News and Prophecy Staff

The Wall Street Journal reports that rising fertilizer prices around the globe are impacting farmers everywhere (January 21, 2022). While having a devastating effect in developing countries, no one seems immune.

Israel will buy three specially designed, German-made submarines, in a deal worth three billion euros (Deutsche Welle, January 20, 2022). The agreement, with delivery expected nine years from now, includes spare parts and a training simulator to be built in Israel. Germany will cover part of the cost of the project through a grant to Israel.

During the current crisis in the Ukraine, the United States and Russia have met on several occasions to find a solution. However, the European Union has been left out of the conversation (Deutsche Welle, January 13, 2022). In fact, while the talks between the U.S. and Russia took place on European soil in Brussels and other cities, the EU was not invited to the table. This exclusion has not gone unnoticed in Europe.

Russia has become the primary source of natural gas for Germany, leaving some concerned that Russia could cut off the supply if hostilities erupt in the Ukraine and Germany opposes Russian moves in that area. However, the United States has been negotiating behind the scenes with the Arab nation of Qatar, which has an excess of natural gas and may be willing to temporarily supply Europe should the need arise (The Guardian, January 26, 2022).

With Russia’s massing of 100,000 troops on the border of the Ukraine in Eastern Europe, European nations are worried about a possible invasion and a broader war (BBC, January 18, 2022). Sweden recently moved hundreds of troops to Gotland Island in the Baltic, and Denmark strengthened its troop presence in the region—reigniting the question of whether these nations should join NATO.