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Europe
Germany
23 November 2024 European Parliament President Metsola has voiced her anxiety about the upcoming German snap elections. ’Far-right’ AfD and ’left-wing’ anti-migrant Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) gain in opinion polls. AfD is expected to achieve historic results in the 2025 German election which are expected to take place on February 23. Recent opinion polls show the AfD with between 17% to 19% support ahead of next year's elections, with the BSW possibly getting as much as 8% of the vote. What happens in Germany in the next four years has a major impact on the next four years of the European Union, Metsola said in comments to the Funke Media Group, a major publisher of German newspapers. The AfD came in first place in elections in the eastern German state of Thuringia on September 1 with 32.8% of the vote and came in second place in the eastern state of Saxony in elections on the same day. The BSW will likely become part of Saxony's coalition government. Later in September, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), came out on top with 30.9% of the vote during the Brandenburg state election, but the AfD still had a strong second place showing at 29.2%. Metsola, a native of Malta, was elected as the European parliament president in January 2022. She has steadfastly supported Ukraine since Russia's invasion began in February. She belongs to the EU's center-right Christian Democratic EPP group. ’She called on pro-European and pro-Ukraine parties in Germany’ to stand together on important future issues. Anger over inflation, migration and lack of housing are some of the reasons why German voters are turning to populist parties. Voters who disagree with German arms deliveries to Ukraine have also been drawn to the AfD and BSW, which are critical of Western military aid to Kyiv. 'Metsola pushes for German Taurus deliveries'. She also implored the German government to take a decisive stance on European affairs. In the interview, Metsola was asked if she supports the German government delivering Taurus missiles which have a range of up to 500 kilometers to Ukraine. ’Yes, that is also the position of the European Parliament. There is broad support for this demand’, she said. The leader of Germany's conservative opposition Christian Democratic Union, 'Merz, has supported giving Taurus missiles to Ukraine'. Merz has a chance of becoming Germany's next chancellor, as the CDU leads most opinion polls before the February vote. The current coalition government is helmed by SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who opposes Taurus deliveries to Ukraine due to fears of escalating tensions with Russia. His coalition partners, 'the environmentalist Green Party, back the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine'. Metsola noted that a U-turn on weapons by the German government could occur before the February 2025 election. Her comments come after US President Biden has greenlit the use of longer-range missiles by Ukraine. After the announcement, Ukraine fired the weapons known as ATACMS into Russia, with Russian President Putin then authorizing a new type of intermediate-range missile be used on Ukrainian soil in response. (Source: DW; „Material from German news agency DPA” – Germany)
Romania
November 23, 2024 08:32 GMT It's election season In Romania. The first round is on November 24, and, if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the ballots, the top two vote-getters for president will square off on December 8. In between, Romania holds parliamentary elections on December 1. The outgoing Iohannis, ends his second term and a decade in office. More than a dozen candidates are running to replace him. Romania is faced with two important realities next year: The threat of further instability and conflict in the region and globally, especially in the context of a [President-elect] Trump White House and the risks of deepening economic and financial crisis, according to Popescu-Zamfir, director of the GlobalFocus Center, a Bucharest-based think tank. Domestic concerns dominate. Romania is currently running one of the highest twin budget deficits and inflation rates in the EU. The cost of commodities has continued to increase while government expenditure has stayed high „largely because of the bloated state apparatus," she told. The economy and corruption seem to top the list of what most voters feel strongly about. Voters care about the cost of living, bringing down inflation, and the budget deficit, which are among the highest in the EU, Popescu-Zamfir said. They also care about fiscal predictability and avoiding potentially very strict austerity measures. Romania has been rocked by high inflation in recent years. In 2022, the rate was 13.8 percent, and in 2023 the figure dropped to 10.4 percent. In 2024, the rate, so far, is just over 5 percent, a bigger drop but still among the highest- and at least in August the highest - in the EU. Corruption, either in the public or the private sphere, has long plagued Romania. 'In the state-run health sector, bribery to either see a doctor or receive treatment is still widely alleged at hospitals and clinics' across the country, despite some progress in limiting the practice. Voters are also apprehensive about foreign affairs. The threat of regional instability and war is also a source of concern. Voters care about candidates' positions on Ukraine, Russia, Trump, the extent of their Euro-Atlantic orientation, said Popescu-Zamfir, adding that voters were also focused on the presidential candidates' "ability to lead the country in case of escalating tensions with Russia." Though lacking an executive role, Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments. Romania has become a key ally of Ukraine, providing training and military equipment, including a Patriot missile defense system, amd playing a role in transporting Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods to global markets. For NATO, Romania is an ally on its eastern flank. The alliance is building its biggest military base there. The Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base on the Black Sea is a hub for NATO operations in Eastern Europe. During the three-hour televised presidential debate on November 18, nearly all the candidates said Ukraine would need to cede territory to Russian President Putin to end the conflict. "It's obvious that Ukraine doesn't have resources to get back all the lost territory. Crimea is almost impossible to get back, and Donbas is already Russianized," said Geoana, a former NATO deputy secretary-general, who is running as an independent. Geoana also argued Ukraine should keep its sovereignty and its Western orientation if it gives up land. Lasconi from the center-right Save Romania Union was the only presidential candidate who opposed the idea of Ukraine giving up land, saying doing so would embolden Russian President Putin. Of the five most serious challengers, Lasconi is most bullish on NATO, calling for the military alliance to have a greater presence in Romania. Simion, leader of the far-right, ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), said, if elected, he would tell Trump that it's time for peace but he should consider allowing Ukraine to join NATO. He is criticized by some rivals as being pro-Russian and anti-EU -- who has offered that Romania remain in NATO but be neutral. Noticeably absence from the presidential debate were Romanian Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party leader Marcel Ciolacu and the former center-right Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, who leads the Romanian Senate and has been part of a governing coalition with Ciolacu's party. Polling shows Ciolacu is the front-runner among the top five of the 13 overall presidential candidates, despite the fact he has faced accusations of lying about links to a fraudulent real estate company, even triggering calls for him to resign. In a possible runoff vote, Ciolacu could face Simion, a matchup, Popescu-Zamfir suggested, that the Social Democrats prefer. Romania's current prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is the presidential front-runner. The Social Democrats are counting on clearing the way for Simion to make it to the second round rather than any of the other contenders, hoping that people will then flock to the voting stations to oppose a victory by the leader of the far-right AUR, Popescu-Zamfir said. For many Romanians, Simion's victory would be a guaranteed turn toward anti-Western, pro-Russian, autocratic, socially conservative governing style, narrowing the space for civil rights, and freedoms, she added." Ciolacu's Social Democratic Party is also expected to outperform other parties in the December 1 parliamentary elections and will likely have the first crack at forming a new cabinet, noted analyst Anghel on X. The analyst said Bucharest will be seeking cooperation with the Trump administration while staying the course on support for Ukraine as much as possible. Whatever the outcome, Romania is poised mostly for political continuity, a tightening of the belt in fiscal and economic terms to fix the deficit and inflation, Popescu-Zamfir said. (Source: Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – U.S.)
by Wesolowsky, a senior correspondent for RFE/RL in Prague, covering Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Central Europe, as well as energy issues.
Russia
23/11/2024 - 22:45 A source, who is on Ukraine's General Staff, said Russia had deployed some 59,000 troops to the Kursk region. With the thrust into Kursk, Kyiv aimed to stem Russian attacks in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, force Russia to pull back forces gradually advancing in the east and give Kyiv extra leverage in any future peace negotiations. President Zelenskiy said he believed for Russian President Putin is very important to demonstrate that he is in control of the situation in the Kursk region by January 20. Moscow, which occupies about a fifth of Ukraine, has not confirmed or denied the presence of North Korean forces in Kursk region. The Ukraine's General Staff source said the Kurakhove region was the most threatening for Kyiv now as Russian forces were advancing there and had managed to break through in some areas. The town of Kurakhove is a stepping stone towards the logistical hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Russia has about 575,000 troops fighting in Ukraine now, the source said, and aims to increase its forces to around 690,000. Russia does not disclose numbers involved in its fighting. (Source: France 24 - France / Reuters - United Kingdom)
Nov 23, 2024 at 3:13 PM EST A senior Ukrainian military source who is on the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told Reuters in an article published today that Ukraine has lost more than 40 percent of the territory that it seized in its surprise attack in the Kursk region late this summer. 'At most, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometres, now of course this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks,' said the unnamed source, who added: 'Now we control approximately 800 square kilometres. We will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate.' (Source: Newsweek - U.S.)
23 November 2024 Russia's President Putin today signed a law that allows debt forgiveness for new recruits signing up to fight in Ukraine, government announced. The new legislation allows those signing up for a one-year contract to have their bad debts of up to 10 million roubles (€92,000, $95,835), written off. The law - approved by parliament earlier this month - will be applicable to potential recruits who have had debt collection proceedings initiated against them before December 1. Those who have already been enlisted would not be eligible for the new measure to attract manpower. Russia has managed to bolster its ranks by offering increasingly large payouts, in some cases of many times the average salary, to those willing to fight in Ukraine. The measures have meant another general mobilization has been avoided. (Source: DW – Germany / „(Reuters; AFP")
(23 November 2024) Now, travelers from the occupied regions to Odesa must journey through Russia and then Belarus and have to return via the European Union. All the checkpoints to Crimea, and to the self-declared "People's Republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk are closed. The last border crossing between Ukraine and Russia, in the Sumy region, closed in August because of fighting in the nearby Kursk region. The two-day bus journey through Russia and Belarus cost €300 ($310). A single open border crossing from Belarus allows Ukrainians in Russian-occupied areas access to the rest of Ukraine at the northwestern border with Belarus, through the crossing between the villages of Mokrany and Domanove. The travelers had to walk the final 2 kilometers. People are given entry certificates once they arrive. From the volunteers, they also receive a one-off cash assistance, provided by the Norwegian Refugee Council, and a starter pack from a cellphone provider. When they arrived, they would be taken to an emergency shelter run by a church. There, they would be fed, and assisted in buying train or bus tickets for their onward journeys. Those who wouldn't traveling until the following day could stay the night. The journey continues after the travelers cross into Ukrainian-controlled territory. There are often hundreds of kilometers more to their families and friends. Most people who come this way don't have the passports or money they would need to enter the European Union. The occupation authorities are seizing unoccupied houses and apartments that haven't been reregistered in accordance with Russian regulations. This is one of the reasons why Ukrainians return to the occupied territories - Russians say they came to liberate. (Source: DW - Germany)
by Sokolova-Stekh
Asia
North Korea
(23 November 2024 Russia has supplied air defense missile systems to North Korea in exchange for sending its troops to support Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine, a top South Korean official said yesterday. Shin, national security adviser for South Korean President Yoon, told an SBS TV programme yesterday that South Korea has found Russia provided missiles and other equipment to help it reinforce its air defense network for Pyongyang, the capital. Shin didn’t say what specific missiles Russia gave to North Korea. Shin said Russia has also appeared to have given economic assistance to North Korea and various military technologies, including those needed for the North’s efforts to build a reliable space-based surveillance system. Shin didn’t say whether Russia has already transferred sensitive nuclear and missile technologies to North Korea. During a summit with North Korean leader Kim last year, Russian President Putin already said that Moscow was willing to help the North build satellites. North Korea put its first spy satellite into orbit in November last year, but foreign experts question whether that satellite can produce militarily meaningful imagery. The North’s attempt to launch a second spy satellite failed in May. Lee, an expert with the Korea Defense Network in South Korea, said that Russia has likely sent S-400 long-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and ground-based radar systems. He said that North Korea is capable of building shorter-range surface-to-air missiles on its own. The S-400 missile, with a range of 400km, is considered one of Russia’s most advanced anti-aircraft weapons. Many observers say North Korea has likely felt the urgent need to boost its air defense capabilities after it last month accused South Korea of flying drones to scatter propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang. Kim, a military expert at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said it’s possible that the air defense systems North Korea acquired from Russia could include counter-drone equipment. The most alarming development for South Korea and the US would be Russia transferring sophisticated weapons technology that can enhance North Korea’s nuclear-capable missiles targeting its rivals. Many experts say that it is unlikely Russia would do this in the initial stage of the North’s troop deployment. Non-profit research group Open Source Centre said Pyongyang obtained oil shipments from Russia. It cited satellite images showing that more than a dozen North Korean oil tankers making a total of 43 trips to an oil terminal in Russia’s ports over the last eight months. Pictures also showed empty tanks leaving almost full after arrival, quoting British Foreign Secretary Lammy saying that the oil was payment for weapons and troops Pyongyang had sent to Moscow. ’The US, South Korea and Ukraine say North Korea sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia in October, some of whom have recently begun engaging in combat on the front lines’. (Source: Gulf Today - United Arab Emirates / „Agencies”)
North America
Canada
Nov 23, 2024 13:26 IST Massive protests broke out on the streets of Montreal. The protests unfolded as NATO delegates convened in the city for a high-level summit. The summit, scheduled to be held from November 22 to 25, brought together representatives from NATO member states and partners to discuss Ukraine, climate change, and the alliance’s future. The protest coincided with the second day of city-wide student-led protests in support of Palestine. Demonstrators smashed windows, clashed with police, burned vehicles and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's effigy. Objects, including small explosives and metal projectiles, were thrown at police officers. Police responded with chemical irritants and crowd-control tactics. At least four people were arrested in connection with the violence till now. The crowd was dispersed by 7 pm. The unrest followed Thursday’s confrontations at Concordia University, where pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with pro-Israel counter-demonstrators. When the pot boils over, someone gets burned.” /Video/ (Source: India Today)
United States
Nov. 23, 2024 10:45 PM PT President-elect Trump said today he will nominate former White House aide Rollins to be his Agriculture secretary. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins, an attorney graduated from Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in agricultural development. She is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries including China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports such as the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. The Agriculture secretary oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-30 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthful diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. (Source: Los Angeles Times – U.S.)
23 Nov 2024 US President-elect Trump has picked hedge fund manager Bessent, 62, to serve as Treasury secretary. The founder of the investment firm Key Square Capital Management will be responsible for implementing president-elect’s pledges to cut taxes and raise tariffs. “Scott is widely respected as one of the world’s foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists,” Trump said in a statement late yesterday. ’He will help me usher in a new Golden Age for the United States, as we fortify our position as the world’s leading economy,’ he said, adding that Bessent would also help “reinvigorate the private sector, and help curb the unsustainable path of federal debt”. The head of the Treasury Department will have broad oversight of tax policy, public debt, international finance and sanctions. Bessent, a Wall Street financier once worked for Soros. He was donating at least $3m to the campaign. He has called for rolling back government subsidies, deregulating the economy, raising domestic energy production, and has also defended the use of tariffs. The market’s surge after Trump’s election victory signalled investor expectations of higher growth, lower volatility and inflation, and a revitalized economy for all Americans, he wrote in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal. Trump also picked Vought was chosen to lead the Office of Management and Budget, the same position he held during Trump’s first presidency and Representative Chavez-DeRemer for labour secretary. He said he would nominate Turner, a former football player who worked in his first administration, to serve as housing secretary. Wall Street veteran Lutnick was named commerce secretary. Trump additionally nominated Dr Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration. The surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins University gained national attention for opposing vaccine mandates and other public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fox News contributor Nesheiwat is set to be the next surgeon general, while doctor and former Republican Representative Weldon of Florida was chosen to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Source: Al Jazeera)
(Saturday), November 23, 2024 President-elect Trump, who has long criticized NATO as overly reliant on American money, on Wednesday nominated loyalist Whitaker to the crucial post of ambassador to the alliance. “Matt is a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended,' Trump said in a statement. “Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put America First,' Trump said. (Source: Greek Reporter - Greece)
23 November 2024 ((10:10) NATO Secretary-General Rutte has met with President-elect Trump in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is expected to push NATO members to pay more in defense expenditures in his second term. Trump has said he opposes further military aid to Ukraine. Rutte had earlier said he wanted to speak with Trump on North Korea, Iran, China and Russia ’working together against Ukraine.’ (Source: DW; - Germany „(AFP; Reuters)„
NATO
November 23, 2024 A common complaint from some American lawmakers – and their supporters – is that Europe is sitting back while the United States is alone in providing aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia. Though the U.S. military support has indeed eclipsed that of other nations, many NATO members have pulled their weight. Defense spending among European NATO allies has surged by 18%, reaching 2.71% of GDP, underscoring their commitment to bolstering Ukraine's fight against Russia. Denmark and the Netherlands recently delivered F-16 fighters. Belgium and Norway are providing F-16s to aid Kyiv's war effort, and those aircraft are on track for delivery next year. France announced last month that an undisclosed number of Dassault Mirage 2000-5 multirole fighters will be transferred in the first half of 2005. As previously reported, the French Air Force is currently modifying the jets to enhance air-to-ground combat capabilities and electronic warfare systems, aligning them with the needs of the ongoing conflict, which has largely lacked air-to-air combat scenarios. This week, Denmark confirmed that the first six F-16 Fighting Falcons have been delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force, while additional aircraft are expected to arrive in the coming months. The Netherlands also announced that it has provided the final two of 18 pledged F-16s, and that the fighters arrived at a NATO training facility in Romania. Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel are already in the Eastern European nation, where they are being trained to fly and maintain multirole combat aircraft. President Zelensky had long called for the F-16s, arguing that it would bolster the Ukrainian military's ability ’to launch a counter-offensive’. In addition to air support, NATO members have provided tanks like Germany’s Leopard 2, the UK’s Challenger 2, and the U.S.’s M1 Abrams, with Spain leading in tank contributions. as the Spanish Army already provided a total of 29 Leopard 2A4 models from its fleet. Multiple NATO partners have provided infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and armored personnel carriers (APCs). ’NATO in Europe is spending $380,000,000,000’. (Source: The National Interest - U.S. )
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