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International news offer a unique perspective on the most pressing issues of the day. Weekly and daily news to just one foreign publication provides a valuable opportunity to inform your beliefs,
rather than remain narrowly immersed in American perspectives on political, economic, social and cultural issues. In this news blog i picked up four international latest news.
There had been concerns across the region that there could be a complete shutdown of gas supplies via the pipeline after it was closed earlier this month for maintenance.
Data on operator Nord Stream’s website showed that flows increased from zero to 29,284,591 kWh/h for 0600-0700 Central European Time Thursday.
he operator of Nord Stream 1, a key gas pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany, said Thursday it was in the process of resuming flows to Europe.
On July 10, the last day of operations before the maintenance work began, flows were at roughly the same level, just above the 29,000,000 kWh/h.
There had been concerns across the region that there could be a complete shutdown of gas supplies via the pipeline after it was closed earlier this month for maintenance. Flows had been due to be restored Thursday after the completion of the works.
A spokesperson for Nord Stream confirmed to CNBC via email that the company is “in process of resuming gas transportation.” “It can take some hours to reach the nominated transport volumes,” they added.
Data on operator Nord Stream’s website showed that flows increased from zero to 29,284,591 kWh/h for 0600-0700 Central European Time Thursday. On July 10, the last day of operations before the maintenance work began, flows were at roughly the same level, just above the 29,000,000 kWh/h.
It’s likely to be a welcome relief to European officials who have been scrambling to find alternative suppliers to Russian gas. Germany, and the EU more broadly, have been dependent on Russian fossil fuels for years and there has been a broad-based attempt to reverse this in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since March, the EU has negotiated new gas deals with the United States and Azerbaijan, and has held talks with Israel and Qatar. Speaking Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, said Russia was blackmailing Europe and using energy as a weapon.
Russia has repeatedly denied it is weaponizing fossil fuel supplies and The Kremlin was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC Thursday. Despite news that flows have restarted, the EU will continue to push ahead with contingency plans in case of a full shut down in gas supplies from Russia.
The commission has told the 27 EU nations that they need to cut their gas consumption by 15% until March, in an effort to save energy. Von der Leyen has said that it is likely that the Kremlin will go ahead with a complete cut-off of gas supplies to Europe. - CNBC
Russia's objectives in Ukraine now extend beyond the eastern Donbas region into the country's south, a senior government minister has said. As the war in Ukraine approaches its fifth month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state media that the "geography is different."
"It is far from being only DPR (Donetsk People's Republic) and LPR (Luhansk People's Republic), it is also Kherson Region, Zaporizhzhia Region and a number of other territories, and this process continues, it continues steadily and persistently," Lavrov said during an interview with RIA Novosti, published Wednesday.
Lavrov's remarks signal the Kremlin's refocused approach to the war in Ukraine. Just three months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin shifted military efforts onto the country's east after failing to capture Kyiv.
When Russian forces followed through with Putin's order and captured the last city in Luhansk region still in Ukrainian hands Lysychansk earlier this month, their next move was anticipated to be in the neighboring region of Donetsk.If Donetsk were to fall, Moscow would overrun the entire Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which has harbored Russian-backed separatist factions since 2014.
However, recently supplied US HIMARS Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) worth $400 million have bolstered the Ukrainian military's ability to strike down Russian targets a significant factor that has caused fresh problems for Moscow.
Earlier this month, there were huge explosions in several occupied areas in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The available evidence, from satellite imagery and Western analysts, is that the targeting has been highly effective.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Ukrainian President's Chief of Staff, repeated calls for more HIMARS weapons on Ukrainian television on Wednesday. Lavrov said that as the West continues to supply Ukraine with more long-range weaponry, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Russia's geographical objectives in Ukraine would move further away from the current line.
"We cannot allow any weapons in the part of Ukraine controlled by Zelensky or whoever will replace him that pose a direct threat to our territory or the territory of the republics that declared independence or those that wish to determine their future independently," Lavrov said.
"The President was very clear, as you quoted: denazification and demilitarization in the sense that there should be no threat to our security, no military threat from Ukraine's territory, and this objective remains," Lavrov said. Lavrov has also said that it is currently "pointless" to hold talks with Ukraine, in an interview with Russian state outlet Russia Today on Wednesday.
He accused the West of pushing Ukraine to refrain from negotiations until it can "start talking from a position of strength." Lavrov claimed that Russia had been ready to strike a deal with Ukraine, but that nothing came of it."We handed them a document which, I emphasize again, was based on their logic," Lavrov said in the interview, which was published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website. "They got this document on April 15, and we've heard nothing from them since."
"But we've heard other things, from Scholz, from Boris Johnson who obviously isn't saying it now, from Ursula von der Leyen and many others, including chief diplomat Borrell, that Ukraine must win on the battlefield, that Ukraine must not negotiate now because it's in a weak position on the frontline, and that Ukraine must first improve this position and start to dominate over the Russian armed forces, the Donetsk and Luhansk militias, and only then start talking from a position of strength," Lavrov said.
"I think this kind of talk is for the birds, as they say," he added. CNN's Rob Picheta, Tim Lister, Kostan Nechyporenko and Oren Liebermann contributed to this report. - CNN
There has been increasing unconfirmed media speculation that Mr Putin, who turns 70 this year, may be suffering from ill health, possibly cancer. But William Burns said there was no evidence to suggest this, joking that he appeared "too healthy".
His comments came as the US announced it would provide Ukraine with more long-range weapons. Earlier Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia's military focus in Ukraine was no longer "only" the east and implied Moscow's strategy had changed after the West supplied Ukraine with such weapons.
"There are lots of rumours about President Putin's health and as far as we can tell he's entirely too healthy," Mr Burns said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. Responding to laughter, he added that this was not a formal intelligence judgement.
Mr Burns, who served as ambassador to Moscow, said he had been observing and dealing with the Russian leader for more than two decades. Mr Putin is "a big believer in control, intimidation and getting even" and these traits have hardened over the last decade as his circle of advisers has contracted, the CIA chief said.
"He is convinced that his destiny as Russia's leader is to restore Russia as a great power. He believes the key to doing that is to recreate a sphere of influence in Russia's neighbourhood and he cannot do that without controlling Ukraine."
Mr Burns travelled to Moscow in November to warn about the serious consequences for invading Ukraine following intelligence the US had collected about Russia's plans. But the CIA director said he left "more troubled than when I arrived".
The Russian president's plans were based on "profoundly flawed assumptions and some real illusions especially about Ukraine and the will to resist", Mr Burns said. "Putin really does believe his rhetoric. I've heard him say this privately over the years that Ukraine is not a real country.
"Well, real countries fight back. And that's what the Ukrainians have done." The US estimates that Russian casualties in Ukraine so far have reached around 15,000 killed and perhaps 45,000 wounded, Mr Burns said. He estimated that Ukrainian losses were a little less.
He added Russia's current concentration of forces in the Donbas suggested the military had learned hard lessons. Russia invaded Ukraine in February, claiming falsely that Russian-speakers in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region had suffered a genocide and needed to be liberated.
Five months on, Russia has occupied parts of the east and south of the country, but it failed in its original aim of capturing Kyiv and has since claimed its main objective was the liberation of Donbas. The US has accused Russia of preparing to annex parts of Ukraine.
But earlier on Wednesday the Russian foreign minister implied the US supplying long-range weapons could broaden Moscow's military focus in Ukraine. Despite Mr Lavrov's apparent warnings, the US on Wednesday announced it would provide Ukraine with more long-range weapons.
Ukraine will receive another four Himars advanced rocket systems to hold the advance of Russian troops, bringing the total number to 16, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Meanwhile Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska addressed US Congress, asking for more air-defence systems to "help us to stop this terror against Ukrainians". She said the weapons could help assure a "joint great victory". - BBC
