Photo : Sergey Guneev, RIA Novosti/Kremlin.ru
17 September 2022, Saturday| NIAS Europe Daily Brief #309
IN BRIEF
By Padmashree Anandhan and Sai Pranav
FRANCE
SNCTA air traffic control union strike pushes French airlines to call off the flights
On 17 September, important airlines of France, Ryanir, EasyJet, EasyJet, Air France and British Airways announced the cancellation of flights upon the SNCTA air traffic control union strike. Upon dissatisfaction over wages, increasing cost-of living and recruitment, the union launched strike which brought thousands of passengers to halt from travelling. Ryanair operations director, Ryanair operations director said: “It is time that the European Union step in and protect overflights so that European passengers are not repeatedly held to ransom by a tiny French air traffic control union.” The French Aviation authority is expected to take help from European air travel regulator Eurocontrol to prevent the airline from using the its air space to ensure the proceedings of Queen’s ceremonial procession. (“French air traffic control strike affects thousands of passengers,” BBC, 16 September 2022)
GERMANY
Germany acquires a subsidiary of Rosneft to ensure gas supply
On 16 September, Germany took control of the Russian oil company Rosneft’s subsidiary following fears of supply disruption due to sanctions placed on Russia. German Rosneft is one of the largest oil processing companies in Germany. It refines the crude fuel that Germany gets from non-Russian sources. To ensure the future of German Rosneft and to address the energy supply security, the company is placed under the “trust administration” of the state regulator to ensure the future of German Rosneft and address the energy supply security. The government aims to take the MiRo refinery in Karlsrhue and the Bayernoil site in Vohburg under its control. (Charlie Cooper, “Germany takes over Rosneft subsidiary to secure fuel supplies,” POLITICO, 16 September 2022)
ITALY
Floods in Italy due to high temperatures and drought conditions
On 15 September, Italy experienced “torrential rain” which resulted in flooding of rivers and streams into the coastal towns near capital of Ancona. According to the report from the local, rescue workers have been searching and carrying out operations to secure those caught in the floods. Till now 10 are reported to be dead, 50 injured with hypothermia and 180 firefighters are present in the rescue operations. The cause of such extreme weather was found to be due to increasing temperatures and persisting drought conditions. (“Italy: Floods and rain kill at least 10 overnight – officials,” BBC, 16 September 2022)
REGIONAL
Europe and China impacted the most due to extreme temperatures reports BBC
On 17 September, BBC reported on the record of global drought condition in 2022. The prime question it placed was whether 2022 was the driest year so far. Drawing data from Europe, China, Africa, and West of the US, the scientists found that highest temperatures were recorded in Europe and China, while Africa was affected by dry conditions leading to increased starvation, and west of the US continues to experience low rainfall. The latest summer in Europe and the draught was recorded the “worst in 500 years.’ In China, the high temperatures have prolonged for more than two months beating the record since 1960’s, and reduction in rainfall by 60 per cent in the Yangtze River as per China's Meteorological Administration. (“China, Europe, US drought: Is 2022 the driest year recorded?,” BBC, 17 September 2022)
The EU adopts new rules for media freedom
On 16 September, the European Media Act, a new set of regulations to protect media freedom and pluralism in the EU, was adopted by the European Commission. The rules will free media from political interference in editorial decisions and protect it from surveillance. It also addresses the freedom and stable funding for public service media and transparency of media ownership. The sources are also protected under the act. The European Board for Media Services, a new independent body consisting of national media authorities, will also be created as a watchdog of European media freedom. (“European Media Freedom Act: Commission proposes rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU,” ec.europa,eu, 16 September 2022)
War in Ukraine: Day 205
By Rishma Banerjee
War on the Ground
On 16 September, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about alleged crimes conducted by Russia’s forces in the Izyum region. Referring to torture chambers and a mass burial site with around 440 graves, Zelenskyy compared it to Bucha, where during the initial stages of the invasion, war crimes had been recorded. The bodies in the graves show signs of abuse like broken bones and ropes tied around their necks.
On the same day, Zelenskyy met with the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto. He thanked him for Finland’s support in the war for Ukraine and the two leaders also discussed the issue of granting visas for Russian citizens. Zelenskyy said that countries bordering Russia should consider a complete restriction of access for Russia as this issue was extremely important.
Also on 16 September, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Ihor Zhovkva spoke on the telephone with Czech Republic’s Minister of European Affairs, Milulas Bek. The leaders referred to European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Ukraine on 15 September and also the steps Ukraine has to take for EU integration. Zhovkva said that in just three months, Ukraine had fulfilled about half of the recommendations made by the commission. He added that Ukraine expects full implementation of the same by November 2022. Zhovkva said: “We expect that the leadership of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU will influence the opening of a window of opportunity for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union in the near future.”
A report by the US-backed Conflict Observatory by Yale University’s School of Public Health and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed that since the beginning of the war, Russia destroyed 6.24 million tonnes of food storage capacity in Ukraine. Moreover, Ukraine’s actions in the war also destroyed around 2.5 million tonnes of storage capacity. Thus, in total, around 8.5 million of Ukraine’s 58 million tonne storage capacity has been invalidated, thus making it difficult for farmers to store their new harvests.
The Moscow View
Claims by Russia
On 16 September, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Putin after a meeting spoke about gas supplies by Gazprom to Turkey. The two leaders have agreed that Turkey will pay for 25 per cent of its gas supplies in rubles. Putin also mentioned that Russia was ready to increase gas deliveries to Turkey, if the agreements between the two states are upheld.
Commenting on Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive, Putin said that Russia was not in a hurry to bring an end to the war, and would continue as long as it does not meet its objectives. In this context, he mentioned that till now, Russia has only deployed volunteer soldiers to Ukraine. He also warned that if the situation were to continue in the same way, Russia would be forced to ramp up its military efforts in Ukraine, and make its response more “serious.” On the “Kyiv Security Compact,” Putin alleged that Ukraine and Russia had discussed on a set of security guarantees in March, and criticized Ukraine’s shift from the same. He added that Russia was willing to wait and see how the new draft unfolds, as Ukraine’s “position on almost every issue changes almost every day.”
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Putin addressed the meeting with the SCO Heads of State Council. He referred to the global energy and food crisis and blamed it on “systemic errors” in the leading economies of the World. He criticized the European Commission’s decision to lift the sanction for the purchase of Russian fertilizers meant only for EU member states and said that it was unfair to the developing and poorest countries. He called on the UN Secretary-General to remedy the decision to provide the world with access to Russian fertilizers.
The West View
Responses from the US and Europe
On 16 September, the parliamentary speakers of the G7 member states met in Berlin with the primary agenda of discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Chairman of Ukraine's parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk was invited as a guest to give a speech. He ascribed its recent successes on ground to the weapons received from the West and reiterated Ukraine’s request for more “modern” weapons. US House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi said that while high energy prices were a concern, it was a “small price to pay” to support Ukraine. She added that Ukrainians were risking their lives to not only defend Ukraine’s democracy but also the democracy of the rest of the world. President of Germany's Bundestag, Barbel Bas also reiterated Pelosi’s stance and mentioned that Putin was waging a war against all liberal democracies of the word. She said: “This is a fight that he will not win."
On 16 September, the Federal Council of Switzerland agreed to suspend its fast-track the visa agreement with Russia completely. However, Russians will still be able to apply for ordinary Swiss visas. The move is in line with the EU's decision to suspend facilitated visa applications from Russia in the context of the Ukraine war. In a media release, the government said that the suspension was to adhere to the broader EU visa policy, as otherwise Switzerland will have to deal with an increased number of visa applications from Russians looking to bypass EU decisions. The Government also confirmed that Switzerland will no longer be exchanging tax information with Russia on both automatic exchanges and spontaneous appeals for assistance.
In an interview to BBC Radio, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg commended Ukraine's armed forces for their counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. However, warned that the war was expected to stretch and adequate preparation should be taken for the same. Stoltenberg said, "… we need to understand that this is not the beginning of the end of the war, we need to be prepared for the long haul."
On 15 September, Norway’s opposition party leader, Rasmus Hansson said that the war in Ukraine was not a reason to raise the price of gas. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions on Russian gas and oil, Norway has become the EU's largest source of gas. With the rising price of gas, Norway has made significant profits from the export of gas. As per official estimations, it is expected to earn EUR 94 billion from the petroleum industry, which is USD 65 billion more than 2021. However, Hansson, the former leader of the Norwegian Green Party alleged that it was “morally wrong” to profit from prices which are rising primarily due to war. He said: “We think Norway is being short-sighted and too selfish… We are getting a windfall profit which is very big, but the question is does that money belong to us…”
The Global Fallouts
Implications of the Ukraine war
On 16 September, on the sidelines of the SCO summit, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Putin that it is “not an era of war.” Modi added that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue kept the international order functional. Addressing Modi’s comments, Putin said that he understands India’s concerns and stance regarding the Ukraine war and that Russia will “do everything to stop this as soon as possible.” However, Putin also added that the leadership in Ukraine has rejected the negotiation process and wants to achieve its goals by “military means.”
On 15 September, an IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice said that the organization is contemplating providing USD 1.4 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine and are awaiting approval from the executive board. He said that IMF officials were conducting meetings with Ukraine’s officials and to consider a “potential full-fledged program.”
References
“Russia repeats in Izium what it did in Bucha, world must react to it – address of President of Ukraine,” president..gov.ua, 16 September 2022
Vasilisa Stepanenko, “Ukrainian president: Burial site contains torture victims,” AP News, 16 September 2022
“In less than three months, Ukraine fulfilled about half of the recommendations of the European Commission - Ihor Zhovkva,” president..gov.ua, 16 September 2022
“Large Part of Ukraine Grain Storage Lost in War: report,” Kyiv Post, 16 September 2022
“Meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council,” kremlin.ru, 16 September 2022
“Putin clarifies Russia's main goal in Ukraine,” RT, 16 September 2022
“Putin warns of more serious response in Ukraine,” RT, 16 September 2022
“25% of Russian gas supplies to Turkey will be paid in rubles soon, Putin says,” TASS, 16 September 2022
“Ukraine tops agenda of G7 parliamentary speakers summit in Berlin,” Deutsche Welle, 16 September 2022
“Switzerland ends fast-track visas for Russian nationals,” swissinfo.ch, 16 September 2022
“Ukrainian counter-attack effective, not end of war - NATO's Stoltenberg,” Reuters, 16 September 2022
“‘Selfish’ Norway accused of Ukraine war-profiteering,” POLITICO, 15 September 2022
“Putin tells Modi he understands India's concerns over Ukraine conflict,” Reuters, 16 September 2022
Philip Pullella, “Pope says supplying weapons to Ukraine is morally acceptable for self defence,” Reuters, 16 September 2022
“IMF plans in-person mission to start talks with Ukraine with support – spokesperson,” Reuters, 16 September 2022