A Leaked memo schooled Tillerson: US should use human rights as a club against its adversaries, like Iran, China & North Korea, while giving a pass to repressive allies: Philippines, Egypt Saudi Arabia. politi.co/2Benzkc
The #US is hoping/praying for a harsh reaction from #China to impose sanctions on #Beijing and try to cripple the Chinese economy particularly when China supports #Russia against the US and @NATO.
#China won't start a war but a specific military manoeuvre in 6 areas around #Taiwan.
China has other cards to play to support those opposing the #US around the world. It is in the benefit of China to avoid direct confrontation with the US and play in Washington's hands.
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#Ukraine, #UN, #Turkey & #Russia will sign a deal (separately) to export the Ukrainian & Russian wheat to the world. The reason why, if the deal is respected by the west, the food security will be eased is only because the west has lifted the sanctions on Russian wheat transport+
#Russia produced 24% of the world wheat, the largest worldwide, double of the #US and #Canada. While #Ukraine produces 8%, the fifth after #France (10%). The West imp[osed sanctions on the Russian shipping companies & SWIFT, preventing countries in need to pay for the Wheat +
The West has used the misguiding narrative that #Ukraine is the "world food basket", a ridiculous and ignorant narrative. Ukraine protected its shore with mines and #Russia agreed to allow the export of Ukrainian wheat if the West allows Russian wheat to meet world domands.+
The Nord Stream 1, the biggest single pipeline under the Baltic sea carrying 55 billion cubic metres/year of #Russia gas to #Germany, starts annual maintenance today until 21 July, with flows expected to stop for 10 days. There are worried the shut-down might be extended.
In previous years, the annual maintenance on Nord Stream 1 has lasted around 10-12 days and has finished on time. It is not uncommon for additional faults to be detected during routine maintenance at pipelines or gas infrastructure and operators can prolong outages if necessary.
If #Germany loses its #Russia gas, the effect will be felt on the whole of NW #Europe. If the maintenance period is extended it will throw EU plans to fill storage for winter into disarray & a gas crisis would prompt emergency measures from gov & painfully high bills 4 consumers.
It took less than expected. #Turkey managed in its Bazar negotiation and the #US approved today the selling of Jet fighters to Ankara and to modernise the Turkish Air Force. +
There r 40 US F-16V fighter jets (the latest version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon Family), upgrade kits spare parts for the #US F-16s jets (that make up the Turkish AF fleet), and the “Patriot” defence system- that #Turkey needs. +
The #US stopped exporting what Turkey required due to the sanctions following its procurement of the Russian S-400 air defence system. Moreover, Turkey was removed from the 5th-generation fighter aircraft F-35 Lightning II development project, for which Turkey paid $1.4 billion.+
We live in a world where if U disagree w/ mainstream media & warmongers leaders - who sanction entire populations around the globe (#Venezuela, #Iran, #Cuba, #Syria, #Lebanon, #Russia#Yemen#Palestine) advocate 4 weapons delivery to kill more humans - U r complicit in genocide.
The US is primarily responsible for the war in #Ukraine & pushed its policy to the point tt #Russia feels threatened by @NATO on its borders
#US & the #EU are committed to defeating Russia and r not interested in a diplomatic solution even if suffering from their own sanctions.
#Russia, for many years, warned the #US of its plan to expand @NATO on the Russian borders (#Ukraine and #Georgia).
The war is likely to drag on for a long time, Ukraine will experience huge harm and the war may escalate and spill over to other countries.
Train passengers and goods r sealed when crossing from #Russia through #Lithuania to #Kiliningrad & no visa is required. Therefore, a Lithuanian ground transit ban blocking half of all goods including oil pipelines from Russia is an illegal provocation and non-sensical.
If treaties/agreements have no longer any value & the @UN role is totally absent, then nothing & no borders will ever be respected. Every country, in this case, has the "right" to claim ancient territories and the "Jungle Law" prevails.
We can be thrown in the bin the international laws, or the law of nations and all norms and standards that apply between sovereign states and other entities that are legally recognized as international actors.
#Russia warned #Lithuania - that announced that all Russian goods transit will be banned to #Kaliningrad - that its move is considered a violation of long-standing treaties and a provocation.
Lithuania is offering itself as a wood for the #US fire and war against Russia.
#Lithuania covers an area of 65,300 km2 (25,200 sq mi which is half of what #Russia controlled in Donbass in the last weeks), with a population of 2.8 million.
If #Lithuania believes that being a @NATO 7 #EU member will be protected, it is dead wrong. Neither the EU nor the #US want a WWIII.NATO's Article 5 doesn't mean automatic protection of the members. Lithuania can't, after several months, start implementing EU sanctions suddenlty.