Совещание с постоянными членами Совета Безопасности.
Цитата:
Трамп просит Путина «пощадить» ВСУ, оптимизм США и РФ по перемирию, за что могли убить Ганула. 14.03.
Цитата:
Trump reveals where ceasefire talks with Putin stand as he issues chilling final warning to sign the deal
President Donald Trump vowed to get a 'completed and signed' ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine, warning 'millions' will die if the fighting doesn't end.
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff held a late night meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday after the Russian president showed resistance to a ceasefire.
Witkoff 'presented additional information to the Russian side' and Putin 'passed along information and additional signals for President Trump,' in that meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.
Trump made his stance clear. He called the situation a 'real' mess but vowed to 'get us out.'
'Millions of people are needlessly dead, never to be seen again…and there will be many more to follow if we don't get the Cease Fire and Final Agreement with Russia completed and signed,' the president wrote on his Truth Social account on Friday morning.
In a second post he revealed that the U.S. had a 'very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.'
He also noted Russian gains in ground and attacks on Ukrainian troops, adding: 'I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!!!'
Ukraine said it would adhere to a ceasefire - but only if Russia does the same. And Peskov said there was 'certainly' reason to feel 'cautious optimism' about the prospect.
Russia also indicated it wanted direct talks between Trump and Putin.
The Kremlin spokesman said Russia and the U.S. would work out the timing of a phone call between the two leaders once Witkoff had briefed Trump.
'After Mr. Witkoff passes along all of the information he received in Moscow to his head of state — we'll determine the timing of the conversation after that,' Peskov said. 'There's an understanding on both sides that such a conversation is necessary.'
Trump, on Thursday, indicated he was willing to speak to Putin.
'I'd love to meet with him and talk to him,' he said.
It's estimated around 500,000 people have died in the three year war between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin's response 'highly predictable' and 'manipulative words' aimed at dragging out the process by setting unworkable conditions.
Putin raised eyebrows on Thursday when he signaled hesitation about a deal as his troops continue to march across Ukraine, taking more territory.
He told reporters in Russia he was in 'favor' of a 30-day ceasefire 'but that there are nuances' and that he had 'serious questions' about how it would work.
'I think we need to talk to our American colleagues... Maybe have a phone call with President Trump and discuss this with him,' he said.
He noted the need to develop a mechanism to control possible breaches of the truce. Another issue, he said, is whether Ukraine could use the 30-day ceasefire to continue mobilization and rearmament.
'We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,' Putin said.
Trump has indicated he'll hit Russia with sanctions if they don't agree to a deal.
Putin, meanwhile, wants a wide-range of concessions from Ukraine and its western allies.
He wants Ukraine to drop its desire to join NATO, Russia to control the entirety of the four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own, the size of the Ukrainian army to be limited, Western sanctions eased on the Kremlin, and a presidential election to be held in Ukraine, which Kyiv says is premature while martial law remains in force.
Trump is pushing to end the war as soon as possible, issuing dire warnings of a World War III while Putin appears to be in no rush.
Цитата:
Donald Trump says US held productive ceasefire talks with Russia.
Greenland Prime Minister makes shock move after Trump hints at sending soldiers: 'Enough is enough'
Greenland's Prime Minister has declared 'enough is enough' in response to President Donald Trump's threat to dispatch soldiers to annex the island.
Mute Egede summoned fellow political leaders to discuss a plan to beef up their rejection of Trump's plan.
'The U.S. president has once again aired the thought of annexing us,' Egede said in a statement.
He added: 'Enough is enough.'
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who will be the next prime minster after his Demokraatit party won Greenland's parliamentary election Tuesday, also turned on Trump.
'Trump's statement from the US is inappropriate and just shows once again that we must stand together in such situations,' he said.
Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede declared 'enough is enough' about President Donald Trump's wish to annex the island
On Thursday, Trump reiterated the United States 'needs' Greenland for national security purposes and indicated he's willing to send in American troops to take control of the island.
'I think it'll happen,' the president said of annexing Greenland during his Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
'We really needed for national security. I think that is why NATO might have to get involved anyway,' he added.
Trump then noted the U.S. already has a military base on Greenland.
'We have a couple of bases on Greenland already and we have quite a few soldiers. May be you will see more and more soldiers go there,' he threatened. 'We have bases and we have quite a few soldiers on Greenland.'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was sitting on a couch in the Oval Office during the conversation, nodded in agreement. The U.S. has Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning and space surveillance operations, on the island.
Trump added he'd talk to Rutte about it, but the NATO secretary declined to get involved.
'When it comes to Greenland, yes or no joining the U.S., I would leave that outside, for me, this discussion, because I don't want to direct NATO in that,' Rutte said.
It's not the first time Trump mulled using military force to take control of territory he wants to add to the American map.
In early January, after he was elected but before inauguration, Trump indicated he was willing to use force on both Greenland and Panama, where he wants control of the canal.
Greenlanders, however, voted to rebuff President Trump's effort to bring their island into the United States.
Voters gave first place in Tuesday's elections to Demokraatit, a center-right party that has never held power but is strongly opposed to an American takeover of the island, which is a Danish territory.
Nielsen, the incoming prime minister, criticized Trump's call for Greenland to become a U.S. territory.
'We don't want to be Americans. No, we don't want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future,' Nielsen said.
'And we want to build our own country by ourselves.'
The election in Greenland wasn't just a rejection of Trump. Citizens of the island are also in favor of independence in general, including a split from Denmark.
Second place went to a political party who wants independence from Copenhagen within the next three years.
Trump is interested in the island's strategic position in the North Atlantic and its wealth of minerals. It also is believed to have natural gas and oil off its shores.
There are already fears on Greenland that Trump could take the island by force.
'I think most of us have been scared since the new year because of (Trump's) interest,' Pipaluk Lynge, a member of parliament from the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit, or United Inuit party, said.
'So we're really, really looking to Europe right now to see if we could establish a stronger bond with them to secure our sovereign nation.'
Greenland is the world's largest island and also one of the most sparsely populated. It is home to about 56,000 people.
It has been controlled by Denmark for almost 300 years. It became a formal territory in 1953 and gained home rule in 1979.
Copenhagen, however, still defends the island.
Greenlanders have Danish passports and healthcare. The island also benefits from Denmark's memberships in NATO and the EU.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Russian captain is remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with manslaughter over container ship's North Sea crash with US oil tanker
Smoke is seen billowing from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast earlier this week following the collision
The Russian captain of a container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker and killed a 38-year-old crew member has been remanded in custody after being charged with gross negligence manslaughter.
Master of the MV Solong, Vladimir Motin, 59, appeared at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Saturday in relation to the collision between the two vessels in the North Sea on Monday.
Motin, from the Primorsky District of St Petersburg, stood in the glass-front dock at the court for the 35-minute long hearing, which was told how his vessel, the Solong container ship, collided with the US oil tanker Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire earlier this week.
The Stena Immaculate was carrying 142,000 barrels of jet fuel which led to a 'massive fireball' following the crash and potentially devastating environmental consequences.
The court heard how all 23 people on the tanker were rescued along with 13 of 14 crew members from the Solong but Mark Angelo Pernia - a 38-year-old Filipino national - could not be located.
The Crown Prosecution Service previously confirmed that Mr Pernia died following the collision between the two vessels.
There was no application for bail and Motin, from St Petersburg, Russia, was remanded in custody by deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram, who appeared via videolink.
No pleas were entered. Motin will appear next at the Old Bailey on April 14.
A statement from Humberside Police on Friday said: 'An investigation by Humberside Police supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) into the collision between a tanker and a cargo vessel in the North Sea, off the coast of East Yorkshire, has resulted in a man being charged.
'The captain of the Solong vessel, Vladimir Motin, 59 years old, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and been remanded in police custody to appear at Hull Magistrates' Court tomorrow.
'On Monday, 10 March, Humberside Police received a report at around 11am that a collision had occurred between the two vessels, resulting in one crew member being reported missing.
'Extensive searches were carried out by HM Coastguard to locate the missing crew member, now presumed deceased.
'The family are being supported by specialist trained officers and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.'
Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: 'We have authorised Humberside Police to charge a Russian national in relation to a collision involving two vessels in the North Sea off the east coast of England.
'The Portuguese-registered cargo ship, the Solong, collided with the American-registered oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, just before 10am on Monday, 10 March 2025.
'Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, died.
'Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, Russia, who was the vessel's captain, is due to be charged with one count of gross negligence manslaughter.'
Earlier on Friday the force confirmed magistrates had granted a further extension to the time detectives could hold the captain 'due to the complexities of the incident'.
Motin as arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Monday evening, hours after the collision.
Ernst Ross, the company that owns the Solong, said earlier this week that Motin had been 'actively assisting with the investigations'.
All five Russians onboard the Salong at the time of the crash are 'alive', according to Russian sources.
The fact that the Stella Immaculate was stationary at the time of the crash and was transporting jet fuel for the US military led a White House source to reportedly tell a US news outlet that they could not rule out foul play, but such speculations have been repeatedly rejected by the UK authorities.
UK transport minister Mike Kane told MPs that 'something did go terribly wrong' but added: 'Whether there was foul play I think is speculation. There is no evidence to suggest that at the moment.'
...
Материал полностью.
Starmer holds press conference after telling Putin to ‘come to negotiating table’.
Цитата:
Keir Starmer says Vladimir Putin will have to negotiate on Ukraine 'sooner or later' as PM begins fresh talks with coalition partners
Keir Starmer has said that Vladimir Putin will have to negotiate on Ukraine 'sooner or later' as the Prime Minister begins fresh talks with coalition partners.
Addressing a video call with 25 world leaders, he told the Russian despot that the 'world is watching' after Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.
He condemned Moscow's 'barbaric attacks on Ukraine' and accused Putin of 'trying to delay' and suggested that he was not serious about peace.
It comes as Trump last night warned that World War III could 'very easily' erupt if peace talks failed in a dramatic intervention, claiming that he had been talking with Russia following his disastrous meeting with Zelensky last month.
Addressing the call from the Cabinet room in 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the Ukrainian president - who joined Saturday's call - had 'shown once again that Ukraine is the party of peace' by agreeing to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
He continued: 'Now, what we see, and this is centerpiece for our discussions today, is that Putin is the one trying to delay, and in a sense that you all know this.
'If Putin is serious about peace, it's very simple. He has to stop his barbaric attacks on Ukraine and agree to a ceasefire.
'The world is watching. My feeling is that sooner or later he is going to have to come to the table and engage in serious discussions.'
Addressing a video call with 25 world leaders, Starmer told the Russian despot that the 'world is watching' after Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire
Saturday's virtual meeting is aimed at continuing plans for a peacekeeping force of Western troops to be deployed in the event of a ceasefire, although Russia has indicated it would not accept Nato or European soldiers in Ukraine.
Sir Keir told his counterparts they could not 'sit back and simply wait' for a ceasefire, adding: 'We have to keep pushing ahead, pushing forward and preparing for peace, and a peace that will be secure and that will last.'
He continued: 'And I think that means strengthening Ukraine so they can defend themselves and strengthening obviously, in terms of military capability, in terms of funding, in terms of, the provision of further support from all of us to Ukraine.
'Secondly, being prepared to defend the deal ourselves through a coalition of the willing. We've begun that process on this morning. We can take it forward.
'And then thirdly, and really importantly, given the developments of the last few days to keep the pressure on Putin to come to the table. And I think collectively, we've got a number of ways that we can do that.'
Following the Prime Minister's address, the meeting heard from French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelensky and Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte.
The discussions follow a week in which American officials took a US-Ukraine proposal for a 30-day ceasefire to Moscow following talks in Saudi Arabia. But the Kremlin has resisted calls for an unconditional ceasefire.
While Putin has described the principle of a ceasefire as 'correct', he insists it must come with a promise from Ukraine to abandon attempts to join Nato and give up control of regions seized by Russia.
...
Цитата:
Putin will 'sooner or later' have to 'come to table': UK PM | AFP/
Ultimatum to Kiev's Kursk Troops: Surrender By Monday Or Be Destroyed; Starmer Strikes Poses.
Цитата:
Цитата:
15-го (27 марта) 1854 г., Англия и Франция объявили войну Российской империи.
Это произошло после нашего отказа от ультиматума англичан и французов о выводе русской армии из Дунайских княжеств.
Что такое Дунайские княжества? Это общее название княжеств Валахии и Молдавии, возникших в 14 веке и находившихся в вассальной зависимости от Османской империи. Румынии на то время еще не изобрели, такого государства просто не было.
Суть тогдашних событий: Иерусалим тогда город Османской империи. Ключ от Храма Гроба Господня в руках православных. И вдруг, султан принимает решение передать его католикам. Тогда 14 июня 1853 года император Николай I издал манифест о занятии княжеств.
В этом манифесте говорилось, что издавна действия России были направлены на обеспечение прав и защиту православной церкви, но Турция стала нарушать её права. России не удалось восстановить права, а слово султана было нарушено. И так как больше нет мирных способов повлиять на Турцию, то нужно занять дунайские княжества в качестве залога для гарантии восстановления прав церкви. Но если Турция восстановит нарушенные права, то занятие княжеств будет остановлено.
Русские войска вступают в Дунайские княжества. Султан не принял требования России по поводу права защиты православных в Турции и номинального контроля над святыми местами в Палестине и объявил России войну.
Видя неизбежное поражение Турции в войне с Россией, европейцы сами вступают в войну, но делая это постепенно. 4 января они 1854 ввели соединённый союзный флот в Чёрное море. Протест России против нарушения международной конвенции о проливах был отвергнут, в ответ российское правительство разорвало дипломатические отношения с этими странами.
27 февраля 1854 года, последовал ультиматум в котором Лондон и Париж потребовали вывода русских войск из Дунайских княжеств. Получив отказ, Англия, Франция, а затем и Сардиния (будущая Италия):
— объявили России войну.
Так очередная русско-турецкая война превратилась в Крымскую войну, которую в то время назвали Восточной.
Цитата:
Major Michael Shearer: 'Putin Will Be Laughing' as Starmer’s Coalition of the Willing Fractures NATO.
Цитата:
The Futility of the 'Coalition of the Willing' / DDDD Huddle.
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'You're parroting Kremlin propaganda': Ukrainian caller vs Ali Miraj | LBC.
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'Coalition of the Willing' Threatens Putin.
Цитата:
Starmer Warns Putin Over ‘Games’ as UK Hosts “Coalition of the Willing” | Russia-Ukraine War.
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War Talks Intensify In UK: Starmer Says ‘Not Good Enough’ to Putin’s Plan, Military Chiefs Convene.
Цитата:
il lâche une bombe en Direct des trains SNCF transformés en ambulances pour l'Ukraine !
Цитата:
‘SURRENDER or DIE’ Putin Demands Ukrainian Troops Left in Kursk Drop Arms | Andrei Martyanov.
Цитата:
Putin Defies Trump, EU Cornered, Ukraine's Forces Surrendering in Kursk | Scott Ritter.
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JD Vance launches another attack on European values - warning the West risks 'civilisational suicide' caused by open borders and censorship
US Vice President JD Vance has launched another attack on Europe, claiming that the continent is engaging in 'civilisational suicide' caused by open borders and censorship.
Speaking on Fox News, the VP said he fears for the future of the West due to seeing many countries in Europe as 'unable or unwilling' to 'control their borders'.
He said on the network's Ingraham Angle show: 'They are unable or unwilling – too many countries – to control their borders.
'You see them starting to limit the free speech of their own citizens even as those citizens are protesting against things like the border invasion that got [US President] Donald Trump and a number of European leaders elected.
'I want Europe to thrive. I want them to be an important ally. Part of that is going to be Europe respecting its own people, respecting its own sovereignty, and America can't do that job for them.'
During this, he also credited Christian civilisation, which led to the founding of the United States, to Europe.
'The cultural bonds, the religious bonds – these things are going to last beyond political disagreements,' Mr Vance said.
He then picked on Germany, saying 'where you have another few million immigrants come in from countries that are totally culturally incompatible with Germany, then it doesn't matter what I think about Europe.
'Germany will have killed itself, and I hope they don't do that because I love Germany, and I want Germany to thrive.'
It comes after a number of rants Mr Vance launched on European countries, including the UK, during last month's Munich security conference when he mentioned a legal case in which a former serviceman was convicted of breaching the safe zone around a British abortion centre.
In a wider attack on what he suggested is a shift away from democratic values across Europe, Mr Vance claimed the 'basic liberties of religious Britons, in particular' are under threat. Donald Trump praised this attack, calling it 'brilliant'.
These comments later sparked an emergency EU summit after Mr Vance also said that European leaders would not be part of any Ukraine peace talks.
Mr Vance later defended his remarks in the Oval Office in front of Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, saying: 'Look, I said what I said, which is that we do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the UK, and also some of our European allies, but we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British.'
However, the PM fired back saying, 'Well, we've had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom and it will last for a very, very long time.
'Certainly, we wouldn't want to reach across US citizens, and we don't, and that's absolutely right, but in relation to free speech in the UK, I'm very proud of our history there.'
Mr Vance later caused a huge backlash after suggesting Britain was a 'random country' that had not 'fought a war in 30 or 40 years', which he later denied.
The US Vice President desperately attempted to clarify his comments after he sparked a furious backlash among military veterans and MPs from all parties.
He said this while he was referring to a potential peace deal to end the Ukraine war.
Mr Vance used a Fox News interview to pile pressure on Ukraine to sign a minerals deal with US President Donald Trump.
He said this was 'a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years'.
Seething ex-servicemen pointed out that 636 British troops died in Afghanistan and Iraq after the UK allied with the US in military action following the 9/11 terror attacks.
Mr Vance was accused of 'erasing from history' the sacrifice of UK personnel in those bloody conflicts, with his remarks labelled 'deeply disrespectful'.
But the Vice President later strained to claw back his remarks amid the widespread anger at his intervention.
He claimed he had not been aiming his barb at Britain or France - who are the only two countries to publicly commit to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
Yet Mr Vance failed to clarify which nations he had been referring to.
Critics pointed to the huge list of countries who lost troops after joining US military action in Afghanistan after 9/11.
Sir Keir's official spokesman saying: 'The PM and this country are full of admiration for UK troops who served in recent years in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside the US and other allies.'
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Mr Vance was 'wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong'.
'For 20 years in Afghanistan - pro rata our size against America's - we spent the same amount of money, we put the same number of men and women in, and we suffered the same losses,' he told GB News, as he attended a farmers' protest in Westminster.
'We stood by America all through those 20 years, putting in exactly the same contribution.
'And, all right, they may be six times bigger but we did our bit. So, on this one, JD is wrong.'
Zelensky reveals Ukraine's new long range missile which can hit Moscow has passed tests and is ready to fire
Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed Ukraine has successfully combat tested its new domestically-produced Long Neptune missile with a range of 621 miles.
This puts Russian capital Moscow within its range with Zelensky saying that Kyiv has had 'significant results' on its missile programme aimed at providing its own security against the threat of Vladimir Putin.
'Long Neptune has been tested and successfully used in combat,' he said.
'A new Ukrainian missile, an accurate strike. The range is a thousand kilometres [621 miles].
'Thank you to our Ukrainian developers, manufacturers and military. We continue to work to guarantee Ukrainian security.'
Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ suggested that Friday's dramatic strike at Tuapse Oil refinery may have been by the new Neptune, which is a development of the earlier version of the weapon which sank Putin's Black Sea Fleet flagship, Moskva in 2022.
'There is an assumption that it was [the new] Neptune,' said the channel.
Ten explosions were heard when the strike came. However, there was no official confirmation, and a missile - rather than long-range drone - strike might have caused far more mayhem.
Yet the Tuapse refinery, a key supplier to the Russian military machine, was still burning 36 hours after it was hit, as seen in dramatic footage.
The refinery is just 55 miles from Putin's £1 billion clifftop palace at Gelendzhik on the Black Sea, and the strike was a warning to him.
Another devastating hit came on Friday when Ukraine flattened the local history museum in Sudzha soon after the Kursk region town fell back in Russian hands.
It was not clear if this may have been a Long Neptune strike.
But there was also a claim in January that the new version of Neptune had destroyed a major Russian drone warehouse in the village of Chaltyr, in Rostov region, triggering a giant fireball.
Today's announcement on the Long Neptune comes amid reports that the new government in Germany under incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz is likely to approve deployment of long range Taurus missiles - each costing up to £1.25 million - to Ukraine.
It has double the range of the British Storm Shadow missile, which Ukraine has not used in recent weeks.
Yet the new Ukrainian missile has double the range of the German Taurus.
The weapon was originally designed as an anti-ship missile but has been adapted during the war to hit land targets, and now to strike at a long distance
Today's announcement on the Long Neptune comes amid reports that the new government in Germany under incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz is likely to approve deployment of long range Taurus missiles
The long-range Neptune is made by manufacturer Luch Design Bureau.
The weapon was originally designed as an anti-ship missile but has been adapted during the war to hit land targets, and now to strike at a long distance.
Earlier today, Keir Starmer said Putin will have to negotiate on Ukraine 'sooner or later' as the Prime Minister begins fresh talks with coalition partners - with military chiefs set to meet this week to discuss 'operational' plans for a peacekeeping force.
Speaking after a video call with 25 world leaders, the PM said the Russian despot would need to 'come to the table', adding: 'This is the moment - let the guns fall silent... and agree to the ceasefire now.'
He outlined the importance of Britain's interest in the ceasefire, recapping how the invasion of Ukraine had pushed up the cost of living and energy prices.
But the PM - who stood at a lectern labelled with the slogan 'Securing Our Future' - he failed to answer questions today on whether he has a 'Plan B': on what happens if Putin fails to come to the table.
Attacking the 'dithering' of Russian officials, Sir Keir said military leaders would meet in the UK on Thursday as plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine move into an 'operational phase' that could see British 'troops on the ground and planes in the sky'.
He told a press conference in Downing Street: 'We agreed to accelerate our practical work to support a potential deal. So, we will now move into an operational phase.
'Our militaries will meet on Thursday this week here in the United Kingdom to put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine's future security.'
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Одной из главных тем в Европе в последние недели стало перевооружение и избавление от зависимости в военной сфере от США, с которыми у европейцев, после прихода к власти Трампа, отношения становятся все более напряженными. Об этом говорят политики, эксперты и журналисты. Этой теме посвящают свои обложки ведущие издания (для примера даем обложку The Guardian Weekly).
На прошлой неделе на саммите в ЕС был принят план увеличения военных расходов за счет увеличения допустимого уровня бюжетного дефицита.
Основной упор в финансировании проекта делается на Германию, где будущий канцлер Мерц хочет утвердить план выделения на оборону и прочие проекты 500 млрд евро за счет увеличения размере госдолга (Германия – единственная крупная экономика Западной Европы, в которой уровень госдолга к ВВП относительно небольшой – 63%, в то время как у Британии, Франции, Италии и Испании долг уже более 100%).
Цель всех этих движений заявлена вполне четко – резко увеличить расходы на оборону и на производство оружия, минимизировать зависимость в военной сфере от США, увеличить возможности помогать Украине.
Насколько реально достигнуть этих целей?
Прежде всего, надо сказать, что европейская экономика и финансы сейчас находится далеко не в лучшей форме. Главная проблема – нарастающая уже несколько десятилетий неконкурентоспособность европейских производителей в сравнении с другими странами.
Основных причин несколько: высокие налоги, высокая стоимость труда, забюрократизированность системы отношений государства и бизнеса, высокая стоимость энергоносителей и прочего сырья, большую часть из которого приходится импортировать.
Результатом стал процесс деиндустриализации – массового вывода производства в Китай и другие незападные страны.
Долгое время все эти негативные процессы удавалось сглаживать за счет эмиссии денежной массы, которая позволяла поддерживать высокие социальные стандарты, несмотря на падение конкурентоспособности.
Однако всему есть предел.
Огромная эмиссия времен ковида плюс начавшаяся война в Украине, которая, из-за сокращения поставок дешевых российских нефти и газа, резко усугубила проблемы высокой стоимости энергоносителей, фактически подвели к исчерпанию модель, на которой работала европейская экономика.
Дальнейшее массированное печатание денег угрожает уже основам финансовой системы Европы и может раскрутить огромную инфляцию.
И вот в таких условиях ЕС решает потратить сотни миллиардов на военные нужды. Причем это подается и как способ решить европейские экономические проблемы, «раскрутив» собственное производство.
Но в реальности, вступление Европы в гонку вооружений не решит ее проблемы, а резко их усугубит, угрожая пустить европейскую экономику под откос. Точно также как и огромные военные расходы СССР пустили под откос советскую экономику.
Во-первых, финансирование военных расходов – это, по сути, та же чистая эмиссия денег. Потому что основным покупателем этой продукции будут бюджеты стран ЕС (для пополнения запасов собственной армии и поставок Украине). Лишь небольшая часть может пробиться на мировой рынок, где и без того очень жесткая конкуренция.
То, что, в значительной части, эти расходы планируется профинансировать за счет наращивания государственного долга Германии означает, что в перспективе и эта страна, также как ранее Франция, Италия и Британия, погрузится в долговую яму, что может иметь в будущем крайне негативные последствия для финансовой стабильности всего Евросоюза.
Во-вторых, значительная часть средств на военные цели будет потрачена за пределами ЕС. Как недавно заявила недавно глава Еврокомиссии Урсула фон дер Ляйен, 80% всех денег на закупку оружия европейцы тратят за пределами ЕС. В первую очередь – в США. Почти две трети вооружений, закупленных в 2020-2024 годах европейскими государствами-членами НАТО, поступили из Америки. То есть, по большой части выделяемые европейцами огромные средства на оборону уходят на поддержку не европейской, а американской экономики. Если же попытаться резко перестроиться и покупать только европейское оружие (как на этом настаивает, например, Макрон), то на запуск собственного производства многих образцов могут уйти долгие годы или даже десятилетия. И ни о каком быстром перевооружении речи в таком случае быть не может. Кроме того, для производства оружия потребуется увеличение импорта различных видов сырья, что также не улучшит торговый баланс ЕС.
В-третьих, оборонные расходы, безусловно, можно финансировать не за счет наращивания долгов и эмиссии, а за счет сокращения других статей бюджетных расходов. В том числе и на социальные нужды, а также путем «заморозки» индексации зарплат. Однако это будет означать фактический демонтаж европейского социального государства и может привести к политической дестабилизации всего ЕС.
В таких условиях Европе объективно будет трудно нарастить собственное оборонное производство и добиться «стратегической независимости» от США. Собственно, это признают и сами европейцы, что и показал экстренно созванный в Лондоне саммит после скандальной перепалки Зеленского с Трампом.
И именно поэтому европейцы, несмотря на свою яростую публичную риторику, настойчиво советовали Киеву договориться с Трампом и выполнить его требования. В том числе и по согласию на прекращение огня, что ранее и украинские власти, и ведущие европейские страны отвергали.
«Стратегическая независимость Европы» (в том числе и в военной сфере) возможна не ранее, чем ЕС решит свои базовые экономические проблемы. Что будет очень непросто. И не факт, что вообще получится. Особенно в условиях угроз Трампа ввести пошлины на европейские товары.
В таких обстоятельствах в Европе уже начинает осторожно «прокачиваться» идея, что необходимо восстановить отношения с РФ, чтоб возобновить импорт дешёвых энергоносителей и вернуться на российский рынок, что Европе бы помогло решить ее экономические проблемы. Голоса эти пока явно не в мейнстриме, общей тренд идет в обратном направлении - на резкое усиление взаимной враждебности между ЕС и России. Более того, Евросоюз разрабатывает план полного отказала от российских энергоносителей к 2027 году.
Но, с учетом величины вызовов, которые стоят сейчас перед Европой, нельзя исключать вообще никаких, даже самых невероятных, с точки зрения сегодняшнего дня, разворотов европейского курса.
Впрочем, для любой нормализации отношений России и ЕС необходимо, как минимум, завершить войну в Украине. Это базовое условие старта процессов в данном направлении.
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Курская операция. Зачем ее начинали, на что рассчитывали и что получили.
Украина почти полностью потеряла свой плацдарм в Курской области. На данный момент контролируемая ВСУ территория там сузилось до двух небольших приграничных плацдармов и продолжает сокращаться.
Даже из комментариев Зеленского следует, что операция подходит к концу. Президент заявил, что свои задачи она уже выполнила – оттянула силы РФ с других направлений, не допустило глубокого продвижения россиян на Донбассе и атаки на Сумскую область.
Хотя ещё в феврале он заявлял, что никто курскую операцию завершать не планирует, ВСУ держатся там крепко и в ближайшее время россияне Курский плацдарм «срезать» не смогут.
При этом Зеленский тогда совсем иначе чем сейчас формулировал задачи операции. Они, по его словам, заключались в том, чтобы удержать плацдарм, а затем обменять его на часть захваченной россиянами территории. Например, на Запорожскую АЭС.
И сейчас, после фактической потери этого плацдарма, данная задача уже не может быть выполнена.
В этой связи, выглядит крайне сомнительной версия о договорняке, в результате которого якобы ВСУ сами ушли из Курской области в преддверии переговоров. Наоборот – на этих переговорах Киев был намерен использовать плацдарм как один из важнейших козырей. И потерял он его не по своей воле.
Как все происходило мы уже много раз писали. С конца февраля, после взятия Свердликино, россияне получили огневой контроль над трассой на Суджу. Это резко ухудшило позиции ВСУ на всем плацдарме, так как сильно затруднило логистику. А обвал фронта произошел после того как российские штурмовики смогли по трубе зайти в тыл украинских войск 8 марта. После этого украинские войска начали общее отступление.
И, фактически, сейчас козырь из рук Киева этот выбит. Впрочем, он и до того был не очень сильным, так как размер плацдарма был небольшим и вряд ли бы побудил Путина идти на какие-то серьезные уступки по территориям в Украине. Другой ситуации была бы, если б ВСУ подошли к Курску или же к Курской АЭС. Но они этого не смогли сделать, будучи остановленными на дальних подступах.
Также сомнительно выполнение и других задач, на которые сейчас делает упор Зеленский – оттягивание сил с других фронтов.
В этом плане Курская операция сыграла скорее в минус, подчеркнув крайнюю ограниченность украинских резервов.
Безусловно, и россияне были вынуждены отправить в Курскую область значительные силы. Однако важно смотреть на конечный результат.
Из-за переброски наиболее боеспособных соединений ВСУ в Курскую область с августа сильно просел фронт на Донбассе. Именно тогда россияне ускорили свое продвижение, заняв, по итогу, Селидово, Горняка, Украинск, Курахово – всю линию обороны, которую ВСУ долго готовили для сдерживания натиска с востока. И фронт был отодвинут от Донецка и Мариуполя на десятки километров.
По сути, Киев в прошлом году «разменял» Курский плацдарм на значительную часть Донецкой области. Но сейчас плацдарм фактически потерян, а территории на Донбассе так и остались под контролем россиян (и они там продолжают наступление). То есть, по итогу, конечной результат для Украины оказался сугубо минусовым.
Что касается аргумента о том, что наступление в Курской области предотвратило атаку армии РФ на Сумскую область, то во-первых, само по себе наступление стало успешным из-за сравнительной немногочисленности российских сил на этом участке границы (то есть, они вряд ли готовились тогда к масштабному броску на Сумы). А во-вторых, для сдерживания наступления в любом случае потребовалось бы меньше сил, чем для наступления на Курскую область и последующее удержание плацдарма. А значит и на других участках фронта не было бы такой «просадки» из-за нехватки сил ВСУ.
Помимо военных назывались и политические цели операции в Курской области.
В первую очередь – поднять боевых дух Украины, вернуть веру общества и западных партнеров в способность ВСУ одерживать победы, разбить аргументы тех, кто предлагал договариваться с Москвой и заканчивать войну, убедить США в «слабости» РФ, в том, что не нужно боятся угроз Москвы, а надо давать дальнобойные ракеты и расширять прочую помощь.
В «моменте» некоторые из задач были выполнены – моральный дух действительно был на некоторое время поднят, на Западе были сильно впечатлены. Однако, вскоре наступление РФ на Донбассе и российское контрнаступление в Курской области все это свело на нет.
Не сильно зашла тема о «слабости России». После успеха в Курской области ВСУ нигде более подобный прорыв повторить не смогли, хотя и пытались. Это указывало на то, что, в случае с Курском, речь шла не о системных проблемах с боеспособностью российской военной машины, а о локальном случае, связанным, судя по всему, со слабостью командования на местах, которое не смогло оценить обстановку и организовать оборону. Тем более, что там была «черезполосица» различных подразделений – армия РФ, включая срочников, «Ахмат», пограничники (значительная часть последних буквально сразу сдалась в плен, что также повлияло на ситуацию).
По итогу, иформационно-политический эффект от прорыва ВСУ был хоть и немалым, но кратковременным, не повлиял в целом на отношение Запада к перспективам войны, а после нынешней потери плацдарма оказался, по итогу, вообще негативным.
Правда, у Курского прорыва была еще одна цель, судя по заявлениям Киева и акцентам в западных СМИ. Причем, не исключено, что она могла быть главной во всей операции.
Это – подрыв доверия к Путину и дестабилизация ситуации в России.
И, первоначально, определенный успех был. Главной союзницей и помощницей Украины в этом деле выступила та же группа внутри российской власти и спецслужб, которая в 2022-2023 годах двигала Пригожина и готовила почву для его мятежа через подконтрольную сетку Z-пабликов, которые дискредитировали военно-политическое руководство России…
После провала мятежа и гибели Пригожина градус «зрады» сильно снизился. Однако группа эта никуда не исчезла и мощно проявила себя вскоре после начала Курской операции ВСУ. Подконтрольные ей Z-паблики подняли волну паники и истерики. Правда, волна эта была российскими властями быстро погашена. И, в целом, ситуация под контролем удержана и сильного роста негатива в отношении политики Путина не было, хотя рейтинг его тогда несколько просел.
Однако, этот опыт показал для Украины и Запада «точки уязвимости» во внутрироссийском информационно-политическом поле. И когда украинские власти и «партия войны» на Западе говорит о том, что не нужно ни о чем с Путиным договариваться, а нужно воевать дальше, потому что «Россия обязательно рухнет», расчет в том числе и есть всю на ту же группу, которая уже дважды пыталась качать ситуацию в РФ – перед мятежом Пригожина и после начала Курского наступления ВСУ.
Зачем группа это делает есть разные версии. Начиная от внутриаппаратной борьбы различных ведомств и «башен Кремля» за влияние и заканчивая попыткой дестабилизировать ситуацию в РФ с целью свергнуть Путина (подробнее об этом здесь и здесь).
Но, так или иначе, можно констатировать, что подконтрольные данной группе паблики системно разжигают все существующие в российском обществе противоречия – между народом и властью/чиновниками, между богатыми и бедными, между теми, кто на фронте, и теми, кто в тылу, между русскими и мусульманами, между солдатами и командирами.
Впрочем, пока, как видим, российские власти быстро купируют «волны зрады».
Но если война затянется, а различные проблемы внутри РФ будут нарастать по мере усиления тягот военного времени, тогда данная группа, не исключено, вновь попытается сыграть в свою прежнюю партию.
К слову, именно подконтрольные ей Z-паблики сейчас наиболее активно выступают против скорейшего прекращения огня.
Kursk Catastrophe - 'Thousands Surrounded' | Destined To Backfire - What's The Reality? | Map Update.
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Будет ли прекращение огня на Украине? Снизит ли ЦБ ключевую ставку?
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Экономика по-русски 15 03 2025. Михаил Хазин.
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US-Russia Diplomacy & the Ceasefire Proposal - Dmitri Polyanskiy, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen.
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«Brüssel gefährdet Europas Demokratie»: Prof. Jeffrey Sachs über Rumänien, die Ukraine und Trump.
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Starmer moves towards an operational "peace".
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СТРАННОЕ СТОЛКНОВЕНИЕ ТАНКЕРА В СЕВЕРНОМ МОРЕ. СЕРГЕЙ ПЕРЕСЛЕГИН.
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Российский капитан португальского контейнеровоза "Солонг" Владимир Мотин 15 марта предстал перед судом в Кингстон-апон-Халле по делу о непредумышленном убийстве в результате халатности. Причиной уголовного преследования стало столкновение с танкером в Северном море, в результате которого погиб один человек.
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На слушаниях в субботу обвинитель Амелия Кац сообщила, что 59-летний Мотин принял к управлению “Солонг” приблизительно за три часа до катастрофы. Около 40 минут контейнеровоз двигался со скоростью 15 узлов прямым курсом на американский танкер, не пытаясь избежать столкновения и не подавая предупредительных сигналов. О причинах случившегося не сообщается.
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Russian captain of the SOLONG is charged with Manslaughter.
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«ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЙ ПАСЬЯНС (16+)» 16.03/ВЕДУЩИЙ: Константин Залесский/ГОСТЬ: Дионис Коптарь.
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Amazing enhanced and colorized footage of British, French, German & American tanks during WW-I [HD].
Trump has long hated this media outlet. Now he’s ordering it dismantled.
Journalists are being placed on administrative leave and grants are being terminated at other outlets.
President Donald Trump is gutting U.S.-backed global media, including Voice of America, that broadcasts news to millions worldwide — and that he has long held a grudge against.
The move comes after Trump signed an executive order to hollow out a string of small government agencies and offices late Friday. The order calls for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and a collection of other media outlets globally, to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
The weekend moves around USAGM suggest the administration will shutter entirely — or at a minimum dramatically reduce — the media platforms it oversees.
VOA Director Mike Abramowitz confirmed in a Saturday afternoon post on his personal Facebook account that “virtually the entire staff of Voice of America — more than 1300 journalists, producers and support staff — has been placed on administrative leave today,” adding that he was among those affected.
“Even if the agency survives in some form, the actions being taken today by the Administration will severely damage Voice of America’s ability to foster a world that is safe and free and in doing so is failing to protect U.S. interests,” Abramowitz wrote, noting that the move comes amid rising disinformation promoted by “America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked VOA since his first term. Before he entered office earlier this year, Trump said he wanted Kari Lake, a MAGA loyalist and former news anchor who twice ran unsuccessfully for statewide office in Arizona, to run the outlet. She has since been appointed as a special adviser to USAGM.
An email from human resources at USAGM was sent Saturday placing VOA journalists on administrative leave. The journalists were also told not to access the USAGM premises or any of the agency’s systems, according to a copy of the email viewed by POLITICO.
Two VOA journalists — granted anonymity by POLITICO out of fear of retribution — confirmed they were placed on leave on Saturday morning. A VOA contractor, also granted anonymity, received a similar notice.
Lake put out a post on X highlighting the executive order and urging employees from VOA and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is also housed within USAGM, to urgently check their email.
According to a VOA journalist, some VOA employees received the email as they were en route to their studios to record shows Saturday morning. With no clear guidance or direction from VOA leadership, journalists were left scrambling to figure out how to fill air time, considering rerunning old shows or simply playing music.
The journalist compared Saturday morning’s chaos to the mayhem caused by the Department of Government Efficiency’s slash-and-burn approach to downsizing federal agencies that prompted a frenzied wave of mass firings.
“The decision to dismantle one of America’s greatest national assets will inflict profound harm on the U.S. image, its global interests, and the promotion of democratic values — damage that no adversary could ever achieve,” Elez Biberaj, who briefly served as Voice of America’s acting director and retired in 2023, said in a social media post.
Spokespeople for both VOA and USAGM did not respond to requests for comment.
USAGM also notified Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Saturday that the agency is terminating grants that support the media platforms’ operations effective immediately. Radio Free Asia has been one of the government’s key vehicles for combatting Chinese propaganda.
RFA is expected to start furloughing some of its staff next week, POLITICO reported Friday.
In a statement released Saturday, RFE CEO Stephen Capus wrote that the agency’s grant termination “would be a massive gift to America’s enemies. The Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker.”
A notification letter to RFA obtained by POLITICO and signed by Lake said the funding cut is a response to Trump’s executive order “mandating that the USAGM eliminate all non-statutorily required activities and functions.”
An RFA spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined comment on its contents.
High-profile journalists and news associations have blasted the move, questioning what the shuttering of VOA will mean for press freedom under the second Trump administration.
“VOA journalists in our [White House] press corps are smart, dedicated and shine lights on vital issues,” Kelly O’Donnell, an NBC News correspondent and former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, wrote on X. “I am proud of their dedication. If you believe in a free press, stand with VOA.”
The National Press Club put out a statement on Saturday, pressing Congress to call for transparency and accountability and to make sure that VOA continues to be operational.
“For decades, Voice of America has delivered fact-based, independent journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist,” Press Club president Mike Balsamo wrote. “Removing large numbers of its journalists at the same time as dismantling USAGM threatens the very foundation that has allowed VOA to operate without political interference.”
Voice of America was created in 1942 and broadcasts globally. Its 1976 charter — signed into law by President Gerald Ford — says the “long-range interests of the United States are served by communicating directly with the peoples of the world,” calling for “accurate, objective and comprehensive” journalism. Laws in the 1990s and 2010s have protected the VOA from interference by U.S. government officials.
The Trump administration has been celebrating the shutdown.
Several top advisers to the president, including Katie Miller — a DOGE spokesperson and Stephen Miller’s wife — have said “goodbye” to the news organization, while the administration’s rapid response account has reposted headlines where VOA has questioned “white privilege.”
“U.S. taxpayers shouldn’t be funding this,” the Rapid Response account said.
Цитата:
«Today's Russia: A Literary Landscape with Stephen Fry | The Power of Modern Russian Literature».
Director: Paul Mitchell, Sarah Wallis Writers: Paul Mitchell, Sarah Wallis Stars: Stephen Fry, Vladimir Sorokin, Zakhar Prilepin, Lyudmila Ulitskaya Genre: Documentary, Literature Country: United Kingdom Language: English Release.
2013.
_________________
С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Ex-Kremlchef droht mit Krieg gegen Nato
Der frühere russische Präsident Dmitri Medwedew hat die britisch-französischen Pläne zu einer möglichen Entsendung von Friedenstruppen in die Ukraine scharf kritisiert und mit Krieg gegen die Nato gedroht. Der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron und der britische Premier Keir Starmer "stellten sich dumm", schrieb Medwedew auf der Plattform X. Obwohl ihnen wiederholt gesagt worden sei, dass Friedenstruppen aus Nicht-Nato-Staaten kommen sollten, hielten die beiden an ihren Plänen fest, warf ihnen der Vize-Vorsitzende des Nationalen Sicherheitsrats Russlands vor.
Wenn sie "den Neonazis in Kiew militärische Hilfe bieten wollen, bedeutet das Krieg mit der Nato", schrieb Medwedew weiter. Er empfahl den beiden Politikern in Paris und London, die er als "Drecksäcke" beschimpfte, sich besser mit US-Präsident Donald Trump abzusprechen.
Medwedew, der in seiner Zeit als Präsident Russlands (2008-2012) als liberaler Politiker galt, ist seit Beginn des russischen Angriffskriegs gegen die Ukraine vor drei Jahren immer wieder mit scharfen Drohungen wie etwa dem Einsatz von Atomwaffen gegen den Westen aufgefallen.
Starmer will eine "Koalition der Willigen" etablieren, die im Fall einer Einigung den Frieden in der Ukraine auch mit eigenen Truppen absichern könnte.
Цитата:
Co Francuzi myślą na temat służby wojskowej? Zaskakujący sondaż nad Loarą
70 proc. Francuzów obawia się, że wojna w Ukrainie rozleje się też na inne kraje. Aż 86 proc. społeczeństwa jest za przywróceniem służby wojskowej, ale tylko nieco połowa badanych uważa, że powinna być ona obowiązkowa.
We Francji większość obywateli popiera powrót służby wojskowej. W sondażu wykonanym przez Ispos na zlecenie Le Parisien, 86 proc. ankietowanych Francuzów poparło powrót służby wojskowej, która została zniesiona w tym kraju w 2001 r.
Jednocześnie respondenci wyrazili różne poglądy odnośnie formatu służby. 53 proc. popierało obowiązkową służbę wojskową, a co trzeci badany uważał, że powinna ona obejmować również kobiety.
Również jedna trzecia ankietowanych Francuzów (33 proc.) poparłaby służbę wojskową, ale na zasadzie dobrowolności.
Najmniejsze poparcie dla powrotu do służby wojskowej we Francji, jak wynika z badania Ipsos, wykazywały osoby poniżej 35. roku życia, czyli w wieku poborowym - 78 proc. popiera ją w tej grupie wiekowej zasadniczo, ale tylko 41 proc. chce, aby była obowiązkowa.
Co więcej, podczas gdy 39 proc. mężczyzn we Francji popiera obowiązkową służbę wojskową zarówno dla mężczyzn, jak i kobiet, to wśród kobiet ten współczynnik wynosi już 26 proc.
W ubiegłym roku inne badanie Ipsos wykazało, że co drugi młody Francuz byłby skłonny wstąpić do wojska i walczyć na terytorium Ukrainy, gdyby zaszła potrzeba obrony Francji.
Niedawno podano, że ponad 70 proc. Francuzów obawia się, że wojna może zagrozić też innym krajom niż Ukraina.
Цитата:
Starmer says plans for military support for Ukraine now entering ‘operational phase’
Sir Keir Starmer sent his strongest signal yet that allies will put troops on the ground in Ukraine to support a ceasefire
Sir Keir Starmer has declared that plans to put a peacekeeping force in Ukraine have now entered an “operational phase”, as Britain prepares to host military chiefs from a group of Western countries ready to support a ceasefire.
Sending the strongest signal yet that the “coalition of the willing” is pressing ahead with the pledge to back a ceasefire deal with troops on the ground, the PM said allies would be prepared to “help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea and in the sky”.
“We won’t sit back and wait for Putin to act,” the prime minister warned, vowing to “keep pushing forward” with the plan for peace.
Speaking from Downing Street, Sir Keir said military chiefs from across the world will meet on Thursday and put in place “strong and robust plans... to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine’s future security”.
The PM also piled pressure on Vladimir Putin to accept peace proposals and attempted to draw a clear dividing line between Donald Trump and the Kremlin dictator, warning that Russia was trying to delay Mr Trump’s plan for peace in the region.
…
“I would like all partners to understand exactly what Putin is planning, what he is preparing for, and what he will be ignoring”, he said.
Sir Keir also said new commitments had been made on tightening sanctions on Russia, warning that “Russia’s appetite for conflict and chaos undermines our security back here at home”.
…
Questions remain, however, over which countries have made concrete commitments to a peacekeeping force, how large the force will be and whether or not it will have a clear basis in international law.
Asked about what action a peacekeeping force could take, Sir Keir said this would be a subject of discussion between military chiefs on Thursday.
He said: “There are different capabilities from different countries, but those are the operational discussions that are going on in relation to what this coalition of the willing will be able to provide.”
Among the other participants at Saturday’s meeting were Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who had been reportedly considering not joining the call due to scepticism about Anglo-French peacekeeping proposals.
As well as European nations, the leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand joined the call, as did Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte.
Saturday’s meeting followed an intense week of diplomacy in which American officials put a US-Ukraine proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to Russia.
But the Kremlin has so far resisted the proposal, saying it would only agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine also agreed to abandon its aim of joining Nato and gave up some of its territory to Russia.
Speaking from the cabinet room in No 10 on Saturday, Sir Keir told world leaders they could not “sit back and wait” for a ceasefire in Ukraine, adding: “We have to keep pushing ahead, pushing forward and preparing for peace, and a peace that will be secure and that will last.”
…
Following the meeting, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the prime minister to seize Russian assets and use them to fund more support for Ukraine, saying this was “the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace”.
Asked about whether he had discussed seizing Russian assets with his counterparts, Sir Keir said it had been discussed, but added it was “a complicated question”.
...
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Цитата:
Macron says Russia’s permission not needed to deploy troops in Ukraine
French president says France, UK and others could each deploy ‘a few thousand troops’ to key locations to show Ukraine ‘long-term support’
Emmanuel Macron has said France, the UK, and other nations providing security guarantees for Ukraine after any eventual ceasefire would not be aiming to deploy a “mass” of soldiers, but instead could send contingents of several thousand troops to key locations in Ukraine without needing Russia’s permission.
The French president told regional French newspapers, including Le Parisien and La Dépêche de Midi, that “several European countries, and indeed non-European ones” had “expressed their willingness” to join a possible deployment to Ukraine to secure a future peace agreement with Russia.
He said this could involve “a few thousand troops” from each state, deployed at “key points” in Ukraine, to conduct training programmes and “show our long-term support”.
Macron added in the interview on Saturday that the proposed contingents from countries that were members of the Nato alliance would serve as “a guarantee of security” for Ukraine and that “several European nations, and also non-European, have expressed their willingness to join such an effort when it is confirmed”.
He added: “Under no circumstances can the Ukrainians make territorial concessions without having any security guarantees.”
Moscow has firmly opposed such a deployment, but Macron said Russia’s permission was not needed. He said Ukraine was sovereign. “If Ukraine requests allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or reject them.”
Macron will meet the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, on Monday and then travel to Berlin on Tuesday to meet the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, for talks on Ukraine before an EU summit.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, led a virtual meeting of 30 international leaders on Saturday including Macron and Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, as well as leaders from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Afterwards, Starmer challenged the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to sign up to a ceasefire if he was serious about peace. He said allies would keep increasing the pressure on the Kremlin, including by moving planning for a peacekeeping force to an “operational phase”.
Macron said after the meeting on Saturday that Europe and the US had to put pressure on Russia to accept a proposed ceasefire. Russia “does not give the impression it sincerely wants peace”, Macron said in a statement to Agence France-Presse. On the contrary, the Russian president was “escalating the fighting” and “wants to get everything, then negotiate”, he said.
“Russia must respond clearly and the pressure must be clear, in conjunction with the US, to obtain this ceasefire,” Macron said.
Цитата:
Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Ukraine war, new polls show
The polls this week show doubt among voters, as Trump looks to close a deal with Russia to end the war.
A majority of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is engaging with Russia and Ukraine to end the war between the two countries, according to two new polls released this week.
Trump has cast himself as the central figure in brokering a peace in the yearslong war that Russia started. Trump has been hot and cold on the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, since entering office, and has also repeatedly thrown blame on Ukraine for the war. He has also sought to normalize relations with the Kremlin — while occasionally threatening devastating economic sanctions — and has repeatedly touted his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A new poll from CNN released Friday found 59 percent of Americans said it’s not too likely, or not at all likely, that Trump’s approach will bring long-term peace to Ukraine, with 41 percent saying it’s at least somewhat likely. Another 59 percent disapprove of Trump’s handling of the U.S.’ relationship with Russia — and 55 percent disapprove of how he’s handled “the situation” in Ukraine.
Half of the Americans polled said Trump’s approach to the war is bad for the U.S., with 29 percent saying it’s good for the country, and the balance said it didn’t make a difference.
This breaks down along partisan lines, with 77 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents saying Trump’s approach is bad for the country, while 61 percent of Republicans said it is good.
Quinnipiac’s polling released Thursday paints a similar picture. Asking voters about the Oval Office blowout between Trump and Zelenskyy, 58 percent of voters disapproved of how Trump handled it, while 35 percent approved. By party lines, 95 percent of Democrats disapproved, where 77 percent of Republicans approved — but 68 percent of independents disapproved.
Trump has previously criticized Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and has cast doubt on the wartime leader’s popularity. Quinnipiac found that of the U.S. voters they surveyed, 43 percent have a favorable opinion of Zelenskyy, while 33 have an unfavorable opinion and 22 percent didn’t report an opinion.
CNN’s poll was conducted from March 6 to March 9 by independent research company SSRS, with 1,206 adults and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,198 self-identified registered voters from March 6 to March 10 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
My affair with Liz Truss ruined my marriage, admits former Tory MP
Mark Field describes the former prime minister as ‘intoxicating, disconcerting and exhausting’
Field said Truss was ‘an impulsive bundle of energy, obsessed by the workings and machinations of politics’ (PA)
A former Conservative MP has detailed his love affair with the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister Liz Truss – claiming it led to the breakdown of his marriage.
Mark Field, MP for Cities of London and Westminster from 2001 to 2019, revealed the “first serious signs of cracks” in his marriage began “just as Elizabeth Truss entered his life”.
In his new book serialised in The Mail on Sunday, Mr Field said he met the 49-day prime minister at the Conservative Party Conference in October 2002 in the “romantic dimmed lights” of the Highcliff Hotel in Bournemouth. She was married to Hugh O'Leary at the time.
He claims the pair had a brief conversation, he wished her luck in her search for a parliamentary seat and casually said: “Please get in touch if I can be of any help.”
Ms Truss took him up on the offer almost immediately, he wrote, requesting advice on candidate selection.
As they began meeting regularly, Mr Field said she was “an impulsive bundle of energy, obsessed by the workings and machinations of politics.” He recalled that “even then, Liz came across” as intensely focused on success, displaying “the parroting of slogans, the blind partisanship and the need to present it all with a veneer of absolute confidence”.
As they worked together, they spent more and more time in each other’s company, he wrote. “Before long, barely a day would pass without us at least speaking over the phone.”
He said he found her “intoxicating, disconcerting and exhausting. Not to mention at times utterly infuriating.”
Their “intensity of friendship” had become an affair in late 2003, he said.
“There is something very unreal in any affair, especially when both parties are married and living with their spouses,” Mr Field wrote.
He said every few months, Ms Truss would try to “cool things down” but would always “apologetically get back in touch” soon after.
Ms Truss was selected as the Conservative candidate for Calder Valley in early 2005, and Mr Field observed her campaign closely, admiring her “utterly obsessive approach to politics”.
When their affair eventually ended in 2006, Mr Field immediately recognised that “my own marriage was over”. Ms Truss, however, remained with her husband. Their relationship became public knowledge that year when she stood as a candidate for the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election.
Reflecting on her rise to prime minister, he said Ms Truss had “limitless ambition and self-belief, raw intelligence, resilience and an overwhelming sense of personal destiny”.
However, he argued that “her entire decade-long ministerial career had been an object lesson in relentlessly talking a good game … But actually delivering next to nothing”.
“Having made it to 10 Downing Street against the odds, she was determined to do it her way,” he said.
He believed that her downfall stemmed from “startlingly little to suggest that Liz had either the powers of inspirational leadership or the capacity to focus on the implementation of her policies”.
Trump to speak with Putin on Tuesday as he previews high-stakes call on Ukraine ceasefire deal
President Donald Trump confirmed that he will hold a crucial phone call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin tomorrow.
'I'll be speaking to [President Putin] on Tuesday. A lot of work's been done over the weekend,' Trump revealed.
'We want to see if we can bring that war to an end,' Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he travelled back to Washington D.C. from Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday.
'Maybe we can, maybe we can't, but I think we have a very good chance,' he added.
Trump said he plans to discuss land and power plants with the Russian leader in a discussion about potential concessions.
'I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides, Ukraine and Russia,' Trump continued. 'We are already talking about that... dividing up certain assets.'
But as Trump strikes an optimistic tone, Russia's deputy chair of its Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, slammed French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for proposing to station peacekeepers from NATO countries in Ukraine.
He wrote on X that 'means war with NATO' and suggested Trump was aware of the demand.
Over the weekend, Trump made bold predictions about the ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
The 78-year-old president sat down for a pre-taped interview with the weekly news program Full Measure and was asked about his plans should Putin not agree to a ceasefire.
'Bad news for this world because so many people are dying,' Trump responded.
But the president insisted he thinks Putin will agree to the deal.
'I think he's going to agree. I really do. I think I know him pretty well, and I think he's going to agree,' Trump told anchor Sharyl Attkisson.
Trump would not say during his interview whether he was speaking with Putin recently, but said 'we are dealing with him'.
It comes as Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff held a meeting with Putin behind closed doors on Thursday as the U.S. pushes for the ceasefire deal.
'It was positive. It was a solution-based discussion,' Witkoff told CNN's State Of The Union on Sunday on his return.
He said he expects there will be a call between Trump and Putin 'this week'.
Trump said in the interview that they're looking to to get Russia onboard with the ceasefire deal reached with Ukraine and said it's going 'OK'.
He suggested they would know a little bit more on Monday.
Attkisson noted in her interview with the president that he claimed he would have the war settled in 24 hours.
'Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,' Trump responded. 'What I really mean is I would like to get it settled.'
...
Цитата:
Starmer willing to keep British peacekeeping troops in Ukraine 'for years' amid fears of Trump concessions in looming call with Putin
UK troops could be deployed to Ukraine as peacekeepers for years under Keir Starmer's plan to secure the country in the event of an end to the war with Russia.
Senior government officials said that UK soldiers' mission in the country's under any ceasefire agreement would be open-ended because of the need to deter Vladimir Putin from resuming fighting.
It comes as US president Donald Trump has said he will speak to dictator Putin on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting of military chiefs in London on Thursday.
The call, announced by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, comes as Mr Putin continues to resist a US-backed proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
Sir Keir has accused Mr Putin of seeking to 'delay' a ceasefire, while French president Emmanuel Macron has said the Russian president 'does not seem to be sincerely seeking peace.
Mr Putin is also likely to object to any agreement that involves European or Nato troops being stationed in Ukraine, although Mr Zelensky sees this as essential to deterring future Russian aggression.
Discussing the deployment of UK troops, a UK source told the Times: 'It would be a long-term commitment, we are talking about years.
'As long as it takes to preserve a peace deal and deter Russia.'
Although Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted the proposed unconditional ceasefire, the Russian president has said Ukraine must agree to give up its ambitions of joining Nato and cede territory to Russia before any pause in hostilities.
On Sunday, Mr Witkoff insisted that Mr Putin was making 'a constructive effort' and that the upcoming call with Mr Trump showed there was 'positive momentum'.
While flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening, Mr Trump told reporters the aim of his conversation with Mr Putin will be to bring the conflict 'to an end'.
He said: 'We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday.
'A lot of work's been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.'
Mr Trump said 'dividing up certain assets' will form part of the conversation about bringing the war to a close.
'We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,' he said.
Meanwhile, military chiefs from the 'coalition of the willing' convened by Sir Keir and Mr Macron will meet in London on Thursday to discuss plans for a Western peacekeeping force to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Following a virtual meeting on Saturday with the leaders of 26 other nations, plus representatives from the EU and Nato, the Prime Minister said there had been 'new commitments' offered and planning would now move into an 'operational phase'.
But it remains unclear which nations have committed troops to a peacekeeping operation, while several have suggested such talks are premature given the lack of a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues, with Ukraine said to be under increasing pressure in the eastern Donetsk region, part of which has been under Russian control since 2014.
Ukrainian troops are also reported to be in retreat in the Kursk region of Russia, which they seized in a surprise raid in August in an attempt to secure a bargaining chip for future negotiations.
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Russian propagandist warns Brit and French troops 'we will kill you all' and threatens to sink London under a nuclear tidal wave in TV rant
Russia unleashed its leading TV propagandist to warn that British and French troops face death if they are deployed to Ukraine.
Vladimir Solovyov raged in a rant on Russian state television: 'You can station them wherever you want. We will kill you all, and we will kill you all.
'Just as we killed all of you who came to Kursk [region] and did not have time to run away or surrender. We will kill you all.'
His message echoes senior Russian security council official Dmitry Medvedev who predicted World War Three if Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron deploy troops from their proposed 'coalition of the willing' in Ukraine.
Solovyov - whose propaganda is choreographed with the Kremlin - ranted that Russians could march across Europe and storm Macron's capital.
'If necessary, we will enter Paris,' he told viewers across Russia. 'We have no experience of entering London, by the way.'
Renewing his threat to deploy Putin's high-speed Poseidon underwater nuclear drone to drown the capital in a tidal wave, he said: 'If necessary, we will sail in boats over the place where London was once built.'
'The only problem will be that the bottom will not accidentally hit Big Ben.
'And so the water surface will swallow this creche, and nobody will remember that there was something there. It'll be fun for scuba divers.'
For this not to happen, British people should 'notice the cretins you put in charge time after time.
'Illiterate, stupid [politicians]….British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is now our undisputed favourite….'
He said: 'Macron, Starmer, [incoming German chancellor Friedrich] Merz are fighting for the title of defender of Europe.
'You must realise it will only end with you being destroyed.
'Every time another coalition of those who want to be destroyed plans to teach Russia a lesson, it always ends the same way.'
The Solovyov blast appears to be part of an increasingly intense effort by the Putin machine to persuade Donald Trump against agreeing to any NATO countries being designated as peacekeepers in Ukraine.
Putin would rather Chinese troops were deployed or other non-European forces.
More than 30 countries will be involved in providing resources towards the coalition of the willing, Downing Street said on Monday.
Asked how many countries would provide troops for the peacekeeping plan, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'The Prime Minister said over the weekend, there's going to be different capabilities from different countries, but these are now the operational discussions that are ongoing in relation to what the coalition of willing will be able to provide.
'We're expecting more than 30 countries to be involved.
'Obviously the contribution capabilities will vary, but this will be a significant force, with a significant number of countries providing troops and a larger group contributing in other ways.'
The spokesman also said Sir Keir Starmer still believed an American security guarantee was necessary for the plan to operate successfully.
He added: 'The PM has said for the coalition of the willing, for UK troops to be deployed, it must be in the context of a secure and lasting peace with US backing being needed, but as I said, those discussions are ongoing, and part of the discussions that he had with President Trump at the White House.'
Trump is now expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as efforts continue to end to the war in Ukraine, a move that could represent a possible pivot point in the conflict and an opportunity for Trump to continue reorienting American foreign policy.
Trump disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening, while the Kremlin confirmed Putin's participation Monday morning.
'We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,' Trump said.
'A lot of work's been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.'
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday morning confirmed the plans for the two leaders to speak Tuesday, but refused to give details, saying 'we never get ahead of events' and 'the content of conversations between two presidents are not subject to any prior discussion.'
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Trump administration pulls US out of body investigating Ukraine invasion
Russia and allies were target of International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
The Trump administration is withdrawing from an international body formed to investigate responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine in the latest sign that the White House is adopting a posture favouring Vladimir Putin.
The Department of Justice said it was pulling out of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) two years after the Biden administration joined it with a commitment to hold Putin, Russia’s president, to account for the 2022 invasion and subsequent crimes committed by Russian forces.
An announcement by the justice department was expected later on Monday.
The centre was established to hold the leaders of Russia and its allies in Belarus, North Korea and Iran accountable for a category of crimes listed as aggression under international law for undertaking and supporting the attack.
Merrick Garland, the US attorney general during Joe Biden’s presidency, announced that the US would contribute $1m to the organisation, based in the Hague, in November 2023, making it the only non-European country to send a prosecutor to take part in the centre’s investigation, along with prosecutors from Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic states, Romania and the international criminal court.
“The United States stands in steadfast and unwavering support for the people of Ukraine as they defend their democracy against the brutal and unjust war being waged by the Russian regime,” Garland said at the time.
On Monday, the New York Times cited an internal letter from the group’s parent organisation, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust).
“The US authorities have informed me that they will conclude their involvement in the ICPA,” Michael Schmid, Eurojust’s president wrote.
He said the centre’s work would continue without US participation, with the group “fully committed” to holding accountable “those responsible for core international crimes”.
The decision follows weeks of tension between Donald Trump and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid efforts by Washington to broker an end to the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine.
After Trump berated Zelenskyy publicly in the White House, the US suspended military assistance and intelligence sharing to Ukraine, although they were subsequently restored after Kyiv supported American calls for a ceasefire.
Trump had earlier called Zelenskyy “a dictator without election”, falsely accused him of provoking the invasion and said Putin wanted to end the war – although the Russian leader has yet to agree to a ceasefire.
The justice department also said it was reducing the work of its war crimes accountability team, set up by Garland in 2022 to hold Russia accountable for atrocities committed following its invasion of Ukraine.
Garland said at the time that “there is no hiding place for war criminals” and vowed that the department would “pursue every avenue of accountability for those who commit war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine”.
The unit provided logistical help, training and direct assistance to overburdened Ukrainian prosecutors, who are investigating more than 150,000 possible war crimes, including the summary execution of prisoners, the targeted bombing of civilians and torture.
Цитата:
Ukraina: Zełenski: rozmawiałem z Macronem, skoordynowaliśmy stanowiska przed rozmową Trump-Putin
Prezydent Ukrainy Wołodymyr Zełenski poinformował w poniedziałek o rozmowie telefonicznej z prezydentem Francji Emmanuelem Macronem, w której omówili m.in. zaplanowaną na wtorek rozmowę prezydenta USA Donalda Trumpa z przywódcą Rosji Władimirem Putinem.
"Rozmawiałem dziś z prezydentem Francji Macronem. Skoordynowaliśmy stanowiska przed rozmową prezydenta Trumpa z Putinem oraz (stanowiska) przed spotkaniami w Europie" - powiedział w codziennym nagraniu.
Zełenski przypomniał, że Rosja od tygodnia nie może odpowiedzieć "tak" na propozycję rozejmu w wojnie, którą prowadzi przeciwko Ukrainie. "Zaraz minie tydzień, kiedy dla wszystkich na świecie (…) jest oczywiste, że Putin przeciąga tą wojnę" - podkreślił.
Odnosząc się do rozmowy z ukraińskim prezydentem, Macron napisał na platformie X, że walki i okrucieństwa wojenne muszą ustać, a deportowane przez Rosję ukraińskie dzieci muszą połączyć się z rodzinami. (https://tinyurl.com/3h9b5hvc)
"To wszystko są warunki, które Rosja musi spełnić. I jestem pewien zaangażowania prezydenta Trumpa w tej sprawie" - podkreślił.
"Prezydent Zełenski wykazał się odwagą, akceptując propozycję USA dotyczącą 30-dniowego zawieszenia broni. Teraz Rosja musi udowodnić, że naprawdę chce pokoju" - dodał prezydent Francji.
Give back the Statue of Liberty, French MEP tells US
French Socialist MEP says Washington’s embrace of dictators negates the values that led France to bestow the iconic statue some 140 years ago.
She’s been covered by a glacier, smashed up by various giant monsters, and left to decay on a planet overrun by super-intelligent apes. But even in a Hollywood scriptwriter’s worst nightmare, Lady Liberty surely couldn’t be sent back to France. Could she?
French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, of the Socialists and Democrats group, has set tongues wagging by suggesting that the Statue of Liberty — unveiled in New York in 1886 as a gift from the French people — should be sent back because the United States has chosen to side with tyrants.
With his own tongue in cheek, a grinning Glucksmann told a party convention: “We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty.’”
“We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home,” Glucksmann added, according to local media.
The French MEPs comments are likely in reference to a decision by Washington to pause aid to Ukraine, which it had been helping to fight off a Russian invasion.
While aid is now flowing to Kyiv once again, U.S. President Donald Trump’s perceived softness on Russia, his long-documented admiration for President Vladimir Putin and other strongman leaders, and his public humiliation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy have caused alarm throughout Europe.
On a more serious note, Glucksmann suggested France could benefit if Americans who lose their jobs in a wave of firings by the new Trump administration choose to emigrate.
“The second thing we’re going to say to the Americans is: ‘If you want to fire your best researchers, if you want to fire all the people who, through their freedom and their sense of innovation, their taste for doubt and research, have made your country the world’s leading power, then we’re going to welcome them,” he said.
A plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty famously bears the inscription: “Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The Trump administration wants to conduct mass deportations of people allegedly in the U.S. without documentation, and has floated travel restrictions on dozens of countries.
Asked about Glucksmann’s comment Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the MEP a “low-level politician” and claimed that it is thanks to U.S. intervention during World War II that “the French are not speaking German right now.”
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Ukraine war briefing: ‘Coalition of the willing’ military chiefs to assemble in London
Russian oil refinery on fire after Ukrainian drone strike; Russia claims advances in southern Ukraine. What we know on day 1,119
•
Dozens of military chiefs from allies of Ukraine are due to meet in the UK on Thursday – without the US – to plan how a “coalition of the willing” could send in troops
to support the Ukrainians if a ceasefire is declared. More than 30 countries were expected to be involved in such a coalition, the office of Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, said on Monday. “The contribution capabilities will vary, but this will be a significant force, with a significant number of countries providing troops,” said a spokesperson. It comes after Starmer held a teleconference with dozens of leaders from European countries and others including Canada and Australia.
Starmer and the French president, Emmanuel Macron,
have been leading efforts to establish the coalition since Donald Trump opened direct negotiations with Russia without Ukraine or Europe at the table.
• Russia has rejected the idea of soldiers from countries belonging to Nato being stationed in Ukraine, but the French president, Emmanuel Macron, declared on Sunday that
such a force would not be seeking Russia’s permission
. Asked about Russia’s position, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “It is worth remembering that
Russia didn’t ask Ukraine when it deployed North Korean troops
to the frontline last year.” With some partners potentially wary of committing troops, Starmer has said he welcomes any offer of support, raising the prospect that some countries could contribute logistics or surveillance. His spokesperson on Monday highlighted engineering, the use of airfields and the housing of crews.
•
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief
, will meanwhile visit London on Tuesday to meet the British foreign and defence secretaries. The UK government hailed the talks as
“part of a new era of UK-EU relations”
, and said they would discuss cooperation on Ukraine; how to increase economic pressure on Moscow and ensure it pays for the damage it has caused; and ramping up action against cyber-attacks, election interference and Russian disinformation.
•
Ukrainian drones set on fire an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region
, local authorities said. The regional governor, Igor Babushkin, said on Monday that staff of a “fuel and energy” complex were evacuated before the attack, which started a large fire and wounded one person.
Russia launched a barrage of 174 drones on Ukraine
, with air defence units shooting down 90 of them and dozens more disabled by electronic jamming, said Ukraine’s air force. About 500 people in the southern region of Odesa lost power and one person was wounded, said the local governor, Oleg Kiper. Back on Russian territory, the
Belgorod oblast
came under attack from Ukrainian drones on Monday night, local officials said
•
Russia claimed its forces were advancing in southern Ukraine
and had breached part of the Ukrainian lines less than 50km (30 miles) south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia. Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had taken the village of Stepove in the Zaporizhzhia region. The claims could not be verified and Ukraine’s military said it forces had repelled attacks near Stepove and the nearby village of Lobkove, and battles were still going on.
•
The US president, Donald Trump
, has announced he will be speaking to Vladimir Putin on Tuesday after Ukraine and the US agreed to put forward a ceasefire proposal, which the Russian president has pushed back against, write Pjotr Sauer and Peter Walker. Trump said they would talk about “dividing up certain assets … We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants.” He did not elaborate, but the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to a “power plant that is on the border of Russia and Ukraine”. If she and Trump meant the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, it is not located on the Russia-Ukraine border, but sits in sovereign, internationally recognised Ukrainian territory invaded by Russia.
•
Ukraine would not agree
to territorial concessions, exclusion from Nato, or limits on its defence capabilities, the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign policy committee head, Oleksandr Merezhko, has told the BBC in an interview setting out Kyiv’s “red lines” for peace negotiations.
•
Germany’s probable next chancellor, Friedrich Merz
, faces a key vote in the Bundestag on Tuesday over plans to unlock record state borrowing he argues is needed partly to boost military spending. Germany has been Europe’s biggest provider of military aid to Ukraine.
• The Trump administration is withdrawing from an international body formed to
investigate responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine
and hold Vladimir Putin and others accountable, in the latest sign that the White House is adopting a posture favouring Russia’s ruler, Robert Tait writes from Washington.
•
Ukraine posted a trade deficit of US$2.3bn
in January, compared with a deficit of US$1.5bn in the same period a year ago, the statistics service said on Monday.
Europe is going full 1790s America
Trump and Russia are pushing the EU toward a “Hamiltonian moment,” where common debt helps build greater federalism.
This time, joint bonds really might forge a more united Europe.
With Donald Trump triggering the biggest reordering of the European security landscape since World War II, debt issuance may not sound like the most urgent matter in hand, but supporters of a more deeply integrated European Union reckon bonds for rearmament are crucial to realizing their federal dreams.
Trump's insistence that Europe will have to step up and look after its own regional security — and provide Ukraine with security guarantees against Russia — is pressing the EU to raise cash fast for military investments.
Only six weeks after the United States president's inauguration, the European Commission announced a plan to raise €150 billion of joint debt to finance European weapons purchases. It's a large sum for EU-level bonds, outstripping Russia's entire projected military spending for 2025.
The debt is up for discussion at Thursday's summit of EU leaders in Brussels, but no one is digging in their heels. In the past, frugal countries like the Netherlands fought against common borrowing, but Germany's support has swung the dynamic of the conversation. The EU is now aligned on the need to spend big on weapons.
For supporters of a stronger EU, issuance of joint debt brings them closer to their long-desired "Hamiltonian moment" — a reference to the efforts of first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who helped unify the U.S. by consolidating the debts of disparate states into federal bonds in 1790.
This is not the first time that the EU is raising common debt. There was massive investment during the Covid-19 pandemic to prop up Europe's floundering economy. But that agreement was thrashed out painfully over the course of nearly five months.
The pandemic was also seen as a one-off emergency. The need to rearm is a long-term refocusing of what Europe is all about, and the €150 billion is likely to be only the first step.
When announcing the joint debt plan, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the response from European capitals to "an era of rearmament" had been "as resounding as it is clear."
“The real question in front of us is whether Europe is prepared to act as decisively as the situation dictates. And whether Europe is ready and able to act with the speed and the ambition that is needed,” she said in a speech. “This is a moment for Europe. And we are ready to step up.”
The bond issuance will allow the Commission to lend money to member countries to buy weapons, which the capitals will pay back to Brussels.
In parallel, a political reorientation in the bloc's largest economy, Germany, has meant the traditionally frugal country is finally changing its attitude toward debt in order to finance a modernization of its underpowered military. It also suggests a newfound German openness to fund investment at a European scale.
Taken together, these are changes that will be difficult to reverse, even if peace returns.
“In view of the threats to our freedom and peace on our continent, 'whatever it takes' must now also apply to our defense,” Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, said earlier this month, echoing former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's call to arms from the eurozone debt crisis.
“What happened in Germany is a huge change,” said Florian Schuster-Johnson of Dezernat Zukunft, a nonpartisan, economy-focused think tank in Berlin. “And this change will also be very, very consequential for European policy.”
Creatures of war
Guntram Wolff, senior fellow at Bruegel, said the EU's move could prove as fundamental as the "Hamiltonian moment" that sped up the transformation of the U.S. from a loose confederation of polities into a nation-state with centralized spending powers.
“If this happens — more military integration together with more joint funding — then we are really in the creation of a completely new EU,” he said. “That’s really a mega Hamiltonian moment.”
The entanglement of finance with war has a long history. Arms are expensive, and governments look for new ways to raise finances in war. Those innovations tend to stick around long after the emergency has passed.
Take the Bank of England, founded in 1694 against the backdrop of the Glorious Revolution and war overseas.
“In the statute that created the Bank of England, the only purpose it gave was conducting the war against France,” said Harold James, an economic historian at Princeton University. The bank took over government debt raised to fund England’s military, backing it with tax receipts raised by parliament. “It’s specifically put in the statute. It’s absolutely the creature of war,” James said.
Likewise, France created its own central bank in 1800, which helped finance the Napoleonic wars.
Ever closer union
Something similar is going on now at the European level, analysts say. The move toward defense by potentially enormous debt financing seems “to be actually going back to how people thought about this in the 18th and 19th century,” James said.
“It’s not necessary for a state to have its own money. Early modern states often operated with all kinds of coinages … But the states do need to defend themselves,” he added. “They need an army.”
The war in Ukraine has also forced European policymakers to consider major fiscal adjustments that were previously unthinkable — and which have long been seen as a first step toward a deeper union.
Germany's relaxation of its debt brake for the military is, at first glance, strictly a national decision — one that it will put to the vote in its lower house on Tuesday. But the jettisoning of the national taboo on debt suggests a softening of its long-held fiscally conservative stance at the European level. It's in Berlin's interest that if it goes further into debt to help defend the bloc as a whole, its partners do so as well, since all EU countries benefit from collective security. Indeed, it's notable that Berlin has not opposed the Commission's joint debt proposal, provided it's disbursed as a loan that countries have to repay, and not as no-strings-attached grants.
“Suddenly a country that in the past was saying we have to balance the budget and we should not allow debts to increase, even to finance investment of whatever kind, turns around 180 degrees,” said the Belgian economist Paul De Grauwe. “You will change your mind when somebody has a gun against your head.”
Since the EU’s formation, its treaty has called for an “ever closer union,” but national governments across the bloc have always been wary of surrendering powers to a central EU administration — and of any moves that could make them liable for their neighbors’ debts.
The recent moves could represent a significant reversal in that direction after years of bickering.
What comes next is another question.
So far, the Commission’s borrowing is indirectly financed by the EU budget, but that has severe limits. To raise more money, the Commission will need to find ways to raise taxes. It will then be able to issue bonds on the market backed by taxpayers, just like a sovereign country does.
Levying taxes will prove tricky because EU taxation requires unanimous agreement. In the past that's been a no-go for capitals jealously guarding what they see as a national prerogative. Even in the wartime context, it remains a difficult prospect as long as Ukraine- and EU-skeptical leaders like Hungary's Viktor Orbán have a seat in the Council.
Waltraud Schelkle of the European University Institute in Florence said that something would have to give: “It’s not credible in bond markets if you borrow a trillion with a budget that is exactly that … a capacity to tax will have to be created at the EU level.”
Marco Buti, who served as chief of staff for former Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, saw parallels with the EU’s coronavirus recovery fund.
In 2020, the Commission also relaxed fiscal rules to allow member countries to prevent their economies from flatlining as a side effect of lockdowns. The next step was a €100 billion fund raised for employment protection — which he sees as equivalent to the recently announced €150 billion defense fund. The final step was the massive €800 billion recovery fund, which as yet has no parallel.
“The next step should be joint borrowing — but not for national transfers. Rather, it should be for financing European-level transnational projects in defense,” he said.
“The idea of debt-funded EU policies is now acceptable politically,” said Iain Begg of the London School of Economics’ European Institute. “Once the genie is out of the bottle, it’s very hard to put back in.”
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Verbrüsselte EU: Imperium der Inkompetenz – Weltwoche Daily CH.
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Ceramics reveal the boundaries of Western Europe’s first state
El Argar had a centralized system for the production and distribution of its pottery vessels and clay objects, all made from material sourced from a single location.
While in the East, Egypt was entering its Middle Kingdom, Hammurabi was building the Babylonian Empire, and the Minoan culture of the First Palaces was flourishing in Crete, Western Europe was still emerging from the Neolithic era — except in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula.
Between northern Almería and southern Murcia in Spain, the Argaric culture emerged over 4,000 years ago. In just a few decades, it reached its peak, covering an area roughly the size of Maine. Dominating copper mining and supported by extensive grain production on the plains, the Argaric people had already developed social classes and a form of aristocratic parliament. While dozens of cities and hundreds of settlements are known, the full extent of their power was previously unclear. However, a recent study of their pottery has shed light on the boundaries of this ancient civilization.
“In the Bronze Age, pottery was like plastic today; it was the most common commodity of the time,” says Adrià Moreno Gil, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany. “They used it for eating, cooking, storing, transporting... even for burying their dead.”
This practice, in particular, makes the Argaric people stand out — they buried their loved ones within their homes, sometimes inside large jars. As with nearly every ancient culture, Argaric pottery has unique shapes, designs, and styles. Classical archaeology has long used these formal differences between pottery types to define distinct cultures. However, style alone does not reveal the full history of a culture.
To uncover more, Gil Moreno and colleagues from the Autonomous University of Barcelona mapped 1,643 ceramic remains from 61 settlements, some of which were Argaric, while others belonged to neighboring groups. The results of their work have recently been published in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.
As Moreno Gil explains, in Europe, “small-scale local production was common to meet local needs.” Even for forms that were widespread across the continent, such as the Bell Beaker, “it wasn’t that these forms spread across Europe from a single location; rather, it was a production style adopted by various regions, but it was still produced locally,” he adds.
However, in El Argar, things were different. “First, because it’s standardized; in the rest of the peninsula, we see a wide variability of forms. Since everyone made what they could or wanted, there were many different styles. In contrast, in El Argar, we have eight forms, and all eight are found everywhere,” the archaeologist explains. Furthermore, a repetitive pattern of capacities appears across the region. “That tells us that ceramic production is much more regulated by a central or centralizing entity,” he says.
But they discovered something else. As Carla Garrido, a researcher at the University of Barcelona and co-author of the study, explains: “Traditionally, archaeology has always studied pottery from a stylistic perspective: the shape of the piece, the type of decoration, whether it’s painted... But those of us who dedicate ourselves to studying ceramics as a human-made element perform what’s called an operational chain study, analyzing the entire process from obtaining the clay to assembling the piece and finally firing it.”
When studying the clay composition of hundreds of pieces recovered from the 61 settlements, the researchers discovered that they all came from a single site, perhaps two, located in the south of what is now Murcia province. The Argaric ceramics were made from clays sourced from the Sierra de la Almenara, situated in the southern part of modern-day Murcia, at the northernmost tip of the Penibética mountain range. This site is a considerable distance from the Argaric settlements farther to the west.
“We’re not talking about gold, silver, or metals; we’re talking about ceramics, and in very large quantities,” says Garrido.
The fact that an everyday object, requiring human labor, was being produced in one place and distributed across a vast territory — sometimes over distances of up to 100 miles — “tells us that the capacity for territorial control and material distribution structures must have been highly developed,” adds Moreno Gil.
This centrality and hierarchical structure of production and distribution serve as the key to defining the boundaries of El Argar. “Once we identified and defined the type of paste they used, we began to observe differences at the border sites, where ceramics made by other groups appeared, simply because of the clay type. We are fortunate that in El Argar, everything is so homogeneous,” explains Garrido.
In this way, the researchers were not only able to delimit the boundaries, but also to track the Argaric expansion itself: “Having the Argaric paste so clearly defined allowed us to demonstrate how the border shifted. In other words, we could see where Argaric ceramics began to appear, with a significant presence in some sites to the north,” Garrido says.
The eastern border of El Argar was defined by the Mediterranean Sea, which also marked its southern boundary. To the north, the civilization didn’t extend beyond the Crevillente mountain range (in Spain’s Alicante province), but it was to the west where its territory expanded, and where pottery has been instrumental in helping to define its limits.
This research was carried out in only a portion of the area, focusing on the headwaters and middle section of the Segura River valley. “Adrià traveled 150 kilometers from site to site,” says Roberto Risch, professor of prehistory at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the senior author of the research. “But we hypothesize that El Argar had about a thousand kilometers of border,” he adds. They hope the pottery will help confirm this.
“Being Argaric isn’t just about burying your people in your homes. Being Argaric isn’t just about having certain taxes. It’s about those eight ceramic forms, and not just their shape, but how they’re made,” Risch explains. “All the pottery from that culture is made with the same raw material sourced from very specific mountain ranges, which are also the [foundational] territory of El Argar,” he adds.
The study of ceramics further supports the interpretation of El Argar society as an integrated and cohesive political and economic organization, with far more developed systems for production and distribution of raw materials and goods than previously thought. For Risch, “these results significantly support the hypothesis that El Argar developed the first state structures around 1800 BC in Western Europe.”
As Trump menaces us in Canada, we have a question for Britain: when will you stand up to him?
The UK has long benefited from its Commonwealth. Though we will take steps to ensure our survival, the silence from London is deafening
David Lammy thought he was reassuring Canadians. During his visit to Canada – for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers– he was asked about Donald Trump’s claims that the country should become the 51st state of the US. The UK foreign secretary stressed that Canada is a “proud [and] sovereign nation”, and – in his view – would remain so. When pressed further, he invoked Canada’s shared history and monarch with the UK, and our work together during the second world war.
Canadians are already well aware of that shared history, and how Britain has long benefited from its Commonwealth. My 96-year-old father just missed the age of enlistment in support of Britain in the 1940s but his two brothers, young boys from the Canadian prairies, lost their lives as RAF bombers. One of them is buried in the beautiful Commonwealth war cemetery in Harrogate.
King Charles retains a role. Constitutionally, he remains head of state. So was it too much to ask that Mr Lammy might add a few words – something like “we support Canada in its efforts to remain a strong, sovereign country”? Or, leaning in a bit further, a hint that the UK is “concerned” (a nice diplomatic word) about efforts to undermine our territorial integrity?
It’s commonly said that politics is too often about words and not deeds. And yet words matter too, especially in the era of President Trump. Over recent years, we have seen his utterances initially dismissed as crazy – nothing to worry about, mere provocations or opening gambits in a negotiation. But over time, with every reiteration of the provocation – Barack Obama may not be American, Trump really won the 2020 election, the EU was set up to “screw” the US – those currying favour with Trump repeat the charge, diffuse it to various audiences (a process described as “sanewashing”), and ultimately enable him to act on the underlying logic of his words.
So it is with Trump’s suggestion that Canada “only works” as a US state, and that Canada and the US are divided by an artificial line. How beautiful the geography would be if that border disappeared!
Here in Canada, Trump’s first mention of annexing our country was thought to be a joke. Once upon a time, Canada’s G7 allies might have been forgiven for the same reaction. But no longer. If Trump is to be taken seriously but not literally, then the underpinnings of his predatory approach to international affairs need be acknowledged and factored into the foreign policy of all nation states.
There are many scenarios actively under discussion in Canada – some more extreme than others. The US may not be about to invade us with military force, but it could undertake various actions to challenge our sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. That could start with the hollowing out of our economy to move production and wealth to the US, but extend to revising existing agreements on North American water resources (something Trump raised in discussions with the outgoing prime minister, Justin Trudeau), coercive deals for access to key resources, and subverting longstanding mechanisms for security and defence cooperation. There could also be challenges to Canada’s control over its Arctic region and interventions in our democratic processes. In a recent survey on foreign interference, Canadian respondents put the US second on the list of countries most likely to interfere in our upcoming election, ahead of Russia and India.
At last week’s G7 meeting, Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, took “sanewashing” to new heights by presenting a two-sided debate about Canada’s sovereign status: “There’s a disagreement between the president’s position and the position of the Canadian government.” We can agree to disagree on this matter, he suggested, but work together on a “bunch of other things”.
Let’s be clear on the heart of this difference of opinion. The governments of Canada and the US are disagreeing not only on the wording of a G7 communique on Ukraine (though they did so behind closed doors), or whether the G7 should act against “shadow fleets” circumventing sanctions against Russia (an initiative that Canada pushed but failed to see emerge as a firm G7 commitment). The disagreement is about whether Canada works as a sovereign country. While Rubio insisted this wasn’t the focus of the G7 meeting, the audacity of the Trump administration’s predatory posture on territorial integrity, whether with respect to Greenland, Panama or Canada, demands a clear response.
Lammy echoed Rubio’s line that there are areas where G7 allies disagree but argued that the UK’s goal is to find unity in a troubled world. This presumably explains why he expressed “regret” and “disappointment” about the trade war, but wouldn’t condemn US tariffs, and why – unlike Germany’s foreign minister and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy – he would not be drawn on the US administration’s threats to Canadian sovereignty.
Having studied and taught international relations at one of Britain’s finest universities, I’m not naive about the UK’s national interests or the imperative to nurture its “special relationship” with the US (by the way, Canada has long thought it had one of those too). But again, words matter. They need to be spoken in public, not just behind diplomatic closed doors, with an eye to multiple audiences.
Surrendering to the “sanewashing” about Canada’s sovereignty is not in the UK’s interest, either in the current context of tariff wars, longer-term challenges to transatlantic economic and security cooperation, or broader global stability.
Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, who visited the UK on Monday, has underscored that Canadians aren’t necessarily looking for our allies to “say nice things” about us. As “masters in our own house”, he said on the day he was sworn in, we must take our own steps to ensure our survival. Canadians are becoming acutely aware that, given our particular geography and history of interdependence with the US, we stand alone in this new predatory world. But as with the members of our second world war generation, we have long memories: we will remember who stood with us at a time of great consequence for our country, with both their words and their deeds.
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White House says it will not return the Statue of Liberty to France
A French politician said the U.S. no longer deserved the legendary monument.
The Trump administration will not entertain a French politician’s request to return the Statue of Liberty to France.
“Absolutely not. My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a press briefing Monday, likely referencing an American-French allyship during World War II that snuffed out Nazi Germany. “They should be grateful.”
The statement comes a day after a French member of the European Parliament, Raphaël Glucksmann, said at a party convention that America under the Trump administration no longer embodied the spirit of the monument, which France gifted the U.S. in the 1880s to formalize diplomatic ties and enshrine the concept of American independence from Great Britain and the end of slavery.
“We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty,’” Glucksmann said.
The Department of Health and Human Services has purged thousands of scientists and public health leaders since the beginning of the second Trump administration. It has also slashed research grants across the country, and industry experts warn these moves could hollow out research institutes that rely on these funds for maintenance and daily operations.
If the United States doesn’t intend to restore these positions and funds, France, Glucksmann said, would gladly absorb the United States’ research sector.
It’s unclear how France would force the Trump administration’s hand. The country cannot take the statue back at its whim because it is the property of the U.S. government. Such a move could also strain diplomatic tensions that French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to soothe with President Donald Trump by brokering a peace deal to end a yearslong war between Russia and Ukraine.
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Уильям Маршал - образцовый рыцарь.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Russia's Putin and Trump Reach Limited Ceasefire Deal on Ukraine.
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Russia agrees to halt Ukraine energy attacks for 30 days, says Kremlin | BBC News.
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Trump-Putin Phone Call: Could A Secret Deal For Ukraine Emerge | Ukraine Ceasefire Deal | N18G
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View of the White House as Trump and Putin set to hold ceasefire call.
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Полный текст сообщения Кремля по итогам телефонного разговора Владимира Путина с Дональдом Трампом.
Лидеры продолжили подробный и откровенный обмен мнениями по ситуации вокруг Украины. Владимир Путин выразил признательность Дональду Трампу за стремление способствовать достижению благородной цели прекращения боевых действий и человеческих потерь.
Подтвердив принципиальную приверженность мирному разрешению конфликта, Президент России заявил о готовности к совместной с американскими партнёрами тщательной проработке возможных путей урегулирования, которое должно носить комплексный, устойчивый и долгосрочный характер. И конечно, учитывать безусловную необходимость устранения первопричин кризиса, законные интересы России в области безопасности.
В контексте инициативы Президента США о введении 30-дневного перемирия - с российской стороны обозначен ряд существенных моментов, касающихся обеспечения действенного контроля за возможным прекращением огня по всей линии боевого соприкосновения, необходимости остановки принудительной мобилизации на Украине и перевооружения ВСУ. Отмечены также серьёзные риски, связанные с недоговороспособностью киевского режима, который уже неоднократно саботировал и нарушал достигнутые договорённости. Обращено внимание на варварские преступления террористического характера, совершённые украинскими боевиками против гражданского населения Курской области.
Подчёркнуто, что ключевым условием для недопущения эскалации конфликта и работы в направлении его разрешения политико-дипломатическим путём - должны стать полное прекращение иностранной военной помощи и предоставления разведывательной информации Киеву.
В связи с недавним обращением Дональда Трампа сохранить жизни окружённым в Курской области украинским военнослужащим Владимир Путин подтвердил, что российская сторона готова руководствоваться соображениями гуманитарного характера и в случае сдачи в плен гарантирует солдатам ВСУ жизнь и достойное обращение согласно российским законам и нормам международного права.
В ходе беседы Дональд Трамп выдвинул предложение о взаимном отказе сторон конфликта от ударов на 30 дней по объектам энергетической инфраструктуры. Владимир Путин положительно откликнулся на эту инициативу и сразу дал российским военным соответствующую команду.
Также конструктивно Президент России отреагировал на высказанную Дональдом Трампом идею реализации известной инициативы, касающейся безопасности судоходства в акватории Чёрного моря. Условлено начать переговоры для дополнительной проработки конкретных деталей такой договорённости.
Владимир Путин проинформировал, что 19 марта между российской и украинской сторонами будет осуществлён обмен пленными - 175 на 175 человек. Кроме того, в качестве жеста доброй воли будут переданы 23 тяжело раненых украинских военнослужащих, находящихся на излечении в российских медицинских учреждениях.
Лидеры подтвердили намерение продолжить усилия по достижению украинского урегулирования в двустороннем режиме, в том числе с учётом вышеупомянутых предложений Президента США. С этой целью создаются российская и американская экспертные группы.
Владимир Путин и Дональд Трамп затронули и другие вопросы международной повестки, включая ситуацию на Ближнем Востоке и в регионе Красного моря. Будут предприняты совместные усилия в целях стабилизации обстановки в кризисных точках, налаживания взаимодействия в вопросах ядерного нераспространения и глобальной безопасности. Это, в свою очередь, будет способствовать оздоровлению общей атмосферы российско-американских отношений. Один из позитивных примеров - солидарное голосование в ООН по резолюции в отношении украинского конфликта.
Выражена обоюдная заинтересованность в нормализации двусторонних отношений в свете особой ответственности России и США за обеспечение безопасности и стабильности в мире. В таком контексте рассматривался широкий спектр направлений, по которым наши страны могли бы наладить взаимодействие. Обсуждён ряд идей, идущих в направлении развития в перспективе взаимовыгодного сотрудничества в экономике и энергетике.
Дональд Трамп поддержал идею Владимира Путина организовать хоккейные матчи в США и России между российскими и американскими игроками, выступающими в НХЛ и КХЛ.
Президенты договорились оставаться в контакте по всем затронутым вопросам.
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Полный текст заявления пресс-секретаря Белого дома о разговоре Трампа и Путина:
«Пресс-релиз о телефонном разговоре президента Дональда Трампа с президентом Владимиром Путиным:
Сегодня президент Трамп и президент Путин обсудили необходимость мира и прекращения огня в войне на Украине. Оба лидера согласились с тем, что этот конфликт должен закончиться прочным миром. Они также подчеркнули необходимость улучшения двусторонних отношений между США и Россией. Кровь и ресурсы, которые Украина и Россия тратят на эту войну, лучше направить на нужды их народов.
Этот конфликт никогда не должен был начаться и должен был быть прекращён уже давно при наличии искренних и добросовестных мирных усилий. Лидеры договорились, что движение к миру начнётся с соглашения о прекращении огня в сфере энергетики и инфраструктуры, а также с технических переговоров о реализации морского перемирия в Чёрном море, полном прекращении огня и установлении постоянного мира. Эти переговоры начнутся немедленно на Ближнем Востоке.
Лидеры также обсудили Ближний Восток как регион потенциального сотрудничества для предотвращения будущих конфликтов. Они дополнительно затронули вопрос о необходимости прекращения распространения стратегических вооружений и намерены взаимодействовать с другими сторонами, чтобы обеспечить максимально широкое применение этих мер. Оба лидера выразили общее мнение, что Иран никогда не должен получить возможность уничтожить Израиль.
Оба лидера согласились, что будущее с улучшенными двусторонними отношениями между США и Россией имеет огромный потенциал. Это включает крупные экономические сделки и геополитическую стабильность после достижения мира».
"Странно будет видеть внучку нациста, которая гордится "подвигом деда", в год 80-летия Победы на посту председателя Генассамблеи", - сказала официальный представитель МИД РФ.
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Анналену Бербок могут выдвинуть на пост председателя Генассамблеи ООН
Агентство dpa пишет, что занимающая пост министра иностранных дел в уходящем правительстве ФРГ Бербок будет избрана Генеральной Ассамблеей на эту должность в июне и приступит к исполнению своих обязанностей с сентября. Избрание Анналены Бербок, согласно внутренним обсуждением в ООН, считается формальностью, отмечает dpa со ссылкой на источники в правительственных кругах ФРГ.
Председатель Генассамблеи ООН избирается сроком на один год. В настоящий момент этот пост занимает бывший премьер-министр Камеруна Филемон Янг. В его задачи входит открытие и закрытие пленарных заседаний Генассамблеи, руководство ее работой и поддержание порядка на заседаниях.
Фитнес-центр Петербурга запретил женщинам надевать в бассейн бикини.
Спортивный клуб … ввёл дресс-код на посещение бассейна для женщин. Как отмечается в соцсетях фитнес-центра, на занятия теперь нельзя приходить в слишком открытых нарядах. Но всё обосновано. Это связано как с общепринятыми нормами дресс-кода в зоне бассейна, так и с частым нахождением там детей. К тому же, излишняя откровенность может вызвать дискомфорт у других клиентов.
Посетительницам нельзя ходить в бассейн в купальниках с трусами-юбкой, бикини, микрокини и бандо (лиф без бретелек. – Прим.ред.). Дамам посоветовали приобрести либо слитные модели и буркини (мусульманский плавательный костюм), либо плавать в раздельном купальнике, закрывающем ягодицы.
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Russian ambassador to the UK on Trump Putin talks and Ukraine’s future.
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Украина поддержит предложение прекратить удары по энергетической инфраструктуре, заявил Зеленский.
"Мы всегда поддерживали позицию не наносить удары каким-либо оружием по энергетике", - добавил он.
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Общие выводы из разговора Трампа с Путиным.
1. По главному вопросу - перемирию на 30 дней - никаких новостей пока нет. Кремль повторил прежние условия Путина (прекращения мобилизации и иностранной военной помощи). Белый дом сказал, что переговоры по прекращению огня "немедленно начнутся" в одной из стран на Ближнем Востоке. То ли по перемирию еще не пришли к договоренностям, то ли уже пришли, но их решено пока не озвучивать.
2. Самый важный (и, по сути, единственный) практический итог разговора - готовность Путина пойти на взаимное прекращение обстрелов энергетической инфраструктуры. В Кремле заявили, что президент РФ поддержал соответствующую идею Трампа. Напомним, изначально это то, что хотел предложить Киев американцам на встрече в Эр-Рияде, но, по итогу, после переговоров с представителями Трампа согласился на большее - полное прекращение огня на 30 дней. Почему Путин и Трамп решили вернуться к идее моратория на удары по инфраструктуре? Вероятно, чтобы показать, что тупика в переговорах нет и есть некий результат. Возможно, взамен Путин что-либо от Трампа получит (но это пока не ясно). Перерыв в ударах на 30 дней по украинской энергоинфраструктуре в общем-то для РФ не критичный - массированные российские ракетные атаки по украинской энергетике идут примерно раз в месяц. Точечные - гораздо чаще. Но и Украина регулярно бьет по НПЗ и по другим объектам, нанося РФ существенный ущерб. То есть тут сильно РФ по балансу не теряет.
Правда, мораторий ещё должна поддержать Украина. Как писалось выше, ранее Зеленский именно такую идею и выдвигал. Потому маловероятно, что он ее сейчас отвергнет, хотя и такого варианта исключать полностью нельзя (Банковая может попытаться выставить свои встречные условия).
3. Итого: судя по опубликованным текстам, пока прорыва в переговорах по миру нет (либо есть, но он не озвучивается), однако и однозначного тупика нет. Договорились продвигаться дальше постепенно.
4. В целом релизы и Кремля, и Белого дома выдержаны очень в благожелательном по отношению друг к другу тоне с демонстрацией готовности восстанавливать отношения и даже провести хоккейный матч американцев и россиян (что, к слову, станет фактическим прорывом спортивной блокады РФ, установленной после 2022 года). Приведет ли такой настрой к ускорению переговоров о мире в Украине покажут ближайшие недели.
5. Из разговора, вероятно, немало осталось за рамками официальных сообщений. Вряд ли Путин с Трампом 2,5 часа говорили только о хоккее, ударах по инфраструктуре и Иране с Израилем.
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Donald Trump backs Vladimir Putin's idea of hosting hockey games between the USA and banned Russia
Donald Trump has reportedly backed Vladimir Putin's proposal to host hockey games between the USA and Russia on American soil.
The two leaders held a lengthy phone discussion on Tuesday, during which Putin agreed to a proposal by Trump that Russia and Ukraine cease attacking each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days.
The Kremlin announced they also discussed the possibility of the two nations competing in hockey games in the US, amid Russia's ongoing ban from international competition.
It was announced last month that Russia and Belarus are to remain frozen out of International Ice Hockey Federation competitions through the 2025-26 season.
The IIHF decision covers all world championships and effectively next year's Winter Olympic Games in Italy, although the International Olympic Committee has the final say.
'It is not yet safe to reintegrate the Russian and Belarusian national and club teams,' the IIHF said, because 'the current security conditions do not allow the necessary requirements for the organization of tournaments guaranteeing the safety of all.'
The IIHF council said it will next assess the issue in May 2026.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled for February 6–22 in Milan and Cortina.
Russia, in previous guises as the Soviet Union and Unified Team, has won the Olympic gold nine times.
Russia won the silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, just weeks before the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Belarus have been banned from international ice hockey tournaments since then.
Trump and Putin took the first steps toward ending the war between Russia and Ukraine as they agreed to an 'energy and infrastructure ceasefire.'
The partial ceasefire agreement will be in effect for 30 days. Talks for a permanent peace will 'begin immediately' in the Middle East.
'The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace. These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East,' the White House said in its readout of the call.
But Putin had conditions for a permanent end to the fighting, saying he wants the United States and its allies to end military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine to halt hostilities, according to the Kremlin readout.
European allies, however, are worried that could result in Moscow rearming itself during a ceasefire, leaving Kyiv short-handed and playing catchup.
'Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace,' the White House said.
In other news out of Tuesday's phone call, Putin agreed to send back 23 critically injured Ukrainian prisoners.
Additionally, the two leaders stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia. They also agreed Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel, the White House said.
And Trump supports Putin's idea for an ice hockey game between U.S. and Russian players, the Kremlin noted.
Their call lasted about two hours, beginning around 10 am ET and concluding at noon. Trump spoke from the Oval Office, where he was joined by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
RAF and Royal Navy warships shadow Russian destroyer and landing ship through English Channel in response to 'maritime threats'
Two British warships were deployed to escort a pair of Russian military vessels from the English Channel, it has been revealed.
The RAF said today that the Royal Navy had deployed HMS Cattistock and HMS Somerset to the waters near Folkestone and Dover to escort the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and landing ship Aleksandr Shabalin away from UK territory.
The air force said its P-8 Poseidon Force detected the threat yesterday, adding that the Royal Navy had sent out the British warships that day.
Belgium's military said its navy had detected the Severomorsk in NATO waters during 'the night of 15 to 16 March.'
The Severomorsk, which is more than 530ft long and 20ft wide, has a top speed of 35 knots (40mph).
It is stocked with eight anti-aircraft and naval cannons, 72 anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles and 44 anti-submarine torpedoes and rocket launchers. It is crewed by a complement of 300 people, and on top of this, it can carry up to two Ka-27 military helicopters.
The Aleksandr Shabalin, meanwhile, is 369ft long and 49ft wide. It has a top speed of 18 knots (20mph), and is armed with two gun mounts and six missiles.
But it can carry up to 500 tonnes of armoured vehicles and 225 marines.
Russian destroyer destroyer Severomorsk (pictured, background) and landing ship Aleksandr Shabalin were both seen in British waters
The Severomorsk is stocked with eight anti-aircraft and naval cannons, 72 anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles and 44 anti-submarine torpedoes and rocket launchers
The RAF said today that the Royal Navy had deployed HMS Cattistock and HMS Somerset to the waters near Folkestone and Dover to escort the Russian warships from British waters
This isn't the first time the Aleksandr Shabalin has been seen in British waters.
In January, the landing ship was seen stalking the English Channel. The RAF said it used a a P-8A Poseidon plane from RAF Lossiemouth to track its movements.
It is not currently known why the two Russian warships were seen near the UK.
But their appearance comes just weeks after another Russian military vessel was seen escorting a sanctioned Russia-linked cargo ship through the English Channel.
Armed personnel were seen manning machine guns on the Boikiy, a 343ft-long Russian corvette that can carry up to 99 men at a time.
The warship moved in step with the large cargo ship sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 for transporting weapons for Russia, which has been getting bolder on the world stage in recent weeks as tensions in Ukraine reached a boiling point and the US rendered British Storm Shadow missiles useless.
The Baltic Leader was this time carrying a shipment of military hardware from a Russian base in Tartus, Syria, where Kremlin operations are being wound down in the wake of the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
James Droxford, of the intelligence consultancy Droxford Maritime, said: 'The recovered military hardware onboard Baltic Leader could be used to reinforce Russia's combat capability in Ukraine, or to replenish military stocks in other key Russian military regions.'
The Boikiy's escort mission began at 5am on March 3, south of Torquay.
The convoy slowly travelled across the English Channel, before it was followed by two vessels, HMS Somerset from the Royal Navy and Belgian Navy vessel BNS Crocus.
The Baltic Leader was then seen leaving the English Channel on March 4 at 2pm.
Somerset, which is bristling with its own array of weapons - including anti-ship missiles and a 4.5-inch naval gun - stalked the ships through the North Sea and English Channel.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: 'The British Type 23 frigate utilised its powerful sensors and radars to report on Russian movements, launching her Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron to gather valuable information from the sky.
'The ship worked hand in hand with UK patrol aircraft and allied Nato forces during the operation, providing constant watch on the task group.'
Somerset was scrambled on March 1 as the Russian warship headed south through the North Sea and English Channel to meet Baltic Leader, the Royal Navy said.
Уровень доступа: Вы не можете начинать темы, Вы не можете отвечать на сообщения, Вы не можете редактировать свои сообщения, Вы не можете удалять свои сообщения, Вы не можете голосовать в опросах
Владимир Нерюев, заместитель генерального директора коммуникационного агентства Аура поделился мнением, какие изменения произошли или произойдут в профессии PR-специалиста.
Генеральный директор агентства мобильного маркетинга Mobisharks (входит в ГК Kokoc Group) — об эффективном мобильном маркетинге и примерах успешных стратегий.
За последние пару лет реклама банков изменилась. Появились новые сюжеты и герои. Реклама по-прежнему — не только инструмент продвижения услуг, но и способ формирования доверия к финансовым организациям. Главный тренд, который отмечают эксперты,— переход от сухого перечисления выгод к эмоционально окрашенным коммуникациям.
Антитрендами наружной рекламы в текущем году стали прямолинейность и чрезмерная перегруженность сообщений. Наружная реклама продолжает показывать рост: число рекламных конструкций за последний год увеличилось более чем на 2 тысячи.
Чего не хватает радио, чтобы увеличить свою долю на рекламном рынке? Аудиопиратство: угроза или возможности для отрасли? Каковы первые результаты общероссийской кампании по продвижению индустриального радиоплеера? Эти и другие вопросы были рассмотрены на конференции «Радио в глобальной медиаконкуренции», спикерами и участниками которой стали эксперты ГПМ Радио.
Деловая программа 28-й международной специализированной выставки технологий и услуг для производителей и заказчиков рекламы «Реклама-2021» открылась десятым юбилейным форумом «Матрица рекламы». Его организовали КВК «Империя» и «Экспоцентр».
28 марта в Центральном доме художника состоялась 25-ая выставка маркетинговых коммуникаций «Дизайн и реклама NEXT». Одним из самых ярких её событий стал День социальной рекламы, который организовала Ассоциация директоров по коммуникациям и корпоративным медиа России (АКМР) совместно с АНО «Лаборатория социальной рекламы» и оргкомитетом LIME.
На VII Международном форуме «Матрица рекламы», прошедшем в ЦВК «Экспоцентр» в рамках международной выставки «Реклама-2018», большой интерес у профессиональной аудитории вызвала VI Конференция «Интернет-реклама».
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