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Thursday, July 31, 2014

War and Peace

 War and Peace

The United States have been re-supplying Israel with ammunition that it has used in the Gaza attack. The US allowed Israel to access its strategic stockpile to replenish its stocks of 40mm grenades and 120mm mortar rounds. Additional Israeli requests for US-manufactured ammunition were also being processed in the USA. The US Senate Appropriations Committee added $225m for Iron Dome to a spending bill intended mainly to provide money to handle an influx of thousands of Central American children across the US-Mexico border.

Rear Admiral John Kirby of the Pentagon explained "The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability.This defence sale is consistent with those objectives."

Just how the death toll at the last count of 1,361 Palestinians threatens the existence of the state of Israel he declined to say. Calling for peace and at the same time providing weapons to be used is a strange sort of diplomacy.

Meanwhile on another battle-front, Russia is the EU’s third-biggest trading partner with cross-border trade of $460bn (£272bn) last year, and the latest sanctions being introduced by the EU towards Russian individuals and banks will hurt European countries more than any other – particularly Germany, but also the City of London.

Germany and Russia have been working on a secret peace plan to end international tensions over the Ukraine. It hinges on stabilising the borders of Ukraine and providing the financially troubled country with a strong economic boost, particularly a new energy agreement ensuring security of gas supplies. The international community would recognise Crimea’s independence and its annexation by Russia. Russia would compensate Ukraine with a billion-dollar financial package for the loss of the rent it used to pay for stationing its fleets in the Crimea and at the port of Sevastopol on the Black Sea until Crimea voted for independence in March. The Ukraine would be offered a new long-term agreement with Russia’s Gazprom, the giant gas supplier, for future gas supplies and pricing. At present, there is no gas deal in place; Ukraine’s gas supplies are running low and are likely to run out before this winter, which would spell economic and social ruin for the country.

Some of Germany’s biggest companies have big operations in Russia, which is now one of Europe’s biggest car markets, while many of its small to medium companies are also expanding into the country. Although Russia now provides EU countries with a third of their gas supplies through pipelines crossing the Ukraine, Germany has its own bilateral gas pipeline direct to Russia making it less vulnerable than other European countries.

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