The global escalation is accelerating at an ever faster pace –
In recent days, China has seized a strategic island from Vietnam by simply occupying it with troops, somewhere in the South China Sea. It is clearly an act of war, but the world is not ready to take action against China under international law yet.
In Iran’s Bandar-Abbas port, a huge depot of rocket fuel exploded – Israel confirmed what it was as usual. Drone images showed smoke at three separate locations. It’s a bit difficult to know what is psychological operations, but it is undeniable that Iran had a biblical explosion in a port, resulting in significant damage.
India and Pakistan are in full-blown conflict in the region, and both countries are rushing heavy equipment there as quickly as they can – they are firing all types of available weapons at each other in the area, and as soon as new weapons arrive, they are likely to be used as well, I guess 😀
India also chose the USA over China – partly in words, but also with tariffs of 10% against China, and the USA has promised them the F35, which is the big feather in the cap in terms of arms purchases.
Western countries have begun to understand that the fine print in the F35 contracts was that the USA decides how they can be used and against whom – Finland is regretting it anyway…
Furthermore, there was a massive power outage in Portugal and Spain yesterday that spilled over to France – entire countries were plunged into darkness, and our friends in Portugal disappeared from WhatsApp, and we didn’t hear from them all evening.
It was TWITTER-RUMORED that Germany, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy also had problems – unverified.
Perhaps it’s Finland then, as someone on johanno1.se who lives in Finland confirmed that the air conditioning was on.
My guess is that there is a lot of psychological operations going on because there are incredible amounts of rumors circulating, which at least gives an indication 🧐
When was the last time we had power outages like this – it wasn’t particularly hot, with our temperatures at 11 degrees at night and 23 degrees during the day when I checked Spain yesterday.
Things will probably become clearer eventually, but a cyberattack or coordinated sabotage that overloaded the network cannot be ruled out.
Europe will never have time to address the situation until autumn, and the entire network is interconnected.
Perhaps you remember that BankID was down a few days ago due to a cyberattack?
North Korea has also confirmed that they are sending troops to Russia to support them in the war in Ukraine.
If you recall, the entire 11th AC command structure was in Kursk and witnessed the slaughter, and were themselves knocked out, and if one were to guess, RU promised to retake Kursk and then have the 11th AC fortify the northern border against Ukraine.
Why is that?
Well, RU can then release an additional 60,000 troops from Kursk and, together with the strategic reserve of 150,000, move them to the Baltic border.
China is also fueling the conflict somewhat quietly – they have unilaterally stopped more than 60% of their sea shipments to the USA, for example. One could argue that Trump got exactly what he asked for, but China is also pushing here and is ready to fight.
We are somewhat fortunate in Europe that we don’t have any important elections this year, and the energy crisis is pacified until sometime in November when it gets cold.
What lies ahead in the global escalation?
-continued actions from Trump that are impossible to predict.
-Zapad 2025 in September.
-China’s continued escalation towards Taiwan.
-large-scale sabotage from RU in Europe.
-something new in 2015.
Then we have the atomic bomb, which is the markets where the bond market almost atomically exploded when some institutional investors in Japan started selling.
According to a rumor in the comments section of johanno1.se from Lynx, there were also major players in the USA selling because the financial markets have apparently grown tired of Trump.
On a personal note from the happy life of the lower class, my salary in dollars is naturally greatly affected by the weakening dollar, so I’m not exactly Trump’s biggest fanboy…
When we reach the point where the self-playing piano starts, no one knows, but we know that we reached it twice during the 20th century.
The Cold War was the non-escalation doctrine of the USA and Russia, and China was preoccupied internally, but today we have a very offensive Russia, a USA that is not willing to be pushed off the podium (I guess), and a China with the greatest of ambitions.
A rather mixed cocktail and set up for a world war, isn’t it.
At some point, it will explode, and then everything will be set in motion and won’t stop until all parties are too tired to continue fighting.
American Civil War, WW1, WW2 – five years seems to be the typical length of a major conflict, so maybe that’s what we have to deal with when it starts?
Hopefully, you also read the post on organized crime in Sweden last Saturday – add to that the national police chief and others at the helm who are almost in tears of despair right now, trying to blame the citizens for the situation, and the opposition calling every attempt to resolve this at least Nazism – there is a looming risk that we will not succeed in resolving this.
As far as I know, citizens have given the police and the judiciary a monopoly on violence in exchange for protection, right?
If that no longer applies, then perhaps it’s time for us citizens to engage in self-defense?
But the times it has been done in the last 10 years, the police are never more than two hours away to arrest anyone who has formed a citizen guard because it has been deemed a greater threat than the gangs, and the clan criminals have apparently tried to protect themselves from – there are plenty of examples.
So it’s time for the police and the judiciary, and our politicians, to decide what kind of development they want in the future. I would prefer them to do their job so we can avoid citizen militias.
And of course, Russia now has all the opportunities to bring us down into domestic and civil society chaos.
Last Saturday, I received proof that criminal clans and professional criminal gangs already have control over the judicial system because they are convicted in 50% of murder trials compared to a 90% conviction rate for other types of murderers, despite the promise to the contrary that they will crack down on gangs.
Statistics don’t lie, and if you look at the sentences handed down, they are probably lower for the category of criminal clans and gangs compared to other types of murderers (drunk youths, Friday night family fights, and mentally ill individuals, for example…).
The rhetoric is that they will crack down on gangs, but the reality is that many do everything to acquit or give the shortest possible sentences, and those who are paid to lead and protect the country should immediately question why. The answer is that civil society is infiltrated all the way to the top, of course, and it may be difficult to admit.
Not even during the Cold War did Russia have this infrastructure straight into the soft parts of the country, so guess if we are vulnerable today 😶
Now Russia’s A-game is to try to topple governments, and I’m a bit torn – maybe an M-S government is needed for a term or two until this blows over?
In any case, all countries in Europe need to prepare for upcoming conflicts just like Finland has done and put aside domestic squabbles.
Then we need to be very cautious with our repressive measures – just look at the USA and where they are heading, for example.
The latest package of our tough laws sounds great for cracking down on gang criminals, as stated, but in the text it says serious crime. You and I don’t know today if in the future it will be considered serious crime to criticize the state, religions, or evade some taxes 😀
An opening has been left by making the type of crime open to interpretation.
Europe is unfortunately not ready for what is coming, and I still don’t understand what the whole discussion about peacekeeping troops and “lasting peace” that Keir Starmer and Macron are pushing for wholeheartedly is – globally, we are heading towards boiling point right now.
Different continents will have different intensities in the upcoming global conflict, and Asia will be the worst.
But in Europe, we must clarify our eastern border, or else the risk is that we will have a new Cold War right in the middle of Europe.
The guarantor for our success is the country of Ukraine, which is taking the brunt here, but we still seem to think we have time to discuss this?
Those of you reading here know that everything is connected, but citizens will perceive this as isolated events and then become distracted.
In the worst case, governments will fall if the opposition is a bit opportunistic – Persson from L just fell, for example, and if the Tidö team can’t stick together, chaos will also ensue here.
And then support for Ukraine won’t be at the top of the list anymore.
A bit of adult presence is needed right now as it’s well on its way to becoming a global storm.
Finally, you have the chance to show appreciation to MXT and his work on the website and the daily (well…) yellow posts – IT has installed a donation button on johanno1.se, if you look around a bit, you’ll see a QR code.
There is also a donation page for Ukraine on johanno1.se with links to Swedish Rescuers, drones 2 Ukraine, and other organizations we have learned over time are legitimate and dare to donate to.
On Substack – there is still a chance to follow and subscribe if it feels more right to go that route, which some have done.
https://bsky.app/profile/johanno1.bsky.social
Don't forget to donate, Ukraine's cause is ours! Support Ukraine!
NOTE: Those of you who do NOT want to allow automatic translation of your comments, please go to your profile page and set it.
Hover over your name at the top right, select edit profile, and you will then find the setting under the language settings heading.
Good morning!
Russian losses in Ukraine 2025-04-29:
SLAVA UKRAINI!
Close to a thousand KWIA that I was looking at yesterday based on low numbers reported in Pokrovsk. This despite a high number of attacks in Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Novopavlivka and the attacks continued to increase during the night, about 40 attacks between 10 pm yesterday evening and 8 am this morning, if I read correctly. Perhaps they couldn’t count KWIA in the dark (?) during the night?
That was a good forecast from you!
If it’s the darkness that’s causing the trouble, we might see a slightly higher KWIA tomorrow when we’ve managed to catch up!
Thank you MXT 👍🏻
👍
The one from last night was interesting, haven’t seen if there was any result, we’ll see if anything pops up once everyone has woken up and gotten going and posted.
“Air defense is active over Yelets, and a drone threat has been reported in Russia’s Lipetsk region. Ukrainian long-range drones are operating in the area tonight, targeting military infrastructure.”
https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lnvm3stjwc2i
The global situation is starting to become a bit tense.
India and Pakistan are interesting. India has close ties to Russia but more recently also to the USA, while Pakistan is somewhat closer to China and Muslim countries?
Could it be that the USA has given carte blanche to India to do as they please with Pakistan and maybe even promised to help them if needed in exchange for India going against China in the trade war? India probably also sees China as a competitor and would probably like to see them weakened.
This would align with the idea that the USA is also trying to get Russia on its side. If Russia and India are on board, it is certainly a major threat to China.
This would fit well with those who argue that Trump knows what he is doing in the Ukraine conflict. It needs to be resolved quickly in order to focus on China. What doesn’t add up is that at the same time they seem prepared to sacrifice Ukraine and relations with Europe. If we assume that the USA and Russia are jointly planning to counteract China, it makes even less sense for Russia to start more wars in Europe. It doesn’t really benefit the fight against China. (I don’t believe in the theory that the USA wants to crash the whole world and Europe, on the other hand, Trump is incomprehensible.) It could be as simple as Trump not having convinced Putin to go along with his plans at all, and that Putin is already so dependent on China today that he doesn’t want to risk anything, and that it is only now dawning on Trump that Putin does as he pleases. If that’s the case, further conflicts could definitely arise.
The interesting question is what we in Europe can do, and the conclusion is exactly the same as at the beginning of the war. Ensure that Ukraine gets what they need so they can defeat Russia and expel them. If we show that we mean business, Russia will have a much harder time justifying continuing, and hopefully the loss will also lead to Putin’s downfall and those who take over will change course.
The interesting thing is what we in Europe can do, and the conclusion is exactly the same as at the beginning of the war. Ensure that Ukraine gets what they need so they can defeat Russia and kick them out.
Yes, it’s a very simple recipe. It is completely in line with what Europe should have done for several presidencies 🇺🇸 since. Instead, Europe has glanced sideways and picked at themselves and twisted reality to avoid uncomfortable decisions.
Exactly. That is actually precisely what it boils down to.
“The interesting part is what we in Europe can do, and the conclusion is exactly the same as at the beginning of the war. Make sure Ukraine gets what they need so they can defeat Russia and kick them out.”
I posted about this yesterday evening, but I’ll mention it again in case someone missed it:
“An oil depot is on fire in Novorossiysk, Russia. It is reported that it was hit by a Ukrainian Neptune missile. Or maybe someone was smoking in the wrong place🤭🤗”
https://bsky.app/profile/meanwhileua.bsky.social/post/3lnwjzfzm7b2j
“❗️At night, the 🇺🇦Ukrainian military shot down 37 out of 100 🇷🇺Russian UAVs, while another 47 UAVs were lost in the area due to electronic warfare action”
https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1917093819939487785?t=P8xz8Hwgxyn4paATQyCnDg&s=19
“Australian Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine remain stuck over US clearance. The 59 retired Australian M1A1 Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine haven’t left Australia yet as the US authorization is pending.”
What pathetic excuses if they are true!
“We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles—the tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war,” one defense official claimed.”
““There is also the concern that with a possible peace deal looming it would be embarrassing to have the tanks on board ships in the middle of the ocean, and there is also a lack of ranked personal that are necessary to babysit the assets at sea,” the official further speculated, talking to ABC”
Extremely lame
Good post, Johan!
I don’t understand where the Russian strategic reserve of up to 200,000 men is supposed to be hidden?
David D on Twitter, in my opinion, is credible and according to him, this is not true. In 2025, it is not possible to hide units and equipment. They simply do not exist. It is Russian propaganda that the West has picked up and is reporting.
It depends on whether you choose to believe David D or Zelensly 😀
However, it is undeniable that RU has offensive capacity after starting its offensive in the fall of 2023, so they have had and still have reserves.
A lot of attacks during the night, 45 in total, with estimates usually around 25%…
Increasing in several sectors like Kharkiv, Kupyansk, Siviersk, and Orikhivsk. Still high in other sectors such as Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Novopavlivka, Lyman, and recently Kramatorsk.
A total of 178↗️ firefights were registered during the past day.
⏱️168, 174, 156, 175, 168, 144, 165, 96, 127, 162, 143, 125, 111, 99
#Kharkiv 9↗️
⏱️6, 0, 0, 0, 4, 4, 0, 1, 2, 7, 1
#Kupyansk 7↗️
⏱️3, 4, 5, 4, 1, 3, 2, 1, 7, 11, 4
#Lyman 18💥
⏱️20, 22, 19, 15, 20, 14, 25, 12, 14, 17, 20
#Siverskyi 6↗️
⏱️2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2
#Kramatorsk 10💥
⏱️16, 13, 8, 13, 1, 6, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8
#Toretsk 14↗️
⏱️9, 29, 16, 17, 13, 23, 10, 18, 26, 11
#Pokrovsk 59💥💥💥
⏱️64, 68, 44, 65, 56, 53, 61, 39, 54, 64
#Novopavlivka 23↗️💥
⏱️13, 13, 19, 10, 15, 17, 19, 5, 12, 9, 9
#Huliaipil 0
⏱️0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
#Orikhivsk 5↗️
⏱️1, 4, 4, 9, 3, 5, 3, 4, 3, 3, 1
#Prydniprovsky 5
⏱️1, 1 , 1, 3, 1, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0
#Kursk 15↘️💥
⏱️23, 15, 30, 27, 26, 22, 21, 16, 20, 23, 21
In the Kharkiv sector, the AFRF🇷🇺 attempted to break through our defenders’ defensive lines nine times in the areas of Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Zakhidne, and Mala Shapkivka.
Seven attacks took place in the Kupyansk sector yesterday. Ukrainian defenders repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Zahryzove, Kindrashivka, Petropavlivka, Hlushkivka, and Nova Kruhlyakivka.
In the Lyman sector, the AFRF🇷🇺 launched 18 attacks and attempted to break into our defense in the areas of Katerynivka, Nove, Kolodyazi, Yampolivka, and in the directions of Lipove, Ridkodub, Zelena Dolyna, and Novyi Myr.
In the Siverskyi sector, the AFU🇺🇦 successfully stopped six hostile attacks near Ivan-Daryivka and towards Hryhorivka and Verkhnekamianske.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the AFRF🇷🇺 launched ten attacks towards Markove and near Chasovyi Yar and Bila Hora.
In the Toretsk sector, the AFRF🇷🇺 carried out 14 attacks in the areas of Toretsk, Druzhba, and towards Diliyivka and Dachne.
In the Pokrovsk sector, the AFU🇺🇦 stopped 59 attacks in the areas of Sukha Balka, Yelizavetivka, Sukhyi Yar, Malynivka, Lysivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novosergiivka, Novooleksandrivka, Nadiivka, Troitske, Kotlyarivka, Sribne, Andriivka, and towards Pokrovsk, Stara Mykolaivka, Oleksandropol, Novopavlivka, and Bohdanivka.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the AFRF🇷🇺 conducted 23 attacks in the areas of Pryvilne, Kostiantynopil, Vilne Pole, and towards Odradne, Bahatyry, Shevchenko.
No combat actions took place in the Huliaipil sector yesterday.
In the Orikhivsk sector, the AFRF🇷🇺 stormed the defense positions five times near the settlements of Shcherbaki, Stepove, and Lobkove.
In the Prydniprovskyi sector, our defenders successfully stopped five hostile attacks.
In the Volyn and Polissya sectors, no signs of hostile offensive groups were detected.
The Ukrainian defense forces continue their operations in the Kursk region. In the last 24 hours, 15 firefights have taken place in this area, the AFRF🇷🇺 has carried out 17 air strikes, released 27 guided aerial bombs, and fired 338 shots, including one from a multiple-launch rocket system.
In the past 24 hours, the defense forces’ aviation, missile forces, and artillery have eliminated 16 areas with concentrations of personnel, weapons, and military equipment, an air defense system, and two hostile artillery units.
Thank you! 👍
👍🏻 205!
Thank you 👍
You’re welcome /twoofive
The enormous power outage may have the silver lining of prompting consideration to increase redundancy, not only in terms of the power grid but also other services that we depend on.
“Distant regions in Greenland have lost access to crucial satellite services due to the power outage that affected large parts of Spain and Portugal yesterday, reports Reuters.
The satellite services, based in Spain, provide both internet and telephony that ceased to function during the outage, announced the island’s telecommunications company Tussass on Monday evening.”
Unfortunately, Putin probably won’t take notes…
Även Elon Muskoff?
I wonder if Zelensky’s proposal for a longer ceasefire is mostly to appease Trump by showing willingness for peace, or if it could also be that Ukraine feels they need time for recovery.
“Volodymyr Zelensky dismisses Russia’s promised ceasefire on 8-10 May as a ‘manipulation attempt’ and a way to mislead the USA. He questions why Vladimir Putin has to wait until 8 May and then provides the answer: Putin wants to celebrate Victory Day on 9 May in peace.
‘We value human lives, not parades,’ writes Zelensky, adding that the ceasefire should start immediately and last for at least 30 days.”
https://omni.se/zelenskyj-svarar-putin-vi-vardesatter-liv-inte-parader/a/dR9E5A
I don’t think Ukraine wants a ceasefire. I believe they are pushing because the US has proposed it and Ukraine wants to show goodwill (but expects it not to happen).
The crude oil has dropped a bit again and is now at 61.18.
Still unable to obtain any information about Urals oil.
It was at 65.5 on Feb 25, when the regular one was around 69.
👍🏻
Thank you JHN1, the world is probably running a bit of a fever right now. It’s interesting how the legal system is perceived. The legal system exists on the border between politics and law. Politics prevails and must always prevail over the law, which in turn only functions if it is accepted by society.
We are truly witnessing a shift in the criminal justice system. Since we are a nation governed by the rule of law, changes happen slowly but the ship is turning onto a new course. When it comes to the work of the courts, the legislation is still designed so that the least intrusive penalty should be used as a general rule. Therefore, the courts must always seek mitigating circumstances when determining the punishment. What the legislator can do is to increase the minimum sentences – this would automatically raise the penalties in most situations. But this is the work of the parliament, the court should only apply the law.
Furthermore, I believe that when it comes to gang criminals, the evidence is usually what sets them apart from ordinary violent criminals. Gang criminals never say anything, they never snitch, and they regularly have different alibis. Harder to crack down on. One solution we can use is increased surveillance with cameras and through surveillance including wiretapping. It’s in progress in the legislation. But of course, it reduces the freedom and privacy of all other law-abiding citizens.
The 145+% tariffs of the third circus have obviously caused the 60% decline in exports from China to the USA. Due to the sluggishness of the system, the effects will be felt until around May and onwards until the whole USA feels it by June. China’s trade can of course resume, but it will take months before it returns to previous levels. And now China has started buying meat from Australia and soybeans from Argentina, and presumably these deals will not return to the USA again.
Criminal gangs certainly also have better access to skilled lawyers.
Like you, I believe that increased monitoring and wiretapping will probably be required, which unfortunately will reduce everyone’s privacy.
When it comes to harsher penalties, it has never worked to get criminals to change their ways, not even as a deterrent as many seem to believe. However, of course, long sentences have the advantage of protecting society from those criminals while they are incarcerated. Therefore, when it comes to, for example, violent crimes, longer sentences definitely seem justified.
The issue of the length of penalties, i.e. the impact on an individual in terms of restriction of freedom, is an interesting question. It is possible to make legal-economic calculations, and for example, there is probably a connection between the generous penalty discounts for young people and the significant increase in serious violent crimes now committed by young people. It is easier to get younger individuals to commit crimes because the risk is lower (shorter and milder penalties).
At the same time, younger individuals are presumably easier to influence, and that can of course also play a role.
One type of crime that legal economists like is also unlawful threats against witnesses (obstruction of justice). If a suspect risks, let’s say, 12 years in prison for a crime and can only get 1 year in prison for obstruction of justice (which is also partially consumed if the person is convicted of the main crime), it is attractive to threaten the witness and maybe avoid punishment. The risk is low that it will cost anything significant.
Of course, the penalty discounts make it easier to persuade the younger ones, but regardless of the length of the penalties, it is likely that one would still try to get others to commit the crimes.
Now, it is probably the younger ones where there is still a chance to get them to think better, but of course, that should not mean that the penalty discounts become too large.
Good point there regarding abuse in legal cases.
There, I would of course think that it needs to lead to higher penalties, it is a form of attack on the entire legal system and not just on the victim, whether it may have only occurred through threats of violence and not actual violence.
It probably won’t help much when it comes to gangs, next time it will be someone else making the threats and they probably know how to do it without being traced. It will be difficult to convict the suspect if it cannot be proven.
Not easy to solve the problem other than by getting better at protecting the witnesses, which in turn is difficult if the gangs have someone on the inside.
And there you go 😀
The gang lawyers – supported by violence capital and large bribes
“A man was shot dead in a parking lot in Helsingborg in April last year. Three people are now sentenced to life imprisonment, reports SVT News Helsingborg.
Two of them shot from a motorcycle towards the man, who was hit in the head. The purpose, according to prosecutor Therese Umeflod, was to silence him. The third person sentenced to life imprisonment is convicted of complicity in murder.
Another four people are sentenced for, among other things, murder and complicity in murder.”
https://omni.se/tre-man-doms-till-livstids-fangelse/a/Oo7Odq
That Trump doesn’t like Zelenskyy has probably been understood by most for a long time, but it’s a bit interesting that he hasn’t completely closed the door to helping Ukraine even though he seems very reluctant to provide more weapons and mostly talks about sanctions, etc.
It unfortunately seems unlikely that the US would wait and send everything Ukraine needs based on this.
“Is there anything that Putin could do that would make you say, ‘You know what? Now I stand on Zelensky’s side,’ Goldberg asks.
– Not necessarily on Zelensky’s side, but on Ukraine’s side, yes. Absolutely. But not necessarily on Zelensky’s side. I’ve had a hard time with Zelensky. You saw this, when he sat right there in that chair, when he just couldn’t grasp it, says Trump.”
https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/varlden/donald-trumps-oppning-for-ukraina/
Unfortunately, the original is locked:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/donald-trump-oval-office-interview-excerpts/682623/
Says most about Trump unfortunately. A president who cannot distinguish between himself and the USA and consequently does not understand that Zelensky is not the person but the president of Ukraine.
But okay, still positive that he may be able to help Ukraine (whatever he means by Ukraine).
It’s really starting to heat up now. Typical that we would have Trump on our hands when Western unity and determination are more important than ever. The axis powers of evil are steadily approaching each other, and we must put pressure on countries to stay on the democratic path. Europe is truly a tragic spectacle. If we can’t handle Russia now when all the evidence is on the table, the future looks bleak. Furthermore, energy and immigration policies have destabilized us from within, which is a real own goal. Just look at the power outage in Spain and Portugal. According to experts, we were just a hair’s breadth away from a total power outage across Europe. Vulnerability has greatly increased due to the dependence on solar and wind power. Europe and the EU must sit down and develop a plan for how we can stand strong in the future. 1. Strengthen defense, especially the eastern front against Russia. Hot war in Ukraine today, but it could just as easily be the Baltics, Finland, or Romania in the future. 2. Invest in space and satellites for high-speed internet. All future warfare will depend on real-time connectivity. 3. Expansion of nuclear power to ensure cheap and stable energy supply. We need large standardized series to lower prices. 4. Restructuring of immigration policy. Strengthened borders and no refugee reception from outside Europe. Segregating immigration is destabilizing for society and feeds authoritarian right-wing populists, which will crush our democracy from within. 5. Take control of North Africa. Ensure democracy, counteract migrant flows, and ensure that the EU is the most important trading partner. 6. Promote Europe’s competitiveness and self-sufficiency. We must be able to stand on our own feet without the USA and China.
Just watched a documentary about Bill Gates. He has developed the next generation of nuclear power plants that are powered by the leftover uranium we get from nuclear power. The idea was to start building these in China, but Trump has stopped it all. Why not start this in the EU/Sweden instead?
Why not?
8 parties that can’t agree, a lot of municipalities with a lot of parties, self-proclaimed experts and activists who will oppose, various interest groups with opinions and gladly opinions about other interest groups, authorities with opinions, defense that thinks a lot, neighbors, electricity companies, landowners, etc.
But sure, I’m in!
“A cannon, communications antenna, ground-based UAV, vehicles of the invaders, as well as a dozen occupiers were destroyed by drones of the Phoenix border unit in the Donetsk region.”
“He made the right decision. The Russian soldier saw a Ukrainian drone above him. ❗️But he did not shoot at it, but laid down his weapon and made it clear that he wanted to surrender to the Ukrainians. He was taken to Ukrainian positions by the same drone.”
Today’s Russians?
https://x.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1917141772871872821
Accent man:
“Russians Lost Air Superiority. Biggest Swedish Military Aid Package Changes The Game!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWyhob-p3wU
“Neptune and UAVs threat in Crimea!”
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lnwvz7zjjk2w
Probably won’t make any difference.
“France has urgently convened a meeting of the UN Security Council on the Russian aggression for today at 11:00 PM, — Ministry of Foreign Affairs”
https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3lnwwmednak2w
Can be a formal mark that France needs to make if they want to create leeway for other actions, I think.
“Ryssland planerar att accelerera offensiven i Ukraina med uppvärmning och lövverkets uppträdande, vilket kommer att dölja dess positioner, särskilt i nordöstra delen, – WSJ AFU förlitar sig på drönare, men lövverket kommer att komplicera deras effektivitet.
“Slaskperioden” är på väg att ta slut, vilket kommer att möjliggöra för Ryssland att använda tung utrustning mer aktivt. Artilleriförsörjningen från USA kommer snart att ta slut, och Europa kommer inte att kompensera för underskottet. Utan infanteri kommer inte drönare att stoppa de negativa trenderna för Ukraina.”
WJS 🧐.
😀
“Ukrainians paid last respects to a Ukrainian Hero who stood up against Russian occupiers.”
https://bsky.app/profile/antongerashchenko.bsky.social/post/3lnww27ik5224
This is completely insane.
“Relatives of Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine keep thanking Putin. “Thank you,” he smirks in return.”
https://bsky.app/profile/antongerashchenko.bsky.social/post/3lnwyfzxgdc24
I understand them, I am also happy and grateful that they have moved on.
“The European Court of Justice on Tuesday said Malta needs to end its golden passport programme that allows wealthy foreigners to buy citizenship, as it is an infringement of EU law, – Reuters”
“No cyberattack was behind the massive power outage in Spain and parts of Portugal and France yesterday. This is shown by a preliminary assessment from Spain’s state grid operator REE.
– We have been able to conclude that there was actually no intrusion into Red Eléctrica’s control system,” says director Eduardo Prieto, according to El País.”
https://omni.se/ny-bedomning-stromavbrott-inte-orsakat-av-cyberattack/a/o3aOgm
Of course, those inclined to conspiracy theories can dismiss this by saying they are only saying this because they do not want to admit security flaws. 😉”
Of course, a hindsight construction 🤗.
What was it due to?
There is still a lot of missing information.
I don’t think the weather phenomenon will be pursued because it simply wasn’t true.
If it wasn’t a cyber attack – what was it?
This is too critical for the Spaniards to bury it.
Johan, it’s you and Finland in September!
“Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev states that NATO’s newer members are now potential targets for Russian attacks. This is reported by Reuters with reference to the Russian state news agency Tass.”
https://omni.se/medvedev-natos-nyare-medlemmar-ar-potentiella-ryska-mal/a/Oo7O1A
It’s been a while, is he out of the barn now?
Maybe he ran out of alcohol and became sober enough to manage posting on social media?
😄👍🏻
Bring it on – we have the light battalion as defense ✊💥
It is only when he denies it that we need to worry.
The Russian does not understand that NATO is a defense pact, as they have always been offensive.
The Russian lacks consequential thinking, and completely lacks the ability and willingness to put themselves in others’ shoes.
The Russian always lies.
The Russian lacks 500 years of mental development.
Ashamen of nothing, offended by everything.
Now Bluesky died.
Yes 🧐?
It looks like it’s a central/global issue, error reports regardless of which country you choose:
https://downdetector.com/status/bluesky/
This time it feels like cyber attackers are right at hand, could it be the Russians or Musk, or both in cahoots!??!? 😀
Could be a weather phenomenon?
😂😂
Up again!
Putin attacks Blueksy 😳
The world is ending
“At Sberbank, the share of problem loans has grown sharply over the quarter
– mortgages +90% (growth from 1.34% to 2.56%)
– unsecured loans +30% (growth from 12.4% to 16.1%)
With such growth rates of problem loans, banks do not survive long.”
Warning Twitter link:
https://x.com/evgen1232007/status/1917161121297104995
Great 👍
If it were possible to watch in real time, I would be glued to the TV with a formidable bag of bacon chips 👍🏻.
“Ukraine was and remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world… Instead of trying to correct the president, Zelensky could have sat side by side with the president, signing a deal on minerals,” said US National Security Advisor Waltz.”
Warning Twitter link:
https://x.com/NOELreports/status/1917160232733610288
Why do Americans sound like Russians all of a sudden?
Why can’t Z correct T when T acts as a mouthpiece for P? Doesn’t Valsen understand how stupid it sounds?
These first 100 days with T probably set a record for how quickly it is possible to dumb down an entire party. The desire to retain power outweighs the desire to retain understanding.
We now know why Spain was blacked out, but not what caused it – I guess it was due to influence, but if there were chaos with unplanned energy, that’s bad because it can’t be fixed in the blink of an eye.
And the high consumption demands are ahead of us.
What we do know now, however, is how extremely vulnerable Europe is to sabotage.
And Putin knows that too.
With friends like Spain, the question is whether we actually need any enemies.
Apparently, we were very close to blacking out the whole of Europe because the frequency dropped to critical levels.
Cold winters in Sweden and with one like this, we have a lot of damage to frozen pipelines.
It might have been sabotage but not through a cyberattack?
A couple of well-chosen cut cables might be enough, or bribed electricians simply cutting the power in a few places almost simultaneously, right where someone calculated that it would quickly become critical and cause major consequential problems?
I believe the pressure is high on those responsible to figure out more precisely what happened considering the enormous impact it had.
Although the investigation may certainly take several years…
Now you are starting to land 😀
We have a problem – Europe will be extremely unwilling to acknowledge sabotage as the cause of this damage.
Similar to the winter of 2023 when all nuclear power was down in Europe and the explanations were very creative.
It is probably quite easy to disturb a power system, but if you want to bring it down, it’s also a matter of timing.
Yesterday, the timing was actually quite good, but a large percentage was solar power. The thing is that a large part of solar power comes from private rooftops, and the grid operator cannot regulate or shut them down if the grid starts to become unstable.
If there is a larger portion of conventional power production in the same grid, that is what is regulated and stabilizes the grid.
So, a hit in the right place in the grid, at the right time, for example after a node between an area with conventional power and the line to France, would likely unbalance the grid. If the inertia provided by conventional “direct-coupled” generators is missing, the grid will probably collapse.
Just a bow and a foil strip over a 400kV line, or into a substation, to create an arc so the breakers open, and if there is not enough regulating power at that moment, it will go into overvoltage.
That’s what I find very interesting because it’s not possible to protect oneself.
“Yet another delusion from Russia: the Kremlin is reportedly discussing a plan to “take Odesa through a referendum.” Putin’s aide Patrushev claims the city was founded by Catherine the Great and “belongs” to Russia.”
Odessa was founded by the Greeks if I am not misinformed, it was called Odessos back then. If the Old Man were here, he would confirm that I am right 🧐.
The Russians are working feverishly to take the entire coastline towards the Black Sea.
If weapons don’t work, you have to cheat with whales.
It is therefore this question that needs to be answered –
“Mr Sanchez described the problem in the European grid as a “strong oscillation” and added that the cause is still being determined”
Since they measured deviating frequencies, I unscientifically guess that the power grid became unbalanced and emergency stopped for that reason. Known risks are stochastic energy sources like sun and wind that do not generate their own stability but must be *matched* with other energy sources that create the right frequency. Compare to what happened in Texas a few years ago.
Yes, converter-coupled energy sources create instability in the grid, as they lack inertia against rapid frequency changes (rotational mass).
But then it was weather-related during the cold snap
Here it wasn’t so warm and not so cold, and not so windy.
How is your weather phenomenon MXT doing – it seems to have died out as a crash suggestion?
Wasn’t that your favorite option yesterday?
No, I didn’t have a favorite option, just relayed what they themselves said. They have rejected it now, just like cyber attacks.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean it could have been sabotage by the Russians, (or by the environmentalists advocating solar panels 😀 ).
It could also have been just plain bad luck!
Unplanned energy reduces redundancy, but this was probably France’s fault, so Spain is not to blame.
Ah, is it their fault now? 😀
Yes
“Portugal’s national grid operator REN denies being behind the dispatch that stated that a ”rare atmospheric phenomenon” caused the massive power outage on the Iberian Peninsula yesterday.
– REN confirms that we have not released this statement,” spokesperson Bruno Silva tells AFP.
The Portuguese newspaper Expresso writes that social media has been flooded with misinformation following the power outage. A long series of theories, supported by fabricated evidence, have been spread about the cause of the interruption.
There is still no definitive explanation for the interruption.”
“
https://omni.se/portugisisk-teori-om-sallsynt-vaderfenomen-var-pahittad/a/alEMlA
So it is a lack of nuclear power that is behind.
When there are sudden stops at two locations just seconds apart, I doubt that nuclear power would be able to cover it. Of course, it depends on why there were sudden stops.
Loads should also be automatically disconnected if large production units are disconnected, but that does not save the situation if the frequency oscillates due to lack of inertia.
That has probably been tested sharply here in the Nordic region a couple of times, when Olkiluoto 3 has tripped. 1600MW off at once probably caused our grid to sway as well, but it stabilized quite quickly thanks to the connection to the rest of the Nordic countries.
Do you also remember that London Heathrow was plunged into darkness a week ago?
You have missed the major fire in London 🧐.
1749?
1666 🤨.
Two major fires 😱!
“A major fire has broken out in west London and around 100 firefighters are battling to extinguish the flames.
Smoke billows out of a building where an electrical substation has caught fire. The roof of a residential building nearby also started to burn, and 80 people were evacuated, writes The Telegraph.”
https://omni.se/stor-brand-i-london-100-brandman-pa-plats/a/B0XPwv
Did they have an electricity transformer station in the 19th century 😐
Now I’m starting to get the hang of this 😀
“Yes, yes, but he wrote for the left-leaning ETC and probably has only himself to blame,” some might argue.
Personally, I hope he can be acquitted, but also that Turkey tightens up in general.
They have no place in the EU with their current behavior, and even if they wait until hell freezes over, they should not be allowed membership. Do we even want them in NATO?
“Turkey has added further charges against the detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin. He is now accused of terrorist propaganda and membership in an armed terrorist organization and risks 27 years in prison, reports Journalisten.”
https://omni.se/joakim-medin-riskerar-27-ars-fangelse/a/wgjBKG
I still think he exposed himself to way too high personal risk that he reasonably knew about.
Should be having a child now as well.
This kind of thing can turn into a long runner with the risk of dying in prison.
I believe he wants to exchange him for people who are here. But the future is uncertain.
It can be like that, and then it is in their interest to “threaten” with the longest possible prison sentence to increase the pressure.
He visited Turkey in 2023 and at that time he had no problems getting in and out.
Two years ago, in March, Turkey began to arrest journalists as shown below.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250328-more-arrests-as-turkey-escalates-crackdown-over-protests
Oh, he has been arrested for a while now, he was arrested already in March 😶
He was down in May, so maybe he was lucky that time.
They will never join, I guess. Before Erdogan became president for life (or however he is to be regarded), there were 35 different issues that Turkey needed to resolve for membership to be possible (after Erdogan’s takeover, the number of points has increased).
In just over 10 years, Turkey made 1 (one) change out of the 35. So they showed no eagerness directly, and my guess is that their EU initiative is about stroking the urban middle class to gain political peace and sympathy.
No, they don’t seem particularly eager, maybe the day Erdogan is gone if someone with a more democratic attitude is chosen.
Despite hesitation, their sluggish work with the EU accession was before Erdogan, since then it has basically gone backwards. A significant part of the population is not interested in Europe at all, rather the opposite.
I think it will be a long time until Turkey is in the EU, if ever.
Now that Erdogan is becoming a full dictator, suppressing all opposition, there will probably be a power struggle once he is out of the picture.
It will probably be chaotic for a while, with Kurds and more or less Islamist groups in the east and western-oriented groups in the west.
Either the guy is very naive or he has calculated on spending some time in prison. Getting imprisoned in Turkey will surely increase his following on social media, we should not underestimate what people come up with to get attention.
Sure, he took a risk, but the question is, does he deserve to get 27 years in prison?
Is he a bigger villain than Turkey choosing to imprison him?
Clearly he doesn’t deserve it but we have a reality to relate to where he is actually sitting arrested.
Unnecessary in my opinion – he and ETC should have known better and above all, there is a pregnant wife/girlfriend now with enormous anxiety who may risk miscarriage in the worst case.
This kind of thing is not to be trifled with for the psyche.
If this is going to be Lynx’s exchange, he will first be convicted and then have to sit for a year or two before Sweden is ready for the exchange.
Probably Turkish prison is not very fun and there is a certain risk that he will be seen as attractive by the inmates or the guards, perhaps?
—
There was a young male history student at Harvard or similar who participated in a protest against Bush the younger and threw a candy wrapper or even an empty soda can on the ground in front of the police who had had enough and arrested him for littering after he had stood and insulted them for a while.
The next day he went before the judge (as it works in the USA) and the judge wanted to give him a $100 fine or something ridiculously low but the student now saw himself as a political prisoner in his world.
He naturally refused to accept the fine as a political prisoner so the judge announced that he would then receive 30 days in county jail – but he strongly recommended that the guy pay the fine for county jail was not a nice place to spend 30 days in – but that was the law and he was bound by it.
The young student in question now saw his chance to become a political prisoner and that it was a huge feather in his cap in his social circle – so he naturally chose county jail.
You can guess what happened to him EVERY DAY for 30 days in county jail and where a whole group of inmates participated each time?
He got a reality check and apparently can no longer come close to men, did not complete his studies, and isolated himself completely.
Unfortunately, there is a reality to deal with and one can do quite a bit of harm through bad decisions.
He may not have watched the movie Midnight Express.
He is unlikely to sit for 27 years even if he is sentenced to do so. Of course, he does not deserve 27 years in prison, but considering his involvement in Turkey and the Kurds, he should be quite well informed about the risks.
What I think is missing in the whole debate in Sweden is that many countries are not like Sweden and that you have to be a bit street smart.
Those who are going to have some fun on the beach in Dubai and end up with a 15-year prison sentence as tourists should actually be aware, but one can perhaps excuse them – it’s easy to book a Dubai weekend and it’s portrayed as a great holiday destination.
However, if you are actively opposing a sitting government that is also known to be repressive and unconstitutional, as well as harsh, then personal responsibility definitely applies.
And I also think that the employer ETC should have been aware – Turkey is arresting opposition journalists in the country.
If nothing else, it will result in a lot more work for the country of Sweden and then diplomatically difficult + there is never a guarantee that the individuals will be released or not die in prison. Dawit Isaak had to learn the hard way.
Or like the opposition Saudi who was lured to the embassy in the USA to be murdered.
Det är ALLTID nån annans fel.
Seems to be Clickbait.
“Today’s ETC’s editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson argues that Reporters Without Borders engages in ”number exercises” when they present the number 27. The assessment from Medin’s lawyers, who are familiar with the Turkish judicial system, is that twelve years in prison is still the worst-case scenario.
Regarding the information about a new charge, he writes:
”Not true. The point about spreading propaganda is included in the indictment from last week […] This information is already known.””
https://omni.se/joakim-medin-riskerar-27-ars-fangelse/a/wgjBKG
“Russia: “FES retail, one of the largest clothing and accessories chains in Russia, has begun mass layoffs of staff amid a sharp decline in sales.” Let me give you some background on this, because it’s funnier than you might realize…””
I’m not an electrical engineer so you can skip the giggles to the terms below.
Now I have started to understand this a little better and the Spaniards are completely unexpectedly innocent 😶
There was a sudden disturbance in the “interconnection” between France and Spain – Spain was thus importing electricity from France at the time.
15,000MW was cut off in five seconds and then the “frequency” in Spain dropped when demand exceeded supply and everything started to go haywire?
With today’s 100% renewable energy, the redundancy in the European power grid is low and different countries probably have different disaster preparedness, and one can guess that, for example, Spain and Portugal are a bit lower – and they have a very high % of renewable energy. So, there was no tap that could be turned on to compensate.
And then – how the hell could you manage that in 5 seconds…
It was spring and 11 degrees at night and 24 degrees during the day, far from the time of year when demand peaks.
This has happened before, and the last time it happened, it was an aircraft that managed to disrupt a high-voltage line in France.
So, the question that must be answered is why France stopped exporting 15,000MW to Spain in a matter of seconds – what caused it.
Then we know that Spain was plunged into darkness, and then the frequency between Portugal – Spain became unsynchronized, so Portugal fell, and then also up in France, but they managed to counteract it quickly?
Apparently, it was incredibly close to the point where the whole of Europe started going haywire.
So, two times France thus 😀
🧐
“a fire at a high-voltage power line between Perpignan and Narbonne in the south-west of France was mentioned as a possible contributing factor to a recent power outage in Spain and Portugal”
The reason for the fire was “wildfire”. I’ve checked a bit, and there is a fire in the area but it’s not yet the peak season for wildfires.
And then Lynx London-burning, which is a substation with 100 firefighters.
Belgium was temporarily affected according to Euronews at least.
“According to Euronews, the power failure stretched beyond the Iberian Peninsula, impacting nearby countries like Andorra and parts of southwest France. Some areas in Belgium also reported brief disruptions”.
It was true that Germany and Italy also had problems, Finland and the Netherlands did not.
https://euroweeklynews.com/2025/04/28/blackout-chaos-the-full-list-of-countries-hit-by-europes-massive-power-cut/
So, to summarize, it only takes a forest fire somewhere in Europe to darken Europe – one would almost have to look for something more vulnerable?
Clearly, just a “forest fire” is not enough, you need 2-3 points of failure to blackout the continent – is that a reasonable assumption?
I personally think that a forest fire as the reason for the high-voltage line being damaged sounds incredibly unlikely because we have forest fires in Europe every year, and this doesn’t happen very often. Power lines are usually protected by clearing large paths + they are positioned high, these high-voltage lines.
Or maybe it was a “substation” that caught fire there as well, just like in London, except that it cut off all transmission capacity to Spain from that line?
However, I can’t find any information on a substation in France.
Spain has not been able to stabilize the frequency themselves, which means they were hit by a chain reaction. They have relied on help from France and when that leadership was knocked out, things went haywire.
The risk of something similar happening in Sweden is small. However, the risk is high in Denmark, which cannot stabilize the frequency themselves.
Some are willing to pay a few extra cents to buy wind power when it should be the other way around.
Sweden should charge Denmark a hefty sum for stabilizing their power grid.
The Danish devils shall pay ✊✊
He blinks when it bangs, but not much more than that!
“Glory to our defenders!”
https://bsky.app/profile/antongerashchenko.bsky.social/post/3lnsz4m723c26
“Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter destroys 🇷🇺Russian kamikaze drone “Shahed-136″ with R-73 air-to-air missile”
https://bsky.app/profile/militarynewsua.bsky.social/post/3lnxdkdiztc2s
✊🏻✊🏻!
Worth mentioning in this context is that SE2 actually has two transmission lines to SE3.
And then SE3 exports to SE4, which exports to Germany and Denmark.
If someone were to cut them with a “forest fire,” it could probably get lively.
We have the world’s most robust electricity grid with hydropower in the north and nuclear power in the south. We can manage even if the transmission is knocked out.
…hm, that’s how it should be… 😳
Skip trips to countries with ski governments such as Turkey, China, and Russia… and now even the USA is on the list as a wildcard.
What you do is that you have a competent employer when you go to high-risk areas, and before going there, you make sure that they have all the pieces in place.
Then you follow their safety procedures + apply a large dose of common sense, and it usually works.
I have been arrested a few times by the police and border police with the aim of extorting money, but then the local client we work for usually can resolve it because they have some weight behind them.
In Nigeria, where I was last, for example, the risk of being kidnapped is extremely high if you go to rural areas, and if you don’t pay the company, it’s a death sentence in 100% of cases – there are no happy endings.
So, of course, we didn’t go to the countryside.
I was mainly thinking about private trips, and then first Turkey as a sunny holiday destination, vote with your wallet also ahead of the World Cup in Mexico, the USA, and Canada.
Go and watch matches in Mexico and Canada, skip the USA.
If one is going to travel as a journalist, one should have a press accreditation and not do as Johan Medin and travel on a tourist visa.
RU has received orders to proceed to the Dnipropetrovsk region immediately.
“Danske consumers have started boycotting Coca-Cola to the extent that sales figures are visibly decreasing. This is stated by Carlsberg, which handles the Danish sales of Coca-Cola, to Financial Times.”
White House: Amazon’s customs plans “hostile act”
The rhetoric is reminiscent of some other bunker enthusiast’s import.
Then they wonder why the same wasn’t done “when Biden raised inflation to 40%”.. 🤡
Yes, a frightening transformation. Soon the prisons will start to fill up with political prisoners.
The online giant Amazon’s plans to disclose customs duties on all goods are driving the Trump camp up the wall. It is called a “hostile act” by Donald Trump’s press secretary.
The American households’ confidence indicator drops to 86.0 in April compared to 92.9 in March, according to the Conference Board’s monthly survey. This is reported by AP.
The expected value was 87.5 according to Trading Economics’ consensus estimate.
– Consumer confidence declined for the fifth consecutive month in April and reached levels not seen since the beginning of the pandemic, comments Stephanie Guichard, an economist at the Conference Board.
“Indiska regeringskällor säger att premiärminister Modi har beviljat de indiska väpnade styrkorna “fullständig operationell frihet” att bestämma sättet, målen och tidpunkten för deras svar på attacken i Pahalgam”
Oops 😶
“EU seeks to convince Hungary to lift veto on Ukraine’s EU accession talks Budapest demands the restoration of legislation granting de facto privileges to the Hungarian minority. Ukraine had fulfilled EU’s required conditions.”
Stop bickering! Listen to a hero and a republican! Politicians! See and learn!
https://youtu.be/p3Zm9VkN01E?si=zyeAl438qYOdrcKr
Wow!
✊✊✊
A true republican of the old school.
And Trump has of course mocked Caine 😳.
A question to those who know!
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/direktrapport-forsamrat-sakerhetslage?inlagg=58084f50f667da689d4536e3ee5cb040
SVT always reports “a bit Russian”!
Okay, if this is true, they definitely forget to mention that Ukraine is regaining and also what Ukraine has taken!
Does anyone have any insight on the balance for 2025?
Did you read the notice below 😐
“Ukrainian journalist found dead without a brain”
Several media outlets have investigated the case of Ukrainian journalist Viktorija Roshchina who disappeared in the occupied territories in 2023. In 2024, Russian authorities confirmed that she was being held captive, and in October of the same year, it was announced that she had died, but not how.
In February 2025, Russia returned the bodies of deceased Ukrainians to Ukraine. Number 757 was described as an unidentified man, but it was soon discovered that the body’s DNA matched Roshchina’s.
It was not possible to determine the cause of death, but it showed several signs of torture, according to war crimes prosecutors. Additionally, several organs were missing, including the brain, eyes, and trachea.”
Ja usch fy och jävla ryzZar 🫣
Yes yuck ugh and damn ryzZar 🫣
What the hell, that’s not to eliminate evidence, but to mess around.
They do everything to mess around, they really hope the West will have enough and send them back to the Middle Ages where they belong.
Really, really disgusting. 🤬
(No one is going to write anything about how she should have known the risks, how she should have been more street smart and understood the consequences, or is there perhaps a difference between journalists and journalists working at a left-wing newspaper?)
I didn’t get any response to that…
Do we have control over the risky taken land minus what Ukraine has taken! My feeling is that Ukraine is ahead considering the taken area?
LUTNICK: TARIFF WILL APPLY TO FOREIGN CAR MAKERS BUILDING CARS IN U.S.
Well, then Volvo might as well move production FROM and not to the USA?
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/snabbkollen/del-av-volvo-cars-flyttar-till-usa
And the production of foreign cars in the USA is greater than American…
https://www.theautopian.com/foreign-automakers-now-build-more-cars-in-america-than-american-automakers/
Oh my goodness, what a mess this is 😶
They don’t seem to have any plan at all….
Doesn’t seem so, unless the plan is to confuse and confound. Perhaps it would be best for companies to keep their cool, that should stabilize eventually.
Lutnik seems more than a little stupid in the head.
CNBC: If a company were to say we’re raising prices because of tariffs, is that a hostile act?
LUTNICK: I think if you go out of your way to try to make it seem like your price has changed when it’s nonsense. A 10% tariff is not going to change virtually any price.
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lnxu2j353g2d
Or right? If those tariffs wouldn’t have any impact on the price, why introduce them at all?
He has some hope that exports will pay for the customs by lowering prices. He overestimates the margins that export companies have.
Ok, so now Gop/Trump wants price regulation. It’s going well now 😂!
At least one Pakistani stripe is on its way to the border – the sides are starting to bring up a lot of heavy equipment now.
Public employees in Moscow are ordered to look up at the sky on May 9th…
https://bsky.app/profile/chriso-wiki.bsky.social/post/3lnxtsj3zqn2l
https://bsky.app/profile/chriso-wiki.bsky.social/post/3lnxtsj4dj62l
It could be quite fun if a few thousand Muscovites, in all their goodwill, start reporting just before Putin’s spectacle so that sirens sound all over the city. 🤣
Maybe they will manage to empty Red Square just as Putin is about to give his speech.
Yes, and there will probably be “over-reporting” out of fear of being accused of missing a drone – how should it be handled? How many people are needed to handle and investigate reports of incoming suspicious objects? D*mn, it’s going to be nerve-wracking!
haha, Putin is absolutely terrified of drone swarm on May 9th
Sirens and the sound of anti-aircraft defense. I wonder if May 9th must be canceled.
The Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshtjyna’s body bore signs of torture and was missing, among other things, the brain and eyes when it was returned by Russia.
On her final journey, she documented Russian torture camps and those responsible for them. Several fellow prisoners testify that Roshtjyna was tortured and drugged until she stopped eating. Later, she was taken to a hospital, where she was monitored by six masked guards with machine guns.
https://omni.se/a/LMOb89
😎
Nice that I wasn’t fifth anyway. 😃
Sickening regardless and worth repeating.
🔴 Keith Kellogg, the US President’s special envoy to Ukraine, has dismissed Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a temporary ceasefire during Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, calling it “absurd.”
http://united24media.com/latest-news/trump-envoy-kellog-rejects-putins-proposed-may-9-ceasefire-as-absurd-7983
👊👊
YESS – now damn.
Only a few days left and Trump hasn’t thought this through so there’s a high probability that Ukraine won’t be forced into a ceasefire.
There will surely be a lot of pressure but if there’s any year to ruin the parade, it’s this year!!!
We can only hope that Trump starts listening to Kellogg.
Kellogg is one of the few in the US administration who seems to have his head on straight, which is why he hasn’t been allowed to participate in role-playing peace negotiations with the others.
If T has finally started to doubt his bff P, maybe Kellogg can finally get some influence.
Peace talks on Ukraine hit a dead end: Putin demands control of Zaporizhzhia & Kherson. He rejected a ceasefire along the front line, insists on full control of occupied regions, and wants recognition of all annexed territories, not just occupied Crimea.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-29/war-in-ukraine-latest-putin-insists-on-territory-seizure-in-blow-to-trump
Very good – a ceasefire is the worst possible for Europe
The Kremlin’s surprise unilateral declaration of a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine during the three-day period next week around the 80th anniversary of the end of the war against Nazi Germany is being characterized as an attempt by Russia to forestall any embarrassing drone or missile attacks on Russian targets while the Kremlin holds its annual parade.
As Ukrainian success on the battlefield and in conducting devastating long-range attacks on Russian munitions, oil, and drone manufacturing facilities continue, the Kremlin is attempting to cover up its recent military failures and desperate need for a ceasefire, while trying to appear cooperative despite rejecting President Trump’s terms. JL
http://www.thelowdownblog.com/2025/04/fear-of-embarrassing-ukraine-attacks-on.html
They have read this thread 🧐
Have you accidentally connected them to our Signal?
😶
Ukraine’s “Wall of Drones” Is Major Reason For 3 Months of Stalled Russian Attacks
Analyses indicate that Russia’s offensive efforts, which have been stalled for three months now, are largely due to the fact that Ukraine’s “Wall” or “Line” of Drones” strategy is working.
Ukraine has created a belt of land 18 miles behind Russian lines which is saturated by Ukrainian reconnaissance and FPV attack drones. It is almost impossible for Russian troops, vehicles and logistics to move in that zone without being struck. The result is that it is extremely difficult to organize attacks because the necessary forces never get close to their proposed jumping off point. JL
Andrew Kramer reports in the New York Times:
http://www.thelowdownblog.com/2025/04/ukraines-wall-of-drones-is-major-reason.html
Yes, that’s how it is and the absolute best –
When Russian soldiers within those 18 miles (40km was it said???) retreat, Ukraine just moves the entire screen forward and creates a new uninhabitable swamp for the Russians.
And that’s how it goes 😁
This works.
Defense Blog writes about the formation of a new Russian army ahead of Zapad – 2025. https://defence-blog.com/kremlin-ramps-up-forces-near-nato-front/ .
They have also read this thread 😀
What is most remarkable is that Europe is well on its way to being caught off guard when this has been known for months already.
“Donald Trump personally called up Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to complain about reports that the e-commerce giant was considering displaying products’ customs duties on its site. This is according to a source to NBC News. Just hours after the call, Amazon toned down the scope of the plan, and then announced that it would be scrapped altogether.”
A country?
At this pace, Trump might resign before they have finished negotiating with everyone, and then it doesn’t seem 100% clear when they don’t even dare to mention which country.
“The USA has a trade agreement in place with a country, says Minister of Trade Howard Lutnick to CNBC. He explains that he cannot name it as he is waiting for approval from the country in question before the parties can announce the progress.”
https://omni.se/a/KMAJK6
Is it the islands with the penguins?
(I’ll find out myself….)
😂😂😂
It’s sick that they celebrate October 7th.
Sometimes it feels like the Palestinian demonstrators around the world are often more extreme than ordinary people in Gaza, where many seem to prefer to avoid Hamas.
It’s understandable that they get angry about Israel committing war crimes time after time, but if you celebrate October 7th where Hamas started everything with its heinous acts, you don’t have much sense.
“The chairman of the Unity Front for Palestine expressed support for ‘Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel during Sunday’s Palestinian demonstration in Gothenburg. This was reported by the site Doku, which examines Islamist extremism in Sweden. – Every single one of us here stands behind October 7th. We are all October 7th,’ said Huda Faraj in front of cheering demonstrators.”
https://omni.se/a/W0KPGG
“Enhetsfront för Palestina was awarded the Angered Prize last year, which is presented by the local Left Party.”
Well…
Prune recommends an interesting (Russian!) article about the dire state of Russia’s National Welfare Fund – many of the funds are liquid and rapidly decreasing:
“It turns out that the liquid part of the national welfare fund decreased by 2.5 trillion rubles from December 2024 to March 2025: it was 5.8 trillion rubles and became less than 3.3 trillion rubles. It is easy to calculate that if it continues like this, the liquid part of the national welfare fund could be reduced to zero by early 2026. The situation could improve somewhat if additional oil and gas revenues are taken into account for 2024, but the problem will still persist.”
https://www.mk.ru/economics/2025/04/29/rezervnoy-kubyshke-gosudarstva-grozit-obnulenie-uzhe-cherez-god-kak-izbezhat-takogo-scenariya.html
Prune’s thread: https://bsky.app/profile/prune602.bsky.social/post/3lny7zs6grk2f