EU Accuses Russia Of Deploying Coronavirus Pandemic Disinformation To Sow Panic In The West

Fake blood is seen in test tubes labelled with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in this illustration taken March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Reuters: Russia deploying coronavirus disinformation to sow panic in West, EU document says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russian media have deployed a “significant disinformation campaign” against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust, according to a European Union document seen by Reuters.

The Kremlin denied the allegations on Wednesday, saying they were unfounded and lacked common sense.

The EU document said the Russian campaign, pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make it harder for the EU to communicate its response to the pandemic.

“A significant disinformation campaign by Russian state media and pro-Kremlin outlets regarding COVID-19 is ongoing,” said the nine-page internal document, dated March 16, using the name of the disease that can be caused by the coronavirus.

“The overarching aim of Kremlin disinformation is to aggravate the public health crisis in Western countries...in line with the Kremlin’s broader strategy of attempting to subvert European societies,” the document produced by the EU’s foreign policy arm, the European External Action Service, said.

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WNU Editor: This EU document provides no proof or evidence of this Russian disinformation campaign.

More News On The EU Accusing Russia Of Deploying Coronavirus Pandemic Disinformation To Sow Panic In The West

EU accuses pro-Kremlin media of using coronavirus crisis to undermine West -- Telegraph
EU accuses Russia of looking to destabilise west with coronavirus disinformation campaign -- The Independent
Even during a global emergency, Russia’s disinformation campaign continues -- Emerging Europe

Russia Is About To Cut Ukraine's Transit Role For Natural Gas

Proposed Nord Stream II route. Gazprom

Ariel Cohen, Forbes: Russia's Nord Stream II Pipeline Is Ukraine's Worst Nightmare

Ukraine is Russia’s gateway into European gas markets. Of the 193 billion cubic meters (bcm) Russia’s state-owned Gazprom pumped westward in 2017 – nearly 40 percent of Europe’s total supply – 93 bcm transited via Ukraine. Moscow, however, wants to change that, diminishing Ukraine’s transit role. Kyiv, on the other hand, hopes to maintain the current arrangement, as transit revenues contribute some USD 2-3 billion annually to the Ukrainian economy (roughly 3 percent of GDP) and act as a buffer against further Russian aggression.

The poor state of Ukraine’s energy sector, which is beset by aging infrastructure, overregulation, uncompetitive pricing, and limited diversity of supply, means that Ukraine is economically and strategically reliant on the Russian gas transit, and is buying Russian-sourced gas and coal despite the state of belligerency between Kyiv and Moscow.

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WNU Editor: The older I get .... the more the news becomes the same. I am hearing the same arguments today on why Europe should not be dependent on Russian gas that I heard when the former Soviet Union was trying to sell gas to Western Europe in the 1980s. The argument to not buy from the Soviets was valid then .... but the Russia of today is not even close to what the Soviet Union was then. Money is what is driving Russia today (not ideology), and the Russians have proven themselves to be reliable suppliers of natural gas at prices that have been (and are) very competitive. And if Ukraine is cut-off because of their differences with Moscow, that is not Russia's problem.

Russia Expels 43 Diplomats From 16 Countries, One Military Attache From Estonia

CNN: Moscow summons ambassadors over diplomat expulsions

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the ambassadors of countries it described as taking "unfriendly actions" against Russia in solidarity with the UK after the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal.

More than 20 countries announced this week that they would expel Russian diplomats in support of Britain, which blames Moscow for a nerve-agent attack against Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said the ambassadors would be "handed notes of protest and informed of Russia's reciprocal measures."

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WNU editor: Expect more diplomats to be expelled in the coming hours.

More News On Russia Expelling Western Diplomats

Russia expels foreign diplomats in tit-for-tat measure -- TASS
Russia Expels EU States' Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Measures Amid Skripal Case -- Sputnik
Skripal response: Moscow orders UK to cut diplomats to same number as Russian mission in Britain -- RT
Spy poisoning: Russia expels 'unfriendly' Western diplomats -- BBC
Russia summons Western diplomats to announce spy rift expulsions -- Reuters
Russia tells Britain - cut diplomats to level of Russian mission in Britain -- Reuters
Russia ramps up diplomatic clash, expels more UK diplomats -- AP

Denmark Under Pressure To Stop A New Natural Gas Pipeline Being Built From Russia To Germany

Medium

Reuters: Denmark faces dilemma over Russian gas pipeline

BRUSSELS/COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark is under pressure to rule on whether a new Russian pipeline supplying gas to Germany can be built near its Baltic coast, a decision that puts it in the line of fire from friend and foe alike.

Denmark does not want to act alone in resolving one of the biggest foreign policy quandaries that the small European Union nation has faced since the Cold War.

But its search for a united EU stance on the proposed pipeline is deadlocked by divisions among member states over whether to do more business with Moscow despite its military incursions in Ukraine and Syria and accusations it used a nerve agent in an attempted assassination on British soil.

The Danish government is facing fierce lobbying by Russia, EU allies and the United States over the 9.5 billion euro ($11.7 billion) Nord Stream 2 project championed by President Vladimir Putin and financed by five Western firms.

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WNU Editor: The pipeline goes beside the Danish island of Bornholm which is why the Danes have a say on this pipeline.

Over A Dozen European Countries And Canada Have Expelled More Than 100 Russian Diplomats

RT: 14 EU states announce mass co-ordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats over Skripal case

Fourteen members of the EU have decided to expel Russian diplomats over the Sergei Skripal case, European Council president Donald Tusk has confirmed. It comes despite zero evidence proving that Moscow was responsible.

Donald Tusk stated that further action could be taken.

Germany, France and Poland have expelled four diplomats each, respective foreign ministries confirmed on Monday. The Netherlands and Denmark will expel two diplomats each, their foreign ministries said.

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WNU editor: The Russian response .... ‘Against common sense and intl law’: Russia to retaliate over diplomats’ expulsion by UK allies (RT).

More News On A Dozen European Countries And Canada Expelling More Than 100 Russian Diplomats

The Latest: UK: 18 nations expel more than 100 Russians -- AP
U.S. and EU expel scores of Russian diplomats in response to UK nerve attack -- Reuters
Diplomats ousted: US, Europe punish Russia over spy case -- AP
European countries expel Russian diplomats over ex-spy’s poisoning -- TASS
The world turns against Putin: Boris Johnson praises 'the largest collective expulsion of Russian spies ever' as US, Canada and Europe expel agents… before Moscow threatens to 'respond to every country' -- Daily Mail
Fourteen EU countries to take diplomatic action against Russia -- Al Jazeera
France to expel four Russian diplomats over Salisbury attack -- Reuters
Italy says to expel two Russia diplomats over UK nerve attack -- Reuters
Denmark expels two Russian diplomats over spy attack in Britain -- Reuters
Germany, other countries, expel Russian diplomats over Skripal poisoning -- DW
Germany expels four Russian diplomats over Salisbury incident -- TASS
Albania to expel two Russian diplomats -- Reuters
Canada expelling four Russian diplomats after U.K. attack -- Reuters
Ukraine to expel 13 Russian diplomats over Salisbury attack: Poroshenko -- Reuters

EU Nations To Expel Russian Diplomats In Response To The Nerve Agent Attack In Salisbury

The Guardian: At least 10 EU nations to expel Russian diplomats in spy row

Emmanuel Macron condemns ‘attack on European sovereignty’ as EU leaders back Theresa May

Russian intelligence agents and diplomats across the European Union will be expelled next week in response to the use of a nerve agent in Salisbury, described by Emmanuel Macron as an “attack on European sovereignty”.

At least 10 EU member states will order Russian officials to leave, with the number of countries answering the UK’s call for action expected to rise in the coming weeks.

“What happened in Great Britain has clearly never been seen before,” the French president told reporters, at the end of a summit where EU leaders agreed unanimously that Moscow was “highly likely” to be responsible for the assault. “It is an aggression against the security and the sovereignty of an ally, today a member of the European Union, which demands a reaction.”

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WNU Editor: This is not going to end anytime soon.

More News On EU Nations Reaction To The Nerve Agent Attack In Salisbury

Germany and France to take action against Russia for Salisbury poisoning -- DW
Europeans Promise More Steps Against Russia Over UK Spy Attack -- US Newsnad World Report/Reuters
EU vows 'more steps' against Russia as shockwaves from spy poisoning continue to be felt throughout Europe -- FOX News
May Served Secrets Over Dinner to Win EU Allies for Russia Fight -- Bloomberg
The chemical attack in Britain has united the EU against Russia -- VICE News
Russian spy: UK accused of leading 'anti-Russian campaign' -- BBC

News From Russia

Russian spy: EU recalls Russia ambassador after nerve agent attack -- RT
EU States Prepare Punitive Measures against Russia Over UK Spy Attack -- The Moscow Times
Merkel, Macron convinced by London’s ‘evidence’ implicating Russia in Skripal case -- Sputnik
Senior diplomat cautions EU that anti-Russian moves will ‘cut both ways’ -- TASS
'Tensions Between Russia, Some EU Countries Will Continue to Increase' - Analyst -- Sputnik

Kremlin Calls U.K. Nerve Agent Attack Allegations 'Insane'. Will Retaliate Against Diplomat Expulsions

RT: Putin ‘extremely concerned’ over UK’s ‘destructive, provocative’ stance in Skripal case – Kremlin

In his first public reaction to ex-spy Sergei Skripal’s poisoning, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was “extremely concerned” by the “destructive and provocative” stance of the UK, according to a Kremlin spokesman.

A “detailed discussion” of the current crisis in Russian-UK relations was held when Putin met with top officials from the Russian government, military and security services on Thursday, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. “Extreme concern was expressed about the destructive and provocative stance taken by the British side,” the spokesman added.

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More News From Russia On Allegations That The Kremlin Launched A Nerve Agent Attack Against A Defector In The U.K.

Russia calls Skripal poisoning allegations 'insane', will retaliate against diplomat expulsions -- ABC News Online
Russian spy: Moscow vows swift response on expulsions -- BBC
Russia to retaliate 'soon' against UK with its own diplomat expulsions -- CNN
Lavrov warns that Moscow won't tolerate Western ultimatums -- TASS
Lavrov expects Skripal himself to clarify Salisbury incident -- TASS
Russian Intelligence Veteran Explains What's Wrong With Skripal Case in UK -- Sputnik
Russians’ view of spy poisoning: ‘We are the world’s scapegoat’ -- The Guardian

France, Germany, Britain, And The US Blame Russia For Ex-Spy Chemical Attack

DW: France, Germany, UK, US blame Moscow for ex-spy chemical attack - joint declaration

France, Germany, Britain and the US have condemned a chemical attack on a Russian former double agent in the UK, blaming Moscow for the attack. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the incident must have "consequences."

The leaders of France, Germany, the US and the UK jointly demanded "complete disclosure" from Russia on the Novichok nerve agent used in the attack on former spy Sergei Skripal, saying there is "no plausible alternative" to Moscow's involvement.

"This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War," they said in a statement on Thursday. The attack constitutes "an assault on UK sovereignty" that threatened "the security of us all."

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More News On France, Germany, Britain, And The US Blaming Russia For Ex-Spy Chemical Attack

US, France, Germany blame Russia for UK nerve agent attack -- AP
West calls on Russia to explain nerve toxin attack on former double agent -- Reuters
Russia spy: Allies condemn nerve agent attack -- BBC
Spy poisoning: allies back UK and blast Russia at UN security council -- The Guardian
U.S., France and Germany join Britain in saying Russia likely responsible for chemical attack against former spy -- Washington Post
US, Germany, France Demand Russia Explain Attack in UK -- Bloomberg
Russian spy: White House backs UK decision to expel diplomats -- BBC
France, Germany, US, UK say Salisbury incident a violation of UK’s territorial integrity by Russia -- RT

Outgoing EU Ambassador To Moscow: Rift With Russia Will End When Putin is Gone And Ukraine Has Been Resolved

The Guardian: West’s rift with Russia ‘will last until Vladimir Putin goes’

Outgoing EU envoy to Moscow says Brussels should help Ukraine by offering it a path to membership.

Relations between Russia and the EU are stuck in a “deep and acute” crisis and are unlikely to improve until President Vladimir Putin leaves office and the conflict in Ukraine is resolved – events that could be many years away, the outgoing EU ambassador to Moscow has said.

Vygaudas Ušackas, who has been in the post since 2013, said the EU must offer Ukraine a path to membership of the bloc if it wants to resist Russian attempts to bring the former Soviet state more firmly back under Moscow’s control.

“As I leave my post, I am pessimistic that we will be able to return to a normal partnership in the near future,” Ušackas wrote in a letter published in the Observer on Sunday. “The differences between us are vast and hinge on principles of European security.”

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WNU Editor: Differences between the EU and Russia are not going to end when Putin is gone. And as for Ukraine .... Crimea is never going to go back to Ukraine, and with the Ukraine government's new education laws that prohibit Russian, a guarantee that eastern Ukraine will not agree to any political settlement with Kiev. To put it bluntly, this EU - Russia split is going to last a long time.

Three Maps That Explains Why Europe Has Been 'Spooked' By The Recent Russian Deployment Of Missiles To Kaliningrad

Washington Post: These maps show how Russia has Europe spooked

MOSCOW — The Kremlin has brushed off Western concerns about its deployment of cutting-edge missile systems in its Kaliningrad enclave, saying that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was the one disrupting the strategic balance with its plans to put antimissile defenses on Russia's borders. But the Russian arsenal on the Baltic, some of which has been tested in Syria, is potentially a game-changer.

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WNU Editor: When the U.S. deployed missile defense systems in eastern Europe and made it clear that this would only be the start .... did anyone in Europe took the time to figure out how Russia would respond? Apparently not.

EU Condemns Russian And Syrian Bombing Of Aleppo

WSJ: EU Push on Russia, Syria to End Aleppo Bombing

Russia’s Defense Ministry says its forces, Syrian government troops, would hold a unilateral cease-fire on Oct. 20, reports Interfax.

LUXEMBOURG—European Union foreign ministers on Monday pledged swift action to broaden sanctions against the Assad regime and called on Russia to live up to its responsibilities and end the bombing of Aleppo immediately.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also announced she will begin a new outreach on Tuesday to start talks on Syria’s political future with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and other key regional players. Ms. Mogherini had already floated the initiative privately last week but it remains unclear how much support the initiative will get.

In a statement adopted Monday afternoon, the EU pledged to “act swiftly…with the aim of imposing further restrictive measures against Syria” targeting Syrian officials and entities.

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Update: EU condemns Russia over Aleppo, to impose more Syrian sanctions (Reuters)

WNU Editor: Sanctions will not have an impact .... the Syrian economy is already destroyed, and the Assad family and its closest allies are already under sanctions.

The War Of Words Between Russia And The West Has Not Been Seen Since The Cold War

NBC: Russia and Syria: War of Words With West Is Worst in Decades

Barbarism. Mayhem. A New Hell. War Crimes.

The language of diplomacy has taken a turn over Russia's involvement in Syria, with the rhetoric crossing lines not seen since the Cold War.

A snap meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Sunday underscored the undeniable shift — one which has not gone over well at the Kremlin.

The U.S., U.K. and France — which called the meeting — walked out in protest when Syria's representative took the podium, though not before firing parting shots.

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WNU Editor: I have not seen this rhetoric for years. I would say that it first started with the fall of Qaddafi in Libya .... when Russia accused the West of betrayal on what they had promised they were going to do in the first Libyan civil war. The Ukraine crisis .... followed by war and the annexation of Crimea coupled with sanctions .... that broke the "camel's back" in Russian - West relations. And now we have Syria .... where hostilities and differences are now wide open for all to see. Will this freeze in Russian - West relations continue .... considering what has been said this week and what is happening on the ground in Syria .... I will have to say yes. And as for another Cold War coupled with an arms buildup in Europe .... sadly .... that is happening right now.

More News On The War Of Words Between Russia And The West

Accusatory remarks between US and Russia intensify as siege of Aleppo continues -- RUDAW
Truce Crumbles in U.S.-Russia Distrust -- WSJ
US: Russia's actions in Syria not counter-terrorism but 'barbarism' -- Reuters
Russia blasts 'unacceptable rhetoric' from UK and US following accusations of Moscow 'war crimes' after Syrian jets dropped phosphorus on a rebel camp -- Daily Mail
Russia: Critical US, British Statements Could Hurt Situation in Syria -- VOA

Russian President Putin Predicts EU-Russia Ties Will Return To 'Normal'

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrive for a joint news conference following their talks at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, February 17, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool

Reuters: Putin says EU-Russia ties will return to normal 'sooner or later'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he is sure that relations between Russia and the European Union will get back to normal sooner or later.

"It will happen sooner or later. Relations between Russia and the European Union will be normalized," Putin said after talks at his residence near Moscow with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The EU imposed sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Some European leaders, including Orban, want to restore trade relations with Russia, testing EU solidarity over the issue.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Putin after their talks, Orban said he believed EU economic sanctions against Russia won't be extended this year, when they are due for renewal.

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WNU Editor: It depends on Ukraine. As long as the war continues in eastern Ukraine, tensions will remind high. And for the war to end, the Ukraine government will need to come to an accommodation with its Russian-Ukrainian community. Unfortunately ... that sentiment is not there at the moment.

Europeans Are Beginning To Question President Obama's Commitment To The Continent

US Democratic presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, waves as he arrives to make a speech in front of the Victory Column in Berlin on July 24, 2008. Obama warned America could not quell violence in Afghanistan alone, and called on Europe for more troops and funding to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. MICHAEL GOTTSCHALK/AFP/Getty Images

Josh Rogin, Bloomberg: Europe's Convinced U.S. Won't Solve Its Problems

Europe is facing a convergence of the worst crises since World War II, and the overwhelming consensus among officials and experts here is that the U.S. no longer has the will or the ability to play an influential role in solving them.

At the Munich Security Conference, the prime topics are the refugee crisis, the Syrian conflict, Russian aggression and the potential dissolution of the European Union's very structure. Top European leaders repeatedly lamented that 2015 saw all of Europe’s problems deepen, and unanimously predicted that in 2016 they would get even worse.

“The question of war and peace has returned to the continent,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the audience, indirectly referring to Russian military interventions. “We had thought that peace had returned to Europe for good."

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WNU Editor: And I recall how just a few years ago Europe was heralding the election of President Obama as a new era in U.S. - European relations. What a difference a few years can make.

EU Foreign Policy Chief: Russia's Military Action In Syria Is A 'Game-Changer'

Voice of America: EU: Russian Action in Syria a 'Game-changer'

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Monday that Russia's military action in Syria is a "game-changer" that has "some very worrying elements."

Mogherini told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg that actions taken against Islamic State militants have to clearly be carried out against the group and other terrorists defined by the United Nations.

Russia has faced Western criticism that its air campaign in Syria is targeting opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, a Russian ally, and not the Islamic State group.

WNU Editor: European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is correct .... but fellow EU ministers are still sticking to their position that Russia must end their airstrikes.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini's Remarks That Russia's Military Action In Syria Is A 'Game-Changer'

Russian Syria Intervention a 'Game-Changer': Federica Mogherini -- AFP
Putin's Bombing of Syria's Moderates Must Stop Now, EU Says -- Bloomberg
EU Criticizes Russia's Military Moves in Syria -- AP
EU Ministers Call on Russia to End Attacks on Syrian Opposition Groups -- WSJ
EU urges Russia to end airstrikes, push political solution in Syria -- DW

Europe Prepares For A Long Confrontation With Russia

(L-R) Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Francois Hollande and Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho meet European Union leaders summit in Brussels, on December 18, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Emmanuel Dunand/Pool

EU Leaders Prepare For Long Confrontation With Russia -- Reuters

(Reuters) - European Union leaders warned Moscow they are ready to flex their combined muscle and "stay the course" in a long confrontation with Russia if President Vladimir Putin refuses to pull back from Ukraine.

"We must go beyond being reactive and defensive. As Europeans we must regain our self-confidence and realize our own strengths," said Donald Tusk, the former Polish premier who chaired a brief EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.

In comments that were part warning to Russia, where falling oil prices and Western trade sanctions have brought financial havoc, and part exhortation to an EU bloc divided between hawks and doves, Tusk said a united European front was vital.

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More News On The EU Preparing For A Long Confrontation With Russia

Europe finds unity on Russia -- Global Post
The EU needs a complete rethink on Russia -- The Telegraph
Tusk: EU Needs Long-Term Strategy To Deal With Russia -- Radio Free Europe
EU needs long-perspective Russia strategy -- Daily Times/Xinhua
EU needs long term Russia strategy -- First Post
EU Leaders on Russia: After Sanctions, What Next? -- VOA

The EU Is Looking For A New Russian Strategy

EU Foreign Ministers Seek New Russia Strategy -- Deutsche Welle

The EU isn't interested in tougher sanctions against Moscow, but in fresh talks - while Kyiv is expected to launch reforms to move the country closer to the European Union.

Whoever imagined that, following the heated words directed at Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit, the EU foreign ministers would strike a harsher tone on Ukraine were mistaken.

On the contrary - at the start of the meeting in Brussels, Europe's new chief diplomat Federica Mogherini was content to signal a multi-pronged approach. A debate on sanctions is on the agenda, but so is the question of how to revive the dialogue with the government in Moscow. The EU gathering is the first ministers' meeting headed by the Italian foreign affairs chief.

Expectations of Mogherini are high in the wake of her predecessor Catherine Ashton, widely regarded as weak.

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Update #1: European leaders fear growth of Russian influence abroad -- The Guardian
Update #2: Angela Merkel warns Russia could seek to destabilise 'whole of the European peaceful order' -- The Telegraph

My Comment: The EU has little if any options to confront Russia  .... and on top of all of that ... they are deeply divided on what to do next amongst themselves. Dependent on Russian energy .... and faced with a government in Moscow that has made it very clear that it will protect Ukraine separatists from defeat .... there is no political will within the EU to bring this conflict to the next level. It is also revealing that the U.S. has been left out of these discussions .... from my vantage point it looks like the EU has decided to refrain from following Washington's demand for more tougher action .... as far as they are concerned .... this U.S. plan is a non-starter. So what we have left are talks and a need for a new strategy .... and my prediction is that a few months from now .... we will still be hearing from the EU the need for new talks and a new strategy.

The EU And The U.S. Preparing To Impose More Russian Sanctions

Beware Russia: Expect More Sanctions From The West -- Fortune

Critics may think the U.S. and Europe haven’t been aggressive enough with Russia, but a closer look suggests more sanctions are under way.

The tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 accelerates pressure on the West to put full “sectoral” sanctions in place targeting entire industries across Russia. The economic disruption could be profound, but the West—backed by a larger, stronger economies and central banks flush with liquidity liquidity—is far more resilient than Russia for what is to come.

It is easy to criticize the West’s most recent sanctions as incremental and timid. The European Union last week added 33 individuals and entities to their sanctions list, including senior Russian security service officials and oligarchs. France continues to insist it will provide warships to Russia, and economic interests seem to be blocking tough action. Even the most recent sanctions by the United States only moved to block new debt and equity issuance by a number of energy, financial and military companies. What’s more, U.S. sanctions exclude Sberbank, which holds the majority of Russian deposits.

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More News On The EU And The U.S. Preparing More Sanctions Against Russia

White House: EU, US to impose new Russia sanctions -- AP
EU Prepares to Add Five Individuals, Two Entities to Ukraine Sanctions List -- WSJ
UK says EU agreement on Russia sanctions 'closer' -- BBC
Russia could face tough banking sanctions 'within days' -- The Telegraph
Obama, European Leaders Confer on Ukraine -- WSJ
Russia, Germany up diplomatic battle over Ukraine sanctions -- Reuters
Germany Favors Sectoral Sanctions Against Moscow -- RIA Novosti
EU Council will discuss economic sanctions on Russia July 29 -- ITAR-TASS
White House: US, Europe to issue new sanctions on Russia this week -- GMA/Reuters
Japan Says Will Release Sanction List of Russian Citizens and Companies Soon -- RIA Novosti

The Murky World Of Western Business Interests And Contacts With Russia Is Partially Revealed

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Putin And The Prince Of Darkness: Revealed: The Web Of Links Between Peter Mandelson's Shadowy Global Consultancy Firm And The Billionaire Power Brokers Of Putin's Russia -- Daily Mail

With its white marble floors and wood-panelled walls, the prestigious building just north of London’s Oxford Street couldn’t be further removed from the working class streets of Hartlepool, which he represented as MP.

Yet it is here, in a 5,000 sq ft office filled with frosted glass, brushed chrome and fashionable leather sofas, that Lord Mandelson presides over the increasingly lucrative affairs of his international consulting firm, Global Counsel.

The peer, now 60, founded the ‘strategic advice’ business in 2010, having recently guided Labour to election defeat. It moved from somewhat cramped start-up premises in Mayfair to the larger and swankier new headquarters at the end of last year.

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My Comment: This is just the tip of the iceberg .... correction .... of a monstrous iceberg.

Europe Urges Russia To Get Actively Involved In Solving The Ukraine Crisis

France's President Francois Hollande and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a ''Last Post'' ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, June 26, 2014, to commemorate the centenary of the start of World War I. Credit: Reuters/Francois Lenoir

Hollande, Merkel Urge Putin To Broker Ukraine Ceasefire -- Reuters

(Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday to encourage separatists in eastern Ukraine to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, the French president's office said.

Hollande and Merkel stressed in a conversation with the Russian president the importance of implementing a deal reached in Berlin on Wednesday between the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine in order to achieve a bilateral ceasefire, according to the statement from Hollande's office.

"They (Hollande and Merkel) called on the Russian president to support the organization of a meeting of the contact group before July 5 in order to define conditions for the ceasefire," Hollande's office said in the statement.

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My Comment: The Europeans are waking up to the complex situation in Ukraine .... and are realizing that this is a political/military/and economic crisis that will need enormous resources to resolve .... and are now hoping that the Russians will pick up the costs. My prediction .... Putin is not going to bite. He knows that this is a crisis that will take enormous political and economic capital to resolve .... and (right now) he does not want to spend it.