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The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) continues to greatly exaggerate the extent of Russian advances across the frontline to construct a false narrative of Russian battlefield progress for domestic and international audiences... The Russian MoD claimed on September 19 that Russian forces have seized over 5,300 square kilometers and more than 220 settlements in Ukraine since the start of 2026, including over 670 square kilometers and 27 settlements so far in September 2026. ISW has observed evidence to assess that Russian forces have seized only 147.7 square kilometers and 40 settlements, but have lost a net of 20 settlements in...

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that some European leaders are openly preparing for war with Russia, accusing them of escalating tensions while ignoring their own citizens. Speaking during a meeting of Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission, Putin claimed that NATO continues to expand and that European governments are using the alleged Russian threat to justify increased military spending and cover up failures in economic and social policy. “Some European leaders openly say they are preparing for war with Russia,” Putin said, according to Interfax. Putin also insisted that Moscow has “no aggressive intentions” toward European countries and said Russia remains prepared...

Canada has been invited to become the first “associate member” of the EU by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. In an unprecedented offer, von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” through shared democratic values and common approaches to many big issues, from AI to climate breakdown, the Ukraine war and geopolitics. Speaking in the presence of the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, at the European parliament in Strasbourg, she said: “We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. We must urgently...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is a lying Fritz, a Pinocchio, a varnished monkey, a foppish dandy, and a showboat. I live in the U.S., so he can't prosecute me like he just did with German citizens who called him those things. #FriedrichMerz #Germany #Politics #News

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey unexpectedly quit on Thursday, saying the government is unwilling to spend enough on the military at a time of “rising threats.” The resignation dealt another blow to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is already facing demands from Labour colleagues to step down. Healey told Starmer in a letter that the government’s Defense Investment Plan falls “well short of what is required at this dangerous time.” Publication of the plan has been delayed amid reports of disagreement between the Defense Ministry and the Treasury. Starmer said in a letter to Healey that he was sorry...

Whenever a European football championship final involves a French team, the public prepares as if for war. March 6, 2019: Paris Saint-Germain FC (PSG) was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after losing to Manchester United. Paris erupted in violence, with 160 arrests, hundreds of acts of vandalism, and numerous police officers injured. Authorities attributed the unrest to isolated groups driven by frustration over the unexpected defeat. May 30, 2026: PSG defeats Arsenal and wins the Champions League. During the ensuing celebrations, Paris once again went up in flames. There were nearly 900 arrests, about 200 police officers injured, riots...

The European Union’s energy commissioner is asking people in the bloc to drive less, work from home and implement other measures to lower the demand for oil and gas as the Iran war strains energy supplies. The EU is asking its member states to implement the International Energy Agency’s 10-point plan to reduce global oil demand, said Dan Jørgensen, the EU’s energy commissioner, during a press conference on Tuesday. “Since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, prices in the EU have risen by around 70 per cent for gas and by 60 per cent for oil,” he...

Finnish President Alexander Stubb says he exchanges messages with Prime Minister Mark Carney almost every day. Stubb is in Ottawa for his first official bilateral meetings with Canada's prime minister. The pair are working to develop trade and defence ties, according to Carney's office. "With shared interests, values and a commitment to international security, I look forward to hosting President Stubb to deepen our partnership to create stability, security and prosperity for both our peoples," Carney wrote in a statement. "With shared interests, values and a commitment to international security, I look forward to hosting President Stubb to deepen our...

Poll in Spain: Trump and Netanyahu are seen as two of the three most dangerous leaders in the world. Trump was ranked as the biggest threat to world peace, followed by Russian President Putin. Spaniards perceive Netanyahu as more dangerous to peace than Iran's new leader. 81% of survey respondents said Trump is endangering global peace - more than any other leader. The Spanish government is considered the most hawkish in Europe against Israel and President Trump's policies. Why it matters: The survey reflects the worsening criticism in Spain towards Israel and the US, also among citizens and not just...

Could the Iran war do what even Vladimir Putin couldn’t and blow up the North Atlantic Treaty alliance? That’s no longer an idle question as most of Europe refuses to help the U.S., and President Trump responds by threatening to leave NATO. This would be the dumbest alliance breakup in modern history. The immediate fault here lies with Europe. Spain and Italy are blocking U.S. military flights for Iran from their bases, and Mr. Trump says the Macron government has blocked flights over France. Add its reluctance to help clear the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe is playing into every...

Democratic leaders in the West without sound judgment—vain, short-sighted, and negligent of history—have opened the borders to a civilian invasion by Muslims. An ideological fault line in Western Europe is the self-inflicted decline of national identities and cultural cohesion due to decadence and large-scale immigration from Muslim-majority countries. In view of historical precedents and current developments in France, Britain, and Germany, it is fair to blame democratic leaders for a failure of epic proportions. Lacking historical awareness and commitment to Western traditions, they have enabled a demographic and cultural shift that threatens the foundations of Western civilization. Central to the...

The war started with Iran by the United States and Israel has left the European far right divided and doubtful... In the first days of the war, the loudest silence came from Hungary's ruling party... Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has praised Trump as a “peacemaker” for his role in the war in Gaza, neither condemned nor endorsed the attacks on Iran. Orbán, who is campaigning for re-election on a “pro-peace narrative” and accuses the EU of fuelling the war in Ukraine by supporting Kyiv with money and weapons, has since resolved the dissonance by saying in an interview with...

https://x.com/RealTraderJill/status/2033952602447061135 TraderJill (Leigh)@RealTraderJill·Mar 17It's time to educate the cowardly, retarded Brits and Canadians coming at me in my NATO post. Trust me, weaklings, you need us far more than we need you!🤣✏️Pull up a chair, because class is in session:NATO's charter (Article 5) only covers attacks on members in Europe/N. America - that's true. But claiming it "doesn't allow help with Iran" is dishonest.NATO ditched the pure-defense straitjacket decades ago:•Bombed Kosovo 1999 without UN approval.•Turned Libya 2011 civilian protection mandate into regime change.•Ran 20-year offensive ops in Afghanistan.They act as aggressors/out-of-area interveners whenever they feel like it. The Iran "no"...

NATO allies, he wrote, privately agreed that Iran could not be allowed a nuclear weapon but refused to help when asked. America no longer needs or desires their assistance. We never did. Let that land.This is not bluster. It is a doctrine. Trump is telling every European government that the Article 5 guarantee they have sheltered under for seventy years was always conditional, and that they have now demonstrated they will not honour their side of the arrangement when it matters. The mutual defence alliance that kept the peace in Europe since 1949 has just been publicly declared a one...

A Danish lawmaker was reprimanded after startlingly telling President Trump to “f–k off” during a recent meeting to discuss the US’s campaign to buy Greenland. “Dear President Trump, listen very carefully. Greenland has been part of the Danish kingdom for 800 years. It is an integrated country. It is not for sale,” European Parliament Member Anders Vistisen said while addressing Trump during a speech to the European Union’s legislative body on Jan. 13. “Let me put this in words you might understand: Mr. President, f—k off,” he raged. Vistisen, 38, finished his speech in Danish before leaving the podium, sparking...

European leaders are increasingly discussing the creation of an alternative security framework outside NATO, amid growing doubts about the reliability of the United States as a long-term ally following threats by US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, Politico reported on January 19. According to European officials cited by the outlet, Trump’s remarks about Greenland—a sovereign Danish territory—marked a turning point, convincing many capitals that Washington may no longer be a dependable security guarantor. Behind closed doors, officials described the idea of annexation as reckless and warned that it crossed a clear red line for Europe’s allies. The debate has...

<p>French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country has now overtaken the US as the main provider of intelligence to Ukraine.</p><p>"Where Ukraine was overwhelmingly dependent on American intelligence capacity, a year ago, two-thirds is today provided by France. Two-thirds," Macron said in a New Year's speech to the French military.</p>

German soldiers departed Greenland as scheduled. It comes amid President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and his claim that Greenland should belong to the US. What you need to know EU ambassadors summoned to emergency meeting in Brussels Germany ends reconnaissance mission — meant to have run for a few days — to Greenland German soldiers were deployed for a brief assessment mission in the face of US threats to acquire the Danish territory President Donald Trump said Saturday he will impose a 10% tariff on eight European countries beginning February 1 The tariff could rise to 25% if there was...

Keir Starmer joined European allies warning of a 'dangerous downward spiral' in Nato today after Donald Trump threatened a trade war over Greenland. A joint statement from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK said they stood 'firmly behind' the 'principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity'. The president has shocked the military alliance by warning that opponents of an American takeover of the Danish territory will be hit with punitive tariffs from February 1. In a bombshell post on his social media site, Mr Trump said levies will start at 10 per cent - and potentially...

President Zelensky has called Ukraine's air defence supplies "insufficient", having revealed several systems were "without missiles" until Friday morning. "I can say this openly because today I have those missiles," the president said, adding that Ukraine had received a "substantial package" earlier in the day. His comments follow days of intense Russian bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving thousands of people without heating and electricity during a bitterly cold winter. Schools in Kyiv will shut until February, the capital's mayor has announced, as the city continues to face severe energy shortages amid temperatures which have dropped as low as -19C....