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Europe
Croatia
February 15, 2025, Saturday A boycott of major retail chains in Croatia has led to an estimated loss of 80 million euros, according to protesters. The movement began after a call from the Croatian consumer initiative "Halo Inspector" on January 24, urging people to stop shopping at large supermarkets to protest against rising food prices. The appeal quickly gained traction through social media, with many Croatian citizens joining the protest. The prices of everyday items in Croatia have soared, with food inflation reaching 5.4% in January alone, a significant increase from 4.5% in December. This has led to widespread frustration, as inflation rates have been on the rise for months. Croatians have pointed out that prices are significantly cheaper abroad, with a recent study confirming that food spending in Croatia is disproportionately high when compared to the rest of Europe. In Bulgaria, a political party in power has proposed a bill to limit the prices of basic food items, citing concerns over foreign companies profiting off citizens while sending revenue abroad. Romania has also seen calls for a boycott, with the populist presidential candidate Georgescu urging citizens to reject foreign suppliers. This movement has led to some results, such as Carrefour reducing prices on 1,500 products by up to 25%. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro have also heard calls for boycotts, with Prime Minister Spajic of Montenegro expressing personal support for the protests. (Source: Novinite – Bulgaria)
France
15.02.2025 Europe must be ready to face challenges, ’make sacrifices for its own security’, French foreign minister Barrot said reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.today. The minister recalled that Europe had lived for decades in a certain form of recklessness regarding its own security that was in a way, implicitly outsourced to its American partners, its dependence on technological matters, as well as the energy prices and climate change. It is time to act now that Europe is in the quest for ways to recover its strategic autonomy. He recalled that President of the EU Commission der Leyen presented 'the roadmap for competitiveness' two weeks ago. Barrot further said the new US administration, ’which entered office three, maybe three-and-a-half weeks ago, is still forming its opinion on the crisis in Ukraine'. (Source: Anadolu Agency – Turkey)
Germany
(Saturday), 15.02.2025 The three-day annual Munich Security Conference kicked off Friday in Munich, hosting more than 50 heads of state and government and 150 government ministers from around the world. High-level discussions about the war in Ukraine and statements on possible peace negotiations as well as the US vice president's remarks about Europe dominated day one. Today, the conference continued with an address by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz set to be followed by President Zelenskyy. European Council President Costa, Czech President Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen, and Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson will take part in a discussion on European support for Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Rutte will also speak on a panel about NATO, the US, and transatlantic security. Another panel discussion will bring together the foreign ministers of Germany, Poland, France, and the UK. Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan will speak at a panel on Prospects for Syria's transition along with his Syrian counterpart Al-Shaibani and Saudi counterpart Saud. The heads of international organizations such as the World Food Program and the International Organization for Migration will also speak at the annual gathering. (Source: Anadolu Agency – Turkey)
Feb 15, 2025 During an interview with German Radio (Deutschlandfunk), Heusgen, the head of the Munich Security Conference, claimed he believes that “today the American Vice President will announce that a large part of the American troops will be withdrawn from Europe.” Heusgen’s comments follow recent media reports that US President Trump plans to cut his country’s troop presence in Europe by about 20%, or 20,000 troops, as part of a review of Washington's commitment to protecting Europe. (Source: MEHR News Agency - Iran)
European Commission
February 15 2025 Europe and the military-industrial complex. It is always the case that money can be found for defence spending, war and any other act of destruction for humankind. As the FT noted yesterday: The EU plans to temporarily ease its fiscal rules to allow countries to spend more on defence, as the bloc has come under pressure from the US to invest more in its own security. ’I can announce that I will propose to activate the escape clause for defence investments,’ European Commission president der Leyen said at the Munich Security Conference yesterday. ’This will allow member states to substantially increase their defence expenditure’, she added. Could the EU permit increased spending to relieve poverty? No. Apparently, that was impossible. But can we relax spending rules for defence? Apparently, that's no problem. Money creation is always a political choice, and as a matter of fact, modern monetary theory precisely describes the process involved. As US President Eisenhower said in 1961 when leaving the White House: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist". Wise words. We need to tread with care right now. (Source: Tax Research LLP. – Ely, United Kingdom)
by Murphy, a part-time Professor of Accounting Practice at Sheffield University Management School.
Russia
15 February 2025 Russia’s spy services have a shadowy new unit taking aim at the West with covert attacks across Europe and elsewhere, Western intelligence officials say. The Department of Special Tasks - its Russian acronym: SSD - is based in the headquarters of Russian military intelligence, a complex on the outskirts of Moscow known as the aquarium. Its operations, which haven’t been previously reported, ’have included attempted killings, sabotage and a plot to put incendiary devices on planes’. The new department is ’believed’ to be behind a host of recent attacks against the West, including the attempted killing of the chief executive of a German arms maker and a plot to put incendiary devices on planes used by shipping giant Deutsche Post AG (DHL). These are, as usual, completely unsubstantiated accusations, said Kremlin spokesman Peskov. The SSD has taken over some powers from the FSB, the country’s largest intelligence service, and absorbed Unit 29155, which Western intelligence and law-enforcement officials say was behind the 2018 poisoning of a Russian double agent, Skripal, in the U.K. The SSD has at least three broad tasks: carrying out killings and sabotage overseas, infiltrating Western companies and universities, and recruiting and training foreign agents. The department has been seeking to recruit agents from Ukraine, developing nations and countries seen as friendly to Russia, such as Serbia. The department also runs an elite special operations center, known as Senezh, where Russia trains some of its special forces. Col. Gen. Averyanov and his deputy, Lt. Gen. Kasianenko oversee the operations of the SSD. Averyanov, a veteran of Russia’s Chechen wars, is wanted by Czech police for his suspected role in an operation to blow up an ammunition depot in 2014. President Putin awarded him Russia’s highest honor, the Hero of Russia medal, following his involvement in the occupation and annexation of Crimea. Western intelligence officials said they ’believe’ his deputy, Kasianenko, coordinated the operation to poison Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the U.K. Russia denied involvement in the poisoning. Kasianenko’s role includes overseeing covert operations in Europe and the takeover of the Wagner paramilitary operations in Africa after the killing of its founder, Prigozhin, in 2023. He was born in 1975 in Kazakhstan. Known internally by his initials KIS, Kasianenko joined Russia’s military intelligence, (GRU), after serving in Russia’s air force. A Persian speaker who once operated in Tehran under the guise of a diplomatic posting, Kasianenko was recently involved in facilitating a transfer of skills and technology from Russia to Iran, according to European intelligence officials. He was earlier identified by Grozev, an investigative journalist, in a report for the online news outlet the Insider. He said he originally identified GRU operatives from a scene in a recent documentary about the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, “Hollywoodgate.” Grozev was then able to obtain phone records of one of the operatives, which showed that he had been interacting with Kasianenko. In May last year, operatives from the SSD set fire to a factory in Berlin owned by Diehl, a company that supplies weapons systems to Ukraine. Around the same time, U.S. intelligence told Germany that it had uncovered a plan to assassinate leaders of Europe’s armaments industry, including Papperger, the chief executive of Rheinmetall, the biggest supplier of artillery ammunition to Ukraine and which is also building a tank factory in the war-torn country. There have been attacks elsewhere in Europe as well. In June, French authorities arrested a dual Ukrainian-Russian national after a makeshift bomb exploded in his hotel room. French authorities indicted him on terrorism-related charges, saying he had planned to bomb a home improvement store. Hostile activities by the SSD peaked last summer, but have subsided recently, according to U.S. and European officials. ’The lull in activity could be aimed at creating diplomatic space for Moscow to negotiate with the new U.S. administration, according to the two European intelligence chiefs’. In May, Ukraine’s security service said 'it had foiled a plot by Russia to set several supermarkets and a cafe on fire'. Ukraine said the plan had been coordinated by Maj. Sizov. Western intelligence officials said Sizov, who is an officer in Senezh, 'coordinated another operation days later to set a mall in the Polish capital of Warsaw ablaze. He has since been sanctioned by the EU for his role in the plots. In July, 'similar incendiary devices that were sent via DHL, ignited in transit hubs in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, England. A connecting flight was late, and the device went off while at the airport'. Security officials said the incendiary devices ’appeared to be part of a test run for putting similar devices on planes bound for North America’. Warnings were quietly sent in August to major shipping companies, airlines and airports. The details of the plot, were first reported by the WSJ. The then national security adviser Sullivan and Central Intelligence Agency chief Burns called Russian leaders in August and asked them to stop the attack. Sullivan called Ushakov, an aide to Putin and a former ambassador to the U.S. Burns called his counterpart, Naryshkin, as well as Russia’s most senior security official, Shoigu. The calls were first reported by the New York Times. Both Shoigu and Ushakov, who are among a handful of officials with regular access to Putin, denied any knowledge of the DHL plot. ’The SSD operates under broad orders from Putin, but the commanders might not seek approval for specific operations’, Western and Russian officials said. The department has been particularly focused on Germany because Russia sees the country as a weak link in NATO, due to its dependence on Russian energy, growing anxiety about nuclear escalation and sympathy for Russia among some politicians and voters. In December, the European Union sanctioned a unit of the department, without identifying the SSD by name, for orchestrating ’coups, assassinations, bombings, and cyberattacks’ in Europe and elsewhere. The U.S. indicted members of the SSD on similar charges in December. The State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for any information about five members accused of cyberattacks on Ukraine. Some lawmakers and security officials have called for the West to step up covert efforts in response to Russia’s operations. The U.S. should enhance and leverage its own clandestine activities, including in and around Russia, to deter further aggression from the Kremlin, said Thompson, a former CIA paramilitary officer. That was echoed by Sen. Cotton (R., Ark.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who said in a recent hearing that the CIA needs to become bolder and more innovative in covert action. ’Appathurai, the NATO official, warned that the U.S. and its allies needed to adopt a wartime mindset across society in response’. (Source: The Wall Street Journal - U.S.)
by Pancevski
Ukraine
(15 February 2025) Ukraine end game. Ukraine's future is the focus of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), just days after a phone call between US President Trump and Russian President Putin in which they agreed to begin negotiations to end the Ukraine war. Describing the call earlier this week as "great", Trump said there was a "good possibility of ending that horrible, very bloody war". Moscow currently controls around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, mainly in the south and east. Until recently, Ukraine's western allies stood by Zelensky's position that all of Ukraine, including Crimea, should be returned. But the new US Defence Secretary Hegseth poured cold water on those hopes, saying at a summit in February that achieving pre-2014 borders was an "unrealistic objective". "Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering," he said. For Kyiv, Russia's full-scale invasion is proof that only Nato membership can guarantee its security. Russia has consistently opposed the idea of Ukraine becoming a member, fearing it would bring Nato forces too close to its borders. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was telling Zelensky that the country is on 'an irreversible path' to membership. The US defence secretary downplayed the likelihood of Nato membership for Ukraine in any peace settlement. "The United States does not believe that Nato membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement," Hegseth said. Zelensky has said previous discussions with US President Trump are ’definitely not enough to form a plan’ for peace. Hegseth claimed Trump was the "one man in the world" capable of bringing both sides together and insisted US attempts to negotiate peace were certainly not a betrayal of the Ukrainian soldiers fighting invading Russian forces. Hesgeth has warned there would be no US troops on the ground Ukraine in any future security arrangement. The US vice-president said sending troops to Ukraine is 'still on the table' should Russia fail to negotiate a peace deal in good faith. "The president is not going into this with blinders on," Vance told the WSJ. UK defence sources quoted in the Times newspaper claim that the US could provide some form of air defence - possibly Patriot missiles - to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine in return for access to minerals. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
(Saturday), 15.02.2025 The Trump administration proposed that the US receive a 50% ownership stake in Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as compensation for the military and financial aid provided to Kyiv to fight off the Russian war. Under the proposal, Ukraine would transfer partial control of its valuable mineral resources to Washington rather than make financial repayments. The plan also includes the possibility of deploying American troops to safeguard these assets, contingent on a diplomatic resolution with Russia. Treasury Secretary Bessent reportedly handed Zelenskyy a draft contract outlining the proposed agreement during a meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday. Zelenskyy did not sign the agreement during the meeting, instead saying that he needed additional time to study it and consult with others. Ukraine is sitting on massive reserves of critical rare earth minerals. In addition to having one of the largest confirmed reserves of lithium, Ukraine boasts semiconductor-grade neon gas that is critical for chip production, beryllium, uranium, zirconium, apatite, iron ore and manganese. It holds about 5% of the world’s total of mineral resources, according to a 2024 World Economic Forum report. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Asia
Gaza
February 15, 2025 Hamas frees 3 more hostages. About 70 hostages remain in Hamas custody, about half are believed to be dead. (Source: Fox News - U.S.)
North America
United States
(February 15, 2025) The campaign by President Trump and his adviser Musk to radically cut back the US bureaucracy has spread, firing more than 9,500 workers who handled everything from managing federal lands to caring for military veterans. About 1,200 to 2,000 workers at the Department of Energy were laid off, including 325 from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees the nuclear stockpile, America’s nuclear weapons. NNSA is a semi-autonomous arm of the US Energy Department responsible for producing and dismantling nuclear weapons , providing the Navy with nuclear reactors for submarines and responding to radiological emergencies, among other duties. The agency also plays a role a key role in counter-terrorism, transporting nuclear weapons around the country and responding to nuclear incidents around the world. It began rescinding the terminations yesterday morning. Among those let go were NNSA personnel stationed at nuclear weapons manufacturing plants who inspect nuclear weapons and supervise the contractors who manufacture them. Employees at NNSA headquarters who draft specifications and directives for contractors producing nuclear weapons were also involved. Mass firings resulted in scenes of uncertainty and disarray at the civilian agency that manages the country's nuclear weapons arsenal over the past two days. The agency has begun to re-examine the terminations after realising the implications. (Source: TRT World – Turkey)
NATO
15.02.2025 At the Munich Security Conference in Germany, the NATO secretary general today called on European countries to make concrete proposals and ideas rather than complaining about being excluded from potential talks on Ukraine. (Source: Anadolu Agency – Turkey)
Oceania
Cook Islands
February 15, 2025 China and the Cook Islands yesterday signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The Cook Islands has a free association agreement with New Zealand. The Cook Islands and China would look to deepen cooperation in areas such as deep-sea mining. Kiribati? (Source: VoA News - U.S.)
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