Source: Associated Press
“The Karin, a 400-foot-long (120-meter-long) cargo ship, sat moored this week on Ireland’s boggy River Shannon estuary. Soon it set sail for Russia laden with a white powder that can be forged into weapons vital to Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Alumina, the key ingredient in aluminum, goes into everything from toothpaste and lipstick to missiles and drones. A Russian-owned plant in southern Ireland is Europe’s biggest alumina refinery and regularly sends shiploads of the substance directly to St. Petersburg and other Russian ports. … Ireland faced calls to stop the shipments as dozens of European leaders gathered in Dublin this week to discuss support for Ukraine. A summit of the 47-nation European Political Community on Thursday is being followed Friday by a meeting of European Union leaders.” (11/12/26)