Short question on a given text

No country “should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain”, President Xi Jinping told a forum on the southern Chinese island of Hainan. He did not name North Korea but he appeared to refer to Pyongyang.
The above paragraph is quoted from a Reuters material (still) available here and what I am saying here does in no way represent the point of view of the press agency.

I cannot stop to mention what I have already quoted somewhere else, that is “The lesson for new analysts is that a statement by a foreign official or diplomat, (…) always carries spin. If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true, even if it is partly true. (…) Evaluation of diplomatic traffic requires subtlety and skill and lots of critical questioning. The meaning of the language is never self-evident.“
Emphasis be added to the last phrase, “The meaning of the language is never self-evident“. I am saying this because everyone and their dog seem to think the Chinese president refers to North Korea.

I do have a legitimate question: what if – only if – he in fact was talking to the United States? What if China plays on its support to North Korea and the statement is nothing more than an extension of said policy? What if China, with all its money, army, economy, etc., senses this is the moment it can openly assert its power and impression that it actually is stronger (in many respects) than the US an therefore can act like the regional policy-maker it really is?

As the Reuters author notes, “He [president Xi Jinping] did not name North Korea but he appeared to refer to Pyongyang.”
The Chinese president did not name North Korea indeed. But, again, what if he was NOT referring to Pyongyang?

Furthermore, the US postponed a Minuteman III intercontinental missile test, supposed to take place on its own soil, “to help calm high tension on the Korean peninsula”.
Question to be answered: was the postponement triggered by the fact that the US feel threatened by North Korea’s (military, or even nuclear) power, be it justified by madness, megalomania, communism or whatever else? Or was it triggered by China’s foot into the doorstep?
I would incline towards the latter, as I think United States have at least the will and power to respond to any North Korean military act.

Yalta – Malta – Neptun

Remember the last will and testament of Peter the Great?

I was not able to find, until now, a reliable source reproducing the real contents of the document and, moreover, I saw comments that the Web available version is an apocryph.
Still to be seen.

If it is true - and I don't mean the contents as much as the principles behind it - was the Neptun meeting between Russians and Americans, as part of the NATO summit in Romania, a new stage of the Yalta - Malta series?
Could be.
Mainly from the point of view of the expansion trend of the North-Atlantic alliance and of the European Union.

Maybe Russians didn't want to break the status quo and would rather silently insert themselves as did before. But facts happened this way: NATO brings missiles near the Russians' fence and the EU unselfishly desires to civilise the whole Europe. Both of them came closer both to Moldavia and Ukraine, falsesly giving hopes to ordinary citizens.

Russia has little to negotiate with the European Union. Stopping gas deliveries would be enough.
They can't do this to the Americans yet. Americans are also part of a military alliance which includes most of Europe and are Russia's number one traditional enemy.

The US recognized the independence of Kosovo. Within an area literally engulfed in American influence and presence. This opened a precedent for similar regions such as Abkhazia, Osetia, Transnistria to dare, protected as they are by their traditional "master" Russia.

This opens the way for Russia to again mark territories and officialy draw a line on the Dnestr. Leaving Moldavia with no sea access and widening the Russian Black Sea shore.
Last will and testament of Peter the Great
Realitatea TV on the above
Romania libera on the same
BBC, on NATO expansion

UPDATE: It was not in Neptun but in Sochi. Fault-finders might argue we uselessly hoped such a meeting of similar importance with the previous ones might happen in our country. It is somehow true, taking into account that Putin was trying (and tried, see his attitude towards everything that the NATO summit represented) to leave a mark and state his will as probably one of his last desires as president of Russia.

It is also obvious that, as the meeting took part at Putin's, its outcome was predictable - NATO did not move to the right, got what was left to be gotten in Europe (even Albania can be part of NATO...) and the missile protection shield stays where it is.

As for unofficial results, they might be discovered by our children, some time in the far future.

The sun always rises from the East

What I noticed today:

1. Gaz de France gives up the Nabucco project
2. LukOil cuts off crude oil deliveries to Germany
3. Last, but not least, the situation in Kosovo...


For those of you who do not know, Nabucco is supposed to transport natural gas from Turkey to Austria via Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. To pump said gas into the pipeline, the project harvests it from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Egypt and Syria and connects within Turkey to the Tabriz - Erzurum pipeline and to the Baku - Tbilisi - Erzurum pipeline. At the delivery point in Austria it delivers the gas to what it is supposed to be the European central deposit in Baumgarten. This deposit aims to be a buffer against the Russians' energy blackmail activities such as the last winter ones and such as any other possible ones if Ukraine does not pay the price Russia demands. [Later Edit, February 21: but here we are heading to this... it's good that summer comes, though] Until the project becomes operational (supposedly in 2012) we will for sure be depending on Russian energy resources.

This idea has interesting side effects between the EU an the US. Let us remind you here that Turkey reached the status of an aeternal EU candidate country while it is a NATO member country and a US supporter. Whish United States are slowly starting to dig for resources - brave Chaves cut down the pipes towards America. His action led to an increase in crude oil prices to an average US$100 per barrel.