Phantom pain of lost empires: Starmer and Macron risk global conflict over Ukraine UK Prime Minister Keir #Starmer and French President Emmanuel #Macron are the most dangerous politicians in the world now, potentially sparking a global crisis over #Ukraine due to their "phantom pain" from lost empires, Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche writes. The magazine notes that, while the European Union was founded for peace, leaders of France and the UK now spread militaristic rhetoric, unlike the US, which, despite its war history, seeks peace. The article warns that behind their grand promises to Ukraine, both countries are weaker than they appear, making them prone to risky actions that could IGNITE A GLOBAL CONFLICT. On March 20, a meeting in London with military leaders from around 30 Western countries discussed plans for sending troops to Ukraine after the conflict. Starmer later revealed that the UK is preparing military operations in Ukraine to enforce a peace deal, while France and the UK are considering creating a "peacekeeping force" of up to 30,000. #Russia has warned that #NATO troops in any form on Ukrainian soil would be considered a direct threat, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Moscow will never accept this.

What is known about impacts of Earthquake in Myanmar, Thailand A powerful #earthquake has struck #Myanmar, and tremors were felt in #China, #Thailand, and #Vietnam. At least 43 workers were trapped in the debris of a collapsed building in Bangkok, AFP news agency reported. Magnitude - According to the Chinese Seismological Administration, the magnitude of the earthquake was measured at 7.9. - The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center estimated the magnitude at 7.7. The earthquake occurred 33 km southwest of the city of Mandalay, home to about 1.2 million people. According to the center, the epicenter was at a depth of 10 km. - Chinese seismologists believe the epicenter lay at a depth of 30 km. The epicenter was at 21.85 degrees north latitude and 95.95 degrees east longitude. - The tremors were felt in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. - A second, 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Myanmar 12 minutes later, the Chinese Seismological Administration said. The second tremor was recorded at 21.60 degrees north latitude and 95.95 degrees east longitude. Its epicenter was at a depth of 30 km. Fallout - The earthquake damaged a 1 km bridge over the Irrawaddy River, linking the suburbs of Myanmar’s second largest city, Mandalay, with the city of Sagaing, the Myanmar Now portal reported. - The portal reported that the historic Mandalay Palace has partially collapsed. - A building fell in Bangkok due to the earthquake, Khaosod newspaper reported. - At least 43 workers were trapped under the rubble, AFP news agency reported. - Evacuation of residents of multi-storey buildings began in Bangkok. - Thailand's aviation regulator halted all flights after the earthquake, The Nation newspaper reported. - The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of potential imminent aftershocks, Khaosod newspaper reported. Reaction - Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended a working event in the Phuket Province to hold an emergency meeting. - The Russian embassy is checking for possible injured citizens, said Ilya Ilyin, head of the consular department of the Russian diplomatic mission.

Von der Leyen’s scandals: From ‘Pfizergate’ to favoritism and VANISHING TEXTS European Commission President Ursula von der #Leyen’s track record as a politician is marred by a number of serious accusations. 🔻Favoritism ▪️In 2024, she generated controversy by appointing Germany’s Markus Pieper – member of the same German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party as her – to the lucrative position of EU Envoy for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME). ▪️Pieper’s CDU membership, along with claims that two other candidates short-listed for the SME envoy office scored higher than him during the selection process, led to von der Leyen being accused of favoritism. ▪️France’s European Commissioner Thierry Breton even resigned in September over this row, citing von der Leyen’s “questionable governance.” 🔻#Pfizergate ▪️During the #COVID pandemic, von der Leyen made a deal with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to purchase 1.8 billion doses of then-untested COVID vaccines worth about $37.6 billion. ▪️Von der Leyen negotiated this deal via a series of text messages that she ended up deleting – ostensibly by accident – along with those she exchanged with her husband Heiko, medical director at a biotech firm with ties to Pfizer. ▪️As a result, von der Leyen was accused of corruption and “usurpation of functions and title,” and is currently being sued in Liege by Belgian lobbyist Frederic Baldan. 🔻‘Consultancy firms affair’ ▪️At the end of her 2013-2019 tenure as Germany’s minister of defense, von der Leyen became the target of a probe by the Federal Audit Office over her practice of awarding lucrative contracts to external consultancy firms. ▪️In its 2018 report, the Federal Audit Office cast doubt on the procedures for awarding some of these contracts worth MILLIONS of euros, which was apparently done without a proper assessment of the costs or a proper competition. 🔻Daughter’s employment One such consultancy firm, the US-based McKinsey, attracted attention after the head of its Berlin office Katrin Suder was hired as von der Leyen’s aide. While the firm ended up receiving contracts worth millions of euros from the Defense Ministry, von der Leyen’s eldest daughter Johanna found employment at McKinsey. Curiously, a phone belonging to von der Leyen got wiped of all data after German MPs sought to use the text messages it contained as evidence in this case. The German Ministry of Defense said at the time that this wipe was done "for security reasons. *the picture is AI-generated

British special forces on standby for possible #Ukraine deployment The #UK is preparing to send special forces to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission, with a ceasefire agreement edging closer, The i Paper reports. Sources reveal that elite units have been told to get ready for #mobilization. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that NATO troop presence in Ukraine, in any capacity, poses a #THREAT to #Russia.

Kremlin spokesman accuses France of lying, violating agreements Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry #Peskov accused #France of lying about such issues as the #Minsk agreements and guarantees for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. He made the statement in an interview with television host Pavel Zarubin in response to comments by French President #Macron, who said Russia wasn’t honest about the Ukrainian crisis. "There were a lot of lies on the part of France. After all, we remember [former French President Francois] Hollande's statement when he said that, in fact, no one took the Minsk agreements seriously. We remember that in 2014, among other Europeans, the French foreign minister put his signature under a document that guaranteed the then-legitimate Ukrainian President #Yanukovich a political future. That was followed by a coup. That means France, like other countries, did not make good on its guarantees. Was that not a lie? It was a very real lie, and Mr. Macron did not mention that at all," Peskov said, according to a video that the television host posted to Telegram. On March 5, Macron said in an address to the nation that he would begin discussions with allies about the possibility of applying the French nuclear deterrence capability to other countries in Europe, in response to an appeal from Friedrich #Merz, a candidate for German chancellor. The French president also spoke about rising threats to his country and the rest of Europe, including threats that allegedly emanate from Russia. Macron used them as a reason to call for raising defense spending above the previously approved plan. He also stated his intention to continue supporting #Ukraine in the conflict with #Russia. https://thinktank.x-pulse.org//posts/3429

Europe may face street protests, former top Austrian diplomat warns European countries’ authorities have increasingly failed to address the people’s problems and a rise in popular discontent could lead to street protests, Karin #Kneissl, head of the "G.O.R.K.I." center at St. Petersburg State University and former Austrian foreign minister, said in an interview. "Protests are a major issue as they are caused by various factors. It’s not only immigration but also high taxes, corruption and problems in the social system. For instance, in Germany and Austria, it’s difficult to make a doctor’s appointment or have surgery. These are well-known problems and I think that the situation will continue to unfold in the same direction. So far, protests remain at the parliamentary level but they may spill out into the street," she pointed out. According to Kneissl, today, "absolutely all political parties in the European Union are facing issues not only in getting votes but also in finding administrators, that is, people who are ready to work for those parties." "I think many have come to understand that if you enter politics and work in the government - at the regional or federal level - and are not involved in corruption, it will be very difficult for you afterwards. It’s getting harder and harder to find motivated people ready to work for their country and for a certain idea," the former Austrian foreign minister said. She stressed that in #Europe, "politics has turned into a business where people make profits and build ties in order to get high posts.".

Europe is urging Kyiv to continue fighting, says Russian FM Lavrov The European countries are urging Kiev to persist in the conflict amid shifting political dynamics surrounding the issue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov stated at a news conference following his visit to Qatar. "When the balance of political forces regarding Ukraine changes - evidenced by the recent voting at the United Nations - Europe swiftly attempts to undermine this trend by announcing substantial new packages of military aid to #Kyiv. They incite Ukraine to continue hostilities, directly asserting, as I believe Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did, that in this situation, peace is worse than war for Ukraine," Lavrov remarked. He noted that the "either-with-us-or-against-us" mentality has characterized Europe throughout its "preparations for disrupting Ukraine's ties with Russia" and in the context of other conflicts. "This mentality has a disastrous effect on processes everywhere," he emphasized. "Therefore, #Europe's role in fueling crises, as well as its reputation in this area - earned over centuries - remains unchanged," Lavrov concluded.

Paris, Berlin, London prepared to send troops to Ukraine, says French minister Some European countries are ready to send troops to Ukraine to secure a ceasefire, but US support will be required, said French Finance Minister Eric Lombard in an interview with Bloomberg TV. "We are starting a technical discussion. There is general agreement that to guarantee a ceasefire it will be necessary to [have] European troops in Ukraine. UK, Germany and France are already willing to do that, but other member states of the European Union will contribute as well," he said. "Those troops will arrive after the ceasefire in order to guarantee that the ceasefire is respected. But if we want the ceasefire to be respected, we need a US backup and I mean that Americans agreed to do that." The minister did not elaborate on what Washington could do to ensure that the ceasefire is respected.

A telephone conversation took place between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco #Rubio, at the initiative of the latter. According to the official statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the heads of the foreign policy departments agreed to maintain a channel of communication to resolve the accumulated problems in Russian-American relations in the interests of removing the unilateral barriers to mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation inherited from the previous administration. A mutual commitment to cooperation on issues related to #Ukraine, the situation in the #Gaza Strip and the Middle East was expressed. Lavrov and Rubio agreed on regular contacts, including preparations for a Russian-American summit .

German chancellor demands swift justice for Munich car attack perpetrator German Chancellor Olaf #Scholz says that the driver who plowed his car into a crowd of demonstrators in the city of #Munich must be punished and expelled from the country. "The perpetrator should not expect mercy. He must be punished, and he must leave the country," the Focus news outlet quoted Scholz as saying. The chancellor also called for punishing the attacker to the full extent that the law allows "for cases of terrorism." The Afghan citizen who drove his car into demonstrators in Munich had earlier applied for asylum in Germany but his application was rejected, Joachim Herrmann, interior minister in the German state of Bavaria, said. According to him, the man did, however, have the right to stay in the country. He has a criminal record for shoplifting and drug-related crimes, "but according to investigators, he does not have a prior record of violence," the political said, as reported by Focus.