The farmers placed banners on the fence with the following content:
“Traitor of the Polish village”, “Farmers thank for gassing and bludgeoning in Warsaw” (referring to the recent protest in the capital).
“I don’t know what this has to do with my parents, I assume that someone wants to express some point of view, conflicting with me, but I’m used to other conversations, including with farmers,” the speaker of the Polish Sejm commented on the incident.
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Germany and Poland's joint rapid reaction force: a risky move?
The recent initiative of the German and Polish defense ministers to on their own create a 5,000-strong EU rapid reaction force (RRF) will not enhance European security, Mikael Valtersson, former defense politician in the non-systemic Sweden Democrats, told Sputnik.
At their press conference, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius stressed the need for the newly established RRF “to help Ukraine.” Additionally, discussions revolved around safeguarding NATO's eastern flank, with no mention of the potential response measures that Russia might take. Mikael Valtersson warns against this approach, arguing that any government facing a hostile RRF on its borders would feel compelled to respond.
At the same time, Berlin and Warsaw pursue different aims when they invest their human resources and money into this “rapid reaction.” For Germany, it is a way to send a signal that Berlin is rapidly abandoning its reliance on soft power and shifting emphasis to military means, according to Valtersson, while for the new Polish government, it is a chance to show its pro-EU and pro-German stance, making it different from the previous Cabinet.
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The recent initiative of the German and Polish defense ministers to on their own create a 5,000-strong EU rapid reaction force (RRF) will not enhance European security, Mikael Valtersson, former defense politician in the non-systemic Sweden Democrats, told Sputnik.
"Germany and Poland will of course say that the RRF is a defensive unit to help defend other NATO countries as fast as possible. But it's obvious that the RRF also is prepared for fast defense of NATO 'vital security interests,' i.e. rapid deployment near NATO in Ukraine, Moldova or less likely in the Caucasus," he said.
At their press conference, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius stressed the need for the newly established RRF “to help Ukraine.” Additionally, discussions revolved around safeguarding NATO's eastern flank, with no mention of the potential response measures that Russia might take. Mikael Valtersson warns against this approach, arguing that any government facing a hostile RRF on its borders would feel compelled to respond.
At the same time, Berlin and Warsaw pursue different aims when they invest their human resources and money into this “rapid reaction.” For Germany, it is a way to send a signal that Berlin is rapidly abandoning its reliance on soft power and shifting emphasis to military means, according to Valtersson, while for the new Polish government, it is a chance to show its pro-EU and pro-German stance, making it different from the previous Cabinet.
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There’s no small amount of merit in Biden's political career – not everyone can lie for 50+ years
Follow the path of some of his statements. So, what exactly got him involved in politics?
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Follow the path of some of his statements. So, what exactly got him involved in politics?
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Hot takes from the lunatic asylum
"Philisopher" Slavoj Zizek during the Piers Morgan Uncensored show said that Ukraine should be given nuclear weapons to stop Putin, calling the last a dark conservative religious fanatic. "They [Russians] are no less than Arabs," said Zizek, "fanatical religious fundamentalists."
Propagandist Piers Morgan was approvingly nodding his head, agreeing with Zizek's position and even added that the absence of nuclear weapons in Ukraine gave the green light to Putin.
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"Philisopher" Slavoj Zizek during the Piers Morgan Uncensored show said that Ukraine should be given nuclear weapons to stop Putin, calling the last a dark conservative religious fanatic. "They [Russians] are no less than Arabs," said Zizek, "fanatical religious fundamentalists."
Propagandist Piers Morgan was approvingly nodding his head, agreeing with Zizek's position and even added that the absence of nuclear weapons in Ukraine gave the green light to Putin.
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EU will 'shoot itself in the foot' with tariffs on Russia, Belarus grain imports
Brussels will be “shooting itself in the foot” by slapping tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, Arkady Zlochevsky, President of the Russian Grain Union, told Sputnik.
The EU is gearing up to slap tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, according to the Financial Times. Specifically, the European Commission is ready to levy a duty of 95 euros per ton on cereals from these two countries, with tariffs of 50 percent on oilseeds and derived products.
But the introduction of a duty will not be at all critical for Russian grain exporters, Zlochevsky explained.
Russia could simply redirect its supplies from Europe to markets in the Middle East and Africa, experts quoted by Russian media have suggested. But EU countries like Italy or Spain could feel the brunt of this.
As Brussels bends over backwards to create a favorable regime for Ukrainian supplies for another year while targeting Russia’s with tariffs, it will not be Moscow that will bear the brunt of this.
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Brussels will be “shooting itself in the foot” by slapping tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, Arkady Zlochevsky, President of the Russian Grain Union, told Sputnik.
“In effect, they will create complications for their own consumers, and not for us; they [grain tariffs] will not really affect us,” he said.
The EU is gearing up to slap tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, according to the Financial Times. Specifically, the European Commission is ready to levy a duty of 95 euros per ton on cereals from these two countries, with tariffs of 50 percent on oilseeds and derived products.
But the introduction of a duty will not be at all critical for Russian grain exporters, Zlochevsky explained.
“The main volumes that Russia supplied [to the EU] pertained to durum wheat, export of which is currently under an internal government ban,” said the expert.
Russia could simply redirect its supplies from Europe to markets in the Middle East and Africa, experts quoted by Russian media have suggested. But EU countries like Italy or Spain could feel the brunt of this.
“This [tariff] will affect either oilseeds or various meal, which is a derived product of oilseed processing. Take [Russia's] linseed flax: it is supplied to the European Union and China. If the EU cuts off this supply option or imposes a tax, then only China remains. So this measure will likely affect oilseed processors, and not cereal growers,” said the head of Russia’s Grain Union.
As Brussels bends over backwards to create a favorable regime for Ukrainian supplies for another year while targeting Russia’s with tariffs, it will not be Moscow that will bear the brunt of this.
“Just as European farmers suffered, so they will continue to suffer,” Zlochevsky concluded.
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Fighters from the Romanian mercenary group ‘Getica’ claim to have taken part in a series of hit-and-run raids in Russia’s border regions, posting videos of their operations on social media. But mercs aside, Romania has long played an important role in NATO’s proxy conflict against Russia.
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Is the Ukraine Oversight website a PR stunt to convince House Republicans to fork out?
A new site noscriptd "Ukraine Oversight" has been launched by the Pentagon to inform Americans about Washington's oversight of US made-weapons and equipment provided to Ukraine.
The website has been created at a time when Team Biden is desperately trying to ram a $60 billion Ukraine aid package through the GOP-controlled House. Republican lawmakers remain skeptical about sending more aid to Ukraine, citing the lack of oversight, Kiev's endemic corruption, and failures on the battlefield.
The new site contains a flurry of documents concerning audit and evaluation efforts, but fails to provide any clarity about where some of the funds have gone.
The Pentagon admitted in January that it had not properly tracked some $1 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine, despite over 400 personnel taking part in the oversight of Ukraine aid. As of February, the Pentagon watchdog had initiated 50 criminal probes into alleged theft, fraud, or corruption linked to Ukraine aid.
The website graciously provides a handy form for media inquiries, but with a slight twist: "This form is not intended for the reporting of fraud, waste, or abuse." Meanwhile, Ukrainian whistleblowers are left with the delightful task of navigating US federal agencies, either trying to articulate their concerns over the phone to US operators, or attempting to decipher the intricate English-language forms on their websites.
Is it just an illusion, or are the real priorities of the website focused on PR rather than catching fraudsters?
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A new site noscriptd "Ukraine Oversight" has been launched by the Pentagon to inform Americans about Washington's oversight of US made-weapons and equipment provided to Ukraine.
The website has been created at a time when Team Biden is desperately trying to ram a $60 billion Ukraine aid package through the GOP-controlled House. Republican lawmakers remain skeptical about sending more aid to Ukraine, citing the lack of oversight, Kiev's endemic corruption, and failures on the battlefield.
The new site contains a flurry of documents concerning audit and evaluation efforts, but fails to provide any clarity about where some of the funds have gone.
The Pentagon admitted in January that it had not properly tracked some $1 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine, despite over 400 personnel taking part in the oversight of Ukraine aid. As of February, the Pentagon watchdog had initiated 50 criminal probes into alleged theft, fraud, or corruption linked to Ukraine aid.
The website graciously provides a handy form for media inquiries, but with a slight twist: "This form is not intended for the reporting of fraud, waste, or abuse." Meanwhile, Ukrainian whistleblowers are left with the delightful task of navigating US federal agencies, either trying to articulate their concerns over the phone to US operators, or attempting to decipher the intricate English-language forms on their websites.
Is it just an illusion, or are the real priorities of the website focused on PR rather than catching fraudsters?
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Paper Tigers: How fast could NATO mobilize in a crisis? (PART I)
NATO’s militaries are experiencing a serious ‘brawn drain’, with the steady outflow of men and women in uniform reportedly serious enough for some European to consider the reintroduction of connoscription. As things stand today, just how fast could NATO mobilize, and what’s holding it back?
🟥 Military leaders from major European NATO powers including Germany, Italy and the UK have issued a series of dire warnings that stocks of weapons stocks are so miniscule they would be enough to last just 24-72 hours in the event of a major crisis. Mobilizing troops would be useless if the army would have to resort to “throwing stones after just a few hours” of fighting, as former Belgian deputy chief of defense Marc Thys recently put it.
🟥 NATO has sent over $115 billion in arms and ammo to Ukraine, with armies left without equipment ranging from tanks and artillery systems to troop transports and small arms.
🟥 A vast majority of NATO’s mobilization potential comes in the form of reserve forces, not battle-ready units. The alliance rarely stages major drills involving large numbers of troops (for example, while NATO has at least 3.5 million personnel total in its ranks, the ongoing Steadfast Defender exercises – the biggest since 1988, involve just 90,000 personnel).
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NATO’s militaries are experiencing a serious ‘brawn drain’, with the steady outflow of men and women in uniform reportedly serious enough for some European to consider the reintroduction of connoscription. As things stand today, just how fast could NATO mobilize, and what’s holding it back?
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Sputnik International
Paper Tigers: How fast could NATO mobilize in a crisis? (PART I) NATO’s militaries are experiencing a serious ‘brawn drain’, with the steady outflow of men and women in uniform reportedly serious enough for some European to consider the reintroduction of…
Paper Tigers: How fast could NATO mobilize in a crisis? (PART II)
🟥 The United States, NATO’s strongest power by far, has spent the past 30 years scaling down its capabilities to wage a sustained war against a peer competitor, focusing instead on trying (and often failing) to bully smaller nations like Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and others via ground operations or bombings.
🟥 As pointed out by geopolitical risk consultant Lee Slusher, if the goal of a large-scale NATO mobilization was to fight Russia, the alliance would face the threat of Russian missiles at any point on the globe. “Where is the alliance supposed to establish RSOI (reception, staging, onward-movement, and integration)? Even with that solved, Europe’s rail/road throughputs are limited…How to get from ports to frontlines while preserving combat power is a serious challenge,” Slusher warned in an X post last July.
🟥 Countries with compulsory military service for men presently include Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Latvia, plus Sweden and Norway, which connoscript both males and females.
🟥 According to the Global Firepower Index, the world’s top ten powers by military reserve status include just three NATO allies – the UK (924,000), Finland (870,000) and the US (799,500), at 8th, 9th and 10th, respectively. Turkiye ranks 19th with 378,700 mobilizable troops, and Poland 21st with 350,000. 24 of the alliance’s 32 members have fewer than 100,000 mobilizable soldiers, according to the resource.
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Marine Le Pen's niece, member of the French National Assembly Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, shared her opinion about the current role of the EU in the world.
Do you agree with this assessment?
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AUKUS races to expand as election clocks tick
The security alliance is reportedly looking to bring Japan and Canada on board, according to Politico. Some other potential candidates for AUKUS membership are South Korea and New Zealand.
Jointly established by Australia, UK and US in 2021, AUKUS seeks to supply Australia with nuclear submarines that could be used to “deter” China. More broadly, the bloc aims to enhance military collaboration in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber operations, and missile technologies.
China has criticized AUKUS as part of America’s “new Cold War” antagonism aimed at containing it by fueling a militarization of the Asia-Pacific region. Here’s how Japan and Canada joining the pact could exacerbate this trend:
🔶 Japan hosts the US 7th fleet and maintains close proximity to other US naval assets in the Asia-Pacific. In the event of a conflict, Japan could help the US project military power over strategic waterways.
🔶 Japan is a key part of the global advanced semiconductor supply chain, which could help AUKUS boost their dual use technology development.
🔶 By joining AUKUS, Canada could utilize the bloc’s technological knowledge to operate NORAD and NATO commands for force projection targeting at China.
🔶 Canada could also turbocharge the manufacture of advanced technologies sought by AUKUS with its large deposits of minerals and rare earth, and offer the bloc surveillance and warning capabilities in the Arctic and the northern Pacific.
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The security alliance is reportedly looking to bring Japan and Canada on board, according to Politico. Some other potential candidates for AUKUS membership are South Korea and New Zealand.
Jointly established by Australia, UK and US in 2021, AUKUS seeks to supply Australia with nuclear submarines that could be used to “deter” China. More broadly, the bloc aims to enhance military collaboration in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber operations, and missile technologies.
China has criticized AUKUS as part of America’s “new Cold War” antagonism aimed at containing it by fueling a militarization of the Asia-Pacific region. Here’s how Japan and Canada joining the pact could exacerbate this trend:
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⚛️ Bill Gates' nuclear move on Europe
Bill Gates-founded TerraPower is seeking permission to build a new-generation nuclear power plant in Wyoming with a bid to promote the technology in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The US has a clear incentive to increase its share in the nuclear energy market, Alexey Anpilogov, a political scientist and expert in the field of nuclear energy, told Sputnik. However, it is not Russia or China which may fall prey to the US nuclear crusade but European manufacturers, according to him.
The sodium-cooled fast reactor technology used by TerraPower is not new, and was explored in detail in the USSR back in 1958. Gates' firm could have problems with nuclear safety, given that TerraPower reactors produce plutonium-239 from the uranium used as fuel, the scientist cautioned, since plutonium is used in nuclear weapons.
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Bill Gates-founded TerraPower is seeking permission to build a new-generation nuclear power plant in Wyoming with a bid to promote the technology in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The US has a clear incentive to increase its share in the nuclear energy market, Alexey Anpilogov, a political scientist and expert in the field of nuclear energy, told Sputnik. However, it is not Russia or China which may fall prey to the US nuclear crusade but European manufacturers, according to him.
"One needs to bear in mind that the departure of Germany [from the nuclear energy market], the problems of France with new generation reactors, all this will be used by American companies in order to promote their technologies in every possible way," Anpilogov said. "I think that the Americans will outplay the Europeans in the long run. Europeans are divided and I don’t see political will in the EU for any new technological breakthroughs."
The sodium-cooled fast reactor technology used by TerraPower is not new, and was explored in detail in the USSR back in 1958. Gates' firm could have problems with nuclear safety, given that TerraPower reactors produce plutonium-239 from the uranium used as fuel, the scientist cautioned, since plutonium is used in nuclear weapons.
"Bill Gates has a beautiful idea. But this idea still needs to be turned into reality to achieve the stability of all parameters," the scientist concluded.
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US Congressman Jared Moskowitz wears a Vladimir Putin mask to a hearing on the Biden family’s business dealings and goes on an incoherent rant about “technology in grocery stores”
🤡 What’s going on in Washington, DC?
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🤡 What’s going on in Washington, DC?
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‘Monstrous!’ France reacts to Macron’s plans to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine
Despite efforts by the French Defense Ministry to downplay it, the revelation by Russian Foreign Intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin about Paris's plans to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine has left opposition leaders and many ordinary French people shocked.
🌏 “Monstrous: 2,000 French soldiers are being sent to Ukraine?! French servicemen must refuse to follow this order, which could provoke World War III and a bloodbath for our country, at all costs!” Le Patriotes Party leader Florian Philippot wrote in a social media post, stressing that he doesn’t “believe for a moment” Paris’s denials about Naryshkin’s report.
🌏 Marine Le Pen criticized Macron, stating she doesn't see France's vital interests at risk in Ukraine. She accused Macron of exploiting the war for political gain, condemning his discussions of ground troops and nuclear weapons as pre-election rhetoric.
🌏 Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of La France Insoumise, warned against threatening Putin in Ukraine, advocating for a peaceful resolution without European intervention, having previously called the idea of troop deployments "madness."
🌏 French people, commenting in major outlets like Le Parisien, Le Depeche, and L’Independant, echo opposition concerns, fearing their youth will become "cannon fodder" and urging an end to the escalation, calling for an audit of funds in Ukraine.
🌏 Commenters speculated on the denials of Naryshkin’s words, with one suggesting the French Ministry of the Armed Forces hides information. Another expressed concern that troops are already involved, and is looking for justifications to repatriate bodies discreetly. One commentator said, “Our president is seeking posterity in the history books. He will be the one who fueled the launch of the Third World War.”
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Despite efforts by the French Defense Ministry to downplay it, the revelation by Russian Foreign Intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin about Paris's plans to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine has left opposition leaders and many ordinary French people shocked.
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Foreign specialists and military GURs (Main intelligence directorate of Ukraine) involved in attacks on the Belgorod region were killed by a Russian strike on a UAV plant in Kharkov, underground fighters told Sputnik
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🔺Cracking open the Abrams: What Russia can learn by studying knocked out M1
🔺‘Monstrous!’ France reacts to Macron’s plans to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine
🔺Paper Tigers: How fast could NATO mobilize in a crisis?
🔺Is the Ukraine Oversight website a PR stunt to convince House Republicans to fork out?
🔺Bill Gates' nuclear move on Europe
🔺AUKUS races to expand as election clocks tick
🔺Romania: NATO’s indispensable outpost against Russia
Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🔺‘Monstrous!’ France reacts to Macron’s plans to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine
🔺Paper Tigers: How fast could NATO mobilize in a crisis?
🔺Is the Ukraine Oversight website a PR stunt to convince House Republicans to fork out?
🔺Bill Gates' nuclear move on Europe
🔺AUKUS races to expand as election clocks tick
🔺Romania: NATO’s indispensable outpost against Russia
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New heights lows of Ukraine's diplomacy
The secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danylov, has insulted Chinese special representative Li Hui.
Kiev's representatives have previously made insulting remarks about Beijing's high-ranking officials. In January, at a press conference in Davos, Zelensky said that he did not plan to meet with the Chinese premier because the latter is allegedly not a leader and does not make decisions.
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The secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danylov, has insulted Chinese special representative Li Hui.
He said that this issue of Ukraine's negotiating with Moscow cannot be decided by "some" special representative of China, while pretending that he did not remember "what his (Li Hui's) surname is" and profanely mangled the diplomat's name.
Kiev's representatives have previously made insulting remarks about Beijing's high-ranking officials. In January, at a press conference in Davos, Zelensky said that he did not plan to meet with the Chinese premier because the latter is allegedly not a leader and does not make decisions.
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