German lobbyists and ex-politicians Ronald Pofalla and Matthias Platzeck are keeping a back channel to Putin’s circle.
Through meetings in Baku and Abu Dhabi, Moscow gets a private route into Germany’s SPD and CDU, — The Times. 1/
Last week, Pofalla and Platzeck met Putin associates in Baku. Russian participants included Valery Fadeyev, who heads Putin’s civil society council, and Viktor Zubkov, former deputy PM and Gazprom board chair. 2/
Berlin distances itself from the effort. Friedrich Merz’s chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, said Russia has shown no real willingness to negotiate and that all international attempts failed because of Moscow. 3/
Europe Is Back in 1952. France and Germany are competing over weapons again — just when Europe needs them to build defense together against Russia, De Gruyter for FP. 1/
European countries still rely heavily on US defense firms: $68bn spent in 2024, compared with an average of $11bn between 2017 and 2021.
But Europe’s main internal problem is now the Franco-German rift. 2/
The FCAS fighter-jet project was meant to showcase European defense integration. It collapsed in June after Dassault and Airbus failed to agree on leadership, IP and patents.
Germany paid half the bill. Spain was not even informed. 3/
The bill drops automatic 500% tariffs on buyers of Russian energy. The new version lets Trump set tariffs up to 100% and delay some sanctions for 180 days, Babel.
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India buys Russian oil and sells a $100 product to the US.
Under the old bill, the US importer would pay an extra $500 tariff.That $100 product would cost $600.
The White House opposed automatic sanctions and 500% tariffs on partner countries.
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After 2022, India and China became the top buyers of Russian oil.
India bought about $2.3 billion in Russian oil in 2021. In 2024, it bought almost $53 billion.
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Yevhen Khmara appointed acting Defence Minister of Ukraine. Here is what we know about him.
Khmara, 40, led the liberation of Snake Island, helped plan Operation “Spider Web,” and commanded one of the top 3 most effective units in the army — Special Operations Center “A”.
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At the start of the full-scale invasion, Khmara served in the liberation of Kyiv region and carried out combat missions in Donetsk.
On January 5, 2026, he was appointed acting head of the Ukrainian Security Service, replacing Vasyl Maliuk.
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Khmara is a full recipient of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, and has also been awarded the Order ‘For Courage’, 3rd class, and the President of Ukraine’s ‘Cross of Military Merit’.
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