Ukraine is pinning hopes on Putin exasperating Trump
Washington and Kyiv are holding fast to separate assumptions about the prospect of ending the ongoing war — but both could be wrong.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — When it comes to a possible peace deal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials are holding fast to separate assumptions.
As it stands, Kyiv has no faith that Trump can secure a favorable deal. Instead, Ukrainian officials are pinning their hopes on the U.S. president growing exasperated with a recalcitrant Russian president, leading Trump to back them more directly. They believe Russian leader Vladimir Putin won’t agree to anything short of abject Ukrainian surrender — a condition the dealmaker in Trump will shun.
Trump, on the other hand, appears to think he can simply cajole and bully Putin into a fair settlement by threatening to unleash unrestrained economic warfare, which will compound the problems engulfing Russia’s economy.
The assumption that turns out to be right will decide Ukraine’s fate. It will also say much about whether Trump is, indeed, the great dealmaker he claims to be. However, there’s also a chance both parties might find they’re wrong.
How exactly the U.S. president means to handle Putin first became clear last week, when — to Ukraine’s relief — he began threatening economic warfare. “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way — and the easy way is always better,” Trump warned in a message addressed directly to Putin on his social media site Truth Social. He said he was ready to slap tariffs and impose even more sanctions on Russia if Putin failed to negotiate an end to the war.
In an interview with Fox News the following day, Trump repeated his willingness to use any financial weapons necessary against Russia in order to stop the war.
Initially, his message prompted yawns from some Russian officials, but within hours, there was a switch. Putin suddenly began praising Trump and saying he was ready for talks, describing their relationship as “businesslike, pragmatic and trustworthy.” He flattered Trump by echoing the newly inaugurated president’s claim that the war would never have happened had he been in the White House in 2022 , and parroting his debunked assertion that the 2020 U.S. election was “stolen.”
These threats of supercharged sanctions and tariffs are part of the tactical approach favored by Trump’s special envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg. Rather than making a clean break and halting military aid to Ukraine as urged by some MAGA loyalists, including Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Kellogg wants to use American strength to secure peace — even if it takes months.
Before Trump’s inauguration, Ukraine was frustrated it wasn’t being invited to participate in planning and coordination with Trump’s team, fueling the country’s anxiety. Nonetheless, according to a top Republican lobbyist who advises Ukrainian agencies, a December meeting between Kellogg, Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak went rather smoothly.
“Trump needs to conclude on his own that Putin isn’t willing to make any concessions — not to Ukraine but to him,” the lobbyist said, asking not to be identified in order to speak freely. “This needs to be an iterative process and throughout, Ukraine needs to be the constructive party. Trump and his aides need to experience the Russians for themselves, then they will see.”
In line with that advice, Ukraine is playing along — though Kyiv remains nervous that Putin may be able to exploit Trump’s desire for a deal at their cost. That worry was underlined by Zelenskyy during a television address this weekend, when he raised the risk of a prevaricating Putin managing to string Trump along and “manipulate” him with flattery.
But while Ukraine’s strategy is built on the shaky assumption that Trump will finally lose patience with a double-dealing Putin, the assumption embraced by Trump’s team — that the Russian revanchist is primed to negotiate for economic reasons — seems dubious as well.
In his post threatening economic punishment, Trump said that he was doing Russia a “very big favor” by pushing to settle the war, because the country’s “economy is failing.” Indeed, Russia’s currency has now lost more than half of its value against the U.S. dollar and the euro. A recent study by the Kyiv School of Economics suggests the Russian government is generating less revenue from oil sales than it was before. And in his annual televised Q&A session in December, Putin himself acknowledged that rising inflation is becoming a problem.
But despite that, few seasoned observers actually think Putin’s in a negotiating mood. Analysts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Michael Kofman believe there’s now little incentive for Putin to stop the war because he’s reached the point of no return. “The war has hardened Putin’s resolve and narrowed his options. There is no turning back: Putin has already transformed Russia’s society, economy, and foreign policy to better position the Kremlin to take on the West,” they wrote.
Nor is there domestic pressure for the war to be ended — in fact, quite the reverse. “The war has become a wealth transfer mechanism channeling money to Russia’s poor regions, and many economic elites have moved into the defense sector to cash in on lucrative opportunities. Elites have, by now, adjusted to the system’s current configuration, enabling them not just to survive but to profit,” they said.
And they aren’t alone in harboring doubts that Putin wants to end the war at this juncture. Western leaders had thought that sanctions and economic pain would bring Russia to heel before, only to be disabused of that notion — and Trump may just be the next to find that out.
“There is actually very little to indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in a negotiated settlement,” said Mykola Bielieskov of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, the research arm of the National Defense University funded by the Pentagon.
In fact, Bielieskov believes Putin has reasons to be more confident now than he was last year: Russia has maintained battlefield initiative for months now, and while they didn’t pull off any landmark successes in 2024, they did manage to accrue consistent gains along the front line. “Putin’s invading army may be able to achieve a more decisive breakthrough in the coming year,” he warned.
And stringing Trump along to ensure he doesn’t order a step change in U.S. support may just help Russia manage that breakthrough.
Vare: Läänemerel on vaja suuremat patrullimist
Rootsi arestis merealuse valguskaabli kahjustanud Bulgaaria laeva. Julgeolekuekspertide hinnangul peaksid otsustavad vastused aitama tulevikus hübriidrünnakuid ära hoida.
Malta lipu all sõitva Bulgaaria laeva Vezheni omanik tunnistas võimalikku osalust Läti sidekaabli lõhkumises. Omaniku sõnul polnud see pahatahtlik. Rootsi prokuratuur on aga juba algatanud sabotaažikahtluse tõttu eeluurimise ja kahtlustatav laev on kinni peetud.
"Teame Venemaa sabotaažiohust Rootsi ja teiste riikide vastu. Mis selle konkreetse ja teiste juhtumite puhul tegelikult toimus ja kes vastutab, on küsimused, mille juurde peame naasma," sõnas Rootsi justiitsminister Gunnar Strömmer.
Julgeolekuekspert Raivo Vare ütles, et selliseid juhtumeid pole alati võimalik juriidiliselt korrektselt tõestada, kuid vaatamata sellele ei tohiks tegelikkuse eest silma kinni pigistada.
"Mis juhtus? Ta komistas kolm korda mu rusika otsa ja pärast veel neli korda neeruga noa otsa - see on sama ooper. Ei ole süüdlasi. Kui me ei saa süüdlasi kindlaks teha, siis me peame ikkagi navigatsiooni kindlustama ja me peame tegelikult ka samal ajal midagi ette võtma kas või selle sama navigatsiooniga, et ei juhtuks, et me jääme maailmast äralõigatuks. Selleks tuleb resoluutsemaid meetmeid rakendada," sõnas Vare.
Endise Rootsi kaitseväelase Joakim Paasikivi sõnul on hübriidsõda nagu tavaline kuritegevus. Ükskõik, kui palju suurendada politsei kohaolu, täielikult seda välja juurida pole võimalik. Tihedamatel patrullidel ja NATO missioonil on loomulikult mõju, nii nagu ka sanktsioonidel ja keskkonna- ja litsentsikontrollidel.
Vare nõustus, et suuremat patrullimist on vaja. Samuti tuleks kiiremas korras muuta mereõigust. Läänemere kaablite täielikuks jälgimiseks puudub meil aga ressurss, mistõttu oleks Vare arvates mõistlik aeg-ajalt ka asümmeetriliselt vastata.
"Näiteks panna Taani väinad mõneks ajaks kinni kõikidele sellistele laevadele. Põhimõtteliselt ükski laev ei käi ja kogu lugu. Mõnda aega käi ja siis hakkavad teised ka muretsema, hakkavad nii organisaatorid tagasi hoidma, aga hakkavad ka omanikud, reederid mõtlema," ütles Vare.
Soome otsustav käitumine möödunud kuul, kui arestiti Estlink 2 lõhkunud naftatanker, andis Vare sõnul tõenäoliselt julgust ka rootslastele. Pole välistatud, et venelased testisid, kas rootslased vastavad samamoodi.
"Torm oli ju mitmes kohas, oleks võinud Soome vetes ka proovida, aga millegi pärast tehti seda Rootsi vetes," sõnas Vare.
"Kui venelased näevad, et Rootsi, Soome, varem mingi piirini ka Taani, ja Balti riikide merevägi teevad NATO kontekstis rohkem, siis see tegevus muutub kahjumlikuks, ohtlikuks või vahemalt nähakse selle jätkumises märkimisväärset eskalatsiooni," sõnas Paasikivi.
Kond: Läti uurib kohapeal asja
"Läti kaitseväe tuurid jõudisd asupaika ja asusid koos Rootsi rannavalvega tööle. Rohkem kui 50 meetri sügavusel uurida, mis on kaabliga juhtunud. Lätis on väideldud, et laevade kontrolli tuleb suurendada. Läti kaitsejõudude juht on öelnud, et lähedus oli 70 laeva: pole võimalik neid kõik kontrollida ega pole ka õigust. Kokku tuleks leppida kuidas mereõigust muuta, et Lätis saaks oma patrulllaevaga minna lähemale kui lihtsalt visuaalne vaatlus," rääkis Ragnar Kond Lätist.
Leedu peaminister Gintautas Paluckas kutsus Euroopa Liitu üles aitama rahaliselt riike, kes seisavad silmitsi sellise sabotaažiga nagu kaablite lõhkumine Läänemeres.
Euroopa Liit kaalub reservide loomist, et aidata liikmesriikidel kiiresti parandada lõhutud merekaableid.
Euroopa on ka valmis vedama püüdlust mereõiguse muutmiseks ütleb Euroopa Liidu välispoliitika juht Kaja Kallas. Mida täpselt muuta tuleks või millal võiks Euroopa muutused välja pakkuda Kallas veel ei ütle.
"Erinevad mereõiguse eksperdid tõlgendavad neid reegleid erinevalt. Seetõttu need reeglid peakski olema selged, aga isegi seda öeldes ma pean ikkagi viitama sellele, et Venemaa või ka Hiina väga nendest reeglitest kinni pidamisest ei hooli, isegi kui reeglid on paigas. Selge on see, et meil on vaja selliseid tööriistu, millega saaks kohe reageerida, et need kahju tekitajad kinni pidada," rääkis Kallas.
"Oleme palunud liikmesriikide mereõiguse ekspertidelt sisendit, kuidas neid asju lahendada ja loomulikult meil on endal juriidiline teenistus, kes nende ettepanekutega tuleb. Siin on mitu tasandit enne kui see poliitilisele tasandile esitamiseks on küps," ütles Kallas.
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Valitseeko Suomi Tanskan vai Yhdysvallat? Tutkijoilla selvä näkemys
Yle kysyi poliittisen historian professorilta ja Nato-asiantuntijalta, mitä asioita eurooppalaiset johtajat punnitsevat harkitessaan vastausta Donald Trumpille.
Tanskan pääministeri Mette Frederiksen sukkuloi tänään tiistaina Euroopan ja Nato-johtajien pakeilla. Syynä ovat Yhdysvaltain presidentti Donald Trumpin puheet Grönlannista.
Trump ilmaisi kiinnostuksensa Grönlantiin jo ensimmäisellä presidenttikaudellaan. Nyt hän vaikuttaa olevan enemmän tosissaan.
Trump ei ole sulkenut pois talouspakotteiden tai sotilaallisen operaation käyttämistä Grönlannin liittämiseksi Yhdysvaltoihin.
Financial Times kertoi viikonloppuna, että Trump ja Frederiksen olivat käyneet tulisen keskustelun Grönlannista.
Tänään tiistaina Frederiksen on tavannut Saksan liittokanslerin Olof Scholzin, Ranskan presidentin Emmanuel Macronin ja Naton pääsihteerin Mark Rutten.
Yle kysyi asiantuntijoilta, onko Tanskalla syytä olla huolissaan. Näin vastaavat poliittisen historian professori Juhana Aunesluoma Helsingin yliopistosta ja johtava tutkija Charly Salonius-Pasternak Ulkopoliittisesta instituutista.
1. Mistä pääministeri Frederiksenin diplomatia kertoo?
Aunesluoma:
Tanska hakee Pohjoismaiden ja Euroopan johtajien kanssa yhteistä linjaa siihen, miten toimia Trumpin vaatimusten suhteen. Nyt kyse on Tanskasta, mutta jonain toisena päivänä Trumpin silmätikkuna voi olla jokin toinen eurooppalainen maa.
Tämä vaikuttaa varmasti valtionjohtajien ajattelussa. Nyt ei reagoida vain Trumpin Grönlanti-puheisiin, vaan valitaan isompi Euroopan linja suhteessa Yhdysvaltoihin.
Salonius-Pasternak:
Tanskan Frederiksen julkaisi sosiaalisessa mediassa kuvan, jossa presidentti Alexander Stubb sekä Ruotsin ja Norjan pääministerit olivat syömässä illallista hänen kanssaan.
Tämä on julkista diplomatiaa. Se kertoo, että olemme yhdessä.
Mikä tahansa pieni maa, mukaan lukien Suomi, pyrkii toimimaan isommassa viiteryhmässä, sellaisissa kuin EU tai Nato. Se on varmasti tehokkaampaa, kuin jos Stubb soittaisi Trumpille ja sanoisi, että näin ei voi tehdä.
2. Voisiko Trump olla valmis käyttämään sotilaallisia keinoja Grönlannin saadakseen?
Aunesluoma:
Ketä vastaan Yhdysvallat voisi edes voimaa käyttää? Siellä on jo amerikkalaisten oma sotilastukikohta. Yhdysvallat huolehtii jo nyt Grönlannin turvallisuudesta.
Pidättäisivätkö he itse itsensä vai joitakin paikallisia viranomaisia? Tilanne on hyvin erikoinen.
Salonius-Pasternak:
Se olisi kriisi Natolle ja myös EU:lle. EU:n yhtenäisyyden säilyttäminen olisi vaikeampaa, mutta entistä tärkeämpää.
Se legitimoisi Venäjän toiminnan Ukrainassa ja Kiinan näkemykset Taiwanista. Se murentaisi Yhdysvaltojen legitimiteettiä.
Mahdotonta sanoa, olisiko Trump tähän valmis. Olisihan Ylellä ja muilla aika pitkät erikoislähetykset, jos näin kävisi.
3. Miten Suomen pitäisi tähän suhtautua? Jos Suomen pitää valita, valitseeko se Tanskan vai Yhdysvallat?
Aunesluoma:
Suomen pitäisi lähteä maantieteellisestä sijainnista ja pitkän aikavälin edusta. Trumpin myötäilyllä olisi katastrofaalinen vaikutus Suomen ja Tanskan väleihin, joilla on pitkä historia.
Kansainvälisten sopimusten hylkääminen sen vuoksi, että Yhdysvallat voi tarjota esimerkiksi turvallisuutta, olisi lyhytnäköistä. Trumpin kausi kestää neljä vuotta, mutta sopimuksista lipeäminen muistettaisiin paljon kauemmin.
Salonius-Pasternak:
Suomen pitäisi tuomita sotilaallisella voimankäytöllä uhkaaminen tai sen käyttö.
En näe Suomessa tai muualla Euroopassa sellaisia ääniä, jotka sanoisivat, että emme voi arvostella Yhdysvaltoja, koska tarvitsemme sitä Euroopan puolustamiseen.
Emme voi sanoa, että naapureita voi kurmottaa. Silloinhan voi seuraavaksi olla meidän vuoromme.
Näen tässä vaiheessa, että Trump ei välttämättä ymmärtänyt, miten Grönlannin liittäminen Yhdysvaltoihin tulkittaisiin. Hän haluaa näyttää pystyvänsä tekemään diilejä eurooppalaisten, tanskalaisten ja grönlantilaisten kanssa.
4. Minkälaisia asioita eurooppalaiset valtionjohtajat punnitsevat tässä tilanteessa?
Aunesluoma:
Eurooppalaiset valtiojohtajat ovat toistaiseksi olleet hiljaa Trumpin ulostuloista. Hiljaisuus voi sekin olla joskus fiksua.
Ennemmin tai myöhemmin pitää kuitenkin saada jokin yhteinen linja sen suhteen, miten Trumpin suunnitelmiin suhtaudutaan.
Salonius-Pasternak:
Kuvittelen, että Tanskan pääministeri Frederiksen halusi ensin puhua pohjoismaisten johtajien kanssa ja sitten laajemmin eurooppalaisten keskeisten valtioiden johtajien kanssa.
Hän haluaa kuulla, mitä he ajattelevat ja kysellä, mitä pitäisi tehdä. Hän haluaa välttää tilannetta, jossa Yhdysvallat, mutta myös Venäjä ja Kiina näkisivät, että Eurooppaa voi alkaa pilkkoa osiin. EU:lla ja Natolla on tässä rakenteellisia intressejä.
5. Kuinka tosissaan Trump on Grönlannin suhteen?
Aunesluoma:
Trump on tosissaan, mutta emme tiedä, mitä alueen Yhdysvaltoihin liittäminen varsinaisesti voisi tarkoittaa. On epäselvää, tulisiko Grönlannista uusi osavaltio tai esimerkiksi itsehallintoalue.
Selvää on vain se, että Yhdysvallat haluaa lisätä läsnäoloon Grönlannissa.
Katso videolta, mitä Trump sanoi Grönlannista virkaanastujaispäivänään:
Salonius-Pasternak:
Olen vakuuttunut, että Trump on hyvin vakavissaan. On eri asia, mitä hän on valmis tekemään tavoitteidensa saavuttamiseksi.
Monista asioista voi varmasti neuvotella.
Tanskalla on puolustusyhteistyösopimus Yhdysvaltain kanssa, kuten muillakin Pohjoismailla. Voi olla, että Trump haluaa Tanskan maksavan enemmän Grönlannin puolustamisen kuluista.
Trump haluaa pitää Kiinan poissa Grönlannista. Hän haluaa enemmän läsnäoloa, ehkä enemmän lentoja. Voi olla, että hän tavoittelee diiliä kriittisistä mineraaleista.
6. Jos Trump käyttäisi äärimmäisiä keinoja Grönlannissa, mitä se merkitsisi Natolle tai Yhdysvaltain kansainväliselle asemalle?
Aunesluoma:
Yhdysvaltain kansainvälinen asema romuttuisi. Voimankäyttö liittolaista vastaan olisi jotain aivan poikkeuksellista.
Tanska voisi periaatteessa vedota Naton 5. artiklaan ja vaatia muita sotilasliiton jäseniä auttamaan sitä. Siinä olisi aikamoinen tilanne.
Salonius-Pasternak:
Liittolaisuuksien näkökulmasta ja transatlanttisen suhteen näkökulmasta se murentaisi luottamuksen.
Kuvittelen, että Yhdysvaltain ulkoministeri Marco Rubio ymmärtäisi luottamuksen murentumisen katastrofaaliset seuraukset. Ehkä myös puolustusministeri Pete Hegseth, koska hän on vastuussa Yhdysvaltain sotilaallisten liittoumien toimimisesta.
...
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С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Интервью Владимира Путина Павлу Зарубину О Мирных Переговорах. 28.01.25
Цитата:
Цитата:
В Приднестровье создали мемориал, посвященный погибшим в ходе энергетического кризиса, разразившегося после решения Украины прекратить транзит российского газа.
Politico: Vene oht lagundab EL-i kasinusriikide ühtsust
Vajadus Venemaalt lähtuvale ohule vastu astuda on muutmas Euroopa Liidu rikaste, põhjapoolsete liikmesriikide suhtumist eelarvedistsipliini ning sellega lagundamas nende ühisrinnet suurema kulutamise ja võimalike ühislaenude võtmise vastu, kirjutab väljaanne Politico.
Kui Saksamaa ja koos temaga rangeid eelarvereegleid hindavad Austria, Taani, Rootsi, Soome ja Holland hoidsid aastaid positsiooni – ei mingit ühisvõlga, eelarvelisi tasuta rahalisi vahendeid ega absoluutselt mingeid blankotšekke Brüsseli jaoks – siis nüüd on selles koalitsioonis tekkimas praod, märkis Politico teisipäeval avaldatud artiklis.
Sõda Euroopa piiridel, majanduslikud nihked ja NATO-st taandumisega ähvardav USA president Donald Trump on sundinud Euroopa riike oma positsioone ümber vaatama, mis on pannudki kasinust pooldavate riikide ühtsuse kõikuma just siis, kui Euroopa Liit valmistub oma järgmise suure eelarve läbirääkimisteks.
Varem töötasid kokkuhoidlikud riigid välja oma hästi ettevalmistatud strateegia, et peatada peamiselt lõunapoolsete liikmesriikide ideid, mis olid seotud suurema kulutamisega, ütles üks mitmete eelarvekõneluste pidamise kogemusega EL-i valitsusametnik Politicole. Kuid eelseisvad läbirääkimised ajavahemikku 2028-2034 hõlmava eelarveraamistiku (MFF) üle tõotavad tulla täiesti teistsugused, lisas anonüümsust palunud ametnik.
"Rühm Põhja- ja Baltimaid [töötab] teistsuguse nägemuse alusel, mis keskendub julgeolekuprobleemile ja mis eristab neid teistest kokkuhoidlikest riikidest nagu Holland ja Austria," tõdes ka Jacques Delors Institute'i mõttekoja analüütik Eulalia Rubio Politicole.
Taani on pöördumas
Väljaanne toob eriti kujuka näitena esile Taani, mis EL-i kollektiivkaitse ja välisohtudele vastupanuvõime vajadusi silmas pidades on andnud märku oma positsioonide muutmisest fiskaaldistsipliini suhtes.
Suurim tõestus sellele nihkele tuli välja Taani peaministri Mette Frederikseni uusaastakõnes, kui ta jahmatas EL-i eelarveveterane, propageerides kaitsekulutuste suurendamist, riigiabi ja investeeringuid Euroopa suveräänsuse tugevdamisse.
Riigi jaoks, mis on olnud pikka aega skeptiline Euroopa Liidu sügavama integratsiooni suhtes, tähistasid Frederikseni sõnad seismilist nihet.
Olles surutud Venemaa sõjategevuse ja USA presidendi vahele, kes tahab Gröönimaad tema riigilt ära rebida, asus Frederiksen toetama Prantsusmaa stiilis Euroopa suveräänsuse ideed, mida Kopenhaagenis oli kuni viimase ajani peetud vastuvõetamatuks.
"[Me vaatame] uue pilguga riigiabi, ühisvõlga ja EL-i eelarvet. See on uus aeg," ütles Frederiksen detsembris antud intervjuus.
Analüütikud hindasid tema sõnavõttu kui märki Taani positsiooni muutumisest EL-i suhtes ja potentsiaalsest kiilust Saksamaa ja kasinust pooldavate Põhjamaade liidus.
"[Frederiksen] on isiklikult oma positsiooni 180 kraadi pööranud," ütles Bruegeli mõttekoja analüütik Jacob Funk Kirkegaard. Tema hinnangul võimaldab see peaministril eelarveläbirääkimistel "maksimeerida Taani mõju", kuna ta saab olla sillaehitaja erinevate riikide rühmade vahel.
See pole sugugi väike muutus, rõhutas Politico. Frederiksen on EL-i üks stabiilsemaid ja kogenumaid juhte ning tema riik on selle aasta lõpus Euroopa Liidu Nõukogu roteeruv eesistujariik, mis annab Kopenhaagenile olulise mõju bloki tegevuskavale.
Palju oleneb Saksamaa uuest valitsusest
Siiski ei ole mitte kõik veendunud, et kokkuhoidlike riikide koalitsioon on täieliku lahkumineku äärel. "Seal on palju suitsu ja peegleid," hoiatas üks EL-i diplomaat. "Raske on aru saada, millised on kellegi tegelikud positsioonid."
Kindel on see, et Venemaa sissetung Ukrainasse on sundinud EL-i põhjapoolseid liikmeid oma arvestusi muutma, seda eriti kaitsekulutuste osas. Sellised riigid nagu Soome ja Eesti, mis on konfliktile geograafiliselt lähemal, taganevad nüüd relvaostude rahastamise nimel senisest seisukohast, et EL-i ühisvõlga ei tohi võtta – see mõte oli varem kokkuhoidlike riikide jaoks mõeldamatu.
Samas pole mõned teised liidu liikmed oma meelt muutnud. Saksamaa ja Holland on jätkuvalt kindlalt EL-i ühise kaitsevõla vastu, rõhutades süvenevat lõhet kasinusriikide koalitsioonis.
Tõenäoliselt tugevdab ka Austria oma vastupanu EL-i ühisvõla võtmisele, kui uueks kantsleriks saab Venemaa-sõbralik paremäärmuslane Herbert Kickl, märkis Politico.
Sellegipoolest pole liit täielikult surnud, rõhutas väljaanne. Kasinust pooldavad riigid hoiavad ühist seisukohta EL-i regionaalrahastuse sidumisel – mis on enamasti suunatud madalama sissetulekuga piirkondadele Lõuna- ja Ida-Euroopas – struktuurireformidega, mille eesmärk on muuta nende majandus konkurentsivõimelisemaks. EL-i diplomaadi sõnul tuli vana kokkuhoidlike riikide rühm viimati kokku novembris, kui räägiti läbi EL-i aastaeelarvet ning võitles kulutuste suurendamise vastu.
Jacques Delorsi instituudi analüütik Rubio ennustas, et rühm naaseb tõenäoliselt ühtsena ka eelseisvatel eelarveläbirääkimistel: "Ma ei usu, et kokkuhoidlike ja netokasusaajate (need, kes saavad EL-i eelarvest rohkem raha, kui sisse maksavad – toim.) koalitsioonid kaovad."
Kuid ta lisas, et tekkida võib täiendav surverühm, mis koosneb Poolast ja Ida-Euroopa riikidest, mis soovivad rohkem keskenduda julgeolekuküsimustele.
Sellest hoolimata usuvad paljud, et kokkuhoidlike riikide rühma saatuse tõeline proovikivi saabub siis, kui Saksamaa valimised võidab Friedrich Merzi juhitud paremtsentristlik Kristlik-Demokraatlik Liit (CDU).
CDU juhitud valitsus seisaks tõenäoliselt vastu suurtele EL-i kuluprojektidele, olgu siis kaitse- või roheliste investeeringute jaoks. Kui aga bloki suurim riik muudab meelt ja muutub kulutamise suhtes paindlikumaks, järgivad tema seni tõrksad liitlased tõenäoliselt Berliini eeskuju.
"Ootame endiselt suurt poissi," ütles EL-i valitsusametnik Berliinile viidates. "Tema on MFF-i gravitatsioonipunkt, kõik järgivad Saksamaa seisukohta."
Цитата:
How Vladimir Putin killed the EU’s frugal coalition
The need to counter Russia is shifting the attitudes of rich northern countries on budget discipline.
BRUSSELS — For years, Germany and its austerity-loving allies were Europe’s fiscal buzzkills.
Their motto was simple: No joint debt, no budgetary free-for-alls and absolutely no blank checks for Brussels.
Together, this coalition of rich northern nations — Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands — held the European Union’s purse strings tight, outmaneuvering Southern Europe in marathon budget battles.
But cracks are forming in the north’s united front. War at Europe’s borders, economic shifts, and a United States president eyeing a retreat from NATO have forced a rethink — and the frugal alliance is wobbling just as the EU prepares for its next big budget showdown.
In the past, these frugal countries developed a “closely knit, well-prepared strategy to stop ideas that had to do with more spending,” an EU government official with experience overseeing several budget talks told POLITICO.
But the upcoming negotiations on the 2028-2034 budget promise to be “completely different,” according to the official, who like others quoted in this story was granted anonymity as they are not allowed to speak on the record.
“A group of Nordic and Baltic countries [is] developing a different vision focused on the security issue that distinguishes them from the other frugals like Holland and Austria,” Eulalia Rubio, an analyst from the Jacques Delors Institute think tank, told POLITICO.
Sovereignty has become the new rallying cry, and even staunch fiscal hawks like Denmark or Finland are warming to the idea of loosening the purse strings to bolster the EU’s collective defense and resilience against external threats.
Why Denmark flipped
A pivotal sign of this shift came during Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s New Year’s speech, when she stunned EU budget veterans by advocating more defense spending, state aid and investment in Europe’s sovereignty.
For a country long skeptical of deeper EU integration, Frederiksen’s words marked a seismic shift.
Squeezed between Russia’s grinding offensive in Ukraine and a U.S. president who wants to snatch Greenland from her country, Frederiksen went big on French-style ideas of EU sovereignty that Copenhagen had until recently viewed as anathema.
“[We are] looking at state aid with new eyes, looking at common debt with new eyes, and looking at the EU budget with new eyes. It’s a new time,” Frederiksen said during a separate interview in December.
Analysts hailed her remarks as a landmark in Denmark’s relationship with the EU and a potential wedge within the Nordic-German alliance.
“[Frederiksen] has personally shifted her position 180 degrees” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, an analyst at Bruegel think tank.
In his view, this will allow the prime minister to “maximize the influence of Denmark” during the budget negotiations, as she can act as a bridge-builder between different groups of countries.
This is no small development. Frederiksen is one of the EU’s most stable and experienced leaders, and her country will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU later this year — giving Copenhagen significant influence over the bloc’s agenda.
The defense dilemma
However, not everyone is convinced the frugals are on the verge of a full breakup. “There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors,” cautioned one EU diplomat. “It’s hard to make out what the actual positions are.”
What is certain is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced a reckoning among the EU’s northern members, particularly on defense spending.
Countries like Finland and Estonia, which are geographically closer to the conflict, now back joint EU debt to fund arms purchases — a notion that was unthinkable for the frugals in the past.
Yet other members of the alliance haven’t changed their minds. Germany and the Netherlands remain staunchly opposed to EU joint debt for defense, underscoring the deepening division within the coalition.
Austria is also likely to harden its resistance toward EU debt if the far-right firebrand Herbert Kickl, who is cozy with Russia, becomes the new chancellor.
Nevertheless, the alliance isn’t entirely dead.
The frugals maintain common ground when it comes to linking EU regional funding — mostly directed toward lower-income areas in Southern and Eastern Europe — to structural reforms aimed at making their economies more competitive
The “old frugal group came back together” to oppose spending increases during negotiations in November on the EU’s annual budget, according to the EU diplomat.
The Jacques Delors Institute’s Rubio predicted the group would likely return in upcoming budget talks too: “I don't think that the coalitions of frugals versus net beneficiaries [those receiving more money from the EU than what they pay in] will disappear.”
But, she added, there “will be an additional pressure group made up of Poland and Eastern European countries asking for more focus on security issues.”
Even so, many believe the real test of the fate of the frugals will come if the German election delivers a majority for Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union.
A CDU-led government would likely resist big EU spending projects, whether on defense or green investments.
But if the bloc’s biggest country changes its mind and becomes more spendy, its recalcitrant allies are likely to follow suit.
“We’re still waiting for the big guy,” the EU government official said, referring to Berlin.
“They’re the gravitational point on the MFF [Multiannual Financial Framework, the EU’s budget], everyone is following the position of Germany.”
Lost site depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry is DISCOVERED after 900 years: Archaeologists pinpoint the residence of Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England
Revellers with drinking horns surround the last Anglo-Saxon king, who was just two years away from a painful death following an arrow to the eye.
Now the famous, rambunctious feast scene in the Bayeux Tapestry, two years before King Harold was brutally killed at the Battle of Hastings, has been located by archaeologists.
Experts can now identify with certainty the site of King Harold's palace in Sussex - oddly enough, based on the discovery of an 'en suite' toilet discovered there in 2006.
Experts, drawing on very recent evidence showing inside toilets were often found in high-status 10th and 11th century homes, can now narrow down the tragic king's estate to the specific site of a modern-day house in a coastal area of the village of Bosham, in West Sussex.
It is a major historical breakthrough as Bosham, where King Harold said his goodbyes before later setting sail for Normandy, is central to the narrative of the Bayeux Tapestry, as one of only three locations - along with Westminster and Hastings - to be shown twice.
The Bayeux Tapestry, which is longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, at about 68.3 metres (approx 224 feet), has the Bosham scene right at its beginning before going on to show Harold plucking an arrow from his eye, and then being hacked down by a Norman knight.
Dr Duncan Wright, senior lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Newcastle University, who led the study to locate the Bosham estate of King Harold, said: 'A latrine was the killer clue to find what was, essentially, the palace of King Harold.
'That was surprising, but an en suite bathroom would have been found only among the highest elites.
Revellers with drinking horns surround the last Anglo-Saxon king, who was just two years away from a painful death following an arrow to the eye. Now the famous, rambunctious feast scene in the Bayeux Tapestry, two years before King Harold was brutally killed at the Battle of Hastings, has been located by archaeologists
The exact location was unclear, although people in Bosham often spoke of their suspicions that King Harold had lived on an estate in the same area as a private house near a church. Pictured: Holy Trinity Church, Bosham
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'This added to the evidence of a private port, a water mill, a deer park and a church on this estate in Bosham, which suggests it must have belonged to his family.
'The latrine was not pictured in the Bayeux Tapestry, of course, but it would have been just up the stairs from the banqueting hall within a private chamber.
'These wood-lined pits below can be found easily as they are often still green in colour and can even still smell really bad all these centuries later.'
The Bayeux Tapestry famously narrates the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 when William, Duke of Normandy, challenged Harold for the throne.
The Tapestry culminates in Williams's victory at Hastings, after which he seized the royal residence of King Harold.
It was known that King Harold's estate was within the village of Bosham - which is only one of four places to be named within the Bayeux Tapestry.
The feast in its banqueting hall, featuring the revellers using giant drinking horns, is followed in the embroidered tableau by the king descending a set of steps to the river to embark on his ill-fated journey to Normandy.
But the exact location was unclear, although people in Bosham often spoke of their suspicions that King Harold had lived on an estate in the same area as a private house near a church.
The owners of the house (garden wall, pictured), who have asked to remain anonymous, commissioned the firm West Sussex Archaeology to see what they could dig up in 2006.
The Bayeux Tapestry, which is longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, at about 68.3 metres (approx 224 feet), has the Bosham scene right at its beginning before going on to show Harold plucking an arrow from his eye, and then being hacked down by a Norman knight
King Harold died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Pictured: a sculpture of Harold Godwinson on the exterior of Waltham Abbey in Essex
The owners of the house, who have asked to remain anonymous, commissioned the firm West Sussex Archaeology to see what they could dig up in 2006.
This revealed the latrine, as well as artefacts including Anglo-Norman pottery, a silver brooch from the 11th century and a copper alloy from a stirrup, suggesting aristocrats with decorated horses lived there.
Now archaeologists and historians, led by Newcastle and Exeter University, have reinvestigated the evidence to conclude that the latrine indicates a royal residence.
They say the private port, a church which was part of the estate, and the remains of a water mill, which ordinary people may have had to pay to use to grind their wheat, all indicate the rise of 'conspicuous consumption' seen in the super-rich who lived before the Norman Conquest.
The new research, published in The Antiquaries Journal, discusses evidence of two timber buildings on King Harold's family land.
One was likely to be the banqueting hall, with its upstairs bedchamber and en suite 'bathroom' - the latrine pit likely emptied out by unlucky servants.
The other building may have been a storehouse, kitchen, stable or granary, based on similar estates from the time.
A bridge from the residence likely led to the church, which experts believe Harold's family took into private ownership from the site of a larger monastery.
The private port, a church which was part of the estate, and the remains of a water mill, which ordinary people may have had to pay to use to grind their wheat, all indicate the rise of 'conspicuous consumption' seen in the super-rich who lived before the Norman Conquest
A section of the Bayeux Tapestry depicts Norman knights attacking the Anglo-Saxon shield-wall
Цитата:
The Bayeux Tapestry In Real Life: From The Norman Invasion To The Battle Of Hastings
Цитата:
Royston's big brother: Epic history of the Bayeux Tapestry, which inspired the three-decade long effort
1066: Between seven and twelve thousand Norman soldiers defeat an English army of a similar size at what is now Battle, East Sussex
1476: The embroidered cloth depicting the battle is referred to for the first time in an inventory of Bayeux Cathedral
1732-3: Antiquarian Smart Lethieullier writes the first detailed English account of the tapestry while living in Paris - but it is not published till 1767
1792: During the French Revolution, the precious artwork was declared public property and confiscated to be used as a covering for wagons - but it was saved by a lawyer who hid it in his home
1804: In a move dripping in symbolism, Napoleon - under the impression France was about to invade and conquer Britain - had the tapestry temporarily moved to Paris for display
1870: The tapestry is removed from Bayeux once again during the Franco-Prussian War - but it is moved back two years later
1944: The Gestapo removed the tapestry to the Louvre in Paris - just days before the German withdrawal. A message from Heinrich Himmler - who coveted the cloth because it is a part of Germanic history - is believed to imply the Nazis planned to take it to Berlin
1945: It was returned to Bayeux, where it has been ever since.
P.S.
Цитата:
Why everything you know about the Bayeux Tapestry is WRONG!
_________________
С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
Scoop: U.S. sending dozens of Patriot missiles from Israel to Ukraine
The U.S. military transferred around 90 Patriot air defense interceptors from storage in Israel to Poland this week in order to deliver them to Ukraine, three sources with knowledge of the operation tell Axios.
Why it matters:
Getting more Patriot missiles to Ukraine has been a top priority for the Pentagon to help Kyiv defend against Russia's attacks on its critical infrastructure.
• This is also the most significant delivery of weapons from Israel to Ukraine since the Russian invasion almost three years ago.
Catch up quick:
Last April, the Israeli Air Force officially decommissioned the Patriot air defense system, more than 30 years after it was first given to Israel during the first Gulf War.
• The system became less relevant as Israel developed its own air defense systems, and most Patriot batteries were used for training or left in storage.
Behind the scenes:
The sources tell Axios that after the IDF announced the decommissioning, Ukrainian officials approached the U.S. and Israel with an idea: Israel would give those missiles back to the U.S. to be refurbished and sent on to Ukraine
• For several months, Israel dragged its feet out of concern Russia would retaliate, perhaps by supplying sophisticated weapons to Iran.
• A Ukrainian official tells Axios Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to take his calls on that issue for weeks.
• But in late September, Netanyahu finally approved the idea, an Israeli official says.
Friction point:
At the time, Netanyahu wanted to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to get his approval for ultra-Orthodox Israelis to make an annual pilgrimage to the city of Uman in Ukraine, where a famous Rabbi is buried.
• Zelensky wouldn't take his call until Netanyahu approved the Patriot deal, the Ukrainian official says.
• A spokesperson for Netanyahu told Axios the prime minister didn't object to the decommissioning of the Patriot system and its return to the U.S. and denied any connection between this and the pilgrimage.
• The Pentagon declined to comment for this story, as did a spokesperson for U.S. European Command.
Between the lines:
A senior Israeli official told me Israel informed Russia in advance of the move and stressed it was "only returning the Patriot system to the U.S." and not supplying weapons to Ukraine.
• The official said Israel told Russia it was a similar move to the one the U.S. made two years ago when it transferred artillery shells from emergency storage in Israel to Ukraine.
• A spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister's office confirmed a Patriot system had been returned to the U.S., adding "it is not known to us whether it was delivered to Ukraine."
State of play:
In recent days, U.S. Air Force C-17 planes arrived at an air base in southern Israel and departed for Rzeszów in Eastern Poland, a hub for moving weapons into Ukraine.
• The sources said the flight transferred roughly 90 patriot interceptors that can be used by Ukraine with its current patriot batteries.
• The flights carried around 90 interceptors, which Ukraine can use with its current batteries. Additional equipment, like radars and other gear, will first be transferred to the U.S. to be refurbished.
What they're saying:
Zelensky and Netanyahu spoke Tuesday, and Zelensky tweeted that they had discussed the release of the hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
• "We also discussed maintaining close contact with partners, particularly the United States and President Trump. We addressed current bilateral matters and agreed to maintain close contact in the near future," Zelensky added.
Bulgaaria meresõiduamet: ankru merepõhja kukkumine Läänemerel oli õnnetus
Bulgaaria meresõiduamet korraldab Läänemerel kinni peetud kaubalaeva Vezhen asjus oma juurdlust, millest ilmneb, et ankru merepõhja kukkumist ei põhjustanud kellegi pahatahtlik tegevus, vaid rohkem kui kolme meetri kõrgused lained. Laeva kahtlustatakse Läti ja Rootsi vahelise sidekaabli lõhkumises.
Vezhen sõidab Malta lipu all ja on Maltal registreeritud, laev on ehitatud 2022. aastal. Laeva opereerib Bulgaaria laevandusettevõte Navigation Maritime Bulgare ehk Navibulgar ning selle juht on tunnistanud, et Vezheni ankur võis tabada vigastada saanud sidekaablit.
Bulgaaria meresõiduameti uurimisest ilmneb aga et ankur kukkus õnnetuse läbi.
"Siin te näete, kuidas laine lööb üles tekile, mille põhjal saate aru, et pime aeg ei võimaldanud meeskonnaliikmeil välja minna ja täpselt kontrollida, mis laeva vööris toimub," rääkis Bulgaaria Meresõiduameti tegevdirektor Aleksander Kaltšev.
Läti saatis Rootsi valitsuse loal sündmuspaigale tuukrid täiendavaid tõendeid otsima. Läti mereväe hinnangul ei saa viimasel ajal sagedased kaablilõhkumised olla juhuslikud.
Läti mereväe ülema Maris Polencsi sõnul ei ole tõenäoline, et meeskond ei pane ankru kukkumist tähele.
"Võib olla minevikus on mõni ankur lahti pääsenud, kuid mitte nii tihti ja nii väikesel merealal. See ei ole tõenäoline, samuti pole võimalik seda mitte tähele panna, sest kui ankur kukub, läbistab kogu laeva värin," sõnas Polencs.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vows to hold media accountable for "lies"
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took on a combative tone with the media at her first press briefing Tuesday, vowing to hold them accountable for telling the truth.
Why it matters:
Tuesday's press briefing offered the first glimpse of how the new Trump administration plans to shape its relationship to the media as it presses forward with revamping the federal government.
The big picture:
Leavitt said the new Trump White House would prioritize nontraditional media outlets in the media briefing room.
• These "new media" outlets — like podcasters, independent journalists and social media influencers — will now be able to apply for White House press credentials.
• Leavitt also lauded the changes as in line with the Trump administration's openness, calling Trump the "most transparent and accessible president in American history."
Between the lines:
Leavitt's tone echoed Trump's longtime hostility towards many legacy media outlets.
• "We know for a fact that there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets about this president," Leavitt said.
• Instead, Leavitt committed to "telling the truth from this podium every single day," and said the White House would "call out" media outlets for pushing any perceived misinformation.
Цитата:
Karoline Leavitt unveils huge shake-up for White House reporters in her first briefing as Trump's press secretary
President Donald Trump's new press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced a shake-up for White House reporters in her highly-anticipated first briefing on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old who made history as the country's youngest press secretary scolded traditional media for 'losing trust' and said millions of Americans are instead looking to other outlets for their news.
'We know for a fact that there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in the country about this president, about his family and we will not accept that,' she stated. 'We will call you out when we feel your reporting is wrong or there is misinformation about this White House.'
She announced that two seats usually reserved for White House staff would become 'new media' seats - and those individuals would get to ask the first questions.
Traditionally the wire service, the Associated Press, gets the first question - while the White House Correspondents' Association dictates which outlets get which seats in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.
'Starting today this seat in the front of the room, which is usually occupied by the press secretary's staff, will be called the "new media" seat,' she said. 'My team will review the applications and give credentials to new media applicants who meet our criteria and pass United States Secret Service requirements to enter the White House complex.'
On Tuesday, Axios' Mike Allen got the first question followed by Matthew Boyle, the longtime political correspondent for Breitbart, the right-wing outlet that was previously led by Trump strategist Steve Bannon.
Leavitt also announced that the Trump 2.0 administration would restore the press passes of 440 whose passes were 'wrongly revoked' by the Biden administration.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first briefing Tuesday and kicked it off with huge changes to how she'd conduct briefings
The White House briefing room was packed with press for the first briefing of press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, the youngest press secretary in history
'We welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators to apply for credentials to cover this White House,' she said.
Throughout the briefing Leavitt called on reporters from a variety of outlets - including the AP, which got the third question, CNN's Kaitlan Collins, NBC's Peter Alexander, as well as the Daily Caller's White House correspondent Reagan Reese - who was seated in the back row of the briefing room.
Early in the briefing she called on Brian Glenn, a reporter for the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice, who's the boyfriend of key Trump Congressional ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
At the top she made some news - explaining that the mysterious drones spotted flying over New Jersey were authorized to conduct 'research' and didn't represent a foreign threat.
She also showed off photographs of illegal immigrants who had been deported and what previous crimes the White House said they committed.
Asked later about the Trump administration's deportation strategy, she said that every immigrant in the country illegally was a criminal.
'All of them,' she said. 'Because they illegally broke our nation's laws and therefore they are criminals, as far as this administration goes. I know the last administration didn't see it that way so it's a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal but that's exactly what they are.'
'If they broke our nation's laws, yes, they are criminals,' she reiterated when pressed.
When it was the AP's turn to address the new press secretary, the reporter asked the same question of Leavitt that was given to previous press secretaries: would she pledge not to lie to the American people.
'I commit to telling the truth from this podium every single day. I commit to speaking on behalf of the president of the United States. That is my job,' she answered. 'And I will say it's very easy to speak truth from this podium when you have a president who has implemented policies that are wildly popular with the American people - and that is exactly what this administration is doing.'
Karoline Leavitt made history Tuesday when she got behind the podium for the first time - as the 27-year-old is the country's youngest press secretary
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared photographs of deported illegal immigrants that listed the previous crimes that they committed
She also showed off a graph that showed a decrease in news consumption from traditional media
Reporters raise their hands throughout the White House briefing room during press secretary Karoline Leavitt's first briefing of the second Trump administration
'It's correcting the lies and the wrongs of the past four years,' she continued. 'Many of the lies that have been told to your faces in this very briefing room.'
'I will not do that,' she promised. 'But since you brought up truth-speak, I would like to point out, while I vow to provide the truth from this podium, we ask that all of you in this room hold yourselves to that same standard.'
Leavitt was also asked if reporters should expect a daily or near daily press briefing.
'It is a good question. So look, the president, as you know, is incredibly accessible,' she answered, pointing to the flurry of gaggles Trump has participated in since being sworn-in last Monday, including a 60-minute back-and-forth in the Oval Office on Inauguration Day.
'I don't think the previous office holder would be able to pull such a thing off,' she said, making a dig at 82-year-old Biden. 'So look, the president is the best spokesperson that this White House has. And I can assure you that you will be hearing from both him and me as much as possible.'
Leavitt insulted Biden again when she was asked about egg prices - as the avian flu is forcing farmers to kill millions of chickens.
Trump's chief campaign promise was to bring down food and fuel prices, with American voters upset with Biden and the eventual Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, for inflation in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
'I would like to point out to each and every one of you that in 2024, when Joe Biden was in the Oval Office - or upstairs in the residence sleeping - I'm not really sure, egg prices increased 65 percent in this country,' Leavitt said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gives her first White House briefing eight days into the new Trump administration
Karoline Leavitt said that two seats usually reserved for White House staff would go to 'new media' outlets - with those outlets kicking off Tuesday's briefing. Axios and Breitbart were the first two chosen
She blamed the higher costs on the 'inflationary policies of the last administration.'
'As far as the egg shortage, what's also contributing to that is that the Biden administration and the Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of more than 100 million chickens - which has led to a lack of chicken supply in this country, therefore a lack of egg supply, which is leading to this shortage.'
She urged the Senate to push through Trump's nominees, including Brooke Rollins to lead the Department of Agriculture, to better assist this problem.
Most of the briefing was dedicated to the Office of Management and Budget memo to freeze federal financial assistance.
Leavitt grew frustrated when question after question was dedicated to the issue.
'I have not been asked and answered this question four times,' Leavitt complained. 'To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government, you will not be impacted by this federal freeze.'
ABC's Mary Bruce had asked about programs like Meals on Wheels, which could be impacted because the funding doesn't directly come from the federal government.
Leavitt also couldn't say whether Medicaid was included in the freeze.
'I’ll check back on that and get back to you,' she told reporters.
Leavitt is the country's youngest press secretary and the eighth woman to hold the position - a number that has ticked up in the last two administrations.
Three out of the four press secretaries Trump hired in his first term were women - Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now the governor of Arkansas, Stephanie Grisham and Kayleigh McEnany.
Both of President Joe Biden's press secretaries were also women - Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre.
Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, interned for Fox News and worked under McEnany as an assistant press secretary during the first Trump administration.
She ran for Congress in 2022, hoping to knock off Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in the state's 1st Congressional district.
Karoline Leavitt became a new mom on July 10 - three days before the assassination attempt on her boss, former President Donald Trump, in Butler, Pennsylvania and days before the Republican National Convention. She returned to work shortly after having her first child
Karoline Leavitt became a new mom at the height of the 2024 presidential campaign where she served as a press secretary for candidate Trump. He announced on November 15 that she would serve as the first press secretary of his second administration
Leavitt won the Republican primary - but fell to Pappas in the general election.
In January 2024 she became a national press secretary for the Trump campaign.
On November 15, 2024, Trump announced that Leavitt would be the first White House press secretary of his second administration.
She gaggled with reporters on board Air Force One but waited to brief until eight days into the administration - a slightly longer delay than Psaki, who briefed on inauguration day, or Sean Spicer, who famously declared Trump had the 'largest audience to ever witness an inauguration - period' on January 21, one day into the new administration.
Leavitt is married to real estate developer Nicholas Riccio and became a first-time mother amid the 2024 campaign - on July 10 - just days before Trump was shot at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally and ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Цитата:
WATCH LIVE: Karoline Leavitt holds her first official White House briefing
Цитата:
Major changes to the Louvre will see Brits forced to pay more to enter the world's most-visited museum
Brits will have to pay more to enter the Louvre Museum, French President Emmanuel Macron announced today in a speech in front of the Mona Lisa.
The decision comes amid major renovation plans for the site that is currently plagued by water leaks, overcrowding, and temperature swings.
In the wake of Brexit, non-EU visitors will need to cough up the higher entrance fee after Louvre President Laurence des Cars last week warned the centuries-old building was in a dire state.
France follows in the footsteps of Spain with its singling out of Brits for more cash as the Spanish government revealed earlier this month it would tax foreign buyers looking to purchase homes.
Under the Louvre plans, the Mona Lisa will also get its own dedicated room inside the museum, which Mr Macron said would be renovated and expanded as part of the major overhaul, expected to take years to complete.
A new entrance is also planned near the River Seine, to be opened by 2031, as well as the creation of underground rooms.
Mr Macron did not disclose the cost, estimated to run into hundreds of millions of euros, to modernise the most visited museum in the world.
The Louvre's latest overhaul dates back to the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled. However, the museum is not up to international standards anymore.
Brits will have to pay more to enter the Louvre Museum, French President Emmanuel Macron announced today in a speech he made in front of the Mona Lisa
A view of Louvre Museum, which is facing a major crisis due to overcrowding, aging infrastructure and increasing logistical problems, in Paris, France
People visit the Louvre Museum. Its latest overhaul dates back to the 1980s, when the iconic glass pyramid was unveiled
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars had expressed a series of concerns to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month saying the museum is threatened by 'obsolescence'.
According to the document first released by French newspaper Le Parisien, Ms des Cars warned about the gradual degradation of the building due to water leaks, temperature variations and other issues 'endangering the preservation of artworks'.
The pyramid that serves at the museum's entrance, unveiled in 1989 as part of late President Francois Mitterrand's project, now appears outdated.
It is not properly insulated from the cold and the heat tends to amplify noise, making the space uncomfortable for both the public and the staff, Ms des Cars stressed.
In addition, the museum suffers from a lack of food offerings and restroom facilities, she added.
'We're faced with a collective challenge,' an official at the French presidency said. 'That is, how can we adapt the Louvre to expectations, welcome visitors from across the world in comfortable conditions and also be leading a commitment for artistic and cultural education?'
The financing needed for such a major renovation has not been specified, but any renovation work at the former royal palace is expected to be costly and technically complicated.
The Pompidou Centre, another major museum in Paris, is set to close to undergo a five-year renovation worth 262 million euros (£219 million), starting from the end of the year.
Visitors take pictures of the painting "La Joconde" (The Mona Lisa) by Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci
Some other paintings in the room by the greatest Venetian painters like Titian and Veronese go unnoticed by many
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the Louvre Museum director Laurence des Cars, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
Half of the Louvre's budget is financed by the French state, including the wages of the 2,200 employees.
The other half is provided by private funds including ticket sales, earnings from restaurants, shops and bookings for special events, as well as patrons and other partners. That includes the United Arab Emirates' financing for the right to use the brand for the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.
Questions have also arisen about how the Mona Lisa should be displayed.
Ms des Cars asked for the issue to be 'reassessed', suggesting a possible transfer of the museum's most popular attraction to another room that would be specifically dedicated to it, which is what Mr Macron has said will happen.
The Mona Lisa is now being shown behind protective glass in the museum's largest room, overcrowded with long, noisy queues of visitors eager to take a selfie with Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece.
Some other paintings in the room by the greatest Venetian painters like Titian and Veronese go unnoticed by many.
The museum's 1980s renovation was designed to receive four million annual visitors.
Last year, the Louvre received 8.7 million visitors, more than three-quarters being foreigners mostly from the United States, China and neighbouring countries Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain.
The Mona Lisa is now being shown behind protective glass in the museum's largest room, overcrowded with long, noisy queues of visitors eager to take a selfie with Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece
Tenerife locals hold placards raising concerns about the impact of mass tourism, October 2024
Spain's new tourist tax plans are similar in their placing increased charges on Brits to cope with overcrowding.
The country is one of the worst hit by demand for vacation properties, welcoming more than 88.5 million visitors in 2024 alone.
As a result Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a plan to tackle housing affordability and high rents in the Southern European nation which included taxing foreign buyers.
And it comes only after France took steps late last year to temper growing frustration over the availability of housing, passing a long-awaited bill to tighten regulations on the short-term tourist rental market.
The West is trying to interfere in our elections, Russia moans
The West is trying to interfere in our elections, Russia moans
A Kremlin task force that aims to prevent external interference claimed Wednesday that the West is preparing to interfere in Russia’s 2026 federal parliamentary election.
“The commission records the active preparation of Western countries to organize attempts to interfere in the elections to the State Duma in 2026,” said the document, cited by Russian state news agency TASS.
“The United States and its satellites have already made test attempts to interfere in the Russian elections in 2024,” it added.
In reality, Moscow tried to influence Romania’s presidential election last year in favor of pro-Russian independent Călin Georgescu, and did the same in a presidential election and EU accession referendum organized by Moldova in October.
Additionally, in last year’s sham Russian presidential election, held without authentic political opposition, President Vladimir Putin won with 87 percent of the vote.
United Russia, Putin’s ruling party, has been accused of vote-rigging to maintain its tight grip on power since 2001, with Putin serving as either president or prime minister for the whole period.
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BREAKING: Estonia Proposes Shipping Fee to Protect Baltic Sea Cables from Sabotage | AC1G
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Voivatko Eagle S:n merimiehet joutua jättikorvauksiin kaapelivahingoista? Näin vastaa oikeusoppinut
Yle kysyi rikosoikeuden asiantuntijalta viisi tärkeää kysymystä kaapelivaurioiden korvauksista.
Keskusrikospoliisi (KRP) epäilee, että Eagle S -öljytankkeri vaurioitti joulupäivänä Suomen ja Viron välistä sähkökaapelia ja neljää tietoliikennekaapelia.
Yhdeksää miehistön jäsentä epäillään törkeästä tuhotyöstä ja törkeästä tietoliikenteen häirinnästä.
Kantaverkkoyhtiö Fingrid arvioi joulukuussa Kauppalehdelle, että sähkökaapelin korjaus maksaa runsaat 30 miljoonaa euroa.
Tietoliikenneyhtiö Ciniasta kerrottiin Ylelle, että yhden kaapelivaurion korjaaminen maksaa noin puoli miljoonaa euroa.
Kustannuksiin vaikuttaa yhtiön mukaan oleellisesti se, millaisella korjausaluksella kaapelivaurioita korjataan.
Kysyimme oikeusoppineelta viisi tärkeää kysymystä korvauksista.
Kysymyksiin vastaa rikosoikeuden apulaisprofessori Tatu Hyttinen Turun yliopistosta.
1. Voivatko kaapeleita omistavat yhtiöt vaatia korvauksia Eagle S -aluksen omistavalta Caravella-varustamolta?
– Lähtökohtaisesti tahallisen tai tuottamuksellisen eli huolimattomuudesta johtuvan vahingon aiheuttanut henkilö on velvollinen korvaamaan vahingon määrän toiselle.
– Tietyissä tilanteissa myös työnantaja voi joutua vastuuseen työntekijänsä virheistä tai laiminlyönneistä, jos työntekijä toimii työtä tehdessään virheellisesti.
– Jos varustamo on tässä tapauksessa työnantajan asemassa, se voi joutua vastuuseen, jos työntekijät ovat aiheuttaneet vahingon.
2. Voivatko rikoksista epäillyt merimiehet joutua itse korvausvastuuseen?
– Tahallisesta tai tuottamuksellisesta rikoksesta voi joutua niin sanottuun rikosperusteiseen korvausvastuuseen.
– Yleisellä tasolla todettuna oikeus voi määrätä samasta rikoksesta tuomitut yhteisvastuullisesti korvaamaan vahingot. Tällöin summa jaettaisiin tuomittujen kesken.
– Jos jollain ei olisi rahaa maksaa korvauksia, muut maksaisivat sen osuuden, jotta vahingon kärsijä saisi rahansa.
– Jos työnantaja joutuisi maksamaan korvauksen rikokseen syyllistyneiden työntekijöidensä puolesta, se voisi vaatia summaa myöhemmin työntekijöiltä.
3. Jos tuomioistuin päätyisi siihen, että kyse oli huolimattomuudesta, voitaisiinko myös silloin vaatia korvauksia?
– Kyllä. Vahingonkorvausvastuu tulee myös silloin, jos toiselle aiheuttaa tuottamuksellisen vahingon.
4. Voitaisiinko takavarikoitu alus tai sen öljylasti määrätä vahingonkorvauksena kaapeliyhtiöille?
– Jos tämä tapaus päätyy rikosjuttuna tuomioistuimeen, mahdolliset vahingonkorvausvaatimukset on mahdollista käsitellä erillisessä siviilioikeudenkäynnissä.
– Jos tuomioistuin määräisi vahingonkorvaukset maksettavaksi, se voisi myös määrätä laivan olemaan vakuustakavarikossa niin kauan kuin korvaukset on maksettu.
– Jos vahingonkorvauksia ei maksettaisi, silloin jouduttaisiin miettimään, mitä tehdään takavarikoidulla omaisuudella, jotta sillä voitaisiin kattaa tuomioistuimen määräämiä korvauksia.
– Jos aluksen öljylastin omistaa joku muu kuin varustamo, lastin käyttäminen vahingonkorvauksen vakuutena voi olla aika hankalaa.
5. Jos tuomioistuin katsoisi, että tässä tapauksessa on syyllistytty rikokseen, voitaisiinko Eagle S -alus määrätä valtiolle rikoksentekovälineenä?
– Laki mahdollistaa lähtökohtaisesti omaisuuden tai esineen määräämisen valtiolle, jos niitä on käytetty rikoksen tekemiseen.
– Tämä ei kuitenkaan ole mahdollista silloin, jos väline kuuluu muulle kuin tekijälle. Jos laivan miehistön jäsen tuomittaisiin vaikkapa törkeästä tuhotyöstä, laivaa ei voitaisi määrätä valtiolle, koska se kuuluu varustamolle.
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NATO mission works to protect cables, pipelines in Baltic Sea as fears of Russian sabotage grow
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Сегодня украинские самолеты массово поднялись в воздух с нескольких аэродромов в центральной и восточной части т.н.Украины. Всего в воздухе было отмечено не менее 6-7 единиц истребителей МиГ-29 и Су-27, а также как минимум один истребитель F-16.
🔻По южным территориям России была введена ракетная опасность, а Крымский мост был перекрыт, однако ударов не последовало. Тем не менее маршруты полетов истребителей были характерными для пуска крылатых ракет по российским территориям, на что указывало несколько признаков.
▪️Авиация взлетела сразу с четырех аэродромов: МиГ-29 и Су-27 поднялись с Черкассы, Миргорода и Канатово, а F-16 с аэродрома Васильков. Все они проделали путь в направлении Днепропетровска и южной части Харьковской области, после чего некоторые развернулись, а некоторые пропали с радаров рядом с Днепропетровском, возможно, осуществив посадку на местный аэродром.
▪️Такой маршрут используется при пусках крылатых ракет по восточной части Крыма, Крымскому мосту, Краснодарскому краю и Ростовской области. Те, что вернулись на Миргород, скорее всего, выполняли роль прикрытия и условно отрабатывали пуск обманок.
▪️Что касается возможной посадки в Днепропетровске, то так при ударах делали Су-24М в прошлом году. Дозаправлялись и после убывали обратно на аэродром вылета. При этом в сегодняшней тренировке бомбардировщики Су-24М не принимали участие. Но во время последних пусков по Курской области они осуществляли взлет именно с аэродрома Черкассы, который сегодня был задействован в мероприятии.
❗️Так или иначе ракетных ударов не было продолжительное время, поэтому нельзя исключать того факта, что атака является подготовкой к массированному налету, особенно с учетом характера действий украинских воздушных сил. Не исключаем, что Су-24М либо перелетят на Черкассы перед ударом, либо осуществят посадку после пуска ракет, а F-16 будет обеспечивать прикрытие.
И прямо сейчас в Крыму и Севастополе введена воздушная опасность, что указывает на наличие в воздухе носителей крылатых ракет.
"Крыша" Трампа, политика как в 90-х и паника в Европе …
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Greenland should consider rejoining the EU for ‘protection,’ Danish MEP says
“Clearly the situation has changed dramatically since ’85,” when Greenland left the EU, senior lawmaker says.
Greenland should consider rejoining the European Union for “protection” in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire the Arctic island, Danish MEP Morten Løkkegaard said Wednesday.
While Løkkegaard said Greenland’s future was ultimately for Greenlanders to decide, he argued it was time for “some kind of new thinking.”
“We live in a world where no matter how independent you want to be, you have to be a member of alliances,” Løkkegaard said. “And to my mind, the EU is the best alliance you can get into. That goes for Denmark, that goes for Greenland.”
Being part of the EU would ensure Greenland has “protection,” he added. “In a common society, you are secured economically and politically.”
Trump has said it is an “absolute necessity” for the U.S. to gain control of Greenland and has refused to rule out using military force to acquire the island. His increasingly aggressive overtures have sparked crisis talks in Copenhagen and other European capitals, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dashing between Berlin, Brussels and Paris this week to shore up support.
Greenland, a self-ruling Danish territory, voted in a referendum to leave the European Communities, a precursor to the EU, in 1982 and formally left the bloc in 1985 — though most of its roughly 60,000 citizens are Danish and therefore still EU citizens.
“Clearly the situation has changed dramatically since ’85. We have a completely different geopolitical situation right now,” Løkkegaard, who hails from the Renew group in the European Parliament, told POLITICO from Greenland, where he is visiting as part of a delegation from the centrist group.
Greenland has a strong independence movement, with Prime Minister Múte Egede calling for the island to separate from Denmark. “We don’t want to be Danes. We don’t want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders,” he told reporters earlier this month.
Løkkegaard argued Greenland is a natural candidate for EU membership, with a strong democracy and welfare system. “Many of the values that the EU member states and the EU population stand for are totally in line with the values of Greenland,” he said.
An unintended benefit of Trump’s saber-rattling was that Greenland could “reopen the discussion [as to] whether they consider closer relations with Europe,” including “a new understanding on a common future,” Løkkegaard said.
“If you want political change, this just might be the kick that is necessary for the Greenlanders to have a fresh look at what happens in Europe,” he added.
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Pentagon revokes Milley’s security clearance and detail
The former general is the latest high-level official who crossed Trump to lose protections.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has revoked the security detail and clearance for retired Gen. Mark Milley, making him the latest high-level official to face retribution from President Donald Trump for going against him.
Hegseth also directed the Pentagon’s acting inspector general to launch an investigation into whether the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair upended the chain of command, which could lead to the four-star general getting demoted to three-star rank.
“Undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership,” said Joe Kasper, the Pentagon’s chief of staff, in a late Tuesday statement.
Fox News first reported on Hegseth’s decision, and said the newly-minted Pentagon chief had ordered the removal of a second portrait of Milley in the Defense Department. A portrait of Milley was removed from the Pentagon during the first week of Trump’s second term.
Trump selected Milley as Joint Chiefs chair in 2018, but the two quickly began to clash. They disagreed about the White House’s desire to violently quash protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020. The former general also spoke out about Trump’s conduct during the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol.
Milley is the fourth former Trump appointee the president has stripped of security detail and clearance after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton and former Iran envoy Brian Hook.
All had security details in place to protect them from threats from Iran. Milley, Pompeo and Hook also faced threats for their involvement in the 2020 U.S. military drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport.
It was not immediately clear if the Trump administration had revoked security details for any other top officials from his first term, such as former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. On Wednesday, Esper’s portrait commemorating his time as Army secretary was removed from the Pentagon. Esper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Gen. Milley to lose security detail, clearance and face probe, Pentagon says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is revoking Gen. Mark Milley's personal security detail and clearance — and the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair faces a review that could result in a rank demotion, the Pentagon announced Tuesday night.
[img]https://images.axios.com/VM_WjZXrcdUVvmYu38OxCEmPfGs=/0x0:5570x3133/1920x1080/2025/01/29/1738124217246.jpg[/img]
Then-Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Mark Milley on Capitol Hill in 2023. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Why it matters:
President Trump has since being sworn in last week moved to target those he regards as "the enemies from within" — among them Milley, for whom President Biden issued a preemptive pardon before leaving office, per Axios' Zachary Basu.
Details:
Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot said in an emailed statement that Hegseth relayed the action earlier Tuesday to Milley, who served as the top U.S. Army general under Biden and in the first Trump administration from 2019 to 2023.
• Hegseth also directed the Defense Department inspector general "to conduct an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen. Milley's conduct so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination," Ullyot added.
What they're saying:
Defense Department chief of staff Joe Kasper said in the Pentagon email: "Undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump's leadership."
The big picture:
Trump announced in 2018 he would nominate Milley to be the top U.S. general.
• However, their relationship deteriorated toward the end of his first term — notably after Milley publicly apologized for accompanying Trump to a photo op at St. John's Church in D.C. during protests linked to the murder of George Floyd.
Flashback:
Trump once suggested Milley should be executed for treason after The Atlantic reported he communicated with his Chinese counterpart in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
• Meanwhile, Milley told journalist Bob Woodward during an interview for his book, "War," that Trump is "fascist to the core."
• He told military members at a 2023 ceremony marking his retirement: "Don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator."
• Biden noted in his statement on pardoning Milley that the general had been "threatened with criminal prosecutions."
Flash forward:
The Pentagon removed a portrait of Milley and Trump publicly fired the general and thousands of other Biden presidential council appointees soon after Trump returned to office this month.
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Ydinaseet ovat nyt hyväksyttävä sijoituskohde – suomalaiset eläkeyhtiöt muuttivat linjaansa kaikessa hiljaisuudessa
Ase- ja myös ydinaseteollisuuteen sijoittaminen sopii vastuulliselle sijoittajalle, sanovat eläkeyhtiöiden uusitut linjaukset.
Onko sijoittaminen aseisiin vastuullista? Entä ydinaseisiin?
Hetki sitten vastuullisen sijoittamisen ulkopuolelle rajattiin tyypillisesti tupakka-, porno- ja alkoholiyritykset – ja aseteollisuus.
Kun vastuullisen sijoittamisen verkosto FinSif puhuu vältettävistä tai poissuljettavista sijoituskohteista, se havainnollistaa tekstiä kuvalla tupakasta ja rynnäkkökivääristä, joiden päälle on piirretty kieltomerkki.
Nyt vastuullisuuskeskustelussa on aivan uusi sävy. Aseet – myös ydinaseet – ovat hyväksyttyjä sijoituskohteita.
Suomalaisen suursijoittajan, työeläkeyhtiö Ilmarisen vastuullisen sijoittamisen johtaja Karoliina Lindroos sanoo, että puolustusteollisuus alana ei ollut aikaisemminkaan Ilmarisen ehdottomalla kieltolistalla.
Mutta nyt yhtiö on valmis ottamaan askeleen myös aseteollisuuden kovimpaan ytimeen.
tarkensi viime vuonna sijoituslinjaustaan. Nyt se voi sijoittaa myös yhtiöihin, joiden toiminta liittyy ydinaseisiin.
– Meidän ESG-linjauksia ei ole tässä asiassa muutettu, mutta olemme tarkentaneet sijoituksiin liittyviä rajauksia. Nyt sallimme sijoitukset sellaisiin yhtiöihin, jotka toimivat Nato-maissa ja joiden liiketoiminta voi liittyä esimerkiksi ydinaseisiin, Lindroos sanoo.
ESG-linjaukset tarkoittavat vastuullista sijoittamista, joka huomioi ympäristön sekä sosiaaliset ja hallinnon näkökohdat.
Käytännössä Ilmarisen sijoitussalkussa voi olla selkeästi aseteollisuuden tai esimerkiksi elektroniikka- ja ilmailuyhtiötä, jotka tarjoavat ydinaseisiin liittyviä tuotteita tai palveluita.
Lindroos kuitenkin korostaa, että ”toimialaan liittyy riskejä” ja siksi yhtiöitä harkitaan tapauskohtaisesti.
Ilmarinen kertoo osakeomistuksistaan kerran vuodessa tilinpäätöksessään. Viime vuoden tilinpäätöstä ei ole vielä julkaistu. Koko sijoitussalkun arvo oli uusimman eli vuoden 2023 tilipäätöksen mukaan lähes 60 miljardia euroa.
Myös toinen suuri työeläkeyhtiö, Varma sallii sijoittamisen yhtiöihin, jotka liittyvät ”kiistanalaisten aseiden” eli muun muassa ydinaseiden valmistukseen.
Varma on kuitenkin määritellyt, että tällaisen yhtiön toiminnasta korkeintaan viisi prosenttia saa liittyä esimerkiksi ydinaseiden tai jalkaväkimiinojen valmistukseen.
”Puolustus ei ole vastuutonta”
Vastuulliseen sijoittamiseen liittyvässä keskustelussa aseteollisuutta luonnehditaan kiistanalaiseksi toimialaksi. Siihen suhtautuminen on muuttunut Venäjän hyökättyä Ukrainaan ja Suomen liityttyä Natoon.
S-Pankin sijoitusjohtaja Mika Leskisen mukaan aseteollisuuden kuuluu olla vaihtoehtona vastuullisenkin sijoittajan valikoimassa.
– Luulen, että ala jakaa sen näkemyksen Suomessa, että puolustus on tärkeää. Ei ole millään lailla vastuutonta, että sijoitetaan puolustusteollisuuteen.
S-Pankin linja sallii sijoittamisen aseisiin, joita ei ole kielletty kansainvälisillä sopimuksilla. Sen sijaan ydinaseita valmistavia yhtiöitä ei salkkuun oteta – ainakaan vielä.
Leskisen mukaan S-Pankin hallinnoimissa lähes kymmenen miljardin euron sijoituksissa on mukana muuan muassa saksalaisen asevalmistaja Rheinmetallin osakkeita.
Hän uskoo, että asennoitumista ydinaseisiin joudutaan miettimään uudestaan ennen pitkää.
– Naton ydinasepelote on myös meitä turvaamassa. Kyllä näitä asioita täytyy pohtia ja uskon, että yhteiskunnan muutoksen mukana nämä periaatteetkin muuttuvat.
Kaikkialla ajattelutapa ei ole muuttunut yhtä nopeasti kuin Venäjän naapurimaassa. Tämä herättää kirpeää arvostelua muun muassa NATO:ssa arvovaltaiselta taholta.
Amiraali: Tyhmiä suursijoittajia
Naton sotilaallisesta päätöksenteosta vastaava, sotilaskomitean puheenjohtaja Rob Bauer kysyy Financial Times -lehdessä, ovatko eurooppalaiset suursijoittajat tyhmiä, kun ne hänen mukaansa karsastavat puolustusteollisuutta sijoituskohteena.
Bauerin mukaan suursijoittajien pitäisi kantaa vastuunsa yhteisestä puolustuksesta rahoittamalla aseteollisuutta. Vastuuntunnon lisäksi puolustusteollisuuteen pitäisi sijoittaa taloudellisista syistä.
Amiraali Bauer korostaa, että tuottoja ajatellessaan sijoittajien täytyisi pitää mielessä, että tulevien 20 vuoden kuluessa rahaa puolustukseen käytetään paljon.
– Miksi miljardit dollarit eivät vakuuta teitä? Mitä on tapahtunut liikevaistollenne, Bauer kysyy retorisesti suursijoittajilta.
Euroopan tärkeimpien puolustusalan yhtiöiden osakekurssit ovat nousseet viime vuosina reippaasti.
Suomi haluaa EU:n sijoittavan puolustukseen
Bauerin lisäksi useat EU-maat, myös Suomi, vaativat puolustusteollisuudelle lisärahoitusta.
Neljäntoista EU-maan johtajat vaativat jo viime keväänä, että Euroopan investointipankki (EIP) vahvistaa rooliaan puolustuksen rahoittamisessa.
Suomen pääministeri Petteri Orpo (kok.) oli ensimmäinen allekirjoittaja kirjeessä, jossa vaaditaan EIP:tä selvittämään, miten se voisi lisätä rahoitusta suoraan puolustusteollisuuteen.
Nykyisin EIP voi lainoittaa vain hankkeita, jotka liittyvät niin sanottuihin kaksoiskäyttötuotteisiin eli siviilituotteisiin, joita voidaan käyttää myös puolustukseen. EIP:n mukaan rahoituksen kohteena on nyt esimerkiksi kyberturvallisuus, tekoäly ja avaruusteknologia.
Orpon ja muiden EU-johtajien kirje lähti postiin jo hyvän aikaa sitten, mutta edelleen EIP:n säännöt sallivat vain kaksoiskäyttötuotteiden rahoittamisen.
Valtioneuvoston kanslian mukaan EU:n lobbausta jatketaan ja tavoitteena on edelleen muuttaa EIP:n sääntöjä niin, että se voisi rahoittaa varsinaista puolustusteollisuutta, eikä vain kaksoiskäyttötuotteita.
Myös Pohjoismaiden investointipankin uusitun linjan mukaan se voi rahoittaa puolustusalan hankkeita, mutta ei ase- ja ammusteollisuutta.
Tästä huolimatta puolustusteollisuudella on edessään paremmat kasvunäkymät kuin vuosikymmeniin. Se tarkoittaa lupaavia sijoituskohteita.
– Puolustusbudjetit ovat kasvussa, yritysten tilausnäkymät ovat hyviä. Sijoitusmarkkina on eteenpäin katsova, ja arvostukset ovat monin paikoin jo heijastelemassa yritysten kasvukuvaa, Ilmarisen vastuullisen sijoittamisen johtaja Karoliina Lindroos sanoo.
_________________
С интересом и понятными ожиданиями, Dimitriy.
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Генеральный директор агентства мобильного маркетинга Mobisharks (входит в ГК Kokoc Group) — об эффективном мобильном маркетинге и примерах успешных стратегий.
За последние пару лет реклама банков изменилась. Появились новые сюжеты и герои. Реклама по-прежнему — не только инструмент продвижения услуг, но и способ формирования доверия к финансовым организациям. Главный тренд, который отмечают эксперты,— переход от сухого перечисления выгод к эмоционально окрашенным коммуникациям.
Антитрендами наружной рекламы в текущем году стали прямолинейность и чрезмерная перегруженность сообщений. Наружная реклама продолжает показывать рост: число рекламных конструкций за последний год увеличилось более чем на 2 тысячи.
В компании Sellty спрогнозировали развитие рынка электронной коммерции в сегменте СМБ на ближайший год. По оценке основателя Sellty Марии Бар-Бирюковой, число собственных интернет-магазинов среднего, малого и микробизнеса продолжит расти и увеличится минимум на 40% до конца 2025 года. Компании будут и дальше развиваться на маркетплейсах, но станут чаще комбинировать несколько каналов продаж.
10 сентября – Всемирный день психического здоровья. Специально к этой дате компания HINT опросила коллег в сфере маркетинга, рекламы и пиара, чтобы понять, как представители этих профессий могут помочь себе и другим поддержать в норме психическое здоровье.
Чего не хватает радио, чтобы увеличить свою долю на рекламном рынке? Аудиопиратство: угроза или возможности для отрасли? Каковы первые результаты общероссийской кампании по продвижению индустриального радиоплеера? Эти и другие вопросы были рассмотрены на конференции «Радио в глобальной медиаконкуренции», спикерами и участниками которой стали эксперты ГПМ Радио.
Деловая программа 28-й международной специализированной выставки технологий и услуг для производителей и заказчиков рекламы «Реклама-2021» открылась десятым юбилейным форумом «Матрица рекламы». Его организовали КВК «Империя» и «Экспоцентр».
28 марта в Центральном доме художника состоялась 25-ая выставка маркетинговых коммуникаций «Дизайн и реклама NEXT». Одним из самых ярких её событий стал День социальной рекламы, который организовала Ассоциация директоров по коммуникациям и корпоративным медиа России (АКМР) совместно с АНО «Лаборатория социальной рекламы» и оргкомитетом LIME.
На VII Международном форуме «Матрица рекламы», прошедшем в ЦВК «Экспоцентр» в рамках международной выставки «Реклама-2018», большой интерес у профессиональной аудитории вызвала VI Конференция «Интернет-реклама».
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