The World Blog by humble servant.

Sigmar Gabriel, who served as Germany’s top diplomat from 2017 to 2018, says the current government in Berlin can and should defend itself against “conspiracy theories” leveled at it by the likes of Ukrainian Ambassador Andrey Melnik. In an op-ed published by Der Spiegel on Sunday, Gabriel described as “dangerous” the narrative peddled by the Ukrainian representative in Berlin, according to which German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had “for decades established a cobweb of contacts with Russia,” allegedly involving members of the current German government. The former foreign minister said that he took Melnik’s ‘cobweb’ reference to mean that Steinmeier and the whole of Merkel’s office had helped Moscow “co-organize” its lobby in the country – an allegation Gabriel dismissed as “untruthful and malicious.” According to him, the previous government “had done more than others in Europe to support Ukraine.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quick to comment on...

he number of Britons advocating harsh economic sanctions against Russia in response to its military offensive in Ukraine has dropped over the past month, according to a new opinion poll. Conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, and commissioned by The Sunday Telegraph, the survey indicates that only 36% of the respondents, polled this week, are prepared to accept higher fuel prices in order to hurt Russia more – 14 percentage points down from 50% in March. A third of the Britons surveyed replied in the negative when asked if they were willing to pay more for food to help Ukraine withstand the Russian offensive. Around the same, however, said it’s a sacrifice worth making. 54% of the respondents reported a worsening of their financial situation in the last year, up from 42% two months ago, and 62% said they expect the future to be even bleaker. More than two-thirds of Britons said they have not received a pay raise despite the growing cost of living, and most of those who did r...

In April 1947, the term ‘Cold War’ was uttered for the first time to describe the geopolitical rift between the US and the Soviet Union. The confrontation supposedly ended with the fall of the USSR. But did the cessation of tensions happen only in our imagination? While Washington and Moscow made invincible allies in the battle against Nazi Germany, the two ideological foes could no longer conceal their mutual enmity when World War II came to a close in 1945. Then, a severe chill swept the planet for nearly half a century that many feared would end in nuclear disaster. Seventy-five years ago this month, Bertrand Baruch, the American financier and statesman, coined the term ‘Cold War’ to describe this protracted standoff. Speaking before a delegation of US lawmakers, Baruch, foreshadowing the Red Scare of the McCarthy years, told his audience: “Let us not be deceived, we are today in the midst of a cold war. Our enemies are to be found abroad and at home. Let us never forget this: Ou...

In an attempt to protect one of its most critical industries, tourism, the Turkish government is reportedly planning to launch three programs aimed at increasing the number of Russian guests at the country’s resorts. The conflict in Ukraine led to sanctions on Russia-linked companies, which has made it difficult for tour operators in Russia to continue bringing tourists into Turkey. Ankara has announced a series of measures intended to increase the number of tourists from Russia, the Turkish daily Sabah reports. The plan will reportedly be implemented by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, as well as by the Ministry of Finance. The government-backed scheme will provide Turkish travel companies operating in Russia, such as Anex Tour, Pegas Touristic and Coral Travel, with a $300-million loan backed by the Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF). Tourist accommodation firm says Russians, Belarusians not welcomeREAD MORE: Tourist accommodati...

Consumer prices in Germany will see a 7-8% increase in 2022, Karl von Rohr, the vice president of Deutsche Bank, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper. However, if the government restricts Russian energy imports, prices could spike 10% or more in the coming months. “If energy imports are more limited, we may even see 10% or more. We must brace ourselves for inflation rates not seen since the 1970s,” von Rohr stated. Last month, the annual inflation rate in Germany reached a record high of 7.3%. Prices have been soaring after the EU and a number of other countries placed economic sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. Sanctions jeopardized the prospect of uninterrupted energy flows from Russia to the EU, even though Russian energy carriers have so far been largely untouched by restrictions. US inflation jumps to 40-year highREAD MORE: US inflation jumps to 40-year high European leaders have vowed to step up efforts to lower the bloc’s dependen...