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Winds of New Cold War Howling in the Arctic Circle

With operations based in Norway, NATO is replacing the Arctic Council as a decision-making authority in the region

by Vijay Prashad,* Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research

(14 February 2023) In 1996, the eight countries on the Arctic rim — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States — formed the Arctic Council, a journey that began in 1989 when Finland approached the other countries to hold a discussion about the Arctic environment.

Ukraine’s Zelensky sends love letter to US Corporations

Promising ‘Big Business’ for Wall Street

by Ben Norton,* Latin America

(14 February 2023) In a video address to a US corporate lobby group, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky thanked companies like BlackRock, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Starlink, insisting “everyone can become a big business” by investing in Ukraine, where “we are defending freedom and property”.

Hunger and poverty in Syria – the result of Western blockade policy

by Karin Leukefeld*

(14 February 2023) (Edit.) The tragic and historically outrageous unilateral decision by the Swiss government in February 2022 to endorse EU sanctions against Russia across the board, despite Switzerland’s neutrality, has seriously damaged Switzerland’s role as a neutral mediator. Moreover, it permanently devalued the position of Geneva as a proven venue for negotiations. This is having a noticeable impact already – and, as always with sanctions, primarily on the lower classes and the poor. The following article from Syria by Karin Leukefeld illustrates how this works. (cm)

This must not be forgotten!

On 27 January 1944 – 79 years ago – the Red Army was able to break through the German siege of Leningrad with a million people starved to death

by Christian Müller,* 27 January 2023

(7 February 2023) (Edit.) With its complete submission to the Anglo-American forces on the other side of the Atlantic, Germany can but lose: its freedoms, its prosperity, its standing in the world.

The United Nations and Unilateral Coercive Measures

Continuing violation of the human rights of targeted populations by powerful states and how to demand accountability

by Alfred de Zayas,* Geneva

(7 February 2023) Oral statement of 28 January 2023 at the Opening Session of the “International People’s Tribunal on U.S. Imperialism: Sanctions, Blockades, and Economic Coercive Measures”.

Why neutral countries should mediate between Russia and Ukraine

by Jeffrey Sachs,* USA

(7 February 2023) Neither Russia nor Ukraine is likely to achieve a decisive military victory in their ongoing war: both sides have considerable room for deadly escalation. Ukraine and its Western allies have little chance of ousting Russia from Crimea and the Donbas region, while Russia has little chance of forcing Ukraine to surrender. As Joe Biden noted in October, the spiral of escalation marks the first direct threat of “nuclear Armageddon” since the Cuban missile crisis 60 years ago.