I&#8217;ve covered politics for 35 years, so let me tell you one thing I&#8217;ve learned: the president of the party you oppose is not always wrong.
Wrong a lot, sure, does things you don&#8217;t agree with, certainly, but sometimes, that guy gets it just right. And if you&#8217;re able to take your partisan hat off for just a minute, you&#8217;d see it.
Take Joe Biden (boo, hiss). He popped up to New York City to address the United Nations, as presidents do in September each year, and he hit one out of the park like Aaron Judge does just up the road in Yankee Stadium.
Biden delivered an address to the General Assembly shortly after Russian despot Vladimir Putin gave his own speech, nuttily warning the West that nuclear war is still an option, that he&#8217;s drafting young Russians into the war, that he&#8217;ll never quit until he gets what he wants.
&#8220;Let us speak plainly. A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map,&#8221; Biden told foreign leaders.
&#8220;Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter — no more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force.&#8221;
&#8220;Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling — calling up more soldiers to join the fight. And the Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to try to annex parts of Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the U.N. Charter,&#8221; the president said.
There, in a succinct nutshell, is the situation in eastern Europe, where Russia has been at war with Ukraine since invading in February.
Biden then told the world leaders just what they needed to do.
&#8220;Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe &#8230; that should make your blood run cold. That’s why 141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine.&#8221;
&#8220;So, we — each of us in this body who is determined to uphold the principles and beliefs we pledge to defend as members of the United Nations — must be clear, firm, and unwavering in our resolve,&#8221; Biden said.
The president delivered a clarion call to action — then mucked it all up with the kind of woke, hyper-liberal nonsense you&#8217;d expect to hear from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and one of her silly Squad members.
Biden claimed climate change is among the top global challenges &#8220;that matter most to people’s lives.”
Not only does climate change routinely come in the low-single digits in U.S. surveys, but even Biden doesn&#8217;t much care about the issue. He skipped a U.N. roundtable on climate action Wednesday.
The president went on and on about the climate package within his Inflation Reduction Act, declaring spending $370 billion on the issue will be a “global game-changer.&#8221;
He then proceeded with a lengthy list of platitudes:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;We believe strongly in the need to feed the world&#8230;&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;The United States will always promote human rights&#8230;&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;The time has come for this institution to become more inclusive&#8230;&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Biden nailed the part on Russia, then diluted his address by focusing on a problem that has killed far fewer people than Putin.
And that&#8217;s a shame.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

77th United Nations General Assembly in New York

Biden Got It All Right In U.N. Address — Until He Got It All Wrong

President Joe Biden Got It All Right In U.N. Address — Until He Got It All Wrong

Climate Change

Inflation Reduction Act

Joe Biden

United Nations

Vladimir Putin

Reports out of Russian indicate that frantic Russians have responded to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s call-up of 300,000 reservists by swamping the airlines for tickets to leave Russia, leaving plane tickets to visa-free countries sold out.
Accusing the West of attempting to “weaken and destroy” Russia, Putin announced on Wednesday that “in defense of our motherland &#8230;  I deem it necessary to support the decision of the Ministry of Defence and the general command for a partial mobilization held in the Russian Federation.”
“They&#8217;re talking about nuclear blackmail,” Putin said of the United States and European leaders. “The high representatives of leading NATO states were saying that it might be permissible to use nuclear weapons against Russia.”
Then he warned of nuclear retaliation: “Those who make such statements will be reminded that our country also has various weapons of destruction and with regard to certain components they are even more modern than the NATO ones.”
Meanwhile, with the number of reservists to be called up <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11234383/Putin-speech-Russians-race-flee-country.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> at 300,000 by Russia’s defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, according to The New York Times. “Searches for ‘How to leave Russia’ reportedly led Google traffic in Russia after Putin’s announcement.
If reservist do not report for duty, they will be fined or charged. On Tuesday, the Russian Duma voted to make Russia’s criminal code more stringent regarding military service, making harsher the penalties for desertion and other “crimes committed in conditions of mobilization, martial law, armed conflicts and hostilities.”
The current number of Russian troops fighting in Ukraine is estimated at less than 200,000, meaning that if all the reservists join the war, Russia will more than double the number of troops there.
Shoigu <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62981289" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Wednesday that Russia has lost 5,937 Russian troops, but back in June, the UK defense ministry estimated that figure at roughly 25,000; Ukraine has claimed the number is closer to 50,000.
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/21/russia-ukraine-war-putin-announces-partial-military-mobilization.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reacting</a> to Putin’s announcement —which comes after Ukraine’s recent success in the Kharkiv region — British Foreign Office Minister Gillian Keegan, told Sky News, “Clearly it’s something that we should take very seriously because, you know, we’re not in control — I’m not sure he’s in control either, really. This is obviously an escalation.”
One Russian condemned the call-up and the Russian parliament, remarking, “I recommend mobilizing the entire Duma and their families first of all. And let people see how loyal they are.”

Putin

Putin Calls Up Reservists. Plane Tickets Exiting Russia Sold Out As Frantic Russians Panic.

Airplane

Ukraine-Russia War

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> (D) declared during an interview on Sunday night that the U.S. Military would engage in war with communist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china">China</a> if China attacked Taiwan, a statement that was quickly walked back by the White House.
Biden made the remarks during an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” with leftist host Scott Pelley.
&#8220;On the same day we spoke to the president, Putin met with China&#8217;s leader, Xi Jinping,&#8221; Pelley said while narrating. &#8220;There&#8217;s concern that Russia&#8217;s attempt to force reunification with Ukraine could inspire China to attack the island of Taiwan. U.S. policy since 1979 has been to recognize Taiwan as part of China, but remain silent on whether the U.S. military would defend the democratic government there. This is among the places where our interview runs into controversy.&#8221;
Pelley asked Biden, &#8220;What should Chinese President Xi know about your commitment to Taiwan?&#8221;
&#8220;We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago. And that there&#8217;s one China policy, and Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence,&#8221; Biden responded. &#8220;We are not moving — we&#8217;re not encouraging their being independent. We&#8217;re not — that — that&#8217;s their decision.&#8221;
&#8220;But would U.S. Forces defend the island?&#8221; Pelley asked.
&#8220;Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack,&#8221; Biden responded.
Pelley said that after the interview a White House official told the show that U.S. policy has not changed and they refused to say if the U.S. Military would defend Taiwan.
&#8220;So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. Forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?&#8221; Pelley pressed.
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Biden doubled-down.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Biden tells 60 Minutes that U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. However, after our interview, a White House official told us that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed. <a href="https://t.co/ANg54LifSH">https://t.co/ANg54LifSH</a> <a href="https://t.co/V5qjoqF36T">pic.twitter.com/V5qjoqF36T</a>
&mdash; 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1571654050407337984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>On the same day we spoke to the president, Putin met with China&#8217;s leader, Xi Jinping. There&#8217;s concern that Russia&#8217;s attempt to force reunification with Ukraine could inspire China to attack the island of Taiwan. U.S. policy since 1979 has been to recognize Taiwan as part of China, but remain silent on whether the U.S. military would defend the democratic government there. This is among the places where our interview runs into controversy.
Scott Pelley: What should Chinese President Xi know about your commitment to Taiwan?
President Joe Biden: We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago. And that there&#8217;s one China policy, and Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. We are not moving&#8211; we&#8217;re not encouraging their being independent. We&#8217;re not&#8211; that&#8211; that&#8217;s their decision.
Scott Pelley: But would U.S. Forces defend the island?
President Joe Biden: Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.
After our interview a White House official told us U.S. policy has not changed. Officially, the U.S. will not say whether American forces would defend Taiwan. But the commander-in-chief had a view of his own.
Scott Pelley: So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, U.S. Forces, U.S. men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?
President Joe Biden: Yes.</blockquote>
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obamas-ambassador-to-china-china-views-poor-joe-biden-as-weak">Obama’s Ambassador To China: China Views ‘Poor Joe Biden’ As ‘Weak’</a>

Inflation Reduction Act Celebration

Biden Declares U.S. Troops Will Engage In War With China If Taiwan Attacked, White House Walks Back Statement

China

Russia

Xi Jinping

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

Energy

Europe

Germany

Greta Thunberg

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> announced Saturday that it is pulling back troops from two areas as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counteroffensive</a> advances in the country’s eastern region.
Ukrainian forces have appeared to make successful advances near Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-world-news-kharkiv-e06b2aa723e826ed4105b5f32827f577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. President Volodymyr Zelenszky mocked the Russians after the announcement of a retreat in a video released Saturday night.
“The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back,” Zelensky said. “And, of course, it’s a good decision for them to run.”
Last month, the Ukrainian army launched its counter attack in the south near Kherson and the east near Kharkiv. Those counter offensives came around the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-boosts-russian-troop-numbers-as-invasion-of-ukraine-stalls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boosted</a> his troop numbers by nearly 140,000. Russian forces have stalled in the country’s invasion that has now dragged on for more than six months.
Russian officials have even admitted recently that their operation in Ukraine has slowed, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-08-24/russian-defence-minister-shoigu-military-campaign-in-ukraine-deliberately-slowed-to-reduce-civilian-casualties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> the reason is to “avoid casualties among civilians.” It has been reported that 5,600 civilians have perished since the onset of the war, and there are allegations of Russia purposely <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-announces-russia-has-committed-war-crimes-in-ukraine-due-to-deliberate-targeting-of-civilians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targeting</a> civilians.
Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, attempted to soften the blow of the retreat, saying Russian troops will “regroup” in the Donetsk region after leaving the Balakliya and Izyum areas, according to the AP. People in Balakliya reportedly celebrated as Ukrainian troops moved back into the area.
The announcement of a troop pullback from Russia&#8217;s Defense Ministry was made on the same day that Putin celebrated the 875th anniversary of Moscow’s founding, and the retreat has added to the criticism of Putin and his war.
“Most of these people are in shock and did not think that this could happen,” Dmitri Kuznets, a war analyst for the Russian-language news outlet Meduza, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/10/world/europe/russia-ukraine-retreat-putin.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times. “Most of them are, I think, genuinely angry.”

Russian Army

‘Good Decision For Them To Run’: Russian Forces Retreating As Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Sees Success

Russian Forces Retreating As Ukrainian Counteroffensive Sees Success

Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> threatened on Wednesday to let <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europe</a> “freeze” through the winter by refusing to continue <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> shipments.
Russia 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, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-to-keep-nord-stream-pipeline-shut-citing-mechanical-problems-11662137957" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing</a> mechanical issues as the country continues its invasion of Ukraine. During a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/08/putins-threatens-to-let-europe-freeze-raising-energy-rationing-risk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> at the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin said that he is prepared to ignore 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 remarked. “We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything.”
The cutoff of natural gas supplies occurred as finance ministers of the G7 nations — which include France, Canada, 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" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detailed</a> plans to impose a price cap on Russian oil.
“We would only have one thing left to do: as in the famous Russian fairy tale, we would let the wolf’s tail freeze,” Putin added. According to a <a href="https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/153887-putin_europe_freeze/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Russian news outlet Pravda, the account centers upon villagers finding a wolf stuck in ice and beating it due to its actions over the summer. Though the wolf eventually escaped, its tail was left in the ice.
Indeed, many European nations find themselves constrained as the cost of natural gas increases <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-the-dark-ages-tucker-carlson-details-europes-self-induced-energy-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than tenfold</a>. Germany, the continent’s largest economy, imported roughly 55% of its gas from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine, although officials have since reduced dependence to 35%.
Yet several member nations of the European Union, which has endorsed the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, have placed heavy regulations upon fossil fuels even as they gradually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shutter nuclear power plants</a>. Mentioning low hydropower generation capacity stemming from drought conditions, 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> on Wednesday that the European Union would consider a “mandatory target” for reducing electricity consumption during peak hours.
“If you look at the costs of electricity, there are peak demands. And this is what is expensive, because, in these peak demands, the expensive gas comes into the market,” she commented. “So what we have to do is to flatten the curve and avoid the peak demands. We will propose a mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours.”
Several nations have already enacted <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">energy usage restrictions</a> or warned that such policies could soon be necessary. While the legislature of Spain mandated that public air conditioning be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius — roughly 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit — through the summer months, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a 10% voluntary reduction in the nation’s power usage to avoid “last resort” consumption limits.
Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, may <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impose hefty fines</a> for citizens who set their thermostats above 19 degrees Celsius — 66 degrees Fahrenheit — in the event of energy rationing. Possible sanctions include three years in prison for intentional offenders.
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" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return to oil and gas</a> drilling in the North Sea. “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.”

Eastern Economic Forum In Vladivostok

‘Let The Wolf’s Tail Freeze’: Putin Doubles Down On Halting Natural Gas Flow To Western Europe

Vladimir Putin Doubles Down On Pausing Energy Flow To Western Europe

European Union

Oil and Gas

Hilarity ensued on social media after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued another malapropism, this time confusing the Nord Stream Pipeline in Europe, a source of international controversy, with the department store Nordstrom.
Jean-Pierre was asked at the White House press briefing on Tuesday about the energy crisis facing the United Kingdom and whether the United States could offer any assistance to help the UK lower energy costs domestically.
“So you’ve heard us say this: that what we see Russia’s doing, we&#8217;ve been very clear about this, is that they&#8217;re using energy, they&#8217;re weaponizing energy. And it’s choosing to — one of the things that has been out there, they shut down the pipeline of Nordstrom 1,” Jean-Pierre replied.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jean-Pierre refers to the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline as the “Nordstrom” pipeline <a href="https://t.co/CRXiQYSjQK">pic.twitter.com/CRXiQYSjQK</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1567192149380239363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Social media mocked Jean-Pierre’s mix-up:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
There is *one* slight difference:<a href="https://twitter.com/Nordstrom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nordstrom</a> has excellent customer service. 
NS1 &amp; 2 not so much, <a href="https://twitter.com/K_JeanPierre?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@K_JeanPierre</a> <a href="https://t.co/t4rLIg57Kr">https://t.co/t4rLIg57Kr</a>
&mdash; Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1567476925714628609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Not sure what’s worse, that Karine Jean Pierre just called it The NORDSTROM Pipeline, or that Biden yelled at his TV, “no dummy it’s Bloomingdales.”
&mdash; Jimmy Failla (@jimmyfailla) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmyfailla/status/1567195407763079169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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This was not a slip of the tongue.
Biden gave it to Putin as a gift from Nordstrom’s.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenPutinPipeline?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenPutinPipeline</a> <a href="https://t.co/Asw2RyvBEe">https://t.co/Asw2RyvBEe</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1567229145930776579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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. <a href="https://twitter.com/Nordstrom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nordstrom</a> psyched to learn its retail portfolio also includes a pipeline!
 <a href="https://t.co/woXPY6DurK">pic.twitter.com/woXPY6DurK</a>
&mdash; Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaCrowley/status/1567231721669623808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Don’t look now. Russia is attacking Nordstrom. Look out Macy’s! <a href="https://t.co/Y3zVef4XYj">https://t.co/Y3zVef4XYj</a>
&mdash; Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisStigall/status/1567196013819052034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, opened in 2011, runs approximately 750 miles under the Baltic Sea from an area near St. Petersburg to north-eastern Germany. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline runs parallel to Nord Stream 1, but its construction was interrupted when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
In February 2021, Gazprom, a majority-state owned Russian energy company, resumed laying the pipeline on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The company had temporarily halted laying the pipeline after former President Trump had threatened sanctions.
President Biden had a different position than Trump. Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/nord-stream-sanction-biden-russia-f6db2ae3-2c89-4343-b326-9f399d674077.html">reported</a> in May 2021, “The State Department will also acknowledge that the corporate entity in charge of the project (Nord Stream 2 AG) and its CEO (Putin crony and former East German intelligence officer Matthias Warnig) are engaged in sanctionable activities. However, the State Department will waive the applications of those sanctions, citing U.S. national interests.”
“If true, President Biden just delivered a huge victory to Vladimir Putin, who will now have a stranglehold over Europe’s natural gas supplies,” Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=38849EEF-2A51-4B4F-8EF0-A71D88532FB1">charged</a>. “Then-candidate Biden promised to be tough on Russia, but it is increasingly clear that was just campaign rhetoric. There is absolutely no excuse for giving Putin more leverage over our allies and partners, including Ukraine. It is dangerous, naïve, deceitful, and weak.”
Last week, Gazprom <a href="https://t.me/s/gazprom">said</a> it would not restart the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, claiming oil leaks were found. “Until the equipment malfunctions are corrected, gas transport to the Nord Stream gas pipeline is completely stopped,” Gazprom said.
“The EU has been scrambling to lessen its dependence on Russian gas, which accounted for 40 percent of imports last year,” Politico <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/gazprom-announces-nord-stream-stoppage/">reported</a>.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Holds Monday’s Media Briefing

‘No Dummy It’s Bloomingdales’: WH Press Secretary Mocked For Mixing Up Nord Stream Pipeline With Nordstrom

Donald Trump

Karine Jean-Pierre

Nordstream Pipeline

White House

Attorneys for Twitter, eager to force billionaire Elon Musk to avoid escaping his deal to buy Twitter, cited a text he wrote in early May referencing “World War III,” then claimed, “This is why Mr. Musk didn’t want to buy Twitter. This stuff about the bots, mDAU [monetizable daily active users] and Zatko is all pretext.”
Musk had offered $44 billion to buy Twitter, then later said he was backing out of the deal in part because Twitter had underestimated the number of fake accounts on its platform. Whistleblower Pieter Zatko, who had served as Twitter’s head of security, had accused company leadership of misleading board members and government officials about the company’s potential vulnerabilities that could engender hacking, foreign manipulation, and spying.
Twitter’s attorneys cited a text Musk wrote on May 8 to Morgan Stanley banker Michael Grimes saying, “Let’s slow down just a few days. Putin speech tomorrow is extremely important. It won’t make sense to buy Twitter if we’re heading into World War III,” New York Magazine <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/09/elon-musk-worried-about-world-war-three-for-twitter-deal.html">reported</a>.
Although Twitter’s attorneys insinuate that Musk may have been worried in May about Russian President Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons, Putin had first implied that possibility as early as February, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/putin-says-no-winners-nuclear-160714856.html">saying</a> that an attempt by other countries to interfere the war in Ukraine would “lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history.”
In April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned of a possible nuclear war, “The danger is serious, real. And we must not underestimate it.”
It was only two days after Musk’s text that the U.S. director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, warned the Senate armed services committee that Putin might resort to using his country’s nuclear weapons to stop Western allies from helping Ukraine.
“We do think that [Putin’s perception of an existential threat] could be the case in the event that he perceives that he is losing the war in Ukraine, and that NATO in effect is either intervening or about to intervene in that context, which would obviously contribute to a perception that he is about to lose the war in Ukraine,” Haines stated, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/10/putin-nuclear-weapons-us-intelligence-avril-haines">The Guardian</a> reported.
“There are a lot of things that he would do in the context of escalation before he would get to nuclear weapons, and also that he would be likely to engage in some signaling beyond what he’s done thus far before doing so,” Haines continued.
When Zatko issued his warning vis-à-vis Twitter, he asserted, “All engineers had access. There was no logging of who went into the environment or what they did. Nobody knew where data lived or whether it was critical, and all engineers had some form of critical access to the production environment.”
New York Magazine pointed out that the day after Musk’s text, “Putin gave a sword-rattling Victory Day <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-speaks-victory-day-parade-moscows-red-square-2022-05-09/">speech</a> commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany, but the war in Ukraine had already been going on for more than a month and he didn’t escalate it further.”

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” – Arrivals

Musk Afraid Of ‘World War III’ So He Slowed Down Deal, Twitter Argues

Elon Musk

Twitter

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> will skip the funeral of the late Soviet leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mikhail-gorbachev-last-leader-of-soviet-union-dead-at-91-state-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mikhail Gorbachev</a>, a Kremlin spokesperson said Thursday. 
Gorbachev, who oversaw the demise of the Soviet Union, died Tuesday at the age of 91. The funeral will be held on Saturday and open to the public, but the Kremlin has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-will-not-attend-gorbachev-funeral-due-scheduling-constraints-kremlin-2022-09-01/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that scheduling issues would prevent Putin from paying his respects in person. 
“Unfortunately, the president’s work schedule will not allow him to do this on Sept. 3, so he decided to do it today,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 
Putin was seen on Russian-state television Thursday placing flowers beside Gorbachev’s coffin. 
Gorbachev’s funeral will not be a state funeral, unlike the ceremonies of previous Soviet and Russian leaders. The ceremony will be held at Moscow’s Hall of Columns, which also hosted the funerals of former Soviet leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Peskov confirmed that the event would have “elements” of a state funeral, including a “guard of honor.”
Gorbachev’s attempts to reform the Soviet economy in the 1980s increased relations with the West. Still, some in Russia today viewed these reforms as weak, contributing to the fall of the Soviet Union. He was seen as a divisive figure within Russia. 
The Moscow Times <a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/08/31/gorbachevs-love-hate-relationship-with-putin-a78691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Gorbachev “was an irritating thorn in Putin’s side.” Gorbachev had criticized Putin after he announced he would continue to rule Russia for a third term, but Putin clapped back, knocking Gorbachev for “abdicating” power. 
The Russian president has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/01/putin-will-not-attend-gorbachev-funeral-kremlin-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the collapse of the Soviet Union the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.”
It’s unclear if any world leaders will attend the funeral. Certain officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other nations are barred from the country but have issued statements in response to the late Soviet leader’s death.
President Biden issued a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/30/statement-of-president-biden-on-the-passing-of-president-mikhail-gorbachev/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Tuesday calling Gorbachev a “man of remarkable vision” and describing his reforms as “the acts of a rare leader — one with the imagination to see that a different future was possible and the courage to risk his entire career to achieve it.” 
Gorbachev was the last living leader of the Soviet Union. Konstantin Chernenko, who preceded Gorbachev, died in office in 1985.

Russian President Putin Attends Navy Day Parade

Putin To Skip Gorbachev’s Funeral

Soviet Union

A top Russian oil executive died under mysterious circumstances this week after criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s war in Ukraine.
Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Russia&#8217;s second-largest oil producer Lukoil, died Thursday after he fell from a hospital window in Moscow.
Sources close to Maganov <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/chairman-russian-oil-producer-lukoil-dies-after-falling-hospital-window-source-2022-09-01/">told</a> Reuters they believed it was highly unlikely he killed himself.
Lukoil issued a <a href="https://www.lukoil.com/PressCenter/Pressreleases/Pressrelease?rid=577636">statement</a> shortly after Putin invaded Ukraine in which the company called for a quick end to the war, one of the few Russian companies to do so.
&#8220;The Board of Directors of LUKOIL expresses herewith its deepest concerns about the tragic events in Ukraine,&#8221; the company said. &#8220;Calling for the soonest termination of the armed conflict, we express our sincere empathy for all victims, who are affected by this tragedy. We strongly support a lasting ceasefire and a settlement of problems through serious negotiations and diplomacy.&#8221;
Lukoil issued a <a href="https://www.lukoil.com/PressCenter/Pressreleases/Pressrelease?rid=594561">statement</a> following Maganov&#8217;s death this week, saying he had &#8220;passed away following a severe illness.&#8221;
&#8220;LUKOIL&#8217;s many thousands of employees mourn deeply for this grievous loss and express their sincere condolences to Ravil Maganov&#8217;s family,&#8221; the company added.
Former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Rebekah Koffler <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/russian-oil-executive-criticized-ukraine-invasion-dead-reportedly-falling-hospital-window">said</a> that Maganov&#8217;s death followed a &#8220;standard Russian intelligence playbook&#8221; of how Russia deals with problematic citizens.
&#8220;The ‘wet affairs’ are targeted assassinations,&#8221; Koffler said. &#8220;Russia and previously the former Soviet Union are known for orchestrating mysterious deaths of the Kremlin’s opponents. It’s done in various ways — shots in the back of the head, poisonings, forced suicides and other intricate forms of violent death. I have a whole section in my book describing this doctrine and with examples of high-profile cases.&#8221;
Koffler pointed to how Russian media gave conflicting accounts of what happened as evidence that the government was trying to muddy the waters to prevent anyone from discovering the truth.
&#8220;Interfax said he died, having fallen out of a window and Tass wrote that it was suicide,&#8221; Koffler said. &#8220;Yet another paper speculated that he was trying to go out of a balcony to get a smoke. The truth is these tactics are designed deliberately to be stealthy, so no investigator could identify foul play. They are usually deemed ‘tragic accidents.’ Also part of the doctrine.&#8221;
Putin&#8217;s political opponents have a history of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/03/23/here-are-ten-critics-of-vladimir-putin-who-died-violently-or-in-suspicious-ways/">dying</a> in mysterious or violent circumstances, including <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-journalist-killing/31910359.html">journalists</a> who have looked into Putin&#8217;s past.
Several Russian doctors <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/10/world/europe/covid-russia-death.html">died</a> during the coronavirus pandemic after falling out of windows. Russia was widely accused of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/10/world/europe/covid-russia-death.html">lying</a> about the official number of coronavirus deaths that the country experienced.

Screen Shot 2022-09-01 at 12.14.33 PM

Top Russian Oil Executive Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances After Criticizing Putin’s War

Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a> signed a decree on Thursday that will add 137,000 combat personnel to the Russian military, six months after the onset of the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682">Russian invasion of Ukraine</a>.
The <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-orders-increase-russian-armed-forces-ukraine-war-rcna44774">increase</a> will boost the number of Russian combat personnel from roughly 1.01 million to 1.15 million, and raise its total personnel count to 2.04 million. According to the Russian government, the decree will take effect at the beginning of next year.
The troop surge comes in the wake of an <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/24/1119202240/ukraine-russia-war-by-numbers">uncertain</a> number of Russian casualties from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Russian officials have not published casualty numbers since the opening weeks of the war in March, where they reportedly lost 1,351 of their soldiers — independent estimates within Russia report at least 5,000 deaths, but the true figure is likely higher.
<div id="attachment_429156" style="width: 684px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-429156" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-429156" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="674" height="449" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/08/Mariupol-Demolished-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px" />(Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Hard data on casualties is hard to come by, as both sides are reluctant to share their own losses and eager to inflate enemy losses. Kyiv claims that its forces have killed or wounded more than 45,000 Russian combatants.
In March, Russian officials estimated that their forces had killed 14,000 Ukrainian troops and incapacitated 16,000 more. As recently as Monday, Ukraine <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-signs-decree-increase-size-russian-armed-forces-2022-08-25/">claimed</a> that they had lost 9,000 soldiers over the course of the invasion.
The Russian advance has largely stalled in the last few months, although Russian forces retain control over Crimea, the Donbas region, and much of Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline. Russia has currently occupied roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s pre-war territory, although Ukrainian saboteurs in the annexed Crimean peninsula have successfully attacked Russian military bases and depots deep behind enemy lines, suggesting that Russian control is far from absolute.
Russian officials have begun to acknowledge the lack of recent progress, although they claim it is the result of a deliberate strategy to limit collateral damage in the ongoing war of attrition.
&#8220;Everything is being done to avoid casualties among civilians. Of course, this slows down the pace of the offensive, but we are doing this deliberately,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-08-24/russian-defence-minister-shoigu-military-campaign-in-ukraine-deliberately-slowed-to-reduce-civilian-casualties">told</a> international colleagues at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization during a recent meeting in Uzbekistan.
The UN has documented nearly 5,600 civilian deaths over the course of the war and believes that the true death toll is much higher. Russia has come under fire as international observers allege that it has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2022/08/12/putin-targeting-civilians-ukraine-what-evidence-shows-1729463.html">deliberately attacked</a> civilian targets.

RUSSIA-DEFENCE-NAVY-POLITICS-HOLIDAY

Putin Boosts Russian Troop Numbers As Invasion Of Ukraine Stalls

Military

The daughter of a highly influential Russian philosopher who has close ties to Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin">Vladimir Putin</a> was killed over the weekend by a car bomb.
Daria Dugina, 29, died after the SUV she was driving, which belonged to her father, exploded approximately 20 miles west of Moscow.
Dugina is the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, 60, a self-educated philosopher who has a jingoistic mindset when it comes to foreign policy and his desire for Russia to expand its borders.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/21/world/ukraine-russia-news-war">reported</a> that he is often referred to as &#8220;Putin’s philosopher&#8221; or &#8220;Putin&#8217;s brain.&#8221; Dugina shared her father&#8217;s views and was widely viewed as a propagandist working in the media.
Officials believe that the bomb was actually intended to kill Dugin, not his daughter. Dugin escaped the alleged assassination attempt at the last minute when he decided to take another vehicle.
Russia quickly blamed Ukraine for the incident. A Ukrainian official denied the country was involved in the bombing. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Ukraine certainly had nothing to do with yesterday’s explosion,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Sunday. “We are not a criminal state like the Russian Federation, much less a terrorist one.”
The U.S. and the U.K. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/21/russia-launches-murder-investigation-after-car-bomb-kills-daughter-of-key-putin-ally.html">sanctioned</a> Dugina this year for being a “frequent and high-profile contributor of disinformation related to Ukraine.”
The U.S. Treasury <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/21/alexander-dugin-daughter-daria-dugina-russia-ukraine-war/">says</a> that Dugin controls a fringe website that &#8220;serves as a platform for Russian ultra-nationalists to spread disinformation and propaganda targeting Western and other audiences&#8221; including accused the U.S. and NATO of trying to start a war with Russia to “further terrorize the American people in all sorts of malicious ways.”

Daughter of Putin ally Alexander Dugin killed in car explosion

Car Bomb Kills Daughter Of Highly Influential Russian Known As ‘Putin’s Philosopher’

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