China US relations - G20: Following a three hour meeting with Xi, Biden says he does'nt believe China will invade Taiwan

Speaking after they met on Monday at a luxury resort hotel in Bali, Indonesia, where they are attending the G20 summit, Biden said he and the Chinese leader had been “candid and clear” with each other on subjects ranging from Taiwan to trade.

The meeting, which lasted more than three hours, was seen as an attempt to reduce tensions that have brought US-China relations to their lowest ebb in decades.

Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com

USA: Republicans strike again - this time against the Biden student loan forgiveniss progam

With already 22 million former students applying for the Biden student loan forgiveness  program it was suddenly temporarily halted by 6 Republican states for a variety of nebulous reasons. Hopefully,  when these duped students go to vote on November 8, they will remember which political party dealt them this devastating blow.

Read more at: https: //www,eu-digest.blogspot.com

Britain-US relations: President Biden critical of Britain's economic policies

The US president said he disagreed with Liz Truss' now-abandoned plan to fight inflation with tax cuts. The embattled UK leader is now scrambling to present a new budget with the help of her new finance minister.

Read more at: https://www.dw.com

Ukraine - Russian Invasion: Biden, Putin and the danger of Versailles

Shortly after the 1918 armistice that ended the first world war, David Lloyd George, Britain’s prime minister, was thumpingly re-elected on the slogan “Hang the Kaiser”. Germany’s exiled Kaiser Wilhelm got off lightly. But the spirit of revenge that followed the “war to end all wars” held firm. The allies’ ensuing Treaty of Versailles sowed a peace that would poison all peace.

It may seem early to speculate about a Ukrainian deal with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, though talks have been taking place and draft peace proposals exchanged. Putin has a history of saying one thing and doing the opposite, which could prove lethally deceptive in Ukraine. Few believe Putin is ever likely to drop his ultimate ambition of swallowing Ukraine. Any deal, let alone a ceasefire, should thus be treated as a tactical pause.

Yet at some point, the west will have to talk to the enemy it has rather than the one it would like. That will mean doing some kind of a deal with Putin. The alternative — aiming for Russia’s unconditional surrender and the ejection of Putin — is a bet western leaders cannot afford to indulge. Given Putin’s barbarity, this may prove too much for western publics to digest, let alone the abused people of Ukraine.

Yet the lessons of Versailles are there. The mood in Washington and other western capitals is understandably punitive. In addition to the wanton slaughter of civilians, Russian artillery is levelling huge tracts of Ukraine. The cost may already be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. US president Joe Biden’s temptation will be to seize Russian central bank dollar assets in reparation for Ukraine’s damage. Biden would also find it politically very hard to lift sanctions while Putin remains in power. In 1919, the allied powers imposed crippling reparations on a defeated Germany, even though its war leaders had been ousted. It would be harder for today’s allies to resist imposing a Carthaginian peace on a Russia that is still run by Putin.

Biden’s challenge will thus be even trickier than what faced his predecessor, Woodrow Wilson. Unlike Germany in 1919, Russia has nuclear weapons and cannot be forced to surrender. The best definition of Russian defeat would be its withdrawal from the slices of Ukraine it has occupied. Even that would be a tall order. Ejecting Russia in whole would be hard for Ukraine to do alone. Yet direct western involvement is unthinkable. That means Ukraine could be forced to suffer months or even years of bloody stalemate.

Read more at Biden, Putin and the danger of Versailles | Financial Times

US OIL and Gas embargo questionable, as US oil and gas industry "sticks" it to US consumers

If there is anything positive about this war in Ukraine, is that in the area of energy, it will speed up European development of alternative energy which presently is already quite advanced.

As to the Biden announced ban on Russian oil and gas sales into the US, while the US, which is completely self-sufficient, and a net exporter of these commodities, is somewhat puzzling. Just as puzzling as the reason for the high price, Americans are now forced to pay locally at the pump by the US oil and gas industry.

Read more at: https://www.eu-digest.blogspot.com

USA: Ukraine Crises: Biden's Bold Gamble Might Just Save Ukraine {Opinion}

The Ukraine War is only a week old, so it's far too soon to make any judgements about its outcome.One thing is clear, though: Russian President Vladimir Putin badly miscalculated. He is facing two tactical surprises at the moment that may prove to have dire consequences.

Putin was clearly not prepared for the fight that the Ukrainians have put up to his invading forces. It's the only explanation for the logistical failures and enormous reported losses (even discounting for the obvious exaggerations): The Russian Army expected to meet a Ukrainian opposition similar to what it saw in Donbas in 2015 or even in Crimea in 2014.

But the Ukrainians have spent the past eight years learning the lessons of those earlier defeats. They have built a diplomatic network of support they didn't have a decade ago, and they have purchased arms and developed tactics to make the most of the weapons they have been able to obtain.

Read more at: Biden's Bold Gamble Might Just Save Ukraine | Opinion

USA -Ukraine crises: Supporting Ukraine in potential Russian invasion could hurt U.S. economy, says Biden

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged the likelihood that U.S. and allied sanctions on Russia in retaliation for an invasion of Ukraine would have significant blowback on the American economy, including possible price hikes and disruption to the nation's energy supply.

"The American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost," Biden said in remarks at the White House about the ongoing crisis. "I will not pretend this will be p

He said the administration was working proactively to try to pre-empt supply issues by working with energy producers and shippers on contingency plans, and said he would work with Congress on unspecified "additional measures to protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump."

Read more at: Supporting Ukraine in potential Russian invasion could hurt U.S. economy, says Biden | CBC News

Ukraine: Who will blink first? - by Eric Patterson

The crisis in Ukraine becomes more dangerous by the day. It is not clear whether Russia will bite off another large chunk of the country, as it did when Joe Biden was vice president in 2014. But two things are clear. The first is that Vladimir Putin’s Russia continues its aggressive offense, forcing other countries to step back or respond. The second is that the Russian president sees his U.S. counterpart as weak and current U.S. foreign policy as scattered and unprincipled.

Much of Eastern Europe is already under tremendous stress. Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine and is backed by Russia, is pushing thousands of Asian migrants to the Polish border. Poland and three NATO countries, including the U.K., have sent military engineers and troops to fortify the border. Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline will give Russia even more power to turn off the heat in Western Europe, as climate idealists in Berlin and Paris shut down their own nations’ nuclear and coal plants. Russia’s air force and navy routinely stray over international boundaries—and not by accident.

Putin’s rise to power came as Russia’s economy was in turmoil, as NATO had expanded to Russia’s borders (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and as Russia’s global influence was on the wane. As Putin and his cronies began to rebuild the nation as an oligarchy, they felt routinely disrespected by the West. A notable example of this is that Putin believes President Barack Obama lied to him when choosing to topple Libya’s dictator.


Read more at: Who will blink first? | WORLD

USA: Biden says U.S. democracy under threat on Capitol riot anniversary

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday accused his predecessor, Donald Trump, of spreading a "web of lies" to undermine U.S. democracy in a speech on the anniversary of the deadly U.S. Capitol attack by Trump supporters who tried to undo his 2020 election defeat.

Speaking at the white-domed building where rioters smashed windows, assaulted police and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives on Jan. 6, 2021, Biden warned that Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud could undermine the rule of law and subvert future elections.

"A former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He's done so because he values power over principle," Biden said. "He can't accept he lost."

Read more at: Biden says U.S. democracy under threat on Capitol riot anniversary | CBC News

China- US Relations: The State of Democracy in the United States

In response to Presidents Biden's "Democracy Crusade", China's state Press agency hit back with their own version of US Democracy.

(1) American-style democracy has become “a game of money politics” (2) “One person one vote” in name, “rule of the minority elite” in reality (3) The checks and balances have resulted in a “vetocracy” (4) The flawed electoral rules impair fairness and justice 5) Dysfunctional democracy triggers trust crisis

>2. Messy and chaotic practices of demo(1) The Capitol riot that shocks the world (2) Entrenched racism (3) Tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic (4) Widening wealth gap(5) “Freedom of speech” in name only 3. Disastrous consequences of US export of its brand of democracy (1) The “color revolutions” undermine regional and national stability (2) The US imposition of its brand of democracy causes humanitarian tragedies 3) The abuse of sanctions breaches international rules(4) The “beacon of democracy” draws global criticism

Read more at: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/202112/t20211205_10462535.html

Russia-US relations: Biden warns Putin on call against Ukraine invasion - by QUINT FORGEY

President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States and European allies would join together to impose “strong” economic penalties and other

In a highly anticipated secure video call, Biden “voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation,” according to a White House readout.

Note EU-Digest: "The real problem facing Joe Biden is that he not only has to deal with the Ukraine situation, but also has to watch the dark clouds forming over Formosa. Bottom line is that Biden does not want to get caught between a rock and a hard place".

Read more at: Biden warns Putin on call against Ukraine invasion - POLITICO

Russia-Ukraine border: Why Moscow is stoking tensions - by Sarah Rainsford

When Russia wanted the US to sit up and take notice last April it sent tanks towards the Ukrainian border. The show of force worked: President Joe Biden called Russia's Vladimir Putin and in June the two men met in Geneva.

But whatever they agreed about Ukraine at their summit, something has since gone awry.

In recent weeks, Russian tanks have been moving west towards Ukraine once again, prompting fresh, even starker warnings from US intelligence circles that a cross-border offensive could be on the cards.

Read more at: Russia-Ukraine border: Why Moscow is stoking tensions - BBC News

USA: Biden and Harris briefed as US braces for arrival of Omicron Covid variant - by Edward Helmore

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been briefed on the latest situation regarding the new Omicron coronavirus variant, the White House said on Saturday, as Britain, Germany and Italy reported detecting cases.

Read more at: Biden and Harris briefed as US braces for arrival of Omicron Covid variant | Coronavirus | The Guardian

EU-US Relations: Is Europe politically drifting away from America? an Op-ed by Ramzy Baroud

Suddenly, the idea put forth by French President, Emmanuel Macron, late last year does not seem so far-fetched or untenable after all. Following the US-Nato hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan, European countries are now forced to consider the once unthinkable: a gradual drifting away from US dominance.

When, on Sep. 29, 2020, Macron uttered these words: “We, some countries more than others, gave up on our strategic independence by depending too much on American weapons systems”, the context of this statement had little to do with Afghanistan. Instead, Europe was angry at the bullying tactics used by former US President Donald Trump and sought alternatives to US leadership.

The latter has treated Nato — actually, all of Europe — with such disdain, that it has forced America’s closest allies to rethink their foreign policy outlook and global military strategy altogether.

Even the advent of US President Joe Biden and his assurances to Europe that “America is back” did little to reassure European countries, which fear, justifiably, that US political instability may exist long after Biden’s term in office expires.

Read more at: Is Europe politically drifting away from America? | Op-eds – Gulf News

USA: Is Biden’s entire agenda about to shrink into nothingness? - by Robert Reich

This week, Democrats either reach an agreement on Biden’s social and climate agenda or the agenda may shrink into meaninglessness. The climate measures in particular need to be settled before Biden heads to Scotland for the UN climate summit this weekend, so other nations will see our commitment to reduce carbon emissions.

On Sunday, Biden met with key Democrats to work out spending and tax provisions. Yet every senate Republican and at least two senate Democrats continue to assert that Biden’s agenda is too costly.

Too costly? Really? Compare the Biden’s social and climate package’s current compromise tab of $2tn (spread out over the next 10 years) with:The $1.9 trillion Trump Republican tax cut that went mostly to the wealthy and large corporations.

Americans were promised that its benefits would “trickle down” to average workers. They didn’t. Corporations used them to finance more stock buybacks. The wealthy used them to buy more shares of stock (and shares of private-equity and hedge funds).

Read more at: Is Biden’s entire agenda about to shrink into nothingness? | Robert Reich | The Guardian

Afghanistan - Biden between a rock and a hard place: Taliban Spokesman Says Afghans Will No Longer be Allowed to Leave Their Country

“We are not in favor of allowing Afghans to leave,” Mujahid said at a press conference. He said Americans “have the opportunity” and “all the resources” to “take all the people that belong to them, but we are not going to allow Afghans to leave and we will not extend the deadline.”

Read more at: Taliban Spokesman Says Afghans Will No Longer be Allowed to Leave Their Country

America May Be ‘Back’ in Europe, but How Much Has Changed Under Biden? - by Mark Landler

Few images captured the rupture in trans-Atlantic relations better than that of President Donald J. Trump in 2018, arms folded across his chest as he resisted Chancellor Angela Merkel and other frustrated leaders in their doomed effort to salvage their summit meeting in Canada.

When the same leaders reconvene in Cornwall, England, on Friday, President Biden will reverse the body language, replacing impasse with embrace. But beneath the imagery, it is not clear how much more open the United States will be to give-and-take with Europe than it was under Mr. Trump.

The trans-Atlantic partnership has always been less reciprocal than its champions like to pretend — a marriage in which one partner, the United States, carried the nuclear umbrella. Now, with China replacing the Soviet Union as America’s archrival, the two sides are less united than they were during the Cold War, a geopolitical shift that lays bare longstanding stresses between them.

Read more at: America May Be ‘Back’ in Europe, but How Much Has Changed Under Biden? - The New York Times

G-7 nations expected to pledge 1B vaccine doses for world

The Group of Seven nations are set to commit to sharing at least 1 billion coronavirus shots with the world, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Thursday, with half coming from the U.S. and 100 million from the U.K. as President Joe Biden urged allies to join in speeding the pandemic’s end and bolstering the strategic position of the world’s wealthiest democracies.

Johnson’s announcement on the eve of the G-7 leaders’ summit in England came hours after Biden committed to donating 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and previewed a coordinated effort by the advanced economies to make vaccination widely and speedily available everywhere.

Read more at: G-7 nations expected to pledge 1B vaccine doses for world

Middle East: EU, Mideast nations look to train at Cyprus security center

Three European Union member nations and three Middle Eastern countries are looking to train personnel in border, customs, maritime and cybersecurity techniques at a cutting-edge U.S.-funded facility in Cyprus that is expected to be ready early next year, the Cypriot foreign minister said Thursday. The Cyprus Center for Land, Open-Seas, and Port Security (CYCLOPS) is scheduled to start operating on Jan. 16, 2022, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said after inspecting the under-construction facility with U.S. Ambassador Judith Garber.

Christodoulides said Cyprus was selected for the center because the Mediterranean island nation is located on the southeastern end of the EU and because it enjoys good relations with the nations in the Mideast.

“Officials from neighboring countries as well as from EU member states will receive the kind of traininto counter common threats of a non-military nature,” he said.

Biden made the remarks in a letter addressed to Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Koushos said. In the letter, the U.S. president looks forward to working with Anastasiades to deal with issues of common interest in the east Mediterranean, the spokesman said.

Read more at EU, Mideast nations look to train at Cyprus security center - NEWS 1130

USA: President Biden Faces Multiple Crises, Needs Radical Agenda Despite Corporate Opposition - by Inderjeet Parmar

The multiple crises that President Joe Biden faces are too many and too deep and systemic to be tackled in the old way or papered over – they require massive state intervention comparable in scale and character to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ of the 1930s, and embedding in a new global grand bargain acknowledging multipolarity and the effective twilight of the US’s global preponderance. Just like white Americans must accommodate the fact of their ‘majority-minority’ status in 20 years – they will be the largest single racial group but no longer a majority of the population – so must the foreign policy establishment accommodate to the US as the strongest, but no longer totally preponderant, world power.

The American crisis is stark. Look at the US federal capital – with over 20,000 national guard erecting a ring of steel around the inaugural platform. The US Capitol building in Washington, DC, looks increasingly like Baghdad’s Green Zone – with more US troops deployed for a ‘peaceful transfer of power’ than are based in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. The FBI is vetting national guardsmen for extreme right-wing links in case an attack should be launched from within the ‘security’ services. It is a state in the centre of a perfect but terrible storm, reaping the whirlwind sown by the hyper-authoritarian, fascistic, Trump regime, but which is also rooted in a range of crises going back several decades.

Read more: President Biden Faces Multiple Crises, Needs Radical Agenda Despite Corporate Opposition