The key to success of US sanctions is that the US dollar is used in trade between nations; the more countries trade in other currencies the less effective the sanctions regimes will be.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said, upon his arrival today, Monday, in Moscow, that "China is ready to stand by Russia to protect international law," stressing that his visit "will be fruitful and give a new impetus to the development of relations between the two countries."
And the Kremlin announced today, Monday, that the Chinese president and his Russian counterpart will discuss the plan proposed by Beijing to settle the conflict in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "The topics mentioned in this (Chinese) plan on Ukraine will form part of the talks," adding that "the United States insists on its existing positions to continue fueling the conflict, obstructing the reduction of hostilities, and continuing to flood Ukraine with weapons."
Referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Chinese president said that "complex problems have no simple solutions," but there will be a way out if there is equal dialogue.
In an article by the Russian RIA Novosti and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers, Xi said that Beijing is convinced that a "rational way out" of the Ukrainian crisis will be found if everyone is guided by the concept of common, integrated and sustainable security, and they continue dialogue and consultations "in an equal, prudent and pragmatic manner."
He also noted that since the beginning of last year "there has been a complete aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis." "China has always taken an objective and impartial stance, and is making active efforts to promote reconciliation and peace negotiations," the Chinese president said.
The Chinese president also addressed the trade relations between China and Russia, stressing that "they need to increase the volume and quality of cooperation in the field of investment and trade." China-Russia trade in Jan-Feb soars 36.4% so far this year.
"China does not send weapons to the battlefield in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but the United States does," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin was quoted as saying.
He also indicated that it is time for the United States to stop "fanning the flames and pointing fingers" on this issue, and "must play a constructive role in the Ukrainian crisis, not the other way around."
Today, Sunday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in the UAE on an official visit, where he met his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Syrian presidency stated, in a statement, that President al-Assad arrived "this afternoon in the United Arab Emirates on an official visit, during which he is accompanied by First Lady Asma al-Assad."
She added, "He was received upon his arrival at the presidential airport in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates," noting that they went to the Al-Watan Palace in the capital, Abu Dhabi, to start the talks.
In turn, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed said, "We held constructive talks with the Syrian president to support and develop brotherly relations for the benefit of the two countries."
"We are working to strengthen cooperation and coordination with Damascus on issues that serve stability and development," Mohammed bin Zayed added.
The delegation of the accompanying Syrian president included Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Samer Khalil, Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam, Minister of Information Boutros Hallaq, Assistant Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan, and Chargé d'Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Abu Dhabi Ghassan Abbas.
It is noteworthy that the Emirati Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, on the 12th of last February, in the first visit by a prominent foreign official, in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck the north of the country on the 6th of the same month.
This was stated by the Minister of Energy of the Kingdom, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
In his view, price ceilings set for a country or a group of countries, for oil or any other commodity, will lead to individual or collective responses with serious consequences.
"So if there is a price cap on Saudi oil exports, we will not sell oil to any country that imposes a price cap on our supplies, and we will cut oil production, and I would not be surprised if others do the same," he said. the minister said.
The Saudi Energy Minister, Abdulaziz bin Salman, and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, confirmed during their meeting in Riyadh, today, Thursday, their countries’ commitment to the decision taken by “OPEC +” to reduce oil production by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023.
The Saudi Press Agency, "SPA", stated that bin Salman and Novak discussed the conditions of the global oil market, and the efforts of the "OPEC +" group aimed at "enhancing market stability and balance."
The two sides affirmed their countries' commitment to the decision taken by the "OPEC +" group, last October, to reduce production by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023, and the continuation of cooperation between the two countries, within the framework of the group, to enhance the stability and balance of the global market.
A few days ago, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Energy Affairs, Jose Fernandez, called on oil-producing countries, including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to "increase the quantities of crude supplied in the markets."
And in early October 2022, “OPEC +” decided to reduce its production by two million barrels per day, at a level that it has not changed since then.
It is noteworthy that the American "The Intercept" website had previously stated, quoting informed Saudi sources, that Riyadh had pressured to cut oil production twice more than what Russian President Vladimir Putin had requested.
On October 14, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, John Kirby, said that "more than one member" of "OPEC +", without specifying them, disagreed about the size of the cut, but Saudi Arabia forced them to agree to it.
A statement that was true for almost all previous empires, is now discovered to apply to the US: "The greatest long-term threat the United States faces is our national debt". That is the conclusion of a US Senator Roger Marshall.
"I’m often asked what's the greatest threat our nation faces and I'm here to tell you [that] it's not Russia. It's not China. It's not North Korea. It's not Iran. And no, I love the environment, it's not climate change. The greatest long-term threat the United States faces is our national debt of $31 trillion and growing," Marshall told the US Senate Budget Committee.
Reportedly, according to Marshall, President Joe Biden has spent more than any other president in US history during his first 20 months in office.
He adds that energy prices have risen by more than 37%, home heating fuel by more than 52%, electricity prices by more than 23%, gasoline by more than 45%, and groceries by more than 19% during the Biden administration.
The former Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim, said that the war with Iran is not in the interest of the Gulf states, calling for a frank dialogue to reach a solution that would be “a great achievement not only for peace but also for trade and the economy.”
Bin Jassim added, “My first fear is not Iran, but we are in the region and the way we behave, I mean the leaders, I am not one of them. It should be discussed in a civilized manner.”
He continued, “If we have challenges ahead, and if we agree that Iran is our number one enemy, how will we deal with this matter? Will we deal with it through direct negotiations or war? Nobody wants war because it is not in our interest.”
He explained, “The problem is that this decision is not in our hands because we are not currently in a position, as I said about the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, to take the lead in our region and say, ‘Okay, we have problems with Iran. In harmony between Iran, Iraq and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
And the former Prime Minister of Qatar believed that "if the Gulf countries were able to do this, it would be a great achievement not only for peace, but also for trade, business and the economy."
And he added, “They (in Iran) have more than 100 million people, Iraq has 40 million people, and we (the Gulf countries) have about 50 million people. We are talking about 200 or 250 million people in oil-rich countries, imagine what they can do.”
Posts
All Comments
