17 May, 2022 12:28

HomeWorld News

Conservative superstar psychologist quits Twitter

Jordan Peterson has abandoned his Twitter account with 2.7 million followers

After criticizing the incentive structure of the social media site and accusing it of being “dangerously insane,” famed Canadian psychologist and public intellectual Jordan Peterson announced on Tuesday that he is leaving his Twitter account and its 2.7 million followers behind. He has also committed to writing an article on the mechanisms of Twitter’s pernicious influence on its users.

Peterson says his previous experience of abstaining from Twitter for three weeks allowed him to read and write more. “It was a genuine relief,” he wrote. But as soon as he returned to Twitter, he said, his life instantly became worse.

“The endless flood of vicious insult is really not something that can be experienced anywhere else,” he wrote in one of his last posts, adding that “the incentive structure of the platform makes it intrinsically and dangerously insane.”

While expressing sadness over the decision, some of Peterson’s followers supported the move, agreeing with his criticism of social media. Others ridiculed him, saying he didn’t stop posting on Twitter after promising to quit.

Jordan Peterson is the author of the bestselling book ‘12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos’. A strong opponent of political correctness and identity politics who has gained widespread popularity among conservatives, he is also known for his controversial stance on gender identity and refusal to use certain gender pronouns. Peterson has 5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

https://www.rt.com/news/555620-peterson-psychologist-quits-twitter/

16 May, 2022 12:44

Senator reveals when US could approve NATO bids

Washington intends to decide on Sweden and Finland’s applications “as rapidly as possible,” Republican minority leader vows

(They all look like evil vampires of death)

Sweden and Finland’s applications to become members of the US-led NATO military bloc could be ratified by Washington by the summer, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has said during his tour of the two Nordic nations.

McConnell and a group of fellow Republican lawmakers Susan Collins, John Barrasso and John Cornynlanded in Northern Europe on Sunday – the day when Stockholm and Helsinki officially announced that they’ll be looking to join NATO.

Following talks with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Stockholm, Senator McConnell insisted that the US was hoping to approve Sweden’s application “before August.”

According to him, other NATO countries could ratify it even faster than the American lawmakers.

The inclusion of a new nation into the alliance requires consensus from all members states. The bloc currently consists of the US, Canada and 28 European countries.

On Monday, the Republican party delegation traveled to neighboring Finland where McConnel had a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, making similar promises that he made in Sweden.

After the talks, the Senator pointed out that “the goal in the US will be to approve that [Finland’s membership of NATO] as rapidly as possible.”

When asked to be more specific by journalists, he clarified that “we hope to do it before the August recess, when Congress typically goes out of session, obviously that would be well before the fall election.”

There is strong “bipartisan support” for Finnish membership in NATO among US lawmakers, McConnel said, suggesting that a vote in favor of it “will be very significant, not unanimous.”

Collins also welcomed Stockholm’s and Helsinki’s aspirations to join NATO, saying that those countries would significantly strengthen the bloc through their capable militaries, advanced technologies, and knowledge of Russia.

Sweden and Finland stayed out of the US-led bloc during the Cold War, but their governments now claim that Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has made them rethink their stance.

Moscow has warned that the inclusion of the two Nordic nations into NATO would be a mistake that would further increase tensions in the region, pledging to take appropriate countermeasures if it occurs.

https://www.rt.com/news/555555-nato-sweden-finland-mcconnell/

17 May, 2022 13:07

HomeBusiness News

Russian assets seizure will have brutal global impact – analysts

Such action could undermine trust in the international economic system

The potential confiscation of Russian assets abroad could lead to the collapse of the international system of political economy, Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing analysts.

An outright seizure of Moscow’s wealth would be viewed as crossing a political Rubicon, according to Simon Hinrichsen, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, as quoted by the media.

“It would essentially be an action that does away with the international political economy system we have set up over [recent] decades,”the economist said.

Earlier in the day, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner told the business daily Handelsblatt that he was open to the idea of seizing Russian state assets to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine. Linder also called for assessing the legal possibilities for seizing the foreign assets of the Russian Central Bank.

While the idea of seizing the assets was “seductive,” it was also “unnecessary and unwise,” Nicolas Veron and Joshua Kirschenbaum said in a blog post published on Monday by the Bruegel think tank.

“Credibly standing for a rules-based order is worth more than the billions that would be gained from appropriating Russia’s money,”the authors said.

“Countries place their reserves in other countries trusting they will not be expropriated in situations short of being at war with each other.”

Last month, US President Joe Biden asked Congress to grant him the authority to seize the assets of wealthy individuals believed to have links to the Kremlin and use them to help Ukraine.

Earlier this week, theUkrainian authorities adopted legislation allowing confiscation of property of those who support Russia. The new law expands the scope of the previous rules that allowed Kiev to seize assets belonging to Russian citizens, persons with close ties to Russia and companies that operate in Ukraine and in which Russia is the beneficiary.

https://www.rt.com/business/555611-russia-assets-frozen-financial-system-crash/

17 May, 2022 12:35

HomeBusiness News

Major EU economy hit with surging energy costs

Prices for imported energy in Italy have soared more than 70% year-on-year

(All for a shithole country, Ukraine, its not worth starving and killing countries for this International Crime Syndicate)

The price of imported energy in Italy rose in March by 72.5% on a yearly basis, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reported on Tuesday. Data showed that the increase in energy prices accelerated by 5.6% compared to February.

Italy, which relies heavily on Russia for its energy needs, has seen its growth outlook deteriorate sharply since the introduction of Western sanctions against Moscow.

The economy contracted by 0.2% in the first quarter from the previous three months. The government expects much lower growth this year amid rising inflation and supply bottlenecks.

Earlier this month, the country unveiled a hefty package of measures aimed at shielding firms and families from surging energy costs. It also includes measures aimed at overcoming Italy’s reliance on Russian gas by mid-2024 and extending the life of four coal fired power plants for up to two years and accelerating the roll-out of renewable power sources.

ISTAT data also showed that Italian exports to Russia decreased by 50.9% compared to March 2021.

https://www.rt.com/business/555619-eu-energy-costs-rising/

16 May, 2022 14:25

HomeBusiness News

EU issues dire economic forecast

(All for shithole country, Ukraine)

Brussels says inflation is expected to surge above 6% in both the European Union and eurozone this year

The European Union on Monday slashed its forecasts for economic growth in the 27-nation bloc amid the sanctions imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine and disruptions to energy supplies.

According to the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission (EC), real GDP growth in both the EU and the euro area will be 2.7% in 2022, down from a 4% forecast three months ago.

Growth is expected to slow to 2.3% next year, down from a previous forecast of 2.8% in the EU (and 2.7% in the euro area).

“The outlook for the EU economy before the outbreak of the war was for a prolonged and robust expansion,” said the report, adding that “the war is exacerbating pre-existing headwinds to growth, which were previously expected to subside.”

With energy prices having soared this year, inflation is expected to average 6.1% in 2022, and peak at 6.9% in the current quarter, the EC said. Inflation hit 7.5% in April, the highest rate in the history of the monetary union.

That’s a “considerable upward revision compared to the Winter 2022 interim Forecast”of 3.5% inflation, the outlook said. Inflation is then projected to fall to 2.7% in 2023, still higher than the European Central Bank’s 2% target.

The commission noted that “The main hit to the global and EU economies comes through energy commodity prices. Although they had already increased substantially before the war, from the low levels recorded during the pandemic, uncertainty about supply chains has pressured prices upwards, while increasing their volatility.”

The report also said that while inflationary pressures intensify, global GDP is now expected to expand by 3.2% in 2022, down from the previously projected 5.7%. US GDP growth projection for this year was also trimmed to 2.9%, with inflation set to move up to 7.3% before retreating to 3.1% in 2023.

https://www.rt.com/business/555549-eu-issues-dire-economic-forecast/

16 May, 2022 15:33

HomeWorld News

Soaring cost of living forces Poles to change lifestyles

With inflation surging beyond 12%, many Poles are keeping expenses to a minimum to get through each month, a survey shows

Poland’s cost of living crisis is forcing people to cut back on restaurants and driving, with 36% keeping expenses to a minimum to make it through each month, a new survey has revealed.

According to a poll conducted by ARC Rynek i Opinia, 38% of respondents who could previously afford “luxuries” have given up on them. A researcher for the polling group, Dr. Adam Czarnecki, said people are “limiting consumption,” piling pressure on the economy at a time of “stagflation” – i.e. high inflation accompanied by subdued economic output.

The survey also found that 38% of Poles are saving far less than before and spending more due to the price hikes, with 13% saying they are no longer able to save anything.

“More than 1/3 of Poles (36%) admit that they had to limit their daily expenses in order to have enough money for the entire month, and every fourth (24%) admits that due to higher prices they cannot afford basic expenses,” the report said.

In addition, 35 percent of Polish car users say they’re cutting back on driving due to rising fuel costs.

The study found that people are taking a cautious approach to financial risk: 18% of Poles have decided not to go ahead with a planned loan and 26% hope to repay existing ones as soon as possible, due to concerns over a future hike in interest rates.

“Every fifth Pole (21%) admits opting to buy something rather than keeping money in an account, because its value decreases,” the report says.

Dr. Czarnecki described it as a “very dynamic situation in the area of​​ personal finance, in which consumers may feel insecure.”

The online survey was carried out from 4 to 11 May, with respondents aged 18-65.

Poland’s inflation in April hit 12.4% compared to the same month last year

According to a Statistics Poland report released on May 13, housing prices have risen by 17%, food by 13.2% and transport by more than 21%. Restaurants and hotels have hiked prices by more than 14%.

Compared to March this year, food costs have increased by 4.4%.

Aside from struggling with the global cost of living crisis, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine,Poland is also a primary destination for Ukrainian refugees. According to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, almost 3.4 million Ukranians have crossed into Poland since the start of the conflict.

https://www.rt.com/news/555575-poland-prices-survey-savings/

16 May, 2022 15:08

HomeRussia & Former Soviet Union

Russia responds to US intelligence reported recruiting attempts

American special services attempts at luring Russian diplomats is unacceptable, Kremlin says

Moscow has issued a harsh response to reported attempts by US intelligence agencies to recruit Russian citizens, including diplomatic staff, saying it is unacceptable and shameless behavior.

Speaking during a conference call on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow is aware of the reports of such actions and shares the concerns of Russia’s Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov, who reported these attempts in the first place.

“There is such information in the Kremlin. We share the concern of the head of our US diplomatic mission. The very impudent behavior of representatives of the American intelligence services in relation to our citizens and employees of our foreign agencies, we consider this unacceptable,” said Peskov.

On Sunday, Antonov stated that employees of Russia’s diplomatic mission in the US were constantly being threatened with physical violence and compared the Russian embassy in the US to a besieged castle.

“Every day our diplomatic mission faces anti-Russian protests, and there are occasional hooligan antics and acts of vandalism. The embassy staff are receiving threats, including those of physical violence,” said Antonov during a Russian talk show appearance.

He also claimed that American intelligence agencies were trying to encourage Russian diplomats to commit treason, saying that representatives of these agencies were “flaunting around the Russian embassy” and handing out the phone numbers of the FBI and the CIA, where the diplomats are asked to call to establish cooperation. Antonov also said that embassy workers were receiving targeted text messages on their mobile phones with the agencies’ contact information and “invitations to respond to these appeals.”

Commenting on the “total hybrid war” that the collective West has launched against Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Saturday that Western countries were unable to find traitors among Russia’s diplomats despite such attempts being made both inside Russia and abroad.

Lavrov also noted that Russian diplomats continue to faithfully carry out their duties, despite the difficult foreign political situation in the world, which he claimed was worse than during the Cold War.

“The [anti-Russian] campaign has not bypassed our diplomats either, they often have to work in extreme conditions, sometimes at risk to health and life, buteven in the darkest years of the Cold War, we don’t remember such a massive simultaneous expulsion of diplomats,” the foreign minister said, adding that such actions are completely destroying the general atmosphere of Russia’s relations with the West.

Moscow has been hit by multiple waves of Western sanctions since the conflict with Ukraine broke out in late February.

https://www.rt.com/news/555574-russia-us-intelligence-agency-diplomats/

16 May, 2022 13:30

HomeRussia & FSU

Russian exclave dismisses renaming call from Poland

A proposal to rename and demilitarize Russia’s Kaliningrad region was ridiculed by its governor

The governor of Kaliningrad has ridiculed a proposal from a former Polish defence minister to rename and demilitarise the Russian exclave.

Governor Anton Alikhanov told local media that the suggestion from Romuald Szeremietiew showed that the Polish official has no understanding of geopolitics, and accused him of competing in Russophobia with Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

“They are expanding NATO, but it’s us who are supposed to demilitarize? I believe there is something wrong with the way Poles think,”Alikhanov said. (Kekkity, he’s right you know)

Szeremietiew, a conservative politician who briefly served as defense minister in the 1990s and later as a member of parliament, earlier gave an interview to Polish media, discussing Finland and Sweden’s bids to join NATO and Russia’s reaction, and also the future of Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave that shares a border with Poland.

“We must ask that Kaliningrad was no longer named after the criminal Kalinin, who is co-responsible for the Katyn massacre,” he said.

The Katyn massacre was the mass execution of some 22,000 Poles, most of them military officers captured by Soviet forces in Poland in 1939, on the orders of Joseph Stalin. The city of Kaliningrad and the region around it are named after Soviet official Mikhail Kalinin, who held several senior posts in the Bolshevik and Soviet governments. He was a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party, the executive body that in March 1940 gave the order to kill the Polish prisoners. Many Soviet documents detailing the atrocity were declassified long after the USSR collapsed.

In addition to renaming Kaliningrad, Szeremietiew also wants the Russian military to be disarmed there. The region is located on the Baltic coast between NATO members Poland and Lithuania, has no land link to mainland Russia, and serves as a key military stronghold for the country.

“This region must be demilitarized, because NATO cannot sit on a powder keg placed between its legs,” the Polish politician argued.

Szeremietiew welcomed the planned expansion of NATO into Sweden and Poland, saying it will strengthen the bloc – and by extension Poland – and turn the Baltic Sea into a “NATO Sea”. He predicted that Russia’s reaction to it would be limited to “howling” and threatening NATO allies with nuclear weapons, and that Ukraine would soon defeat Russian troops attacking the country, which would then result in the collapse and disintegration of Russia.

In response, Governor Alikhanov suggested that Szeremietiew was in a Russiophobia competition with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, an outspoken critic of Moscow. The premier argued in a recent opinion piece that Moscow was trying to destroy the West and should be treated the same way Nazi Germany was after its defeat in World War II.

Russia considers NATO a hostile military organization serving the interest of the US. It has warned it will respond to the expected accession of Sweden and Finland by adjusting its military posture. Kaliningrad hosts significant Russian forces, with surface-to-surface tactical missiles in range of southern Sweden.

https://www.rt.com/russia/555556-kaliningrad-renaiming-demilitarization-idea/

17 May, 2022 11:40

US announces steps to combat shortage of baby formula

The temporary move to allow imports will put more formula on store shelves in a few weeks, officials say

The US will temporarily allow imports of baby formula from foreign producersin an effort to ease the effects of the ongoing nationwide shortage, which has been putting pressure on American families.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the decision on Monday, adding that the new products will have to be in line with US safety and nutrition regulations, which are provided by the FDA, but noted that the review process would be streamlined to make it easier for foreign manufacturers to begin shipping formula to the US.

“We are hopeful this call to the global market will be answered and that international businesses will rise to the occasion to assist in bolstering the supply of products,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed the move in a press briefing on Monday, adding that the administration was also working on providing transportation and logistical support to major formula manufacturers and retailers.

“We are also in ongoing communications, as we talk about retailers here as well, with Target and Amazon and Walmart and other leading retailers for baby formula to identify parts of the country that may be at risk of critically low supply of infant formula, and have offered to work with manufacturers and retailers to bring more formula to those parts of the country, including the U.S. government transportation and logistical support,” Jean-Pierre said.

The US has been faced with a nationwide shortage of baby formula since February, after already existing supply chain issues stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic were exacerbated by a major product recall by one of the country’s main formula manufacturers, Abbott Laboratories.

The FDA had been investigating the manufacturer after it received reports of four infants allegedly falling ill from Abbott’s products. The investigation reportedly found evidence of bacterial contamination at the site of Abbott’s largest production facility in Sturgis, Michigan, and subsequently ordered the plant to suspend operations pending investigation.

On Monday, the US Department of Justice announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with Abbott to resolve safety issues at the plant, and that upon updating its safety protocols, the facility will be able to resume production in as soon as two weeks, as long as it receives approval from the FDA.

However, neither the import of foreign formulas nor the re-launch of Abbott’s Sturgis facility are expected to have an immediate effect on the limited supplies that continue to put pressure on American families. Even if the FDA gives the green light for Abbott to restart domestic production of formula in two weeks,it would still take an additional 8 to 10 weeks for the products to hit store shelves, Abbott Laboratories has said.

And while baby formulas produced in Canada and Europe are mostly equivalent to those in the US, companies looking to enter the US market still face a number of major hurdles, including extensive research and manufacturing standards inspections imposed by the FDA, which could mean that the integration process of these products into US supply chains will take up to several months, according to experts.

https://www.rt.com/news/555614-us-baby-formula-import/

17 May, 2022 08:13

Bezos and White House trade jibes over inflation

Amazon founder has been angered by Joe Biden’s demand for corporations to pay more tax

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has blamed the Biden administration for trying to mislead the US public on inflation, arguing that increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy won’t reduce consumer costs.

The war of the words broke out over the weekend when Joe Biden tweeted that making sure that “the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share” was the way to defeat soaring inflation in America, which stood at 8.3% in April, a level unseen in almost 40 years.

Bezos suggested on Saturday that the president’s tweet should have been reviewed by the Disinformation Governance Board, which was recently created by the US government.

“Raising corp taxes is fine to discuss. Taming inflation is critical to discuss. Mushing them together is just misdirection,” he wrote.

The entrepreneur later expressed belief that the actual reason for inflation was the stimulus policies of the White House, which saw money being injected “into an already over-heated, inflationary economy.” Last year, the Biden administration approved a $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan with the aim of helping the country recover after the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Monday, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to Bezos in a statement, saying that “it doesn’t require a huge leap to figure out why one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth opposes an economic agenda for the middle class that cuts some of the biggest costs families face, fights inflation for the long haul, and adds to the historic deficit reduction the president is achieving by asking the richest taxpayers and corporations to pay their fair share.”

Bates also said that it was “unsurprising that this tweet comes after the President met with labor organizers, including Amazon employees.”

Some Amazon employees have recently unionized despite opposition from the company, and Biden, who described himself as the “most pro-union president” ever, has been supportive of those actions.

Bezos fired back at the White House on Tuesday, rejecting the claims made in the Bates statement.

“They understandably want to muddy the topic. They know inflation hurts the neediest the most. But unions aren’t causing inflation and neither are wealthy people,” he wrote.

https://www.rt.com/news/555597-bezos-biden-amazon-inflation/

16 May, 2022 20:51

US Republicans accused of ‘enabling’ racism by ex-chair

Liz Cheney and ally Rep.Adam Kinzinger condemned current GOP leaders, provoking outrage

The aftermath of Saturday’s mass shooting in Buffalo, New York has widened the gulf between supporters and detractors of former US President Donald Trump and his brand of populism within the Republican party, with ousted chairwoman Liz Cheney launching a new volley on Monday. She accused the current leadership of “enabling” racist ideologies.

“The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism,” she tweeted, adding that the GOP leadership must “renounce and reject these views and those who hold them” because “history has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse.”

“Great Replacement Theory” was trending on Twitter on Monday as users across the political spectrum debated whether conservative voices like Tucker Carlson and the Daily Wire could be blamed for encouraging or inciting the gunman, 18-year old Payton Gendron, to violence. A 180-page manifesto he purportedly authored has come under intense media scrutiny in the aftermath of the massacre. The document outlines the so-called “Great Replacement Theory” of white demographic displacement, which is central to alt-right discourse.

“Here is my replacement theory,”Representative Adam Kinzinger from Illinois opined, saying his fellow Republicans should “replace” current chairwoman, Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, and others because “the replacement theory they are pushing/tolerating is getting people killed.”Kinzinger and Cheney are the sole Republicans on the January 6 Committee.

Stefanik’s office decried the “sickening and false reporting” in a statement released on Monday. Senior advisor Alex deGrasse called attempts to blame Stefanik for the Buffalo shooting “a new disgusting low for the Left, their Never Trump allies and the sycophantic stenographers in the media.” He claimed Stefanik had “never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement.”

The mass shooting occurred early on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo, New York. A white gunman, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, entered a local supermarket with a rifle while wearing military-style gear. He killed 10 people, most of whom were black. He is charged with murder and could face life in prison without parole if convicted under New York State laws. Federal agencies are assisting in the investigation, which is being probed as a potential hate crime and domestic terrorist incident.

https://www.rt.com/news/555589-liz-cheney-buffalo-replacement/

https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1526349870331838464?s=20&t=iFgtMDh3XAObHxGbIz1tAw

>>16291428

Russia said there were over 2,000 down there, they only removed like 600, why does the article say all surrendered?

>>16291450

Its only the first stage, lets see if Ukraine backs out of having all of them surrender.

16 May, 2022 23:01

Ukraine orders Azovstal fighters to surrender

The units have “completed the assigned combat mission,” Kiev claims

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed via its social media networks on Tuesday evening that its servicemen holed up at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol have been ordered to surrender.

“The garrison ‘Mariupol’ has completed the assigned combat mission. The highest military command issued an order to the commanders of the units located at Azovstal to save the lives of the personnel,” the Ukrainian military statement explained. According to Kiev, while holding positions at Azovstal, its soldiers prevented Russian troops from operating in other theaters.

The two countries have been embroiled in a full-blown conflict since February, when Moscow attacked the neighboring state, following an eight-year standoff over the fate of the Donbass.

Kiev insisted that the Azov neo-Nazis and members of its regular forces had “prevented the implementation of the [alleged Russian] plan for the quick capture of [nearby] Zaporozhye, and did not allow access to the administrative border of the Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions.”

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that work on their return will require “delicacy and time.”

“Thanks to the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, intelligence, as well as the negotiating group, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN, we have hope that we will be able to save the lives of our guys. I want to emphasize that Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive. This is our principle. I think that every adequate person will understand these words. To bring our military back home, the work continues, and this work requires delicacy and time,” he stated.

A large portion of them are members of the neo-Nazi Azov Regiment. The military uniforms of the group feature Nazi insignia and its members have been photographed with tattoos of symbols such as the swastika. Its first commander, Andrey Biletsky, has said he believes it’s Ukraine’s mission to “lead the white races of the world in a final crusade… against Semite-led Untermenschen [inferior humans].”

The first stage of surrender was completed on Monday – 264 soldiers left Azovstal. There are now 53 wounded servicemen in a hospital in Novoazovsk and 211 soldiers in Yelenovka, both of which are part of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

=•Russian sources have estimated that about 2,200 people== have been trapped in the basements of the huge Azovstal complex. The site is 11 square kilometers long and its subterranean sections are designed to withstand a nuclear attack.

According to the deputy minister of defense of Ukraine, Anna Malyar, and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, those who surrender will be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war taken captive by Kiev. However, the terms of the exchange have not yet been decided.

Moscow has not yet made any public statements about an exchange. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side has tried to avoid the use of the expression ‘surrender’.

After the last Ukrainian soldier leaves Azovstal, the battle for Mariupol will be effectively over and Russia will have gained total control of the strategically vital city.

https://www.rt.com/russia/555591-azovstal-captives-surrender-ukraine/

17 MAY, 07:48

Russia withdraws from Council of Baltic Sea States — Foreign Ministry statement

The Ministry noted that Western states have "monopolized the Council in their own conjunctural goals," and no perspectives are seen for restoration of normal operation of the Council, "sinking ever into Russophobia and lies"

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Russia made an official decision to withdraw from the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Russian Foreign Ministry announced in its statement Tuesday.

"In response to hostile actions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent a message to envoys of CBSS member states, EU High Representative [Josep Borrell], as well as to the Council Secretariat in Stockholm, notifying them about [Russia’s] withdrawal from the organization. Simultaneously, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation decided to withdraw from the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference," the statement reads.

The Ministry underscored that this decision will not affect Russia’s presence in the region.

"Attempts to push our country away from the Baltic are doomed to fail. We will continue working with responsible partners, hold event on key issues of development of the Baltic Region - our common heritage, we will continue to protect interests of our compatriots," the Ministry added. "The current situation in the council is on the conscience of those who destroyed the foundations of this organization."

"The situation in the Council of the Baltic Sea States is degrading. NATO and EU states within the Council rejected the equal dialogue and the principles that this Baltic regional structure was created upon, and they gradually turn the council into an instrument of anti-Russian politics," the Ministry said. ""Illegal and discriminatory decisions are being made in violation of the rule of consensus.Russia has been ‘barred’ from participation and from projects of the Council, while Belarus has been ‘suspended’ as an observer."

The Ministry also noted that Western states have "monopolized the Council in their own conjunctural goals," and no perspectives are seen for restoration of normal operation of the Council, "sinking ever into Russophobia and lies."

"We consider further presence of our country in the council pointless and counterproductive. Russia will not participate in turning the organization in another platform for sabotage activities and ‘western vanity’," the Ministry stated.

https://tass.com/politics/1452051

17 MAY, 09:50

West downplayed importance of traditional energy for internal political reasons — Putin

The Russian leader noted that Western politicians speculated on people's natural concern about climate issues

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Western politicians speculated on people's natural concern about climate issues, downplaying the importance of traditional energy and overestimating the role of alternative energy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the development of the oil industry on Tuesday.

"In fact, the so-called political class in the West began to speculate on the absolutely natural concern of many people on the planet with climate issues. It is quite obvious that, for domestic political reasons, they began to overestimate the possibilities of alternative energy and underestimate the importance of traditional energy, all its sources, including hydrocarbons," he said.

Putin stressed that this constant abuse "was of a very specific nature."

"You know this better than anyone else: they [the Western authorities] limited bank financing. They filed all sorts of far-fetched lawsuits against companies and company management and as far as I know, they are still doing it," he explained.

Putin recalled that Western countries do not allocate plots of land necessary for new projects, limit opportunities for the development of transport, create problems in freight and other areas that are necessary to ensure investment in the industry "timely and in the right amount."

"Today all this is the main, basic component of the problems emerging in the global energy industry and, above all, of course, in hydrocarbons," the head of the Russian state said.

https://tass.com/economy/1452167

17 MAY, 06:04

Kiev essentially quit negotiations with Moscow, says Russian deputy foreign minister

Kiev failed to provide an answer to the draft treaty Russia had proposed, Andrey Rudenko specified

NIZHNI NOVGOROD, May 17. /TASS/. No negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are being conducted at the moment. In fact, Kiev has quit the talks, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said on the sidelines of the 2nd Central Asian conference of the international discussion club Valdai.

"The talks are not continuing. Ukraine has in fact quit the process of negotiations," he said in reply to a TASS question.

He added that Kiev had failed to provide an answer to the draft treaty Russia had proposed.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto said that Moscow-Kiev negotiations had been paused as "theUkrainian side displayed no interest in a constructive dialogue".

https://tass.com/world/1451943

Izvestia: Who will get McDonald's assets in Russia

A large Russian restaurant holding may buy McDonald's, which will close the deal with the help of a bank and the state, Izvestia's market source said. On May 16, it was reported that the US-based fast food chain is selling its business in the country. The new owner will rebrand, but will keep the menu close to the previous one. However, the new owner may have difficulties with rent, since it may be raised, which may lead to growing price of meals, experts believe.

After more than 30 years in the country, the fast food restaurant chain has decided to sell its business in Russia, and the process has already begun, McDonald's said on May 16. The new owner will not have the right to use the logo, name, trademark, or traditional names from the menu.

The company’s intellectual property is protected, and if local buyers do not violate the agreement, they will have to make changes to the company: change the menu, the names of meals, their recipes, and so on, Restcon CEO Elena Perepelitsa told the newspaper.

A restaurant market source told Izvestia that equipment, technologies and contracts with food suppliers will be transferred to the new owner. The new brand will be as similar as possible to McDonald's, and the names of the dishes will be close to the usual menu items of the chain, the source believes.

"The question is what is being sold, since McDonald's does not want to leave either the brand or recipes. It seems like real estate and infrastructure are being sold, so the price can have a big discount," a source from a consulting company told Izvestia.

Another source suggested that the buyer may be a large Russian restaurant holding, which will close the deal with the help of the bank and the state.

However, Perepelitsa did not rule out that as soon as Russia is freed from sanctions that hinder McDonald's production process, the company will be able to return to the country. Presumably, this will happen in 5-10 years, she believes.

https://tass.com/pressreview/1451793

>>16291111

So is everything a distraction to get the world’s attention off all of the failings of our congress

They are useless, but want to pump more fear into the psyche

>>16291210

What is this?

>>16291219

Polabd supportz the war and has akwayz wanted to claim Ukraine territory. They dont care who dies or starve as long as they can get what they want, even their own people

>>16291258

Here you go anon.

Bio-military experiments in Pit 404 – A secret NATO biological laboratory 30 meters deep under the Azovstal in Mariupol

April 14, 2022

On April. 4th wrote Pepe Escobar on Twitter:

MARIUPOL—1/3 —THIS is going to be THE explosive story of the whole 404 saga, not the Bucha false flag. Yes, there’s an array of NATO honchos still holed up with the Azov neo-Nazis in the bowels of Azovstal. Yet the key is what was going on in this underground 8 floors down.

MARIUPOL 2/3 Civilian prisoners of the “Biblioteka” at Mariupol airport said they were constantly threatened to be sent to a pit – from which they would never return. The “pit” may have been a NATO-run underground bio-lab at Azovstal. Azovstal owner Akhmetov is freaking out.

MARIUPOL 3/3 Bio-military experiments in 404 were carried by Akhmetov’s company Metabiota. The Russian Investigative Committee is frantically collecting evidence for a REAL, upcoming Nuremberg Trials-2. So the real story of the "sinister pit” will emerge soon.

On April. 10th gave an anonymous user on 4chan.org more information about Pit 404 and about what is going on in Mariupol:

Under the Azovstal industrial zone, owned by oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, there are 24 km of tunnels at a depth of up to 30 meters.

>There is also a secret NATO facility—PIT-404 – and a secret NATO biological laboratory with biological weapons. At the PIT-404 facility, NATO officers are blocked. The tunnels are equipped with a bunker system with armor protection…

https://www.greanvillepost.com/2022/04/14/bio-military-experiments-in-pit-404-a-secret-nato-biological-laboratory-30-meters-deep-under-the-azovstal-in-mariupol/

>>16291806

This is why I know Zelensky will never order all the fighters or people down there to surrender. He doesnt have the power to order them out.

Pit 404

Rinat Akhmetov: Part of the festering scum in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, fostered by the West. Reputed to be the richest man in Ukraine or among the top 5.

There are about 240 foreigners inside, including officers of NATO and the French Foreign Legion, as well as biolab staff. Their security, funded by Akhmetov, has up to 3,000 people.

The biolab under the Azovstal plant in Mariupol at the so-called PIT-404 facility was built and operated by Metabiota, a company associated with Hunter Biden, Rinat Akhmetov and Vladimir Zelensky.

In the laboratories of this facility, tests were conducted to create bioweapons. Thousands of Mariupol residents have become “guinea pigs” in these terrible trials. And mostly Western “specialists” took part in these inhuman experiments.

Some French intelligence officers died during the rescue operation. The head of French intelligence, Eric Vido, was dismissed on March 31, 2022 for the failures of French intelligence in the war in Ukraine.

Officers from the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Poland and Greece are now blocked in the dungeons of Azovstal. American Lieutenant General Roger Clothier, captured by the People’s Militia of the DPR the other day from a downed helicopter, was tracked by the GRU of the General Staff and the SVR of Russia in Mariupol based on the results of external surveillance of his mistress in Turkey in Izmir.

A citizen of Ukraine, known to intelligence as Klute, always accompanied the general as a traveling wife, confidant and translator. As soon as it was reported that this lady had arrived in Mariupol, Russia launched a military operation and blocked the city.

https://www.greanvillepost.com/2022/04/14/bio-military-experiments-in-pit-404-a-secret-nato-biological-laboratory-30-meters-deep-under-the-azovstal-in-mariupol/