Russian invasion Voices on the Ukraine war

Analysis: An “ambush” against Zelensky – who will protect Ukraine from the US?

What we saw tonight from the Trump administration was a "skillfully executed" and "well-calculated" ambush that was carried out with intent, writes The Telegraph's defense editor Dominic Nicholls in an analysis.

The question is no longer who will protect Ukraine from Russia but who will protect Ukraine from the US, writes Nicholls.

Sky News international correspondent Dominic Waghorn has the same picture. Only those who were in the room can know for sure, but from where he sat, it was an "ambush led by the US vice president".

"The Oval Office was replaced by a reality show", writes Waghorn.

If Ukraine's European allies accept that the US has become a rogue and unreliable ally, they have a tough choice, according to Waghorn. Either they have to do what they can to protect Ukraine or they will see themselves and Ukraine torn apart by more powerful forces, he writes.

 

Zelenskyj is being praised in Ukraine: “Total riots”

Volodymyr Zelenskyj is being praised in Ukraine after the verbal spat with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, says Sveriges Radio's Ukraine correspondent Lubna El-Shanti to her own channel.

- It is a total uproar and unanimous expressions of sympathy directed at President Zelenskyj, says El-Shanti.

DN correspondent Niclas Orrenius paints the same picture. His friend Julia from the industrial city of Lysychansk, which has been occupied by Russia since 2022, writes in a text message that she was worried and angry about Trump's "crazy statements".

“But now I am actually not as worried. My president has the strength to fight back,” she writes according to Orrenius.

 

Zelenskyj does not mention the quarrel in the first comment: “Thank you for this visit”

Volodymyr Zelenskyj thanks the USA and President Donald Trump after the meeting in the White House that ended in a big quarrel.

“Thank you, America, thank you for your support, thank you for the visit. Thank you President Trump, Congress and the American people.
Ukraine needs a just and lasting peace, and that is exactly what we are working for,” he writes on X.

He does not comment on the big quarrel, that some mineral agreement was not signed and that according to information to Fox News he was thrown out of the White House.

Russian invasion The world’s response

Italy wants to see a crisis meeting between the US and Europe

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to see an urgent meeting between the US, European countries and other allies. After today's canceled meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Donald Trump, she calls on the Western world to unite.

- Every division in the West makes us all weaker and benefits those who want to see the decline of our civilization, she says in a statement according to Reuters.

Friday's meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Trump crashed badly. The presidents, and US Vice President JD Vance, raised their voices against each other in front of the media cameras.

Orbán praises Trump: "Strong men create peace"

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is choosing a different path than his European colleagues after the heated meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Donald Trump.

While several European leaders have expressed support for Ukraine, Orbán is giving his support to Donald Trump. He writes on X that Donald Trump is brave, stands up for peace and that it is something that many find difficult to swallow.

“Strong men create peace, weak men create war”.

Orbán has been described as Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the EU.

In a heated exchange on Friday evening, Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused the Ukrainian president of acting disrespectfully towards the United States.
 

Europe unites behind Zelensky: “The free world needs a new leader”

European leaders come out in support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House that ended in a loud verbal altercation.

“Today it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It is up to us Europeans to shoulder that role”, writes EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas.

According to the Elysée Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken to Zelensky after the altercation.

– We must respect those who have been there from the beginning and fought, the French president said before the conversation.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre tells VG that he distances himself from Trump's accusations that Zelensky's actions risk a third world war.

– What we saw from the White House today is serious and disappointing, he says.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes on X that they will continue to work with Zelensky for a just and sustainable peace.

“Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people,” she writes.

“Dear Zelensky, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” writes Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X.

Russian invasion White House row

Trump won't answer whether Zelensky was kicked out: "I think you know the answer to that"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky played a high game in Friday's meeting at the White House, Donald Trump says. It is the president's first verbal statement since the crashed call.

Trump says he wants peace in Ukraine and that Zelensky did not give the same impression during the meeting. He does not want to confirm media reports that Zelensky was asked to leave the White House after the public dispute.

- I don't have to tell you. I think you know the answer to that, Trump tells a reporter.

Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of acting disrespectfully towards Trump, after the Ukrainian president questioned Russia's intentions to reach a peace solution.

Source: Trump considers ceasefire for Ukraine – a response to today’s row

The Trump administration is considering a halt to all military supplies to Ukraine, a senior administration official told the Washington Post.

The move would be in response to what Ukrainian President Zelensky said at the White House on Friday and what the Trump administration sees as “intransigence” in the peace process, the official said.

The deal involves radar systems, vehicles, ammunition and missiles worth billions of dollars that are waiting to be sent to Ukraine, the newspaper writes.

The same official says that Donald Trump and JD Vance’s confrontation with Zelensky was not planned in advance and that the United States had made efforts to find a more “positive tone” before the meeting.

Graham: Zelensky should resign or send someone else

A total disaster that makes it difficult for the United States to continue to “do business” with Ukraine. This is how Republican Congressman Lindsey Graham describes Friday night’s row in the White House between Zelensky and Trump.

– Zelensky has made it almost impossible to sell him as a good investment to the American people, he tells the AP.

Within the Republicans, Graham has been seen as a clear pro-Ukraine voice. Now he says that Zelensky must either resign or send someone with whom the United States can negotiate.

– I have never been so proud of Trump, he adds.

Within the Democrats, the tone is different. On X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer writes that Trump and JD Vance are doing “Putin’s shit.”

“Senate Democrats will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy,” he writes.

 

BREAKING NEWS: Trump, Zelensky, And JD Vance Have Shocking Explosive Argument In The Oval Office

Forbes Breaking News

 

 

Treasury Secretary Bessent 'Shocked' at Trump, Zelenskiy ...

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The Duran: Zelensky HUMILIATED, Sells Ukraine to Trump's TRAIN WRECK Deal as Putin Tightens Grip

Danny Haiphong

 

 

WATCH: Zelenskyy leaves White House after Trump 'kicked him out'

Fox News

BREAKING: Trump KICKS Zelensky OUT After INSANE Shouting Match

Breaking Points

Watch | FULL Video Of Trump, Vance SHAMING Zelensky at White House | Times Now World

Times Now World

 

 

Starmer Humiliated As Trump Outwits Him, No US Backstop For UK/French Troops; Zelensky Comes Fuming

Alexander Mercouris     

 

  

Ukraine

Expert: Invited to humiliate and pressure him

Olivia Birgander

Updated 20.32 | Published 19.54

The meeting in the Oval Office between Zelenskyj and Trump derailed in front of an open curtain.

The Ukrainian president was accused of being ungrateful – and risking a third world war.

- It's a kind of mafia style from Trump, says Ukraine expert and former diplomat Fredrik Wesslau.

       

       Here Trump and Zelenskyj clash: "Disrespectful"

      1:09

Volodymyr Zelenskyj is in the US to discuss a mineral agreement between the countries. But there was a quick exchange of heated words between the leaders.

- It looks like they invited him to humiliate and pressure him. It is an astonishing move by Trump, says Fredrik Wesslau, a researcher at the Center for Austrian Studies at the Swedish Institute for International Policy.

The fact that Trump and JD Vance are doing this in front of an open curtain puts Zelensky in a difficult position.

- It could very well be a tactic from Trump. He invited Zelensky to pressure him to accept a substandard agreement that did not include security guarantees.

But according to Wesslau, the behavior that is seen is still typical of Trump, which distinguishes him from previous American presidents.

- He was like that during his campaign and during his first term. He attacks both his opponents and his allies, it is a kind of mafia style from Trump.

The meeting between Zelensky and Trump went completely off the rails. Photo: Mystyslav Chernov/AP

“Just gives Russia time to re-arm and then attack again”

At the same time, what Zelensky needs most is security guarantees. But it doesn't look like he will be able to travel home with that.

- It is clear that he is under pressure. He risks the US withdrawing its support for Ukraine. Ukraine. It looks like this is a president who equates Ukraine and Russia and ignores the fact that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.

If there is a ceasefire without Ukraine having any security guarantees, it could mean an even worse situation for the country.

- If there are no security guarantees for Ukraine, a ceasefire will only give Russia time to re-arm and then attack again in a few years.

Trump himself believes that an agreement would mean a form of security guarantees in that there would be American investments to protect and also American personnel in the mines.

- The idea was that they would sign the agreement on natural resources today, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Now we'll see what happens.

Fredrik Wesslau. Photo: Swedish Institute of Foreign Affairs 

News
Trump after canceled meeting: Not ready for peace

TT

Updated 20.18 | Published 17.35

         

       

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj at the White House in   Washington DC – before they started arguing.

1 / 2Photo: Doug Mills/AFP/TT

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyj's meeting was canceled early and the Ukrainian president has left the White House. The agreement that the leaders were supposed to agree on has not been signed.

"He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump writes.

Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Donald Trump got into a long and heated verbal argument in front of the television cameras when the two were supposed to greet each other before today's planned meeting.

- You are gambling with the lives of millions. You are gambling with a third world war, and what you are doing is very disrespectful to our country, Trump said, pointing hard at Zelensky before continuing angrily:

- You should be grateful!

The meeting, which was supposed to last about two hours, was interrupted after a short while, and the announced press conference has been canceled.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump calls the meeting “productive” and writes:

“It is amazing what can be achieved through emotions, and I have come to realize that President Zelensky is not ready for peace if the United States is involved, because he feels that our involvement gives him a great advantage in the negotiations. I do not want to give advantages, I want PEACE,” Trump writes and continues:

“He was disrespectful to the United States in this beloved Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace.”

A fight before the curtain opens

The two had then ended up in a rarely seen fight at the highest international level.

A gathering of journalists could only watch as Trump, Zelensky and even US Vice President JD Vance used increasingly harsh words against each other.

– Make a deal, or we’ll pull out, a noticeably irritated Trump told his Ukrainian guest.

Zelensky tried to explain the situation in Ukraine relatively calmly – but with an obvious inner turmoil – and that high-pitched tones had not helped so far and were not likely to do so now either.

– You’re not acting grateful at all, Trump replied.

– It’s going to be very difficult to get anything done this way. It’s going to be difficult to get a deal done because attitudes are going to have to change.

Trump had said just minutes earlier that he was not on Ukraine’s side.

– I’m for both Ukraine and Russia, he said and later continued:

– I’m not allied with anyone. I’m allied with the US and the best for the world.

Promised weapons

According to the BBC, Trump promised to send more weapons to Ukraine, but “hopefully not send that much, because a deal is close.”

How this will turn out is unclear. This also applies to the agreement that Friday’s meeting was supposed to be about – an agreement that was not signed before Zelenskyj left the White House.

According to previous information, the agreement that was to be signed is to ensure American support for a “stable” Ukraine and the country’s economic development. In exchange, Ukraine is to contribute half of all future revenues from newly discovered natural resources to a common fund. 

JUST IN: White House meeting derails in outburst of rage

 

Volodymyr Zelensky
Heated exchange of words between Trump,  

Markus Botsjö

Updated 19.24 | Published 18.38

In the Oval Office, Zelensky, US Vice President JD Vance and Trump were involved in a series of tense exchanges.

JD Vance accused Zelensky of being "disrespectful" and "not saying thank you once".

- Either you agree to a deal or we pull out, Trump tells Zelensky - right in front of reporters.

        

         Here Trump and Zelensky clash: "Disrespectful"
         1:48

Zelensky is in the White House to sign a mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine. The meeting started well.

– We have a deal that is very fair, Trump told the few reporters present in the Oval Office.

Zelensky showed pictures of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russian prisons. He stressed the importance of not making concessions to Putin in a peace agreement.

– I think President Trump is on our side, Zelensky said according to Sky News..

– I am for both Russia and Ukraine. I want it to be resolved, Trump said.

Later, the meeting derailed – right in front of the world's media.

“You have to be grateful”

Trump said, among other things, that the Ukrainian leader is “gambling with World War III”.

After Zelensky tried to go into how Putin invaded Crimea in 2014 and then Ukraine in 2022 and killed thousands, Trump and Vance turned to say that Zelensky had not shown enough gratitude to the United States.

– We are trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel, because you're in no position to dictate exactly. You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel, Trump says.

The exchange of words continues between Zelensky and Trump.

- You have to be grateful. You don't have the cards, thousands are dying and I want a ceasefire, Trump says and continues:

- It's going to be tough to make this deal

"They respect me"

Trump also goes into a long harangue about the story about Hunter Biden's laptop after a journalist asked what they think about the risk of Putin breaking a ceasefire.

- They didn't respect Obama or Biden. They respect me. Putin has been through a lot with me, Trump says.

Towards the end of the meeting, Trump tells Zelensky that he is not "particularly grateful" and that "this is going to make good TV".

After the degenerate meeting, Trump continues his attack on Truth social.

“He can come back when he is ready for peace,” he writes.

Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Donald Trump in the White House. Photo: Mstyslav Cherno/AP

TOP NEWS

The change of power in Germany
“Constructive” start to negotiations in Germany

The Christian Democrats CDU/CSU and the Social Democrats SPD describe Friday’s initial negotiations to form a joint coalition as “constructive”, reports Reuters.

– The first exploratory talks began in an open and constructive spirit, the two parties say in a first joint statement.

One issue where the parties are far apart concerns the German budget, but the immigration issue and welfare are also described as two stumbling blocks.

The parties announce that the talks will resume next week. The election winner Friedrich Merz has said that he wants a coalition solution in place within two months.

The future of Britain
British aid cut – minister resigns in protest

Great Britain’s aid minister Anneliese Dodds resigns in protest against planned cuts to foreign aid. This is reported by British media.

The aid is to be almost halved, according to The Guardian. The money is instead being spent on defence. Anneliese Dodds warns that this could strengthen Russia, which is strengthening its global presence.

In a letter on social media, she addresses the Prime Minister and Labour colleague Keir Starmer directly:

"You have been clear that you are not ideologically opposed to international development aid. But your decision is already being described as following President Trump's wave of cuts to USAID".

She also writes that she has waited to resign until after the meeting between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump on Thursday.
 

Middle East crisis Ceasefire
Report: Israel wants to extend the first phase by six weeks

Israel wants the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas to be extended for 42 days, two Egyptian sources told Reuters. The first phase actually expires tomorrow.

However, the terrorist group does not want to agree to this. In a statement, Hamas said it was fully committed to upholding “all steps and details” of the original agreement.

Hamas also called on the entire international community to put pressure on Israel to “fulfill its part of the agreement and immediately enter its second phase without delay or hesitation,” Al Jazeera reports.

Mohamad Elmasry, a political analyst at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, believes that Israel’s recent statements indicate that the war will soon start again.

– They are quite clear that they intend to enter more war, not phase two.

The future of the PKK
Erdogan after the PKK statement: “A historic opportunity”

The call from PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to lay down his arms and disband represents a new chapter in the fight to free Turkey from terrorism, says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

– We have a historic opportunity to achieve the goal of tearing down the wall of terror, says Erdogan, reports AFP.

According to Erdogan, they will “closely monitor” the closure. He also warns against “provocations.”

Abdullah Öcalan is sentenced to life imprisonment and has been imprisoned in Turkey since 1999. The conflict between the PKK and Turkey has lasted for four decades and resulted in over 40,000 deaths.

Economy

Crypto market
Bitcoin falls below $80,000 – dragging the sector down

Bitcoin falls below $80,000 and reaches its lowest price since November 11, international media reports. Since its record high in January, bitcoin has lost more than a quarter of its value.

– Given the macro environment, it is not surprising that we are where we are, says Stefan von Haenisch at crypto company Bitgo Inc to Bloomberg.

The collapse affects the entire crypto market, the news agency reports, where ether, solana and xrp are also falling sharply.

Economists: Trump threatens ECB interest rate cuts

US President Donald Trump and his tariff game are being raised as a threat to the ECB's possible interest rate cuts, a survey by Bloomberg shows.

Hopes for a 25-point cut next week have fallen somewhat and ABN Amro's senior economist Bill Diviney points out, among other things, that US tariff policy seems to be more aggressive than previously thought.

– The outlook could change significantly in the coming months, he told the news agency.

The economists who responded to the survey still believe that the central bank could lower the deposit rate to 2 percent in the next six months.
 

China's response to the tariffs: "Taking all necessary measures"

China's Ministry of Commerce will take "all necessary measures" to protect its interests if the US goes ahead with the threat and imposes tariffs of an additional 10 percent on March 4. Bloomberg writes, according to Direkt.

The ministry hopes that the US will sit down at the negotiating table to resolve the situation through dialogue, a spokesperson said.

 

The development of AI
Open AI's video service Sora has been launched in Sweden

Open AI's video service Sora is now also available in Sweden, writes DI. The company launched the video service back in December, but it was not available to users in the EU at the time.

The service is available to Chat GPT users with Plus and Pro subscriptions.

Swedish growth
Nordea on the GDP figure: “Risk that households will be disappointed”

There were unexpectedly good developments in the Swedish economy in the fourth quarter, according to several of the banks’ experts.

According to Nordea’s chief analyst Torbjörn Isaksson, the GDP figure reinforces the picture that the recovery in the economy has begun.

– I think that the conditions for an improvement are in place. 2025 will be better than 2024, he tells TT.

Isaksson also points out that the Riksbank is probably done with lowering the interest rate this time, with the risk that many households will be disappointed.

Handelsbanken also believes that the pressure in the economy was unexpectedly strong, driven by higher pressure in exports and domestic demand.

“The increasing purchasing power of households, driven by rising real wages, tax cuts and lower interest rates, indicates that domestic demand will continue to strengthen going forward,” the bank writes in a comment.

Ikea's investments
Ikea in India: We will be profitable in three years

In three years, Ikea's Indian operations expect to turn a profit, writes Bloomberg. Despite rising sales, losses for Ikea India increased in 2024.

The furniture giant plans to open four more stores in the country in the coming years. Two of these in suburbs of the capital, and one in the tech city of Gurgaon.

- We are growing in a good direction, and we are following the plan we have set up to move towards profitability, says India manager Susanne Pulverer to the news agency.

 

Swedish-founded Skype goes into the grave in the spring

Microsoft announces that Skype will be shut down in May and replaced by a free version of the tech giant's Teams service. This is reported by international media.

The video calling service Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and was sold in 2005 to Ebay and later to Microsoft.

Elections in Romania

Romania's government survives no-confidence vote

Romania's government has survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, avoiding further political turmoil in the country, Reuters reports.

144 MPs voted in favor of a no-confidence vote, but 233 votes are needed to bring down the government. The vote was initiated by a right-wing coalition that accuses the government of corruption.

The political situation in the country has been extremely turbulent in recent months. The background is, among other things, that former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has been accused of committing crimes during the election campaign.

He is suspected of "data-related crimes" in connection with the campaign for last year's election. The Constitutional Court canceled the election with two days' notice after suspicions of Russian interference and election fraud in favor of the pro-Russian far-right candidate.

Mercenary arrested with weapons in Romanian election turmoil

A former soldier in the French Foreign Legion and 20 others have been arrested on suspicion of crimes against national security in connection with the canceled presidential election in Romania, Reuters reports. All have connections to the accused far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.

Weapons such as grenade launchers and large sums of cash have been found during a search of the home of Horatiu Potra, who fought in Congo-Kinshasa as a mercenary and also ran for mayor in Romania.

- I admit to illegal possession of weapons. Rather than die legally, I live illegally, Potra says on Romanian TV according to Reuters, and then explains that he wants to be prepared if Romania's current government "draws the country into war with Russia."

Former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu is facing multiple charges related to the canceled December election, making it unclear whether he will be allowed to run in the new election on May 4.
 

Russian invasion

Negotiations

Trump wants to sign the agreement today – is ready to send weapons to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, several media outlets report.

Trump tells reporters at the White House that the controversial mineral agreement between the countries will be signed later today. He also says that the US is ready to send weapons to Ukraine but that he hopes it will not involve so many weapons since the US is “pretty” close to a ceasefire agreement with Russia.

Zelensky is somewhat more reserved about the mineral agreement and tells Trump that he cannot compromise with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

– He is a murderer and a terrorist. But I hope that together we can stop him, says Zelensky.

 

European summit in London – Sweden invited

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is inviting a dozen European leaders, including from Sweden, to a meeting on Sunday, AFP writes. The aim is to "drive forward" measures for Ukraine's security, according to a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has been invited to Downing Street to discuss the war with Russia before the summit. Sweden, France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Turkey and the EU are among the countries invited, Starmer's office writes in a statement.

 

Zelensky and Trump clash: “You’re gambling with World War III”

The meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump ended with the two presidents clashing, several media outlets report.

In raised voices, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful and disrespectful.

– You’re gambling with World War III, Trump said, adding that Ukraine must either sign the mineral agreement or the US will withdraw.

Zelensky said that everyone is feeling the effects of the war, but that the US has an ocean between it and the war. But you will feel this too, Zelensky added.

– You don’t know anything about that. Don’t tell us what to feel, Trump replied.

Before the meeting, many believed that Zelensky would sign the controversial mineral agreement between the countries.

Trump said, among other things, that the US is ready to send weapons to Ukraine but that he hopes it will not be a large amount of weapons since the US is “pretty” close to a ceasefire agreement with Russia.

Zelensky was more reserved about the mineral agreement.

 

The US Power Shift The Negotiations
Analysis: Zelensky's Only Choice Is to Sign

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Donald Trump in Washington today, and the future relationship between Ukraine and the US is at stake.

"Things are changing quickly in Donald Trump's world," writes CNN's Stephen Collinson in an analysis. He is referring to the fact that just a few days ago Trump incorrectly called Zelensky a dictator and that he was the one who started the war with Russia. But today he is being welcomed by the White House to sign a deal on rare earth metals.

"Zelensky has learned a critical lesson: Give Trump the win," writes Collinson.

The latest draft of the agreement is better than the first for Ukraine, but the truth is that Zelensky has no real choice because a deal is the best chance for a long-term US relationship, he writes.

In an analysis in Sky News, Beth Rigby highlights that Donald Trump, during Thursday's meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said that a mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine should be a sufficient deterrent for Russia.

 

The world's response
Long delivery times a problem for countries that are rearming

It can take up to ten years from the time a military product, such as tanks and submarines, is ordered until it is delivered. A problem when European countries are now rearming their defenses, says Robert Limmergård, Secretary General of the Security and Defense Companies Association, to Ekot.

"Buy, buy, buy," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently. But after a political decision, a military needs analysis follows and then a procurement. Only after that do military companies come into the picture and can start contracting subcontractors and ordering components, says Limmergård. To speed up the process, authorities should share their needs earlier.

- Not everything needs to be secret, he says.

 

Kristersson to London – to have a meeting about Ukraine

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) is traveling to London this weekend for a meeting with, among others, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. This is confirmed in a post on X.

On Sunday, they will discuss support for Ukraine together with other European colleagues.

"Sweden stands by Ukraine and on the side of freedom. Their security is ultimately also about the security of Sweden and Europe."

 

John Helmer: Trump vs. Starmer: The EU Has LOST ITS MIND!

Dialogue Works

 

 

Larry C. Johnson: Differences: How the US and EU Are Handling the Ukraine War!

Dialogue Works

 

 

Scott Ritter: Trump Admits Russia Won, Putin CRUSHES Ukraine–NATO in TOTAL Collapse?

Danny Haiphong

 

Terrible deal. Zelensky gives Ukraine resources to US

The Duran 

 

Starmer and Macron FAIL to trick Trump into war with Russia

The Duran 

Three scenarios – what the new world could look like

USA
Three scenarios: What a new world order could look like

Wolfgang Hansson

This is a commentary text. Analysis and positions are those of the writer.

Published 21.05

Four years go by quickly in world politics. Photo: AP

It feels like everything is moving very quickly now.

Every morning we wake up to new, breaking news about a changed world.

The current world order is under threat, but it is not certain that Trump and Putin will succeed in abolishing it.

A new world order is not something that emerges overnight.
 

Quick version

• The current world order is challenged, and the role of the United States in European defense is being questioned, forcing European countries to increase their defense spending.
• Despite tensions and Trump's criticism, NATO cooperation and the collective defense guarantee remain intact with a continued focus on European security.
• Three possible scenarios for the future include a potential return to power-based world politics, a total collapse of the transatlantic alliance, or a preserved liberal world order in which Europe plays a greater defense role.

Right now, it feels like the transatlantic alliance is hanging by a thread. The United States no longer wants to take the same responsibility for  Europe's defense and security as it has done since World War II.

 

But there is a middle ground between the current world order and one in which the US and Europe are enemies or foes.

Much will depend on who takes power in the US when Trump's term ends in early 2029. It may sound like an eternity, but four years go by quickly in world politics.

It is unlikely that Trump and his staff will be able to maintain the same pace throughout his term.
Not omnipotent

In less than two years, there will be mid-term elections in the US. Then the balance of power in Congress could change to Trump's disadvantage. It is very unusual for a president who has a majority in both houses of Congress to retain it for four years.

Although the president has great freedom to determine foreign policy on his own, he is not omnipotent.

Europe has had a rude awakening after many years of sleeping beauty sleep in which it has become accustomed to unwavering support from the US.
Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin. Photo: Evgenia Novozhenina / AP
Trump is whining

Now, with Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine and Trump's hostile signals to Europe, the continent's leaders have more or less immediately promised to greatly increase defense spending to meet the threat from Russia.

Before France's Macron traveled to the White House at the beginning of the week, he promised increased defense spending. Britain's Keir Starmer declared ahead of today's visit to the White House that the country will invest three percent on defense within a number of years. Sweden is already up to 2.6 percent and is promising more. Germany has gone from just over one percent to over two percent and the soon-to-be new Chancellor Friedrich Merz is promising further increases.

A new minimum figure will be decided at the NATO summit in The Hague this summer. Two percent will be scrapped and will likely be raised to at least three.

When Trump continues to whine about Europe not investing enough, it is now mostly a game for the domestic political gallery. He already has Europe on board.

         

JD Vance in Munich. Photo: Matthias Schrader / AP

Of course, JD Vance's jabs at Europe in his speech at the Munich Security Conference were an insult and disappointment to European leaders, but in practice they have changed nothing but the mood.

Defense guarantee applies

What today looks like a growing gap between the US and Europe does not have to mean a definitive break. The two continents are intertwined by deep cooperation in a number of different areas. We will not suddenly become enemies overnight.

NATO is one of the most important cooperations. This time, Trump has not threatened to leave the military alliance. He has not even repeated his threat from the election campaign to let Putin “do whatever the hell he wants” with NATO countries that do not invest enough in their own defenses.

On the contrary, the new Defense Minister Pete Hegseth has stated that NATO’s collective defense guarantee applies.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was not “the end of history”.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was not “the end of history”. Photo: Lionel Cironneau / AP

So even if the US will in the future focus more of its defence resources on Asia and on slowing down China's path towards superpower status, this does not mean that Europe will be left entirely to its own devices.

For Europe, there may also be something positive in taking greater responsibility for its own security instead of blindly trusting the US forever. On the other hand, Europe will find it difficult to cope without the ultimate American deterrence guarantees provided by US nuclear weapons.

When the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, it felt as if the world order had changed overnight. Eternal peace was here. It was the most dramatic event since the end of World War II.

No end to history

But even then, the world order was gradually changing.

It took just over two years before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, definitively confirming the defeat of communism. But instead of being the “end of history,” the new world order contained the seeds of Putin’s and Russia’s revanchism.

Although today it feels like the rules-based, liberal world order is on its way out, we don’t have the final say yet.

I see at least three possible scenarios:

The world returns to an order where the right of the strong prevails. The world returns to an order where the right of the strong prevails. The US, Russia, and China divide the world into spheres of interest that they want to control. Seems to be Trump’s favorite and definitely Russia’s and China’s. But it feels very outdated. In addition, it will take time for the US to take Greenland, the Panama Canal, and turn Canada into the 51st state if Trump is not prepared to start a war against allies.

A total collapse of the transatlantic alliance that means that Europe alone must try to save Ukraine as an independent nation and deal with Russia regardless of what comes after Putin. NATO withers away.

The liberal world order survives in a more multipolar world with more centers of power and a changed order of things. Europe takes responsibility for its own defense but retains the protection of the American nuclear umbrella. NATO continues to play an important role.

Which alternative will it be? The jury is still out, as they say in the United States.

Food prices are skyrocketing – why don’t politicians realise the danger?

 

Competition Authority

Food prices are threatening our economy – that’s why they are rushing

Andreas Cervenka

Reporter and economic commentator

This is a commentary text. Analysis and positions are those of the writer.

Published 18.18

Food prices have become 45 percent more expensive in 10 years. Photo: TT

Rising food prices are the last thing the Swedish economy needs right now.

But the reason why they are so expensive is no mystery.

The answer can be read in black and white in the figures of the food giants.

Do you remember when Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson called the heads of the country’s retail giants to a lecture about the skyrocketing prices of food?

It was March 2023. At that time, there was a full-blown crisis atmosphere because food had become 22 percent more expensive in just twelve months, according to Statistics Sweden's statistics.

The following month, prices actually fell, something for which Elisabeth Svantesson took credit.

Since then, the issue has been more obscured on the political agenda. The problem itself? It is bigger than ever.

According to Statistics Sweden's statistics, food prices are now 2 percent higher than at the crisis meeting with the food giants and a full 28 percent higher than at the beginning of 2022.

On average, Swedes spend just over 13 percent of their budget on food. Photo: Lotte Fernvall

Usury-like prices

Inflation that slows down is, in case anyone missed it, not the same thing as it becoming cheaper to shop.

Usury-like prices for butter and eggs are here to stay.

In January, food prices rose by 2.2 percent at an annual rate. In a situation where the Swedish economy has been sluggish for almost four years, the timing is unusually bad.

Food is, after housing, the thing that Swedes spend the largest share of their household budget on - just over 13 percent. Translated into kronor, it was around 350 billion last year.

In a few years, Swedes' annual food bill has increased by 80 billion just because prices have risen.

In ten years, food has become 45 percent more expensive.

The price of eggs and butter has increased sharply. Photo: TT

No law of nature

Where does all the money go? That's a question you can ask. The Swedish Competition Authority also asked this question, which published a major review of the Swedish food industry this summer.

The conclusion: that food always rises in price is not a law of nature but is due to poor competition.

One phenomenon that the Swedish Competition Authority highlighted is the so-called double marginalization or interest-on-interest effect. It occurs when each actor in the chain not only manages to pass on the cost of more expensive raw materials but also maintains its profitability along the way.

This means that small price increases on input goods lead to significant upward adjustments when it is time for the consumer to pay in the store.

The Swedish Competition Authority was able to establish in its review that this is precisely what has occurred in Sweden, and it is also confirmed by a look at the food giants' recent annual reports.

The large food giants make large gross profits. Photo: TT

Visible in gross profit

This is most clearly visible in the so-called gross profit.

It is the revenue from sales minus the cost of purchasing the goods.

Dagab, which handles purchasing for the Axfood Group and also supplies some independent stores, made a gross profit of 1.6 billion in 2019 (the last normal year before the pandemic and inflation) corresponding to a margin of 3.7 percent. In 2023, the profit had increased to a full 3 billion and the gross margin rose to 4 percent.

In the entire Axfood Group, including the Hemköp and Willys store chains, gross profit has increased from 7.9 billion to 12.2 billion between 2019 and 2024 and the margin has fallen slightly from 15.7 to 14 percent.

In ICA Sweden, gross profit has increased from 21 to 26 billion between 2019 and 2024, while the margin has retreated from 17.6 to 16.4 percent.

In Coop Sweden, gross margin rose from 5 percent in 2019 to 5.8 percent in 2023 and gross profit from 1.45 to 2.2 billion.

Profits have increased sharply for the food giants. Photo: TT

"Weak price competition"

As the Swedish Competition Authority wrote this summer:

"The fact that grocery players have been able to defend their gross profit margins to a large extent and have even increased their margins in kronor indicates that price competition is weak."

Another indicator of how favorable the strong food price inflation has been for the food giants is cash flow, i.e. how much money has flowed in once all costs have been paid.

For Axfood, cash flow from operations between 2019 and 2024 has increased from 3.6 billion to 5.5 billion, for ICA from 9.7 to 13.3 billion.

What can be done about it? The Swedish Competition Authority came up with a number of proposals in connection with its report. These include that municipalities should facilitate the establishment of new competing stores and that it should be more difficult for the giants to lock in retailers and producers using various forms of long-term agreements.

When will politicians realize the danger?

The government refers, among other things, to the fact that it has given more money to the Swedish Competition Authority to study and monitor the issue.

Otherwise, not much seems to have happened.

History shows that rapidly rising food prices in a country are a bit like inviting people to a sausage barbecue at an ammunition depot – that is asking for trouble.

Food inflation has brought down government after government around the world in the past year, and helped bring Donald Trump back to the White House.

When will Swedish politicians realize the danger? 

Climate change

Future climate worries Swedes

TT

Updated 12.17 | Published 06.02

Swedes worry about how the climate will affect us in the future. Image from the fires in California in January that caused enormous devastation. Photo: Ethan Swope/AP/TT

A majority of Swedes are worried about how climate change will affect future generations, according to WWF's climate barometer.

As many as seven out of ten are worried about future generations and almost half are worried about how their own future will be affected, according to WWF's climate barometer 2025. The increase is greatest among younger men.

An ambitious climate policy has great support, the survey shows. Slightly more than half, 53 percent, believe that politicians have the greatest responsibility for stopping climate change. Seven out of ten also believe that the government should do more. Just as many think that it is important to restore damaged nature in Sweden.

Those surveyed in the study see public transport as an important piece of the puzzle for driving climate change. In rural areas, a majority of young people believe that “better and more frequent public transport” is most important. Even those who live in cities see public transport as the most important thing to invest in.

The climate is also one of the things that Swedes worry about most in general. 53 percent say that they are worried about climate change, more than those who worry about organized crime. Only wars and conflicts are higher at 66 percent.

WWF has conducted the climate barometer annually since 2017. 2,016 people aged 18–79 were interviewed in this year’s survey.
 

The Trump Effect: Can Spread Infection

Africa
New pandemic threatens after Trump's withdrawal of support for Africa

Joachim Kerpner

Published 2025-02-26 20.22

 

Healthcare workers in Congo during an outbreak of Ebola in 2019. Photo: AP

Virus outbreaks in Central Africa have increased in a very worrying way in recent months.

At the same time, the US's vital support for African healthcare has been completely cut off - which could lead to the development and spread of resistant HIV viruses worldwide.

- The US is betraying agreements in such a brutal way. It is terribly irresponsible to withdraw all resources overnight, says Professor Anna Mia Ekström.

Quick version

• Virus outbreaks in Central Africa have increased sharply, with several serious diseases such as hemorrhagic fever and mpox, and a new unknown infection in northwestern Congo-Kinshasa.
• The United States has completely withdrawn its humanitarian support for African healthcare, which is significantly worsening the situation by limiting the possibilities for an effective response and management of the virus outbreaks.
• The situation could lead to the development and spread of resistant HIV viruses globally, while the shortage of medicines and healthcare workers increases the risk of deaths from other infectious diseases.

The latest alarming virus outbreak on the African continent was discovered on January 21. Since then, 53 have died out of 430 known cases of what may be a new type of deadly hemorrhagic fever. Testing for other infectious agents is ongoing.

Three children in an inaccessible village in northwestern Kongo-Kinshasa ate or came into contact with a bat, which carried the deadly infection.

– Of the more than 50 infected people who died in two villages, many died within 48 hours, says Anna Mia Ekström, professor of global infectious epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet.

Various types of hemorrhagic fever and other deadly viral diseases have spread in Africa before, but with a few years' interval. Now the outbreaks come one after another.

• In August 2024, an international emergency was declared after the viral disease mpox began to spread rapidly in Congo-Kinshasa. So far, the outbreak has claimed at least 5,600 lives in the country, and the infection has increased in neighboring countries in recent weeks.
• Between September and November 2024, the Marburg hemorrhagic fever spread in the same area. 23 percent of those infected in Rwanda died.
• In January 2025, an Ebola outbreak occurred in Uganda, where the mortality rate was close to 70 percent. Health care workers in particular died.
• And so on January 21st of this year, the first reports of yet another deadly infection came, in northwestern Congo-Kinshasa.

Professor Anna Mia Ekström notes that new outbreaks of serious diseases have occurred virtually every month in recent times.i

Anna Mia Ekström is a professor of global infectious disease epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet. Photo: Martin Stenmark / Carolina Byrmo

“Can’t stop it”

– It’s an extremely serious situation. It’s burning everywhere, and they can’t stop the fires, she says.

The African disease control agency Africa CDC stated in a press release on Friday that a new pandemic could start to spread from Congo-Kinshasa, after the rebel group M23 attacked and captured two cities in the country. Now, nearly 1.2 million people are displaced in eastern Congo-Kinshasa, including 400 smallpox patients who were previously being treated in hospitals.

The situation is being greatly complicated by the fact that the US under Donald Trump has frozen all medical aid to Africa, says Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya:

– The combination of uncertainty, lack of money and lack of medical interventions means that we are playing with fire, he says.

Anna Mia Ekström says that the lack of resources has become much worse since the US withdrew. The aid agency USAID – which accounted for 42 percent of all humanitarian aid in the world – is in ruins. Hundreds of thousands of health workers in Africa have suddenly been fired. Infection control tracking no longer works in many African countries.

Healthcare workers care for an Ebola-infected patient in Congo in 2019. Photo: AP

“No testing”

– USAID and the American infectious disease control agency CDC were often the first to arrive at the scene of virus outbreaks in Africa. Now there is no longer anyone flying in, no mobile laboratories, no testing or protective equipment where the outbreaks occur, often in inaccessible terrain, says Anna Mia Ekström.

The US has also withdrawn funding for HIV medicine for 20 million people and all preventive work including HIV testing in Africa. This has already increased the spread of HIV, while HIV infection in turn increases the risk of dying from other infectious diseases such as measles. Regular healthcare is not being provided when the few remaining healthcare workers are increasingly having to focus on serious diseases. At the same time, antibiotics, for example, have become a scarce commodity.

African CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya. Photo: Africa Cdc

"Can lead to resistance"

- Everything is slipping into an incredibly dangerous chaotic mess. It is terribly irresponsible of the US. The World Health Organization WHO, which previously received 20 percent of its contributions from the US, is also greatly weakened, says Anna Mia Ekström.

She notes that the lack of HIV medicine can lead to HIV resistance, when people try to save on their HIV medicine and spread out the medicine supplies they have left.

What can happen if the rest of the world does not support Africa more? 

– We are seeing a very rapid spread of different infectious diseases at the same time. And viruses know no borders. There is great concern that resistant HIV viruses will start to spread. Millions of young people's lives are at stake, says Anna Mia Ekström.