God created the goat, the devil the Russian.
-- Ukrainian proverb
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| Nikolai Sergeyev (1855—1919) |
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UKRAINE |
STATE-OWNED UKRAINIAN ENERGY FIRM HIRES FORMER SCOTT WALKER AIDE: Naftogaz, the Ukrainian state-owned oil-and-gas firm, has hired Daniel Vajdich and Jonathan Gregory of Yorktown Solutions to represent it in Washington, according to documents filed with the Justice Department. The filing is the latest development in the battle for Washington influence between Russian and Ukrainian energy interests. Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Gazprom, hired Capitol Counsel, the Hawksbill Group and Roberti Global to lobby in Washington this summer, spending nearly $900,000 to retain the three firms. (Former Rep. John Sweeney of SMW Partners, a former Trump transition official, worked as a subcontractor to Roberti Global.) Nord Stream 2 AG is working to build a pipeline from Russia to Germany, bypassing Eastern European countries such as Ukraine.
- Yorktown will work on "fully integrating the Ukrainian gas market with the energy market of the EU, supporting the implementation of the gas market reform in Ukraine and attracting foreign investments to the Ukrainian oil and gas market; [and] efficiently addressing threats posed by the Nord Stream 2 project," according to a contract filed with the Justice Department. The contract is worth $37,000 and runs through Dec. 31.
- The filing is Yorktown's first foreign agent registration. Vajdich, the firm's president, is a former foreign policy adviser to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's presidential campaign as well as a former Senate Foreign Relations Committee staffer, according to his biography on the website of the Atlantic Council , where he is a nonresident senior fellow with the Future Europe Initiative. Vajdich helped draft bills that "authorized $350 million for the provision of lethal military assistance to Ukraine, imposed sanctions on Russia for its destabilization of Ukraine, and delivered $1 billion in loan guarantees to the Ukrainian government," according to the website. Vajdich didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. [POLITICO Influence, November 21, 2017]
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TURKEY |
For the past 100 days, ten peaceful activists have been persecuted in Istanbul. Idil Eser, the Director of Amnesty Turkey, is one of what’s known as the Istanbul 10, human rights defenders being held in a high security prison with little to no contact with loved ones. Idil Eser was just attending a routine workshop for human rights activists with her colleagues when the raid and arrests happened. And for the past year, the world has witnessed a shocking crackdown on human rights in Turkey. These detentions are the latest in a series of efforts to silence any dissent by the Turkish government. Idil and the Istanbul 10 have dedicated their lives to defending the rights of others. Every day that they are detained, the people they speak up for are left more vulnerable to the government’s ongoing crackdown on freedoms. [Amnesty International USA, October 14, 2017]
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TRUMP |
“We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing
activities in the Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes,
including Syria and Iran, and instead join the community of responsible nations
in our fight against common enemies and defense of civilization itself.” –
President Trump
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PUTIN |
"Russia does not invent extremist politics...Here in this country they'll support a Black Lives Matter group-a fake one-or they'll create at the same time an anti-immigrant group," Applebaum says. "Of course, what that shows us is that the fault lines already exist, and that there are people willing to be taken in by these kinds of groups and organizations. So, he isn't inventing the problems that we have; he simply saw them." [The Global Politico, October 23, 2017]
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TRUMP - PUTIN |
NOTE: The news sources here vary. Not all sources have the same credibility, but in an effort to share some different perspectives, they are included here. This compendium itself cannot claim to be unbiased. Please take into consideration where these different perspectives originate in assessing their value. Thank you
NOTE: I have no official connection to any organization from which information is shared.. Occasionally, I post informational material and/or an opportunity to donate or join as a "community service" announcement. These again are shared for their varying perspectives.
Any books listed are random or topic-related to something else in the post. Think of these as a "library bookshelf" to browse. They are shared for informational or entertainment value only, not as being recommended
NOTE: I have no official connection to any organization from which information is shared.. Occasionally, I post informational material and/or an opportunity to donate or join as a "community service" announcement. These again are shared for their varying perspectives.
Any books listed are random or topic-related to something else in the post. Think of these as a "library bookshelf" to browse. They are shared for informational or entertainment value only, not as being recommended
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