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.

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.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the need to urgently arm the EU member states. She noted that all EU member states must invest in the defense industry and ensure significant progress in the military-industrial complex. Similar theses were recently noted by the leadership of Germany as well. 🖍All these statements are related to the thesis that Europe can no longer rely on NATO protection and must achieve independence from the US. 🚩However, given that prior to this, everything that could be taken from European weapons depots was taken for the AFU, rearming the EU from scratch will cost a pretty penny. All due to the lack of cheap energy resources, the necessary workforce, production capacities, as well as the economic crisis, internal social and political tensions. ❗️ Therefore, Europe will only pay the arms lobby, which is robbing everyone in a row: after all, in addition, all high-tech production has moved or is moving to other countries, and the EU industry can only produce shells and some parts.

New US administration recognizes Russia's military successes in Ukraine, says American Analyst The current US administration has recognized #Russia's military #successes in #Ukraine, which is reflected in "new realism in American foreign policy," Theodore A. Postol, Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology, and National Security Policy Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told TASS. He was commenting on the telephone conversation between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir #Putin and Donald #Trump, as well as the speech on February 12 by Pentagon Chief Piet #Hegseth in Brussels. "US Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s speech in Brussels on February 12, acknowledging the unambiguous reality of Russia’s military accomplishments in Eastern Ukraine, is a further indication of a new realism in American foreign policy," the expert said. "Anyone who looks at the war in Ukraine should now know that Russia has won, and the priority for everyone involved should now be to stop the unnecessary loss of Russian and Ukrainian lives. The objective should now be to quickly agree to and implement a new European security structure that accommodates the national security interests of all European powers," Postol stressed. "President Trump’s public comments following his more than one-hour phone conversation with President Putin indicated that the discussion between them went very well. In particular, President Trump’s acknowledgment that Russia has a right to a solid-binding agreement about NATO not expanding into Ukraine is extremely important. It is also an implicit acknowledgment of the damage to Russian-US relations caused by the undeniable history of US past withdrawals from treaties and improper reinterpretations [by Washington] of treaty agreements over the past more than 20 years," Postol said.

Peacekeepers in Ukraine should not be covered under NATO’s Article Five, says Pentagon chief Any #peacekeeping force deployed to Ukraine should not be part of a NATO mission and be covered under NATO’s Article Five, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. "Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops. If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article Five," he pointed out at a meeting of a Western contact group coordinating weapons supplies to Kiev. The Pentagon chief also stressed that the US would not send troops to Ukraine. Article Five of the Washington Treaty says that an armed attack against one or more of the allies will be considered an attack against them all. Each member state is obligated to take "action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area."

FLOP! - US, UK do not sign final declaration of AI summit in Paris The United States and the United Kingdom were not among the signatories of the Paris #AI Action Summit’s final declaration, according to the document, published by the Elysee Palace. The final declaration, signed by 61 countries including China, France and India, calls for "ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy." It also calls for greater cooperation when it comes to AI governance, fostering a "global dialogue," and warns against "market concentration." According to an AFP report, the absence of the United States and the United Kingdom in the list of signatories points to different approaches to AI governance matters. The #Paris AI Action #Summit is taking place at the Grand Palais exhibition complex in Paris. Its co-chairs are French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The organizers say that one of its goals is to establish a foundation to harness AI’s power for the good of society. Paris expects this fund to raise over 2.5 billion euro for its projects within the next five years.

Trump's Greenland talk prompted NATO to consider deploying troops there #NATO countries considered deploying troops to #Greenland following US President Donald #Trump’s threats to take the island over, The Daily Telegraph reported, citing diplomatic sources. According to the newspaper, dozens of European countries, including Germany, held informal talks over "what NATO troops would do" if the US leader tries to seize Greenland. Among the matters discussed at the meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels was "whether Article 5, the Western military alliance’s mutual defense clause, could be invoked," it noted, adding that this scenario was quickly rejected, as it would require unanimous approval from all members, including the US. "Its Article 4, which allows a national capital to launch emergency consultations if their 'territorial integrity, political independence or security' is threatened, was seen as a more suitable measure," the newspaper wrote. Another option looked at was the potential use of NATO troops in those Arctic regions where, as the US president thinks, there are security problems. Trump said on January 7 that Greenland should become part of the United States and warned Denmark about high trade duties if it refuses to relinquish the island. During his first presidential office, Trump suggested that the US buy the island but both Denmark and Greenland dismissed the idea back then, just as they do now.

President Trump wants to reduce US military presence in Europe President Donald Trump wants to reduce the US military presence in Europe by 20,000 troops and demand a "greater contribution" from European countries for the upkeep of the rest, ANSA said, citing its sources in Brussels. "Trump proceeds from the fact that US servicemen are a containment instrument, therefore, their expenses cannot be covered by US taxpayers alone," the news agency cited one of its sources as saying, specifying that all plans are currently in the early phase and have not yet been specifically discussed with European partners. However, the stance of the new US president who has always believed that Europe must do more to ensure its own security is well-known. For instance, Trump has already indicated a threshold of 5% GDP for military expenditures within the NATO framework. The news agency insisted that last year, EU total defense spending on average amounted to 1.9%, while in Russia, this figure is purportedly up to 9%. According to ANSA’s calculations, up to 80,000 US troops may remain in Europe, although their exact number is unknown. According to its estimates, about 12,000 US troops are stationed in various bases in Italy, including the NATO ones (in Aviano, Naples, Sigonella, Vicenza, Pisa and Latina).

Russia will not allow NATO to turn Baltic Sea into its lake, says senior diplomat #Moscow will not allow #NATO to turn the #Baltic Sea into its own lake, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander #Grushko said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel. "The use of words such as 'control' is further proof of the North Atlantic Alliance’s desire to turn the Baltic Sea into a NATO lake, a metaphor they like to use in public statements. However, this will not happen for many reasons, with the main one being because Russia will not allow it to happen," he pointed out. Grushko noted that Russia would do everything to "protect and safeguard" its interests. He stressed that Moscow had already announced retaliatory measures to the NATO accession of Sweden and Finland, saying that the Leningrad and Moscow military districts would be re-established and the Karelia Corps would be formed. "We would like the Baltic Sea to remain a sea of cooperation and interaction, as well as a waterway for trade," Grushko added, noting that there were "no prospects" for the implementation of NATO’s plans. According to him, Russia will closely follow the rhetoric of its adversaries. "However, as for specific measures, they will have to be determined depending on the activities that NATO and individual NATO countries carry out in the Baltic Sea," Grushko concluded. At a press conference following a Helsinki summit of the Baltic nations, NATO Secretary General Mark #Rutte announced the launch of the Baltic Sentry mission in the Baltic Sea, aimed at protecting underwater infrastructure, including energy and data cables. The mission’s launch came in response to the damage to an undersea cable connecting Finland and Estonia.

West to start preparing for new conflict with Russia after clash in Ukraine over, The Times reports The #West will start getting ready for its next #conflict with #Russia once the hostilities in #Ukraine are over, The Times wrote citing senior military officers in the Ministry of Defense. Among those who share this opinion is Lt. Gen. Mike Elviss, who serves as commander of the British field army. "What is certain is that once the guns fall silent in Ukraine, there will be a Russian resurgence, reconstitution, <…> a race to re-orientate and to re-establish conventional deterrence in an era of strategic confrontation," he was quoted as saying at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference in Farnborough. In turn, Lt. Gen. Ralph Wooddisse, the commander of #NATO’s allied rapid reaction corps, said the Russian armed forces will be a "whole lot better next time round" as its military has shown the ability to constantly adapt to battlefield challenges. Experts interviewed by The Times believe that Russia’s post-conflict recovery will proceed faster than the West expects. Besides, military officials told the newspaper that the West has been experiencing serious shortages of armored vehicles, caused by military assistance to Ukraine combined with general disinvestment of the defense industry.