Geopolitical Compass #51
Will Transnistria seek to join the Russian Federation this week?
This Week:
Bitcoin vs Fedwire.
Passport rankings.
Red Sea attacks increasing.
Will Transnistria seek to join Russia?
UK Navy 🤡
Bitcoin vs Fedwire
Payment volumes on Bitcoin continue to grow and far outpace Fedwire (the settlement system of central bank money used by Fed banks to electronically settle final U.S. dollar payments among member institutions).
This chart eliminates noise by excluding change outputs as well as exchange trading volumes (only transfers of funds from exchanges to clients external wallets).
Passports
It’s a good idea to be as upwardly mobile as you can to avoid things like conscription, and minimise things like taxes and bureaucracy. Additional passports can help to this end, particularly if you’re able to secure an extra one through ancestry which usually just requires some running around but little expense.
Useful links: the latest ranking of passports, and a comparison engine showing you where another passport you may be eligible for differs from your existing.
Red Sea
The UK giving itself a well deserved (apparently) pat on the back:
Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said:
HMS Diamond has played a vital role defending freedom of navigation, saving innocent lives, and protecting merchant shipping from illegal Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. It was a pleasure to visit the ship and her crew while they were alongside in Gibraltar.
Political hyperbole aside, the reality on the water seems much different. Attacks continue, with at times multiple incidences on the same day.
The vast majority of shipping traffic including tankers, bulk goods and container ships continue to steer clear and travel around the Cape of Good Hope instead. Unfortunately the the new route has now left ships open to increasing pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia
Should leaders wish to actually decrease tension and bring an end to the attacks, what may work is diplomacy. But apparently it’s no longer possible to negotiate and conduct diplomacy. It seems the prevailing attitude of the West in the current era is ‘we’re right, so there’s nothing to talk about.’
We can see the ‘success’ of this position daily in the news.
Transnistria
Romanian sources are reporting that at an upcoming meeting of congress, Transnistrian politicians will seek to join the Russian Federation.
Transnistrian opposition: Congress of so-called deputies of all levels in Tiraspol will ask Moscow to annex Transnistria to Russia.
At the congress of the so-called deputies of all levels from Transnistria, which will take place on February 28, a request to Moscow regarding the accession of the separatist region to the Russian Federation would be adopted. The statement was made by the Transnistrian opponent Ghenadie Ciorba, quoted by INFOTAG.
If the vote does take place, it could well pass, but that doesn’t mean Russia will accept the request. While Russia supports the autonomy of Transnistria from Moldova and has had a small peacekeeping force in the territory for many years, Putin has no interest in stoking an increase in Russophobic talking points this would bring on in the current tense geopolitical environment.
This is the same reason he delayed accepting the pleas of Donetsk and Luthansk regions to join the Russian Federation for years, trying instead to work through the Minsk Accords to bring peace and stability to the region which would have grantend them more autonomy while staying remaining part of Ukraine.
Transnistria’s move is just another example of smaller nations and groups new found strength in voicing their desires in the new world we see ourselves entering.
UK Navy
It’s becoming embarrassing how many mishaps the UK navy has been experiencing in recent weeks.
But I’m sure this will all be sorted in short order and an assault on Russia in the Black Sea can be prepared. 🤡