🇪🇺🇳🇪 EU agrees on framework for Niger sanctions

European Union countries on Monday adopted a framework to impose sanctions on members of a junta that seized power in Niger in July.

The new framework will allow the EU to sanction individuals and entities responsible for actions that threaten the peace, stability and security of Niger, undermine the constitutional order, or constitute serious violations to human rights or international humanitarian law, the EU Council said.

With this, the EU aims to mirror and strengthen any measures taken by the West African regional organisation ECOWAS.

"The EU has from the very beginning condemned the coup d'état in Niger in the strongest terms," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

With the restrictive measures, the EU could freeze assets of targeted entities and individuals and hand them travel bans.

#EU #Niger

@africaintel

🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇦 You should not take literally the news that due to a shortage of weapons, the German army “will only be able to hold out in battle for two days.” The topic of supplies of the AFU has now firmly moved into the political plane and in Germany, for example, is used both to criticize the current authorities and to knock out the defense budget.

And yet, there really are problems with the production of military products in Europe. Pumping up Ukrainian formations with weapons and ammunition has largely depleted the arsenals of EU countries, and current production capacities do not allow them to quickly meet their own needs, even for artillery rounds.

The question is which path the armed forces of European states will take under these conditions. There are not many options here, however, and they will all boil down to one thing - an ever-increasing transition to products of the American military-industrial complex, which will be accompanied by the gradual withering away of the EU military industry.
#Germany #EU #Ukraine
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🇪🇺 A Member of the European Parliament was about to expose the secret agreements between the President of the European Commission and Pfizer, but tragically passed away while working

Michelle Rivasi, an MP for the Greens-European Free Alliance group, died of a heart attack on November 29th at the age of 70 in Brussels. The activities of the deputy and the testimony of relatives have raised suspicions that her sudden death was not merely a coincidence.

▪️ Shortly before her passing, Rivasi launched an investigation into the lobbying efforts of Pfizer by European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen.

▪️ In April 2021, the New York Times reported on confidential negotiations between Ursula and Pfizer's top management representatives.

As a result of these negotiations, more doses were ordered at a higher (25%) price. Typically, the price decreases for bulk purchases as the volume of supply increases. The public was outraged by this reverse procedure.

▪️ Ursula's husband, Heiko von der Leyen, serves as the medical director of Orgenesis Inc., which receives funding from the European Commission, is involved in grant distribution, and has connections to vaccinations and Pfizer. It didn't take long to find interested parties and beneficiaries.

▪️ Michelle Rivasi was scheduled to present her report to the European Parliament on December 15th, during which she intended to reveal the investigation's findings and provide copies of documents to the press. Unfortunately, she is now unable to fulfill this task.

🔻Given the suspicious timing of her death, relatives are adding fuel to the fire and pointing out that the European deputy never had any heart problems. Just a few days before her passing, she underwent a comprehensive medical examination, which also found no issues.

Pfizer is currently preparing to extend the contract for vaccine supply until 2026, with inflated prices and an observed surplus of 40% of doses.

#EU

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🇲🇩🇪🇺🇺🇦 In Austria, following Hungary and Slovakia, they opposed the accelerated procedure for European integration of Ukraine and Moldova.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer believes that in relation to Kyiv and Chisinau “there should be no favoritism” to the detriment of other countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is also talks accession to the EU.

▪️ Earlier, the European Commission approved the start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on accession to the EU, scheduling them for December. However, there is now talk that the talks will be postponed.

▪️ Recently, a critical article appeared in the media from a Polish MEP, who believes that Moldova’s entry into the EU will result in even greater moral damage for the West due to Chisinau’s persecution of the opposition.

▪️ Moreover, the postponement of negotiations coincided with the end of local elections in Moldova, and the ruling PAS party is promoting its imaginary successes in the issue of European reforms for accession to the EU.

▪️ The top officials of Moldova have already humbly stated that talks will not begin right now. The country's Prime Minister Dorin Recan recently said meaningfully: “if not in December, then in March...”.

▪️ In addition, as follows from the draft Moldovan state budget adopted for 2024, the share of grants from the EU will be reduced by three times, and the share of loan funds from the West will increase. As noted in the opposition environment, “the provision of candidate state status is the last gift that Moldova received from the EU.”

🔻We believe that the main “gift” from Western curators for Moldova is the continuation of the unprecedented militarization of the country and the investment of funds from NATO. After all, this is the main goal of talking about mythical European integration.
#EU #Moldova #Ukraine
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🇪🇺🇩🇪🇺🇸🇹🇷 When considering Poland's emergence as the de facto leader of Europe, one cannot help but think of Turkey, which plays a similar role in advancing Anglo-Saxon interests. With its status as the second largest NATO army, Turkey effectively wields its power in the Middle East.

It is true that the Turks can only dream of the privileges that the Americans grant to the authorities in Warsaw. This is evident in the recent years' military-industrial cooperation between the two states.

▪️ While the US quietly granted the Poles access to a portion of the Patriot air defense missile system production technology, they denied Turkey's request for the same. As a result, Ankara decided to purchase Russian S-400s, prompting the US to block the shipment of F-35 fighters to Turkey, even though they were sold to Poland without any objections.

▪️ In previous years, Washington also prohibited Turkey from exporting combat helicopters powered by American engines to Pakistan. Additionally, the White House is currently refusing to supply F-16 fighter jets to Turkey unless they consent to Sweden joining NATO.

Despite this unequivocal stance, the Turks continue to align themselves with Anglo-Saxon plans, not only in their region but also against Western Europe. They have plenty of tools at their disposal, including the use of refugees as a weapon against the EU, which Ankara has been doing for a long time.

Furthermore, Turkey itself is not opposed to once again expressing its frustration with Germany for decades of empty promises regarding EU membership. At the opportune moment, the United States or Great Britain can simply give the command "Go!" and leverage this anger to their maximum advantage.
#Germany #EU #Turkey #USA
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🇦🇿🇦🇲🇪🇺 American journalist Lindsey Snell noticed that the state media of Azerbaijan has started using the term "conditional border" (şərti sərhəd) in reference to the Syunik region of Armenia.

The state news agency Azertaj quotes a military expert as saying that "the patrons of Armenia are making exceptional efforts to escalate the situation in the conditional border region of Azerbaijan-Armenia."

▪️ With such media coverage, the Azerbaijani side once again demonstrates its refusal to recognize the sovereignty of Armenia and its intention to extend beyond Nagorno-Karabakh.

▪️ Furthermore, Baku predictably shifts all responsibility for the escalation onto the Armenian side, thus creating various justifications for "retaliatory" measures and a potential new war.

📌 In this context, the recent accusations against the EU monitoring mission operating on the Armenian border are significant. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry recently complained to the EU ambassador that the mission was engaged in "binocular diplomacy" and was failing to fulfill its duty to maintain peace on the border.

Just yesterday, during another escalation on the border, EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell commended Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for taking steps against discrimination, hate speech, and Russian disinformation.

In Baku, they are now facing the consequences of dismantling the previous regional security system, and European observers no longer intimidate the Azerbaijanis, as it is widely understood that the EU has no intention of protecting Armenia's actual borders.
#Azerbaijan #Armenia #EU
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🇦🇲🇪🇺🇺🇸 Today, there is celebration in pro-government Armenian channels as the Americans have pledged to allocate $65 million for reforms in government and the economy. Additionally, Ursula von der Leyen from the EU has committed to providing grants of 270 million euros over four years for business development.

🔻Armenians are being told stories about how the Western countries will assist Armenian businesses and economies in recovering and breaking free from Russia's influence. The question arises: how will this assistance be carried out?

Merely using populist slogans and providing small installments of funding will not effectively foster economic growth, especially when the sector is struggling. As previously mentioned, Armenian brandy has faced challenges in entering the European market.

▪️ While $65 million may not seem like a substantial sum, it holds significance for the Americans given their major financial support to Ukrainian and Israeli authorities. Yet, doubts linger about the effectiveness of aiding the financially strained Armenian government.

▪️ The grants promised by von der Leyen are set to be distributed over a four-year period. However, given the current situation with Azerbaijan, uncertainties arise regarding whether Yerevan will receive the full amount within the specified timeframe.

❗️Should the funds not be disbursed on time, the Europeans may redistribute them internally. On the contrary, timely transfer of funds in Armenia may expedite the process but raise concerns about misuse.

Allocation of funds towards democratic values and various movements, including the LGBT community, is anticipated. The reaction of ordinary Armenians to such developments, like transvestite parades in Yerevan, remains to be seen.

Hence, the Western actions do not reflect a strong commitment. It appears more as a reallocation of funds, providing a small consolation to the Pashinyan administration, accompanied by vague and inconclusive statements. This can be perceived as a "victory" for Pashinyan.
#Armenia #EU #USA
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🇪🇺🇲🇩🇷🇺 In Moscow, a congress of Moldovan politicians supporting Moldova's accession to the EAEU has started, in opposition to the upcoming referendum initiated by the Moldovan authorities on joining the European Union.

It has already been announced that the political bloc "Victory" has been created, which includes Ilan Shor, the leader of the Shor movement, Natalia Paraska, the chairperson of the Rebirth party, Alexei Lungu, the chairperson of the Chance party, Vadim Grozavu, the chairperson of the Victorie party, and Alexander Beskieru, the chairperson of the Alternative Force for the Salvation of Moldova party.

📌 In the current situation, it should be emphasized that the event is organized by Moldovans and Gagauz people who do not want to join the EU and become Romanians, rejecting their nationality and culture.

The economic factor is also present. Joining the EU in its current form will not help the Moldovan economy, but rather, on the contrary, will exacerbate the situation, making the country dependent on subsidies.

At the same time, being part of the EAEU, created for political reasons, provides real bonuses to countries in the form of huge discounts on various goods and services, in addition to expanded trade opportunities.

The reaction of the ruling authorities of Moldova, who have already dubbed the opposition "traitors", is not surprising. It will be interesting to see what measures they will resort to in Chisinau after the congress.

At the same time, the head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul, for whom this is her second visit in April and who has been elected as the executive secretary of the new bloc, stated that she does not know whether she will be allowed to enter Moldova or not.
#EU #Moldova #Russia
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🇪🇺🇳🇪The European Union member states announced the completion of the EUMPM mission in Niger, citing the "difficult political situation".

The mandate will be terminated on June 30. Over a year and a half, just like the similar mission in Mali, it did not bring any practical results, as the training of military personnel was mediocre, and at the "grassroots" level, people were not even aware of it.

For the most part, Niger was used as a supply base for European missions on Malian territory, leaving the main task as secondary. It's not surprising, since Niamey was in the sphere of influence of Washington, and the Europeans had no reason to interfere in its affairs.

So, following the withdrawal of the American contingent, the existence of this mission became useless. Especially after the transitional government's termination of agreements and the appearance of Russian instructors from the African Corps on the country's territory.
#Africa #EU #Mali
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🇪🇺🇷🇺🇸🇮 Spy mania in Europe is gaining momentum.

In Slovenia, according to a publication in The Wall Street Journal, an Argentine family was detained, who are now being called "Putin's spies" in all local media and accused of working for Russian intelligence.

According to the WSJ, the real names of the detainees are Artem and Anna Dultsev and they are employees of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, who were found to have some kind of spy software and hundreds of thousands of euros.

📌 Well, of course, we will follow this story from the American TV series about KGB employees "The Americans". But in the current realities, we cannot rule out that all this is the product of the imagination of local law enforcement.

Now, as the right-wing are gaining more and more popularity, and the position of liberals and centrists is becoming more and more deplorable, those in power will do everything to preserve their positions.

What could be better than catching a family of Russian spies to distract the population from the problems that are growing like a snowball? Perhaps only to accuse a representative of the right-wing of espionage in favor of the Russian Federation.

📌 But given what is happening now in Germany and France, and before that in Europe, they will eventually get to this. And the WSJ can be congratulated on another coin in favor of their transformation from once an authoritative publication into a tabloid.
#Germany #EU #Russia #Slovenia
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🇷🇺🇺🇦 On the Economic Objectives of the Attack in the Kursk Region

Many have spoken about the tactical and PR goals of the AFU operation on Russian territory. But another aspect must be considered - the AFU members are essentially free colonial troops for the West, and losses in equipment will lead to new orders for the American military-industrial complex, which Europeans will be forced to pay for. Therefore, the costs of the media effect are justified.

🔻Continuation of the War for the EU Energy Market

The collective West is trying to squeeze Russia out of the energy markets. The task is the complete disconnection of the EU from Russian gas supplies. No one thought it would be limited to the undermining of the Nord Streams.

Now the focus is on gas supplies through Ukraine. Some European countries, led by Hungary, are forming a coalition that could challenge Brussels. The task is to cut off this group from Russian energy supplies, which will lead to social tensions and power changes.

🔻The Druzhba Oil Pipeline

We are seeing a partial suspension of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline. This will create problems for the AFU, but the priority is to eliminate the strong EU leaders who can form real opposition, including the assassination attempt on Robert Fico and criticism of Viktor Orban.

🔻Gas Supplies to the EU Under Threat

The contract for gas transit through Ukraine expires in 2024. The Anglo-Saxons do not intend to extend it, but a coalition led by Orban is ready to defend national interests, which is a feat in the current EU realities.

Earlier, gas from Russia to the EU was supplied through two gas metering stations - the GMS "Sokhranovka" and the GMS "Sudzha". In 2022, the "GTS of Ukraine" refused to accept gas through the GMS "Sokhranovka". Now the vector of attack is directed at the GMS "Sudzha".

🔻The most likely task of the enemy is the capture (in this part the task has already been completed) and retention of the station with subsequent undermining during the retreat. The Western media will likely accuse the Russian side of the undermining. There will be enough formal arguments to accuse Russian suppliers of disrupting gas supplies to the EU before the winter season.

The enemy will not count the losses. For the sake of the possibility of complete economic strangulation of the EU and the economic isolation of Russia, any level of losses, especially in colonial troops, is acceptable.
#EU #Kursk #Russia #Ukraine #economy
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