In Geopolitics Today: Wednesday, November 23rd
Russia Threatens to Cut Gas Flows Through Ukraine Over Alleged Theft, MIT Reports Breakthrough In Solid-State Lithium Battery Development, and other stories.
Russia Threatens to Cut Gas Flows Through Ukraine Over Alleged Theft
Russian gas giant Gazprom has threatened to reduce its gas flows to Europe via Ukraine after accusing Ukraine of using natural gas deliveries intended for Moldova for its own needs in Ukraine.
Reduced flows through Ukraine represent the first step toward a complete cessation in the supply of Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine. Gazprom’s recent statement signals an intent to maintain the constant threat of reducing or ending flows through Ukraine. This, Moscow likely hopes, will cause greater economic turmoil and political unrest in Europe, acting as a means to impose greater costs on those providing support for Ukraine.
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MIT Reports Breakthrough In Solid-State Lithium Battery Development
A discovery by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers promises to unlock the design of a new kind of rechargeable lithium battery, one that is more lightweight, compact and safe than current versions.
The key to this potential leap in battery technology is said to involve replacing the liquid electrolyte that sits between the positive and negative electrodes with a thinner, lighter layer of solid ceramic material, and replacing one of the electrodes with solid lithium metal. This promises to reduce the overall size and weight of a battery and remove the safety risk associated with the flammable liquid electrolytes.
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Germany to Withdraw Troops from UN Mali Mission in 2024
The German government has announced plans for the complete withdrawal of German troops from Mali. Berlin is planning on starting to pull back troops in the summer of 2023 and complete the withdrawal a year later.
Over 1,000 German troops have been deployed in Mali near the northern town of Gao, tasked with gathering reconnaissance for the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. The German government is proposing to parliament that Germany's commitment to MINUSMA be extended until May 2024 in order to bring this mission to a “structured end after 10 years.”
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Egyptian and Turkish Leaders Pledge a New Era in Bilateral Relations
The Turkish and Egyptian presidents have shared in a handshake on the side-lines of the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The amicable meeting was followed by claims of a “new era” in bilateral ties.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s spokesman, Bassam Rady, said that the handshake between the two presidents “would be the beginning of the development of bilateral relations.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan echoed the same tone on his way back from Qatar, saying further actions would follow to rebuild relations between Cairo and Ankara. The main stumbling block remains the competing interests in Libya, where Ankara is allied with the Tripoli-based government against the eastern parliament in Tobruk supported by Cairo.
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Poland Requesting $1.3 trillion in War Reparations from Germany
Poland has sent a diplomatic note to all members of the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Council of Europe seeking support for war reparations against Germany.
The Polish government has presented a comprehensive report detailing the material losses suffered by Poland during World War II. Warsaw is asking for financial reparation from Germany to the sum of 1.3 trillion euros. Subsequently, Poland's foreign ministry sent a note to Germany requesting compensation for the war losses outlined in the report. Germany maintains that the issue of reparations to Poland is a closed matter.