Russian Invasion International Response

Tusk: Attempted Provocation at the Russian Border

Poland has thwarted an attempted provocation at its border with Russia, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as reported by the Polish outlet TVN24.

"In the view of the Border Guard, the situation required full mobilization and control over the situation on the ground," he stated.

According to the Polish news site Onet, "individuals with flashlights" were reportedly observed.

A major military exercise is scheduled to take place in Poland this November, with the participation of countries including the United Kingdom and France.

Source: Peacekeeping Forces to be Authorized to Return Russian Fire

European forces deployed to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire would be authorized to respond to Russian attacks, a source with insight into the plans told *The Guardian*.

"Naturally, we will protect our forces against any aggression," the source said.

The forces would be stationed well away from the front lines, primarily to assist in "rebuilding and strengthening" Ukraine’s defenses following the war, the newspaper reports. It is also noted that between 2014 and 2022, Russia carried out several smaller-scale attacks against Ukraine.

Donald Trump has stated that the United States will not contribute peacekeeping forces. As this military support will operate outside the NATO framework, Europe is preparing for little to no assistance from the U.S. Consequently, there is a desire to avoid reliance on American technology, such as Starlink. 

Russian Invasion  Ukraine’s Response
Zelenskyy’s former press secretary charged with high treason

Ukrainian prosecutors, as reported by AFP, have charged Yuliia Mendel—formerly press secretary to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—with high treason.

Mendel, 40, served as Zelenskyy’s press secretary from the 2019 election until 2021. She now lives abroad and has accused her former boss of corruption and authoritarian rule.

Among other things, she has claimed that Ukraine lacks freedom of speech and that the country “is on the path to extinction.”

According to prosecutors, she has “exploited her visibility [...] to disseminate claims in support of the aggressor state, with the aim of discrediting Ukraine.”

Mendel, who had already been placed under sanctions by Zelenskyy, writes that the charges “prove that I am right.”

 

Russian invasion The negotiations

Sources: Kremlin to Escalate as Trump Weakens in the US

Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans are heading toward a major loss of power and prestige in the US midterm elections—a scenario that could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraine, reports Bloomberg.

According to sources, the Kremlin has lost faith in Trump’s ability to pressure Zelenskyy into an agreement favorable to Russia. Consequently, it is shifting its strategy toward intensifying attacks on Ukraine and increasing pressure on the country’s European allies.

In particular, the Kremlin is reportedly focusing on more extensive strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this winter, with the aim of forcing the country to capitulate.

However, a source close to the Kremlin suggests that Russia has been emboldened by its diesel deal with the US and is now seeking to convince the Trump administration that further business deals can be struck without first ending the war in Ukraine.

White House: Melania Trump to Host Meeting on Ukraine

Melania Trump is set to host a meeting concerning Russia and Ukraine, the White House announced, according to several news agencies.

"This represents an extraordinary moment in American history," the White House stated in a press release.

Melania Trump has previously been credited with helping to facilitate a humanitarian ceasefire that was recently implemented in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky.

It has not yet been disclosed who will participate in the meeting, nor when it is scheduled to take place. It has previously been announced that Ukrainian and Russian representatives are set to meet in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, next week—on November 10–11.

Merz welcomes Zelenskyy to Berlin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Berlin. In the German capital, his agenda includes talks with both Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Zelenskyy writes in a post on X.

The meeting with Merz is expected to focus on preparations for next week’s meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” reports the German broadcaster RBB. Ukraine’s air defense and energy sector will also be discussed during the meeting, according to Zelenskyy.

The visit coincides with the opening of the annual, two-day security conference in Berlin.

 

Greenland Approves Defense Agreement with the US

 

TT-Ritzau

 

Published 19.09

 

US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland’s Head of Government Jens-Frederik Nielsen at the ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, where the agreement was signed in late September. Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP/TT

Greenland’s parliament, Inatsisartut, has voted in favor of the security and defense agreement with the United States, according to Danish media.

A majority in the Greenlandic parliament voted to approve the agreement on Tuesday. 16 members voted in favor, 0 voted against, and 7 abstained.

The agreement, which will only take effect once it has been formally approved by both Greenland and Denmark, was signed in New York in late September.

It builds upon a 1951 defense agreement and includes provisions allowing the US to establish two new military bases in Greenland, while simultaneously recognizing the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.

The Danish Parliament (Folketinget) is set to vote on the agreement on November 19.

Financial Times: Putin, Trump, and Xi planning a meeting

 

TT

 

Published 10.33

 

Russian matryoshka dolls featuring images of Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Russia. File photo. Photo: Dmitri Lovetsky/AP/TT

An initial meeting between Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin could take place soon, the Financial Times reports.

American, Chinese, and Russian officials are reportedly in discussions to arrange a summit during the APEC meeting in Shenzhen, China, in two weeks’ time.

“Work is underway to organize such a meeting,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin—the Russian seat of power—told the Financial Times.

However, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to confirm a meeting between the three presidents. The White House in Washington has yet to respond to the newspaper’s inquiries, though Trump has previously confirmed that he will meet with Xi in Shenzhen.

The APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting will be held on November 18–19. Prior to that, Trump is expected to visit the Philippines. 

 

The new war could be worse – without solving the problem

Niclas Vent

This is a commentary text. The analysis and viewpoints expressed are those of the author. 

Published 19.23

When perhaps America’s foremost warrior says that war doesn’t work, one would think someone might listen.

Instead, we may be just days away from the resumption of what is arguably the most hopeless conflict of our time.

And this time, it could take its worst form yet.

William McRaven knows what it means to win.

The retired admiral capped off four decades in uniform by leading—as head of U.S. Special Operations Command—the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Few can match his military résumé.

But William McRaven also knows what it means to lose.

When he was in charge of special operations in Afghanistan, even he fell for the perennial siren song of military force.

“I believed that more troops, more weapons, and more money could solve some of the most intractable problems. They could not,” he writes in *Foreign Affairs*.

McRaven is no alone in having experienced such a loss.

Over decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of men and women in uniform have seen their blood and sweat sacrificed in vain—with military victories reduced to political ashes.

         

        William McRaven and Barack Obama, 2011. Photo: Charles Dharapak / AP

What sets McRaven apart is that he is trying to learn from it. If the most powerful military force in world history repeatedly fails to achieve its political objectives, it is not because it is too small, too weak, or poorly led.

It is because there are problems that military force cannot solve. 

 It is, of course, no coincidence that McRaven is writing now.

A war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran appears to be on the verge of erupting once again.

New attacks are already being planned, and could commence as soon as the U.S. midterm elections are out of the way.

We do not know whether a final decision has been made. Perhaps all the signals pointing toward an imminent strike are merely a form of scare tactic—an attempt to ultimately force an agreement upon Iran.

Yet, many factors point toward war.

Three aircraft carriers and two amphibious strike groups may soon be in position in the region—the largest naval buildup in over 20 years. The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia has been evacuated of non-essential personnel. Allies have been warned of potential Iranian counterattacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for action.

        

        Donald Trump. Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP / TT

Anonymous officials have described the plan as a “major operation”—a broader campaign than those seen previously.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who has gained insight into these plans, offers a more blunt assessment:

“The plan is insane,” he writes on X.

“It won’t achieve its objectives and will trigger a new cycle of escalation.”

For that description to be accurate, the large-scale strikes against civilian targets—which Donald Trump threatened this past spring—must be back on the table. Or perhaps something even worse. Such attacks would almost certainly lead to suffering, war crimes, and a further descent into an abyss of human-on-human barbarity.

With equal certainty, they will not work.

The United States unleashed over 13,000 bombs and missiles on Iran during the spring, yet failed to solve the problem.

Why would more of the same help?

One dose not need to be a decorated military officer—or even particularly clever—to grasp the limitations of military power.

This is evidenced by the fact that, ever since the war against Iran began, I have been describing essentially the same issues that McRaven highlights.

Military force is never a standalone solution; it can only be effective under very specific circumstances.

McRaven points to several clear lessons from the 1991 Gulf War—the United States’ major military success of the post-war era:

Maintain the moral high ground. 

Build broad coalitions. 

Set clearly defined objectives. 

Deploy the necessary resources, including ground troops. 

Fight only for as long as is necessary.

The fact that none of these apply to Donald Trump’s war against Iran explains why it has become a strategic failure. 

Further bombing will not change that.

  

 

Attacks until the very end: “Speaking ill and pointing out weaknesses”

 

Albin Almqvist

Published 19:02

The United States has headed to the polls for the midterm elections.

In the final hours before the polls close, aggressive campaigning could prove decisive.

“There have been many harsh attacks,” says US expert Emma Ricknell.

States have been heading to the polls one by one. While the East Coast is entering the final hours before closing, the West Coast has just opened its polls.

Political scientist and US expert Emma Ricknell will be watching closely as the results for the Senate elections begin to come in.

“There are some indications that there could be a ‘blue tsunami,’ with the Democrats making significant gains. That would be a major development.”

“I’m keeping a particularly close eye on Texas. It’s the kind of state where Democratic challengers usually aren’t even part of the conversation—but now, they are.”

According to Ricknell, those following the Senate races can expect to get an idea of ​​which way things are leaning shortly after midnight, Swedish time.

“But if it’s very close in certain places, we may have to keep waiting.”

The political scientist notes that the election campaign—as is often the case in the US—has been characterized by “negative campaigning” and attacks on opponents. This trend may well persist in the final hours before the outcome is decided.

“It’s a staple of American political campaigns, so we’ll likely continue to see it. Essentially, it involves campaigning by speaking ill of one’s opponent and highlighting their weaknesses,” says Ricknell.

But does it actually work?

– Well, that is the question, isn’t it? But American voters are, at the very least, very accustomed to this.

Could turn Trump into a “lame duck”

If a “blue tsunami” were to materialize and the Democrats gained control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it would significantly impact Donald Trump’s power.

– It would mean the Democrats have a very strong opportunity to block Trump’s various policy proposals. He simply wouldn’t be able to push through the agenda he has outlined over the past few years.

Regardless of the outcome, the president will likely have plenty to say about it, the political scientist believes.

– We can probably expect him to take to Truth Social and comment on this quite promptly, says Ricknell, adding:

– He has made statements suggesting he might be willing to accept the election results, provided the election was conducted properly. One has to wonder what he means by that—what it would imply if he decides the election was not conducted properly.

 

John Helmer: PUTIN'S WAR OPTIONS AFTER TRUMP

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