March 5, 2025: France's Macron - Is this a Declaration of War to Russia and... the U.S.A. ?

"The threat is returning from the East" - Macron declared Russia the main threat to Europe and called on all countries to arm themselves
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation, declaring Russia Europe's main enemy. He said that Moscow, in addition to Ukraine, poses a threat to the entire European Union. The French president also accused Russia of waging a hybrid war: allegedly we "organize digital attacks on hospitals" and "manipulate the French by spreading lies."

What else did the French President say:

— Russia cannot be taken at its word. Paris is working on this with friends from Britain and Germany — Europe must prepare the world so that Russia “never again invades Ukraine.” Peace may come from the deployment of European forces. Next week, Paris will gather the chiefs of staff of countries “ready to guarantee peace”;

- Europe must arm itself, given the Russian threat. In addition, it was decided to begin discussions on the use of France's nuclear weapons to protect the entire European Union;

— Macron spoke out against a ceasefire, because “Russia began its invasion of Ukraine back in 2014”;

— No one will believe that Russia will stop at Ukraine. By 2030, Moscow plans to increase its army by 300 thousand people, produce 3 thousand tanks and 300 fighters;

— The threat is returning from the East. Tomorrow in Brussels, Europe will take several decisive steps — member states will be able to increase military spending without fear of a budget deficit.

"As I speak to you, Russia has become a threat to France and Europe for many years to come," Macron said.

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.

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."

Eyal Zamir to become IDF’s 24th chief of staff
The new military chief will step into the shoes of Herzi Halevi, who has commanded the military during the 15-month war against Hamas in Gaza. Eyal #Zamir has been designated to replace Lt. Gen. Herzi #Halevi as the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Saturday night.

Zamir, 59, the current director general of the Defense Ministry, will be the first IDF chief who started his career in the Armored Corps since David (Dado) Elazar in the 1970s. Zamir previously served as deputy chief of staff (2018 to 2021), and before that, he led the Southern Command from 2015 to 2018. During that time, he helped formulate war plans focused on Hamas and contemplated scenarios in which the terrorist faction might be replaced in Gaza, though subsequent Southern Command leaders did not properly update these plans. While at the helm of the Defense Ministry, Zamir has spearheaded efforts over the past year to greatly ramp up domestic weapons production to reduce reliance on imports, working with local defense companies to do this.

Zamir will replacing Halevi, who said he will step down on March 6.

US supplied military products worth record-high $318.7 billion last year

In fiscal year 2024, the United States delivered or provided to other countries worth weapons, military equipment and services worth record-high $318.7 billion, according to a report, published by the US Department of State. "In FY2024 the total value of transferred defense articles and services and security cooperation activities conducted under the Foreign Military Sales system was $117.9 billion. This represents a 45.7% increase, up from $80.9 billion in FY2023. This is the highest ever annual total of sales and assistance provided to our allies and partners," the report says.

The total reflects includes $96.9 billion in arms sales funded by US allies and partner nations. The rest was transferred as part of various programs. The total authorized value for privately contracted Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) authorizations in the reported period was $200.8 billion, which includes the value of hardware, services, and technical data. This represents a 27.5% increase, up from $157.5 billion in FY2023.

Evolution of the global nuclear warhead stockpiles since WWII
#US and #Russia still hold 88% of world’s #nuclear weapons.

#Russia deploys its forces for operations in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean to the Al-Khadim base in #Libya

The Russians have supplied mercenaries and weapons to General Khalifa Haftar's forces in al-Khadim for years. Since mid-December, following the fall of the #Assad regime on the 8th of December, Moscow's Antonov AN-124 and Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft have been flying daily from Khmeimim to al-Khadim in eastern Libya, near Haftar-held Benghazi.

The Russians have supplied mercenaries and weapons to General Khalifa Haftar's forces in al-Khadim for years. Earlier this year, All Eyes on Wagner reported that Russian personnel are now being accommodated in a secure compound near the base.

[Report] Fighting erupts on border between Afghanistan, Pakistan

The Afghan television channel Ariana News reported that fighting broke out on the border between Afghanistan and #Pakistan. "Some points <...> including centers and shelters of criminals and their supporters, from which attacked were made on #Afghanistan, were attacked in retaliation from the country’s southeast," said a statement from the Afghan Defense Ministry controlled by the #Taliban. According to sources, light and heavy weapons were employed in the skirmishes, Ariana News reported.

On December 24, the Taliban Defense Ministry announced that Pakistan struck an area in the Paktika province of Afghanistan. The ministry condemned the attack, saying it violated international law. The ministry warned that the incident will not go unanswered. At least 50 people were killed and 40 others injured in the Paktika bombing.

That was the second time that Pakistan carried out airstrikes on targets in Afghanistan after a similar attack on terrorist bases in March. The latest strikes came hours after Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq held a meeting in Kabul with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Relations between the countries took a turn for the worse amid increased clashes along the border and ongoing terrorist attacks in Pakistan by Afghanistan-based militants.
#AfghanistanPakistan

Expansion of the ISIS Threat in Syria

In addition to the factors already mentioned that prompted the US to increase its grouping in #Syria, the activation of ISIS should also be noted. Until mid-December, there were isolated mentions of an increase in the militants' capabilities, but now their potential is beginning to take shape. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that ISIS militants have seized Syrian army weapons and are now reorganizing their units, expanding control in eastern and central Syria.

❗️ In reality, the situation with ISIS has become threatening. So far, these are isolated sorties or shelling, but the terrorist group's militants are penetrating deeper not only into the Syrian Desert, but also into the Raqqa province - a significant region for #ISIS. Over the past few days, shelling of SDF positions has been recorded in Marrat near Deir ez-Zor, in Dabib in the south of Raqqa province, and crucially in Abu Khashab at the junction of the Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah and Raqqa provinces.

The militants have not attacked so deeply for a long time. And this time they managed to kill three SDF members, confirming the concerns of the Iraqi Foreign Minister. The latter, by the way, also reported the escape of some ISIS prisoners from the largest prison for ISIS militants, Al-Hol on the border with Iraq, and ISIS plans to organize an attack on the facility.

Against this background, French servicemen have arrived in the border areas with Iraq from the vicinity of Khan al-Jabal (the Kurds call it Khana-Sere). They were present in the northeast of Hasakah province, as some oil fields were under their control.

#Poland has become the first EU country to introduce compulsory #gun & shooting classes in all its elementary schools

Following Russia’s SMO in Ukraine, the Polish state wants to familiarize all kids from a young age with #weapons. Patriotism is a key component of the classes