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Mar 15 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Breaking: 3 🇪🇺 prime ministers will be in 🇺🇦Kiev today in a surprise visit: from 🇵🇱Poland, 🇨🇿Czechia & 🇸🇮Slovenia.

Will the 🇷🇺Russians dare to continue their attack on the capital while there are EU prime ministers in it?
nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/c…
It seems to me there is a very high risk of the EU prime ministers becoming trapped in Kiev.

A 36-hour curfew is starting today, the mayor just announced.
Other EU perm reps here in Brussels privately fuming about this visit, which risks being the “spark for World War 3” as one official put it.

It was apparently both uncoordinated with other allies and, astonishingly, pre-announced before they left on the train across Ukraine.
One of the PMs entering the war zone today, #Slovenia’s populist leader Janez Jansa, is up for re-election next month and is struggling because of his ties to Trump & Orban.

In the campaign, he has been comparing himself to #Ukraine President #Zelensky.
instagram.com/tv/CaiVtbSoxzR…
A 🇪🇺Commission spokesperson says President von der Leyen was informed by Polish prime minister on the margins of Friday’s #VersaillesSummit about “a potential visit to Kiev”, then visit confirmed last night.

But it appears this message didn’t go to other EU & NATO members.
An EU official says the 🇵🇱🇨🇿🇸🇮 leaders’ visit to Kiev is an individual initiative with “no mandate of the European Council”.

While recognising the need to show support for 🇺🇦, Council President Michel “pointed at the security risks of such a travel” when told about the plans.
Question for the #NATO experts out there (because I’m hearing a lot of speculation about this in Brussels today):

Would the killing of a NATO prime minister in a war zone be considered an attack that triggers Article 5?

Would it make a difference if it was intentional or not?

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More from @DaveKeating

Dave Keating Profile picture
Mar 15
Incredible bravery from this woman, who was an editor at Russian state broadcaster Channel One.

She was subsequently taken into custody and is in a police station in Moscow, according to news agency TASS.
Marina was prepared for the fate that awaited her for speaking out.

She recorded this video before interrupting the Russian news broadcast.
"Unfortunately, for the last several years I worked at Channel One, promoting Kremlin propaganda and for that I am very ashamed right now," Marina says.

"I allowed the Russian people to be zombified. We stayed quiet when all of this was just getting started in 2014."
Read 4 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
Feb 28
Speaking after the emergency meeting of 🇪🇺 defence ministers EU High Rep @JosepBorrellF, says ministers agreed to provide #Ukraine with satellite intelligene to localize Russian troop movements.

“We are mobilizing our satellite center, which is based in Madrid." Image
Defence ministers were convened because "once the political decision [for the EU to arm Ukraine] was taken yesterday, it's a matter of defence policy and it's up to the ministers to implement these measures and use this funding," says Borrell.
"The military staff of the European Union have provided us with a value assessment of the situation, gathering all the intelligence information that the members states contribute," says Borrell.

"The Russian military campaign is becoming more ruthless." Image
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
Feb 28
It isn't just foreign affairs and defence ministers meeting today, EU energy ministers are also meeting for an emergency discussion on energy supplies.

Irish Energy minister Eamon Ryan upon arriving that they're trying to sync EU electricity system with Ukraine.
Belgian Energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten acknowledges that the ministers can't end the EU's dependence on Russian oil & gas overnight.

But they need to “act on the short term to make the energy transition happen at the medium term” and guarantee the EU's strategic autonomy
"Our reliance on fossil fuels is costing us dear...in what's happening with Russia today," says 🇮🇪 Energy Minister Eamon Ryan.

"🇺🇸 is sending €350m of arms to 🇺🇦. But every day we 🇪🇺 spend €350m [on energy] which we give to 🇷🇺, which they invest in arms dropping on 🇺🇦."
Read 5 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
Feb 27
On #refugees, 🇪🇺President @VonDerLeyen says she is proud of the Europeans who have travelled to the border to help the arrivals.

"We welcome with open arms those Ukrainians who have to flee from Putin's bombs"

The EU will send assistance to the Eastern member states to help.
@JosepBorrellF, who will chair a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers starting now expected to last all night, says "Ukrainian forces are fiercely fighting back and showing a heroic resistance to this invasion"

Ukraine asked for #SWIFT & arms he says, and now 🇪🇺 is doing both
"This afternoon #Putin has announced that he's putting Russian nuclear deterrent forces on high alert," says Borrell.

G7 foreign ministers just had an emergency meeting on this.
Read 7 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
Feb 27
🇪🇺President @VonDerLeyen and High Rep @JosepBorrellF announce, "for the first time ever, the European Union will finance purchase and deliver military equipment to a country that is under attack."

"This is a watershed moment."
President @VonDerLeyen also announces that *all* EU airspace is being closed to all Russian airlines. Any plane: chartered or commercial.

"Our airspace will be closed to every Russian plane, and that includes the private jets of oligarchs."
Third - the EU is banning Russian state propaganda TV channel #RussiaToday and #Sputnik.

"They will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify #Putin's war and to sew division in our union."
Read 12 tweets
Dave Keating Profile picture
Feb 27
Republican candidate JD Vance, tipped to be the next US Senator for Ohio: "I don't really care what happens to #Ukraine."

The US should leave #Russia alone and focus on the real enemy - #Mexico. He says the US-Mexico border is the real "warzone".
businessinsider.com/gop-candidate-…
Vance's comments follow the leader of the #Republican Party, still the favorite for the party's presidential nomination in 2024, saying #Putin's invasion of #Ukraine is "genius".
High-profile Republicans like Tucker Carlson are telling their followers that #Putin is on their side in the culture war, and the real enemy is domestic: Democrats.

This message has been embraced by Republicans running to wrest control of Congress from Democrats in November.
Read 5 tweets

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