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Will Winter of Soaring Energy Costs & Looming Recession Corrode Europe’s Unity in Propping Up Kiev?_我的网站

一 |     Prospects of a cold and bleak winter characterized by skyrocketing food and energy prices along with forecasts of a looming recession on the European continent have left officials fearful that the anti-Russia consensus could disintegrate, CNN reported.,As the cost of living crisis shows no signs of easing its relentless grip, multiple Western officials and diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, have indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky might find it increasingly hard to count on the attention of European leaders.,Moscow launched its special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine on February 24, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk amid ceaseless attacks by the Kiev regime. The move triggered a swathe of sweeping sanctions against Moscow imposed by the US and its allies, including agreements targeting Russian energy.,Furthermore, the transatlantic alliance has been ramping up military support for Ukraine, pumping weapons to prop up the Kiev regime – something Moscow has repeatedly warned only serves to prolong the crisis.,The restrictive measures, however, have resulted in Western countries’ economies taking a beating, triggering sky-high inflation and driving energy prices to record numbers.,Opinion & Analysis'The Last Laugh': EU Sanctions on Russia Backfiring as Moscow Winning 'Energy War,' Analysts Say11 August, 18:52 GMT,‘Winter Fuel Crisis’,In the aftermath of the operation, following in the footsteps of Washington and London, the EU pledged to end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels before 2030. In April, Brussels announced its intention to slash its demand for Russian natural gas by two-thirds by the end of 2022.,Accordingly, in Germany there is speculation about a possible energy collapse in the winter due to a halt in Russian gas supplies, with Economy Minister Robert Habeck urging citizens to reduce electricity consumption.,Germany’s capital Berlin has turned off the lights illuminating monuments in order to save electricity.,British households are bracing themselves for annual energy bills of up to £4,200 next January, more than three times the amount paid at the beginning of 2022. French shops are facing stiff fines unless they keep their doors shut while the air conditioning is on.,As Russia accounted for about 55% of Europe's total gas imports in 2021, the winter fuel crisis is uppermost in European officials and diplomats’ minds.,This is especially the case amid news that gas futures prices in Europe exceeded $3,000 per thousand cubic meters first time since March 8 at the opening of trading on August 22, according to data from the London-based ICE exchange.,As for oil, almost half of Russian exports of crude go to Europe, with the EU reportedly importing 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2021.,Accordingly, the costs of continuing to shower military, financial, and economic support upon Kiev authorities are starting to hit home with increasing force, Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the think tank Chatham House told CNN.,Energy Crisis in EuropeGermany Should Immediately Launch Nord Stream 2, Bundestag Vice Speaker Says19 August, 08:42 GMT,That is why, in his virtual address to the G7 Summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked to "intensify sanctions" on Russia so the crisis ends before winter.,"That may well be why Zelensky said he wanted the war over before Christmas, because the real issues will be getting the West to stick to its promises in the long run," Giles said.,EU countries reached a deal to reduce domestic gas demand in their respective nations by 15% by March 2023. The baseline agreement suggests voluntary measures to reduce gas consumption, but also contains a trigger mechanism that will be activated if the voluntary measures do not yield the desired results and do not help save enough fuel.,Referring to the deal, opposed at the time by Hungary as "unenforceable," "unjustifiable," and outright "harmful," a senior European diplomat was cited as saying:,"Within the European Union, it will be very difficult and we must try to stick to our promise to cut off Russia when it comes to any profits from gas and other sources.",The deal has been criticized for being voluntary, with some officials reportedly fearing that when things reach a critical point, not all EU countries will be prepared to accept the self-inflicted woes.,Donbass. Genocide. 2014-2022Which Western Countries Armed Ukraine19 August, 08:06 GMT,‘No Clear End Point’,The Western strategy of pumping the Kiev regime with arms is also reportedly being increasingly questioned by officials. They are starting to see it as a short-term solution offering no clear end point, the report stated.,"At the start... It was politically quite easy to rally behind Ukraine and make the case for donating weapons and cash," a NATO source was cited as saying.,Germany shed decades of "pacifist" policies since the Second World War and boosted its own defense spending while also sending weapons to Ukraine. Following criticism of “dithering” and holding back arms, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in June his country would send heavy weapons, such as the IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems. Subsequently announced plans on the federal government website mentioned 20 rocket launchers with a caliber of 70mm, as well as 2,000 rockets.,France, when promising to deliver Caesar howitzers, Milan anti-tank missiles, and thousands of shells to Kiev, underscored it was “always with the red line that we will not become parties to the conflict.”,Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine‘They’ve Bankrupted Themselves’: Europe Gutted Own Security to Funnel Kiev Weapons, Expert Says18 August, 23:53 GMT,The UK pledged scores of artillery guns, hundreds of drones, and hundreds more anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. But European countries have been reducing their military commitments for Ukraine since April, Politico reported, citing the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.,“Despite the war entering a critical phase, new aid initiatives have dried up,” the head of the team in charge of the Ukraine Support Tracker, Christoph Trebesch, was cited as saying.,According to the Tracker, Germany, France, and Italy have not made any significant new pledges to Kiev.,Furthermore, financial assistance to Ukraine from Western countries "dried up" in July, with Kiev receiving only 1.5 billion euros ($1.512 billion) last month. This coincided with Ukraine's Bureau of Economic Security admitting in early July that it had identified cases of the sale of humanitarian aid and military goods supplied by Western countries to Ukraine.,"Over time, the types of weapons we are sending have got more complicated, as has the training required to use them effectively. The good news is, these arms are helping the Ukrainians hold out. The bad news is, the longer the war goes on, the shorter on supply these weapons will be, making them harder to give up," an official told CNN.,"War fatigue" has also been cited by NATO officials.,"Back in February, it was easy to jump on the anti-Putin bandwagon. Now the war is in the boring strategic stage. There are fewer daily gains and losses and there are fewer photo opportunities," a NATO diplomat stated.,Officials weighed in on how corrosion could fray the anti-Russia coalition, doubting that countries might simply withdraw their support. However, the "parameters" of what outcome they support may ostensibly be reviewed.,Notably, some Western European countries such as Germany and France have publicly underscored the need for dialogue between the West and Moscow.,"Do we all still have the same view of the end game? Is it just getting back to the borders of before Russia invaded? Or is it back to pre-2014, before Russia annexed Crimea? And will we deal with Putin after the war or will he need to stand down. These are the long-term questions we need to be asking, but are not. It's better not to ask these questions right now," a European diplomat was cited as saying.,With the cost of living crunch forcing people across the continent to choose between heating their homes and eating, it will become more difficult for political leaders to justify spending funds and energy supporting a country they do not share a frontier with. Particularly as more and more countries do not perceive Moscow as the sole cause of such an existential crisis, the report stated.,There are believed to be fears among multiple Western officials that at some point, political leaders might opt to broker a peace deal and "undercut" the end game that Kiev has been seeking.,"There is growing concern in some quarters that if Ukraine appears to be losing ground to Russia this may accelerate calls for a negotiated settlement," Theresa Fallon, director at the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies, told CNN, adding that once people sense that Kiev is on the losing side, “they may start to ask why do we continue to supply costly weapons to Ukraine at a time of economic stress.”,Ahead of political challenges, such as an election in Italy on September 25, the arrival of a new prime minister in the UK, and November midterm elections in the US, domestic policies may ultimately begin to dominate the agenda, according to European officials.。    据气象部门预报,今明两天，我市将出现入冬后首场大范围雨雪天气，并伴有寒潮、大风天气。为应对此次寒潮极端天气，全市上下迅速进入应急响应状态，全力以赴做好各项应对工作，保障人民群众正常生产生活。    　　东洲区          　　东洲区第一时间组建应急指挥部，并组织相关部门完善应对极端天气工作预案，落实24小时领导带班及值班值守制度，确保信息畅通，预警预报全覆盖。         　　针对国道202线东洲段、省环南线东洲段、浑河南路等重点路段进行统一安排部署，明确责任单位及人员车辆分配，确保出现雪情快速行动、有效应对。         　　积极协调供热、供水、供电等相关单位加大设施设备巡查检修频次，并做好抢修预案。

二 | 提前与新隆嘉超市、亿家购生鲜超市等大型商超沟通对接，确保生活物资稳定有序供应。         　　市交通运输局          　　市交通运输局成立5个包保督导组直达7个县区、各相关单位和企业开展督导检查，切实压实包保责任、主体责任。         　　要求公交、出租车、客运和危货运输企业完善应急预案，加强车辆维养，做好驾驶员安全教育，配足应急物资设备，储备应急车辆和驾驶员，根据气象预警启动应急响应，确保满足群众基本出行需求和基本物资运输；要求在建项目建设单位积极履行主体责任，补强应急物资、组建应急队伍、密切关注天气变化，根据实际情况适时采取停工措施；加大公路巡查执法力度，部署除雪防滑队伍，做好除雪、物资储备工作，全力做好除雪防滑保畅工作。         　　市市场监管局          　　市市场监管局不断加强特种设备安全运行检查力度，提醒全市各类特种设备使用单位要进一步提高安全主体责任意识，强化风险预警和应对措施，有效防范低温、冰雪、冰冻天气可能引发的各类特种设备事故和突发事件。

三 |          　　强化应急处置力度，重点围绕电梯等涉及民生领域的设备，实行“24小时专人值守，领导带班”制度，并安排特殊应急车辆，确保极端天气下，能及时处置突发问题，保障安全运行。

四 | 要求各县区市场局加强对辖区重点行业领域企业的监管，紧盯化工企业、人员密集场所和住宅小区的特种设备开展安全隐患排查，并针对极端天气完善应急预案。

五 |          　　国网抚顺供电公司          　　国网抚顺供电公司充分借助与市气象局合作优势，密切关注全市气象预警信息。全面开展“除树障、清通道、保供电”行动，避免树木倒伏至线路造成线路故障；加强重要配电线路运维，重点保障医院、商场、学校、政府机关等用电；做好变电站设备覆冰应急措施，对雨雪天气后重点变电站覆冰情况进行特巡，及时上报故障及异常信息。组建13支抢修队伍，所有人员保持24小时保持通讯畅通，应急物资保证随调随用，全力保障抚顺电网安全稳定运行和人民群众可靠用电。                   责任编辑：刘春阳。

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