so for generation like sarah ignite at the money, how they can go amongst i put in me because i do this task happily. i really enjoy taking part in the festival. the joy i had being involved is a 12 year old. i still have today sunday marks the final stage of the festival known as the up arrow, as it draws to a close, many hope that it's brought some respite from the misery of corbett. 19 fernandez. are just the ra candy? ah, let's take you through some of the headlines here now just here. now the pentagon press secretary is maintaining the u. s. is focused on completing evacuations from i've gone this time by the end of the month. in the past 24 hours alone, over 10000 people have been lifted from campbell airport. we are well aware of,

of, of the stated desire to buy the taliban to have this mission completed by the 31st of august. i would tell you that we 2 are still planning on completing it by the 31st of august. that is the mission that women signed by the commander in chief assigned to us, and that's what we're trying to execute. the thought of on says it will not extend the deadline for western forces to leave afghanistan. us president joe biden is under pressure to keep american troops on the ground beyond august the 31st to continue evacuations. the world health organization says 500 tons of medical supplies for afghan. the stan stuck in the u. a. e, because of the situation not cobble at port, it says critical supplies will run out in 10 days. the pentagon will require all 1400000 members of the us military to be vaccinated by mid september defense secretary lloyd austin, ordered the mandate. now that u. s. regulators have given the 5, the vaccine full approval, the pentagon says it'll ensure the safety of service members. new zealand has

extended its nationwide locked out until friday, prime minister, just under the and says more certainty is required. the country struggles to contain the spread of the delta variance. she says it's unlikely news even has reached the peak of the outbreak. 107 infections have been recorded since the 1st case was identified on tuesday. the head of has, the law says fuel from iran will soon be arriving in lebanon. fuel prices jump, 7070 percent up to the government further reduced the subsidy on sunday. revenue is going through its worst economic crisis in recent times. fuel imports from iran could ease the problem would be a violation of us sanctions. a severe drought is threatening more than 12000000 people in syria and iraq. it's inside story now. ah ah

ah, the german chancellor has warned russia not to use a new pipeline as a potential weapon. no stream to is near completion. it will bring more gas from russia to germany. will this give moscow too much power over europe and its future? this is inside the ah, ah, ah, hello and welcome to the program. i'm has him seek the politics of energy all back under the spotlight in europe. a new natural gas pipeline that would double the

supply. russia sends to germany is nearly complete. but the nor stream to pipeline avoids ukraine, which is where a large portion of rustling, natural gas passes through before making its way to europe. this means the ukrainian government could lose a huge portion of the income and earns through transit fees. united states and some u. member states are also concerned. they say further reliance on russia for europe's energy needs could be risky. but germany's are going chancello angler marco says there will be rules in place to protect ukraine security. he's a follow on. we have made it clear that we will seek further sanctions within the european framework if the suspicion that the pipeline is being used as a weapon is confirmed. and we have made it clear that we as well as graph walter, see who will be our special envoy are starting negotiations about the possibility of extending the contract from 2024th. so ukraine can have security on this level as well. oh, yeah, let me check this just said, i still believe that this is

a witness to believe that is possible to ignore the threats, not only for ukraine, but also for europe. i don't think it's possible to ignore that. it's a weapon. ukraine will not talk about nordstrom to from the economic point of view . you can see controls gas prices in europe now and how they arise. it must be, well, here's the way we are willing to continue transiting gas through ukraine even after 2024. but we must understand and what timeframe and what quantities. for this we must receive an answer from our european partners. how long are they willing to continue buying from us? this is an obvious thing. we can't sign a transit contract if we don't have a contract for delivery to our customers in europe. taking in mind the green agenda that is already being realized in europe. we are asking ourselves, will our gas even be bought? all brain, i guess in a moment, the 1st let's take a closer look at this project. the nord stream to pipeline runs onto the baltic sea

alongside and already existing pipeline completed in 2011. both pipelines allow russia to avoid ukraine when supplying gas to europe. the pipeline is expected to transport nearly 55000000000 cubic meters of natural gas every year, doubling russia's current supply to germany. european union already imports about 40 percent of all its natural gas from russia. that's why they are growing fears that the new pipeline could increase the ease dependence on russia. the. so let's bring in our guess now in moscow we have a puzzle fell going. how are he is a russian foreign policy analyst and columnist at nevada is yet up in sydney, british columbia. we have michael berserk, you author and global affairs analyst. he's also the former spokesman for the organization, for security and cooperation in europe, and in berlin, 20 k godaddy, a senior fellow at the international institute for strategic studies. good to have

you with a gentleman thorn. okay. if i could, to start with you ukraine fears for its security on the basis that this gas pipeline will tighten moscow's grip over over the regions energy supply and strengthen its, its influence. all those fee as well founded. yes, i think the stairs are well found it because moscow has a long tradition of using energy and especially gas supplies, as a political or political tool. we have seen the same previous decatur concerning ukraine, but not only ukraine. most of the central european or eastern european countries have faced russian policies regarding the energy supply. so this is a matter of politics most a few repeat countries and including the european union,

which is also important. brussels also considered that the new pipeline northeastern, too, is a political tools in the hands of russia. and basically on the germany, germany, social position is that these political pressures can be avoided. but most of the countries, including those who are in the neighborhood, i'm in poland. all states can countries and the european union, as i said, and even trends we usually france is not very aggressively and a russian. but regarding this, this project particular project there, most of the countries are against it and considered that it will increase rushes, a geopolitical role in the european continent. and i'm not talking about the u. s. maybe we'll come later to discuss the american position on this issue. sure,

we will, we will get to that at some point, michael, but sir q is europe risking, becoming too dependent on russian gas? oh, absolutely. and you know, the outlines of the so called agreement is very vague. what does actually constant to constitute an energy weapon and when are sanctions triggered? so for example, of russia does abruptly raise gas prices to europe or constrict supply. does that constitute using the pipeline as an energy weapon? i think there's ukraine has very, very, very right right now to feel very kind of threatened and vulnerable because there is no real consensus on how russia, who's, how these sections executed can be triggered. and i think it's really incumbent upon people like cancer merkel before she leaves office to tighten this agreement up. we've, as the previous guest indicated that russia has a long record in terms of you know, aggression in terms of probing weaknesses in terms of finding out how it can

leverage its geopolitical advantage. energy to, to harm others and to gain its own object. and so it doesn't look good on all sides . i think come quickly, i think that ukraine feels very again, very vulnerable and very alone right now, because it feels it doesn't have strong backing from europe any longer. let's get to puzzles. how can, how's, take on a lot of c as being expressed here, about this perceived over dependence on, on, on russian energy and russia using that as a weapon. what do you say to that when you're a busy, indeed, very much dependent is increasing with dependent on rush and natural gas. right now we are kind of rush of the present before, even without the nor stream to going operation hours. the fraction your muscle say russia right now is cut the supply of physical supply of gas to

a europe and to cover its contract obligations to extract in gas from underground reservoirs in europe. and so that means that the former iraqi in formal terms rushing, complying with the contrast long term contract got problem is, but in terms that means that so when summers in the winter is coming and the european gas reserve was that there use as a buffer during the cold winter are right now very much the week. it's m times where you can physically won't be impossible, won't be possible to fill them up before winter comes. it shows the result. the spot price of gas in europe has skyrocketed almost to the levels of east asia. and europe is not getting enough liquefied gas

tankers, because most of it is going to the east asia where there's the so called the asian premium on price. so russia is flexing your muscles and showing that they can regulate the price of gas, the price of the supply of gas than europe. those have just over a 3rd of the supply is russian still. anyway, so the, and with the new platform, russia will have more flexibility in doing that 20 k. well, where does what's at stake here for, for the united states and their position on all of this the united states were very critical about this project from them, from the very beginning. even if the position of the previous american president, donald trump was not always consistent, he, he was criticizing the project, but at the same time he tried to,

he tried to veto the congress resolution to augment pressure on the, on the project. the americans were against the nurse for him to also because at least for the president trump, it was a logical to for, for germany. and for you to claim at the same time that the russia was threatening them militarily, politically. and at the same time providing money for gas form, which as we know is, is, is a main resource provider for ration russian budget. and maybe in the case of specific case of the president trump, it was also to, to help american companies that are exporting liquified guess to they they are expectations to the,

to europe. but the things have changed. we saw the last summer, the meetings between the, the president biden and chancellor miracle and later meeting by then joseph biden, with the letting me put in in geneva. and the americans decided to wave their most of sanctions. and the punitive measures that united states have adopted against the companies were involved in the construction of northridge to and the americans justify the said change by the fact that the united a wants wants a better relations with, with europeans. and the major player in europe is germany. and at the same time, they tried to manage and to explain this decision thing that

together germany and the united states will will increase, i sure will establish sanctions. keith, russia uses north stream as a job political tool. as my colleague from canada said, this is something very difficult to assess because of course, russia is the champion of hybrid measures and who will determine when the political aspect intervenes in this. and this issue who, unless russia invites directly with their tanks or military forces you great in order for me to be in countries that they could be always be at the base about, is it political? is it your political or not? so this is something that doesn't really give the credit to the both hands of government and states when they claim that russia will pay the price. all right? if they use it, you know, politically, let's get, let's get public reaction to,

to some of that. and what does it stay here essentially, for russia beyond the, the, the economic benefits lot should be understood. the more stream to is only one pipeline in the network, a pipeline, but by russian it's there's the stream one, the 1st pipeline which is fully operational for a long time. and then there's the pipeline built to turkey and from turkey into the balkans. the south kind of route now it's called that turkish red. so this is the entire network rush invested a lot of money. i mean, not only the pipelines themselves under water, but does the infrastructure to bring the gas from san b area to the black sea, to the baltic sea and then send it to europe at the north and through the south. and this is the mattress. and last month,

most likely was hope that there would be foreign finance involved. but because of sanctions, they were not. so russia paid a gas from paid out of his own pocket to build it, and they put these investment on placed on paper will never be returned because it's going to be got from bytes, with gas, from gas, and assigned them. so they're kind of thing the transit fee to themselves, and as a result, they're paying very well fees to say that this is much more rig economy. but the thing is that the specially they'll never return the investment. so this is of course, the combination of political and commercial interest often happens in today's russia. russia has both wants to be in some control of the european markets, aren't waste on pricing there and others and suppliers. but of course, also gas from is tied to the european market. the gas from does not really produce

done that song much at all. liquified. yeah, that means it can send it to other places, pipelines and their time. you are. so europe is tied to russia, russia, 5 europe, basically before moscow. that's also not that bad because there's this. so the idea that russia should build bridges with europe try and push the americans out. do something that trump was wanted to do and establish time with germany primarily, but without the other european countries. that's kind of very close partnership. that's not very working out, but the commercial part of it. and then of course, the problem of ukraine, which right now finds itself in a position where moscow at the will, if it wishes to, can continue to supplied gas to europe with contract obligations, but not sending much or at all to ukraine. that's for

sure. let's, let's talk a little bit more about ukraine's options here, michael. but if you crank continues to feel that europe in the united states are not looking out for them on this issue, does that risk join them closer to china's or bit as has been suggested by some? yeah, absolutely. i think the feeling in ukraine is i'd recently return from there is that it's been thrown under the bus. the bought it administration, which by the way, has very few foreign policy wins, has chosen to improve relations with germany. it has chosen to do some kind of research with relations with russia and in return. and as i said earlier, creighton feels very vulnerable. it doesn't have many options. but yes, one of them is actually improving relations with china. in fact, president the long sky recently had 1st a conversation what she's paying over the telephone. and they, there was

a very good call from both sides. and the landscape said that it pretty much to the fact that ukraine has no better friend than china right now. at least an economic partner, and i think this was done in part to kind of put pressure on washington to look again at relations with ukraine and to help but more. but the other thing i have to say is that with the debacle in couple and with the united states now the scene is not a credible partner to guarantee security. whether you're taiwan or ukraine, or whoever is that, you know, a lot of these countries are real valued, a re evaluating those security guarantees and looking for other partnerships. and, you know, ukraine might even look, be looking, for example, even more to the gulf countries to see what kind of new type can be formed there. if i could say one other thing here, and this goes more to the kind of technicalities of the pipelines that the other problem ukraine has. and it's not talked about very much at the moment, is with this realignment of gas transit i gas pressure in ukraine has the potential

to fall very, very much. so what that means, practically, during the winter time outlying or bloss through outlying villages may not get the required gas that it needs because it's really upset. it has the potential to upset the whole infrastructure. there is so a lot of different vulnerabilities that ukraine feels right now. so we shouldn't be surprised that looking elsewhere for better partnerships. tony. okay, what's your view on that? and then there's this idea that america's credibility is taking a real hit in recent days. you know, because, you know, michael mentioned afghanistan and their position with, with, with this now, would that, would that force your opinion partners to, to kind of look elsewhere to shore up their own alliances. yes, unfortunately. busy the u. s. role and even credibility is suffering already for several years. is a start root earlier than just

a few weeks or few days ago. we also remember the 1st attempt of research between the american ah, administration, obama administration and put in russia just after the war in georgia. and there were numerous attempts for normalization of relations between the us and russia always coming from from the americans. we also remember the disastrous experience in syria, where the americans abandoned their own red lines and their lot russia to intervene on the sides of the president bashar last and all the tragic consequences that that happened there. so many eastern europeans, especially are very vulnerable because of their geographical proximity with russia

are extremely worried. and to come back to the options that ukraine has. why would that also one another option that is now improving and getting closer relationship with turkey, which is and the cooperation between the ukraine and turkey around the black sea, including corporation and military filled the military industry. between these 2 countries, don't forget that turkey was quite critical about the crime is annexation by, by russia. because great me are primarily local populate. i'll talk to population is 30 speaking population. so there are these, these countless, i'm looking for options. somehow increase, trying to negotiate a better options about natal memberships in terms of where we're with,

with germany. again, germany and france where the main countries a blocking ukraine, enjoy succession to nature from 2008. so that ukrainian tried to, to, to negotiate these northridge to issue with the repertoire possible rec, respond with nature, but i don't see any serious changes in this in this issue. so yeah, of course this country increasingly they understand that they have to rely on their own resources and to be more multi vector row and to see partners everywhere and also to improve relations between them. between this is the new in countries with paul on the baltic states, etc, etc. pebble, falcon, how i want to ask you about the another announcement that was made in these meetings, and that was anglo merkel, promising to provide more than

a $1000000000.00 to help expand ukraine's renewable energy sector. how much might that soften the blow for ukraine if it was to lose those transit fees from russia and in 3 years time? well, to some extent, most likely yes there, but there's also other problems, not just simply money. there's not just the fees, there's the gap that goes through ukraine. basically also your brain buys part of that gas bank, legally speaking by from poland or like yeah, but physically the grass is just simply taken from the fact that as it goes through ukraine. and if the price is not functioning, the gas is not coming out. where will you create a gift to gather this right now? buying in the west. if there's the technicalities there that could do have very disastrous effect,

said already that the oppression the gas entire system of ukraine may begin to fall, and that will be got a strong getting gas from the west. they have to reverse this. i mean there's, there's so many problems there. just the dollars doing through green energy won't good, but it won't solve those problems. i'm afraid. ok, i just want to put the what's probably going to be the final question in a minute or so that we've got left to to, to michael. how do you see this playing out? if i mean merkel has said that they could, they could apply more sanctions on russia if it doesn't play ball. but russia is already been sanctioned, almost to their limit already. so i mean, how much, how much more sort of 5, how did they have really exactly, how much more pain can you inflict on russia, which is already sanction to the health. as you already pointed out, i think the only thing the web to really has the only leverage is the nuclear

option, which i call it. and that is to at least temporarily remove russia from the international financial system. the payment system would really get them where it hurts. i can tell you that again, just coming from the region, different pretend is making very threatening signals. he did a long term debt as paid recently, claiming that ukrainians and russians are all the same people. to me, this is code for we have more ambitions for ukraine, get ready for it, get more for, get ready for more aggression and quickly don't forget that they did leave a lot of military hardware, a lot of manpower close by when they did the recent military exercises so again, plenty, plenty, plenty of reason for your brain to feel very vulnerable right now. all right, we're going to leave it there. thank you. to all 3 of you pebble fell going, how michael, but sir q and tony k. godaddy. a thanks so much for being on inside story and thank you. as always for watching, remember, you can see this program again any time by visiting our website. i just need to talk. com. and for further discussion,

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11 and government looks at drastic measures. 3, the fuel shortages, the, the economy teeters and the top drug regulator in the u. s. gives.