister’s birthday;    • 13 November 2020: a gathering in the No 10 Downing Street flat; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser;    • 27 November 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser;     • 10 December 2020: a gathering in the Department for Education ahead of the Christmas break;    • 15 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street for an online Christmas quiz;     • 17 December 2020: a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall to hold an online Christmas quiz for the Cabinet Secretary’s private office;    • a gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a senior Cabinet Office official;     • a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a No 10 official;    • 18 December 2020: a gathering in No 10 Downing Street ahead of the Christmas break;    • 14 January 2021; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of two No 10 private secretaries;    • 16 April 2021; A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a senior No 10 official;    • A gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of another No 10 official.
See also: Timeline of regulations         26 March 2020: restrictions on leaving one’s home without a reasonable excuse, first announced on 23 March, come into legal effect in England. Very limited exceptions permit travel to work where it is not reasonably possible to work from home. Participating in a gathering of more than two persons is prohibited except where the gathering “is essential for work purposes”...     (and further thirteen similar national measures) /Source: TheGuardian/

Asia

India
31 January 2022  India's parliament opens amid a political storm over fresh allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government bought Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to snoop on its critics. Similar allegations emerged last year, and the government had denied them. The allegations are expected to result in a heated debate as parliament assembles for a joint session of both houses. This comes ahead of the annual budget, which will be tabled in February 1, and days before five states go to the polls to elect a new government. Last year, Indian media outlet The Wire reported that some 160 Indians, including prominent activists, lawyers and politicians, were spied on using the Pegasus malware. Pegasus infects iPhones and Android devices, allowing operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones. An investigation by a global consortium of media outlets showed how the malware was used by governments around the world to hack phones of dissidents. The targets' phone numbers were on a database believed to be of interest to clients of Israeli firm NSO. It's unclear where the list came from or how many phones were hacked - and NSO has denied any wrongdoing. It said the software was intended for tracking criminals and terrorists and was only sold to military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies from countries with good human rights records. Pegasus and a missile system were the "centerpieces" of a roughly $2bn deal that took place between India and Israel in 2017 when Mr Modi made his first trip to the country. The visit - and a subsequent one by Mr Netanyahu the following year - marked a significant turn in India's relationship with Israel. Opposition politicians have questioned the government's "silence" on the issue and demanded that Mr Modi must address the country. (Source: BBC)

North Korea
31.01.2022  South Korea's joint chiefs of staff reported that a projectile had been identified as a medium-range missile launched at around 7:52 a.m. local time (2252 UTC) from North Korea's northern Jagang province that had flown 800 kilometers toward the open sea, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers. The Hwasong-12 is a nuclear-capable ground-to-ground missile. It has a maximum range of 4,500 kilometers if fired on a standard trajectory. The reported flight details make it the most powerful missile North Korea has tested since 2017. Japan's defense ministry and prime minister's office said the weapon was possibly a ballistic missile. Japan's coast guard issued a maritime safety warning, but there were no immediate reports of damage to boats or aircraft. Sunday's weapons test was North Korea's seventh this year. This series of launches violate UN resolutions. The US Indo-Pacific Command's statement said the command assessed that the test did not pose an immediate threat to US territory, personnel or allies. (Source: DW)

Globalization

January 31, 2022, Monday.   The U.N. Security Council held a stormy and bellicose debate on Moscow's troop buildup near its southern neighbor. Russia accused the West today of “whipping up tensions” over Ukraine and said the U.S. had brought “pure Nazis” to power in Kyiv. U.S. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield shot back that Russia's growing military force of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders was “the largest mobilization" in Europe in decades. It was the first open session where all protagonists in the Ukraine crisis spoke publicly, even though the U.N.'s most powerful body took no action. Talks between the U.S. and Russia have so far failed to ease tensions in the crisis, The West is saying Moscow is preparing for an invasion. Russia denies it is planning to attack. It demands pledges that Ukraine will never join NATO, a halt to the deployment of NATO weapons near Russian borders and a rollback of the alliance's forces from Eastern Europe. NATO and the U.S. call those nonstarters. Russian Ambassador Nebenzia accused the U.S. of interfering in his country’s internal affairs and seeking “a classic example of megaphone diplomacy.” Thomas-Greenfield countered that the U.S. has held over 100 private meetings in the past few weeks with Russian officials and European and Ukrainian colleagues. After the council gave a green light for the meeting, Nebenzia, looking at Thomas-Greenfield accused the Biden administration of “whipping up tensions and rhetoric and provoking escalation”. “You want it to happen. You’re waiting for it to happen, as if you want to make your words become a reality.” He blamed the U.S. for the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, saying it brought to power “nationalists, radicals, Russophobes and pure Nazis,” and created the antagonism that exists between Ukraine and Russia. “If they hadn’t done this, then we to date would be living in a spirit of good neighborly relations and mutual cooperation,” Nebenzia said. “However, some in the West just don’t clearly like this positive scenario. What’s happening today is yet another attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and Ukraine.” Nebenzia pointedly left the council chamber as the Ukrainian Ambassador Kyslytsya started to speak. The vote on holding an open meeting passed 10-2, with Russia and China opposed, and India, Gabon and Kenya abstaining. The U.S. and its allies had pressed to hold the meeting Monday, the last day of Norway's rotating presidency of the council, before Russia takes over Tuesday for the month of February. Any statement or resolution by the Security Council is extremely unlikely, given Russia’s veto power and its ties with others on the council, including China. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken are expected to speak by phone tomorrow. Biden warned Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in a phone call in January 27 that there is a “distinct possibility” Russia could begin an incursion in February, but the Ukrainian leader sought to play down the war fears, saying Western alarm over an imminent invasion has prompted many investors in the country’s financial markets to cash out. Zelenskyy said in January 28 that “we aren’t seeing any escalation bigger than before,” and charged that the Russian buildup could be an attempt by Moscow to exert “psychological pressure” and sow panic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit Ukraine tomorrow for talks with Zelenskyy, and will also speak with Russian President Putin to urge him to “step back.” Johnson says he is considering sending hundreds of British troops to NATO countries in the Baltic region as a show of strength. Yesterday, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Menendez, said that in the event of an attack, lawmakers want actions against Russian banks that could severely undermine the Russian economy and increased lethal aid to Ukraine’s military. Menendez raised the prospect of imposing  punishments preemptively, before any invasion. (Source: TheState)

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Joint Statement of the Leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states on preventing nuclear war
and avoiding arms races

January 03, 2022  The People’s Republic of China, the French Republic, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America consider the avoidance of war between Nuclear-Weapon States and the reduction of strategic risks as our foremost responsibilities. We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. As nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons - for as long as they continue to exist - should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war. We believe strongly that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented. We each intend to maintain and further strengthen our national measures to prevent unauthorized or unintended use of nuclear weapons. We reiterate the validity of our previous statements on de-targeting, reaffirming that none of our nuclear weapons are targeted at each other or at any other State. We intend to continue seeking bilateral and multilateral diplomatic approaches to avoid military confrontations, strengthen stability and predictability, increase mutual understanding and confidence, and prevent an arms race that would benefit none and endanger all.  We are resolved to pursue constructive dialogue with mutual respect and acknowledgment of each other’s security interests and concerns. (Source: TheWhiteHouse)

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Hungary
Sunday, 02/01/2022 The government is ploughing 800 billion forints (€ 2.2 billion) into wage hikes for public servants, and tax cuts worth 750 billion forints will help the private sector in raising the minimum wage at the beginning of 2022, in line with regulations, the government spokesperson said today. Szentkirályi said in a video post that financial stability and a good economic performance were at the root of the raises. Nurses’ wages will grow by a further 21 percent from January, doctors’ wage hike will also continue, in line with the scheme launched in 2020 to raise doctors’ salaries two-and-a-half-fold on average, and employees working in the social and cultural sectors, as well as in creches, will see a 20 percent raise, she said. Teachers’ wages will grow by 10 percent, and law enforcement employees will get a one-off salary supplement of six months’ salary in February, she added. The minimum wage and the minimum wage for skilled workers will grow by 20 percent, she said. (Source: dailynewshungary)

France
01.01.2022  The Eiffel Tower was lit in the EU flag as France assumed the rotating EU presidency on January 1. The EU's presidency rotates every six months among the member states of the 27-nation bloc. This will be France's 13th time at the helm of the rotating presidency. The motto ofthe tenure of France's EU presidency is "recovery, strength, belonging." French President Macron said Europe's new model for growth must include innovation, job creation and job security for the continent to remain competitive globally and be in line with climate harm reduction initiatives on the other side of the pandemic. "This agenda for a sovereign Europe will be accelerated with the French Presidency. Europe must rise to the major economic, educational, migration and military challenges," Macron said in a statement. France seeks to place the continent's digitization and climate protection at the forefront of its time at the helm of the EU. Concretely, France hopes to promote a carbon tax and greater regulation of big tech. "Strategic autonomy" and strengthening an EU-wide minimum wage are also top agenda items. "The French presidency must be a moment of truth for the regulation and accountability of digital platforms, the carbon pricing at European borders on imported products, minimum wages and our relationship with Africa," Macron said in a statement. Germany's ruling coalition also sees validity in Macron's vision for "strategic autonomy" in Europe. Berlin and Paris agree that great power competition, notably between the United States on the one hand and China and Russia on the other, has the potential to negatively impact the EU. Macron faces an election challenge in April, with polls scheduled for April 10 and 24. France's EU presidency comes at a beneficial time for him politically, as it is a chance for him to showcase France as a European power. Although he has not yet said whether he will run again, Macron is expected to formally announce his reelection bid in February. "The EU presidency gives him a welcome platform to put his European record to the forefront and differentiate himself from his rivals, and bring new proposals, new ideas to the table," Demesmay at the Berlin think tank Marc-Bloch told. Come summer, the Czech Republic will have its turn once the French EU presidency concludes on June 1. (Source: DW)

European Union
January 1, 2021, Saturday  The European Commission published a draft proposal today labeling gas and nuclear energy as climate friendly. The EU Commission says that nuclear and gas energy can help the bloc achieve sustainability, the plan would "accelerate the phaseout of more harmful sources, such as coal, and in moving us towards a more low-carbon greener energy mix." The guidelines set out in the draft document would limit the green label to only those nuclear power plants that used the most up-to-date technological standards with strict plans for waste disposal. Likewise for gas plants, only those using the highest standards could be considered for the classification -  with a limit of 100 grams of carbon dioxide released per kilowatt-hour of energy produced. The proposal was sent to European Union member states late yesterday night, as 2021 was coming to a close. Member states have until January 12 to react to the draft. If the majority supports the proposal, then it would come into effect from 2023. The plan, which aims at directing investment towards energy production within the bloc, is set to play out amid an already existing rift within the bloc. Supporters of the proposal have argued that gas is "cleaner" than alternatives such as coal and that nuclear energy produces zero carbon emissions. Opponents reject these options in the pursuit of environmental sustainability. Germany is one of a handful of EU member states opposing nuclear power as a 'sustainable' alternative to fossil fuels. Germany's Vice-Chancellor Habeck who is also Germany's economy and climate minister from the environmentalist Green Party has accused the Commission using policies that appear climate friendly to cover environmentally destructive practices and said the plan would "water down" current efforts. He called the labeling of nuclear energy as sustainable "wrong," pointing to the long-term effects of nuclear waste. "It's questionable anyway if this greenwashing will find any kind of acceptance on the financial market," Habeck said. His sentiments were mirrored by the Green party German Environment Minister Lemke. While Germany has seen increasing opposition to nuclear energy since the disaster at Japan's Fukushima plant in 2011 -  resulting most recently in the closure of three out of the country's six remaining plants on December 31 - France has led the charge in favor of nuclear power as a clean alternative. France is heavily reliant on nuclear energy. Member states in the east and south of the bloc that are more reliant on fossil fuels have also defended gas as a possible transitional energy source. The prospects of the draft being shot down are slim since only a handful of EU countries besides Germany have spoken out against nuclear power. (Source: DW)

Russia
2 Jan, 2022 The Kremlin appears to be planning for an age where America matters less. After the Cold War, the West initially signed up for several pan-European security agreements. The Charter of Paris for a New Europe in 1990, the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 and the Istanbul Document in 1999 all committed to the principle of “indivisible security,” which meant “They will not strengthen their security at the expense of the security of other States.” Maintaining its hegemony has demanded that Washington divide the world into marginalised adversaries and dependent allies. NATO’s supremacy in Europe was seen by many of the West’s leading lights as having created a lasting peace on the continent. At the same time though, it has also been the main source of conflict as the bloc expanded towards Russian borders. Living in an age when that American dominance is coming to an end, and its security guarantees are losing their credibility will stalemates and ceasefires be longer lasting as nations previously emboldened by US backing are forced to find lasting solutions with their adversaries, rather than languishing behind Washington’s protection? American power would decline, due to a diminishing ability to exert  influence over its dependent allies, and to marginalise its adversaries. If Ukraine and Taiwan did not have full faith that the US would offer them protection, then their positions as Washington’s frontlines against Russia and China would not be tenable and they would have to seek peace with their adversaries. Without steadfast US support, Ukraine would have to abide by the Minsk Peace Agreement, and Taiwan would need to halt its push for secession  from China. The failed US pursuit of regime change in Syria has resulted in both the Arabs and Turkey moving gradually towards reconciliation and a workable peace with Damascus. American efforts to reach an agreement with Iran, and the failure to decide the outcome of the conflict in Yemen, has similarly incentivised Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic ties with Tehran, and paved the way for negotiations on improving bilateral relations and ending the war in Yemen. The EU is also coming to terms with the consequences of US decline. In May 2017, German Chancellor Angela Merkel argued that “I can only say: We Europeans really have to take our fates in our own hands.” The EU’s principal approach is now one of “strategic autonomy,” which could be expressed more  honestly as “autonomy from the US.” Without the support of Washington, Brussels is not able to construct a Europe without, and thus inevitably against, Russia. There is growing pressure to do a deal and reach a much-delayed post-Cold War settlement with Moscow that lays the foundation for pan-European security. The US began to dismantle other pan-European security agreements such as the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987, and other agreements that could constrain the Americans. Europe is now in a precarious situation as the pan-European security agreements have been dismantled and there is no hegemony to ensure stability and order. Russia is deploying increasingly advanced weaponry and rapidly reducing its economic, technological, and financial reliance on the West by enhancing its economic connectivity with the East. The efforts by the US, Ukraine, and Poland to sabotage Nord Stream 2 will similarly result in European industries becoming less competitive, as cheap Russian gas goes to Asia instead. Russia faces an existential threat with NATO expansion into Ukraine, and Russia has the economic and military means to balance Western unilateralism. Moscow has now demanded an end to the era of NATO hegemony and a return to the principle of indivisible security.  (Source: RT / Diesen, Professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway and an editor at the Russia in Global Affairs journal).

2 Jan    Headlines:    Russian missile approach warning system detects over 170 launches in 2021. According to the Defense Ministry, the Voronezh new generation radars make up the bulk of the country’s land-based missile approach warning system.     Russia is ready to work with US on Ukraine issue in any format, senior diplomat Rudenko said. Attempts to attach obligations to Russia under the Minsk Agreements are stymying efforts to resolve the situation in Donbass, he said.     Union State Treaty virtually recognizes Russia’s ownership of Crimea. It clearly states that the territory of the Union State is the territory of Russia and Belarus in the form in which it is enshrined in their constitutions, Rudenko said.     Putin, Erdogan reaffirm determination to boost partnership in phone call - Kremlin. The parties also touched upon global issues, including the recent proposals on developing legally binding agreements that will guarantee Russia’s security.     COVID-19 pandemic may be over by May, expert says. According to Onishchenko, there are no grounds now for panic or the introduction of non-working days. (Source: TASS)

31 Dec  US President Biden agreed when Putin said Russia was seeking results in the talks on security, Kremlin aide Ushakov said today. Putin told Biden about the principles that underlie Russia’s security proposals, the aide said. The president said talks were important but the key goal for Russia was its security and the country will seek to achieve that goal, Ushakov said. "The US president has generally agreed with that point of view and his reaction made sense and was quite serious," the aide said. Putin also said Russia is concerned about deployment of offensive weapons near its borders and it will act just like the US would act if it had to confront a deployment of such weapons near its own borders, Ushakov said. Putin elaborated on the subject to drive the point home, Ushakov said. (Source: TASS)

China
December 31, 2021 China harvests masses of data on Western targets, documents show. China’s systems for analyzing domestic public opinion online are a powerful but largely unseen pillar of President Xi's program to modernize China’s propaganda apparatus and maintain control over the Internet. China maintains a countrywide network of government data surveillance services -  called publicopinion analysis software - that are used domestically to warn officials of politically sensitive information online. The “public opinion guidance work” first came to prominence in policymaking after the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations. It has since become integral to the underlying architecture of China’s Internet, where users are linked by real name ID, and Internet services are required by law to maintain an internal censorship apparatus. In 2014, the state-backed newspaper China Daily said more than 2 million people were working as public opinion analysts. In 2018, the People’s Daily, another official organ, said the government’s online opinion analysis industry was worth “tens of billions of yuan,” equivalent to billions of dollars, and was growing at a rate of 50 percent a year. Most systems include alarm functions designed to alert officials and police to negative content in real time. The vast data collection and monitoring efforts give officials insight into public opinion, a challenge in a country that does not hold public elections or permit independent media. The services also provide increasingly technical surveillance for China’s censorship apparatus. That surveillance network system is expanding to include foreign social media at a time when global perceptions of Beijing are at their lowest in recent history in the aftermath of the U.S. trade war, the Xinjiang human rights crisis, Hong Kong and the coronavirus pandemic. In May this year, Xi called on senior officials to portray a more “trustworthy, lovable and reliable” image of China abroad, calling for the “effective development of international public opinion guidance.” To control China’s image abroad is turning a major part of its internal Internet-data surveillance network outward, mining Western social media, to equip its government agencies, military and police with information on foreign targets, according to review of hundreds of Chinese bidding documents and company filings publicly accessible through domestic government bidding platforms, contracts for over 300 Chinese government projects since the beginning of 2020. These include orders for separate software systems designed to automatically collect data in real time on domestic Chinese servers for analysis on foreign targets from sources such as Twitter, Facebook and other Western social media. (Twitter and Facebook both ban automated collection of data on their services without prior authorization. Facebook did not respond to requests for comment about whether several companies, universities and state media firms listed as  supplying the software were authorized to collect data on its platform). The documents also show that agencies including state media, propaganda departments, police, military and cyber regulators are purchasing new or more sophisticated systems to gather data. These include a $320,000 Chinese state media software program that mines Twitter and Facebook to create a database of foreign journalists and academics; a $216,000 Beijing police intelligence program that analyzes Western chatter on Hong Kong and Taiwan; and a cybercenter in Xinjiang, home to most of China’s Uyghur population, that catalogues the mainly Muslim minority group’s language content abroad. The surveillance dragnets are part of a wider drive by Beijing to refine its foreign propaganda efforts  through big data and artificial intelligence. They also form a network of warning systems designed to sound real-time alarms for trends that undermine Beijing’s interests. Some of the Chinese government’s budgeting includes buying and maintaining foreign social media accounts on behalf of police and propaganda departments. The purchases range in size from small, automated programs to projects costing hundreds of thousands of dollars that are staffed 24 hours a day by teams including English speakers and foreign policy specialists. "The public opinion news war is arduous and necessary,” China Daily said in a July 2020 bidding document for a $300,000 “foreign personnel analysis platform.” The invitation to tender lays out specifications for a program that mines Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for data on “well known Western media journalists” and other “key personnel from political, business and media circles.” The software should run 24 hours a day, and map the relationships between target personnel and uncover “factions” between personnel, measuring their “China tendencies” and building an alarm system that automatically flags “false statements and reports on China.” Warning systems like the one outlined in the China Daily document are described in over 90 percent of tenders that list technical specifications. The China Daily awarded its contract to Beijing’s Communications University, one of a half dozen Chinese universities that have launched specialized departments to develop public opinion analysis technology. People who work as analysts in public opinion analysis units contracted by government agencies in Beijing receive automated alarms via SMS, email and on dedicated computer monitors when “sensitive” content was detected. Foreign social media had been included in the units’ monitoring since the middle of 2019. Highly sensitive viral trends online are reported to a 24-hour hotline maintained by the Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC), the body that oversees the country’s censorship apparatus. “In case of major public opinion, directly contact the staff on duty of the CAC to ensure that notifications are in place through various communication tools,” said one December 2020 tender for a $236,000 system purchased by the municipal propaganda department in eastern China’s Fuzhou city for monitoring Facebook and Twitter alongside domestic social media. Just under a third of the public opinion analysis systems reviewed were procured by Chinese police. In 14 instances, the analysis systems included a feature requested by the police that would automatically flag “sensitive” content related to Uyghurs and other Chinese ethnic minorities. It could worsen the targeted harassment of Beijing’s critics. A $43,000 system purchased by police in central China’s Shangnan county included a “foreign sensitive information” collection system that requested Uyghur and Tibetan staff translators, according to the contracts. An additional 12 analysis systems included the police-requested capability of monitoring individual content authors over time. The documents provide insight into the scope of foreign social media data collection done by China’s major state media outlets, which maintain offices and servers abroad, and their key role in providing Beijing with publicity guidance based on increasingly sophisticated data mining analysis. Six police contracts awarded since 2020 stated that the People’s Daily was chosen as "only one in the industry" to conduct monitoring on the basis of its technical ability to gather data abroad deploying overseas servers and monitoring and collecting more than 8,000 overseas media without ‘overturning China’s Great Firewall - a name for the vast legal and technical infrastructure that blocks access to most foreign news outlets and social media within China - said the Guangdong Police Department in a $26,200 contract offer posted in July 2020.  The State Department reclassified the U.S.-based operations of China’s top state media outlets as foreign missions, in 2020, increasing reporting requirements and restricting their visa allocations, angering Beijing. The People’s Daily Online, a unit of the state newspaper which provides one of the country’s largest contract public opinion analysis services, won dozens of projects that include overseas social media data collection services for police, judicial authorities, Communist Party organizations and other clients. The unit recorded $330 million in operating income in 2020, up 50 percent from 2018. It says it serves over 200 government agencies. In one tender won by the unit, the Beijing Police Intelligence Command Unit purchased a $30,570 service to trawl foreign social media and produce reports on unspecified “key personnel and  organizations,” gathering information on their “basic circumstances, background and relationships.” It also calls for weekly data reports on Hong Kong, Taiwan and U.S. relations. “Through the collection of public Internet information we can keep a close eye on the international community, analyze sensitivities and hot spots, and maintain the stability of Chinese society,” said the request for tenders. "Public data from social network users can be used to analyze the characteristics and preferences of users, and then guide them in a targeted manner.” the chief analyst at the People’s Daily Online Public Opinion Data Center, Liao, laid out the goal of public opinion analysis in an April 2020 article. “The ultimate purpose of analysis and prediction is to guide and intervene in public opinion,” Liao wrote. People’s Daily subsidiary Global Times, also has a unit gathering foreign social media data for China’s Foreign Ministry, Beijing’s Foreign Affairs Office and other government agencies. In late 2019, the Global Times Online won a three-year contract worth $531,000 to provide a “China-related foreign media and journalist opinion monitoring system” that monitors overseas social media on behalf of China’s Foreign Ministry and produces comprehensive regular reports, as well as special briefings in “urgent circumstances.” Documentation accompanying the project says that close to 40 percent of the Global Times monitoring unit’s staffers are senior Global Times reporters and that the publication maintains large overseas social media monitoring platforms. A description on the website of the Global Times’s public opinion research center says the group conducts “overseas monitoring and overseas investigation services” and provides “comprehensive response plans” to government and private clients. Both the People’s Daily and the Global Times were among the outlets designated as foreign missions in the United States. In June 2020, Twitter suspended 23,000 accounts that it said were linked to the Chinese Communist Party and covertly spreading propaganda to undermine pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. This month, Twitter said it removed a further 2,048 accounts linked to Beijing and producing coordinated content undermining accusations of rights abuses in Xinjiang. Experts say those accounts represent a small fraction of China’s efforts to boost pro-Beijing influence on Twitter and other U.S. social media platforms. Xi’s crackdown on everything is remaking Chinese society. Military procurement documents - less detailed than other types - did not offer much detail on the purpose of the foreign data collection. One redacted June 2020 contract issued by the People’s Liberation Army described a system that would trawl foreign sites and categorize data on the basis of affiliation, geography and country. Source Data Technology, the Shanghai-based company that won the contract, says on its website that it uses “advanced big data mining and artificial intelligence analysis technology” to cover more than 90 percent of social media in the United States, Europe and China’s neighboring countries. (Source: msn)

Canada
Sun 2 Jan 2022  In the Canadian province of New Brunswick a whistleblower - an employee with Vitalité Health Network, one of the province’s two health authorities - has warned that a progressive neurological illness that has baffled experts for more than two years appears to be affecting a growing number of young people and causing swift cognitive decline among some of the afflicted. Young adults with no prior health triggers are developing troubling symptoms, including rapid weight loss, insomnia, hallucinations, difficulty thinking and limited mobility. The official number of cases under investigation, 48, remains unchanged since it was first announced in early spring 2021. But multiple sources say the cluster could now be as many as 150 people. Several new cases  involve caretakers of those afflicted. At least nine cases have been recorded in which two people in close contact – but without genetic links – have developed symptoms. One suspected case involved a man who was developing symptoms of dementia and ataxia. His wife, who was his caregiver, suddenly began losing sleep and experiencing muscle wasting, dementia and hallucinations. Now her condition is worse than his. A woman in her 30s was described as non-verbal, is feeding with a tube and drools excessively. Her caregiver, a nursing student in her 20s, also recently started showing symptoms of neurological decline. In another case, a young mother quickly lost nearly 60 pounds, developed insomnia and began hallucinating. Brain imaging showed advanced signs of atrophy. Despite the striking details surrounding the newer cases, the province has worked to tamp down fears. In October, officials suggested that the eight fatal cases were the result of misdiagnosis, arguing that instead of suffering from a shared neurological illness, the victims had died of known and unrelated pathologies. In October the province also said an epidemiological report suggested there was no significant evidence of any known food, behaviour or environmental exposure that could explain the illness. But experts familiar with the cluster are alarmed, largely because of the age of the patients. Neurological illnesses are rare in young people. Some have suggested neurotoxins, including β-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), could be the culprit behind the illness. In one study, high concentrations of BMAA were found in lobster, an industry that drives the economies of many of New Brunswick’s coastal communities. The scientist said teams are ready to begin the research, but “New Brunswick has specifically told us not to go forward with that work”. The Special Neurodegenerative Disorder Clinic, also called the Mind Clinic, in the city of Moncton is the clearing house for cases referred from within the region as well as neighbouring provinces. Amid mounting tension between specialists and the provincial government, a source familiar with the Mind Clinic say the clinic would be converted into a Alzheimer’s and geriatric clinic. Health minister Shephard told reporters on 1 December that speculation the clinic would be shut down was untrue. (Source: TheGuardian)

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Magyarország
2021. december 30. 11:53 Magyarország az Európai Bizottsággal folytatott tárgyalásokat és a társadalmi egyeztetést követően az első tagállamok között nyújtotta be a Partnerségi Megállapodást hivatalosan a Bizottságnak. A dokumentum rögzíti, hogy a 2021-27-es időszakban felhasználható, hazai társfinanszírozással együtt több mint kilencezer milliárd forint összegű kohéziós forrásokat milyen fejlesztésekre fordítja az ország. A kormány célja, hogy 2030-ra Magyarország az Európai Unió 5 legélhetőbb országa közé tartozzon. Ennek érdekében a következő évek uniós és hazai forrásait elsősorban a gazdaságélénkítésre, a kis- és középvállalkozások támogatására, a magyar települések erősítésére, valamint a kutatás, fejlesztés és innovációs  célú beruházásokra fordítjuk. A következő években tovább erősítjük Magyarország gazdasági és társadalmi versenyképességét, hogy hazánk azok közé az országok közé tartozzon, ahol a legjobb élni, lakni és dolgozni. A felzárkózás elősegítése érdekében a források legalább 65 százalékát a négy legkedvezőtlenebb helyzetű magyar régióban használjuk fel. Az uniós forrásokból a legnagyobb arányban továbbra is a gazdaságfejlesztési program részesül. Így a következő években is jelentős számú pályázat segíti a kis- és középvállalkozások beruházásait, valamint a K+F+I célú fejlesztéseket. Minden korábbinál több pénzt szán a kormány a vidéki Magyarország és a magyar települések erősítésére is. A területi operatív programra fordított összeget a teljes keret 20 százalékára emeltük, ezzel is támogatva a helyi igények és tervek megvalósítását. Emellett kiemelt szerepet kap a közlekedésfejlesztési, illetve a környezeti és energetikai program, amelyek többek között a közösségi és vasúti közlekedés korszerűsítését, valamint a megújulóenergia-felhasználás elterjedését segítik elő. A közoktatás fejlesztését, a társadalmi felzárkózási programokat, az egészségügyi és szociális beruházásokat külön operatív program, valamint a magyar Helyreállítási Terv is finanszírozza. A most záruló időszakhoz képest változás, hogy Budapest és Pest megye már nem alkotnak egy régiót, ezért a Közép-magyarországi régióra nem készül külön területi program, ugyanakkor Pest megye a korábbiaknál jelentősen több uniós forrást érhet majd el. A közigazgatás, az állampolgárok, illetve a gazdasági szereplők digitális fejlesztéseit egy új, önálló operatív program fogja össze. A Partnerségi Megállapodás, majd ezt követően az operatív programok benyújtása az első lépés ahhoz, hogy a 2021-27-es uniós fejlesztési időszakban a Magyarország számára rendelkezésre álló uniós források lehívhatóak legyenek. A bizottsági jóváhagyást követően téríti vissza az Unió Magyarország számára azokat a forrásokat is, amelyeket a kormány a gazdaság újraindítása érdekében a nemzeti költségvetéséből már kifizetett a magyar pályázók számára. ( Forrás: Kormány / Miniszterelnökség)

Russia
30 Dec    Headlines:     Putin-Biden phone call scheduled for 23:30 Moscow time today - White House. The conversation would be in a "closed press" format.     Great powers Beijing, Moscow can resist pressure from hegemonic powers, if China and Russia stand side by side and boost their cooperation, China’s top diplomat Wang says. The world order will be unshakable, and global principles - irrefutable, Wang pointed out.     Putin may warn Biden against provocations ahead of Geneva talks, expert says.     Russia will strive for firm security guarantees from US at Geneva talks -  Russian Foreign Ministry. Negotiations are planned in the format of an interagency delegation of Russia and the US, Russian diplomat Zakharova informed.     Zakharova : President Zelensky turns into threat for Ukraine. Everything that the Kiev regime has been issuing is an immediate and direct threat to Ukraine’s statehood, pointed out.     Gazprom has not booked pumping via Yamal-Europe for ten days amid lack of orders. The company began reducing the booking of gas transit via the gas pipeline two weeks ago.    Avtovaz  redomiciliates to Russia - Rostec Renault holds 66.7% in the joint venture company at the moment and Rostec has 32.3% in it.     Form of EU’s dialogue with Russia was impermissible in recent years - Foreign Ministry. Zakharova recalled that EU diplomats in recent years made quite a few ultimatum-like statements, without proposing any drafts or discussions on them, but merely stated their unilateral stance.     Putin-Biden phone conversation scheduled for 11:30 pm Moscow time today won’t include public part, Kremlin spokesman says. (Source: TASS)
Note: Yamal-Europe runs across Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany.

30 Dec  On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released draft agreements on security guarantees on the part of the US and NATO. They were handed over to US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Donfried on December 15. Russian President Putin and US President Biden held a phone call started at 15:35 Washington time - 13:35 Eastern Time - (23:35 Moscow time), a White House representative told journalist today. The talks ended at 00:25 Moscow time on Friday. Currently, Biden is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he spends the weekends. Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Peskov told TASS that the talks between the two leaders began on time. They were held behind closed doors. The talks were initiated by Putin. According to Peskov, the leaders planned to resume discussing the issues that were on agenda of the previous talks and of the negotiations scheduled for January 2022. This is the second conversation between the presidents over the past month. On December 7, Putin and Biden negotiated for two hours via video linkup. The sides focused on the situation around Ukraine, touched upon bilateral relations, cyber security and the Iranian nuclear deal. Spokesperson and Senior Director for Press at National Security Council Horne stated that Biden planned to discuss a number of topics with Putin, including upcoming diplomatic contacts with Russia. On January 10, the talks between Russia and the US are planned in Geneva. Furthermore, a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council is going to take place on January 12. The talks between the Russian and OSCE representatives will be held on January 13. (Source: TASS)

Europe
30.12.2021 Biden and Putin hold 'constructive' phone call. The presidents of the United States and Russia traded warnings over Ukraine - yet expressed some optimism for further diplomacy agreeing to continue and advance their dialogue ahead of a meeting in Geneva early next year. The call, which came at Putin's request, was the second conversation between them this month, with Biden earlier warning Putin of severe consequences if Russian forces were to launch a further incursion into Ukrainian territory. Their second call this month came amid growing Western concern over Russia's troop buildup near Ukraine. Washington and Kyiv have accused Russia of amassing about 100,000 troops at Ukraine's border, possibly in preparation for an invasion. Russia maintains no invasion is planned and that it is free to move its own forces how it pleases within Russian territory. The simmering crisis has recently deepened as the Kremlin stiffened its demands for increased security guarantees. Russia recently published a kind of wish list that it wants from Washington, including security guarantees and no eastward expansion of the NATO military alliance. The negotiations were frank, substantive, and specific, the general direction of the conversation was quite constructive, Russian spokesman Ushakov told after the meeting. The call was a concrete political development. "It's important that the American side was willing to understand the logic and the essence of the Russian concerns that were outlined in the two documents that we sent to Washington and to NATO headquarters," he said, noting that Washington did have some concerns. According to the White House, Biden told Putin that the United States and its allies will respond decisively if there is an invasion of Ukraine. Responding to Biden's threat of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, Putin said that such US move could lead to a complete rupture of ties between Moscow and Washington. After much back and forth, the two countries have scheduled January 10 to meet in Geneva. Putin told Biden that they were interested in results, rather than negotiations, and would see how things go after two or three rounds. Those talks will be led by US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov, Moscow said. Ushakov said the talks might lead to a normalization of ties. The White House said Biden had agreed to a pragmatic and results-driven negotiation. According to Ushakov, the two agreed that talks on security guarantees will be held in three tracks: bilateral Russia-US talks in Geneva, Russia-NATO talks in Brussels and OSCE talks in Vienna. The Geneva talks will not include Biden and Putin. (Source: DW / AP, Reuters, Interfax)

United States
December 30, 2021, Thursday. Can the Biden-Putin call really avert war over Ukraine? As military tensions simmer between Russia and Ukraine, the West is bracing for three rounds of high-stakes negotiations with the Kremlin in early January. President Biden and Russian president Putin spoke over the phone today. The reason for the phone call, which came at Putin’s request, is not immediately clear to U.S. officials. “The goal is to continue discussing the issues that were on the agenda of their recent video call,” Kremlin spokesman Peskov told on Thursday. “Besides, they will discuss a number of pressing issues related to the talks that will be held on January 10-12. The U.S. Air Force flew a spy plane over eastern Ukraine to assess the military situation on the ground in the run-up to the conversation, a source told CNN. Biden, speaking from his Delaware home, is expected to reassure the Russian leader that there are diplomatic pathways to de-escalation in Ukraine. Biden likewise plans to remind Putin of the consequences that will befall the Kremlin in the event of a Ukraine invasion scenario, including withering economic sanctions and further military aid to Ukraine. The White House has ruled out unilaterally sending U.S. troops to defend Ukraine from a possible Russian offensive. The conversation between Putin and Biden will serve as a prelude to bilateral negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 10. The upcoming negotiations were preceded by a draft document, published by the Russian Foreign Ministry earlier in December, containing sweeping security demands from what Ryabkov referred to as the “collective West.” Moscow’s decision to publish the demands drew the ire of top Biden administration officials, who have stressed in past weeks that any talks between Russia and the West will be more productive if conducted in private. The document, which is split into two separate binding agreements with the United States and NATO, calls for legal guarantees against eastward NATO expansion and prohibitions on the deployment of foreign forces on the territories of post-Soviet states. There is currently no indication that NATO is laying concrete plans to induct Ukraine. At the same time, top NATO officials have repeatedly ruled out the idea of legally prohibiting Kiev from seeking membership in the alliance. The upcoming talks were prompted by what Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources described as the dramatic buildup of Russian forces, with recent estimates varying from 80,000-100,000 troops, on Russia’s side of the Russian-Ukrainian border over the course of November and December. Military experts have warned that the recent movements of Russian troops near Ukraine are out-of-cycle, not premised on any concrete military threats from Kiev, and inconsistent with the force deployment and distribution patterns expected from regular military drills. The Kremlin has stressed that it expects swift, substantive results from the coming summits, with Putin saying earlier that Moscow will not allow itself to be “chatted up” or “bogged down in some sort of swamp.” Top Kremlin officials have suggested, without elaborating on specific measures, that the West’s rejection of Russia’s demands will prompt a significant military response. Russian deputy foreign minister Grushko said in a prior interview that the West can either “take seriously what we have put on the table,” or “face a military-technical alternative.” The head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency told the Military Times last month that Russia is preparing to attack Ukraine by late January or early February. According to Russian military experts, other forms of retaliation can possibly involve the proliferation of Russian strategic missile systems to allied states including Belarus and Serbia. “A lack of progress in the direction of a political-diplomatic solution to this problem will lead to a military and military-technical response on our part,” said Ryabkov. (Source: TheNationalInterest)

December 30, 2021 U.S. President Biden “urged Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine” in a 50-minute call with his Russian counterpart, the White House said. Biden administration officials said that the two had a “serious and substantive” discussion. But a senior administration official said that Putin made “no declarations as to intentions.” President Putin made no concrete promises about the tens of thousands of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border. Putin's ultimatum is no more expansion of NATO, withdrawal of NATO troops from the Baltics and a promise to never have Ukraine inside NATO. In essence, on all those three, Biden said, 'No'. Biden “made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” press secretary Psaki said. The two nations will participate in three separate rounds of talks next month: first through bilateral talks scheduled to start January 10, and then through two sets of multiparty talks with the NATO-Russia Council and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “President Biden reiterated that substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation,” Psaki added. For months now, Putin has built up troops along the Russia-Ukraine border. U.S. intelligence officials have estimated, from looking at satellite photos, that as many as 100,000 troops are in the area. Ukraine has been building up its own defenses on its side of the border. For years, the former Soviet state has been seeking entry into the NATO. Russia strongly opposes that move. Analysts worry that tens of thousands of battle-ready troops in the region could accidentally or intentionally spark a war. Putin foreign policy adviser Ushakov said the Kremlin was pleased with the talks, but he also said that Putin pushed Biden for concrete results from the upcoming security talks. Russia’s demands include that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and that the security alliance reduce its deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. The White House has said repeatedly that there will be “significant consequences” if Russia invades, including harsh economic sanctions and increased security support for Ukraine. Ukraine’s president, Zelenskiy, tweeted in December 28 that U.S. Secretary of State Blinken vowed “full [U.S.] support for [Ukraine] in countering Russian aggression.” White House officials have declined to discuss their terms publicly. It was the eighth time that the U.S. and Russian leaders have met in one year. That is a record in the entire history of U.S.-Russian and U.S.-Soviet relations. The two presidents will not participate in the high-level talks set for January 10 in Geneva. (Source: VoAnews, AFP)

December 30, 2021 Both sides described the 50-minute phone call that Mr. Putin requested as businesslike. Yet it ended without clarity about Mr. Putin’s intentions. He has massed 100,000 or so troops on the border with Ukraine, and issued demands for the NATO and the United States to pull back their forces in the region. The Biden administration, like the Trump administration before it, has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Ukrainian military to fund what it characterizes as purely defensive arms, including anti-tank missiles. Russia has called those offensive weapons that threaten its own forces. American officials declined to discuss the substance of the discussion, insisting that, unlike the Russians, they would not negotiate in public. During the conversation, Mr. Putin repeatedly accused the United States and NATO nations of placing offensive weapons near Russia’s borders, imperiling the country’s security. It is a charge that Russian officials have made repeatedly in recent times. At first it appeared they might be referring to Javelin anti-tank weapons and other small munitions the U.S. has provided to Ukraine to deter an attack. But over time, it has become increasingly clear that the Russians are referring to nuclear and non-nuclear “global strike” weapons, including intermediate-range nuclear missiles that were prohibited by a treaty that Moscow violated for several years, and President Trump abandoned. Some U.S. officials say that Mr. Putin’s concern may provide some basis for new negotiations with Russia - especially because there are no current plans to deploy a new generation of such weapons on European soil. An American official said the call “set the sort of tone and tenor for the diplomatic engagements” to come in January. In Moscow, Ushakov, Mr. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said the Russian president had conveyed Moscow’s expectation that the upcoming talks would lead to “legally formulated guarantees of security” for Russia. He added that the conversation had created a “positive background” for negotiations in January, but that no compromises had been reached. While the tone of the call was constructive, according to the Kremlin aide, Mr. Putin repeated his claims that Russia felt threatened by an encroaching NATO. He said that Russia would “conduct itself as the United States would behave if offensive weapons were near the United States.” President Putin warned President Biden yesterday that any economic sanctions imposed on Russia if it moves to take new military action against Ukraine could result in a “complete rupture” of relations between the two nuclear superpowers, the Russian official told reporters yesterday evening. Mr. Ushakov said Mr. Putin warned that any new, harsh sanctions would be a mistake. The new sanctions under consideration range from cutting Russia off from the system of global financial settlements to imposing new restrictions on American and Western semiconductors, which  Russia employs for its military modernization. A White House statement said Mr. Biden “made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.” In December 30 the United States assessment was that Mr. Putin had not decided whether to invade Ukraine. But the Biden administration expected that Russia would have to make that decision in the next month, in the brief window ahead of the spring thaw in March or April, when it would become difficult to roll heavy equipment into Ukraine. American officials made public their plans for extreme economic sanctions if an invasion starts, while signaling they are open to diplomacy. Russia’s foreign minister, Lavrov, had aired concerns ahead of call that the United States might try to drag out the talks as long as possible. Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser, said in a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations that the flow of arms to Ukraine would continue, raising the potential cost of an invasion and occupation. In conversations with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has made clear that while Russia might succeed in taking over parts of Ukraine, it would pay a huge human cost in trying to occupy it. Privately, American officials have explored how they might aid Ukrainian forces in mounting an insurgency, if it came to that. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe brokered a holiday cease-fire along the front that held for several days, though skirmishing along the eastern Ukrainian trench line resumed recently. Discussions are underway for other such gestures, including an exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists. (Source: dnyuz)

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Magyarország

Nyolcadik Békemenet és Orbán Viktor ünnepi beszéde – élőben
video

/3 h 42 min/

Nyolcadik Békemenet és Orbán Viktor ünnepi beszéde – élőben
video

/3 h 42 min/

Forrás: YouTube / HírTv:

https://tinyurl.com/3h9f4ffa

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