<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> households and businesses will need to significantly reduce <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> consumption in order to maintain reserves through the upcoming winter, according to the International Energy Agency.
The group’s <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/gas-market-report-q4-2022/cold-comfort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a>, written before <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed natural gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline and prior to the Nord Stream system witnessing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unprecedented damage</a> last week, warned that “a complete shutdown of Russian pipeline flows to the European Union cannot be ruled out.” Ministers are contending with energy prices that have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as much as twentyfold</a> in some countries.
“As the summer ends in the northern hemisphere on new highs for natural gas prices and volatility and markets brace themselves for a winter of unprecedented uncertainty of supply due to Russia’s behaviour, security of energy supply has become a priority issue for consumers and policy makers across major consuming markets,” the International Energy Agency said.
Several nations, including France and Spain, have called for residents to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce power consumption</a> ahead of the winter months. The International Energy Agency found that a failure to reduce demand would bring power inventory to 18% of working capacity by March 2023, while a 9% or 13% reduction in power usage would lead to inventories of 38% and 45%, respectively.
“Implementing gas saving measures will be crucial to minimise storage withdrawals and keep inventories at an adequate level until the end of the heating season,” the group explained, particularly noting that changed household energy consumption would ideally account for over 40% of the 13% demand reduction scenario.
French President Emmanuel Macron accordingly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged citizens</a> last month to use air conditioning and heating a “bit less than usual” — such as by keeping indoor temperatures no more than 19 degrees Celsius, roughly 66 degrees Fahrenheit, through the winter. The nation’s government is preparing energy rationing initiatives that officials could pursue “as a last resort.”
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that the European Union would propose a “mandatory target” for reducing electricity consumption among member states during peak hours. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol previously exhorted leaders in Europe to <a href="https://www.iea.org/commentaries/coordinated-actions-across-europe-are-essential-to-prevent-a-major-gas-crunch-here-are-5-immediate-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopt several policies</a> to save natural gas — including auction platforms designed for demand reduction, an increase in coal and oil-fired power generation, and temperature controls for households.
“The first immediate step towards filling European gas storage to adequate levels before winter is to reduce Europe’s current gas consumption, and to put the saved gas into storage,” he argued. “This is a big ask, but it does not exaggerate the scale of what is needed — or what is possible if the right measures are taken. It is categorically not enough to just rely on gas from non-Russian sources — these supplies are simply not available in the volumes required to substitute for missing deliveries from Russia.”
Russian shipments accounted for 40% of the European natural gas supply last year — a rate that had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> to 9% as of last month. Germany, the continent’s largest economy, has seen dependence on Russian natural gas decrease from 55% to 35%.
The producer price index for industrial products in Germany has risen 45.8% year-over-year as of August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Prices/Producer-Price-Index-For-Industrial-Products/_node.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, which followed increases of 37.2% in July 2022 and 32.7% in June 2022. Several firms are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-companies-pause-production-as-energy-prices-soar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">halting production</a> in factories or laying off employees.

Austria, Salzkammergut, view of Hallstatt and Dachstein over lake Hallstaetter See at sunrise in winter

European Households Must Cut Power Usage This Winter, Energy Agency Says

Europe Must Cut Power Usage To Have Energy Left Over In The Spring

Energy

Europe

Germany

Oil and Gas

Ukraine-Russia War

The Nord Stream pipeline system is the center of Europe’s geopolitical tensions as Russia invades Ukraine — at least until a few days ago.
Europeans, already battling to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">secure enough power</a> for the winter thanks to its rapid transition toward green energy, were met on September 26 with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage">unprecedented damage</a> to the pipelines, which run natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Officials in Sweden reported two leaks in Nord Stream 1 shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 was found, while Nord Stream AG, the energy company that runs the pipeline system, remains unable to “estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.”
Ministers across Europe quickly began pointing fingers as natural gas spewed into the Baltic Sea. Given the conflict that has characterized the pipeline system, through which Russia had stopped sending natural gas a few weeks earlier, one would have to be off their rockers to not call foul. The German government, for example, has already ruled out seismic activity as a cause for the disaster and presumes the system was intentionally destroyed.
Russia, for its part, denies any involvement. When asked about the possibility of sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “no option can be ruled out” at the moment. However, as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted in a recent <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/88062">report</a>, Russia could benefit from the end of Nord Stream 1 by claiming a “force majeure” for breaching contracts to avoid delivering natural gas to Europe. 
Gazprom, the Russian energy conglomerate which owns a majority stake in Nord Stream AG, could also benefit from insurance claims. Others speculate that Russia destroyed its own pipelines to increase gas prices or even frame the United States.
While plenty of European leaders have blamed Russia, some have indeed noted the United States had the most to gain from the suddenly disabled pipelines. President Joe Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1574685985115607040?s=20&amp;t=exDoFSWQyGXDG_Cpl8TgOQ">said</a> days before the invasion that he would “bring an end” to Nord Stream 2 if Russian troops entered Ukraine. After the pipelines were destroyed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-canadian-foreign-minister-melanie-joly-at-a-joint-press-availability/">called</a> the phenomenon a “tremendous opportunity” to end European reliance on Russian energy. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/economist-makes-waves-after-arguing-the-biden-admin-destroyed-the-nord-stream-pipeline">noted</a> by economist Jeffrey Sachs, the rhetoric from the White House is a “strange way to talk” if they were truly “worried about piracy on international infrastructure of vital significance.”
When asked to justify his assertion, Sachs claimed radar data indicated that American military helicopters typically based in Poland had been circling over the area of the destruction. Some have noted the United States and other NATO members had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-navy-nato-recently-tested-underwater-technology-near-location-nord-stream-pipelines-were-damaged">tested</a> underwater technology months before the pipelines were destroyed.
 Meanwhile, one report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage">revealed</a> that the CIA had cautioned Germany about possible attacks on the pipelines weeks earlier.
Even though the pipelines were not pumping gas due to Western sanctions, protesters in Germany had been calling for the energy flow to resume as electricity prices increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">more than twentyfold</a>. Crippling the pipelines would likely eliminate the possibility of Germany lifting the sanctions in time to import energy for the winter — a compromise that would compel Ukraine to lose support from the largest economy in Europe.
Other Americans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-fuels-suspicion-u-s-behind-nord-stream-sabotage">suspicious</a> of their own government’s motives included Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who warned of possible retaliation from the Russian government. “If we actually blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, why wouldn’t Russia sever undersea internet cables?” Carlson wondered, noting that such a move would overthrow the worldwide banking system. “Have the people behind this… considered the effects? Maybe they have. Maybe that was the point.”

3D render of the construction of the gas pipe Nord Stream 2. The concept of sanctions and economic war, an anvil falling on a gas pipe. 3D rendering

Did The United States Sabotage The Nord Stream Pipelines?

Nord Stream Pipeline

Readers Pass

Russia

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/columbia-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Columbia University</a> economist Jeffrey Sachs made waves on Monday after arguing that the United States was responsible for destroying part of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nord-stream-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nord Stream</a> pipeline system in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europe</a>.
The pipelines, which carry <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> under the Baltic Sea from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a>, have been the center of geopolitical strife since the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasion of Ukraine</a>. Russia nixed shipments through Nord Stream 1 several weeks ago, while Germany blocked the adjacent Nord Stream 2 from beginning shipments days before. Sweden and Denmark <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage">reported</a> damage to the pipelines last week as the system operator confirmed that the destruction was “unprecedented.”
During an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESG14_DsUIA">appearance</a> on Bloomberg TV, Sachs — who directs Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development — agreed with some Europeans who have suggested that the United States had the strongest motive to carry out the alleged attack.
&#8220;The European economy is getting hammered by the sudden cutoff of energy,” Sachs contended. “And now to make it definitive, the destruction of the Nord Stream Pipeline — which I would bet was a U.S. action, perhaps U.S. and Poland.”
When asked to justify his assertion, Sachs claimed that radar data indicated that American military helicopters typically based in Gdansk, Poland, had been circling over the area. He also noted that President Joe Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1574685985115607040?s=20&amp;t=exDoFSWQyGXDG_Cpl8TgOQ">said</a> days before the invasion that he would “bring an end” to Nord Stream 2 if Russian troops entered Ukraine. After the pipelines were destroyed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-canadian-foreign-minister-melanie-joly-at-a-joint-press-availability/">called</a> the phenomenon a “tremendous opportunity” to end European reliance on Russian energy.
“That&#8217;s a strange way to talk if you&#8217;re worried about piracy on international infrastructure of vital significance,” Sachs said. “I know it runs counter to our narrative — you&#8217;re not allowed to say these things in the West — but the fact of the matter is all over the world when I talk to people, they think the U.S. did it. Even reporters on our papers that are involved tell me ‘Of course,’ but it doesn&#8217;t show up in our media.”
While some European ministers said Russia may have destroyed its own pipelines to increase gas prices, others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-fuels-suspicion-u-s-behind-nord-stream-sabotage">blamed</a> the United States for the damage, which caused natural gas to spew toward the surface of the Baltic Sea. Disabling the pipelines would remove the possibility of Germany caving to Russia and ending sanctions in time to import energy for the winter.
The German government assumes the destruction emerged from an intentional attack rather than seismic activity. Some have noted that the United States and other NATO members had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-navy-nato-recently-tested-underwater-technology-near-location-nord-stream-pipelines-were-damaged">tested underwater technology</a> months before the pipelines were destroyed. Meanwhile, a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/cia-warned-berlin-about-possible-attacks-gas-pipelines-summer-spiegel-2022-09-27/">report</a> from German news outlet Spiegel pointed out that the CIA had cautioned Germany about possible attacks on the pipelines weeks earlier.
Ministers in the European Union are contending with energy prices that have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">as much as twentyfold</a> in some member states. In accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, nations in the bloc abide by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">official goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050. As power prices continue to rise, manufacturers across Europe have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-companies-pause-production-as-energy-prices-soar">paused operations</a> through the winter, while some nations are considering implementing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-unveils-massive-green-power-development-proposal-as-energy-crisis-continues">energy quotas</a> and other regulations for power consumption.

Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs Interview

Economist Makes Waves After Arguing The Biden Admin Destroyed The Nord Stream Pipeline

Columbia Economist Argues The United States Destroyed Nord Stream Pipeline

Incoming Italian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-giorgia-meloni-claims-victory-as-italys-first-female-prime-minister/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni</a> won’t be moving into the opulent official residence in Rome because she and her partner prefer to raise their daughter in the suburbs.
The conservative leader, who was swept into power Sunday amid a growing backlash against European globalists, will remain in Mostacciano, a suburb of the Italian capital, where she and Andrea Giambruno now live.
“Do you think we’d raise a six-year-old child in a Versailles-like palazzo?” Giambruno, a TV journalist, said in a rare interview with Italian daily newspaper <a href="https://www.corriere.it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corriere della Sera</a>. “We’ve already got a house.”
The prime minister’s official residence is the 16th century Palazzo Chigi, located in the heart of the city. It traditionally serves as both the residence and the office of Italy’s leader.
Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, sits atop a coalition of right-wing parties and is in the process of forming a new government after the election. Meloni is reportedly in talks with allies Matteo Salvini and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to assemble a cabinet before taking office at the end of next month.
Critics on the Left have branded Meloni a fascist and compared her to World War II-era dictator Benito Mussolini, in large part for her fierce criticism of globalists and her early political roots in a party linked to the infamous figure.
YouTube this week took down a video of her delivering a powerful and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youtube-removed-viral-pro-family-speech-from-incoming-conservative-italian-pm-giorgia-meloni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">career-defining speech</a> in 2019, claiming it violated “community guidelines.”
“Why is the family an enemy? Why is the family so frightening?” Meloni said in the speech. “There is a single answer to all these questions. Because it defines us. Because it is our identity. Because everything that defines us is now an enemy for those who would like us to no longer have an identity and to simply be perfect consumer slaves.”
<div id="attachment_443719" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443719" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-443719 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-864x576.jpg" alt="Incoming Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni will not move into the palatial Palazzo Chigi in Rome, where Italian prime ministers have traditionally lived. " width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1419897021-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Incoming Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni will not move into the palatial Palazzo Chigi in Rome, where Italian prime ministers have traditionally lived. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)</div>
Meloni, who was raised in Rome by a single mom who wrote romance novels, won her first local election at 21 and became Italy’s youngest ever minister when former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made her youth minister in 2008. In her 2021 autobiography, “I am Giorgia,” Meloni described joining a local chapter of the Italian Social Movement, created in 1946 by supporters of Mussolini.
She compares her party and her politics to Republicans in the U.S. and Britain’s Conservative Party, and even left-wing former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called claims Meloni is a fascist “fake news.”
&#8220;I&#8217;m not her best friend,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolutely-fake-news-on-cnn-giorgia-melonis-political-rival-shuts-down-fascism-fears/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Renzi told CNN</a>. “We are rivals but she is not a danger to democracy. The idea there is a risk of fascism in Italy is absolutely fake news.&#8221;
Meloni’s unapologetic defense of faith and family has resonated with conservatives around the world who are suspicious of growing power of globalist groups such as the World Economic Forum. She is also a fierce critic of radical gender theory and illegal immigration.
“Yes to natural families, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology, yes to the culture of life, no to the abyss of death,” she said in a June speech. “No to the violence of Islam, yes to safer borders, no to mass immigration, yes to work for our people, no to major international finance.”
Giambruno said Meloni has proven that Italy is hungry for change.
“She has achieved something unthinkable given where she came from,” Giambruno said in the interview. “She has showed that if you work hard without taking shortcuts, you will make it.”
Giambruno and Meloni are not married, and Meloni has been accused of hypocrisy for promoting traditional, Christian family values.
“Saying that if you are not married you cannot defend the natural family based on marriage is a bit like saying that if you are young, you cannot care about the problems of the elderly,” she wrote in her autobiography last year.

Italy’s Political Parties Await Snap Election Results

‘We’ve Already Got A House’: New Italian Leader Giorgia Meloni Won’t Move Into Luxury PM Palace

'We've Already Got A House': New Italian Leader Giorgia Meloni Won't Move Into Luxury PM Palace

Globalism

Italy

World Economic Forum

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change">Environmental</a> groups are “angry” over efforts from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/united-kingdom">British</a> Prime Minister <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/liz-truss">Liz Truss</a> to increase <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas">oil and gas</a> production.
As <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe">Europe</a> battles soaring energy prices amid the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war">Russian invasion of Ukraine</a>, Truss began pushing for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/strengthening-our-energy-resilience-britain-ends-fracking-ban-will-become-net-exporter-by-2040">higher fossil fuel production</a> and established the goal of becoming a net exporter of energy by 2040. The new Conservative Party government headed by Truss also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-british-prime-ministers-agenda-draws-comparisons-to-reaganomics">canceled a rise</a> in the corporate tax rate, slashed the basic income tax rate to 19%, and started discussions about special economic zones in multiple regions.
“We will get Britain moving by cementing our status as the best place in the world to do business,” Truss wrote in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-british-prime-minister-to-make-the-economic-pie-much-bigger-instead-of-fighting-over-how-to-slice-it">opinion piece</a> over the weekend. “We are putting our money where our mouth is in encouraging businesses to invest, create jobs and grow.”
Green activists, however, began raising concerns about the new economic agenda, which entails removing some environmental standards in the investment zones. Joan Edwards, who leads marine conservation efforts for The Wildlife Trusts, claimed in a <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/blog/joan-edwards/uk-governments-deregulation-agenda-dangerous-good-future-generations-we-must">blog post</a> that “cutting red tape” is no more than an excuse for “polluters” to poison “our rivers and countryside” and argued for strengthening wildlife protections in the investment zones.
“As our landscape is increasingly damaged by climate change — as seen by the wildfires, drought and flooding of this summer — we cannot afford not to protect our wild spaces to our best ability,” she contended. “For the good of future generations, we must reject deregulation and enhance nature protection instead.”
Meanwhile, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds argued on <a href="https://twitter.com/Natures_Voice/status/1574456684210262024">social media</a> that the British government “launched an attack on nature.”
“We are angry and we are mobilising against these proposed plans,” the group said. “Our most vulnerable waterways, wildlife and green spaces across England are facing one of the greatest threats in decades.”
Truss has also announced a new round of oil and gas leases for the North Sea and lifted her nation’s moratorium on shale gas production — including the practice of fracking, by which pressurized liquid is injected into underground rocks to extract fuels. The ban was initially established in 2019 amid concerns over earthquakes.
“We are cutting off the toxic power and pipelines from authoritarian regimes and strengthening our energy resilience,” Truss said during a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-minister-liz-trusss-speech-to-the-un-general-assembly-21-september-2022">speech</a> to the United Nations General Assembly. “We will ensure we cannot be coerced or harmed by the reckless actions of rogue actors abroad. We will transition to a future based on renewable and nuclear energy while ensuring that the gas used during that transition is from reliable sources including our own North Sea production.”
Indeed, member states of the European Union — of which Britain is no longer a part — are grappling with energy shortages in the aftermath of Russia ceasing natural gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits">called</a> for redistributing profits from fossil fuel producers.
“In our social market economy, profits are good. But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers,” she said in her most recent state of the union address.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss Hosts First Cabinet Meeting

British Prime Minister Ends Fracking Ban. Climate Activists Are Irate.

British Climate Groups ‘Angry’ After New Prime Minister Ends Fracking Ban

Climate Change

Liz Truss

United Kingdom

Giorgia Meloni claimed victory early Monday morning and is projected to win a battle to become Italy&#8217;s first female prime minister, leading her conservative party Brothers of Italy in the country&#8217;s national elections.
Her party indicated Meloni&#8217;s center-right coalition had received 44% of the vote with nearly all ballots counted on Monday, far ahead of the nation&#8217;s center-left coalition that received just 26%.
“If we are called to govern this nation, we will do it for everyone, we will do it for all Italians and we will do it with the aim of uniting the people,” Meloni said in a victory speech, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-elections-migration-economy-866fe6cb6a35cc96aaff064a832acaf6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Associated Press. “Italy chose us. We will not betray it as we never have.”
The report noted that voter turnout was at a historic low of just 64%, perhaps influenced by &#8220;backroom deals&#8221; involving past governments.
Meloni, 45, ran on a platform that included a solid pro-NATO stand, including support for Ukraine against Russia&#8217;s invasion. She has also been a vocal opponent of the European Union&#8217;s recommendation to suspend 7.5 billion euros to Hungary over alleged democratic concerns in the nation.
The Italian leader has served as the chair of the European Conservative and Reformist group in the European Parliament. The group includes Spain&#8217;s conservative Vox group and Sweden Democrats, which recently won its nation&#8217;s elections with a focus on tougher criminal crackdowns and increasing limits on immigration.
The projected outcome of the election also would make Meloni the nation&#8217;s most conservative prime minister since the end of World War II. Her party will seek to form a coalition with her allies in the anti-migrant League and its leader Matteo Salvini, along with conservative former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, to form a majority government in the nation&#8217;s Parliament. This process could take several weeks.
Meloni&#8217;s rise to power comes in a post-COVID shift in which Italians face increasing gas and electric prices that have risen as high as ten times previous levels due to war in Ukraine. The election was held six months early as the nation&#8217;s unity government folded in July. Prime Minister Mario Draghi currently serves as the interim leader until the election process is completed.
While the new Italian leader has been critical of the European Union in some areas, Meloni has sought to carefully navigate the topic as her nation received the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/26/far-right-leader-giorgia-meloni-to-become-italys-first-female-pm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest amount</a> of any country for pandemic recovery that totaled 191.5 billion euros.
Some opponents have criticized Meloni&#8217;s association with the Italian Social Movement, a party formed following World War II that included some supporters of Benito Mussolini. Meloni was clear in responding to the accusations of her opponents during her campaign that sought to associate her efforts with the group&#8217;s past connections.
“The Italian Right has handed fascism over to history for decades now, unambiguously condemning the suppression of democracy and the ignominious anti-Jewish laws,” she <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/explainer-party-neo-fascist-roots-won-big-italy-90517767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a campaign video.

Giorgia Meloni

Conservative Giorgia Meloni Claims Victory As Italy’s First Female Prime Minister

Elections

Politics

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> troops have retreated amidst a successful Ukrainian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/good-decision-for-them-to-run-russian-forces-retreating-as-ukraines-counteroffensive-sees-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counteroffensive</a> in recent weeks, but the brutal war drags on toward winter with no end in sight.
As they defend their homeland, the Ukrainians rely on billions of dollars in U.S. assistance as European powers balance supporting President Volodymyr Zelensky while also facing an energy crisis made worse by their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europeans-resort-to-burning-wood-amid-desperate-search-for-energy-now-greta-thunberg-wants-to-limit-that-too" target="_blank" rel="noopener">green energy policies</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eu-plans-to-reduce-dependence-on-russian-fossil-fuels-well-before-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dependence</a> on Russian oil. Meanwhile, America’s greatest international adversary in Beijing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-launching-targeted-military-operations-encircling-taiwan-after-pelosi-lands-on-island" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eyes Taiwan</a> in what could become another strategic nightmare for a Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-report-reveals-biden-failures-that-led-to-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rattled</a> by foreign policy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/none-of-the-three-occurred-biden-denies-making-foreign-policy-gaffes-that-white-house-walked-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blunders</a>.
With experts in the U.S. debating the best way to approach the current list of foreign policy challenges, the public is inundated with ideological perspectives that range from nationalistic isolationism to global interventionism. But, according to American Institute of Economic Research (AIER) President Dr. William Ruger, there’s a more balanced way to address America’s foreign policy issues.
He calls it a realist approach.
“I’m a realist, so I’m not opposed to alliances when they’re appropriate means to reaching our national security goals,” Ruger said in an interview with The Daily Wire. “But we have to recognize that, unlike President Biden who talked about our alliances as ‘sacred,’ they are [a] means, and there are some pathologies to alliances, one of them being that you can get chain ganged into conflicts.”
Ruger, an Afghanistan veteran who was nominated by former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, explained that the U.S. has often been “chain ganged” into foreign conflicts by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> powers, such as when America got involved in Libya under former President Barack Obama. As the leader of the free world, the U.S. often bends to the wishes of its alliances and ends up fronting the bill that comes along with those demands.
“Often times, our European allies are just not designed to, in terms of their fore-structure and their military budget, to have the kind of approach that we’ve taken over the last 20-30 years, and I worry that there’s disjuncture between American interests and what our allies are willing to do, particularly because they won’t have to pay the full cost,” said Ruger.
The U.S. has already committed upwards of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-advances-massive-40-billion-ukraine-spending-package-11-republicans-oppose" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$40 billion</a> to Ukraine since the end of January, more than every country in the world combined, <a href="https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to figures from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The American government’s military aid to Ukraine has, no doubt, helped the country fend off its Russian invaders. After nearly seven months of fighting, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a>’s forces have caused death and destruction, but remain far from accomplishing a full-scale takeover of the country.
A Ukrainian counteroffensive even successfully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/good-decision-for-them-to-run-russian-forces-retreating-as-ukraines-counteroffensive-sees-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> Russian forces from two areas in eastern Ukraine. The country of 44 million people has fought valiantly against Russia’s army, demonstrating to the world that Putin’s growl exaggerates his bite. Yet, the optimistic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zelensky</a> says his country still needs an undefined amount of time before the end of the war. “We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms,” the Ukrainian president <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/21/zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-ap-00058201" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the United Nations Wednesday. “But we need time.”
But how much longer do American taxpayers fund Ukraine’s defense? Is there a financial threshold for U.S. aid to Ukraine, or should the Biden administration do whatever it takes to keep Zelensky’s army going?
Ruger explained that while he fully supports the Ukrainians’ fight for independence, he’s “also a realist” and worries about the rhetoric used by American leaders when discussing their all-out commitment to supporting Ukraine in the war.
“I think that one of the challenges of providing this support is it may, especially if you hear people talk about ‘We’ll do anything it takes,’ that type of language could prevent the kind of diplomatic end to the conflict that is how most wars end,” Ruger added.
The former vice president for research and policy at the Charles Koch Institute said that the lessons learned from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World War II</a> are still engrained in Americans’ minds as the perfect example of how to address aggression, but those picture-book history lessons aren’t perfect representations of the factors surrounding a war. Ruger emphasized that wars don’t simply end in the fashionable battleship peace treaties and victory parades that people usually think about.
“That is not the way the world generally works,” he added.
Instead, for bloodshed to cease, countries often must be willing to compromise. American leaders looking at Ukraine from the outside need to focus on what is most important to the interests of the U.S.
“Someone has to say it, but Ukraine just isn’t that strategically important to the United States. It just isn’t,” Ruger said.
Ruger explained that it’s possible to hold this realist view while also sympathizing with Ukraine, but sympathy for Ukraine “doesn’t mean the United States’ national interests are on the line,” he said. “We need to calibrate our efforts relative to our interests, not the interests of Ukraine.”
Instead of holding a hard and fast stance on either staying out of every conflict or policing the world, Ruger argues for taking each issue into consideration and making a decision based on what’s best for America. Right now, that decision means America needs to hand Europe more of the responsibility, according to Ruger.
“We should be promoting Europe doing more in burden sharing and burden shifting, and that means that we simply have to step back,” he said.
A previous version of this article said Dr. Ruger used Syria as an example of &#8220;chain-ganging&#8221;; he used Libya as an example.

U.S. Flag/Ukraine Flag

‘We Simply Have To Step Back’: The Realist Approach To War In Ukraine And America’s European Allies

The Realist Approach To War In Ukraine And America's European Allies

Biden Administration

Foreign Policy

Ukraine

United States

Europe is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/europe-races-prepare-energy-crunch-this-winter-2022-09-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heading</a> toward an energy crisis, and some <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-economist-mohamed-el-erian-184654610.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economists</a> are even predicting the continent will experience a serious recession. 
“My best guess is we’ll have a recession in the United States but I’m much more confident that there’s going to be a recession and an element of stagflation in Europe that comes as a consequence of what is going to happen as a consequence of the staggering vulnerability that they created for themselves,” economist and former Obama adviser Larry Summers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPsFCJjFFmI&amp;abj_channel=InstituteofPoliticsatHarvardKennedySchool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
The situation is getting serious for many countries across the continent of Europe. Germany is trying to finalize liquefied natural gas contracts with Middle Eastern producers. Germany’s gas storages are currently around 90%, but its economy minister <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/germany-econ-minister-says-natural-gas-storage-nearly-at-90-but-will-be-empty-after-winter-report-11663597869?siteid=yhoof2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday that that will probably be “empty” after winter. 
France’s electric company is also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exclusive-edf-contractors-relax-radiation-exposure-limits-speed-up-reactor-2022-09-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> on fixing its nuclear reactors and the country’s energy regulator chief said that if there are setbacks in that process, then the country could be forced to take “exceptional” steps during the winter, including concentrated cuts to power — but she stressed that there will “never” be “gas cuts for households.”
The Spanish Industry Minister made a similar statement, saying that businesses which use a lot of power might be forced to shut down during peak periods this winter.
Finland’s grid operator also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finns-should-be-prepared-power-outages-this-winter-grid-operator-warns-2022-09-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> outages this winter. Finland gets some power from Sweden, but now a major Swedish power company said it&#8217;s putting off resuming its nuclear reactor for two months.
Experts are now saying that Europe could import the most thermal coal this year than it has in at least four years.
Russia’s actions are a major factor. Russia previously supplied about 40% of the EU’s natural gas, but in response to Western sanctions Russia has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/06/energy-crisis-why-has-russia-cut-off-gas-supplies-to-europe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut</a> off the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/german-gas-buyers-resume-nominations-russias-nord-stream-1-data-2022-09-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority</a> of what it was exporting.
Gas makes up <a href="https://www.acer.europa.eu/gas-factsheet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around</a> 21% of the EU’s main use of energy, but importantly, it’s the way many households get their power, so this is an extremely precarious position for Europe to be in.
Economist and former Obama adviser Larry Summers recently discussed the situation. He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPsFCJjFFmI&amp;ab_channel=InstituteofPoliticsatHarvardKennedySchool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the U.S. is mainly self-sufficient, but “Europe, on the other hand, is completely dependent on imports of fossil fuels.”
“In a decision that in retrospect looks inexplicable Germany decided to make itself completely dependent on natural gas as the basis of its industry and the basis of heating most of its homes and then it decided to make itself completely dependent on Russia as a supplier of natural gas. Well, that was asking for trouble…” he added.

8370C456-2FAC-4D5E-A4FF-7C40BAD0EC6A_1_201_a

Energy Crisis Threatens European Countries Ahead Of Winter

Energy Crisis Threatens European Countries Ahead Of Winter After Russia Cuts Off Gas Supplies

Morning Wire

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> manufacturers are taking severe hits as high <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> prices continue to grapple with the continent’s <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economy</a>.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline earlier this month, citing mechanical issues as the country continues its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasion of Ukraine</a>. Germany — the continent’s largest economy — relied upon Russian natural gas for 55% of its imports as of last year and has since witnessed wholesale energy prices <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">increase twentyfold</a>.
As a result, the producer price index for industrial products has risen 45.8% year-over-year as of August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Prices/Producer-Price-Index-For-Industrial-Products/_node.html">data</a> from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, which followed increases of 37.2% in July 2022 and 32.7% in June 2022.
Several firms are therefore pausing production in factories or laying off employees. ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steelmaker, is switching off one of its two furnaces in Bremen, Germany.
&#8220;The high costs for gas and electricity are putting a heavy strain on our competitiveness. On top of that, from October onwards, there will be the German government&#8217;s planned gas levy, which will further burden us,&#8221; ArcelorMittal Germany CEO Reiner Blaschek said in a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/arcelormittal-shut-blast-furnace-german-plant-gas-prices-soar-2022-09-02/">statement</a>. &#8220;With a tenfold increase in gas and electricity prices, which we had to accept within a few months, we are no longer competitive in a market that is 25% supplied by imports. We see an urgent need for political action to get energy prices under control immediately.”
The phenomenon has extended to other nations as well. French glass manufacturer Duralex announced that it would close down furnaces beginning in November for at least four months. “Producing glasses at today’s energy prices would generate unsustainable losses,” Duralex President José Luis Llacuna explained in a <a href="https://emag.directindustry.com/2022/09/01/energy-crisis-french-glass-manufacturer-duralex-to-pause-production-this-winter/">statement</a>. “Limiting our energy consumption in the coming period, therefore, allows us to preserve Duralex’s business and employment.”
As companies contend with rising prices and foresee a drop in consumer demand, industrial production in the eurozone has fallen 2.3%, according to <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/14698159/4-14092022-AP-EN.pdf/653e3e30-294b-4af7-4db4-8bab2cadc782?t=1663065884252">data</a> from the European Union. In response to the crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits">asserted</a> that Russia is responsible for the economic troubles and called for redistributing profits from fossil fuel companies.
“We are proposing a cap on the revenues of companies that produce electricity at a low cost. These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dreamt of,” von der Leyen said in her most recent state of the union address. “In our social market economy, profits are good. But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers. In these times, profits must be shared and channeled to those who need it the most.”
Russian shipments recently accounted for 40% of the European natural gas supply last year — a rate that has since dropped to 9%. Though von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use">acknowledged</a> last week that low hydropower generation caused by droughts is partially responsible for high energy prices in Europe, she said that “the climate crisis” is the ultimate impetus for the weather conditions and called for the elimination of all fossil fuel dependence.
In a departure from other European leaders, however, British Prime Minister Liz Truss <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again">proposed legislation</a> to open the North Sea for oil and gas drilling and construct more nuclear power plants. Other countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, have been slowly shuttering their remaining nuclear facilities in reaction to the 2011 meltdown in Fukushima, Japan.

Packing line in a printery

European Companies Pause Production As Energy Prices Soar

Economy

In one ancient Russian folktale, villagers find a wolf stuck in the ice and beat it mercilessly as payback for the mischief it got into over the summer. Though the wolf was able to escape, its tail was left frozen in the ice.
That story was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-wolfs-tail-freeze-putin-doubles-down-on-halting-natural-gas-flow-to-western-europe">recounted</a> to the world by none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. In his version, the wolf was Western Europe.
In retaliation over the European Union’s support of Ukraine against the Russian invasion, officials in Moscow recently severed natural gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline — a move that will likely be devastating for much of the continent. Germany, the largest economy in Europe, imported roughly 55 percent of its gas from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine, although it has since reduced its dependence to 35 percent.
It’s rather surprising that Russia, a country with comparatively little technological prowess or advanced industry, could hold the world’s third largest economy hostage. Even beyond Germany, the entire European Union — which is also home to France and Italy, the world’s seventh and ninth most powerful economies — is making a last-ditch effort to scrape together power reserves to warm homes and operate businesses through the looming winter.
The missing piece of the puzzle — the wolf’s tail caught in the ice — is Europe’s self-immolating energy policies. The European Union, in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, abides by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">official goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050. As governments regulate oil production while inexplicably shutting down nuclear power plants, political leaders in Europe have poured billions into solar, wind, and hydropower infrastructure in recent years.
The latter solutions, however, are not so reliable and can be crippled by unpredictable natural phenomena such as clouds, a windless day, or low rainfall. As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use">forced to admit</a> last week, drought conditions in the region have severely reduced hydroelectric power generation capacity.
Her solution is to “flatten the curve” (sound familiar?) in the interest of reducing energy consumption during periods of peak demand. Though a concrete policy for the broader European Union is still forthcoming, multiple nations have already imposed energy usage restrictions or warned that such policies could be necessary through the coming months.
In Spain and Switzerland, officials have respectively mandated that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter">thermostat levels</a> remain no lower than a temperate 80 degrees during the summer and no higher than a balmy 66 degrees during the winter. If citizens of Switzerland dare to inch the temperature warmer, they could face fines above $3,000 per day or face the rest of the winter — and the next two winters as well — freezing in a prison cell.
In France, officials called for a 10 percent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort">voluntary reduction</a> in the nation’s energy usage, with mandatory consumption limits on the table as a “last resort.” In Germany, officials are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months">pausing plans</a> to shutter two of the nation’s three remaining nuclear facilities as a handful of ever-dreaded coal power plants sputter back to life.
As energy prices increase <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis">more than tenfold</a>, demand for wood has soared, leading to the rapid harvesting of ancient forests. Companies in Poland, Estonia, Romania, and Hungary are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europeans-resort-to-burning-wood-amid-desperate-search-for-energy-now-greta-thunberg-wants-to-limit-that-too">reducing timber into wood pellets</a> — a fuel source less efficient and more dirty than coal — and exporting them to Italy, Germany, Austria, and other Western European nations. Climate activist Greta Thunberg chastised her desperate comrades for daring to inflict such environmental degradation.
While Americans may be able to watch the crisis unfold from adequately heated houses across the pond, they will by no means be immune from fallout in the European economy — including the financial sector, which may find itself <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-banks-brace-for-energy-rations-that-could-threaten-financial-system-rush-to-test-diesel-fueled-backup-generators">running</a> on diesel-fueled generators in a few months — and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-its-a-risk-janet-yellen-admits-gas-prices-could-spike-again-this-year">surging worldwide oil prices</a> emerging from the Russian invasion.
Even more so, Americans have a prophetic witness much closer to home. California, the nation’s haven for experimental green energy, announced the rollback of all new gas car sales by 2035 — mere days before officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-asks-residents-to-avoid-charging-electric-vehicles-due-to-blackout-risk-days-after-unveiling-new-gas-car-ban">asked</a> residents to avoid charging electric vehicles during peak hours in the interest of averting grid failure.
Yet, like their counterparts in Europe, our leaders are wholeheartedly embracing such policies. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-interested-in-california-ban-on-new-gas-cars-as-he-weighs-a-national-policy">said</a> that he is “interested” in the California ban and affirmed that any nationalized policy must roll out “quickly enough to help us beat climate change.” More broadly, the Biden administration has established the goal of achieving net-zero emissions across the economy by 2050.
Even if Western Europe and the United States manage to cut emissions by shivering through the winter or sweating through the summer, nations like China and India are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wall-street-journal-blasts-joe-biden-john-kerry-for-pushing-self-destructive-green-energy-policies-while-china-burns-more-coal">expanding fossil fuel production</a> as rapidly as possible. In the words of Chinese President Xi Jinping, his nation refuses to be “detached from reality” with respect to its energy portfolio.
In other words — even if climate cultists remain in control of Western governments, they will have earned nothing beyond pats on the back from fellow elites. 
Hopefully, America will see such leadership removed from power before the ice freezes.

France, Paris, Pont Neuf, Equestrian statue of Henri IV and Pantheon dome in winter

European Climate Bureaucrats Are Dooming The Continent To A Very Dark Winter

Greta Thunberg

Vladimir Putin

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nato" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Atlantic Treaty Organization</a> (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned his fellow <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europeans</a> that the continent will undergo trials as it supports <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> in the midst of an <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> crisis.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week, citing mechanical issues as the country continues its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasion of Ukraine</a>. While top ministers in the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> float policies such as a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes">price cap</a> on Russian oil and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-questions-russian-oil-price-cap-considers-making-fossil-fuel-companies-pay-a-solidarity-contribution">solidarity contribution</a> from fossil fuel companies, Stoltenberg encouraged his fellow Europeans that supporting Ukraine is worthwhile in an <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d5bbd979-ae7e-4125-abcb-16368be3dcaf">opinion piece</a> for the Financial Times.
“Our unity and solidarity will be seriously tested, as families and businesses feel the crunch of soaring energy prices and costs of living caused by Russia’s brutal invasion,” Stoltenberg wrote. “We face a difficult six months, with the threat of energy cuts, disruptions and perhaps even civil unrest. But we must stay the course and stand up to tyranny — for Ukraine’s sake and for ours.”
Nations in eastern Europe such as Estonia, Latvia, and Poland have contributed aid to Ukraine worth between 0.5% and 1% of their gross domestic product, according to <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/27331/countries-committing-the-most-of-their-gdp-to-ukraine-aid/">data</a> from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Other nations, such as the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, have contributed less than 0.25% of their economic output, while Germany — the largest economy in Europe — has contributed 0.08%.
“We are preparing more than a dozen new projects to help Ukraine face the winter,” Stoltenberg continued. “We see the decisive difference our support is making on the battlefield every day. The Ukrainian army has proved its ability to resist Russian aggression, strike back deep behind enemy lines and impose significant costs on the invading forces.”
The United States has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-sending-5-5-billion-more-in-aid-to-ukraine">sent</a> nearly $10 billion in military assistance to Ukraine as of early August. According to one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-demand-more-accountability-over-ukrainian-aid-after-cbs-report">report</a>, roughly 30% of the aid has not arrived to the front lines as various Ukrainian factions used equipment as political leverage.
With respect to the energy crisis compelling multiple European countries to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter">impose regulations</a> for thermostat and appliance usage, Stoltenberg said that the economic calamity will help Europe to “break free of Russia’s energy blackmail for good.”
“We do pay a price for our support to Ukraine. But the price we pay is counted in dollars, euros and pounds, while Ukrainians are paying with their lives,” he remarked. “And all of us will pay a much higher price if Russia and other authoritarian regimes believe they can invade their neighbours and trample on international law with impunity.”
Several member nations of the European Union, which abides by the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, heavily regulate fossil fuel production even as they gradually close remaining <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months">nuclear plants</a>. In addition to the severance of Russian natural gas shipments — which Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-wolfs-tail-freeze-putin-doubles-down-on-halting-natural-gas-flow-to-western-europe">said</a> will continue as long as fulfilling orders contradicts the nation’s interests — low hydropower capacity emerging from drought conditions has impacted the continent’s electric grid, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use">speech</a> delivered last week by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In a departure from other European officials, however, British Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed the nation’s ban on fracking and proposed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again">return to oil and gas</a> drilling in the North Sea following her succession of Conservative Party lawmaker Boris Johnson last week. “Energy policy over the past decades has not focused enough on securing supply,” Truss told the House of Commons. “All of this has left us vulnerable to volatile global markets and malign actors in an increasingly geopolitical world.”

Polish Politics And More (archives 2016-2022)

‘We Face A Difficult Six Months’: NATO Chief Urges Europe To Support Ukraine Through Russian ‘Energy Blackmail’

NATO Chief Warns Of Dark Winter As Russia Continues 'Energy Blackmail'

European Union

NATO

Treasury Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/janet-yellen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Yellen</a> noted on Sunday that there remains a “risk” of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gas prices</a> spiking again this year.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europe</a> is presently grappling with an <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> crisis emerging from limited oil and natural gas supplies due to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian invasion of Ukraine</a>. In an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/11/politics/janet-yellen-inflation-risk-cnntv/index.html">interview</a> with CNN anchor Dana Bash, Yellen indicated that the situation could also lead to higher prices in the United States.
“Well, it’s a risk. And it’s a risk that we’re working on the price cap to try to address,” she said. “This winter, the European Union will cease, for the most part, buying Russian oil. And, in addition, they will ban the provision of services that enable Russia to ship oil by tanker. And it is possible that that could cause a spike in oil prices.”
The national average price of gasoline was $2.38 per gallon when President Joe Biden assumed office and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-are-1-50-higher-since-biden-took-office-cnn-business-america-got-a-raise">increased</a> to $3.53 per gallon by the start of the Russian invasion. After surpassing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June, prices have subsided to $3.72 per gallon as of Monday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">data</a> from AAA.
Finance ministers representing the G7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/g7-finance-ministers-commit-to-russian-oil-price-cap-will-help-ukraine-for-as-long-as-it-takes">committed</a> earlier this month to pursue a joint price cap on Russian oil. The ministers affirmed that the bloc “will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes” by banning the sale of Russian oil above a given rate.
“Our price cap proposal is designed to both lower Russian revenues that they use to support their economy and fight this illegal war, while also maintaining Russian oil supplies that will help to hold down global oil prices,” Yellen told CNN. “So I believe this is something that can be essential, and it’s something that we’re trying to put in place to avoid a future spike in oil prices.”
However, energy ministers representing European Union member states failed to reach a consensus on the price cap during a Friday meeting. The nations may instead compel fossil fuel companies to pay a “solidarity contribution” that would ease soaring energy prices, which have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis">more than tenfold</a> for some households and businesses.
After the finance ministers announced the price cap, Russia severed natural gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down on the restricted shipments, remarking at the Eastern Economic Forum that he is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/let-the-wolfs-tail-freeze-putin-doubles-down-on-halting-natural-gas-flow-to-western-europe">prepared to ignore</a> existing supply agreements. “Will there be any political decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we just won’t fulfill them. We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests,” Putin said. “We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything.”
Several member nations of the European Union, which abide by the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, are now implementing energy use policies of varying stringency. France has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort">called</a> for a 10% reduction in energy consumption, while Spain and Switzerland (which is not part of the EU but has close economic ties to the bloc) are introducing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter">regulations</a> for thermostat levels.
In a departure from other European officials, however, British Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed the nation’s ban on fracking and proposed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-prime-minister-liz-truss-unveils-package-to-cut-soaring-fuel-prices-offers-reforms-so-we-are-never-in-this-position-again">return to oil and gas</a> drilling in the North Sea. Meanwhile, Biden has leased less government land for oil and gas drilling than any of his predecessors since World War II at this point in his first term, according to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-severely-cuts-back-on-oil-and-gas-leases">analysis</a> conducted by The Wall Street Journal.

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‘Well, It’s A Risk’: Janet Yellen Admits Gas Prices Could Spike Again This Year

Janet Yellen Notes 'Risk' Of Gas Prices Spiking Again This Year

Gas Prices

Janet Yellen

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