RT News - February 9th 2023

Shelling of civilian-only areas has continued in Donbass and two more people have been killed in Donetsk, others have been wounded including children. More than 100 artillery rounds were fired into civilian areas. They created a massive fire, apartment blocks were targeted, right in the centre of the capital city.

75 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the Ugledar standoff, Russian MOD said. Ukraine heavy transport/weapons were also destroyed. RT observes a Russian Special Forces unit operating close to a key Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk Republic, as the Russian army ramps up its offensive in the area. Igor Zhdanov reports from Ugledar.

(warning) A disturbing video appears online reportedly showing a Ukrainian soldier murdering a captured Russian POW, in yet another instance of alleged war crimes committed by Kiev's forces.

Central Russia, Novosibirsk: A gas explosion in an apartment block has left two dead. Three people may still be trapped under the rubble.

Russia says new revelations about US involvement in the Nord Stream explosions were no secret, as Washington had previously been open about its intensions to take out the key Russian pipeline in Europe. Chris Hedges comments. Marina Kosareva reports. "There was no way politicians didn't know the U.S. was behind the pipeline attack, given the previous threats" - Scott Ritter briefly discusses.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Sudan after a successful trip to the West African nation of Mauritania. It's part of his scheduled tour of Africa. Sudan is the last stop on his tour of Africa, as Russia works with African nations to strengthen their ties, in view of new economic horizons. In the wake of his visit, all sorts of other "diplomats" etc., are rushing to Africa too, having been absent for years. Karabo Letlhatlha reports.

Earthquake and aftershocks: China has demanded all sanctions be lifted from Syria, saying that the embargo only makes the humanitarian aid situation worse. The U.S. is in Syria illegally, without mandate and is literally stealing $billions worth of Syrian oil each month. "U.S. is obsessed"
Mao Ning, China's foreign minister says. Russia continues with assistance in Syria and Türkiye and China has sent substantial aid and money for the Red Cross to start relief operations (QS: equivalent to $286,000 for each and around $9 million of humanitarian aid went out on Tuesday). Bassem Abu Adballah talks about the sanctions and embargoes on Syria.

The Green Agenda, Joe Biden and Big Oil and the foot stays in the mouth. Rachel Marsden reports.

India, Energy week forum: India is committed to looking after the needs and interests of India and her citizens. Ranjit Rath, MD of Oil India talked to RT and says India continues to enjoy a cordial relationship with Russia.

**STOP PRESS** An assassination attempt on the life of Berdyansk head of city has been thwarted. (More info later)
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Below, via RT website --1) --- Snowden comments on Nord Stream revelations
2) --- Why Joe Biden is more dangerous than Donald Trump
3) --- China’s growth revised higher
4) --- Roger Waters calls for ceasefire in Ukraine at UN Security Council
5) --- Russia sanctions 77 Americans
6) --- Austria demands stronger EU border protection
7) --- NATO chief reveals size of Ukraine funding
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8 Feb, 2023 21:19

1) --- Snowden comments on Nord Stream revelations

The NSA whistleblower seemed skeptical of White House denials that the US was responsible

Edward Snowden, who exposed the US government’s mass surveillance program a decade ago, appeared unconvinced by Washington’s stringent denial on Wednesday that it had anything to do with the bombing of both Nord Stream pipelines.

The explosive story, which was published earlier in the day by the legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, described the September 2022 explosions as the work of US intelligence. He dutifully included the responses he received from the CIA and the White House, which denied everything and called the story “completely and utterly false” and “false and complete fiction,” respectively.

“Can you think of any examples from history of a secret operation that the White House was responsible for, but strongly denied?” Snowden tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. “Besides, you know, that little ‘mass surveillance’ kerfuffle.”

He attached a lede from an April 1961 news story, in which US Secretary of State Dean Rusk denied the Bay of Pigs had been “staged from American soil.” Rusk also told reporters that “the Cuban affair was one for the Cubans themselves to settle” but that the US was sympathetic to enemies of “Communist tyranny.”

Contrary to Rusk’s denials, the 1961 invasion was a CIA operation that used Cubans opposed to Fidel Castro’s government as proxies. In a social media post in May 2021, the US spy agency showcased a commemorative coin minted for “an anticipated (but never realized) Bay of Pigs victory.” The agency’s museum described the operation as “an unqualified disaster” which ended with most of the 1,400 invaders captured or killed within three days.

In addition to describing the details of the Nord Stream operation, Hersh’s article recalled the statements by US President Joe Biden and Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland suggesting the US would “bring an end” to the natural gas pipeline connecting Germany with Russia. After the explosions, Western media quickly accused Moscow of blowing up its own pipeline to somehow spite the US and its allies, though never offering any evidence to back up that claim.

Snowden’s “kerfuffle” was a reference to his own experience in 2013. The former CIA and National Security Agency (NSA) contractor handed over a trove of classified documents to several media outlets proving that the government was warrantlessly spying on Americans, in direct violation of US laws. The top intelligence officials testified in Congress that this was not the case, only for evidence to later prove their perjury.

Washington responded by charging Snowden with theft of government property and giving classified information to unauthorized persons, among other things. The US also revoked his passport, stranding him in Russia, where he eventually received political asylum.
https://www.rt.com/news/571199-snowden-nord-stream-story/
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8 Feb, 2023 22:17

2) --- Why Joe Biden is more dangerous than Donald Trump

The President’s State of the Union address shows he is a symptom of America’s problems, just like his predecessor

OP-ED By Timur Fomenko, a political analyst

Joe Biden conducted his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

A staple trait of Biden’s presidency is that he repeatedly claims that he is making things better for ordinary Americans. In his own words, he is creating jobs, bringing down inflation and “delivering for families”. He frames himself as an FDR style titan who is reinvigorating the US following troubled times, and, in his words, making it “more competitive” than ever.

In reality, his statements could not be further from the truth.The United States is in chaos and the Biden administration faces painfully low approval ratings, crippling levels of inflation, weak 2022 GDP and a looming recession. Whatever the expectations of Joe Biden were, he has proved himself to be the most dangerous and hawkish Democrat leading the US since Harry Truman. As America tears itself apart at home, it is also doing so abroad.

When Joe Biden entered office, many people expected he would be different than Donald Trump. After four years of what the media described as chaos and internal turmoil in America, Biden was heralded as a breath of fresh air who would be normal, sane and moderate. What these arguments actively overlooked was that Donald Trump was not the problem, but rather a symptom of broader American failure and decline. As the world has changed, in particular through the lingering impact of globalized neoliberal capitalism, digitization and shifts in the geopolitical balance of power, the United States has struggled to assert a coherent identity amidst a changing world which has produced deep divisions and large-scale political conflict.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/us/biden-approval-rating-poll.html (paywall - approval rating)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2023/01/10/recession-fears-2023-what-lies-ahead/
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This is the era of “post-truth”, and as a result, Joe Biden is not in fact better than Trump, he is infinitely worse. While Donald Trump was a populist figure who railed against the political establishment, Joe Biden is a long-standing member of the political establishment. As such, he has used his reign in office to reassert its influence and give it “Trumpian characteristics”. That includes the same brand of conceited bragging, populism and political squabbles at home, but with a foreign policy abroad which is dangerously more aggressive than anything Trump ever conceived. America’s increasingly dangerous involvement in the Ukraine conflict is a prime example.

The underlying factor here is the effort by the United States to resuscitate its unconditional hegemony over the rest of the world by force, having sensed that a political shift has taken place. This change is reflected in the anger and resentment of blue collar, white Americans, and a primary driver for Trump’s election. The product of the Trump and Biden administrations has been to project those changes into resentment of China, culminating in events like the recent “Chinese spy balloon” saga that have been hyper-dramatized. China has become the designated enemy, and it appears there is a political consensus in the US around this, irrespective of the consequences.

There are some critical differences between the two administrations in how this is being pursued. While Trump operated US foreign policy on “quid-pro-quo” terms, stressing the “America First” philosophy, the Biden administration sees opportunity not through trade wars or bargaining, but through the escalation of geopolitical conflict. Biden’s team is sacrificing stability on every front for the sake of power. As such, the Biden White House, despite fawning over American jobs and prosperity, has thought nothing about tearing up global supply chains, driving up prices, accelerating geopolitical bloc confrontation, pursuing large scale sanctions and whipping up global uncertainty for hegemonic gain.

While Trump was hyper-dramatic, he cared about markets and growth, and he also knew when to compromise. Surrounded by neoconservatives like Mike Pompeo on China policy, he was more interested in making deals with Beijing in the American interest and could restrain them if he wished to do so. Biden on the other hand, cares for nothing, and has no guardrails. Sure, he might wear a smile, he might not call people nasty names on Twitter, but it is this façade which hides the dangerous policymaking in the White House that has actually left Americans worse off than Trump ever managed to do. It seems unlikely given the circumstances that Trump would have ever allowed the Russia-Ukraine war to happen, and he has made it clear multiple times that if he were President, it wouldn’t have happened.
https://www.axios.com/2022/07/04/donald-trump-inflation-ukraine-war-wouldnt-happen-president
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In some ways, the sheer incompetence of the opposition has, despite dire circumstances, allowed Biden to also be incredibly lucky. For a President who has low approval ratings, overseeing a dire economic situation, he landed on his feet in the November midterm elections, his party even seizing control of the Senate.

The fact that he continues to proclaim victories where there are none is only indicative of how the US is suffering from a leadership deficit. In this sense, Biden and Trump’s methodologies may differ but they are both a product of the same broken system that rewards falsehood and ultimately focuses on domestic political point scoring as opposed to real results. If things have changed at all in America throughout the two years of Biden’s tenure, they have ultimately changed for the worse and pose a threat to the world as a whole. Yet, you would never believe that if you sat and watched his State of the Union address.

"...The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT...."
https://www.rt.com/news/571182-biden-trump-us-sotu/
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9 Feb, 2023 04:59

3) --- China’s growth revised higher

Fitch Ratings improved its outlook due to a faster-than-expected recovery in economic activity

The Chinese economy will perform better than expected and is projected to grow 5% this year, Fitch Ratings reported in a revised forecast published on Wednesday.

The growth prediction for the world’s second-largest economy was raised from December’s expectations of 4.1% due to “evidence that consumption and activity are recovering faster than initially anticipated” as Beijing lifted its stringent Covid-19 restrictions.

This comes after a weaker-than-expected performance last year, when the country’s GDP grew by 3%, hampered by severe lockdowns. The ratings agency expects economic activity to be strong in the first half of the year, driven by a “swift rebound” from the pandemic.

“We believe stabilizing the recovery will remain the key focus in the near term, but do not anticipate aggressive macro-policy easing,” the economists wrote in a release.

China’s latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a measure of business activity for manufacturing and services, also soared, indicating growth.

The country’s manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in January from a previous reading of 47, while its services PMI climbed to 54.4, the highest level since June 2022. A value above 50 indicates an expansion of economic activity, while a reading below points to a contraction.

UBS expects China’s consumption to improve moderately, predicting that spending will be rather “cautious” due to strains in consumer confidence.

“With employment and household income still in need of recovery, consumer confidence may not recover completely but instead remain cautious,” the chief China economist for the investment bank, Wang Tao, said in a note.

Excess savings of China’s households are estimated to be worth 4 trillion to 4.6 trillion yuan ($590 billion to $678 billion), but according to UBS, these savings may not be spent this year.

“Further normalization of consumer behavior and more release of excess savings could help underpin future consumption recovery in 2024 and beyond,” Wang added.

UBS expects China’s household consumption growth to surge 10-11% in nominal terms and 7.8% in real terms in 2023.
https://www.rt.com/business/571175-china-economy-growth-upgraded/
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8 Feb, 2023 21:17

4) --- Roger Waters calls for ceasefire in Ukraine at UN Security Council

The British rock icon has urged all sides of the conflict to stop fighting, warning the world is heading toward disaster

Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters spoke at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday where he urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. The rock icon was invited to participate in the meeting, which was convened to discuss peace prospects and weapons deliveries to Kiev, by Russia.

Waters said in his address that he spoke on behalf of the “voiceless majority,” delivering a broader anti-war message. The musician slammed profiteers of the ongoing hostilities and those striving for “unipolar world domination,” warning that such goals would only lead to a global catastrophe.

“The voiceless majority is concerned that your wars – yes, your wars, for these perpetual wars are not of our choosing – that your wars will destroy the planet that is our home,” Waters stated.

Along with every other living thing, we will be sacrificed on the altar of two things: profits from the war to line the pockets of the very, very few and the hegemonic march of some empire or other towards unipolar world domination. Please reassure us that that is not your vision, for there is no good outcome down that road. That road leads only to disaster.

He said the Russian offensive, which began last February, was “not unprovoked.”

“So I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms,” Waters stressed.

“President Biden, President Putin, President Zelensky, USA, NATO, Russia, the EU – all of you – please, change course now. Agree a ceasefire in Ukraine today. That, of course, will only be the starting point. But everything extrapolates from that starting point,” Waters stated, adding that such a move would prompt a worldwide “sigh of relief,” with the prospects of perishing in a global “nuclear Holocaust” thus reduced.

Waters has been an outspoken critic of the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, slamming it previously as an “unnecessary war,” and repeatedly calling for a peaceful resolution to it. He has also condemned the West’s role in provoking the hostilities in the first place, as well as its enduring military support to Kiev, accusing the US and its allies of “war profiteering” and prolonging the conflict.
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Watch right on Rumble https://rumble.com/v28s28c-agree-to-a-ceasefire-in-ukraine-today-waters.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=15
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https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/571190-roger-waters-ukraine-ceasefire/
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8 Feb, 2023 21:07

5) --- Russia sanctions 77 Americans

The measures target US governors, officials, and businessmen responsible for arming “the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev”

Moscow has unveiled retaliatory sanctions on 77 US nationals, including 33 governors and the relatives of Democrat and Republican leaders. The new measures came a week after Washington sanctioned 22 individuals and entities that it accused of aiding the Russian military.

All of the individuals listed are permanently banned from entering Russia, the Foreign Ministry announced in a statement on Wednesday. The ministry said that the list was compiled in response to “Washington’s continued expansion” of its anti-Russian sanctions program, and is “based on the principle of reciprocity.”

Governors of US states – both Democrat and Republican – make up almost half of the list. Also named are the daughters of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, all of whom have been enthusiastic supporters of the Biden administration’s policy of arming Ukraine.

Five Leidos executives are included on the blacklist. This Virginia-based defense contractor has deployed an electronic surveillance plane to the skies near Ukraine to provide the US with information on Russian military movements. Desert Tech CEO Nicholas Young, whose firearms are used by Ukraine’s national guard, was also blacklisted.

These companies, the ministry said, are “involved in the supply of weapons to the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev.”

The sanctions came a week after the US Treasury Department announced that it had blacklisted 22 individuals and entities it accused of being tied to a “global sanctions evasion network supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex.” The list included alleged arms dealer Igor Zimenkov and a list of companies supposedly involved in importing and exporting weapons from Russia.

Earlier rounds of US and EU sanctions have targeted Russian politicians, businessmen, military figures, and their families.

In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that any further “hostile actions against Russia” would be similarly “rebuffed” by Moscow.
https://www.rt.com/russia/571198-russia-sanctions-us-governors/
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8 Feb, 2023 19:22

6) --- Austria demands stronger EU border protection

Karl Nehammer has threatened to oppose a bloc-wide statement on migration if Brussels doesn’t fund prevention

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has warned EU leaders that he is willing to block a European Council summit declaration on migration this week if the bloc does not pay to fortify its external borders against illegal entry. Nehammer's demand for concrete action on border protection came in an interview with Die Welt on Wednesday.

“Empty phrases will not suffice,” he said. “A clear and unequivocal commitment to strengthening external border protection and the use of appropriate financial resources from the EU budget is needed.” If no “concrete measures” are agreed to, the chancellor said, Austria cannot back the summit declaration.

Nehammer and the leaders of seven other countries called for stronger protections against illegal migration in a letter to the presidents of the European Commission and European Council on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s migration summit. The heads of Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovakia also signed the message, denouncing existing European policies and the low rate of return they engender as a “pull factor” encouraging violators.

“The current asylum system is broken and primarily benefits the cynical human smugglers who take advantage of the misfortune of women, men and children,” the letter reads, calling for an increase in deportation and sending asylum seekers to “safe third countries” in addition to increasing physical border fortifications.

Last month, Nehammer called for the European Commission to pay €2 billion ($2.17 billion) to build a border fence between Bulgaria and Türkiye. Austria blocked Bulgaria from joining the visa-free Schengen Area in December, citing concern that the country would not be able to adequately police its borders.

Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested a “pilot project” that would allow for “immediate returns” of failed asylum seekers to their home countries. EU migration ministers have recommended restricting visas for countries that refuse to accept returned nationals, though Gambia is the only country to be punished this way since the policy was first proposed.

EU countries recorded over 330,000 illegal entry attempts last year, border control agency Frontex reported – the most since 2016 and a figure that does not include legal asylum applicants or Ukrainian refugees. More than 80% of these were adult men.
https://www.rt.com/news/571196-austria-nehammer-migration-summit-fences/
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8 Feb, 2023 22:27

7) --- NATO chief reveals size of Ukraine funding

Jens Stoltenberg said Kiev has received $120 billion from the West so far

NATO has sent Kiev over $100 billion over the past year, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday in a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington.

Since last February, the US-led military bloc has provided “unprecedented support to Ukraine, around 120 billion dollars in military, humanitarian and financial assistance,” Stoltenberg told reporters at the State Department.

While the US has played an “indispensable role,” Canada and the European members have contributed “over half” of the overall assistance, “including tanks, advanced air defense systems” and other weapons, he added.

According to Blinken, the US has contributed “nearly $30 billion” worth of military aid, while other NATO members gave $13 billion, as well as “tens of billions more in humanitarian and economic support.”

Blinken also said that “tilting the battlefield in Ukraine’s favor” is the key to an eventual diplomatic solution of the conflict.

After their joint press event, Stoltenberg and Blinken went to meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, with even more funding for Ukraine on the agenda.

In December, the Russian Defense Ministry estimated that the West had provided Ukraine with $97 billion worth of weapons, ammunition and supplies. Moscow has repeatedly warned that arming Ukraine only prolongs the conflict and risks a direct confrontation.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements for peace in the Donbass and insisting that its neighbor pledge to never join any Western military bloc. Ukrainian, German and French leaders have since admitted that the Minsk negotiations were a ploy to buy Ukraine time to prepare for war with Russia.

Though multiple Western officials have publicly said Ukraine is fighting for their “values” and world order, and Ukraine’s own defense minister said Kiev is carrying out a NATO mission, the US and NATO maintain they are technically not participants in the conflict. (Aleksey Reznikov has argued that Kiev is shedding blood for the military bloc and expects weapons in return)
https://www.rt.com/news/571203-nato-us-arming-ukraine/
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