Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is once again in the spotlight for his closeness to Moscow. Yesterday, Tuesday, he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing where the Russian leader praised him for pursuing what he called an independent foreign policy. But what does this so-called “independence” really mean for...
Putin warns foreign troops in Ukraine would be ‘legitimate target
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned today, Friday 5 September, that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before a peace agreement is signed would be treated as “legitimate targets” by Moscow’s forces. This statement comes hours after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to send troops as part of a so-called...
Macron says 26 nations ready to provide postwar military backing to Ukraine
French president Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 nations have pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine, including an international force on land, sea, and in the air. The statement followed a summit in Paris where European leaders sought to clarify the level of support the United States is willing...
Spain and Portugal wildfire weather made 40 times more likely by climate crisis, study finds
Wildfires were 30% more intense than would have been expected without global heating, scientists say The extreme weather that fuelled devastating wildfires across Spain and Portugal last month was made 40 times more likely by climate breakdown, early analysis suggests. The blazes, which torched 500,000 hectares (1.2m acres) of the...
Scotland bans arms companies that supply IDF from receiving financial aid
The Scottish government has banned arms companies which supply the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from getting grants and investment support, and will freeze support for trade with Israel. John Swinney, the first minister, said on Wednesday that any defence contractors who wanted financial help in Scotland would have to prove...
Too much US reverence for the Kremlin’s smiling hardmen
Negotiations between the US and Russia have for years been characterized by a strange fascination with the Kremlin’s men. American diplomats from all political backgrounds sometimes seem entranced by Moscow’s hardmen, with their well-tailored Western clothing, membership of or proximity to the spy agencies, and casual disdain for the truth....
The Mystery of NATO’s 5% Spending Promise
While NATO’s new 5% of GDP spending target grabbed headlines at June’s annual summit in The Hague, a significant clause — tucked away within the final sentence of paragraph three of the communiqué — included “direct contributions towards Ukraine’s defense and its defense industry when calculating Allies’ defense spending.” There...
Poland’s president Nawrocki to visit Trump at White House
Last week Nawrocki hosted the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and the prime minister of Denmark in Warsaw in a regional summit billed as a preparatory meeting ahead of his White House visit. His senior foreign policy aide, Marcin Przydacz, told reporters today that “these talks will primarily concern...
Putin claims he never opposed EU membership for Ukraine but draws line at Nato
Putin says Russia has never opposed Ukraine's EU membership, but draws line on Nato, as he meets with Slovakia's Fico in Beijing Over in Beijing, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has met with Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, with the pair giving brief statements to the media in the last few minutes....
EU Commission Begins Implementation of Trade Deal with the US Amid Criticism
The EU Commission has started implementing its trade agreement with the United States, aiming to ease the burden on the EU automotive sector. However, the adoption of the legislation is not guaranteed, as some MEPs have criticized the deal as unbalanced. The Commission’s legislative proposal would reduce tariffs on a...