Slovak politicians and economists argue that the measures “have never worked” and backfired on the countries that imposed them Slovakia hosted a conference on Saturday calling for the removal of EU sanctions against Russia, with politicians and economists warning that the measures have backfired on the countries that imposed them – including Slovakia. The event – For Slovakia Without Sanctions – was held in Bratislava and promoted a petition for a referendum aimed at persuading the Slovak government to push for the removal of the sanctions at the EU level. The petition, initiated by the left-wing Party of Slovak Revival and the right-wing Homeland Party late last year, has so far gained more than 300,000 signatures, the organizers said. Pavol Slota, the leader of the Homeland Party and one of the authors of the petition, argued that Slovakia’s future depends on ending the sanctions. “It is about our whole nation, all Slovak citizens, about us fighting for our own future. We must d...
Posts
Docville has dropped the documentary showing Russian soldiers’ perspectives after objections from the Ukrainian Embassy The Docville documentary film festival in Belgium has canceled its screening of ‘Russians at War’ after a formal request from the Ukrainian Embassy. The festival said it made the decision “out of immense respect for the Ukrainian people.” However, it also defended its original choice to include the film, saying it aimed “to offer a platform to very different voices that often do not find their way into the mainstream.” The documentary, filmed by director Anastasia Trofimova with Canadian government funding, follows Russian soldiers in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. The former Ukrainian regions joined Russia after referendums in 2022. Shot over seven months in 2023, the film features interviews with fighters and explores their personal experiences. Trofimova has said she aimed to present Russian troops in a way that differs from typical portrayals. “I...
The investigation concerns threats received by the judge who sentenced the presidential hopeful French prosecutors have launched an investigation into threats against the judge who presided over a case in which right-wing presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen was sentenced to prison and barred from running for office, AFP has reported, citing sources. On Monday, Le Pen, the former leader of the conservative National Rally party (RN), was sentenced to four years in prison – two of them suspended and two more to be served under electronic monitoring, a hefty fine, and a five-year ban on holding public office. The court found her guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds by allegedly diverting them from official duties to party activities in France. The verdict prevents her from running in the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen has denied wrongdoing and said she would appeal. The conviction prompted outrage from supporters, with many expressing anger online. According to French medi...
The American military is unprepared to deter its adversaries, John Caine has said The US military would be unprepared for a protracted war with China due to shortcomings in the defense industrial base, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff has said. In his written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday – which is part of the confirmation process – retired Lieutenant General John Caine stressed that the rivalry with China remains one of the most pressing issues facing the US. ”The threat posed by China to American interests in the Indo-Pacific is real and growing. The US needs to work with allies and partners to deter China’s aggression in this region,” he claimed. He warned, however, that the US is not currently in a position to respond to the perceived threat. “Unfortunately, at this critical moment, the Joint Force is contending with an acquisition process and defense industrial base that are not optimized for protracted conflict. T...
Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said further efforts should focus on eliminating the root causes of the conflict Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement to end the Ukraine conflict, urging all parties to work toward a negotiated settlement. In an interview with RIA Novosti released on Tuesday, Wang said that in order to achieve this, the root causes of the conflict need to be eliminated. Moscow has long maintained that Kiev’s NATO ambitions were among the main reasons for the conflict, and has insisted upon Ukrainian neutrality as a foundation for a settlement, along with demilitarization and denazification. This was echoed on Monday by US President Donald Trump, who dismissed Ukraine’s NATO membership ambitions, saying Kiev “is never going to be a member” of the military bloc. “We advocate the eradication of the causes of the crisis through dialogue and negotiations, and ultimately the achievement of a fair, long-term, binding peac...
The US leader would not rule out secondary tariffs on Russia if the peace process stalls US President Donald Trump has said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, would honor his part of a potential peace agreement on the Ukraine conflict. At the same time, Trump warned Kiev against backing out of a rare-earth minerals deal with the US. Speaking to reporters on Monday, the US leader repeated that he aims to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible, adding that he “want[s] to make sure that he [Putin] follows through” on any peace deal. “I think he will. I don’t want to go secondary tariffs on his oil, but I think it’s something I would do if I thought he wasn’t doing the job,” Trump stated. He expressed hope that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky would also uphold his end of the bargain, but rebuked him for apparent attempts to renegotiate the rare-earths deal which would grant the US access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits. While Trump has portrayed the deal as a...