EUROPE - POLITICAL NEWS IN BRIEF

EUROPE – POLITICAL NEWS IN BRIEF February 27, 2023   NATO’s FORWARD PRESENCE IN ALL EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. Due to the present war situation in Ukraine NATO has decided to strengthen its physical presence in all eastern European member states. Altogether about 10.000 combat ready troops are located in the eight NATO-countries concerned ( in addition to the national defence forces ). And if the situation worsens NATO has decided to strengthen these battle groups to the size of battalions. The coordinating military headquarter is place in Szczecin in Poland. The NATO presence is as follows: ESTONIA:        UK (leader), Denmark, France, and Iceland LATVIA:            Canada (leader), Albania, Czech Republic, Iceland, Italy, North Macedonia,                         Montenegro, Poland, Sloveni...

  Charles Michel, Volodomyr Zelenski, Ursula von der Leyen   EUROPE – POLITICAL NEWS IN BRIEF EU – UKRAINE Summit last week: Main Results Ukraine is the EU. EU is Ukraine. Let’s make it happen !    This was the words of Charles Michel at the end of the EU-Ukraine Summit last week. EU and Ukraine had just finished its 24 th summit. It takes place once a year in Kyiv or in Brussels. This year it was in Kyiv.   The participants are the president of the EU Council of Ministers, Charles Michel, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelinski. The purpose of the summit is to discuss what happened during the past year in their cooperation, what the plans are for the following year, to discuss what is happening in the EU and in Ukraine and also to agree on a number of international issues. The EU has so far supported Ukraine with 51 billion € - for military aid, generators, transformers, ...

  UKRAINE One of EU-27 associated countries        Briefly about the country: ·        Size:                     603.548 sq.km  (  ca. 14 % of EU ) ·        Population:         44 mio  ( ca. 10 % of EU ) ·        Expats abroad:               4,6 mio ·        EU-expats:         ???    from EU-27 countries ·        Language:           Ukrainian   - a Slavic language           ·        National hymn:              ...

    EUROPE – POLITICAL NEWS IN BRIEF I have earlier published a number of notes on political events in Europe. I intend to continue this tradition. And my plan is to make them brief and to the point, also now and then with web links and illustrations.   1.      Sweden’s and Finland’s application for NATO membership: So far, 28 NATO member states have ratified the full membership of the two countries.   All members have to ratify before it is agreed. The two countries still to ratify are Hungary and Turkey.    The Hungarians say that they will do it in Parliament in March.   A question is, if Orbán is delaying it in his fight with the EU ?   Sweden holds the presidency until July 1. When Turkey is concerned president Erdogan requires that Sweden sends 130 Kurds who are refugees in Sweden back to Turkey.   A request that the Swedes are not willing to or able to do.   And after a Russian-backed Swedish-Dani...

  RUSSIA’s ATTACK ON UKRAINE Follow the independent media Now a number of democratic countries have decided to give modern tanks to Ukraine. Very important indeed. And the Dutch government is open also to send F16 fighter jets to the Ukrainians. At the same we must follow the development – also in the media of the two countries. Putin’s Russia has – as you know – forbidden all critical media. Some follow his instructions and tell what he wants.   Others have stopped their activity. And a few important media have moved abroad to continue their activity from there. They are worth following for us – in other to know what really happens in the attacking country:   RUSSIAN INDEPENDENT MEDIA ABROAD: MEDUZA   -   The Real Russia Daily newsletter. A digest of Russia’s investigation reports and news analysis. “If it matters we summerize”. It is published in Russian and in English. Thousands of Russians follow it by using a VPN connection ( Virtual Priva...