We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
Is it possible that NATO forces could become directly involved in the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine?
Until recently, such a question seemed very hypothetical given the high risks of escalation of the military confrontation between the US-led bloc and Russia into a large-scale armed conflict. But this scenario should be taken seriously now, writes Ivan Timofeev, programme director of the Valdai Club
“A significant escalation factor that would amplify the risk of a direct clash between Russia and NATO, could be the appearance of military contingents form bloc members on the territory of Ukraine. The prospect of such a scenario has already been mentioned by some Western politicians, although their view has not been supported by the US and isn’t an official NATO position.”
“Each of these scenarios involves a direct clash between Russian and NATO forces. Such a situation would inevitably raise the question of deeper bloc involvement and, in the longer term, the transfer of military conflict to other areas of contact with Russia, including the Baltic region. At this stage, it will be even more difficult to stop the escalation. The more losses both sides suffer, the more the maelstrom of hostilities will grow and the closer they will come to the threshold of using nuclear weapons. And there will be no winners.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/599286-russia-nato-ukraine-conflict/
The Phantom MK1 is the first US humanoid robot built explicitly for combat.
$150k per unit. Ballistic armor.
Stealth coating that hides it from thermal sensors.
Can carry 20kg of weapons or equipment.
Reports claim two units are already being tested on the frontlines in Ukraine.
War is about to look very different...
🄳🄾🄾🄼🄿🤖🅂🅃🄸🄽🄶
🛢 The Strait of Hormuz Oil Shock Is About to Head to the West
The biggest oil supply shock in history has reached the one-month mark. Prices have surged, growth forecasts are being cut worldwide, and shortages are emerging across Asia, from Thailand to Pakistan.
But the energy industry is warning that the crisis is only beginning.
In conversations with more than three dozen oil and gas traders, executives, brokers, shippers and advisers over the last week, one message was repeated over and over: The world still hasn’t grasped the severity of the situation. Many drew parallels with the 1970s oil shock, warning the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is threatening an even bigger crisis. Fuel crunches hitting Asia will soon start spreading west, they said. Europe is likely to face surging prices to secure cargoes and is at risk of diesel shortages in the coming weeks.
If the strait stays closed, the world will have to significantly reduce its oil and gas consumption — but not before prices ...
In a research note published Thursday, Goldman economist Pierfrancesco Mei laid out a detailed framework for how higher energy prices translate into labor market pain — and the picture isn’t pretty. As explained by the bank earlier in the week, its commodities strategists expect Brent crude to average $105 in March, spike to $115 in April, and then gradually retreat to $80 in the fourth quarter, assuming flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain severely disrupted for roughly six weeks. In an adverse scenario — one where the conflict deepens — Brent could peak as high as $140 a barrel, or $160 in a “severely adverse” scenario.
The damage isn’t distributed evenly. Goldman’s sector-level analysis points to leisure and hospitality as the single hardest-hit industry, accounting for roughly 5,000 lost jobs per month, with retail trade shedding another 2,000. The logic is straightforward: when energy prices surge, consumers cut back on discretionary spending first — skipping ...
We are on the brink of breaking the backbone of Australia.
Right now this country has around 26 days of diesel left in reserve. We have 28,000 unfilled truck driver positions.
Nearly half the current driver workforce is over 55 years old. The next generation is not coming through.
The web that holds this nation together is fraying thread by thread and most Australians have no idea.
So let me walk you through what happens when trucks stop.
🔴 DAY 1 to 3
Supermarket shelves begin to empty. Supermarkets carry roughly 10 days of dry goods and about 7 days of frozen and fresh. Panic buying cuts that in half overnight.
We saw it with COVID. We see it right now with the fuel panic already hitting regional stations across the country.
🔴 WEEK 1
Fresh produce gone. Meat gone. Dairy gone. Hospitals burn through their 3 day medication buffer.
Fuel stations in regional and remote areas run dry first. Communities like those along the Perth to Alice Springs corridor get cut off. No fuel in means no food out.
...
