Kraut

How does this square with the views in the new U.S. National Security Strategy that the EU is a destructive force that should disappear? 🤔

Yes, Russia is hanging on by a thread and, sticking to its maximalist positions, is counting precisely on a split in the Western camp and on Trump. It is appalling that Trump does not understand this, and there is no one to explain it to him.

Putin a month ago: Russian troops captured the city of Kupiansk

Zelenskyi today:

«Due furfanti, un obiettivo»

When Donald Trump romped back into the White House earlier this year, the international MAGA-aligned movement wasn’t as successful across the Atlantic.

But now, hard-right and far-right politicians are leading the polls in France, the U.K. and even Germany.

🔗 www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Ukraine would join EU by 2027 under draft peace plan Fast-track entry to bloc being discussed by US and Ukrainian officials backed by Brussels in drive to end Russia’s war

New: Ukraine would be earmarked to join the EU by 2027 under a fast-tracked proposal being discussed in US-brokered negotiations to end Russia’s war, in a move that would rewrite the bloc’s accession procedures.
w/ @henryjfoy.ft.com @maxseddon.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/e504...

🇺🇦 Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, in coordination with the insurgent group “Black Spark,” conducted a targeted operation in the Caspian Sea, striking two Russian vessels, Kompozitor Rakhmaninov and Askar-Saridja, allegedly used for military logistics. Rebel intel enabled the precision strike.

UK defense minister warns ‘shadow of war knocking on Europe’s door’ Al Carns said Europe is not facing “wars of choice” anymore.

Europe must be prepare for war on its doorstep, British military chiefs warned yesterday as they detailed an unprecedented level of threat against the U.K.'s armed forces.

Watching russia burn, the perfect way to start the day!

Extensive and detailed investigation about russian drone intrusion into Germany and Netherlands. The full scope might supprise you, including civilian lead counter drone operation

www.digitaldigging.org/p/they-drone...

They Droned Back Young journalists expose Russian-linked vessels circling off the Dutch and German coast

"Seven German journalism students tracked Russian-crewed freighters lurking off the Dutch and German coast—and connected them to drone swarms over military bases."
Well done by the students. How come the authorities didn't figure this out? Or did they just not tell us about it?

I don't think it contains anything identifying, but if you are so concerned, I'll delete it.

From past conversations I had with Americans, your government doesn't do that, right? It just tells you to pay your taxes. But it doesn't tell you what the taxes are for, if changes are made to adjust for inflation, or if raises and amounts are necessary to cover for certain government expenses.

RuSIS: An Eastern Border discussion about the formation of Russian identity. (And more.) YouTube video by The Eastern Border

I'm in Riga with Rob and we finally have the time to do a stream together, talking about an important subject which is way too broad to be included into a regular episode. Russian identity politics and history thereof. The full story of Homo Sovieticus.

youtube.com/live/xTWBFkp...

Meanwhile residents on the Lithuanian side of the border got their windows smashed by shockwaves coming over from the russian side 😒

I would argue that we redefined who strangers are and who are not.

Well, we Europeans had also our times the authorities weren't exactly keen on helping perceived 'strangers'.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 White House: Trump is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war.

He is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting. He does not want anymore talk, he wants action.

I do believe there is a difference in values between us and the Americans. We believe in helping strangers. That making sacrifices to help people who we do not know, or who we might not even like, is still something we should do. We might share this with Canadians, but I don't see it in Americans.

I am perfectly fine with paying the taxes to ensure the maintenance of a public healthcare and education system in the little corner of Europe I live in. But I honestly believe the majority of Americans wouldn't be.

This is funny. To me at least.

Almost every American youtuber I know has made fun of me in private, for how much of my income goes to the tax man.

And I have watched each and every one of them at some point publicly complain that they don't have public healthcare.

"Singapore on the Danube" is what Orbán supporters claimed Orbán was building.
"Hong Kong on the Baltic" is what Medvedev rambled about.
And remember how the pre-eurocrisis Spanish real estate bubble was once called "California at the Mediterranean"

"Free Economic Zone"

Isn't that the exact same phrase that Russian authorities used in very fanciful claims of what they were doing in Kaliningrad? "We are creating Hong Kong on the Baltic" was also one of them.

Ru's idea of a "free economic zone"

In a further humiliation for trump + the US, the Kremlin unveils a monument to the son of the CIA Dep Director, who died fighting for Russia.

Busts of Michael Gloss, killed in Chasiv Yar, + another soldier Ivan Kokovin, now stand outside Donetsk School #115, which is already named after the pair.

Ukraine halts 🇷🇺 oil platform in Caspian Sea for first time

🇺🇦 SBU drones have halted operations at an oil production platform in the Caspian Sea.

This is the 1st time Ukraine has struck a 🇷🇺 oil extraction facility in the region
#Ukraine #Russia
newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine...

German military service reform triggers major youth protests “The problem I have with it is that it shouldn’t be forced on anyone,” says one 17-year-old protester in central Berlin.

Germans protesting VOLUNTARY military service is the most stupid thing I’ve seen in a while (and I’ve been reading some Trumps posts recently 😅).

www.politico.eu/article/germ...

France loses one war and everyone thinks they’re cowards.

Russia wins one war and everyone thinks they’re invincible.

People like simple mind pictures

Mass Drone Barrage Shuts Down Moscow Airports for Seven Hours as Nearly 300 UAVs Shot Down Across 🇷🇺
🇺🇦 has intensified drone strikes on refineries, storage sites and export terminals, framing the campaign as part of a broader strategy to weaken Russia’s war economy.

www.kyivpost.com/post/66006

With every exploding factory and power plant, I always wonder how long it will take the Russians to replace anything that has been destroyed. In particular, any specialised machinery.