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Hungary
04.04.2025 Europe hates Trump, would like to see his peace efforts fail, claims Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán. He told public broadcaster MTI that Hungary has worked out a peace plan, while Western Europe has drafted a war plan aimed at keeping the Ukrainian army engaged in a prolonged conflict with Russia. Reiterating his support for US President Trump’s peace plan and negotiations, Orbán said: “If there’s anyone who can achieve peace, it’s him. And since we want peace, our job isn’t to hinder, criticize, or obstruct him, but to support him.” He claimed that Trump’s efforts had already ensured the war would not spread to other parts of Europe. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
April 3, 2025 Hungary exits International Criminal Court (ICC) as Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for state visit. The United States, Russia, China and Israel are among dozens of countries that are not signatories to the Rome Statute establishing the ICC and do not recognize its jurisdiction. (Source: UPI - U.S.)
02.04.2025 The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Hungary to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country. Hungary should deny entry to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or arrest him if he enters the country, the New York-based rights group said yesterday. At the time arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Orbán said he will invite Netanyahu to visit, and will guarantee him that if he comes, the warrant will no effect in Hungary. He called the warrants cynical political interference in the ongoing Middle East conflict under the pretext of law. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
April 1, 2025 Parliament, dominated by Orbán's Fidesz party, passed a law last month to ban the Pride march on the grounds that it could be harmful to children. The law says police can use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend the event, and impose fines on participants. Thousands protested in Budapest today, against a law that aims to ban the annual Pride march by LGBTQ+ groups. Orbán has said the fact that rallies such as the one today could take place meant there was no threat to democracy, calling opposition protests against the new law "provocation." A group of embassies in Budapest, including European states but not the United States, has also expressed concern over the changes. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)
by "Szakacs'
Germany
1 Apr 2025 Germany has launched its first deployment abroad since World War II. The country's parliament said troops will be sent to eastern Lithuania, which is NATO's eastern flank. The unit is to be fully operational by 2027. (Source: Mirror - United Kingdom)
Italy
(5 April 2025) On March 28, Italy curtailed who could obtain citizenship through jure sanguinis, citing concerns that people with tenuous ties to the country have been taking advantage of the process to reap the benefits of an Italian passport. Previously, the law permitted those who could prove they had ancestors born in Italy after March 17, 1861 - when the Kingdom of Italy was founded - to apply for citizenship. Now, eligibility is restricted to individuals who have at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy. From 2014 to 2024, the number of Italian citizens living abroad rose from around 4.6 million to 6.4 million, according to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The ministry estimates that if jure sanguinis continues without generational limits, 60 million to 80 million people would be eligible to apply for citizenship. (Source: The Washington Post - U.S.)
Poland
08.04.2025 An NBC News report signaled a possible US withdrawal of up to half of the 20,000 troops that the Biden administration stationed in Eastern Europe in 2022. The report said talks on reducing US troop levels in Romania and Poland are taking place as President Trump seeks to persuade Russian President Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. 'Defense minister says US troops to stay in Poland after talk of withdrawal from Eastern Europe. Troops to be relocated from Jasionka Airport to elsewhere in Poland, according to Polish Defense Ministry.' (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Romania
Apr 6, 2025 The Netherlands is engaged in discreet negotiations to permanently transfer a fleet of F-16 fighter jets to Romania by the end of the year. Transferring these jets to Romania sheds maintenance costs while reinforcing a NATO partner - a win-win on paper. This move aligns with the Netherlands’ broader military expansion, aiming to grow its armed forces from 74,000 to 200,000 by 2030. Freeing up resources for F-35 integration could accelerate that shift, while Romania inherits a proven, if aging, platform. This development, if finalized, could see Romania’s air force swell to nearly 70 F-16s. The transfer includes at least 18 Dutch F-16s currently involved in a training program for Ukrainian pilots at Romania’s 86th Air Base in Borcea. The Dutch F-16s in question are likely the Block 20 Mid-Life Update [MLU] versions, which underwent significant upgrades in the 1990s and 2000s. Romania’s current fleet includes aircraft acquired from Portugal - primarily the Block 15 variant, an early model from the 1980s - and a purchase of advanced Block 70 jets from Norway approved by the U.S. in 2022, expected to arrive later this year. The technical implications of managing nearly 70 F-16s are daunting. Romania’s existing Block 15 jets, while reliable, lack the advanced sensors and weapons integration of the Block 20 MLU and Block 70 variants. Maintenance crews must juggle distinct spare parts inventories, software updates, and training protocols, a task that could stretch Romania’s resources thin. Romania’s defense budget pegged at 2.5% of GDP in 2025 per NATO commitments, supports a range of priorities, from Patriot missile systems to naval upgrades. (Source: Bulgarianmilitary - Bulgaria)
European Parliament
April 5, 2025 6:24pm EDT Eight people have been charged with corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization following a probe into suspected bribery at the European Parliament, Belgium's public prosecutor said in a statement today. Prosecutors have said the alleged bribery is said to have benefited Huawei. (Source: Fox News - U.S.)
Russia
April 10, 2025 At the start of the Ukraine War, SpaceX head Musk granted Kyiv access to his Starlink satellite network sending the Kremlin, and the world a clear wake-up call about the immense value of satellites in war. Ukraine’s un-jammable communications access seriously complicated Russia’s invasion plans. The Russians have spent the last several years perfecting methods for disabling Starlink. Having already spent the better part of the last decade developing a robust arsenal of counterspace weapons specifically designed to stunt U.S. military power projection from space, Moscow may have just created an entirely new set of systems that can drastically degrade a capability that the rest of the U.S. military was investing heavily in. Russia’s Kalinka and Tobol advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems developed to disrupt satellite communications and navigation, are reflecting Russia’s significant and ongoing investment in counterspace capabilities. The actual “Starlink Killer” is the Kalinka system, which can detect and disrupt signals to and from Starlink satellites - aiming to interfere with Ukrainian military communications and drone operations. What’s more, the Kalinka is supposedly able to disrupt the functioning of Starlink’s sister constellation, the system that SpaceX specifically designed for the United States military to use, Starshield. Designated as 14Ts227, the Tobol system is a stationary EW platform originally designed to protect Russian satellites from jamming by monitoring and countering interference. It has been repurposed for offensive operations, targeting satellite signals such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Starlink. Tobol operates by jamming signals, either through downlink jamming (disrupting signals from satellites to ground receivers) or uplink jamming (interfering with signals sent to satellites). There are believed to be only seven Tobol stations across Russia, according to a 2024 report. One of the most prominent locations is in Kaliningrad. The Tobol system has been linked to widespread GPS jamming in the Baltic region, affecting thousands of flights and ships since at least 2023. It is such a threat that Finnair suspended flights to certain airports in the Baltic region in 2024 to avoid any life-threatening disruptions to their civilian flight operations. In Ukraine, meanwhile, this system is believed to have targeted Starlink nodes, disrupting synchronization between satellites and ground terminals. The Tobol’s range and power even allow it to create an electromagnetic shield, potentially protecting Russian assets from satellite-guided munitions. While Tobol disrupts broader GPS signals, Kalinka’s precision targeting could pose a more direct threat to specific military operations - although, of course, its full effectiveness remains unconfirmed in open sources. Unlike Tobol, which broadly jams satellite navigation, Kalinka reportedly has the ability to identify and target specific terminals, including those with enhanced security features. It could undermine critical battlefield connectivity among the Ukrainian Armed Forces spread across a brittle frontline with Russia. If Russia really does have a Starlink and Starshield killer, then they have caught up to the United States in a very real, disturbing way. And that means, it is now time to go back to the drawing board. If Russia has overcome these new satellite capabilities, then the Chinese certainly can as well - and all the money spent on reforming the satellite constellations by making them survivable will have to be spent enhancing their survivability once more. (Source: The National Interest - U.S.)
by Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine.
Apr 6, 2025 According to posts on X by AMK Mapping, an unofficial source tracking the conflict using open-source intelligence, Russia fired eight Iskander-M missiles - mobile short-range ballistic missile systems designed to strike with devastating accuracy with a circular error probable of just 16 to 23 feet when fully optimized - at targets in Kyiv, with claims that none were intercepted. Iskander-M boasts a range of up to 310 miles with a speed exceeding 2 kilometers per second and ability to maneuver during flight releasing decoys to confuse air defenses. It can carry a payload of nearly 1,800 pounds, including conventional warheads like high-explosive fragmentation or cluster munitions. In this assault, the combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles suggests a deliberate attempt to saturate Ukraine’s defenses, potentially signaling Russia’s confidence in its ability to penetrate even advanced Western defenses. Estimated in November 2023, Russia manufactured 30 Iskander-M missiles monthly, per the Institute for the Study of War. The cost is roughly $3 million per missile. (Source: Bulgarianmilitary - Bulgaria)
by Nikolov
See also: Russian 9K720 ISKANDER-M tactical missile: Load launch impact /Video/ (Source: YouTube)
Since September 19, 2019: 8 229 305 views
(1 April 2025) President Putin has called up 160,000 men aged 18-30, Russia's highest number of conscripts since 2011. Russia calls up conscripts in the spring and autumn. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
Ukraine
(5/4/2025) 'Concerns persist about Ukraine becoming a significant source of illicit firearms and ammunition … in the short to medium term' - Ukraine ‘risks becoming global arms trafficking hub’ after war ends, Europol, the EU’s law enforcement wing warns. Stockpiles of military-grade weapons, drones and ammunition left behind on battlefields risk being exploited by organised crime groups when the hostilities cease, according to a 100 page Europol report titled 'The changing DNA of serious and organised crime'. The US, the largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine, said in March it had provided $66.58bn (€60.44bn) in military assistance to the country since Russia invaded in February 2022. This includes 500 million rounds of small arms ammunition and more than 50,000 grenade launchers. The ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine is a source of ever new threats to our internal security', Siemoniak, Poland’s interior minister, said. “Aware of this fact, we must identify and monitor these threats on an ongoing basis, reacting quickly and adequately". Spanish police have already uncovered evidence of drug gangs arming themselves with weapons donated by Nato members to Ukrainian forces. The arms are believed to have been advertised for sale and purchased on the dark web. (Source: MSN - U.S. / Irish Independent - Ireland)
The report (Source: Europol)
Thursday 03 April 2025 Ukraine has branched out into a new treatment for its traumatised and damaged troops – ketamine. Ukrainian medics are treating veterans with PTSD at the Lisova Polyana psychiatric hospital. Up to 80 per cent of the troops who come through Lisova Polyana end up back in the army. Ukraine’s pioneer in psychedelic therapy Dr Metranitsy says that he is seeing successful treatment of about 70 per cent of PTSD patients. (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
United Kingdom
Saturday, 05 April 2025 British and French military chiefs have met their counterparts in Ukraine to discuss how Stramer’s ’coalition of the willing’ can build on the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. Admiral Radakin, the chief of the UK defence staff, was in Kyiv this week for talks on the structure, size and make-up of the Ukraine force, in the event of a peace deal between Zelensky and Putin. Defence secretary Healey will host counterparts in a 30-strong ’coalition of the willing’ meeting in Brussels next week. ’We will continue to ramp up our military planning, exploring the air, sea and land forces that could support a lasting peace in Ukraine’. ’However, we will not jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war.’ (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
Saturday 05 April 2025 Former MI6 boss says Britain ’must get ready for war’, it needs to rearm and build reserves through a form of national service. The threat from Russia – and its closeness to the US – is real, Younger said. “We have, for many years, been completely free of any form of existential threat. ’We’ve unforgivably… launched a set of wars of choice, which have imposed sacrifice needlessly on young people and there’s great cynicism about this idea of collective effort to defend your’ country. He gave a distinctly British establishment response to the question of whether or not, after backing Putin so publicly, ’Trump could be working for Russia’, an allegation which has been made against the US president in the past, without any evidence. ’I personally don’t think he’s a Russian agent. I went out of my way not to find out because why would you want to know? So I don’t know’. „The point is he agrees with Putin”. He agrees that big countries get additional rights over small countries, particularly in their own backyard.” He said Britain had fallen behind other European nations in its ability, and willingness, to defend itself. “I think the UK is quite conflicted as well. We’ve got this astonishing history, which makes people readier to conceive of Britain playing a much more active role, but I think here too, there’s real concern about being asked to actually do stuff.” The longstanding issue of trust is now being undermined by the US, both in terms of military doctrine, as shown by Nato’s Article 5, and in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing system between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It has been badly damaged by the recent Signal messaging group scandal, Younger said. Dr Ellehuus, now director general of the Royal United Services Institute, Britain’s leading security think tank, laid out the threat that has intensified following the sudden change in strategic ideology in Washington under Trump. She said that while the threat posed by the Kremlin had been persistent, it has been the dramatic shift in Washington that has been the greatest strategic shock. “President Putin is trying to redraw the map. Some of the changes that were made at the end of the Cold War that left Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as not part of the Soviet Union but neither part of Nato or the European Union, left them in a kind of limbo. [It] created an opportunity for him to chip away at the margins of those countries and create pockets of instability or insecurity that would prevent them from fully integrating into Nato or the EU. He is going to test the boundaries of what we call Article 5, which is the commitment that an attack against one Nato ally is an attack against all of them. He’s already been pushing the boundaries of that through below-the-threshold activities that aren’t conventional attacks.” (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
A comment:
' ’We have, for many years, been completely free of any form of existential threat. ’We've unforgivably… launched a set of wars of choice, which have imposed sacrifice needlessly on young people and there's great cynicism about this idea of collective effort to defend your country." He's right on that, but we got there by listening to the exact same people like Mr Younger’.
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