Blinken Says "Too Early" For Russia Sanctions As Hope For Unified NATO Response Unravels

The United States says it's putting together a "global strategy" to increase gas production among allies in the scenario of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. "The State Department, led by Senior Adviser for Energy Security Amos Hochstein, has in the last six to eight weeks been putting together a global strategy exploring contingency options to redirect and increase gas supplies from different parts of the world, a senior US official said," CNN reports Sunday. This has included talks with firms in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

At the same time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained during Sunday news talk show appearances that at this point it's "too early" to impose sanctions on Russia, despite the current atmosphere of building war rhetoric. He still threatened "massive consequences" for any Russian offensive, yet stressed that US is still leaving the door open for diplomacy. An eventual diplomatic resolution to the crisis is looking more and more likely given the lack of a unified NATO willingness to escalate to the level of armed conflict, particularly given Germany's breaking with other allies of the last few days, including its refusal to send Kiev German arms. Thus it seems "all options" are not on the table just yet…

Blinken told CNN's State of the Union program that "The purpose of those sanctions is to deter Russian aggression and so if they're triggered now you lose the deterrent effect." In a separate CBS interview he was asked about UK government accusations that the Kremlin is plotting a coup in Ukraine, aimed at installing a new pro-Moscow leader. Despite Russia's denials slamming the charge as "dangerous" and "disinformation", Blinken agreed with the narrative being put out by Britain, calling the sensational allegations "part of the Russian playbook".

It still remains that as usual the mainstream media's hyping a looming war appears prematurely far out front in terms of the reality of where things really stand. On this point, Blinken said to CBS: "There is a path of diplomacy and dialogue, which is clearly the preferable one, the most responsible thing to do. There's also the path of Russian aggression and massive consequences for Russia if it engages in that aggression."

He added of last week's and the upcoming days of dialogue with Russia: "And so I tried to make clear both paths in my meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov in Geneva this week, and we'll see if we can advance the diplomacy."

But again, given that it's increasingly apparent that NATO is struggling to put together a unified front in response to Russia security demands, it's looking like Blinken will have no choice but to begin negotiating with the Kremlin while taking its position much more seriously…

Blinken is opting to stress the path of diplomacy more and more this weekend…

Without doubt the situation is still highly dangerous, and ripe to unravel in the instance of a single provocation or mishap along the Russia-Ukraine border. The longer that dialogue and negotiations stall, the more the door is open for both sides to tumble into a shooting war.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/blinken-says-too-early-russia-sanctions-hope-unified-nato-response-unravels

State Department Issues Level 4 Travel Warnings For Russia And Ukraine

The U.S. federal government on Sunday ordered diplomats’ families to evacuate the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid ongoing fears of Russian military action in the country.

The State Department also issued a “Level 4 – DO NOT TRAVEL” advisory for both Ukraine and Russia.

“U.S. citizens in Ukraine should be aware that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine would severely impact the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide consular services, including assistance to U.S. citizens in departing Ukraine,” the State Department said in the first travel advisory.

The Russia advisory said, “Do not travel to Russia due to ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens, the embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19 and related entry restrictions, terrorism, harassment by Russian government security officials, and the arbitrary enforcement of local law.”

“Due to Russia’s heightened military presence and ongoing military exercises along the border region with Ukraine,” the alert continued, “U.S. citizens located in or considering travel to the districts of the Russian Federation immediately bordering Ukraine should be aware that the situation along the border is unpredictable and there is heightened tension. Given the on-going volatility of the situation, U.S. citizens are strongly advised against traveling by land from Russia to Ukraine through this region. In addition, there is the potential throughout Russia of harassment towards foreigners, including through regulations targeted specifically against foreigners.”

https://breaking911.com/breaking-state-department-issues-level-4-travel-warnings-for-russia-and-ukraine/

>>15445973

Nice job with the catalog!

Former Arkansas Professor Pleads Guilty to Lying About China Patents

A former professor at the University of Arkansas pleaded guilty on Jan. 21 to one count of making a false statement to the FBI about patents for his inventions in China.

Simon Saw-Teong Ang, 64, of Fayetteville, had 24 patents filed in China under his name or Chinese birth name, listing him as one of the co-inventors, according to court documents (pdf).

Despite a university requirement to disclose all inventions and patents, the Malaysian-born former professor, who is an American citizen, didn’t disclose them. When questioned by the FBI whether his name would be listed as the inventor of numerous patents in China, he denied being the inventor.

“Yeah, I am not the inventor. I don’t even know what that is,” he told FBI special agent Jonathan Willett.

Under University of Arkansas policy, it would own all inventions created by those subject to the policy.

Separately, Ang also didn’t disclose to the university—on conflict of interest disclosure forms—that he had received numerous talent awards from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Department of Justice (DOJ) noted.

Ang entered a guilty plea to a single count in a superseding indictment, which charged him with making a materially false and fictitious statement and representation to an FBI special agent, the department announced.

His sentencing is expected in about four months. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. However, the plea agreement also states that if the court seeks to sentence Ang to less than a year and a day in federal prison, he’ll have the right to withdraw from the plea agreement.

Separately, Ang was arrested in May 2020 on wire fraud charges over his alleged ties to the Chinese regime. Ang, who had joined the University of Arkansas in 1998, was the director of the university’s High Density Electronics Center at the time of his arrest. He was suspended without pay shortly after his arrest and fired less than two months later.

The DOJ said at the time of his arrest that Ang concealed he had “received money and benefits from China and was closely associated with various companies based in China during the same time he was receiving grants from various United States Government agencies,” including NASA.

In July, he was indicted by a federal grand jury, and pleaded not guilty. He faces a total of 55 counts of wire fraud and two counts of passport fraud. A jury trial over these charges is scheduled to begin on Feb. 7.

https://www.ntd.com/former-arkansas-professor-pleads-guilty-to-lying-about-china-patents_731274.html

Spitzer used alias at hospital hours after allegedly choking Russian prostitute

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer used an alias at a Manhattan hospital while checking in on the escort he was accused of choking hours before in February of 2016.

Spitzer, 62, also named dropped then-Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to cops who were investigating the Plaza Hotel incident and claimed that blood found in the hotel room after Svetlana Travis-Zakharova slit her wrist was from her menstrual cycle, according to investigative documents that lawyers for The Post fought to have unsealed.

In the aftermath of the violent encounter, the then 25-year-old woman threatened she would “make it worse than 2008,” for Spitzer, when he resigned as governor after it was revealed he was patronizing another prostitute, according to a lengthy text message exchange between the disgraced Democrat and the purported former $5,000-a-night hooker.

The newly unearthed documents revealed new details on the incident that led Travis-Zakharova to accuse Spitzer of assault, a charge she later recanted. Spitzer claimed she was attempting to extort him.

On the afternoon of Feb. 13 2016, Spitzer met Travis-Zakharova “for a drink” in her $1,000-a night Plaza Hotel suite, according to a March 15, 2016 preliminary investigation worksheet filed by Sergeant Michael Giuffre.

The then-25-year-old told Spitzer she was flying back to Russia the next day and would live there permanently. Spitzer left the Midtown hotel an hour later, but called her 30 times over the next three hours, “threatening her and attempting to prevent her from returning to Russia,” the sergeant wrote.

https://nypost.com/2022/01/23/spitzer-used-alias-at-hospital-after-allegedly-choking-prostitute/

Developing: Joe Biden Weighs Deploying THOUSANDS of US Troops to Ukraine

Just what America needs — Another endless war, but this time led by a dementia patient.

The New York Times reports that Joe Biden is weighing deploying THOUSANDS of US troops to Ukraine.

Biden is also considering sending US warships and aircraft to NATO allies.

The US State Department on Sunday evening also issued a level 4 travel advisory and ordered Americans in Kyiv to leave Ukraine due to imminent war.

The US State Department added: There are reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine. The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice.

The New York Times reported:

President Biden is considering deploying several thousand U.S. troops, as well as warships and aircraft, to NATO allies in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, an expansion of American military involvement amid mounting fears of a Russian incursion into Ukraine, according to administration officials.

The move would signal a major pivot for the Biden administration, which up until recently was taking a restrained stance on Ukraine, out of fear of provoking Russia into invading. But as President Vladimir V. Putin has ramped up his threatening actions toward Ukraine, and talks between American and Russian officials have failed to discourage him, the administration is now moving away from its do-not-provoke strategy.

In a meeting on Saturday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, senior Pentagon officials presented Mr. Biden with several options that would shift American military assets much closer to Mr. Putin’s doorstep, the administration officials said. The options include sending 1,000 to 5,000 troops to Eastern European countries, with the potential to increase that number tenfold if things deteriorate.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/developing-joe-biden-weighs-deploying-thousands-us-troops-ukraine/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/developing-joe-biden-weighs-deploying-thousands-us-troops-ukraine/