Putin, Ukraine and Royal Dutch Shell
Sir Henri was fanatically anti-Soviet as a result of the confiscation of Shell oil fields in Russia. Might be best if Ben does not mention this past history to his new chum, Vlad the Bad, who is rather keen to restore the Soviet empire. “Had Putin asked ‘and now you kiss my ass’, I am sure van Beurden would have complied.”
18 April 2014
By John Donovan
There are a number of news reports about a meeting earlier today between President Putin and Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, in which the sensitive subject of Ukraine was discussed.
Interesting to note that the same subject was also discussed at a high level by Shell in the 1930′s, on that occasion with Hitler, who like Putin, also had territorial ambitions.
Printed below are extracts from a book, “Hitler As Frankenstein” by Johannes Steel (born Herbert Stahl,1908-1988), the son of a German-Dutch landowner. When the Nazis took power in Germany he fled to the USA working as a journalist for the New York Post. Because of his prescience, which included predicting World War 2, he became widely followed as a popular radio commentator in the U.S. during the war. (Information taken from Wikipedia)
The “Deterding” mentioned in the extracts was Sir Henri Deterding, the founder of the Royal Dutch Shell Group and its undisputed leader for many years. He became an ardent Nazis.
From pages 88 & 89 of “Hitler As Frankenstein”
Dr. George Bell was present at several of these conferences as a delegate of Hitler and Deterding jointly. For Dr. Rosenberg, who at that time had been just two years naturalised in Germany, had become Hitler’s expert in foreign affairs, and he had advised Deterding, through the medium of Dr. George Bell, who brought about the contact, as to the attitude the Hitlerites would take in regard to the question of the Polish Corridor and the Soviet Ukraine, where there are rich supplies of oil. Rosenberg suggested to Deterding, through Bell, that at an appropriate moment unrest should be fostered in the Ukraine, and an attempt be made with the aid of Germany to wrest the Soviet Ukraine away from the Soviet Union and give it back to Poland, to whom it had belonged at the time of the ancient Polish kingdom. Germany in return should receive the Corridor back, so satisfying the Hitlerites’ nationalistic ambitions, and Sir Henri Deterding should be rewarded with mineral concessions for his efforts to persuade responsible British quarters to give tacit support to such an undertaking. Anyway, from the day of the Ukrainian Conference, Deterding has been supporting Hitler with considerable sums of money (which found their way into the Hitler exchequer through Dr. Bell), hoping that in case the Hitlerites should come into power, they would pursue at any rate an anti-Soviet policy.
Extracts end.
Sir Henri was fanatically anti-Soviet as a result of the confiscation of Shell oil fields in Russia. Might be best if Ben does not mention this past history to his new chum, Vlad the Bad, who is rather keen to restore the Soviet empire and like Hitler, is delighted to have the fawning totally unprincipled support of Shell.
Shell’s collaboration is being seen as a hugely important event to be fully exploited for propaganda purposes by Putin. View this Russian video clip.
ARTICLE ENDS
Posting on Shell Blog by shellwaarbenjijnu on 2014/04/19 at 09:04: “Shell welkom in Rusland”:van Beurden – shame on you!
van Beurden – shame on you! The front page of the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf shows you bowing your head to Putin while he looks straight ahead. “Shell welkom in Rusland”. Where is your pride man? Have you forgotten the humiliation heaped on Shell over Sakhalin based on trumped up charges of environmental vandalism? All originated by a ruthless kleptocrat who at the same time willfully ignores the environmental catastrophy of nuclear waste leaking from abandoned former Soviet navy submarines rotting away in the arctic. Putin is so bent he cannot lie straight in bed at night and you bow your head to him? Shame, shame, shame.
Comment by John Zwiebel on 2014/04/19
Do we need any other evidence showing the betrayal of humanity by capitalists?
Comment posted by Ian Blauu on Apr 19th, 2014
Shellwaarbenjijnu, Shell is a business. Ben has to keep the share price high. Exiting Ukraine’s unconventional would be the right thing to do too.
Comment received from an old EP hand 2014/04/19
Shellwaarbenjijnu: completely agree, I saw him on TV, ‘Thank you very much, Mr President, for being able to see me here today. It seems that you know our business in Russia as well as I do.’ Also follow this link http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/7039 for the full text. I am almost certain I heard him say two or three times ‘thank you Mr President’. This grovelling made my stomach turn. Had Putin asked ‘and now you kiss my ass’, I am sure van Beurden would have complied. Anything for the shareholder! Somehow I cannot see the boss of Exxon behave like this!
Further comment posted by shellwaarbenjijnu on 2014/04/19
@Ian Blauu – I was not implying Shell should exit Russia. My observation relates to van Beurden’s body language. There is no requirement in Dutch / European / Russian culture to bow unless you are acknowledging a “superior” which is akin to groveling. The CEO of Shell does not have to grovel. He is at the top of an energy company which by any measure is the superior of anything Russian. As for Putin knowing Shell’s business better than van Beurden – of course. Van Beurden has to rely on reports from Shell staff which will have been spun and shaped to convey the message “everything is in great shape”. Putin will have his spies everywhere feeding him the undiluted truth.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Shell stokes tensions by pressing ties with President Putin: The Times 19 April 2014
While urgent international talks were under way in Geneva in an attempt to defuse tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the boss of Shell visited the Russian leader’s official residence outside Moscow yesterday to discuss expanding the group’s $20 billion Sakhalin oi and gas venture in Siberia.
Shell committed to Russia expansion despite sanctions Reuters article 18 April 2014
Shell tells Putin gas project not derailed by Ukraine RT article 18 April 2014
Royal Dutch Shell’s new CEO Ben Van Beurden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, signaling Ukraine tension has not affected investment in Russia, and that energy contractswon’t be derailed by international politics.
Shell chief committed to Russia despite Ukraine: The Telegraph 19 April 2014
SCREENSHOT FROM RT ARTICLE: SHELL TELLS PUTIN GAS PROJECT NOT DERAILED BY UKRAINE
Extract: “Putin said he was happy that Shell is continuing its work in Russia.”
Tagged: Ben van Beurden · John Donovan · President Putin · Royal Dutch Shell Plc ·Ukraine
Financial calamity could engulf Shell in event of a Prelude FLNG or Arctic Disaster
To the best of my knowledge, both Shell projects are fraught with danger, are pushing the bounds of technology, have attracted risk warnings from experts and are self-insured by Shell because no commercial contingency insurance specialists are willing to provide cover.
By John Donovan
An article published today by Reuters gives some idea of the financial calamity that could engulf Shell in the event of a Prelude FLNG or Shell Arctic drilling disaster, with potential for even more dire consequences.
Extract from Reuters article published 18 April 2014 under the headline: “Compensation battle rages four years after BP’s U.S. oil spill“
The oil company has spent over $26 billion on cleaning up, fines and compensation for the disaster, which killed 11 people on the rig and spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days after the blast on April 20, 2010. That is more than a third of BP’s total revenues for 2013, and the company has allowed for the bill to almost double…
To the best of my knowledge both Shell projects are fraught with danger, are pushing the bounds of technology, have attracted risk warnings from experts and are self-insured by Shell because no commercial contingency insurance specialists are willing to provide cover.
If any of this information if inaccurate, then Shell only has to advise me accordingly and corrections will be published.
Ben van Beurden dragged into Irish Cops Bribery Scandal
By John Donovan
Printed below are self-explanatory extracts from an email I sent on 16 April to Johan Groenewald, the senior officer at the Garda Ombudsman Commission investigating allegations made by OSSL about Shell corrupting the Irish police force.
I am arranging for OSSL directors to attend the Royal Dutch Shell Plc Annual General Meeting in May, as they did last year (as reported in The Observer).
Extract
The Donovans had secured places for Kane and Rooney at Shell’s annual meeting last month, to raise their grievances. Cornered, the company’s CEO, Peter Voser, suddenly ordered a further inquiry, a move echoed by the Garda.
This time they intend to publicly confront Ben van Beurden, the successor to Peter Voser, who according to OSSL, made promises he did not keep.
OSSL have already notified Ben van Beurden of their plans.
EXTRACT FROM EMAIL TO OFFICER HEADING UP IRISH POLICE OMBUDSMAN INVESTIGATION
From: John Donovan
Subject: OSSL ALLEGATIONS
Date: 16 April 2014 20:22:16 BST
To: Johan Groenewald
Cc: THE OSSL COMPANY, neil rooney
Subject: OSSL ALLEGATIONS
Date: 16 April 2014 20:22:16 BST
To: Johan Groenewald
Cc: THE OSSL COMPANY
Dear Mr. Groenewald
I would respectfully like to draw your attention to an unofficial transcript of the Vincent Browne TV3 interview with Ed Vulliamy of the Guardian/Observer newspaper that took place on 3 April 2014.
Its accuracy can currently be confirmed by viewing the actual interview via the link provided at the foot of the transcript.
In the course of investigating these matters Mr Vulliamy has interviewed OSSL directors Desmond Kane and Neil Rooney, plus various officials at Shell, and another knowledgeable source whose identity has never been publicly revealed in relation to this matter. He has also had direct communication with the Garda Press Office on a number of occasions.
Mr Vulliamy went on public record during the interview, without any legal preamble/disclaimer, stating his unequivocal finding that Shell did provide tens of thousands of Euro’s worth of booze to the cops at Christmas. That’s an indication of how certain he is about the matter.
EXTRACT ENDS
We also know for certain that Shell also gave alcohol as Christmas gifts to the Irish news media.
One editor returned his free wine pack after deciding that it would be unethical to accept.
Such activity is totally at odds with SHELL GENERAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES as downloaded today, 18 April 2014 from shell.com
It is interesting to note that although the handover from Peter Voser to Ben van Beurden took place several months ago, it is still the signature of Peter Voser displayed on the document, not Ben van Beurden. That fact provides a good indication of the importance that Shell attaches to the SHELL GENERAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES.
Out of date and disregarded.
DOWNLOADED FROM SHELL.COM 18 APRIL 2014
ALSO SEE: CODE OF ETHICS (Go to item g)
- g. avoid any relationship with a contractor or supplier that could compromise the ability to transact business on a professional, impartial and competitive basis or influence decisions to be made by any Shell company; and
The Garda was a supplier of security in Rossport and cops were well rewarded by Shell for their brutality towards Corrib Gas Project protestors with a free Christmas time piss up, as memorably and accurately described by Ed Vulliamy.
COMMENT RECEIVED FROM “AN OLD EP HAND”
Just looking through the Shell websites. Came across many business principles signed by Jeroen van der Veer…. It appears that each operating company or country has its own business principles!
Different principles in different companies? For a global company? Signed by v.d.Veer who has left Shell ages ago. So is it window-dressing and not maintained?
How come external auditors don’t pick this up? The business principles are what drives the whole business. But KPMG et all are themselves under investigation. It shows that just making some statements in nice brochures are meaningless if the people who are behind it are not interested.
Different principles in different companies? For a global company? Signed by v.d.Veer who has left Shell ages ago. So is it window-dressing and not maintained?
How come external auditors don’t pick this up? The business principles are what drives the whole business. But KPMG et all are themselves under investigation. It shows that just making some statements in nice brochures are meaningless if the people who are behind it are not interested.
Shell committed to Russia expansion despite sanctions
Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer. Royal Dutch Shell Plc
Extract from an article by Alexei Anishchuk published by Reuters on Friday 18 April 2014
(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell is committed to expansion in Russia, Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on Friday amid sanctions imposed on the country after its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. Shell plans to expand Russia’s only liquefiednatural gas (LNG) plant with Russian partner Gazprom, he said at a meeting at Putin’s residence.
RELATED ARTICLES
WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE
Shell Pledges to Continue Projects in Russia
Extract
Ben van Beurden praised the oil giant’s cooperation with Russia state-controlled natural gas monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.RS) at the Sakhalin II project and with its oil arm Gazprom Neft (SIBN.RS).
RT
Shell tells Putin gas project not derailed by Ukraine
Chief executive Van Beurden met with the president at his residence outside of Moscow and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to develop Russia’s only liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant with Gazprom.
“We also know that this is going to be a project that will need strong support to succeed. So one of my purposes of meeting with you, Mr. President, is to also secure support for the way forward on this project,” Van Beurden said.
The TRUTH will set you FREE.
