To be sure, Putin is guilty of a massive geostrategic misperception. This is ironic considering that the fall of the Soviet Union was, in fact, a historic opportunity for Russia.
Nichols: Can you clarify that?
Gustafson: The Russian and Soviet empires were increasingly difficult to govern as multiethnic states, especially as one moved south and west to Central Asia, Ukraine, and the Baltic republics. But after 1991, for the first time in its history, Russia overnight had gained the basis for a coherent nation-state, in that more than 80 percent of its population was now ethnic Russian. Suddenly, for the first time in its history, Russia was free of the burden of empire.
As a result, Russia’s logical future pointed east, not west. Before the 21st century, the czars and the Soviet commissars had never been able to govern Russia east of the Urals as anything but a prison camp and a resource appendage. But the advent of the internet, and the improvements it brought in communications and global trade, changed everything. Russia can now potentially be governed efficiently as a single national entity from Murmansk to Vladivostok. And it needs to be governed that way, because just over the horizon is the challenge of China.
Nichols: You’d think Putin would have understood that.
Gustafson: Putin continued to do what his imperial and Soviet predecessors had always done. Instead of looking to the East and absorbing the implications of this new reality, he focused on the West and neglected the East. Marx might have said that Putin suffers from “false consciousness.” From the long-term perspective, both the prizes and the threats lie in the East. Yet Putin—together with the hydrocarbon-based oligarchy that surrounds him—continued to focus on Europe. In rhetoric, he talked about a “pivot to the East,” but in practice Europe remained his chief market.
An irony here is that the Russians had already begun diversifying away from gas transit through Ukraine before the war. Nord Stream 2 is actually the last of five new bypass pipelines to Europe; another decade and the gas divorce would have been final.
But Europe is declining and China is rising. Putin is focused in the wrong direction.
Finally, and most significantly, there is the economic war which may accelerate the destruction of the US-led power structure that has dominated the world since the end of World War II.
Steady gas flows seem to indicate a continuing pattern of remarkably stable economic interdependence that seems impervious to the geopolitical environment.
“That’s a C- for History, Kelvin!”While it is certainly understandable that Māori-Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis was not anxious to castigate every Pakeha member of the House of Representatives for the crimes committed against his people by their ancestors; crimes from which his Labour colleagues continue to draw enormous benefits; the ...
The Government promised a major reform of New Zealand’s immigration system, but when it was announced this week, many asked “is that it?” Over the last two years Covid has turned the immigration tap off, and the Government argued this produced the perfect opportunity to reassess decades of “unbalanced immigration”. ...
While the new fiscal rules may not be contentious, what they mean for macroeconomic management is not explained.In a pre-budget speech on 3 May 2022, the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, made some policy announcements which will frame both this budget and future ones. (The Treasury advice underpinning them is ...
Under MMP, Parliament was meant to look like New Zealand. And, in a lot of ways, it does now, with better representation for Māori, tangata moana, women, and the rainbow community replacing the old dictatorship of dead white males. But there's one area where "our" parliament remains completely unrepresentative: housing: ...
Justice Denied: At the heart of the “Pro-Life” cause was something much darker than conservative religious dogma, or even the oppressive designs of “The Patriarchy”. The enduring motivation – which dares not declare itself openly – is the paranoid conviction of male white supremacists that if “their” women are given ...
In case of emergency break glass— but glass can cut Fire extinguishers, safety belts, first aid kits, insurance policies, geoengineering: we never enjoy using them. But given our demonstrated, deep empirical record of proclivity for creating hazards and risk we'd obviously be foolish not to include emergency responses in our inventory. ...
After a brief hiatus, the “A View from Afar” podcast is back on air with Selwyn Manning leading the Q&A with me. This week is a grab bag of topics: Russian V-Day celebrations, Asian and European elections, and the impact of the PRC-Solomon Islands on the regional strategic balance. Plus ...
Last year, Vanuatu passed a "cyber-libel" law. And predictably, its first targets are those trying to hold the government to account: A police crackdown in Vanuatu that has seen people arrested for allegedly posting comments on social media speculating politicians were responsible for the country’s current Covid outbreak has ...
Could it be a case of not appreciating what you’ve got until it’s gone? The National Party lost Simon Bridges last week, which has reinforced the notion that the party still has some serious deficits of talent and diversity. The major factor in Bridges’ decision to leave was his failed ...
Who’s Missing From This Picture? The re-birth of the co-governance concept cannot be attributed to the institutions of Pakeha rule, at least, not in the sense that the massive constitutional revisions it entails have been presented to and endorsed by the House of Representatives, and then ratified by the citizens of New ...
Fiji signed onto China’s Belt and Road initiative in 2018, along with a separate agreement on economic co-operation and aid. Yet it took the recent security deal between China and the Solomon Islands to get the belated attention of the US and its helpmates in Canberra and Wellington, and the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Lexi Smith and Bud Ward “CRA” It’s one of those acronyms even many-a-veteran environmental policy geek may not recognize. Amidst the scores and scores of acronyms in the field – CERCLA, IPCC, SARA, LUST, NPDES, NDCs, FIFRA, NEPA and scores more – ...
In a nice bit of news in a World Gone Mad, I can report that Of Tin and Tintagel, my 5,800-word story about tin (and political scheming), is now out as part of the Spring 2022 edition of New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). As noted previously, this one owes a ...
In the depths of winter, most people from southern New Zealand head to warmer climes for a much-needed dose of Vitamin D. Yet during the height of the last Ice Age, one species of moa did just the opposite. I’m reminded of Bill Bailey’s En Route to Normal tour that visited ...
In the lead-up to the Budget, the Government has been on an offensive to promote the efficiency and quality of its $74 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund -especially the Wage Subsidy Scheme component. This comes after criticisms and concerns from across the political spectrum over poor-quality spending, and suggestions ...
Elizabeth Elliot Noe, Lincoln University, New Zealand; Andrew D. Barnes, University of Waikato; Bruce Clarkson, University of Waikato, and John Innes, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare ResearchUrbanisation, and the destruction of habitat it entails, is a major threat to native bird populations. But as our new research shows, restored ...
Unfinished: Always, gnawing away at this government’s confidence and empathy, is the dictum that seriously challenging the economic and social status-quo is the surest route to electoral death. Labour’s colouring-in book, and National’s, have to look the same. All that matters is which party is better at staying inside the lines.DOES ...
Radical As: Māori healers recall a time when “words had power”. The words that give substance to ideas, no matter how radical, still do. If our representatives rediscover the courage to speak them out loud.THERE ARE RULES for radicalism. Or, at least, there are rules for the presentation of radical ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters A brutal, record-intensity heat wave that has engulfed much of India and Pakistan since March eased somewhat this week, but is poised to roar back in the coming week with inferno-like temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122°F). The ...
The good people at the Reading Tolkien podcast have put out a new piece, which spends some time comparing the underlying moral positions of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien: (The relevant discussion starts about twenty-seven minutes in. It’s a long podcast). In the interests of fairness, ...
Crime is becoming a key debate between Labour and National. This week they are both keen to show that they are tough on law and order. It’s an issue that National has a traditional advantage on, and is one that they’re currently getting good traction from. In response, Labour is ...
So far, the excited media response to the spike in “ram-raid” incidents is being countered by evidence that in reality, youth crime is steeply in decline, and has been so for much of the past decade. Who knew? Perhaps that’s the real issue here. Why on earth wasn’t the latest ...
In the past 10 years or so – and that’s how quickly it has happened – all our comfortable convictions about the unassailability of free speech have been turned on their heads. Suddenly we find ourselves fighting again for rights we assumed were settled. Click here to watch the video ...
Enforced Fertility: The imminent overturning of Roe versus Wade by the US Supreme Court is certain to raise echoes here that are no less evocative of the dystopia envisioned by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. Gilead can happen here.WITH THE UNITED STATES seemingly on the brink of becoming “Gilead”, ...
Not Wanted On Grounds Of Political Rejuvenation: Winston Peters did nothing more than visit the protest encampment erected by anti-vaxxers on the parliamentary lawn. A great many New Zealanders applauded him for meeting with the protesters and wondered why the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition could not do ...
May The Force Be With Us: With New Zealanders under 40, nostalgia for a time when politics worked gains little purchase. Politics hasn’t swerved to any noticeable degree since the 1980s, becoming in the Twenty-First Century a battle between marketing strategies, not ideologies. Young New Zealanders critique political advertisements in ...
Dane Giraud reflects on his working class upbringing and how campaigning for free speech radicalised him Evidence to support censorship as a tool for social cohesion is paltry. I Read the NZ Human Rights Commission website, and 99% of their ‘evidence’ is anecdotal. When asked why we need hate speech ...
As you may have noticed, I have been slowly working my way through the works of Agatha Christie. At the time of writing, I have read some thirty-eight of her books – less than half her total output, but arguably enough to get a reasonable handle on it. It ...
Population growth has some effect on economic growth, but it is complicated especially where infrastructure is involved. We need to think more about it. In an opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald, John Gascoigne claimed that New Zealand was a ‘tragic tale of economic decline’. He gave no evidence ...
The Greens have been almost invisible since the 2020 election. Despite massive crises impacting on people’s lives, such as climate change, housing, inequality, and the cost of living, they’ve had very little to say. On this week’s highly contentious issue of politicians being banned from Parliament by Trevor Mallard, the ...
The government has announced it will be replacing all coal boilers in schools by 2025: All remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with cleaner wood burners or electric heating by 2025, at a cost of $10 million, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. The coal ...
Israeli news media and politicians often complain about the activity of neo-Nazis in Ukraine. “Activists and supporters of Ukrainian nationalist parties hold torches as they take part in a rally to mark the 112th birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 1, 2021. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters The recent ...
Another gnawing warming worry Accidental outcomes of our engineering prowess are warming Arctic regions at a rapid pace. Another species of accomplished engineers is rapidly occupying and exploiting new territory we've thereby made more easily available, namely beavers (Castor canadensis). Beaver populations in affected Arctic regions have increased from "none" to "quite a ...
Dr Simon Lambert’s dream is to see Indigenous nations across the world exercising their sovereign rights by adding their say to disaster risk reduction planning. Simon, of Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, specialises in indigenous disaster risk reduction, indigenous health and indigenous development, social science, environmental management, planning ...
Rukingi Haupapa (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa) credits his stroke in 2005 for changing his life: leading him to change his name, get his mataora (facial moko) and set up a trust to help fellow stroke survivors. Oranga (health and wellbeing) is Rukingi’s passion. He holds a Master’s degree in Indigenous ...
Mike Hosking’s all-too familiar diatribe in today’s Herald is so dripping with venom and anti-Jacinda animus that one can’t help but wonder if the content matters less than the spirit and purpose in and with which it was offered. Hosking clearly needs help. He seems to live in a world ...
So a Supreme Court stacked with ideologues selected by Donald Trump is about to make an ideological decision to ban the legal right of American women to an abortion. In their infinite wisdom, the US courts have decided that the government cannot force people to wear a mask during a ...
National party leader Chris Luxon has been reported as giving some badly uninformed responses to questions about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As a potential Prime Minister, he needs to get up to speed. Te Tiriti is the Māori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi – the version that is ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere continues to be a hot topic. In its newest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that the Paris Climate Agreement targets cannot be met without substantial efforts to remove some of the more than three-trillion ...
Is Parliament just the fiefdom of Trevor Mallard and his colleagues? That’s the impression the public might take from yesterday’s news that the Speaker of Parliament is issuing trespass notices to political opponents who visited the protest in March on the lawns of Parliament. Speaker Mallard has the absolute right ...
The quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing unemployment holding at a record low of 3.2%. There are now 94,000 unemployed - 29,000 fewer than when Labour took office. Average wages are also up, and looking back, they've increased from $30.45 / hour in 2017 to $36.18 today. ...
International analyst Geoffrey Miller reads between the lines of Jacinda Ardern’s speech to this week’s US business summit in Auckland Jacinda Ardern is slowly but surely shifting New Zealand’s foreign policy towards the West. That was the underlying theme of a keynote address by New Zealand’s Prime Minister this ...
We all hate Australia for its policy of jailing refugees as a "disincentive" for people to try and escape torture and persecution. But New Zealand does this too, on a much lesser scale. last year, the government finally ordered a review of this disgusting practice. Today, that review reported back, ...
For the last three decades the global geopolitical system has been in a state of transition. It first transited from the tight bi-polar arrangement of the Cold War, where two nuclear superpowers with closely integrated alliance systems (NATO and the Warsaw Pact, plus other related networks) strategicaly balanced each other ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been perceived as “softening her line on wealth taxes” – and therefore being open to the introduction of a new type of progressive taxation on the rich. This was the description published yesterday by leftwing wealth researcher Max Rashbrooke, who was reporting on the fact ...
On 24 April the Minister for Māori Development, the Hon. Willie Jackson, stated on TVNZ’s Q+A programme that government plans for Māori co-governance were part of MMP. It meant ‘shared decision-making’, ‘partnership’, ‘diversity, about minorities working together’. ‘Co-governance is based on the principles of MMP, this is a consensus type ...
Below is an excerpt of a talk by journalist Karl du Fresne given at Victoria University on 28 April 2022 for the Free Speech Union. Here he examines the trends that are undermining a free press. [F]ree speech goes hand in hand with a free press – but it’s now ...
Braking And Entering: The CCTV recording of the ram-raid against Auckland’s Ormiston Mall is so disturbing, so inspiring of dread and rage, that no amount of rational commentary will make the slightest difference. It confirms in the most powerful fashion the stories so many New Zealanders have been telling themselves: ...
The Author of this Dorset Eye article, Ukraine – a beginner’s guide, says: “In 2014, the journalist and writer John Pilger wrote an article for The Guardian newspaper entitled ‘In Ukraine the US is dragging us towards war with Russia’.[i] Eight years later, in 2022, this prediction came true when ...
What's better than some Cranky Uncle cartoons scattered around here or there? A collection of them, cross-referenced with the fallacies they depict, of course! And this is what we highlight in this blog post. John Cook had made these cartoons available for download on his Cranky Uncle website in March 2021 ...
For decades now we've known that climate change will cause sea-level rise. In Aotearoa, the projections so far have been for 30cm by 2050, and 1m by 2100 - a level which is catastrophic to low-lying areas and coastal infrastructure and which is going to cost us billions of dollars ...
Losses to Australian teams over the weekend by both the Crusaders and Hurricanes have been greeted with shock and surprise by New Zealand rugby fans. Yet, an at least partial explanation is available; the two losses were both set in motion early in each match by a play that is ...
One of the more infuriating aspects of the current political debate is the way the National Party says it would be more rigorous, and more thriftily efficient in running social programmes that – left to its own devices – a National government would never have funded at all in the ...
On Friday the Government made some announcements about their Three Waters programme that were meant to assuage public concerns about the reforms. Instead, the announcements merely reinforced that Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is determined to push the reforms through in the face of strong public opposition. The gist of ...
Unfortunately it looks like we’re going through a spate of ram raids in this country. Predictably, there comes the natural political rejoinder: “Alas, the youth are out of control in this country…” in various flavours of vitriol, and thus the Reckons. Those who were armchair epidemiologists concerning the ...
2022 is turning out to be a crap year – George Orwell would have been shocked. I guess reality is always different to predictions. Wars, economic and financial mayhem, and widespread censorship are now our lot. And on top of the censorship, there is disinformation and fake news. How ...
Completed reads for April: The Saga of Hervör and HeithrekThe Saga of Hromund GreipssonThe Tháttr of NornagestIphigenia among the Taurians, by EuripidesIphigenia at Aulis, by EuripidesRhesus, by Euripides?The Body in the Library, by Agatha ChristieWhy Didn’t They Ask Evans?, by Agatha ChristiePoirot Investigates, by Agatha ChristieThe Secret of Chimneys, ...
One thing is abundantly clear: the way we understand the world is largely a matter of narrative management. It is through the strength of narratives we frame concepts around politics, life, and our consequent approach to it. Personally. As Nations. Too often, we don’t even realise where these come ...
Stuff's Henry Cooke reports that the government is planning a significant increase in proactive release of official information, with plans to proactively release almost all advice to ministers. Which is an idea I love, and want to happen, but at the same time fear, because under this government it is ...
A few weeks ago it emerged that NZ Minister of Defence Peeni Henare had asked cabinet for approval to donate surplus NZDF Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to Ukraine as part of the multilateral efforts to support the Ukrainian defence of its homeland against the Russian invasion that is now into ...
Reductions in effective productivity, largely as a result of events overseas, require reductions in real incomes. Ignore that and you cannot defeat inflation. What would you think of a doctor who treated only the symptoms and never tried to identify the causes? A quack? Skilled quacks will have accounts about ...
The Greens are calling for the Government to reconsider the immigration reset so that it better reflects our relationship with our Pacific neighbours. ...
Hamilton City Council and Whanganui District Council have both joined a growing list of Local Authorities to pass a motion in support of Green Party Drug Reform Spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick’s Members’ bill to minimise alcohol harm. ...
Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth. These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand ...
Proposed immigration changes by the Government fail to guarantee pathways to residency to workers in the types of jobs deemed essential throughout the pandemic, by prioritising high income earners - instead of focusing on the wellbeing of workers and enabling migrants to put down roots. ...
The Green Party is throwing its support behind the 10,000 allied health workers taking work-to-rule industrial action today because of unfair pay and working conditions. ...
Since the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our ...
An independent review of New Zealand’s detention regime for asylum seekers has found arbitrary and abusive practices in Aotearoa’s immigration law, policy, and practice. ...
The Human Rights Commission inquiry into housing quality confirms what the Green Party has been calling for - a rental Warrant of Fitness and a register of landlords and property managers. ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth, Hon Phil Twyford, has tested positive for COVID-19. He tested positive from a RAT this morning after beginning to feel symptomatic on Friday evening, and is displaying moderate symptoms. As a result he is no longer able to travel to Timor-Leste on ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tested positive for COVID-19. She has been in isolation since Sunday 8 May when her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive. The Prime Minister has been symptomatic since Friday evening, returning a weak positive last night and a clear positive this morning on a RAT test. ...
$15 million boost over four years for youth development services including: $2.5 million annually to support increased access to youth development services for up to an additional 6,800 young people $1 million annually in a pilot initiative supporting full-time equivalent youth workers to deliver increased contact time with at least ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth, Hon Phil Twyford, will represent the New Zealand Government at the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of Timor-Leste’s independence, and the inauguration of Dr Jose Ramos-Horta as Timor-Leste’s next President. “Aotearoa New Zealand’s relationship with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste dates back ...
Kua pānuihia ngā kaupapa mō Matariki Ahunga Nui Kua pānuihia ngā kaitono i angitu ā rātou tono pūtea hei tautoko i te iwi Māori ki te whakaora mai anō, ki te whakatinana anō i ngā mātauranga mō Matariki o te hau kāinga. I whakaterea te kaupapa o Matariki Ahunga Nui ...
Minister of Transport Michael Wood has welcomed the opening of the tender processes for Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections project, marking an important step forward in developing a future-proofed rapid transit network that will serve generations of Aucklanders. “These two crucial projects represent a huge investment ...
Aotearoa New Zealand is providing more funding to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator for global efforts to respond to the pandemic. “The health, economic and social impacts of COVID continue to be felt around the world,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “This further $10 million will support developing countries to ...
Updated pass can be downloaded from 24 May for people 12 and over People encouraged to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations Boosters included in up-to-date My Vaccine Pass for those 18 and over New Zealanders who are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations will be able to download ...
New legislation to modernise the management of 1.2 million hectares of Crown pastoral land primarily in the South Island high country was passed in Parliament today. Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor said the Crown Pastoral Land Reform (CPLR) Bill has passed its third reading. “These spectacular South Island properties are ...
Aotearoa New Zealand strongly condemns the campaign of destructive cyber activity by Russia against Ukraine, alongside the EU and international partners, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “These relentless attacks are part of a pattern of disruptive cyber activity that demonstrates a repeated disregard for the rules-based international order and established ...
The Government has released a review of the operation and effectiveness of the law controlling commercial space activities, and signalled a separate study on wider issues of space policy will begin later this year. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash says a review of the Outer Space and High-Altitude Activities Act ...
New Zealand has initiated dispute settlement proceedings against Canada regarding its implementation of dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs) under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor said. “Our priority is to ensure that New Zealand exporters have meaningful access to the benefits negotiated ...
Support for ongoing and transitional Care in the Community support, including: A pivot in work for Community Connectors Confidence and certainty for community food organisations and MSD’s Food Secure Communities programme Funding to support the wellbeing of disabled people The Government is updating its Care in the Community (CiC) ...
295 events covering at least 607 performances that have had to cancel or suffered losses due to COVID-19 have had their costs reimbursed, with total support paid out to events now exceeding $20 million 186 future events in 2022 and 2023 have also received cover 64 organisations have been ...
International students can enrol to study in New Zealand from July 31 Minister to travel to USA, Chile and Brazil to promote studying here International fee-paying students under Year 9 can continue to enrol in schools New Zealand International Education Strategy being refreshed New Zealand is fully reopening to ...
Good morning, I want to start by thanking our hosts the Wellington Chamber of Commerce who graciously do this every year as we lead into the Budget. I want to make a particular acknowledgement of the recent partnership that the Chamber has entered into with Te Awe the Maori Business ...
A Bill to help lower the fees charged when credit and debit transactions are made, will save New Zealand businesses around $74 million a year. The Retail Payment System Bill passed its third reading today, regulating merchant service fees, and reducing a major overhead for small business, Commerce and Consumer ...
I te whare pāremata ngā uri o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua i tēnei rā kia kite, kia rongo hoki rātou i te hipanga o te pānuitanga tuatahi o te Pire Whakataunga Kokoraho mō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. Ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua tētahi kohinga ...
Kua hinga ngā kapua pōuri i runga i Taranaki maunga. Kua wehe atu rā te Tumuaki o te Hāhi Ratana, arā ko matua Harerangi Meihana. E koro, moe mai rā. Me piki ake koe mā runga te aroha o to iwi ki te taha o to koroua, arā a Tahupōtiki ...
Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you to Business New Zealand and Fujitsu for hosting us here today, and I am grateful to be joined by Minister Faafoi, and Minister Hipkins. Can I thank you also for being so agile in the arrangements for our lunch event. I had of course ...
Border fully open two months early from 11:59pm 31 July Significantly simplified immigration processes that provide faster processing for businesses New Green List that includes over 85 hard to fill roles created to attract and retain high-skilled workers to fill skill shortages Green List will provide streamlined and prioritised ...
Up to 150 new homes will be built for whānau who need them most thanks to a new partnership between the Government and Toitū Tairāwhiti, Minister of Housing Hon Dr Megan Woods and Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare have announced. Minister Henare and Toitū Tairāwhiti gathered in ...
As part of the Government’s ongoing response to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced new sanctions targeting disinformation and those responsible for cyber attacks on Ukraine. “Aotearoa New Zealand continues to unequivocally condemn Russia’s unjustified and illegal attack on Ukraine,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “President Putin’s propaganda machine is in ...
Significant improvements are being made in New Zealand workplaces to better protect whistleblowers, Minister for the Public Service Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 replaces the Protected Disclosures Act 2000. It is more people-focused and will make the rules easier to access, understand, and ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Jonathan Schwass as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Solomon Islands. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have a long history of close engagement as Pacific whānau,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Our partnership is founded on cooperation in areas such as ...
Budget 2022 delivers $114.5 million over four years to prevent and respond to family violence and sexual violence across Aotearoa Investment includes a $38.1 million boost for community-led integrated responses $37.6 million to prevent violence by strengthening existing initiatives in Māori and Pacific communities and for Aotearoa as a ...
This week (9 – 15 May 2022) is New Zealand Sign Language Week (NZSL), a nationwide celebration of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. “This year’s theme ‘New Zealand Sign Language is essential’ recognises the prominence and importance of our third official language, and draws a spotlight on ...
The Government’s swift action to secure our economic recovery in the midst of a pandemic has seen 47 per cent of jobs in New Zealand protected by at least one of the 2021 wage subsidies, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said. The Ministry of Social Development’s new ...
Apprenticeship Boost extended to the end of 2023, supporting 38,000 apprentices Support for 1600 Mana in Mahi places to help people into work Funding to continue the Māori Trades and Training Fund, building on the 17 established partnerships that are supporting more than 800 people The Government is extending ...
Climate Change Minister James Shaw today announced New Zealand’s first three emissions budgets, another milestone on of the journey toward a zero-carbon future. “Today’s announcement means our net-zero future is closer than ever before. There’s much more to do, but having these binding budgets in place is a critical part ...
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Good morning. Thank you, Stephen, for that kind introduction. And thank you, again, to ASB for hosting us today. *** I grew up in a big, old Victorian ‘character home’ in Aro Valley. Like so many here in ...
As Road Safety Week officially commences, Auckland’s busiest cycling route has just received a $14.4 million upgrade, paving the way to get more Aucklanders out of their cars and onto their bikes. The new Tamaki Drive cycleway was opened today by Minister of Transport, Michael Wood following an official dawn ...
Delivers largest Police force ever and continues investment in frontline Police after the goal of an additional 1800 Police will be achieved by the end of this year - six months ahead of schedule Extra funding set aside to grow Police to match population growth. This will ensure there ...
Vetḁkia ‘os Fäega ma Ag fak hanua - Sustaining our Language and Culture is showcased in this year’s Rotuman Language Week – the first of nine Pacific Language Weeks, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “With just 2,000 Rotuman speakers on the islands of Rotuma, nurturing the growing ...
Pacific communities can expect more support to go smokefree as Associate Ministers of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall and Aupito William Sio launched one of the new Pacific stop smoking services at K’aute Pasifika Trust in Hamilton today. The Smokefree Pacific Advisory Group, chaired by Associate Professor Dr Collin Tukuitonga, was ...
Northshore commuters now have access to congestion free travel to and from the city, as far north as Albany, thanks to the completion of the latest Northern Busway extension which was opened today by the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood. The four year project has delivered an additional five kilometres ...
Thanks to a $10 million dollar investment, all remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025 reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The move is part of ...
An innovative high-tech approach to forestry management is set to transform New Zealand’s forestry industry, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is backing Precision Silviculture, a $25.5 million, seven-year programme led by Forest Growers Research Limited (FGR). “The investment is part of the ...
More of New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes, culture and heritage destinations will be showcased by the addition of two new cycle trails to the Ngā Haerenga Great Rides network. Tourism and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash has today opened the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop trail near Rotorua, and announced ...
Public feedback is being sought on proposed changes to improve management planning and concession processes in conservation legislation. “Management strategies and plans are key tools which help manage natural and historic resources by providing guidance on what can and cannot be done in our national parks and conservation areas,” Conservation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Dave Sharma/Facebook; Allegra Spender/Facebook The battles in the most high-profile teal seats have become nail-biters, not least because some “soft” voters in these previously safe Liberal heartland electorates are leaving their decisions until ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Israel’s fatal shooting of leading Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh as she covered clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin is a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions and UN Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists, says the Paris-based media freedom ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that she has tested positive for covid-19. Her daughter Neve tested positive on Wednesday, she added in the post. Her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive on Sunday. “Despite best efforts, unfortunately I’ve joined the rest of my family and tested positive for ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Aotearoa New Zealand’s chair of the Māori Council, Matthew Tūkākī, has revealed the degree of “horrific abuse” he has been facing in a Today FM radio discussion about the forthcoming Tauranga byelection in the city claimed to be a hotspot of white supremacy and racism. He ...
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk Activists have condemned alleged terror and intimidation against Papuan human rights activists and called the police to thoroughly investigate an alleged arson attack at Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) on Monday. The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) and Papua Humanitarian Coalition, condemned ...
The party says a string of racist incidents in the city, including a white supremacist leaflet drop, has caused them to opt out of the race altogether - and protect their mana. Some locals agree. ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup is entirely subscriber-funded. The ethos behind this public service is to help foster a robust and informed public debate, with a great diversity of perspectives. If you appreciate what we are doing in providing non-partisan analysis and information about politics, economy, and society, ...
We are grateful to David Farrar for drawing attention to something we overlooked in our report yesterday on the Maori Party’s reason(s) for not standing a candidate in the upcoming by election. On Kiwiblog today, he reports: So Tauranga is unsafe for Maori! Stuff reports: Te ...
The Point of Order Trough Monitor almost missed the handout of some $5 million to Māori tribes, the announcement of which was preceded by a press statement headline and 300 words of te reo. Having found the English text a few paragraphs down in the statement, we were disappointed to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Lukas Coch A Newspoll, conducted May 10-13 from a sample of 1,532, gave Labor a 54-46 lead, unchanged from the previous week’s Newspoll. Primary votes were 38% ...
Podcast - The government has finally unveiled its new vision for immigration, but as Political Reporter Anneke Smith finds, it's already accused of unfairness and poor implementation. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Clark, Deputy Engagement Editor, The Conversation An existential moment for the Liberal party? Another female leader for Labor? In this episode of our election podcast Below the Line, our expert panel talk us through what might happen to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne Winner Archibald Prize 2022, Blak Douglas Moby Dickens, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 300 x 200 ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby On the eve of Papua New Guinea heading into its 2022 national general elections, the bearer of one of the highest offices in the country has tragically died. Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil died in a head-on vehicle collision along the Bulolo Highway in ...
RNZ Pacific Vanuatu’s outgoing president, Obed Moses Tallis, has urged the government not to abolish the Ministry of Justice, warning against a “dictatorial system”. His opening speech to Parliament’s first “ordinary” session of 2022 is his final duty of his mandate which will end in July. “In my observation during ...
COMMENTARY:By John Minto The absolute impunity which the Aotearoa New Zealand government has given to Israel’s racist apartheid regime over many decades and the cowering of the Aotearoa New Zealand media in the face of threats of false smears of anti-semitism from the racist pro-Israel lobby are key factors ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s policemen and women around the country have been ordered to arrest and charge anyone in possession of illegal firearms — which carries life imprisonment under the amended law — from the May 19 deadline. Police Commissioner David Manning, who is also ...
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) director Emanuel Gobay says a participant of a demonstration in Jayapura opposing the creation of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua is in a critical condition after being shot by a rubber bullet allegedly fired by a police officer. Earlier, police ...
Te Pāti Maori has made the decision not to stand any candidates in the upcoming Tauranga bi-election. "Whilst this By-election could be an opportunity for Te Pāti Māori to advance our cause for a more just, equitable, equal, Tiriti Centric ...
Oceans advocates from across Aotearoa today called on the New Zealand Government to urgently ban seabed mining. Via this live webina r, experts and community representatives voiced huge concerns over the threat of seabed mining in New Zealand and frustration ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra AAP/Mick Tsikas Scott Morrison has acknowledged his style has alienated people, describing himself as “a bit of a bulldozer” and suggesting Australians would see a change of “gears” if he is re-elected. ...
Hamilton City Council is keeping its options open to get the best outcomes for the city as Government’s Three Waters reform develops. Council yesterday voted to keep working to influence the shape of the reform programme and ensure services to residents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra AAP/Mick Tsikas Scott Morrison has acknowledged his style has alienated people, describing himself as “a bit of a bulldozer” and suggesting Australians would see a change of “gears” if he is re-elected. ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. Modern ‘western’ governments are known as ‘liberal democracies’. While each political party in a liberal democracy has a ‘policy agenda’ which it would like to implement, only single-party governments have a realistic opportunity to fully implement their agenda; and they typically need multiple terms ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Vandenberg, Research Fellow, Monash University Erik Mclea/Unsplash, CC BY-SA Gambling and homelessness are clearly linked. Australians over 50 are particularly vulnerable. They have high rates of regular gambling, and are the fastest-growing age group of Australians experiencing homelessness. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Associate Professor Chris Wallace look at how the election battle stands as we enter the final campaign week. They canvass the ever-present Katherine Deves, after Scott ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Waller, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock You want to help Ukrainians in need. Should you donate to UNICEF, UNHCR, Red Cross, World Vision, Caritas, Save the Children or some other charitable organisation? There are so many ...
The Māori Party could be sure it would generate emotive headlines when it announced it won’t stand a candidate at the Tauranga by-election “on the basis of a safety issue”. It claimed the party’s co-leaders have received threats and hate speech from residents there. Stuff ran the news under the ...
“The Māori Party announcing that they are not standing in the Tauranga by-election because it is a ‘safety issue’ due to ‘racism’ is a ridiculous insult to the voters and just plain wrong,” says Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bethaney Turner, Associate Professor, Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra Shutterstock Before you squash or poison the next slug or snail you see in your garden, consider this: The British Royal Horticultural ...
Our ministers have been variously focused on issues involving New Zealand’s foreign relationships – a rebuke for Russia, Covid vaccines for poorer countries and the pursuit of a trade dispute with Canada – and the regulation of activities in space. Coming back to earth in the high country, legislation has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Veysey, Honorary Professor, University of Newcastle Shutterstock How often should we poo? If you Google this question, you’re likely to find an answer along the lines of three times a day to once every three days. But this leaves ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miranda Stewart, Professor, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock/Datawrapper Amid the talk about tax changes set to cut the middle-income rate to 30%, a shortage of workers and incomes not keeping up with the cost of living, one common threat shines ...
The government cannot afford to ignore New Zealand’s homes and buildings in next week’s major climate change announcements, warns the Green Building Council, ahead of the unveiling of the emissions reduction plan, the climate emergency response ...
Join Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March, the Migrant Workers’ Association, and the Supreme Sikh Society for a candlelight vigil in solidarity with Narinderjit Singh and his family this Saturday! Ricardo will also be receiving the submission of Sona ...
Auckland, 13 May 2022 – MonopolyWatch NZ is urging kiwis of all political persuasions to say “stop picking our pockets” and demand an end to the country’s outdated, unfair and unsustainable supermarket industry structure. Sign the Consumer NZ’s ...
As the government prepares to release its Budget 2022, the Council for International Development (CID), and its member aid agencies are calling for greater transparency in budget spend and more investment in the overseas aid programme. “Covid continues ...
By proposing regulations that make it harder for shooting clubs and ranges to operate, along with imposing restrictions on how novices can enter the sport, police are attacking New Zealand conservation ideals and heritage. It has been estimated that recreational ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Associate lecturer, Australian National University Early voting has begun and election day is looming. Many of us were disillusioned with politics well before the campaign even began, and it’s been going for almost five weeks. To the ordinary Australian, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brittany Williams, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Oksana Maksymova/Shutterstock Though oysters may be brainless bivalves, they can “hear” and swim towards attractive sounds of the sea. We played the crackling sound of snapping shrimp, which indicates a healthy reef, to baby ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Director, Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University This election campaign has been somewhat different to most past campaigns. Traditionally, the Coalition campaigns on the economy and defence, while the Labor Party tenders its credentials on health and education. However, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Associate Professor & Principal Research Fellow, James Cook University Getty Images Widespread coral bleaching has now occurred on the Great Barrier Reef for the fourth time in seven years. As the world has heated up more and more, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carly Steele, Lecturer, Curtin University GettyImages In the title we quote Michelle Martin (with her permission), who is a proud Kija woman and passionate educator. She sees a system that does not adequately recognise Aboriginal students’ worldviews or knowledge. Instead, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Harvey, Senior Lecturer in Creative Arts, University of Auckland Artist Sofia Minson working on a mural of musician Tiki Taane in downtown Auckland.Getty Images The past two years have made it impossible to ignore the problem in Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne Elioth Gruner (1882–1939), Spring Frost, 1919. Oil on canvas Art Gallery of New South Wales ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Liberals have used John Howard extensively during this campaign. These days, they celebrate their party hero as the great winner. He was, however, the last Liberal prime minister to take his party into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mitchell Harley, Scientia Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Environmental scientists see flora, fauna and phenomena the rest of us rarely do. In this series, we’ve invited them to share their unique photos from the field. Extreme storms can cause devastating ...
The three waters reforms would achieve balance sheet separation and improve some councils' finances, according to analysis that paves the way for the legislation. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Muriel Porter, Honorary Research Fellow, Trinity College Theological School, University of Divinity Shutterstock When same-sex marriage was legislated by the Commonwealth in 2017, it quickly became a potential flashpoint in the Anglican Church of Australia. For the conservative Diocese of ...
New Zealand has fired a warning shot at Canada over dairy tariffs, kicking off a dispute resolution under the trans-Pacific Partnership pact - the first of its kind. ...
“There’s so much more to do, and now’s the time.” Sophie Handford, New Zealand’s youngest elected member, announced today that she will be standing for re-election in the Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward this October. “Now more than ever, we need Councillors ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup is entirely subscriber-funded. The ethos behind this public service is to help foster a robust and informed public debate, with a great diversity of perspectives. If you appreciate what we are doing in providing non-partisan analysis and information about politics, economy, and society, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dean Biron, PhD in Cultural Studies; teaches in School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology Wikimedia Commons In May of 1972 the Rolling Stones released their 10th British studio album and first double LP, Exile on Main St. Although initial ...
The way in which judges can grant rights – or remove them – has been glaringly illuminated by the leaked draft opinion of the United States Supreme Court that strikes down Roe v Wade. A spokesperson for the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand said the ruling was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University shutterstockShutterstock This federal election campaign has involved very little discussion of environmental or natural resource policies, other than mining. An exception is a A$220 million Morrison government pledge ...
Al Jazeera Media Network has condemned the “blatant murder” of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh that violates “international laws and norms”. Video: Al JazeeraCOMMENTARY:By Mazin Qumsiyeh It is so hard for me to write today — too many tears. The US-supported Israeli occupation forces’ crimes continue daily but some ...
Yesterday’s announcement by the Government to fast-track residency applications for overseas trained general practitioners has been applauded by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. General practitioners and rural hospital doctors ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niro Kandasamy, Lecturer, University of Sydney The Sri Lankan state is descending into a full blown political and economic crisis, as more people contend with starvation, death and severe disruptions. Now they are also facing the brutal violence of the state. ...
The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand ( DCANZ ) is welcoming the announcement today that New Zealand has invoked dispute settlement proceedings with Canada over the implementation of its dairy obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive ...
“Unbelievable.” That’s how Alison Eddy, the Chief Executive of the New Zealand College of Midwives, has reacted to the government announcement yesterday on its refreshed immigration settings. Two separate groups on the Green List have been published ...
RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil has died following a car crash in the Bulolo district of Morobe Province. As well being Deputy Prime Minister, Basil was Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, and is the former Minister for Communications, Information Technology and Energy. Police Commissioner David ...
The Māori Affairs Committee is calling for submissions on the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill. Ngāti Kahungunu is an iwi whose area of interest spans from Cape Turnagain down to Cape Palliser, and encompasses ...
Pre-budget speeches from the PM and her Minister of Finance feature in the latest posts on the Beehive website. Both speeches mention the re-opening (hurrah) of the country’s borders. The re-opening was the highlight of a package of initiatives announced in a press statement in the names of four ministers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evita March, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Federation University Australia Mick Tsikas/AAP Prime Minister Scott Morrison says one of his “great missions” is to make social media a safer place for young people. If the Coalition is re-elected, Morrison says ...
A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning bring you a programme in three parts. First, they provide a brief roundup of Russia’s Victory Day on May 9th and what to make of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin’s speech. PLUS, they evaluate a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Hickson, Economics Lecturer and Director Business Taught Masters Programme, University of Canterbury Getty Images Removing the goods and services tax (GST) from food is not a new idea. Te Pāti Māori are currently pushing for its removal from all ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Conway, Senior Lecturer – Games and Interactivity, Swinburne University of Technology EA Sports EA Sports and FIFA will part ways after almost 30 years of collaboration. This is surprising for a number of reasons, not least because it is ...
Fascinating take on Poot's strategy.
To be sure, Putin is guilty of a massive geostrategic misperception. This is ironic considering that the fall of the Soviet Union was, in fact, a historic opportunity for Russia.
Nichols: Can you clarify that?
Gustafson: The Russian and Soviet empires were increasingly difficult to govern as multiethnic states, especially as one moved south and west to Central Asia, Ukraine, and the Baltic republics. But after 1991, for the first time in its history, Russia overnight had gained the basis for a coherent nation-state, in that more than 80 percent of its population was now ethnic Russian. Suddenly, for the first time in its history, Russia was free of the burden of empire.
As a result, Russia’s logical future pointed east, not west. Before the 21st century, the czars and the Soviet commissars had never been able to govern Russia east of the Urals as anything but a prison camp and a resource appendage. But the advent of the internet, and the improvements it brought in communications and global trade, changed everything. Russia can now potentially be governed efficiently as a single national entity from Murmansk to Vladivostok. And it needs to be governed that way, because just over the horizon is the challenge of China.
Nichols: You’d think Putin would have understood that.
Gustafson: Putin continued to do what his imperial and Soviet predecessors had always done. Instead of looking to the East and absorbing the implications of this new reality, he focused on the West and neglected the East. Marx might have said that Putin suffers from “false consciousness.” From the long-term perspective, both the prizes and the threats lie in the East. Yet Putin—together with the hydrocarbon-based oligarchy that surrounds him—continued to focus on Europe. In rhetoric, he talked about a “pivot to the East,” but in practice Europe remained his chief market.
An irony here is that the Russians had already begun diversifying away from gas transit through Ukraine before the war. Nord Stream 2 is actually the last of five new bypass pipelines to Europe; another decade and the gas divorce would have been final.
But Europe is declining and China is rising. Putin is focused in the wrong direction.
https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/peacefield/623e58039d9e380022c4989a/russian-gas-dependence-benefits-china/
https://thediplomat.com/2022/02/putin-and-xi-frame-a-new-china-russia-partnership/
https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-tells-xi-new-deal-that-could-sell-more-russian-gas-china-2022-02-04/
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1510064917524758532.html
George interviews Maxim Suchkov policy expert Russian international affairs
more stuff on sanctions / ramifications
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppaOEb1aAHA
This aged well.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03694-y?sf225031082=1
Steady gas flows seem to indicate a continuing pattern of remarkably stable economic interdependence that seems impervious to the geopolitical environment.
https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/PJSC-GAZPROM-6491735/news/Russian-gas-flows-to-Europe-through-key-pipelines-remain-steady-39976784/
Crikey !! just when you thought another billionaire joining the big tech boys might be a bad idea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi1ApETGUVc