UKRAINE INVASION: Russia oil: Moscow says it will find other importers after EU ban - by Sam Meredith

The European Union on Monday agreed to ban most Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of new measures designed to punish the Kremlin over its invasion of Ukraine.

Responding to the measures, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, said the oil ban reflects negatively on the bloc.

“As she rightly said yesterday, #Russia will find other importers,” Ulyanov said via Twitter, referring specifically to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Read mor at: Russia oil: Moscow says it will find other importers after EU ban

The Ukraine War: 3 ways Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine is affecting the former Soviet region

The war in Ukraine is dividing the former Soviet region, making it poorer and less secure. Russia will take advantage of this.

As a student three decades ago, I watched the Soviet Union collapse and 15 new states, including Ukraine, escape its grip. Now, three months into Vladimir Putin’s brutal assault on Ukraine, the other post-Soviet countries are being transformed in three ways that will change the course of the region’s future.

The war is changing the geopolitics of the region. The Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — are already members of NATO and the European Union, and have solidified their anti-Putin stance and bolstered their national identities.

Georgia and Moldova are now more interested in fully joining western organizations but are treading carefully to avoid provoking Russia. Russia’s only strong ally, Belarus, has enabled Russia’s invasion and effectively lost its sovereignty to Moscow.

Read more at: 3 ways Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine is affecting the former Soviet region

USA - Gun Control Laws: Democrats rush to push gun safety laws after mass shootings as Republicans stall | US gun control | The Guardian

With Republicans stonewalling for years on any significant federal gun safety legislation, some states are now rushing to take steps themselves following large-scale shootings in New York and Texas this month.

Democrats in some blue states are making fresh efforts to reinvigorate proposals toward what gun control advocates call “evidence-based policy interventions”.

In New Jersey, Democratic governor Phil Murphy singled out four Republican state lawmakers opposing gun safety and accused them of taking “blood money” while urging them to pass a stalled gun control package that included raising the age to 21 for purchases of long guns

Read More at: Democrats rush to push gun safety laws after mass shootings as Republicans stall | US gun control | The Guardian

Colombia: Presidential race heads to a runoff between a leftist and businessman

Colombian leftist Gustavo Petro won the most votes in the country's presidential election on Sunday but not enough to avoid a runoff.

"What's not in doubt today is change," Petro told cheering supporters in central Bogota.

"Now it's about seeing what we will do with Colombia, what Colombian society wants for its own country."

Read more at: Colombia: Presidential race heads to a runoff between a leftist and businessman | News | DW | 30.05.2022

Ukraine War: Gazprom to stop supplying gas to Dutch trading giant -

Russian gas company Gazprom is to stop supplying gas to Dutch trading firm GasTerra from tomorrow because of a dispute over payments. The dispute centres on Russian president Putin’s insistence that foreign countries pay for their gas supplies in roubles. Paying in roubles would both break EU sanctions and require GasTerra to open a bank account in Russia and this poses too great a financial and operational risk, Gasterra said in a press release. ‘GasTerra has decided not to comply with Gazprom’s unilateral payment requirements,’ the company said. ‘In response to this … Gazprom has announced that it will discontinue its supply with effect from 31 May 2022.’ -Advertentie- Energy minister Rob Jetten said in a reaction that he understood GasTerra’s position and that the decision would not have an impact on supplies to households or companies. The company had bought in extra supplies and ‘the cabinet is continuing to monitor the situation closely,’ he said. GasTerra’s contract with Gazprom ends on October 1. The company supplies gas to local authorities, energy firms and big industrial customers. New sources The Dutch cabinet agreed at the end of April to try to end the Netherlands’ reliance on Russian gas by the end of the year, replacing the supply by saving energy, better energy efficiency and imports from other countries. The cabinet also said earlier that it has no plans to start using gas from the Groningen fields, which are currently being closed down, to replace Russian gas. European market ‘The European gas market is both highly integrated and large,’ Gasterra said. ‘It is impossible to say in advance what effect the loss of two billion cubic metres of Russian gas will have on the supply/demand situation and whether the European market can absorb this loss of supply with limited consequences. ‘GasTerra has repeatedly urged Gazprom to respect the contractually agreed payment structure and delivery obligations, unfortunately to no avail,’ Gasterra said.

Denmark’s biggest utility company Orsted is also faced with being cut off from Russian gas supplies from May 31. Finland, Poland and Bulgaria were cut off earlier.

The Dutch cabinet agreed at the end of April to try to end the Netherlands’ reliance on Russian gas by the end of the year, replacing the supply by saving energy, better energy efficiency and imports from other countries.- note EU-Digest: the Netherlands imports from Russia are approximately 3 % of the local consumption

Read more at Gazprom to stop supplying gas to Dutch trading giant - DutchNews.nl

Ukraine war: Russian speakers reject the 'language of the enemy' by learning Ukrainian - by David GORMEZANO

One of the stated goals of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine was defending Russian-speaking populations who were allegedly being persecuted by Ukrainian nationalists. Ironically, since the start of the war, Russian speakers in Ukraine have been signing up for classes to improve their Ukrainian-language skills.

In Vyshhorod in the suburbs of Kyiv, around 12 women greet each other in the town hall where they have gathered on a Saturday morning. Dora and Roxanna fled Donbas in 2014 after the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were captured by pro-Russian militias armed and financed by Vladimir Putin’s government. Tatiana and Larissa are Russian and have lived in Ukraine for many years. And Olga, a Belorussian national, has lived in Kyiv since 2020.

All Russian speakers, they are here for the same reason: they want to improve their Ukrainian-language skills. Tatiana admitted finding the Ukrainian alphabet difficult. She has been coming to classes for three years and has made some progress. But “In everyday life, I still use Russian,” she said. Wearing a T-shirt in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, Roxanna said that Russian is her mother tongue. “I learned Ukrainian at school in Donetsk, but it’s not my language of choice. No one ever forced us to speak Ukrainian.”

Read more at: Russian speakers reject the 'language of the enemy' by learning Ukrainian

Ukraine war: Russia advances in east; Ukraine calls for longer-range weapons

Russian forces have stepped up their assault on the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk after claiming to have captured the nearby rail hub of Lyman, as Kyiv intensified calls for longer-range weapons from the West.

Read more at: Russia advances in east; Ukraine calls for longer-range weapons | RNZ News

Ukraine Invasion: Macron and Germany’s Scholz urge Putin to hold ‘direct negotiations’ with Zelensky

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold "direct serious negotiations" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

During an 80-minute conversation with Putin, the two European leaders "insisted on an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian troops", the German chancellor's office said.

Macron and Scholz urged Putin to have "serious direct negotiations with the Ukrainian president and (find) a diplomatic solution to the conflict".

Readn More at: Live: Macron and Germany’s Scholz urge Putin to hold ‘direct negotiations’ with Zelensky

USA: How America went berserk

My sister is a teacher in America, which means she has had to teach her fourth-grade students about how to defend themselves against people who might walk into her public school with guns. Once, during a false alarm, her class followed the “safety protocol” they had learned. What did these children do to protect themselves from the shooter they thought was in the building? One boy wielded a peanut butter jar. Another: a bottle of hand sanitiser. A student with a broken leg held up his crutch. My sister crouched behind her desk and told them they were doing great.

I wonder if the elementary school students in Uvalde, Texas, had similar drills. I wonder if the teachers there, like my sister, worried about what they would do if they had to barricade the door. I wonder if the fourth graders in Texas had time to pick up their staplers and notebooks and lunch boxes to defend themselves from an 18-year-old armed to the teeth before he slaughtered them in their classroom.

The elementary school shooting in Texas is the 212th mass shooting this year. It is the 27th school shooting. It is also the deadliest mass shooting in the US so far in 2022, which says something because it happened just ten days after ten people were killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. So far, at least 19 children and two adults are dead in Uvalde. Others are injured.

Read more at: How America went berserk - UnHerd

GERMANY: Belarusian opposition figures win Charlemagne Prize

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Veronika Zepkalo and Maria Kolesnikova received the 2022 Charlemagne Prize. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the Belarusian activists were the "bravest women in Europe."

Read more at: Belarusian opposition figures win Charlemagne Prize | News | DW | 26.05.2022

The Ukraine war and NATO’s renewed credibility – by Paul Rogers

been in his aim of seriously weakening the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Far from creating greater disunity between member states, the Russian president has given NATO a new purpose, just as its role was starting to be questioned. Its unity has even been enhanced, and Sweden and Finland have now applied to join.

This may have drastic global consequences.

Read more at: The Ukraine war and NATO’s renewed credibility – Paul Rogers

US Presidency: How Ron DeSantis Could Out-Trump Trump All the Way to the White House - by Steve Friess

He is every utterance seems calculated to send progressives into a frenzy. He's one of the most prolific political fundraisers in America. His endorsements of other like-minded America First conservative candidates help those beneficiaries pull ahead in crowded primaries. And the worst-kept secret in American politics is that he wants to swap out his Sunshine State address for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as soon as possible.

No, the politician is not Donald Trump but rather Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who lately seems bent on executing just about every page of the former president's political playbook—only with a sunnier demeanor, less offensive language and fewer of the personal antics that make Trump so polarizing. At 43, the once little-known backbench congressman has transformed himself into perhaps the hottest, most consequential political figure of his generation so far—possibly the only one capable of going head-to-head with Trump for the GOP nod in 2024 and with a shot at taking the presidency away from Joe Biden or whoever the Democrats nominate. The only real question is whether he'll run against Trump if the former president enters the race or risk his flame burning out by waiting until 2028 or beyond.

Read more at: How Ron DeSantis Could Out-Trump Trump All the Way to the White House

Russia: Could Putin actually fall from power in Russia?

As Russia’s war in Ukraine looks increasingly disastrous, speculation has mounted that President Vladimir Putin’s misstep could prove to be his downfall. A litany of pundits and experts have predicted that frustration with the war’s costs and crushing economic sanctions could lead to the collapse of his regime.

“Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine will result in the downfall of him and his friends,” David Rothkopf declared in the Daily Beast. “If history is any guide, his overreach and his miscalculations, his weaknesses as a strategist, and the flaws in his character will undo him.”

But what events could actually bring down Putin? And how likely might they be in the foreseeable future? Get in-depth coverage about R

Read more at: Could Putin actually fall from power in Russia? - Vox

The Netherlands:Second case of monkeypox found in the Netherlands: Reports RIVM

The number of monkeypox cases in the Netherlands has risen and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said that "a few patients" have now been found. The virus has also been classified as an A-disease on the advice of the RIVM, which means that infections or suspicions must be reported immediately, according to the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport

Read more at: Second case of monkeypox found in the Netherlands: RIVM | NL Times

Brexit Here we go again: The latest UK-EU Brexit row unpicked -

Britain and the European Union are once again heading for a standoff over post-Brexit trading rules governed by the Northern Ireland protocol. Here's everything you need to know about how we got here — and what might be coming next.

Agreed as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement in 2019, the protocol was drawn up to protect the EU’s single market after Britain exited in January 2021.

Both U.K. and EU negotiators agreed that it would be too difficult on economic and security grounds to enforce EU trade rules on the land border between Northern Ireland, part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member.

Instead, the EU’s customs and sanitary controls would be applied on British goods as they arrived at ports in Northern Ireland, which would remain part of the EU’s single market for goods.

The arrangement offered two big advantages: Checks would overwhelmingly be in one direction only, whereas enforcement on the Irish border would have required checks on shipments in both directions; and Northern Ireland producers would gain a unique ability to export barrier-free both to the U.K. and the EU, a potential sales point for inward investment. So what's not to like?

Read more at: Here we go again: The latest UK-EU Brexit row unpicked – POLITICO

Ukraine-Russia war : Putin's health 'been failing for 5 years' & he's rumoured to have undergone new surgery

Putin's health rumours have further intensified as now it is claimed that the tyrant is currently undergoing chemo treatment.

The 69-year-old looked dazed and bloated as he sat across from defence giant Sergey Chemezov.

The clip, broadcast on Russian state TV, shows the leader with his chin resting on his chest and his hands gripping the table during the talks with his former KGB pal.

At several points in the video, Putin is seen retching and seems unable to speak properly, the Mirror UK reports. Despite this, the Kremlin has publicly stated that Putin is fit and well, and has denied any claims of ill health.

Read moreat: Ukraine-Russia war latest LIVE: Putin's health 'been failing for 5 years' & he's rumoured to have undergone new surgery

GERMANY: How a Humboldt Foundation fellow joined China′s military commission

This is not a spy thriller. We have therefore deliberately chosen not to name names. This is a story about the ethical gray zone of scientific collaboration between Germany and China.

There is a woman, a physicist, specializing in theoretical particle physics. After obtaining her Ph.D in China, she moves to Europe, initially for two years' research at a renowned institute of nuclear physics in Italy. She then spends three years at two German universities in Hamburg and Mainz. Scientific cooperation with China is politically desired in Germany. The government in Berlin believes it has "special significance for the long-term stability of bilateral relations."

But what if scientific cooperation is giving the Chinese arms industry an edge? Today, the physicist is employed by a Chinese academy best known for its research into nuclear weapons. A scientist who worked with her and other Chinese colleagues in Germany recalls: "They were extremely focused on the technical work. Usually not very visionary, but technically extremely well thought out. And all highly motivated."

Read more at: How a Humboldt Foundation fellow joined China′s military commission | World | Breaking news and perspectives from around the globe | DW | 20.05.2022

U.S. Gun Production Triples Since 2000, Fueled by Handgun Purchases -by Glenn Thrush

The United States is in the middle of a great gun-buying boom that shows no sign of letting up as the annual number of firearms manufactured has nearly tripled since 2000 and spiked sharply in the past three years, according to the first comprehensive federal tally of gun commerce in two decades.

The report, released by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Tuesday — three days after a mass shooting in Buffalo left 10 dead — painted a vivid statistical portrait of a nation arming itself to the teeth. Buyers capitalized on the loosening of gun restrictions by the Supreme Court, Congress and Republican-controlled state legislatures.
br> The data documented a drastic shift in consumer demand among gun owners that has had profound commercial, cultural and political implications: Starting in 2009, Glock-type semiautomatic handguns, purchased for personal protection, began to outsell rifles, which have been typically used in hunting.

Embedded in the 306-page document was another statistic that law enforcement officials find especially troubling. The police recovered 19,344 privately manufactured firearms, untraceable homemade weapons known as “ghost guns,” in 2021, a tenfold increase since 2016. Law enforcement officials say that has contributed to the surge in gun-related killings, especially in California, where ghost guns make up as many as half of weapons recovered at crime scenes.

READ MORE AT: U.S. Gun Production Triples Since 2000, Fueled by Handgun Purchases - The New York Times

Ukraine: G7 finance ministers mobilize almost $20 billion for Ukraine

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) wealthy democracies concluded a summit in Germany on Friday by announcing a commitment of $19.8 billion (€18.7 billion) in financial support to prop up Ukraine's budget.

Russia's war on Ukraine has severely affected Kyiv's ability to collect taxes, and it is estimated the government will need €15 billion over the next three months to continue functioning.

Read more at G7 finance ministers mobilize almost $20 billion for Ukraine | News | DW | 20.05.2022

EU: Defence Force: Inside Nato, an EU army of the willing is forming - by Ingeborg Eliassen

A thundering roar splits the air above the snowy plain. For a few seconds, the profile of an F35 fighter jet is visible under the thick clouds. Then it is gone. In this Nato exercise in eastern Norway, the US-made combat aircraft is the only visible American element. The soldiers on the armoured vehicles of a fictitious attacker, and the fighters that lie in sniper positions in the bushes to stop them come from France, Poland and Spain. Are they the beginning of an EU army?

Norway is the neighbour that Russia has never occupied or been at war with. Hoping to keep it that way, every other year, the Norwegian Armed Forces invite its Nato allies to come and test their ability to help defend the country against unnamed external enemies in biting winds, freezing temperatures and snow. This year, over 30,000 troops from 27 countries are participating in the exercise, named ‘Cold Response’, bringing with them battle tanks, helicopters, attack airplanes and warships.

This exercise has happened many times before. But this year is different. Not least for the Polish contingent. The artificial theatre of war in Norway mirrors a deadly real ‘theatre of war’, as military people call it, in their neighbouring country, Ukraine.

This also explains why this year’s exercise needed two buses to transport all the visiting journalists and their cameras to the display of Nato force at Rena, a remote valley in the eastern Norwegian pine forests.

Both the Norwegian government and the Nato top brass could not seem to reiterate it enough: this exercise is not a threat to anybody. As Dutch admiral Rob Bauer said when he greeted the reporters who had come to watch the war games of French, Spanish, Polish and Norwegian troops, “this exercise is not directed against any specific country or region.” In fact, it has been planned for two years, and “all OSCE members were invited to send observers”, Bauer said.

Read more at: Inside Nato, an EU army of the willing is forming

US Economic Collapse: What Would Happen?

economy happened on September 16, 2008. This is the day the Reserve Primary Fund “broke the buck”—the value of the fund’s holdings dropped below $1 per share.1

Panicked investors withdrew billions from money market accounts where businesses keep cash to fund day-to-day operations.2 If withdrawals had gone on for even a week, and if the Fed and the U.S. government had not stepped in to shore up the financial sector, the entire economy would likely have ground to a halt. Trucks would have stopped rolling, grocery stores would have run out of food, and businesses would have been forced to shut down.

Read more at: US Economic Collapse: What Would Happen?

France: Can Macron renew himself? New term begins with change of French prime minister

Enter Elisabeth Borne, the 61-year old labour minister promoted to prime minister. How big a deal is the nomination of France's first female prime minister in 30 years? Cast from the same technocratic mould as Macron, originally a Socialist, she served as environment minister in a previous life. Does that make

All this begs the broader question of what France wants. Under Macron, it has already been through a transport strike, the Yellow Vest movement, Covid-19 and now the war in Ukraine. What do citizens expect from their leadership and their government in times that are more uncertain than ever?

Read more at: https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-debate/20220518-can-macron-renew-himself-new-term-begins-with-change-of-prime-minister

USA: 2024 Presidential Election Odds: Joe Biden Has a 17% Chance of Being Reelected

Las Vegas Betting Experts consider that based on his job performance US President Joe Biden, only has a 17% chance of being reelected in 2024. Not everyone agrees with that assessment given the head-winds the US President had to face: the Corona virus, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Interest Crises, local racial turmoil, US natural weather disasters. and a variety of other negatives, President Biden did remarkably well so far.

Read more at: 2024 Presidential Election Odds: Joe Biden Has a 17% Chance of Being Reelected

Russian Invasion Ukraine: How Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Amplify Food Insecurity in the Mideast

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has jeopardized food supplies across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region where many countries rely heavily on imports, especially staples such as wheat. Food insecurity was already a major challenge in the region as a result of climate change, water stress, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more at: How Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Amplify Food Insecurity in the Mideast | Council on Foreign Relations

Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Russia military veteran Khodaryonok in damning TV assessment of Ukraine war

In a country where independent media and commentary has all but disappeared, it’s become unusual to hear dissenting voices on the many state-controlled TV networks in Russia.

Voices critical of the Kremlin or the invasion are rarely heard, with most commentators publicly supportive of the war with Ukraine.

But one well-known military analyst and veteran has stood out this week after he appeared on state TV and gave a damning assessment of the invasion, or what Russia calls a “special military operation.”

In a country where independent media and commentary has all but disappeared from public view, it’s rare to hear dissenting voices on the many state-controlled TV networks in Russia — particularly now with the country at war with Ukraine.

But one well-known military analyst and veteran has stood out this week after he appeared on state TV and gave a damning assessment of the Ukraine invasion, or what Russia calls its “special military operation.”

“The situation, frankly speaking, will get worse for us,” Mikhail Khodaryonok, a retired Russian army colonel, told the “60 Minutes” talk show on Rossiya-1 TV program hosted by Olga Skabeyeva, who’s renowned for her pro-Kremlin stance.

“You should not swallow informational tranquilizers,” Khodaryonok told the host as he warned that Ukraine was in no way near being beaten by Russia, and that Kyiv could mobilize and arm a million people if it wanted to.

Khodaryonok, who is also a defense columnist for the gazeta.ru newspaper and a graduate of one of Russia’s elite military academies, according to Reuters, had previously warned the country against invading its neighbor Ukraine, saying it was not in Russia’s national interests.

His advice unheeded, Russia is now almost three months into a bloody conflict in Ukraine with only a few significant territorial gains in the east and south, and with the invasion likely to turn into a long-term war of attrition with Ukraine’s fighters showing a bravery and resilience underestimated by Moscow.

Read more at: Russia military veteran Khodaryonok in damning assessment of Ukraine war

Hungary: Orbán and US right to bond at Cpac in Hungary over ‘great replacement’ ideology - by Flora Garamvolgyi and Julian Borger

Hungary’s nationalist leader, Viktor Orbán, will be the star speaker at an extraordinary session of America’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to be held in Hungary this week, in an effort to cement bonds between the radical right on both sides of the Atlantic under the banner of the “great replacement” ideology.

In a speech on Monday, Orbán made explicit reference to the ideology, which claims there is a liberal plot to dilute the white populations of the US and European countries through immigration. Increasingly widespread among US Republicans, the creed was cited by the killer who opened fire on Saturday in a supermarket in a predominantly black area of Buffalo, New York.

Speaking in Buffalo on Tuesday, Joe Biden called it a “perverse ideology” and “a lie”.

“I call on all Americans to reject the lie. I condemn those who spread the lie for power, political gain and for profit,” Biden said. “We’ve now seen too many times the deadly and destructive violence this ideology unleashes.”

Read more at> Orbán and US right to bond at Cpac in Hungary over ‘great replacement’ ideology | Viktor Orbán | The Guardian

NATO: Why does Turkey want to block Finland and Sweden from NATO?

The Turkish government's assertion that they have issues agreeing to let Finland and Sweden join NATO has raised eyebrows in Helsinki and Stockholm in a week where the Nordic nations are submitting historic letters requesting NATO membership.

All 30 members of the military alliance must agree on admitting new members.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Finland and Sweden as a hatchery for terror groups.

Read more at: Why does Turkey want to block Finland and Sweden from NATO? | Euronews

EU: Netherlands offers military protection to Finland, Sweden ahead of NATO decision

Sweden and Finland can count on the protection of the Netherlands and other European countries pending their NATO membership, says Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. She explains that the EU countries have promised to come to each other's aid if one of them is attacked. The Netherlands can offer naval assistance, for example.

The traditionally neutral countries of Sweden and Finland said they no longer feel safe considering their proximity to Russia, and they want to join NATO. Russia is vehemently against this and is threatening reprisals. The two Northern European countries are asking what their Western allies can do to guarantee their security before they may be allowed to invoke NATO's protection. The United States, the United Kingdom, and a number of other Northern European countries have already issued security guarantees.

Read more at: Netherlands offers military protection to Finland, Sweden ahead of NATO decision | NL Times

USA: Wall Street in free fall as investors sell everything

Traders are hitting the sell button on virtually every key asset class — including stocks, bonds and bitcoin — ratcheting up the fear factor on Wall Street and sending the S&P reeling to its weakest levels in a year.

Why it matters: The Federal Reserve is laser-focused on taming inflation, and that’s making markets increasingly jittery as the U.S. economy sends mixed signals on growth. While we've seen the economy contract last quarter, the jobs market remains as robust as it’s ever been.

Meanwhile, however, China’s extraordinary push to tamp down COVID infections via lockdowns has sparked

This time it’s really different: The Fed’s pivot from super-accommodative to a “fire and brimstone” approach (in the words of JPMorgan global strategist Marko Kolanovic) to price pressures has sparked market volatility for weeks. But spiking bond yields, which are reacting to inflation and Fed expectations, underscore how government paper has relinquished its traditional role as a safe-haven when stocks are in turmoil.

Read more at: Wall Street in free fall as investors sell everything

Retirement strategies: Make careful decissions where you want to live when you retire.

If you are 65 or over, and looking for the ideal country to retire in, what should be the main criteria, experts say, you should be looking at ? A) Political stability B) Low crime rate C) Economic stability D) Good affordable Health Care E) Excellent Public Transportation Network F) Family proximity within 24 hr time frame, including flight time, and easy ability to make friends with locals G) No language barriers H) Seasonal Climate (Spring,Summer, Autumn and Winter - without extreme temperatures) However, DON'T MOVE from your present location if the above criteria is already available there where you are.

https://www.EU-Digest.blogspot.com

Russian Invasion Ukraine: Ukraine prepares to send bodies of dead Russian soldiers back home

Ukrainian troops are preparing to send the bodies of dead Russian soldiers back across the border. The authorities say they are acting in accordance with international law.

Soldiers' remains have been moved to a facility outside Kyiv before being loaded onto refrigerated trains awaiting transfer.

The head of Ukraine’s civil-military cooperation department says even though these transfers are part of international protocol, the Kremlin has not appealed for the bodies to be returned.

Read more at: Ukraine prepares to send bodies of dead Russian soldiers back home | Euronews

Turkey: Turkish President Erdogan's Outreach to Neighbors Has One Problem: Erdogan - by Bobby Ghosh

It is tempting to see in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent diplomatic maneuvers a return to Turkey’s vaunted “Zero Problems” foreign policy doctrine of the late 2000s, when Ankara aspired to amity with the wider Middle East. Having spent most of the past decade burning bridges across the region, Erdogan now seems keen to repair the damage.

But one problem remains: Erdogan himself. The president’s predilection for flame-throwing remains undimmed, and when faced with political difficulty at home, he tends to train his incendiary rhetoric on Turkey’s friends, near and far. For instance, he has likened Israel to Nazi Germany (Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov may have been taking notes), accused the United Arab Emirates of destabilizing the Middle East and said he would never talk to the Egyptian leader, General Abdel-Fattah El Sisi.

Read more at: Turkish President Erdogan's Outreach to Neighbors Has One Problem: Erdogan - Bloomberg

Ukraine Russian invasion: Five Signs War In Ukraine Is The Last Gasp Of The Putin Era - by Loren Thompson

When Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine two months ago, Western observers were aghast at what appeared to be a resurgence of Russian expansionism (often dubbed revanchism).

Eight weeks in, the landscape looks different. Moscow’s plans for a quick occupation have collapsed, to be replaced by a grinding war of attrition that is beginning to resemble a quagmire.

Those of us who thought Putin would be too smart to undertake such a campaign were obviously wrong, even though our predictions of what would go wrong have been largely validated.

So maybe the time has come for a broader reassessment of where Putin’s Russia stands today, and to consider the possibility that rather than being resurgent, it is in an advanced state of decay—the kind of decay causing its leaders to lash out in the way Lenin predicted capitalism would in its death throes.

Read more at: Five Signs War In Ukraine Is The Last Gasp Of The Putin Era

US - STILL NO PROPER GUN CONTROL IN AMERICA: Buffalo New York shooting: teenager accused of killing 10 in racist supermarket attack

A teenager in military-style clothing opened fire with a rifle at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in a shooting that officials called a “hate crime and racially motivated violent extremism”, killing 10 people and wounding three others before surrendering to police on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Police officials said the 18-year-old, who is white, was wearing body armour and military-style clothing when he pulled up and started shooting at a Tops Friendly Market at about 2.30pm. The attack was streamed via a camera fixed to the man’s helmet.

Later, he appeared before a judge in a paper medical gown and was arraigned on murder charges.

Note EU Digest:Yesterday, also, a man opened fire during a lunch reception at a southern California church, killing one person and wounding five senior citizens before a pastor hit the gunman on the head with a chair and parishioners tied him up with electrical cords. All this, as politicians in America continue to do verty little about passing the proper legislation to stop this violence and murder of innocent human beings by even selling weapons to insanene people.

Read more at: Buffalo shooting: teenager accused of killing 10 in racist supermarket attack | New York | The Guardian

Russia: Putin Seriously Ill, Says Ex-Spy. Blood Cancer, Says Oligarch

Russian President Vladimir Putin is "seriously ill" and it is an "element" of what is happening in Ukraine, said a former British spy. "It's not clear exactly what this illness is - whether it's incurable or terminal, or whatever. But certainly, I think it's part of the equation," he said.

Christopher Steele, who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election campaign, told Sky News: "Certainly, from what we're hearing from sources in Russia and elsewhere, is that Putin is, in fact, quite seriously ill."

Meahile, an oligarch with close ties to the Russian leader has reportedly been recorded as saying "Putin is very ill with blood cancer". In a recording obtained by a US magazine New Lines, the unnamed oligarch was heard discussing Putin's health with a Western venture capitalist.

Speculations around the Russian President's health intensified since the Ukraine war as the leaders appeared frail at public events including the Victory Day celebrations last week. In the photos and videos doing the on social media, Putin had a thick green cover draped over his legs as he sat among Second World War veterans and senior dignitaries to watch a military parade in Moscow's Red Square.

Read more at: Putin Seriously Ill, Says Ex-Spy. Blood Cancer, Says Oligarch: Reports

Ukraine wins Eurovision Song Contest 2022

The Grand Final of Eurovision Song Contest 2022 took place live from Turin, Italy, where 25 countries competed for the trophy, and the honor of hosting next year's Eurovision Song Contest.

After 4 hours of music, performances, entertainment and excitement, Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine was crowned as the winner of the 65th Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Stefania".

The televoters from 28 of 39 countries gave 12 points to Ukraine. With 439 points from televoting it was the most points a country has ever received from the public. Ukraine was just 29 points from the highest

After Kalush Orchestra performed their song, they addressed the millions of viewers who watched them saying: "Save Mariupol, Save Ukraine and Help Azovstal".

Read more at Ukraine wins Eurovision Song Contest 2022

Portugal - retirement: Expats are moving to Portugal, taking gentrification with them - by Jaweed Kaleem

Jamie Dixon landed in this hilly seaside town nine months ago, ditching her luxury trailer in Malibu for a two-floor rooftop apartment that’s twice the size for a fraction of the rent.

Her escape from her native California came amid growing costs of living, encroaching wildfires and a waning sense of safety after the burglary of a neighbor’s home. The fitness-trainer-turned-startup-worker decided it was time to reinvent herself in a foreign land, but like many American expats she didn’t want to feel too far from home.

In this wealthy enclave about 15 miles from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, she found her slice of California on the west coast of Europe: ocean breezes, mountain views, hot spring days on palm-tree-lined promenades, and the glow of sunsets that seep into the night.

Read more at: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-05-12/california-expats-portugal-relocation-lisbon

Ukraine: Germany′s Scholz and Russia′s Putin discuss stalled peace talks

In heir first phone call in weeks, Germany's Scholz and Russia's Putin spoke about the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU said it would provide Ukraine with another €500 million for military aid.

Read more at: Ukraine: Germany′s Scholz and Russia′s Putin discuss stalled peace talks — live updates | News | DW | 13.05.2022

Russia Ukraine Invasion: Putin’s Ukraine threats may backfire on Russia, says energy chief - by Fiona Harvey

Vladimir Putin’s threats over Ukraine could backfire to damage the Russian economy, the head of the International Energy Agency has warned, as any escalation of the current tension would cause a “seismic” upheaval of the EU energy market that would have “more consequences for Russia” than for Europe.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the global energy watchdog, said that if Russia reduced gas supplies further it would prompt European countries to seek urgently to shift away from Russian gas, which would hurt Putin economically.

“If Russia stops the gas supply to Europe, it could have a seismic impact on European energy. [Russia] has to consider the consequences if existing oil and gas supplies to Europe are halted,” Birol told the Guardian.

Read More at: Putin’s Ukraine threats may backfire on Russia, says energy chief | Russia | The Guardian

Finland-NATO relations: Russia may cut gas supplies to Finland over its decision to join NATO

Hours after Moscow threatened retaliation against Finland for its decision to apply for NATO membership, Finnish media reported that the Kremlin has threatened to cut off the country's access to Russian gas by May 13. Finland's Iltalehti media agency, citing unnamed sources, reported Russia's warning made to politicians.

Finland is expected to be cut off from Russian gas after May 23, when its next contract payment with Gazprom is due and the country refuses to pay in rubles, according to the local media outlet. It is worth mentioning that Russia cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria in late April after they refused to pay

However, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen told Iltalehti on May 12 that he couldn't confirm the warning. Meanwhile, working groups had been notified of "various scenarios of Russia’s retaliation," according to parliamentary group head Ville Tavio, who noted that preparations had already been made.

Read more at: Russia may cut gas supplies to Finland over its decision to join NATO: Report

The Netherlands: Chaos at Schiphol Airport continues, staffing issues will take time to fix

he meivakantie - typically one of the busiest times of the year for Dutch airports - kicked off with an unexpected strike amongst KLM baggage handlers on April 23, leading to a number of flights being severely delayed or even cancelled, and leaving families disappointed about disrupted holiday plans.

Even once the strike was called off and unions appeared to reach an agreement with KLM management, the chaos at Schiphol Airport continued. With the airport suffering from considerable staff shortages following the coronavirus pandemic, management called on airlines to scrap flights over the weekend to prevent excessive crowds. At Schiphol’s request, KLM cancelled at least 47 flights, while other airlines - including Transavia, Tui and Corendon - rerouted flights to other airports in the Netherlands.

Holidaymakers face long queues and delays at biggest Dutch airport In spite of these scheduling changes, travellers continued to face excessive queues and long wait times over the weekend. On Saturday, some passengers faced queues of up to two hours for security, while others had to wait outside for their baggage after landing. Firefighters handed out bottles of water to passengers queueing to check in for their flights.

“It was very busy at the airport all afternoon,” a spokesperson said on Sunday, “but the crowds are and were manageable.” The airport expects large crowds on Monday too, but is confident that the worst is over. "It will still be a holiday on Monday, so it is very likely that it will be busy again and people will have to wait longer than usual."

Mark Harbers, State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, has recognised the issues staff and travellers currently face at the Netherlands’ biggest airport, but says it’ll take some time before these will be resolved: “Staff shortages are a problem that extends beyond the aviation sector, and which cannot be solved 1, 2, 3."

Read more at: Chaos at Schiphol continues, staffing issues will take time to fix

Russian Invasion Ukraine: US senator delays $40bn Ukraine aid package

“Helping Ukraine is not an instance of mere philanthropy,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the chamber’s highest-ranking Republican, said on Thursday. “It bears directly on America’s national security and vital interests that Russia’s naked aggression not succeed and carries significant costs.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Democrat, accused Paul of making “reckless demands”.

Read more at: US senator delays $40bn Ukraine aid package | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

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Russian Invasion Ukraine: Russian Forces May Soon Be Forced Out of Artillery Range of Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces may soon force Russian troops out of artillery range of Kharkiv, according to an assessment that says the fight in the Donbass region is entering a decisive phase.

U.S. think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Friday that over the previous 24 hours, Ukrainian forces had captured several settlements north east of Ukraine's second largest city in an operation which has developed into a "successful, broader counteroffensive."

Reead more at: Russian Forces May Soon Be Forced Out of Artillery Range of Kharkiv: Report

German defense chief recommends international security zone in Syria

The current situation in Syria "requires a stronger European initiative," said Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in an interview with DW. A deployment of German troops to the region, however, must be decided by parliament.

Germany's proposal for the establishment of an internationally controlled security zone in Syria would be in cooperation with Turkey and Russia, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told DW in an exclusive interview Monday evening.

"This security zone would seek to resume the fight against terror and against the 'Islamic State,' which has currently come to a standstill," she said. "It would also ensure that we stabilize the region so that rebuilding civilian life is once again possible, and so that those who have fled can also return 

‘Russian Atrocities Ukraine: Not isolated incidents’: Amnesty accuses Russia of war crimes

Amnesty International says it has documented war crimes in Ukraine, including the “wilful killings of civilians” by Russian forces when they occupied an area northeast of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, in February and March.
Civilians have also suffered abuse such as “reckless shootings and torture” at the hands of Russian forces in the early stages of Russia’s invasion, the rights group said in a report published on Friday.

Read more at: ‘Not isolated incidents’: Amnesty accuses Russia of war crimes | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

USA: Main Street is convinced that a recession will hit economy this ye - by Eric Rosenbaum

Main Street and Wall Street are often at a distance when it comes to the state of the economy. The likelihood of a recession hitting in 2022 is the latest example. Both camps are bearish, but small business owners are leading the way in negative sentiment — by a notable margin

Read more at: Main Street is convinced that a recession will hit economy this year

Russia Ukraine invasion: Nato and US (give Putin the middle finger) and say No to Putin's ultimatum

The US and Nato have formally rejected Russia's demands to withdraw Western forces from eastern Europe and abandon Ukraine.

"We cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which the security of our alliance and security in Europe and North America rest," Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (26 January).

"This includes the right of each nation to choose its own security arrangements. Russia should refrain from coercive force posturing, aggressive rhetoric, and malign activities directed against allies and other nations," he added.

Nato, the same day, "in parallel" with the US, conveyed "written proposals" to Russia for new security arrangements in Europe, Stoltenberg said.

The Western proposals included reopening Russia-Nato embassies in Brussels and Moscow and making more use of "military-to-military channels of communications" to reduce the risk of an accidental clash. They also included nuclear arms control and greater "transparency" on military exercises. But they fell far short of Russian president Vladimir Putin's demands, issued last December, and they underlined that Ukraine was free to seek Nato membership whether Putin liked it or not.

And Nato was sending more troops, fighter jets, and warships to the east in reaction to Russia's aggressive posture, Stoltenberg added, instead of withdrawing from the region, as Putin had demanded.

"We are removing any question about our ability to defend and protect all allies by increasing the presence in the eastern part of the alliance," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg nodded to the outlandish nature of Russia's earlier demands, which many Western commentators saw as a propaganda hoax. "There's no secret that we are far apart," Stoltenberg said. "Tensions are increasing. Russia continues its military build-up. And we see also more troops not only in and around Ukraine, but also now in Belarus ... and this takes place under the disguise of an exercise," he added.

"We are not naïve," Stoltenberg said.

"We are hoping for, and working for, a good solution, de-escalation, we are also prepared for the worst," he said.

Meanwhile, the US version of the Western proposals were personally handed over by the US ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, at the Russian foreign ministry on Wednesday for greater effect. "Putting things in writing is ... a good way to make sure we're as precise as possible," US secretary of state Antony Blinken said. "It remains up to Russia to decide how to respond ... We're ready either way", he said. The West had offered Russia "a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it", he noted. "There should be no doubt about our seriousness of purpose when it comes to diplomacy, and we're acting with equal focus and force to bolster Ukraine's defences and prepare a swift united response to further Russian aggression," Blinken said.

"This is about respecting the right for self-determination," Stoltenberg said.

Read more at: Nato and US say No to Putin's ultimatum

Ukraine War Likely Ends With Putin's Death says Official - by Thomas Kika

A major Ukrainian official implied that Russia's invasion of the country can only end with the death of its leader, Vladimir Putin.

Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Chief, spoke with The New Voice of Ukraine in an interview published on Monday. Budanov said it was very likely that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will result in Putin's demise, and said that his country's victory is assured.

"Don't worry, Ukraine will win," Budanov said.

Read more at: Ukraine War Likely Ends With Putin's Death: Official

The Netherlands: Dutch king lays wreath, thousands attend remembrance event

Dutch King Willem-Alexander laid a wreath Wednesday at a war memorial in Amsterdam during the first national commemoration of the country's war dead since coronavirus restrictions were lifted earlier this year.

Thousands of people — including at least one draped in a Ukrainian flag — observed two minutes of silence at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) on the Dutch capital's Dam Square. It was a marked difference from the last two May 4 wreath-laying ceremonies in Amsterdam, which were held without public attendance because of COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Amid the memories of past conflicts, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema alluded to the war in Ukraine when she described in a speech photographs of death and destruction following a bombing raid on the Dutch capital during World War II. “They are old photos, but the imagery is current,” she said.

Read more at: Dutch king lays wreath, thousands attend remembrance event | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source

USA Derailing - What is happening to Amerca ? - my favorite beacon of Democracy - by RM

To all of us who care and still have an interest in the survival of the US as a beacon of Democracy, things are not looking good.

In Ohio at the Republican primary, the candidate supported by the former president, a crook, lier, imposter, who should be in jail, won the primary.

This, in a country where now all major Social Media is in hands of US oligarchs, while no proper gun control laws in the US are resulting in the death of a record number of US innocent lives.

Internationally, in Ukraine, the population is slowly but surely being exterminated by Russian troops, led by the crazed power hungry Putin, while the US and her Western allies are too scared to issue Putin an ultimatum to negotiate or else, for fear of a nuclear war, giving Putin the opportunity to continue nibbling away at Europe, All this while China becomes the new Global Power, which in a way is already happened.
.
ANYWAY In order to end this pessimistic note with a French conclusion: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose : the more that changes, the more it's the same thing ".

Read more at: kttpa://www.eu-digest.blogspot.com

China -US Relations: Can the US Deter a Taiwan Invasion? – by David Gitter

As the world comes to grips with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the questions surrounding why Western deterrence has seemingly failed to prevent such a situation will be hotly debated. But beyond the implications for the United States and Europe, perhaps the most common analysis being made, rightly or not, compares Russia President Vladimir Putin’s designs on Ukraine with Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s machinations regarding Taiwan (formally the Republic of China, or ROC), a de facto independent state that Beijing claims to be part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Some observers have opined that a weak response by the United States and its allies in Europe will embolden Xi to undertake a military takeover of the island. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield addressed this line of thinking in an interview with CNN when she stated, “As it relates to Taiwan and China, we are committed to protecting the security and supporting the security of the people of Taiwan… if China is making efforts toward Taiwan because of what they see happening in Ukraine, these are two different types of situations.”

Briefly explained, the roots of strategic ambiguity are found in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which states that the United States will maintain the capacity to defend Taiwan but does not state whether or not the United States would actually militarily intervene if the PRC attacked – ultimately this remains a U.S. presidential decision. Strategic ambiguity has allowed the United States to protect its normalized relations with China from being completely derailed by a Taiwan-U.S. alliance while still threatening to quash a Chinese cross-strait attack. It has also helped prevent Taiwan’s more independence-leaning leaders from assuming they had a blank check from Washington to declare de jure independence, which would risk provoking a China-U.S. war in the process.

Read more at:" Can the US Deter a Taiwan Invasion? – The Diplomat

EU: ,Has the war in Ukraine made the EU a geopolitical actor? – by Nicoletta Pirozzi

The war in Ukraine represents the greatest geopolitical challenge facing the European Union. Moscow attacked Kiev with explicitly imperialist aims, with a view to restoring what it considers its rightful ‘sphere of influence’ in the European neighbourhood, thus implicitly threatening other European countries (including EU members).

The aggression also entails a systemic element. Vladimir Putin’s Russia is promoting an autocratic-state model in the European neighbourhood, in contrast to the democratic polity towards which countries such as Ukraine and Georgia have been striving—the value system on which the EU is founded and which it seeks to project.

This has led the union to rethink radically its relations with Russia. The traditionally co-operative approach is giving way to a sort of containment strategy, which will last for the foreseeable future. Hence the reflection on how to end the energy and technological dependencies that bind Europe to Russia, the offer of substantial support to democracy in countries threatened by its expansionism and the defence of the resilience of our societies from Russian interference through disinformation and cyber assaults.

Most fundamentally, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed the EU to exercise a proactive role at regional and global levels, thus testing its ability to implement the ‘strategic autonomy’ it has been advocating for a long time. And in its immediate reaction to the menace coming from east, the EU has shown a unity and resolve many—perhaps including Putin—did not expect.

Read more at: Has the war in Ukraine made the EU a geopolitical actor? – Nicoletta Pirozzi

Russian invasion Ukraine: NATO Troops to Conduct War Exercises Across Europe to Deter Russia

Tens of thousands of troops from NATO and other north Atlantic nations will take part in a series of military exercises across Europe in the coming weeks as western countries seek to deter Russian aggression.

The exercises, backed by aircraft, tanks, artillery and armored assault vehicles, will take place in Finland, Poland, North Macedonia and along the Estonian-Latvian border. They will include troops from NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, which includes non-NATO members Finland and Sweden.

“The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century,” Lt. Gen. Ralph Wooddisse, commander of the U.K.’s field army, said in a statement.

The deployments will begin this week in Finland, where troops from the U.S., Britain, Estonia and Latvia will participate in Exercise Arrow to improve their ability to work alongside Finnish forces.

Also this week, some 4,500 troops will take part in Exercise Swift Response, which will include parachute drops and helicopter-borne assaults in North Macedonia. The operation will include forces from U.S., Britain, Albania, France and Italy.

Next month, 18,000 NATO troops, including forces from Britain, France and Denmark, will take part in Exercise Hedgehog along the Estonia-Latvia border.

In late May, about 1,000 British soldiers will join troops from 11 other nations for Exercise Defender in Poland.

Read more at NATO Troops to Conduct War Exercises Across Europe to Deter Russia – NBC Boston

Russia - Ukraine invasion: Putin Preparing Russians for War With NATO

Recent threats made by Russian officials about retaliation against countries interfering in Ukraine may serve a dual purpose of warning off Western powers while also building favor among Russian citizens should a full conflict with NATO break out, according to experts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a Wednesday address that any countries who "create a strategic threat to Russia" during its war in Ukraine can expect "retaliatory strikes" that would be "lightning-fast." Days before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that "NATO is essentially going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy."

Various experts who spoke with Newsweek recently said Russian officials have increased the amount of threatening rhetoric as a way of stoking fear in NATO allies. Some experts also feel it's an effort to win over the hearts and minds of the Russian public.

Read more at: Putin Preparing Russians for War With NATO

Russian Sanctions: Credit Suisse sued in U.S. over alleged business related to oligarchs

A group of people and entities have filed a class action lawsuit against Credit Suisse, alleging that the Swiss bank misled investors over business dealings related to Russian oligarchs, law firm Pomerantz LLP said.

Credit Suisse did not comment when contacted by Reuters.

The lawsuit, filed in a New York district court, is on behalf of people and entities who acquired Credit Suisse securities between March 19, 2021 and March 25, 2022, Pomerantz said in a statement issued late on Friday.

“The complaint alleges that, throughout the class period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the company’s business, operations, and compliance policies,” Pomerantz said in the statement.

Read more at: Credit Suisse sued in U.S. over alleged business related to oligarchs – Metro US

France - Ukraine relations: Macron says France to 'intensify' military, humanitarian aid to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that France would "intensify" its supply of military and humanitarian support following a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

Read more at: Macron says France to 'intensify' military, humanitarian aid to Ukraine - The Local