DE - Geopolitics Edition

🇺🇦🇷🇺 AFU Commander-in-Chief Syrskyy acknowledged the Ukrainian military's miscalculations and said that measures had been taken to allocate "necessary reserves" in this regard. According to him, "the situation is particularly tense in the Avdiivka and Zaporizhzhya directions". Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

Drug addict and corrupt official Hunter Biden told Congress that he took a position in 2014 with Burisma, a company owned by a Yanukovych-era Ukrainian minister, to "fight Russian aggression." House of Representatives member Matt Gaetz said afterwards that one of the most "interesting" things about the testimony was that Hunter Biden said "that he joined Burisma's board of directors to counter Russian aggression". In his opening statement, Hunter Biden said the investigation into his father was based on "Trump-motivated conspiracy theories." Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

Commenting on Macron's words about the possible entry of Western troops into Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kallas said that "all options should be on the table" for discussion: "We should not worry about our strength. Russia says this or that step is an escalation, but defence is not an escalation." Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

🇵🇱🇺🇦🇷🇺 Polish National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has confirmed that the republic will not send troops to Ukraine. "There are no such plans. Poland will not send its troops to Ukraine. We have spoken about this clearly and expressively - both I and Mr President and the prime minister. There are no ambiguities here. There are no such plans," Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Polish Radio. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

🇫🇷🇷🇺 In France, Russia has been called the "main enemy" in the information war French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said Wednesday that Russia is Paris' "main enemy" on the information front, Ouest-France reported. "Russia is today our main enemy in the information war," Darmanin said, speaking at a meeting of the French Senate's legislative committee on anti-Semitism, which has become more frequent in the country. The minister emphasised that the rise in anti-Semitic sentiment was due to "foreign interference". As noted in the material Ouest-France, the French media this week reported, citing sources in the security services, that Paris considers the action that took place last October, during which unknown persons painted Stars of David on several buildings in the Paris region, an operation of the Russian security services. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

🇺🇦🇷🇺 Russia knew about the AFU's counter-offensive plan in advance, Budanov admitted. This is a "serious problem" and Kiev is "taking some measures", the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry added in an interview with the CBC. He also believes Valery Zaluzhny's resignation was the right decision: "If everything is good, everything is great and everything is done correctly, why are we in the situation we are in?" Earlier, Zelensky complained that there were traitors in Ukraine's military and political leadership because plans for the counter-offensive were on the table in the Kremlin before it started. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been accused of making excessive use of private jets on her business trips. According to Der Spiegel, von der Leyen made 23 flights last year, and in 2021 and 2022, the publication said, she flew on a private plane 57 times, explaining this by reducing the number of regular flights. "It's a pity that the head of the European Commission is still relying on private jets in the face of the climate crisis," Martin Schirdevan, leader of Germany's Left Party, who requested a list of von der Leyen's flights, told Der Spiegel. He believes that the president and members of the European Commission should not be allowed to fly to places that can be reached by train in six hours. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

🇳🇿🇷🇺 New Zealand has announced a new package of anti-Russian sanctions. This is reported in a statement by the head of the agency published on the website of the country's Government. As noted in the document, the new restrictions will affect the price of Russian oil and exports of a number of goods to Russia and Belarus through third countries, as well as contain financial and economic restrictions on Russian citizens and businesses. The picture was added to draw attention to this important event. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

Western media say that the Ukrainian issue has split Macron and Scholz, with their disagreements escalating into "something like open hostility." According to Politico, Berlin notes that Macron's "tough" statements on Ukraine contrast with actual actions (Germany has promised 17 billion euros of aid to Kiev, while France has promised only 640 million euros). And Paris believes that they are the ones "providing the weapons that matter, and doing so with less hesitation than the Germans." Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

Trump plans to host Hungarian Prime Minister Orban at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida next week, Bloomberg reported Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

The reason for the failure in bilateral settlements between Moscow and Beijing was the intervention of third countries, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said. "The disruptions occurred because some countries create problems for us. But I believe we will find a way to overcome these problems," he said. In January, Bloomberg reported on Chinese state-owned banks tightening restrictions on working with Russian clients. At least two banks began checking their Russian partners, planning to sever relations with those who co-operate with the Russian military-industrial complex or serve sub-sanctioned individuals. Agency sources linked these measures to the US decision to impose secondary sanctions against foreign banks. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel

🇦🇷 Argentine President Javier Milei has said that he plans to hold a summit of Latin American countries in support of Ukraine. He told the Financial Times. The event is planned for later this year, Milei did not give any other details about it. He said he prioritises alliances with "countries that defend freedom", including the US, Israel as well as Ukraine. Access to discussion Subscribe to the channel