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Europe
Germany
00:27, 18-Jul-2024 Berlin will halve its direct financial contributions to Kyiv as part of the 2025 German Federal Budget, which the German cabinet agreed on Wednesday. German governments have to operate under a self-imposed rule on government borrowing called the 'debt brake". This rule limits government borrowing to 0.35 percent of GDP and is designed to stop the spiraling national debt. There is also a $18.55 billion gap between what is earmarked for spending and what is included in the plan. The budget laid out on Wednesday provides $4.38 billion in financial aid to Ukraine in 2025, down from $8.75 billion this year. The 2025 financial plan includes $85.35 billion in investments, $47.93 billion in net borrowing and a total budget of $526.30 billion. Despite this move, Finance Minister Lindner told the media that Ukraine's financing is secured "for the foreseeable future" thanks to $50 billion in loans that the G7 agreed can be taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets. Germany is currently a little over a year away from a federal election. All sides involved in the current cabinet have their eyes on that election, with little intention of coming together again in the same form. (Source: cgtn *)
* China Global Television Network
European Commission
July 18., 2024 von der Leyen re-elected for second term. (Source: riskandcompliance.freshfields *): https://tinyurl.com/5y4d63zb
* Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
European Parliament
07/18/2024 The European Parliament gave its approval for von der Leyen to preside over the European Commission for another term. Of the 707 votes cast, she received a majority of 401 votes in favor - well ahead of the necessary threshold of 360. This was also a win for 'pro-EU, pro-Ukraine, pro-rule of law political forces, she said. Her next steps in office 'will also be influenced by the party factions that supported her. She had managed to secure the backing of four centrist political groups, including her own dominant center-right European People's Party (EPP), the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and despite poor showings in June's parliamentary elections, two other smaller centrist groups - pro-business Renew and the environmentalist Greens. For months, von der Leyen had made overtures to the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which has 'far-right' Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as its president. Meloni's Brothers of Italy party members voted against von der Leyen. The new 'far-right' Patriots for Europe group, now the third-largest in the EU legislature and home to France's National Rally party, also withheld support for her. She was roundly rejected by the Left group, which accused her of neglecting rampant poverty in the EU, cozying up to multinationals, and complicity in bloodshed in Gaza. In a speech to the European Parliament, with an apparent eye to S&D, the former German defense minister announced that one of the novel European Commissioner appointments would be dedicated to housing. Another, likely intended as an offering to Meloni, would be tasked with tackling migration in the Mediterranean. She would propose a ’New Clean Industrial Deal’ in her first 100 days in office, ’prosperity and competitiveness, increase of number of European coast and border guards to 30,000, deals to remove unsuccessful asylum seekers to nearby non-EU countries.'EU leaders put forward her name to serve another term last month. Confirmation from the EU's only directly elected body was a necessary hurdle to clear to stay in office'. (Source: dw *)
* Deutsche Welle
Russia
July 18, 2024 The first U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcons are expected to arrive in Ukraine this summer and could be operational by year-end. The F-16 is a mainstay of the U.S. Air Force since the 1970s. Denmark, the Netherlands, and Greece have pledged to send F-16s to Ukraine. Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged to send more than three dozen F-16s to Ukraine. This week, NATO ally Greece also announced that it will decommission as many as 32 of its Block 30 Fighting Falcons, which could be sold back to the U.S. and then sent to aid Kyiv's war efforts. Russia has vowed to quickly shoot down the aircraft or destroy them on the ground. Russian companies are offering cash bounties for downing them. "The reward for the first will be 15 million rubles," - approximately $170,000 - Potanin, director of the Russian oil firm FORES, said. Last year it offered five million rubles (around $56,000) for the first destroyed German-made Leopard 2 or American M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs), and two million ($22,500) for the second, as well as 500,000 rubles ($5,600) for each subsequent tank taken out of service. The Russian rock band Zemlyany also offered a bounty of up to a million rubles (around $11,400 ) for the destruction of a Leopard 2 last year. In June 2023, a Russian soldier was given one million rubles by a private foundation for destroying the first German-made Leopard 2 in Ukraine. It was last November that a Russian anti-tank unit was awarded 700,000 rubles for destroying the first Leopard 1A5. (Source: nationalinterest)
7:21 AM · 2024. aug. 18. Ukraine's offensive derails secret efforts for partial ceasefire with Russia. The warring countries were set to hold indirect talks in Qatar on an agreement to halt strikes on energy and power infrastructure. (Source: x / The Washington Post)
18.07.2024 Addressing reporters at the UN's New York headquarters, Lavrov condemned the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel, maintaining the Kremlin has consistently done so since the raid occurred. But he maintained that Israel's retaliatory war has crossed the line and is now a form of 'collective punishment' on the territory's 2.3 million Palestinians. "When it comes to collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law, one cannot fight against one form of violation through other violations. It's the same principle here," he said. More than nine months into Israel's onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins with nearly all of its population in a state of internal displacement amid a crippling blockade on food, clean water and medicine. The official death toll has surpassed 38,800, with over 89,100 people injured, according to local health authorities. Fears have mounted that the true death toll could be significantly higher. "Neither Hezbollah, nor the government of Lebanon, nor Iran want a full-blown war, and as a suspicion that some circles in Israel are trying to achieve just that, to provoke a full-blown war, trying to engage the US, trying to make the mind," he said. "I think it's terrible if some groups are trying to prioritize their personal interest rather than the interests of their own nation." (Source: aa *)
* Anadolu Agency
Ukraine
6:05 PM CEST, July 18, 2024 Ukraine has tried to take the fight to Russia through long-range strikes on rear areas. Ukrainian forces are being pushed back in some places along the front line by the bigger and better equipped Kremlin army. Kyiv is employing a bend-but-don’t-break strategy to buy time until it can get more Western weapons and ammunition to the front. Ukraine’s army has pulled out from the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, surrendering another front-line position as Russian forces blast Ukrainian defenses in a relentless onslaught. (Source: apnews)
Europe
(18 08 2024) European State of the Climate 2023, compiled by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Europe; Arctic; Globe. (Source: climate.copernicus): https://tinyurl.com/228pbuvx
18. 07. 2024 European leaders gathered at the 4th European Political Community Summit in the UK, topics defence, migration and democracy. Forty-seven heads of state and government gathered today at the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). The leaders discussed continued support to Ukraine, as well as shared challenges such of energy and connectivity, security, democracy, and migration. The European Political Community, established in 2022, aims to foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interests, and strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent. This platform for political coordination, as was pointed out on multiple occasions, does not replace any existing organisation, structure or process, and does not aim to create new ones at this stage. So far, the European Political Community has met three times. At the first summit in Prague, in October 2022, leaders mainly discussed peace and security issues, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the energy crisis. In Moldova, in June 2023, they discussed joint efforts for peace and security, energy resilience and connectivity and mobility in Europe. In Granada, in October 2023, leaders discussed how to make Europe more resilient, prosperous and geostrategic. During the plenary session, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer saluted President Zelensky. According to him, the threat from Russia reached right across Europe. Starmer stressed that under his leadership, the UK will be a friend and partner to Europe, ready to work with European countries. President Zelensky thanked those who support Ukraine in its path to membership in the EU. He urged Europe’s leaders to show the collective will to take steps to help stop Russia’s aggression. One of the two roundtables, focused on defending and securing democracy, was co-chaired by President Michel and Montenegrin President JMilatović. This roundtable discussed how to address threats targeting European democracies, including disinformation and foreign information manipulation. For the first time, representatives from NATO, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe attended the summit. The next European Political Community meeting will take place in Hungary, current holder of the Presidency of the EU, on 7 November 2024. (Source: europeanwesternbalcans)
Asia
China
(18 July 2024) China's Xi has a peace plan. In February 2023, following several meetings between Chinese and Russian officials, a 12-point paper titled, "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis," was released by China's foreign ministry. It covered basic points such as respecting the sovereignty of all countries, resuming peace talks after ceasing hostilities, protecting civilians and prisoners of war, and promoting post-conflict reconstruction. Moreover, it opposed the threat or proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The document also called on "abandoning the Cold War mentality," urging countries to "oppose the pursuit of one's own security at the cost of others' security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian Continent." It encouraged the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed by Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the UN, to ensure food security, and discouraged unilateral sanctions that would disrupt "international cooperation in energy, finance, food trade and transportation and undermine the global economic recovery." Soon after the paper was published, President Zelenskyy welcomed China's efforts - he added that there were some points in the plan he didn’t agree with, ’but it's something.’ Already endorsed by Russian allies, the plan now needs support among European countries who favour Ukraine. In May, Hungarian PM Orbán endorsed President Xi's 12-point peace plan during the latter's visit to Budapest. "Today, Europe is on the side of war,' Orbán said during his joint press conference with Xi. "The only exception is Hungary, which calls for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations and supports all international efforts that point towards peace ... „We also support the Chinese peace initiative presented by Xi, he added. According to Chinese media, Xi told Orbán that "the international community should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two sides and provide assistance." „It is in the interests of all parties to seek a political solution through an early ceasefire," he added. Earlier this month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Moscow and Beijing on a "peace mission" to find a solution to the war in Ukraine. Orbán said he was seeking the quickest path to peace in Ukraine and portrayed himself as uniquely positioned to communicate with both warring parties. Several European (Union) member states are wary of Orbán's close ties to Russian President Putin and China's Xi. The Hungarian premier has been critical of Western military aid to Ukraine, putting him at odds with several EU members, as well as the European Commission, who said their top officials will boycott informal meetings in Hungary and send civil servants instead. European Commission President von der Leyen referred to Orbán's recent visit to Moscow, in particular, as an ’appeasement mission." For the next six months, Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the European Union Council. (Source: trtworld *)
* TRT World, a Turkish public broadcaster
Israel
July 18, 2024 10:38 AM On Thursday, the Israeli parliament voted to oppose a Palestinian state as an "existential threat." The 120-member Knesset late Wednesday voted 68-9 to pass a resolution that said a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel would "perpetuate the Israel-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region." "The Knesset firmly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state [on land] west of Jordan," said the resolution, referring to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "The creation of a Palestinian state in the heart of the land of Israel would constitute an existential danger for the state of Israel and its citizens, would perpetuate the Israel-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region." It predicted that Hamas would take over the state and turn it into 'a radical Islamic terrorist base' seeking to destroy Israel. The resolution said "promoting" a Palestinian state was "a reward for terrorism and would only encourage Hamas and its supporters" after the October 7 attacks. (Source: voanews 'by Agence France-Presse')
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