Maximilian Wusche’s Post

#StatecraftInTheNews: On Monday, Russia added Estonian PM Kaja Kallas, Lithuania's culture minister, and former Latvian parliament members to a wanted list for demolishing Soviet-era monuments. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Kallas was wanted for “desecration of historical memory.” Russian law enforcement sources said that criminal proceedings have begun against Baltic officials for destroying and damaging Soviet Army monuments. “These people are responsible for decisions that are actually tantamount to desecration of historical memory,” Peskov stressed. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that this is only the start. “Crimes against the memory of the world's liberators from nazism and fascism must be prosecuted,” she added. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022; Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have demolished the majority of their Soviet-era monuments, including those commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. Kallas described Russia’s move as “nothing surprising.” “The Kremlin now hopes this move will help to silence me and others – but it won’t. The opposite. I will continue my strong support for Ukraine. I will continue to stand for increasing Europe’s defence,” she wrote on X. Reports indicate that the Estonian PM has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, advocating efforts to enhance military assistance to the country and tighten sanctions on Russia. “Estonia and I remain steadfast in our policy: supporting Ukraine, bolstering European defence, and fighting against Russian propaganda,” Kallas remarked. #Russia #Estonia #Kallas #Kremlin #Peskov #Baltic #KajaKallas #Soviet

Critical Examination of Sahra Wagenknecht's Assessment of the Ukraine War In recent months, Sahra Wagenknecht, a prominent figure of the German Left, has repeatedly made her assessment of the Ukraine war public. Her views have garnered not only support but also significant opposition. Wagenknecht repeatedly emphasizes that the West bears partial responsibility for the escalation of the conflict and calls for diplomatic solutions instead of arms deliveries. While this position may seem understandable at first glance, it neglects several critical aspects: 1. **Disproportionate Blame**: By assigning much of the blame to the West, Wagenknecht overlooks Russia's aggressive role and its violation of international law through the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Ukraine. A balanced analysis must consider the actions of all parties involved. 2. **Moral Responsibility**: The call for immediate peace negotiations without considering Ukraine's territorial integrity ignores the rights and suffering of the Ukrainian population. A lasting peace can only be achieved if Ukraine's sovereignty is respected. 3. **Detachment from Reality**: The notion that Russia could be persuaded to withdraw purely through diplomacy seems unrealistic given the developments so far. The West's military support for Ukraine is not about escalation but about defending against an aggressor. This includes carrying the war to the aggressor, as is currently happening in the Kursk region. #UkraineKrieg #SahraWagenknecht #Frieden #Diplomatie #Realitätscheck #Souveränität

via @PerilOfAfrica #buy #case #Putins #Report #Russians Most Russians back war in Ukraine and buy Putin’s case for it, report says: By WASHINGTON POST Source link Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSaveRIGA, Latvia — Russians are growing weary of the war against Ukraine but are divided about how much harm it has done and how to end it, according to a report based on polling and focus groups by the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center […] The post Most Russians back war in Ukraine and buy Putin’s case for it, report says first appeared on Peril Of Africa.

4 Jun 16:45: OVERNIGHT (3 Jun) MILITARY and GEOPOLITICAL DAILY VALUABLE REPORT: russia’s 👺🤡🤮 War on Ukraine 💙💛 and The West 🌎🌍🌏 from the Institute for the Study of War: In full - maps follow: ‘ - Ukrainian forces struck a Russian S-300/400 air defense battery in Belgorod Oblast likely with HIMARS on June 1 or 2. - The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are reportedly in disagreement about economic issues such as the proposed Power of Siberia 2 (PS-2) pipeline despite publicly portraying themselves as diplomatically aligned. - Putin also reportedly asked Xi in May 2024 to "snub" the upcoming Ukrainian peace conference in Switzerland amid continued Russian efforts to discredit and otherwise undermine the peace conference. - Russian forces continue to abuse Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in violation of the Geneva Convention on POWs. - Russian military and political leadership continues to pursue increased military, political, and economic cooperation with several African states. - The Russian military is reportedly forcibly sending Russian servicemembers who refused to fight to the front in Ukraine from Russia instead of standing trial for their refusal to participate in combat. - Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the Russian-style "foreign agents" bill into law on June 3 amid continued protests. - Ukrainian forces recently advanced within Vovchansk and Russian forces recently advanced near Lyptsi, Avdiivka, and Velyka Novoslika and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. - The family members of mobilised Russian personnel continue to protest for the demobilization of their relatives. #ukrainewar #linkedintopvoices’: Thank you, General and ISW Team:

HELSINKI, Finland—Finnish President Alexander Stubb said China holds the key to ending the war in Ukraine, urging Beijing to use its sway over Moscow while also calling on the U.S. to lower growing tensions with China. Stubb’s appeal, in an interview with The WSJ, came as European governments brace for a second Donald Trump administration and are increasingly concerned that Washington may abandon commitments to European security to focus on deterring China. Many European states, alarmed about the potential spillover of the war in Ukraine to other nations on Russia’s borders, are eager for China to play a bigger role in finding a diplomatic solution. Finland, which joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last year, shares the alliance’s longest frontier with Russia. “President Xi Jinping holds the keys to a peaceful solution to this conflict because he’s in such a position of power,” Stubb said in an interview in Helsinki ahead of the NATO summit in Washington. “We in the West, not even the United States, cannot do that. All we can do is to provide arms to Ukraine to make sure it doesn’t lose its war.” The unbalanced Sino-Russian relationship, especially after the 2022 Western sanctions, gives Beijing significant leverage, making Russia a "vassal state of China," he said. China has refrained from supplying lethal weapons to Russia but shields Moscow diplomatically and facilitates trade and technology exchange. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, frustrated after a year of courting Beijing, accused China of undermining his peace summit in Switzerland and "becoming an instrument in Putin’s hands." China boycotted the summit, citing Russia’s exclusion. Xi and Putin met in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, praising their "golden age" in bilateral ties but barely discussing Ukraine or Chinese peace plans, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Several European leaders, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron, have recently visited Xi in Beijing to discuss relations with Russia. In June, Duda urged Xi to help find a diplomatic solution that respects international law. Xi responded that China’s stance is to encourage peace talks and seek a political resolution, aligning with international interests, including Europe's. Putin's conditions for peace talks—dismissed by Ukraine and its supporters as demands for surrender—include Ukraine withdrawing from territories controlled by Kyiv, like Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and taking irreversible steps to demilitarize. "This is a European war, and Europe and its allies should help Ukraine win it," said Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. "Asking China for help, especially when they are aiding Russia, comes at a price too high to pay."

Israel and The War in Gaza Take Up 20 Percent of Biden’s Agenda Around one third of statements put out by the White House deal with the United States’ foreign relations, and the vast majority of them focus on the war in Gaza. Not China, Iran, Russia and not even Ukraine. Israel is at the top of the U.S. President Joe Biden’s daily agenda. Here are the figures: https://lnkd.in/druaPq7w

full article: https://lnkd.in/eHWq6FWv The Pope called Ukraine for peace negotiations with Russia. He obviously doesnʼt know that Russia constantly violates peace agreements and kills the negotiators. Let us remind the history Pope Francis once again tried to reconcile the Ukrainians with the Russians — he called on Ukraine to "raise the white flag and negotiate." The Vatican is lucky not to have agreements with the Kremlin, otherwise the Pope would know that the Russians constantly violate treaties and obligations. And they almost never look for at least more or less plausible reasons for this. Russians also practice arresting delegations of negotiators, whose safety was before guaranteed. This is what Russia did at different times not only with Ukrainians, but also with Poles, Hungarians, Finns and many others. Here are five such examples — and this is only during the 20th century. Invasion of Ukraine, 1918-1919 Invasion of Poland, 1939 Invasion of Finland, 1939 Attack on Japan, 1945 Invasion of Chechnya, 1999 Bonus: Arrest of Hungarian delegation at peace talks, 1956 full detailed text in article Author: Serhii Pyvovarov Editor: Kateryna Kobernyk

3 June 2024: Key takeaways from this evening's Ukraine Update from the great team at the Institute for the Study of War: - Ukrainian forces struck a Russian S-300/400 air defense battery in Belgorod Oblast likely with HIMARS on June 1 or 2. - The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are reportedly in disagreement about economic issues such as the proposed Power of Siberia 2 (PS-2) pipeline despite publicly portraying themselves as diplomatically aligned. - Putin also reportedly asked Xi in May 2024 to "snub" the upcoming Ukrainian peace conference in Switzerland amid continued Russian efforts to discredit and otherwise undermine the peace conference. - Russian forces continue to abuse Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in violation of the Geneva Convention on POWs. - Russian military and political leadership continues to pursue increased military, political, and economic cooperation with several African states. - The Russian military is reportedly forcibly sending Russian servicemembers who refused to fight to the front in Ukraine from Russia instead of standing trial for their refusal to participate in combat. - Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the Russian-style "foreign agents" bill into law on June 3 amid continued protests. - Ukrainian forces recently advanced within Vovchansk and Russian forces recently advanced near Lyptsi, Avdiivka, and Velyka Novoslika and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. - The family members of mobilized Russian personnel continue to protest for the demobilization of their relatives. #ukrainewar #linkedintopvoices

Continuing my African-themed posts, this is a short, snappy piece with a key take-away, for me: "It is arguably high time that the Biden administration came to grips with the reality that Russia’s expansion in Africa, like that of China, poses a serious and long-term threat to the interests of both the United States and its allies." I'd add that this is particularly the case given France's clear focus on the conflict in Ukraine, meaning its disengagement from Africa is likely to be as strategically significant in the long-term as Russia's growing engagement with that continent. More here: https://lnkd.in/ejD7GAXW