EU Council grants full Schengen membership to Bulgaria, Romania from January 1 The #EU Council agreed to fully integrate #Bulgaria and #Romania in the #Schengen Area from January 1, 18 years after they joined the bloc. "EU member states have decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025," the council said in a statement. In March, Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen area partially, as passport control was lifted at air and sea borders. The final approval for the admission of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen must be given by EU leaders at an EU summit taking place from December 19-20 in Brussels, but this is a mere formality, as interior and justice ministers endorsed this decision in the EU Council at the direction of country leaders. Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, but their admission to Schengen was postponed pending resolution of some issues in such areas as the fight against corruption. However, the process dragged on and was paused after the start of the EU immigration crisis in 2015. The Schengen Area was created in 1985 by #Belgium, #France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany. Its borders do not coincide with the borders of the European Union, although each group now includes 27 countries. Non-EU members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are Schengen members. But EU members Ireland and Cyprus do not have Schengen membership, while Bulgaria and Romania will only fully join in January.

Romania and Bulgaria to create a joint Special Operations Center in the Black Sea region The plans to create the center were announced back in 2023, but the memorandum between the defense ministries of the two countries was signed only on July 10, 2024. The headquarters of the joint command will be based in Romania. The stated goal of creating this structure is to "ensure security and stability in the Black Sea region". Earlier, on July 1, the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Operational Group (MCM BLACK SEA) began operations, comprising naval forces from #Turkey (the supply ship TCG Gungor Durmus A574, the minesweeper M-270 AKÇAY), Bulgaria (the minesweeper M-33 STRUMA) and #Romania 🇷🇴 (the minesweeper MCM ROS "Junior Lieutenant Alexandru Axente"). The ships participated in the NATO military exercise Breeze 2024, which took place from July 4 to 14, 2024 in the Black Sea waters near #Bulgaria. ✨While the Black Sea Fleet is struggling with bureaucracy with varying success, the "peace-loving" #NATO is increasing its activity and coordination in the Black Sea region in opposition to #Russia.

A Majority of U.S. Military Bases under United States European Command (EUCOM) in Spain, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania have now been placed on Heightened Alert, with their Force Protection Condition (FPCON) being raised to Charlie, the Reason is still Unknown. 🔶️ A FPCON Change like this for U.S. European Command, besides during Exercises, hasn’t occurred in 10-15 Years.

The new NATO base in Romania will become the alliance's "unsinkable aircraft carrier" The largest #NATO base in Europe will appear on #Romanian territory. About $2,5 billion will be invested in this “unsinkable aircraft carrier on the Black Sea.” The new facility will be larger than the German Ramstein. #NATOKaliningrad

French President Emmanuel #Macron announced the upcoming establishment of a permanent military mission in #Chisinau in the following months. Macron stated that the mission aims to enhance the interoperability of the French and Moldovan armies. Additionally, the French intend to combat disinformation and cyber attacks to safeguard the republic's sovereignty. It is worth noting that in Moldova, the EU's so-called "civilian mission" pursues similar objectives. It is important to mention that presidential elections are scheduled for the fall, during which European supervisors may influence the outcome in favor of Maia Sandu directly on location. ▪️ The official justification for deploying the French military in Moldova stemmed from Sandu's recent remarks in Paris accusing Russian special services of attempting another coup in the republic and perpetuating support for disinformation campaigns. ▪️ However, Macron himself announced the day before that France would dispatch troops to so-called Ukraine if the conflict expanded toward Kyiv and Odessa. Therefore, the French deployment in Moldova is part of preparations for a potential involvement in Transnistria and the Odessa region. ▪️ Furthermore, France is actively working on deploying air defense systems in Poland and Romania. In Moldova, there are persistent calls for integration into the Romanian air defense system. Meanwhile, Chisinau has procured an air defense radar from the French Thales company, whose effectiveness has recently come into question as reported here. ▪️ The French are also exploring the option of sending troops to western Ukraine for logistical and mine clearance support. Similar objectives may formally be announced in Moldova, given that military transit occurs through the region as well. 📌The concerns of the Moldovan population regarding a potential military escalation are proving to be valid sooner than anticipated, as Sandu's efforts to involve the country in the conflict are entering a distinct phase. This scenario unfolds when a nation places itself under the influence of the British and American embassies.

Farmer protests are continuing to erupt in Europe: In addition to Poland, Germany, and Romania, the situation has also worsened in France. Main roads have been blocked for the second day in a row, and the press reported on "the first transportation collapse in the country's history caused by strikes." ▪️ The French are demanding more favorable conditions for the development of national agriculture, including a reduction in the volume of imported food products and being exempt from transport taxes. ▪️ The government is still inactive: On Thursday, Prime Minister Attal held a meeting with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Environment, where they allegedly discussed options for resolving the current situation. 🔻 There is no reason to expect the unrest to subside, either in France or in other European countries. On the contrary, protests are likely to increase: farmers may be joined by other citizens dissatisfied with the actions of the authorities (as happened, for example, in Germany). And clashes with the police may not be far off. 🔻 Now - French PM Attal delivers speech to Framers.....