February 26, 2022

Sheila E. w/ Prince - A Love Bizarre (12" LP Version) [HD]

Label: Paisley Park – PRO-A-2387
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Minneapolis Sound

February 26, 2022

The impact of throwing Russia out of Swift

The messaging network has become the embodiment of the “weaponisation of finance”

https://www.ft.com/content/7a6613c7-f2f0-4111-aaca-88867c9b8a0a



Vladimir Putin’s declaration of war on Ukraine has revived calls to kick Russia out of Swift. The measure is seen as among the most severe that the US, EU and UK could take.

Denying Russian banks access to Swift is far from a given. It would, for instance, undermine Europe’s capacity to pay for Russian oil and gas, perhaps raising energy prices in the process. Imposing a ban would also require strong consensus. At present, it’s only the UK that really wants it and some EU members remain set against it.

As we on FT Alphaville are not geopolitical experts, we really can’t tell you what the final call will be.

But we do know a little about the plumbing that lies behind international payments. And given the pace of change seen over the past week, we thought it worth trying to explain now why getting booted out would be so painful to Moscow.

So, what is Swift?...............

snip

February 26, 2022

Germany Approves Weapons Transfer To Ukraine In Reversal Of Longtime Stance On Lethal Military Aid

https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/26/germany-reportedly-approves-weapons-transfer-to-ukraine-in-reversal-of-longtime-stance-on-lethal-military-aid/?sh=6c611a167525

Germany approved a transfer of lethal weapons to Ukraine on Saturday to aid the country’s embattled military against the Russian invasion, the German Defense Ministry told Reuters, marking a significant shift in Germany’s longstanding policy of not allowing German-made lethal weapons to be sent to conflict zones.



Germany authorized the Netherlands to send 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers to Ukraine, Reuters reports. The move, which was first reported by Politico, comes amid pressure from other E.U. and NATO allies who are sending guns, ammunition and other military aid to bolster Ukraine’s defenses as Russian forces close in on major Ukrainian cities.

In recent weeks and as recently as Friday, German officials defended the country’s policy preventing the transfer of lethal weapons, which was aimed at finding other ways to secure peace across the continent.

The shift could lead to an increase in weapons transfers to Ukraine, as many of Europe’s weapons are in-part manufactured by Germany, giving the country legal control over transfers to third parties, Politico reports.

snip

February 26, 2022

The Russian army has deployed the TOS-1 heavy flamethrower which shoots thermobaric rockets,

this was South of Belgorod.

https://twitter.com/fpleitgenCNN/status/1497519335350452231

TOS-1A (Solntsepyok) ⚔️ Russian Heavy Flamethrower MLRS [Review]

February 26, 2022

❗️#Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also confirmed that #Hungary is ready to support all

sanctions against #Russia. He spoke about this with Viktor Orban.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1497548208184053762

Mateusz Morawiecki
@MorawieckiM
Prezes Rady Ministrów 🇵🇱premier.gov.pl

Today I spoke again with the Prime Minister of Hungary, V. Orbán. And he once again assured me of his support for far-reaching sanctions against Russia. Including about blocking the SWIFT system.

February 26, 2022

Finland, Sweden to receive enhanced access to NATO intel over Ukraine

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine extends Moscow’s military power to the borders of several NATO members, NATO partners Finland and Sweden can be part of an intensified exchange of information and NATO’s strategic communication.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/finland-sweden-to-receive-enhanced-access-to-nato-intel-over-ukraine/

“Sweden and Finland may, if they so wish on a case-by-case basis, participate in enhanced contacts with NATO, enhanced information exchange and coordination, information on operations and strategic communications,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö confirmed to reporters after a virtual NATO summit on Friday (26 February). NATO partners Finland, Sweden and the EU were also invited to participate.

“It is not in itself something revolutionary, but it should be noted that all countries see this as the right arrangement,” Niinistö said, adding this would not equal the possibility of Finland joining NATO. In practice, this means that the two countries could participate in enhanced intelligence-sharing and strategic communications on a case-by-case basis.

Based on the arrangement, Finland could, for example, request confidential information from NATO or vice versa, while the respective holder of the information would decide whether to provide the information. According to diplomatic sources, NATO leaders on Friday discussed the special role of both since “they need to be fully informed because of their strategic position for Russia”.

Finland and Sweden are two of six countries known as ‘enhanced partners’, largely due to their contributions to NATO operations. As such, they have options when it comes to cooperation. In recent months, NATO has stepped up cooperation focusing on security in the Baltic Sea region, which includes political consultations, exchanges of information on hybrid warfare, and joint exercises.

snip


these are some of the military/defence groups we (Sweden, plus Finland) are in

There seems to be a vast misunderstanding here by some who think Finland and Sweden are all alone, twisting in the wind, simply because we are not full NATO members. I can assure all that that is not the case, AND we both cooperate deeply with NATO already.


Nordic Defence Cooperation




Nordic Battlegroup




National participation in the principal European and trans-Atlantic defence arrangements









NATO Relations with Sweden

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52535.htm

NATO and Sweden share common values, conduct an open and regular political dialogue and engage in a wide range of practical cooperation. NATO and Sweden actively cooperate in peace-support operations, exercise together and exchange analysis and information. An important priority is to ensure interoperable capabilities, maintaining the ability of the Swedish Armed Forces to work with those of NATO and other partner countries in multinational peace-support operations.

February 26, 2022

Ukraine's Zelensky rejects US evacuation offer: I need ammunition, 'not a ride'

‘The fight is here,’ president tells US officials from secret whereabouts; street fighting against Russian forces underway in Kyiv, officials say

https://www.timesofisrael.com/zelensky-rejects-us-evacuation-offer-from-ukraine-i-need-ammunition-not-a-ride/



KYIV, Ukraine — A US official confirmed Ukraine President Volodymyr rejected an offer from the American government to evacuate Kyiv.

A senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation quoted the president as saying that “the fight is here” and that he needed anti-tank ammunition, “not a ride.”

Zelensky’s whereabouts were being kept secret after told European leaders in a call Thursday that he was Russia’s No. 1 target — and that they might not see him again alive. His office later released a video of him standing with senior aides outside the presidential office and saying that he and other government officials would stay in the capital.

Kyiv officials were warning residents early Saturday that street fighting was underway against Russian forces, and urged people to seek shelter.

snip

February 26, 2022

Swedish Olympic Star Gives Away Gold Medal to Protest Beijing's Abuses

In a rare rebuke of Beijing, Nils van der Poel, a speedskater, handed one of his gold medals to the daughter of Gui Minhai, a book publisher imprisoned in China.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/world/asia/nils-van-der-poel-olympic-protest.html



The Swedish skating star Nils van der Poel jumped for joy on the podium when he received his gold medal for the men’s 10,000-meter speedskating race at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Years of grueling training had brought him the world record-breaking victory.

Even in his moment of glory, though, he had a secret plan: to use his victory to denounce the Chinese government’s ferocious clampdown on free speech, dissent and ethnic minorities.

Mr. van der Poel has now acted on that plan. On Thursday, he gave his gold medal to the daughter of Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swedish publisher of books critical of Beijing, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence in China. It was the boldest protest yet by an athlete who took part in the Beijing Games.

“I realize that Gui Minhai will not be set free because of this. I realize that the Chinese people will not stop suffering from oppression because of this. But I really, really believe in free speech,” Mr. van der Poel said in Cambridge, England, where he handed the medal to Angela Gui, Mr. Gui’s daughter, in a small, improvised ceremony.

snip

February 26, 2022

What Happens in Ukraine Doesn't Stay in Ukraine: 10 global issues to watch as Russia's war unfolds

https://theliberalpatriot.substack.com/p/what-happens-in-ukraine-doesnt-stay



The fog of war still lies thick in the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, all the more so in an age of disinformation and troll power. But by now Vladimir Putin’s overall goal in Ukraine appears pretty clear: removal of the country’s elected government and the installation of a puppet regime loyal to Moscow.

It’s not necessarily all doom and gloom – there’s always a chance Putin might respond to the pain of economic sanctions that America and its European partners are putting together. Scores of brave Russians have risked jail and taken to the streets of major cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow to protest this war, indicating a depth of opposition to Putin and his actions. But it’s unlikely these moves will derail Putin’s determination to crush Ukrainian democracy, at least in the immediate future.

It's true that Russia lacks the economic power of either the United States or the European Union, and its excessive reliance on fossil fuel production doesn’t bode well for the country’s future prospects. Indeed, American states like Texas, New York, and California each have gross domestic products larger than Russia’s. But Putin’s willingness to run enormous risks in pursuit of his geopolitical and ideological goals gives Russia an ability to use its still considerable power to sow chaos around the world.

As the world watches and does very little to prevent the disaster unfolding in Ukraine, it’s important to monitor the spillover effects this conflict could have. Putin’s war in Ukraine will have a wide global impact – one that will persist as long as the crisis does.

Ten global issues to watch

1. Global Energy Security: ...................................

snip

February 26, 2022

Hillary Rodham Clinton: A State of Emergency for Democracy

By attacking the rule of law, Republicans are helping Putin and Xi.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/republicans-ukraine-putin-xi-trump-democracy/622898/

By Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dan Schwerin



Russian President Vladimir Putin pines for the old Russian empire and takes Ukraine’s independence as a personal affront. But the invasion of Ukraine is not a limited regional dispute between neighbors. Putin is also motivated by a deep opposition to democracy more broadly. That is why he has waged a long-running shadow war to destabilize free societies and discredit democratic institutions in the United States and around the world. Ukraine is one flash point in a larger global struggle between democracy and autocracy—one that stretches from the steppes of Eastern Europe to the waters of the Indo-Pacific to the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

The scope of that wider struggle was on vivid display on February 4. In Beijing, the world’s two most powerful autocrats—Putin and China’s Xi Jinping—cemented their deepening alliance. In the United States, where American leaders should have been unified in championing democracy against these aggressive adversaries, the opposite happened: The Republican National Committee formally declared the violent insurrection of January 6, 2021, to be “legitimate political discourse.”

Much has been said about the assault on American democracy by a radicalized Republican Party, but its international consequences have not gotten the attention they deserve. Republican leaders are abandoning core tenets of American democracy even as the stakes in the global contest between democracy and autocracy are clearer and higher than at any time since the end of the Cold War. They are defending coup-plotters and curbing voting rights while Russia tries to crush Ukraine’s fragile democracy and China menaces not only Taiwan but democracies everywhere, from Australia to Lithuania.

Putin is not just a garden-variety nationalist; he is a paranoid, chronically underestimated, implacable enemy of democracy. And while Russia poses an immediate threat to peace in Europe and to the integrity of our elections at home, it is Xi’s China that represents the greatest long-term challenge to the future of democracy. The United States faces a serious and sustained competition with China that may shape the rest of the 21st century as profoundly as our Cold War with the Soviet Union defined the latter part of the 20th century. The world is very different than it was during the Cold War, and China is bigger, richer, and more integrated into the global economy than the Soviet Union ever was. But the competition with China is a similarly multidimensional struggle that is economic, cultural, technological, diplomatic, military, and ideological all at the same time. That means the U.S. will have to invest and compete across all these dimensions—while bolstering democracy at home and abroad.

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