Posts

E.U. Leaders Debate Plan for Ukraine Financed by Frozen Russian Assets

Image
The European Council convenes on Thursday, and at stake is a contentious deal to back Ukraine and its war effort in 2026 and 2027. Ukrainian soldiers during a live-fire training exercise at a military training ground in the Dnipro region, in December. Credit... Laetitia Vancon for The New York Times By  Jeanna Smialek Reporting from Brussels The New York Times , Dec. 18, 2025,  12:01 a.m. ET European Union leaders are convening on Thursday for a meeting that will show whether they can face head-on many of the largest challenges confronting them: an aggressive Russia, an increasingly unfriendly United States, and a costly land war in Ukraine. Officials hope that by the end of the European Council meeting that kicks off Thursday morning in Brussels, the 27 nations of the European Union will agree to use Russian government assets frozen in Europe to make a huge loan to finance Ukraine and its war effort in 2026 and 2027. But the deal is expected to be contentious, and it could st...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trump and Mussolini [excerpt from Wikipedia]

Image
Small excerpt from a long article in Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia, worth reading in full: "There has been significant academic and political debate about whether   Donald Trump , the 45th and 47th   president of the United States , can be considered a   fascist , especially during his   2024 presidential campaign   and   second term as president . [ a ]   A number of prominent scholars, former officials and critics have drawn comparisons between him and fascist leaders with respect to   authoritarian   actions and   rhetoric , [ b ]   while others have rejected the label. Trump has supported  political violence  against opponents; many academics cited Trump's involvement in the  January 6 United States Capitol attack  as an example of fascism. Trump has been accused of  racism  and  xenophobia  with respect to his rhetoric about  illegal immigrants  and his policies of  mas...
Post a Comment
Read more

As Europe eyes Russia’s frozen assets, Belgium fears Moscow’s revenge

Most of Russia’s billions in frozen assets are in Belgium, which fears bearing the brunt of Russian lawsuits — and worse.  December 17, 2025 EST Today at 8:14 a.m. 9 min Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever arrives for a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Dec. 12. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images) By Catherine Belton, Ellen Francis and Souad Mekhennet, The Washington Post LONDON — As European leaders make a last-ditch effort this week to unlock some 210 billion euros ($246 billion) in frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, for at least one of the bloc’s members, the decision weighs heavily.   Amid a spate of drone incursions over his country, one lawsuit with threats of more to come and verbal attacks, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, whose country holds most of the frozen funds, said that the Kremlin has threatened him personally. “Who believes that Putin will calmly accept the confiscation of Russian assets? Moscow made it clear that if conf...
Post a Comment
Read more