söndag 14 december 2025

Confident Moscow Trashes Zelensky Proposals; Turkey Tells Kiev Stop Tanker Attacks; Mirnograd Ending

Pax Americana is over. Trump searches for leverage over Zelensky. EU, asset freeze is legal

The death toll in Sydney has risen to 16

The death toll from Sunday's terror attack in Sydney has risen to 16, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. 40 people are still being treated in hospital.

One of the victims is a child who was injured in the attack and later died in hospital. According to Sky News, it is a twelve-year-old girl.

The attack is being investigated as a terrorist attack aimed at the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach.

- This is absolutely terrible, especially for the Jewish community and for Australians, says Ryan Park, Health Minister in the state of New South Wales.

Father and son were behind the terrorist attack in Sydney

The perpetrators of the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney were a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, police announced at a press conference. The 50-year-old was killed at the scene and the 24-year-old is being treated in hospital.

One of them had a license for six weapons, writes ABC News. Police do not believe that more people were involved in the shooting.

The death toll has risen to 16 people. On Monday morning local time, at the same press conference, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Sunday is a dark day in the country's history.

- But we as a country are stronger than the cowards who did this.

The attack is being investigated as a terrorist act aimed at Jews.

Russian invasion Negotiations

German dissatisfaction with US delegation: “Anything but an ideal setup”

Sunday’s meeting between Ukraine, Germany and the US in Berlin has ended after more than five hours, several media outlets report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has spoken with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, among others, about a peace agreement with Russia.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says in an interview with ZDF Heute that it is a good sign that the US has come to Berlin for new peace talks. However, he points the boot at the American negotiators.

Trump’s special envoy Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner have visited Moscow during the negotiations, where they expressed positive views after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It is anything but an ideal setup, but you can only dance with the people who are on the dance floor,” he says.

During the day, Russia has expressed negative views about the talks in Berlin, writes Handelsblatt. Ahead of the meeting, Putin's advisor Yuri Ushakov said that the talks are unlikely to be constructive.

Analysis: Ukraine can win the war against Russia – but then Europe must do more

Despite all the peace talks and meetings about Ukraine, most evidence suggests that the fighting will continue, writes DN's Sanna Torén Björling. Putin does not seem prepared to give in when it comes to the Russian demands, which are unacceptable to Ukraine.

"As long as it is, the war will continue, no matter how many meetings are held."

Ukraine can still win the war against Russia, but then the European countries must do more to help. This is what Robert Fox writes in an analysis in The Independent.

Russia continues to advance on the battlefield and an ambivalent US seems to be taking a step back. But the unwillingness of Ukrainian soldiers to give up and Russia's slow progress give the country hope.

Fox believes that Europe now needs to support Ukraine with advanced weapons – and as quickly as possible.

In the Danish TV2 broadcast, Jesper Steinmetz notes that President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has reportedly dropped the demand for Ukrainian NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees. Even though the US currently does not want to see Ukraine in the alliance and several European countries are negatively disposed, it is still remarkable, he thinks.

– It is actually a groundbreaking message that Zelenskyj is making, he says.

Economy

EU prepares new measures for China packages

The EU plans to introduce stricter controls on products sold via online platforms such as China's Shein and Alibaba. This is stated by the Irish EU Commissioner Michael McGrath for the FT.

–I am very concerned about the volume of unsafe products entering the EU. We have a responsibility to protect citizens.

He states that "year after year" "very dangerous" goods have entered, which in some cases have led to deaths.

McGrath's plan means that the EU Commission will be given new powers to investigate the most serious cases. An updated consumer protection will also be proposed, while the requirements for platforms that sell goods from the discount giants will be tightened.

Swedes' holiday travel
Holiday bill for a week in the mountains: Around 50,000 kronor

Around 50,000 kronor. This is how much a family of two children needs to be prepared to pay for a week's skiing holiday in the mountains during the sports break. This is shown by a review of the ICA bank, writes TT.

- It has almost become a class issue, says Magnus Hjelmér, everyday economist at the bank.

Two things in particular cause the costs to quickly add up, accommodation and lift passes. To reduce costs, Hjelmér advises fewer lunches out, and buying used equipment instead of renting.

The most expensive is during week 9 when Stockholmers have sports break, according to the review.

Sanctions
EU wants to approve loans to Ukraine at the summit

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels this week to, among other things, agree on a loan to Ukraine of around 90 billion euros, news agencies write. Friday's decision to extend the freeze of Russian assets has been deemed necessary in order to be able to use them as collateral for the loan, writes Direkt.

Reuters calls the frozen assets Europe's main trump card to get a say in a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. At the same time, the Union may face resistance from investors in the West, who have assets worth hundreds of billions of kronor in Russia.

At the same time, EU leaders have few alternatives to using the frozen assets as Ukraine's money runs out and the continent's security is at risk, the news agency writes.

If the EU wants to be a geopolitical player to be reckoned with, strong statements must be backed up with decisive action, believes Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

- Now is the time to decide [...] Europe's credibility, security and leadership are at stake, he says, according to Bloomberg.

Political situation in France

French farmers spread manure in slaughter protests

Farmers in France have sprayed manure over government buildings in protest against a decision to slaughter hundreds of cows to stop an outbreak of a virus that affects cattle, AFP reports.

Over the weekend, several major roads were also blocked by tractors. The protesters are outraged that a single case of infection led to the slaughter of 200 cows on a farm in the south of the country. The strategy is supported by the country's largest agricultural union, but other groups are critical.

- We will spend Christmas here, says one of the outraged farmers.

Cedric rages against the French government: "We are at war"

French farmers have no plans to stop blocking roads in protest against the government's attempt to stop a virus outbreak among cattle by slaughtering cows. Cedric Nespoulo, who is taking part in a roadblock, told AFP that the government must give up in order for the protests to end.

“We are at war,” he said, according to the news agency.

The country’s largest agricultural union supports the government, but several others are critical, saying the measures are disproportionate to the risks.

Husband left in Thailand when border closed

Updated 09.39 | Published 08.00

A volunteer security guard tries to put out a fire in a house in Sisaket province in Thailand on Sunday. Both Thailand and Cambodia accuse each other of new attacks.

1 / 2Photo: Sakchai Lalit/AP/TT

The fighting on the border between Thailand and Cambodia continued on Sunday. Both sides accuse each other of new attacks.

Several border provinces have been shelled and bombed overnight, claims the Thai Defense Ministry. Cambodia's counterpart, for its part, states that Thailand has been attacking border areas with grenade fire and bombs since midnight.

Migrant workers have been stranded since Cambodia closed all border crossings with Thailand on Saturday. Cambodian Cheav Sokun and her son left Thailand along with tens of thousands of others during the deadly clashes in July, but her husband stayed behind.

“He asked me to return first. After that, the border was closed, so he can’t come back. I’m worried about him,” she told AFP.

At least 26 people have been killed this week, including 14 Thai soldiers, one Thai civilian and 11 Cambodian civilians.

The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia stems from a long-standing dispute over a colonial border. The latest unrest has been ongoing on and off since May, when fighting broke out after deadly gunfire on the border.

Col Doug Macgregor: Ukraine's Gov Propped Up by U.S. Just to HARM RUSSIA

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Prof. John Mearsheimer: Ukraine is Doomed

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America’s Credit Downgrade TRIGGERS a Financial Earthquake — The Collapse Has Started

World Affairs In Context

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‘Zelensky Hides In Bunker’ As Russia Rains Kinzhal Hypersonic Missiles | Big Attack Amid Truce Delay

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Russia To Attack EU Nations? Orban Warns Against Putin’s Revenge Amid Frozen Assets Fight

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Trump's USA

The mid-term elections
Trump: It may be difficult to win the midterm elections

President Donald Trump is uncertain whether his economic policies will give Republicans success in next year's midterm elections. He tells the WSJ.

Trump emphasized in the interview that the country has secured investments in the multi-billion class that will transform the economy, but that they have not yet had their full effect.

- All the money that flows into the country builds factories — car factories, AI, lots of stuff. I can't say how it affects the voters, I can only do my job, he says.

Furthermore, Trump complained that the stock market no longer reacts well to good economic news. And if the news is "really good, it crashes".

When asked if the Republicans will take home the midterm elections, the president says that the party "should win", but that it is "statistically difficult".

The University of Rhode Island shooting
One person arrested after university shooting

One person has been arrested after the shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island on Saturday night, police said according to the AP.

Local television channel NBC 10 WJAR reports that it is a person of interest in the investigation. It is not clear if it is the suspected shooter.

Two people were killed and dozens injured in the attack.

Latest news

Political situation in Hungary
Tens of thousands protest against Viktor Orbán in Budapest

At least 50,000 people demonstrated on Saturday in the Hungarian capital Budapest in protest against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, writes TT.

At the forefront of the demonstrations was opposition leader Péter Magyar, whose party Tisza is topping the opinion polls ahead of this spring's parliamentary elections.

Dissatisfaction with Orbán and his government has grown after a new scandal involving child abuse in state institutions.

- Orbán's government promised everything, but since then it has unfortunately turned out that every member of the Orbán government sided with the perpetrators, Magyar said in a speech.

Political situation in Belarus
Analysis: The agreement suits both Lukashenko and Trump

That Belarus suddenly decided to pardon 123 political prisoners was very unexpected, says Ekot's correspondent Fredrik Wadström.

He points out that this is a very large group and that many of those being released are high-profile opposition figures. The explanation, he says, is that in exchange the US will lift sanctions on potassium, Belarus' most important export.

- This means a lot to the regime and that is why they were prepared to go this far, he says.

DN's Anna-Lena Laurén writes that the agreement suits both the Belarusian dictator Lukashenko and the US's Donald Trump.

For Trump, it is about appearing as a liberator, while Lukashenko gets confirmation that it is possible to negotiate without involving the EU. She likens the process to the negotiations over Ukraine.

"The US is putting the agenda over Kiev's head. The EU is trying to influence, but is constantly one step behind," she writes.

Hong Kong Political Situation
Hong Kong's last opposition party dissolves itself

Hong Kong's last opposition party is expected to vote to dissolve itself later today, writes the South China Morning Post.

According to Reuters sources within the Democratic Party, it has been threatened with severe reprisals, including the imprisonment of representatives, if it does not cease operations.

The Democratic Party was founded thirty years ago, and until five years ago had seven seats in Hong Kong's legislative parliament. When the city's new security law came into effect in 2020, parties deemed insufficiently patriotic were barred from any direct political influence, and the party was marginalized.

Five arrested for terror plot against German Christmas market

Five people have been arrested on suspicion of planning an Islamist-motivated terrorist attack against a Christmas market in Bavaria, Germany. This is stated by German authorities, according to AFP.

The group planned to kill and injure people by driving into the market with a vehicle.

The men are from Egypt, Morocco and Syria and are between 22 and 56 years old.

Thailand-Cambodia border conflict

Curfew declared in several areas in Thailand

Thailand has declared a curfew in the southeastern parts of the coastal province of Trat as a result of the fighting with Cambodia, reports Reuters.

The curfew applies to five districts in the province, but does not include the tourist islands of Koh Chang and Koh Kood.

The fighting has been going on since Monday and both sides have accused each other of violating the previous ceasefire. The fighting has also continued after the US president announced on Saturday night that the countries had agreed to a new ceasefire.

Hundreds of Swedes near the border: "Getting stressed"

At the same time as the situation between Thailand and Cambodia is becoming increasingly tense, around 600 Swedes are near the border, writes DN.

Ida Lilius from Umeå and her family have recently arrived on the island of Koh Chang, which is located within the area that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been advising Swedes against traveling to since yesterday.

– You get stressed of course, especially when traveling with children, and think about how to act, she says.

TT has been in contact with Ingrid Eriksson from Gothenburg, who has chosen to leave Koh Chang following the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' new advice.

"We thought we would follow the advice so that, among other things, insurance applies if something happens, plus that safety comes before money and pleasure," she writes to the news agency.

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Jim Rogers: Prepare for Upcoming Economic Crisis

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Inside Russian military barracks w/ João Quaresma

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Presidential election in Chile

Extremists face off as Chile elects president

When Chile goes to the polls today, the result could be that the country gets its most right-wing president since the days of dictator Augusto Pinochet, writes AP. According to several opinion polls, ultraconservative José Antonio Kast is best placed to win.

Kast, who has promised mass deportations of migrants, among other things, is facing another extremist, communist Jannette Jara, in an election that could play a decisive role in the country's future. The two extreme options have made it difficult for many voters to identify with either candidate.

- Both are too extreme for me. I can't trust someone who claims to be a communist to be moderate. And I can't trust someone who exaggerates the amount of crime in this country and blames immigrants to be fair and respectful, says voter Juan Carlos Pileo, who plans to vote blank.

Indigenous People Fear Rightward Shift: “Much Worse”

The rightward shift that appears to be in store in Chile if ultra-conservative José Antonio Kast, who is expected to win Sunday’s presidential election, worries the country’s indigenous people, writes AP.

“The situation will be much worse with a far-right government,” says Karen Rivas Catalán, a political scientist from the Mapuche ethnic group that makes up 12 percent of Chile’s population.

The relationship between the government and the indigenous people has long been tense. But unlike previous election campaigns, the question of how the situation can be improved has barely been discussed at all this time.

Instead, Kast has spoken of the Mapuche group as violent terrorists that his government will crack down on. During previous presidential candidacies, he has also spoken of tearing up reforms that give the indigenous people the right to their ancestral lands.

Favorite Kast promises tough action against crime

Ultraconservative José Antonio Kast, who according to several polls looks set to win the presidential election in Chile, is far to the right of most Chileans, writes AFP.

During the election campaign, he has pushed a program based on tough action against crime and immigration, something that seems to be going down well in the country where many feel that security has deteriorated.

Homemaker Ursula Villalobos intends to vote for Kast. She says she can accept radical reforms if they make the country safer.

“The important thing is that people can leave their homes without fear,” she says.

Whether Kast can actually push through his most radical reforms if he is elected is unclear, however, writes AP. His party lacks a majority in parliament and he will therefore have to negotiate with more moderate parties.

Russian invasion Negotiations

Zelensky: A significant chance of agreement

The chance of an agreement that ends the war in Ukraine is currently “significant”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky writes on X.

“We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is dignified and to secure a guarantee – a guarantee, above all, that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion”, writes the president.

Zelensky is to meet with European leaders and the US envoy Steve Witkoff this weekend. A summit on Ukraine is to be held in Berlin on Monday.

Zelensky is said to be ready to drop demands for NATO

Zelensky is said to be ready to give up the demand for NATO membership if Ukraine can instead receive security guarantees from the US and Europe in exchange, reports the Financial Times. The proposal is said to be one of the items on the table in talks on a peace agreement.

– We are talking about bilateral security guarantees, Article 5-like guarantees, says Zelenskyj.

Zelenskyj will meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff and several European leaders over the weekend, and a summit will be held in Berlin on Monday to discuss the matter.

Expert on the talks: Russia just wants to keep going

In the coming days, new summits are expected on a possible plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine. But Erik Melander, professor of war science at the Swedish National Defense University, tells SvD that he does not believe in any breakthrough.

– The parties are very far apart, it seems. Russia seems intent on just keeping going, says Melander.

He also says that there is much to suggest that the US seems to be taking the starting point of protecting Russia rather than promoting Ukraine's interests and that it is unlikely that the US will offer credible security guarantees.

Still, a scenario with less credible security guarantees that still involves a pause in fighting might be the least bad option, he reasons. It would give Ukraine time to buy American weapons and build up its own ability to protect itself.

Bondi Beach Terror Attack 2025

Naveed Akram, 24, is identified as one of the terrorists

Oskar Forsberg

Updated 14.14 | Published 14.08

One of the terrorists on Bondi Beach was shot dead by police.

The other was arrested.

According to the police, one of them is 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

A total of at least twelve people were killed and 29 people were injured in the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australien.

The police are investigating the incident as a terrorist attack on a Jewish Chanukkah celebration on the beach.

Two terrorists opened fire. One of them was later killed by police, the other was arrested.

One of them is identified as Naveed Akram, 24, a resident of Bonnyrigg, a suburb southwest of Sydney's city center. He was dressed in black and stood on the footbridge and fired.

It is unclear whether Naveed Akram is the one who was shot dead or if he has been arrested.

Naveed Akram, 24, pekas ut som en av terroristerna. — Naveed Akram, 24, is identified as one of the terrorists. Photo: X

En av skyttarna sköts till döds – den andra kunde gripas. — One of the shooters was shot dead – the other was arrested. Photo: Screenshot/X

The police are said to have searched his home after the shooting. This is reported by the Australian ABC News, citing police sources.

After the shooting, several homemade bombs were also found in a car in the area. The car is believed to belong to one of the perpetrators.

According to local media, one of the suspected terrorists was previously known to the police.

"One of these individuals was known to us, but not as an immediate threat," said Mal Lanyon, New South Wales Police Commissioner, to Australia's ABC News.

Hong Kong's largest opposition party dissolves

Published 13.09

Lo Kin-hei, ordförande för Hongkongs Demokratiska parti höll en pressträff efter omröstningen. — Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, held a press conference after the vote. Photo: Chan Long Hei/AP/TT

Hong Kong's largest and oldest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, has formally decided in a vote that the party should be dissolved after more than 30 years.

The decision was made due to the political situation, and about 97 percent of the members voted in favor of the dissolution, party chairman Lo Kin-hei said at a press conference.

The Democratic Party, founded in 1994, was an opposition party that fought for decades for universal suffrage in the election of the city's leaders.

Since China imposed a national security law in June 2020, following massive anti-government protests the previous year, the political opposition in the city has been marginalized and many democracy advocates have been imprisoned or fled abroad.

This is what we know about the mass shooting in Sydney

Published 14.12

En polis bevakar avspärrningar på Bondi Beach i Sydney. — A police officer guards the barriers on Bondi Beach in Sydney. Photo: Mark Baker/AP/TT

At least eleven people have been killed in a mass shooting on the tourist beach Bondi Beach in Sydney in a terrorist attack targeting the city's Jewish population. A suspected shooter is also dead.

This is what we know about the incident.

The first alarms come around 18.45 local time (8.45 Swedish time). People who call the alarm tell of shootings on the popular tourist beach Bondi Beach. Police urge people to stay away from the area and seek shelter.

Social media is quickly flooded with footage of shootings and people fleeing the beach in panic. Initially, however, it is very unclear what happened. Police urge the public not to spread unverified information.

One of the most widely circulated clips on social media shows a man sneaking up on a shooter from behind and disarming him. After a seven-second struggle, the man in a white shirt manages to wrestle the gun from the hands of the suspected perpetrator, who falls to the ground.

Shortly after 11:00 Swedish time, police confirm that nine people have been killed, and that a suspected perpetrator is also dead.

About an hour later, police and the state's Premier Chris Minns hold a press conference where they say that the incident is being investigated as a terrorist crime. A Jewish family festival with hundreds of people was taking place on the beach, and the attack was aimed at Sydney's Jewish population. Chris Minns also comments on the man who stopped one of the perpetrators, calling him "a true hero".

During the press conference, it is announced that the death toll has risen to eleven, plus the suspected shooter. Another suspected shooter has critical injuries. One of them was known to the intelligence service, according to ABC News. The police also announced that about 30 people were injured, including two police officers.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented on the attack. "This is a targeted attack against Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy," he said.

There is no information yet about any Swedes affected, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told TT.

lördag 13 december 2025

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IS attack in Palmyra

American soldiers killed in attack in Syria

Two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter have been killed in an attack on a base in Syria, the Pentagon says.

It is said to have happened in the city of Palmyra in the central part of the country, where the American soldiers were participating in an operation against the terrorist group IS. The attacker has been killed, writes AFP.

The US military command for the Middle East, Centcom, calls it "an ambush by a lone IS shooter". Sources tell Reuters that it concerns a soldier in the Syrian army.

Trump promises "severe revenge" after the attack

The United States mourns the three Americans - two soldiers and an interpreter - who were killed in an attack in Palmyra in Syria on Saturday. This is what President Donald Trump writes in a post on his Truth Social platform where he promises an American response.

"There will be very serious retaliation."

According to the United States, the terrorist group IS is behind it. Syrian soldiers were also attacked, and according to Trump, the country's President Ahmed al-Shaara is "extremely angry." The perpetrator, who is believed to have acted alone, has been killed.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) states that the attacker was a member of the Syrian forces.

Political situation in Belarus

Belarus promises to stop balloons over Lithuania

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has promised to stop balloon flights in Lithuanian airspace, US envoy John Coale said according to Reuters. The announcement comes as the country released over 100 prisoners in exchange for easing US sanctions.

– He agreed to do everything he could to stop the balloons.

This week, a state of emergency was declared in Lithuania after balloons – loaded with cigarettes – crossed the border from Belarus several times in the autumn.

The EU and NATO country has accused Lukashenko of being behind it, and President Gitanas Nauseda has said that there are many indications that it is a case of hybrid warfare.

Belarus releases 123 prisoners – opposition leaders and Nobel laureates pardoned

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 123 prisoners, including opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova and 2022 Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyatski, Reuters reports.

According to Belarusian state media, the prisoners are being pardoned in exchange for the United States easing some of the sanctions against the country, AP writes.

Kolesnikova was one of the leaders of the mass protests against Lukashenko after the criticized 2020 presidential election. She was imprisoned the same year and sentenced to 11 years in prison for her involvement in the protests. Byalyatski served a 10-year sentence in a penal colony.

Opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, whose husband Sergei Tikhanovsky was released in June, says Saturday's release shows that Lukashenko "understands the pain of Western sanctions."

At the same time, she warns the outside world against being naive.

– Lukashenko has not changed his policies, his repression continues and he continues to support Russia's war against Ukraine, she says.

Tensions in the Caribbean

Pictures show: US sends more planes and helicopters

The US has sent additional military reinforcements to the Caribbean, reports the Wall Street Journal. This concerns both soldiers and weapons that strengthen the US's ability to carry out attacks or impose an oil embargo.

Satellite images and flight data show that fighter jets and rescue helicopters have been placed in Puerto Rico. In addition, tanker aircraft, which can refuel fighter jets in the air, have been moved to the Dominican Republic.

The latest armament strengthens the image that the US is planning military operations, according to analyst Heather Penney.

- The important thing about the forces and capabilities being moved to the area is that they are optimized to carry out precise attacks, which can minimize civilian damage.

Caribbean Tensions — The Case

The United States has increased its military presence in the Caribbean and off Venezuela with over 15,000 troops and several warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, since September 2025.
US forces have carried out attacks on boats allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, resulting in a large number of casualties.
The legality of the attacks has been questioned by the United Nations, international law experts and several countries, and the United Kingdom and Colombia have suspended intelligence cooperation with the United States over the methods.
An attack on September 2 led to accusations of war crimes by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after two survivors were killed in a second attack.
The United States has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, which Venezuela has called “piracy” and “theft”, and the United States is said to be planning to stop more oil shipments.
Venezuela has responded with a massive military mobilization, recruiting thousands of new soldiers and asking Russia, China and Iran for military support.
President Trump has threatened to close Venezuelan airspace and given Maduro a deadline to leave the country, while talks between Trump and Maduro have taken place without result.

The new US security strategy

Fredrik Reinfeldt on Trump's new security strategy: "Alarm clock for Europe"

Sweden's former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is concerned about several things in the new security strategy that the US presented earlier this week. In an interview with SvD, he says that the country under Trump is moving away from a value-based world order and towards a geographically divided one.

It is also an "alarm clock for Europe", he believes. The US is putting "unreasonably" much faith in Russia and its way of thinking.

Reinfeldt also thinks that parts of it are completely racist and "reflect a right-wing authoritarian view based on the theory of people exchange", the newspaper writes.

Shock in diplomatic circles: "The relationship with the US will never be the same again"

There is a gloomy atmosphere among European diplomats in the US after Donald Trump's new security strategy was published last week, writes Politico based on conversations with several anonymous Europeans serving in Washington.

A person who, according to the site, represents a medium-sized European country says that the “Western alliance” has been completely scrapped.

– The relationship will never be the same again.

The strategy released at the end of last week claims that Europe is heading towards “civilizational annihilation”, due to non-European immigration, among other things, and that the EU is challenging the “sovereignty” of individual countries.

The security strategy – it’s about the point

The new US national security strategy describes Europe as threatened by “civilizational annihilation” due to immigration, low birth rates and threats to freedom of expression.
In the strategy, the US tones down the rhetoric against Russia and instead calls for limited cooperation, which is welcomed by the Kremlin.
Several European leaders are critical, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He says that parts of the strategy are “unacceptable”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejects US suggestion of influencing European elections, stressing that only the people of Europe should decide their leaders.
The French and German far-right parties National Rally and AfD have expressed their support for the strategy.
A leaked version of the strategy mentioned that the US should work to get Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland to leave the EU.

Economy

Fed vs. inflation
Trump: Warsh tops my list of Fed candidates

Donald Trump is leaning towards appointing either his economic advisor Kevin Hassett or former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve chairman, he tells the Wall Street Journal.

At the very top of the president's list at the moment is Warsh.

- Yes, I think so. I think you have Kevin and Kevin [...] I think the two Kevins are fantastic, he says in the interview in the Oval Office.

Trump also says that Kevin Warsh agreed during his interview with Trump that interest rates should be lowered. The president adds that the next Fed chairman should consult him on the interest rate level.

Evaluators and betting companies have pointed to Hassett as the favorite to take over when Jerome Powell's mandate expires in May.

The new space race
Space X valued at 800 billion – overtaking Open AI

Elon Musk's space company SpaceX gives the green light to an internal share sale that values the rocket and satellite manufacturer at nearly 800 billion dollars, while the company prepares for a stock market listing in 2026, reports Bloomberg.

In an internal message seen by the news agency, SpaceX states that the company is preparing for a potential stock market listing next year. This is to finance a "huge air force" for the Starship rocket, data centers for AI in space and a base on the moon.

The price in the internal sale ends at 421 dollars per share, according to an internal memo from CFO Bret Johnsen. That's almost double the price last summer, when the price was $212 per share, giving SpaceX a valuation of $400 billion.

SpaceX thus overtakes Sam Altman's OpenAI as the world's most valuable unlisted company.

It is still unclear when during the year an IPO could happen, and the company could also choose not to proceed with the plans, Johnsen writes further.

Russian invasion

Negotiations
Source: “Paranoid” Hegseth kicks Driscoll out of talks

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has been kicked out of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, sources tell The Telegraph. The decision was reportedly made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who believed Driscoll had acted outside his mandate.

He is considered to have gone “a little too far,” but it is not clear in what way.

– He was reprimanded, says a source.

Driscoll has been seen as a possible replacement for Hegseth if the role were to become vacant, and the sources describe Hegseth as “paranoid.”

Witkoff to meet Zelensky ahead of Berlin summit

US envoy Steve Witkoff is to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders this weekend, writes TT. The agenda includes peace negotiations with Russia.

The meeting is taking place in Berlin, ahead of Monday's summit in the city.

The latest draft peace plan includes Ukraine being allowed into the EU as early as January 1, 2027, as the Financial Times reported on Friday. Europe and Ukraine have also requested that the US provide security guarantees before any negotiations on possible land cessions begin, writes AFP.

The world's response
German soldiers to strengthen Poland's eastern border

Germany is to send soldiers to Poland to strengthen the country's eastern border, reports AFP.

According to a spokesman for the German Defense Ministry, the main task of the German soldiers will be “engineering work.” This could include digging trenches or laying barbed wire.

Poland announced plans last year to reinforce a long stretch of the border with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland has served as a transit country for weapons from Western countries. Germany is Ukraine’s second-largest supplier of military aid and has sent large quantities of weapons to Kyiv.

Security in Europe
Billström: Clearly Europe needs to scale up

Regardless of how the war in Ukraine ends, Europe will need a strategy to isolate Russia. That’s what Tobias Billström, former moderate foreign minister and now strategic director at arms manufacturer Nordic Air Defense, told Newsweek.

“It’s pretty clear that Europe needs to scale up,” Billström said.

He believes that the war in Ukraine has led to a technological boom and that Europe must now invest in its drone defense. Nordic Air Defense manufactures, among other things, the anti-drone weapon Kreuger 100XR, something that Billström hopes can become part of the EU's planned so-called drone wall.

Sanctions
Kristersson on frozen Russian assets: "Very good"

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) writes on X that the EU's decision to freeze Russian assets is "very good".

At an ambassadorial meeting on Thursday, a decision was made to make it impossible for any country to veto the continued freezing of Russian state assets.

The decision was made by a large majority and means that new decisions do not need to be made every six months to freeze the assets, writes TT.

"It is a clear signal of the EU's long-term support for Ukraine", writes Kristersson.

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Italy wants to see alternatives for Russian assets

TT

Italy joins Belgium in opposing the European Commission's proposal to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, reports Politico.

Malta and Bulgaria, in addition to Italy, also join Belgium in urging the Commission to explore alternative "less risky" solutions to support Ukraine.

What is being referred to is the Commission's alternative proposal in which a large loan is given to Ukraine with the EU budget as collateral. But that proposal requires agreement among the member states.

According to Politico, the four countries cannot block the basic proposal, even with the support of pro-Russian Hungary and Slovakia. But the resistance is a setback for the Commission, which had hoped to reach a broad political agreement at the EU summit next week.

The lion's share of the Russian assets, a total of 210 billion euros, are in Belgium. Their cold feet are based on a fear of facing future claims for damages from Russia.

Cambodia: Thailand continues bombing

TT

Updated 01.53 | Published 01.43

Thailand continues to carry out attacks on Cambodia, the latter claims the country's defense.

Just hours earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that the leaders of both countries had agreed to a ceasefire after the recent fighting on the border.

According to Cambodia, two Thai fighter jets dropped seven bombs over the country overnight Saturday Swedish time. The bombing is still ongoing, Cambodia states.

Donald Trump's announcement of the ceasefire came after he held talks with the prime ministers of both countries.

"Both countries are ready for peace and continued trade with the United States," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated since the new unrest between Cambodia and Thailand broke out, with both sides accusing each other of starting the latest wave of attacks.

The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has issued a travel advisory to parts of Thailand and Cambodia within 50 kilometers of both sides of the border. The Ministry also advises against non-essential travel to other parts of all provinces along the border.

Donald Trump

I guess I was wrong about Trump - it's worse than I thought

Niclas Vent

Reporter

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's.

Published 19.19

The secret additions to the US's new security strategy are yet another sign.

Maybe we were wrong, me and almost everyone else. Maybe Trump sucks in China.

In that case, it is infinitely bad for Europe.

When I tried to understand Trump's actions towards Ukraine almost a year ago, I only saw one reasonable explanation:

That he was about to sacrifice Ukraine to recruit Russia to his side in the global power struggle with China.

The "three tribes" of Republican foreign policy were at their best at war over the direction of the United States.

FACTS

The three "tribes" in Republican foreign policy

Roughly there are three camps:

The primates, the primacists, are the traditional Republicans, who want to emphasize America's role as a superpower, deter Russia and China, and maintain the alliances and US military presence around the world, even if it costs a lot of money.
The prioritizers see the threat from China as what the US should focus on, and do not believe that the US resources are sufficient to deal with all the other crises at the same time.
The restrainers want the US to interfere as little as possible in the world.

I thought that the image of China as the great threat was so cemented in Washington that the "primates" and the "priorities" together could push through a shift towards great power competition in Asia.

I wasn't alone.

In recent years, most politicians in both Sweden and Europe have been humming about the USA's turn towards Asia as almost fated, trans-bloc and structural.

The problem for us in Europe would then be an American power vacuum that we ourselves would have to step forward to fill.

Adequate and manageable, at least in the long term.

The US's news national security strategy that came out last week opens the door wide for a much worse interpretation.

That China is not a priority at all.

That Trump's goal is in fact completely different.

The strategy clearly chooses dominance in the Western Hemisphere over influence in the world.

It is against old-fashioned American idealism, and to ruthlessly fleece the rest of the world for as great economic gains as possible.

It certainly speaks of the need to deter conflict in the Western Pacific, but nothing remains of the analysis that in 2022 NATO to call China a threat to "our interests, security and values".

Now the contradiction is described only in economic terms.

It speaks against China being the focus.

So does the strategy's milder language about Taiwan (before the US was "opposed" to China taking over the island - now it says it "does not support" it) and the loosened stop on chip sales to China.

But the big clue is the attacks on Europe.

In an extended, secret version of the security strategy, the US is said to be planning to specifically target Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland - with the aim of getting them to leave the EU.

The Trump administration denies that the longer version exists, but the information is completely in line with the US agenda.

In all four of the designated countries there are governments or significant opinions that are positive to Trump's project to make Europe "great again".

Defense Minister Pete Hegseth aired similar thoughts the other day : The countries that "step forward" should receive special benefits from the US - those that don't should face "consequences".

Splitting the EU is logical as part of an anti-liberal world upheaval and favors America's short-term economic self-interest.

It will be easier to bully, make demands on and win trade wars against individual small states in Europe individually, if we are not united in a much more powerful EU.

But if the goal is to win over China, the strategy is completely counterproductive.

Sure, Trump might be able to blackmail some countries into siding with the US, countering China with tariffs and export controls.

But in a divided Europe, the individual states are also wide open to Chinese pressure. China does not shy away from using its power – Japan is experiencing it right now, Norway and Lithuania have had it before. Few European countries would dare to individually challenge the world's real economic superpower.

Today, the US has a big advantage over China:

His allies.

Without our markets, factories, technologies and our political support, the United States stands alone.

If the goal is to limit China's power, the strategy to divide us and "cultivate resistance to Europe's current course" is thus a clear goal in itself.

It could be that the gang around Trump doesn't get it, or that their ability to connect cause and effect is shaky.

But

suggests otherwise:

That the United States' primary goal is not actually to counter China, but to introduce an illiberal, transactional, kleptocratic world order, where the dictators and autocrats of the great powers, in suspicious arm-twisting, divide the planet among themselves.