Belarus

[Jacl]

Hence the extreme left and right wings of socialism and the ease with which what became East Germany swapped one for the other.

I'm not so sure that one was swapped for the other. The AfD and die Linke are both strong in what was East Germany. Having said that in any extreme state, whether left or right a lot people possibly the majority are supporters of convenience. Once the state collapses the majority who supported it don't want to know anything about it any more unless it's to say how bad it was.

 

[RCT(V)]

Published by: BNS, LRT English, on 08 December 2021.

Lithuania's railways to continue transporting Belaruskali products in December amid US sanctions.

As US sanctions come into effect on Belarus' fertiliser manufacturer Belaruskali, Lithuania's state-owned railway company will continue transporting its cargo throughout December.

Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LG) said on Wednesday it had pre-paid contracts with Belaruskali, the world's biggest potash exporter.

LG's freight company LTG Cargo is estimated to transport around 1 million tons of fertilisers in December, meaning that six to nine freight trains will move via Lithuania's territory every day to the Baltic port of Klaipėda . . .

. . . US sanctions on Belaruskali were announced in August and fully come into force on December 8.

Whether LG will continue providing services to the Belarusian company beyond December will depend on the sanctions regime, decisions by Lithuanian government institutions and whether banks will continue servicing Belaruskali's transactions, according to LG's statement.

LG is consulting Lithuanian, EU and US institutions, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department, regarding the existing situation.

Up until now, LTG Cargo gas carried over 10 million tons of Belaruskali cargo a year for around 60 million euros.

LTG Cargo hopes to carry more cargo not only in Lithuania but also in Poland and Ukraine, and is also awaiting new opportunities once the Rail Baltic European gauge-standard railway project is completed.

photo: Belaruskali cargo / E. Blaževič/LRT

Lithuania's railways to continue transporting Belaruskali products in December amid US sanctions

As US sanctions come into effect on Belarus' fertiliser manufacturer Belaruskali, Lithuania's state-owned railway compan...

www.lrt.lt

Posted in this "belarus" thread, and also in the "Baltic" thread.

 

[RCT(V)]

Goodness, the Russians seem to have a higher regard for the “might” and the effectiveness, of the emasculated British Army, than do a number of ARRSE commentators . . . .

Russian Embassy claims UK Armed Forces are 'aggressively advanced' towards its borders

The embassy also accused British military chiefs of "openly stating their intent to achieve some sort of military presence in the Arctic".

www.forces.net

 

[Condottiere]

Mere window dressing to ensure his own survival, in the face of Moscow's absorbtion of Belarus into its control:

Belarus Unveils Draft Constitutional Changes To Tighten Strongman's Grip On Power

Constitutional amendments being proposed by Belarus's authoritarian leader include immunity from prosecution and term limits for presidents and a redistribution of constitutional powers that strengthen the role of the All-Belarus People's Assembly, which currently has no governing status.

www.rferl.org

 

[Sana]

To suggest that other countries will change is making the very myopic mistake by viewing them through Western glasses and expecting that they want freedom and Democracy. We made that mistake in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In reality, quite a few of them are very happy to live under despotic crackpots and backward regimes. Just look at the Russian trolls on here defending Putin. The Russians have a world view that forms part of their national identity and it's difficult for Westerners to understand. Recall in the late 90s when Communism collapsed, uncle Yeltsin was getting drunk and naked in the White House with Bill Clinton and there was even talk of Russia joining NATO. What happened to those halcyon days?

Russia merely returned to type - they got their strong man back, just like they always preferred to have a tsar, Stalin or Lenin calling the shots. The only difference is he's called Putin.

Exactly the same can be said for the Arab Spring. Anyone remember that? Egypt was going to become democratic and perhaps there would be a domino effect across the M.E. What did they end up with? Yet another autocratic leader, yet their world view of Islam (which includes most of the M.E.) is even more conservative and their ideal of a tyrannical government goes all the way back to the Pharaohs.

Unless you completely dismantle a country and dominate them militarily (like with Japan and Germany) then you won't change their culture. I imagine it would be even more difficult to do when Islamic religion is involved because it forms a fundamental core of their identity and most would rather die than give that up.

By this simple fact it should be crystal clear that we're threatening our own ideas of freedom and Democracy by importing a load of third world trash whose beliefs are completely incompatible with Western liberalism.

Very true. Not sure this would happen in this day and age.

 

[RCT(V)]

LRT FACTS. Has NATO ever promised Russia not to expand east?

As Russia is building its military presence near the border with Ukraine and Western analysts sound the alarm about a po...

www.lrt.lt

 

[Condottiere]

Not sure if I wasn't dreaming it. Late last night, just before sparking out, I was looking at my phone and I seem to remember reading a story about a Lukashenko speech claiming that 2022 is going to be the year of the Union of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan and telling myself to look it up again today. But I just can't find anything on this subject. Was I soddin' dreaming geopolitics?

 

[oscar1whisky]

Not sure if I wasn't dreaming it. Late last night, just before sparking out, I was looking at my phone and I seem to remember reading a story about a Lukashenko speech claiming that 2022 is going to be the year of the Union of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan and telling myself to look it up again today. But I just can't find anything on this subject. Was I soddin' dreaming geopolitics?

You've caught the Muscovite Mindset, self isolate for a week.

 

[scalieback]

Not sure if I wasn't dreaming it. Late last night, just before sparking out, I was looking at my phone and I seem to remember reading a story about a Lukashenko speech claiming that 2022 is going to be the year of the Union of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan and telling myself to look it up again today. But I just can't find anything on this subject. Was I soddin' dreaming geopolitics?

Belarus wants to protect its sovereignty, enhance ties with brotherly states

I should say that this year will not be easy. The world will change drastically. The world will change in a way that nations and countries will unite, the head of state said.

eng.belta.by

According to Belta he said:
“I should say that this year will not be easy. The world will change drastically. The world will change in a way that nations and countries will unite. It will not be easy to survive alone. It will be impossible. Therefore, we are committed to preserving our sovereignty and independence, to protecting our statehood. But we must also enhance ties with our closes friends and brotherly countries,” the head of state. “Who are they? This is Russia. This is Kazakhstan. This is Ukraine. It does not matter what is happening there today. People are struggling there. This could not continue.”

“We must do our best to bring Ukraine back to the true faith. There has been a big split even in terms of religion, and it will be very difficult to cope with all that. They also tried to do it here in 2020 – the autocephality, a split in our church, and so on and so forth. You are aware of that. We avoided that. I do not want this to happened in neighboring countries,”

About Belta:

About BelTA | Belarus News | Belarusian news | Belarus today | news in Belarus | Minsk news | BELTA

eng.belta.by

 

[Zemlyak]

Not sure if I wasn't dreaming it. Late last night, just before sparking out, I was looking at my phone and I seem to remember reading a story about a Lukashenko speech claiming that 2022 is going to be the year of the Union of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan and telling myself to look it up again today. But I just can't find anything on this subject. Was I soddin' dreaming geopolitics?

No. you weren’t dreaming. Lukashenko sold his soul in a Faustian pact and now has to dance to the tune being played for him.

 

[Condottiere]

No. you weren’t dreaming. Lukashenko sold his soul in a Faustian pact and now has to dance to the tune being played for him.

That's what I remember concluding when I read it.

 

[RCT(V)]

Published by: BNS, LRT English, on 08 December 2021.

Lithuania's railways to continue transporting Belaruskali products in December amid US sanctions.

As US sanctions come into effect on Belarus' fertiliser manufacturer Belaruskali, Lithuania's state-owned railway company will continue transporting its cargo throughout December.

Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LG) said on Wednesday it had pre-paid contracts with Belaruskali, the world's biggest potash exporter.

LG's freight company LTG Cargo is estimated to transport around 1 million tons of fertilisers in December, meaning that six to nine freight trains will move via Lithuania's territory every day to the Baltic port of Klaipėda . . .



View attachment 621899
photo: Belaruskali cargo / E. Blaževič/LRT

Lithuania's railways to continue transporting Belaruskali products in December amid US sanctions

As US sanctions come into effect on Belarus' fertiliser manufacturer Belaruskali, Lithuania's state-owned railway compan...

www.lrt.lt

Posted in this "belarus" thread, and also in the "Baltic" thread.

.

Lithuanian government decides to terminate Belaruskali contract in February

The Lithuanian government decided on Wednesday that the state-owned railway company must terminate its contract with Bel...

www.lrt.lt

(Also posted on the Baltics thread)

 

[RCT(V)]

Sweden sends troops to Gotland as Russia increases activity in Baltic Sea​

Non-militarily aligned country has stressed it retains the option to apply for Nato membership

Subscribe to read | Financial Times

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

www.ft.com

(Also posted on the Baltic States thread)

 

[Condottiere]

Control Risks take on Belarus from a commercial secuirty/political risk angle:

Control Risks | Global Risk Consultancy

Control Risks is the specialist global risk consultancy that helps organisations succeed in a volatile world. Find out more.

www.controlrisks.com

 

[RCT(V)]

As someone is currently pre-occupied, obsessed, with the number of pixels, bytes, I consume posting on the "All internet links video“ thread, I will have to leave this here for the moment . . .

"As well as adding significant additional mileage, and around another hour to the flight time, the route apparently took the 747 over the headquarters of the Finnish Air Force, located in Tikkakoski, outside the city of Jyväskylä, as well as a military intelligence unit in the same city. RU675’s detour also took it in apparent close proximity to the military airbase at Halli in central Finland, although this doesn’t currently have any permanently based aircraft . . . ".

Russian 747 Cargo Plane Made A Highly Peculiar Roundabout Flight Across Finland

Amid tensions in the Baltic, the incident has led to much speculation as to why the Jumbo Jet took such a strange route.

www.thedrive.com

Also posted on the NATO/Russia related, Ukraine thread, and the Baltics thread.

 

[Electromagnetic]

As someone is currently pre-occupied, obsessed, with the number of pixels, bytes, I consume posting on the "All internet links video“ thread, I will have to leave this here for the moment . . .

"As well as adding significant additional mileage, and around another hour to the flight time, the route apparently took the 747 over the headquarters of the Finnish Air Force, located in Tikkakoski, outside the city of Jyväskylä, as well as a military intelligence unit in the same city. RU675’s detour also took it in apparent close proximity to the military airbase at Halli in central Finland, although this doesn’t currently have any permanently based aircraft . . . ".

Russian 747 Cargo Plane Made A Highly Peculiar Roundabout Flight Across Finland

Amid tensions in the Baltic, the incident has led to much speculation as to why the Jumbo Jet took such a strange route.

www.thedrive.com

Also posted on the NATO/Russia related, Ukraine thread, and the Baltics thread.

A belligerent message perhaps. A veiled threat. "It's cargo this time. Next time? Do what we want or else wait and see."

 

[RCT(V)]

A belligerent message perhaps. A veiled threat. "It's cargo this time. Next time? Do what we want or else wait and see."

I would have thought its purpose was more along the lines of surveillance, information gathering ?!

 

[Electromagnetic]

I would have thought its purpose was more along the lines of surveillance, information gathering ?!

Yes, it could easily be but it's not like they are being particularly covert about it.

 

[RCT(V)]

Published by: Saulius Jakučionis, BNS, LRT ENGLISH, on 19 January 2022.

Russian troops in Belarus ‘direct threat’ to Lithuania – minister.

The arrival of Russian troops in Belarus poses an even bigger direct threat to Lithuania, according to the country's Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas.

Moscow claims its troops were deployed in Belarus for drills that will take place in February. Meanwhile, the West fears possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

“In the current situation, we view the arrival of Russian armed forces in Belarus not only as a destabilising factor in the security situation, but also as one posing an even bigger direct threat to Lithuania,” Anušauskas posted on Facebook on Wednesday . . .

Russian troops in Belarus ‘direct threat’ to Lithuania – minister

The arrival of Russian troops in Belarus poses an even bigger direct threat to Lithuania, according to the country's Def...

www.lrt.lt

Posted on this Belarus thread, and also on the Baltics thread.

 

[RCT(V)]

Published by: BNS, LRT ENGLISH, on 19 January 2022.

Lithuanian minister calls for additional US troops in Eastern Europe.

The tense situation on the EU's eastern borders calls for additional US forces in “the region”, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said on Wednesday.

"A step when the US will move additional forces to Europe is definitely awaiting us, because the situation requires it," he told reporters ahead of the cabinet's meeting.

Adding to the Russian troop build up around Ukraine, the Kremlin has now sent troops to Belarus for drills. The move came without the usual advance notice to countries in the region.

According to Anušauskas, the appropriate response to this would be "the emergence of additional capacity in this region".

The minister said the deployment of Russian troops to Belarus "is not an exercise".

"It is a further escalation of the situation," he said. "We have to look at this in the context of Ukraine and regional security".

The United States is worried that the arrival of Russian troops in Belarus could lead to a permanent presence of Russian forces in the country, possibly including nuclear weapons.

The Lithuanian defence minister said that nuclear weapons always pose additional threats, but added that "they exist in the Kaliningrad region" already.

"Russia has this capability [nuclear weapons] next to NATO countries – actually, 100 kilometres from our border," Anušauskas said.

"These are real threats. There are no nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus at the moment, but there are always possibilities for this and there is the political will on the part of Alexander Lukashenko.".

"To what extent Russia will make use of this desire is apparently another question for the future," he added.

American troops on a live-fire exercise in Pabradė, Lithuania / D. Umbrasas/LRT

Lithuanian minister calls for additional US troops in Eastern Europe

The tense situation on the EU's eastern borders calls for additional US forces in “the region”, Lithuanian Defence Minis...

www.lrt.lt

Posted on this Belarus thread, and also on the Baltic thread.