Headline News 21/09/2022

Headlines:

• Russia Moves to Formally Annex Swathes of Ukraine
• UN Chief says WPeril and Paralysed’ as Summit Convenes
• Germany Nationalises Russia Assets

Details:

Russia Moves to Formally Annex Swathes of Ukraine

The leaders of the four self-proclaimed pro-Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions declared their intention to conduct "referendums" on their regions joining the Russian Federation from Sept. 23-27. The announcements came on the same day as Russia's Duma approved adjustments to the criminal codex introducing the concepts of "mobilization," "martial law" and "wartime," imposing up to 15 years in prison for desertion and up to three years for contract soldiers refusing to deploy to Ukraine. Putin has needed to respond after Russian forces suffered major loses in the Kharkiv region where significant Russian military equipment was captured by Ukraine armed forces. It’s likely the threat of annexation is an attempt to revive negotiations with the West over limiting weapons supplies to Ukraine, as well as Ukraine's use of these weapons to strike the newly-annexed Russian territory. Which would all indicate that Russia’s initial aim of conquering Ukraine is moving further away from being realised.

UN Chief says World ‘in Peril and Paralysed’ as Summit Convenes

In an alarming assessment, the head of the UN has warned world leaders that nations are “gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction” and are not ready or willing to tackle the challenges that threaten humanity’s future. “Our world is in peril — and paralysed,” he said. The 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting of world leaders convenes under the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has unleashed a global food crisis and opened fissures among major powers in a way not seen since the Cold War. Speaking at the opening of the annual high-level meeting in New York City, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres started his remarks by sounding a note of hope with the UN-chartered ship carrying grain from Ukraine. The history of the UN has for long been to rubber stamp Western plans for the world.

Germany Nationalises Russia Assets

Germany has taken control of the German operations of Russian oil firm Rosneft to secure energy supplies which have been disrupted after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Rosneft’s German subsidiaries, which account for about 12% of oil refining capacity in the country, have effectively been seized and nationalised. Rosneft responded in a statement that the move was illegal and that it could go to court to challenge the decision by Germany. The seizures come as Germany is scrambling to wean itself off its dependence on Russian energy. Moscow has stopped natural gas deliveries to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Germany has begun entangling from Russia and it's likely she will look at all its joint ventures with Russia. The German-Russian confrontation is now in full swing and historically has always proven deadly for the continent.