Last July, U.S. President Donald Trump stood beside his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw and promised to help wean the nation off Russian energy imports. He offered U.S. fuel as an alternative, “so that you can never be held hostage to a single supplier.” Trump was tapping into longstanding European concerns about Russia’s ability to shut off natural gas supplies – which it has done in past pricing disputes. U.S. lawmakers say Russia’s influence over energy has proven effective in silencing critics of its human rights abuses, annexation of Crimea, and incursion into eastern Ukraine, an assertion the Kremlin has denied. Six months after Trump’s trip, Poland has contracted for imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, and coal, and announced it will not renew a gas supply deal with Russia’s state-owned Gazprom when it expires in 2022 – halting an exclusive and troubled relationship dating to 1944. The episode exemplifies a key goal of Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda – using rising energy exports to bolster Washington’s geopolitical influence. The policy also seeks to boost domestic production through rollbacks of environmental regulations and expanded energy leasing in federal territories, but those efforts have so far had little impact. Trump nonetheless inherited a booming oil and gas industry that has given his administration more international clout in energy markets than any White House has enjoyed in decades. U.S. oil output has risen to more than 10 million barrels per day for the first time since 1970 thanks to… [Read full story]
(CPV) - The first ASEM forum on energy security policy will be held in Hanoi from April 11-12 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung at a regular press briefing on April 10. The forum will focus on three topics, including energy security policy and solutions for energy security; energy security and matters on sustainable development; and ASEM cooperation aiming to promote energy security and sustainable development. Energy and the building of a policy aimed at ensuring energy supplies for sustainable development is a main issue that concerns…... [read more]
At a recent campaign rally, Donald Trump defended former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's record on terrorism, noting that Hussein was a "bad guy" who was nevertheless very efficient at "killing terrorists." House Speaker Paul Ryan immediately distanced himself from Trump's remarks, and leading Republican donors jumped in with criticism as well. Throughout his campaign, Trump has repeatedly angered Washington’s Republican foreign policy establishment with his views on America’s role in the world. Although Trump did not repeat these views during his nomination speech on Thursday, in an interview Wednesday he suggested he might revisit the United States' willingness to defend…... [read more]
(VOVworld)- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a partial list of his foreign policy advisers in an interview with The Washington Post, after saying last week that he mostly consults himself on international affairs. The advisory team includes terrorism expert Walid Phares, energy industry executive Carter Page, international energy lawyer George Papadopoulos, former government inspector general Joe Schmitz, and former Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg. Trump said he would soon unveil more people who are helping him shape his foreign policies as part of the team, led by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama who endorsed…... [read more]
Former President Barack Obama's tweets were more liked but both presidents were blown away by one man's quest for free chicken nuggets. Twitter revealed the year's most liked and retweeted tweets on Tuesday, reflecting how a nation bitterly divided between Republicans and Democrats is likewise split on social media. Trump, whose 44 million followers of @realDonaldTrump rank him 21st on Twitter, was the most tweeted about world leader and U.S. elected official. Likewise @FoxNews, the conservative cable news channel, was the top tweeted news outlet, led by @SeanHannity, the host who is a friend and ally of the president. Obama…... [read more]
WASHINGTON, June 2 - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lambasted Donald Trump's foreign policy platform as "dangerously incoherent" in a speech on Thursday that cast her Republican rival as both a frightening and laughable figure. WASHINGTON, June 2 - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lambasted Donald Trump's foreign policy platform as "dangerously incoherent" in a speech on Thursday that cast her Republican rival as both a frightening and laughable figure. In remarks that at times resembled a comedy roast, Clinton unleashed a torrent of polished zingers and one-liners to attack Trump's policies and character, suggesting Trump might start…... [read more]
