Spanish Ceuta Rushed by Hordes of Moroccan Migrants

"This situation is unprecedented. It breaks the trend that we have been recording throughout Spain of a systematic reduction year after year, month by month, in the arrivals of irregular migrants."

"The government of Spain is fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation in Ceuta."

"This is the moment to build solutions, with responsibility and cooperation."

"[Authorities will place buoys in the breakwaters to act as a] containment barrier. [The arrivals are a] violation [of Spanish territory]." 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez 

 

"The images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable."

"[We must witness the] swift [return of those who arrived in Ceuta]."

"We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules."

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President 

At least 57 people have died after some 60,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish-held spit jutting into the Mediterranean from Morocco, in the past 24 hours, Ceuta's leader Juan Jesús Vivas said Friday. (Antonio Sempere/The Associated Press)

 

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has distinguished his government as a European leader of the left, sympathetic to illegal migrants and prepared to give citizenship to some hundreds of thousands, who had formerly entered Spain, as a signal of his kind regard for their positive-discriminatory decision to choose Spain as their life-destination over remaining in their countries of origin where clearly opportunities for life-advancement are not as advantageous as they surmise the future would be for them in a European country. 

 

Spain's broad legalization plan with its migrant-conciliatory tone toward migrants arriving from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America set the tone for the regard Spain has cultivated among future migrant hordes. He has roundly criticized Israel for its invasion of Gaza on a mission to destroy the terrorist group Hamas's capacity to launch another and another and another October 7 mass atrocity on Israeli civilians. He is a critic of the 'war' on Iran, challenging the Trump administration on its focus to free Iranians from the grip of their persecutorial Islamist theocratic regime.

 

Despite this background, the sudden mass arrival of migrants from Morocco and Algeria surprised not only Spain but its neighbours throughout the European Union, shocking governments worldwide at the unexpected boldness of an estimated 60,000 migrant arrivals over a 24-hour period, arriving by sea, swimming or clambering fences into the Spanish territory outpost of Ceuta, with its 83,000 population, located 11 miles from the Spanish mainland.

 

Migrants wait to cross to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, from the Moroccan side of the border in Fnideq. (Reuters)

 

Even as images of the wild crush of people -- mostly young males, bringing nothing with them but their wild aspirations flooded social media Spain ordered a military deployment for order to be restored; a day later reinforcing security and border fences. Morocco, the source of the frantic migrant onrush, deployed water cannons in an effort to push back the migrants. The new migrants were swiftly repatriated a day later, but not before causing havoc in Ceutra, where shops were being looted and private homes entered by the new arrivals.

 

A shudder of apprehension went through Europe with the memory of the 2015 migrant crisis in the region. The finger of reproach and responsibility most favoured by the Sanchez government was human traffickers responding to a recent Supreme Court decision that migrants arriving by sea to Ceuta or Melilla cannot be summarily returned to their source without due process. Spanish media interviewing migrants were given other reasons for the rush; phone or social media network messages that the border was "open" and there would be no hindrance to their passage.

 

The mass migration had unfolded "outside of our will", was the message from Morocco's ambassador to Spain, and that Morocco "wants these citizens to return to our country".  Across Europe outrage ruled, and mainstream political figures responded with stern authority, France declaring their border controls with Spain would be strengthened. Europe had already reached the conclusion that Spain was an irregular migrant liberal outlier.

 

"The images coming from Ceuta are striking and demonstrate, once again, that uncontrolled illegal immigration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe's borders", wrote Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, calling for the suspension of Spain from the Schengen agreement allowing free movement between 29 European countries. Italy had the support of Finland in calling for Spain's exclusion from the agreement.

 

Spain deployed troops to reinforce police after thousands of migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. The scene was reminiscent of 2021, when about 10,000 migrants entered the territory.  CBC News (still from video)

 

Ukraine's 'Blood Experience' Parlaying Drone Expertise for Military Technology

 

"One night in March, a two-person Ukrainian crew established a record  for the Ukrainian Armed Forces by shooting down, in one engagement, 23 Russian Shahed drones with Sting interceptor drones designed by the Ukrainian military technology company Wild Hornets. The story is noteworthy not only for the number of intercepted drones, but also for the operation’s cost efficiency and Ukraine’s interceptor-production capacity behind it."

"A Sting interceptor costs about $2,500. In comparison, a single U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missile that does the same job costs more than $3 million and requires significantly more time and resources to build and operate than a drone. Lockheed Martin produced approximately 600 of the most advanced PAC-3 type of Patriot missiles last year; meanwhile, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used about 700 of these interceptors in the span of only four winter months in 2025-2026."

"The conflict in the Middle East has further exposed the shortcomings of a high-end, slow-production approach to defense systems. In March 2026, when Iran launched hundreds of Shaheds at Persian Gulf states, countries with the most advanced U.S.-supplied air defense systems outside NATO watched their defense capabilities erode as their interceptor stockpiles drained quickly. The air defense systems worked as intended, yet they were not designed to protect against the intensity and scale of Iran’s attacks."

"Kyiv is building drones in massive quantities out of wartime necessity against Russia’s ongoing full-scale assault, now in its fifth year. A key part of that necessity is Russia’s large-scale use of Iranian-made Shahed drones against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. That Russian campaign has raised serious questions about Iran’s responsibility under international law. In response, Ukraine is rewriting the global rules of air power and air defense, replacing sheer mass and large stockpiles of weapons as key factors in warfare with the benefits of quantity, speed, and the ability to learn faster than the enemy. It is a novel and adaptive, low-cost military-industrial model that is already catching the interest of other countries."

Lesia Bidochko, Just Security

 

Ukrainians train with handheld drones. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

 

"Together we can work on joint production, on making all of the components of the systems work, and provide both defense industrial bases with the impetus needed to step up investments and production [following The European Union and Ukraine's drone deal to merge Ukrainian expertise in unmanned warfare with the continent’s industrial capacity, with the goal of ramping up production of drone and counter-drone systems]."

"In Europe, we already have huge technological and industrial capacity that can be deployed. And we have safe and secure production sites that can help to scale up. But we do not have that battle-tested knowledge and expertise that Ukraine has forged. So the point I am making is that we need to combine our strengths. Together, we can work on joint production."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen 

EU launches Ukraine defence industrial partnership, Drone Deal and disburses €1 billion for drones  EU Neighbours East

 

Kyiv can be credited with many outstanding features in this uneven war imposed upon Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's ambitions to restore Greater Russia; among them the courage and intestinal fortitude to counter the full-scale invasion in its fifth year and add to that the determination to win this war, whatever it takes to repel the Russian beast. And nor can its ingenuity in designing new technological weapons of its own manufacture to match anything Russia obtains from the Islamic Republic in this new era of drone warfare, much less its entrepreneurial enterprise in marketing its products and its experience be overlooked.

 

So while Russian drones -- the Iranian Shaheds -- have wrought their weight in deadly measure as a means to kill thousands of soldiers and civilians in Ukraine, countermeasures to Russia's innovative first-person-view vehicles, jet power, fibre-optic tethers and similar innovations have led to Ukraine developing its own versions in countering the Russian military's. EU member-states such as Croatia, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Germany now see their own firms aligning with Ukrainian companies that specialize in first-person-view combat drones.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyer Zelenskyy, pushing the drone deals whenever and wherever he can now realizes a ready market. Where Hezbollah deploys unmanned aerial vehicles to attack Israel, and Iran uses them against several regional countries, a case in point. Kyiv has signed ten-year security agreements with Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since the joint U.S.-Israel aerial attacks on the Islamic Republic which led to its missiles and drones hitting its neighbours' U.S. military bases. A proposal, Zelenskyy stated is "also on the table for our American partners".

 

Ukrainian soldiers of the 127th Heavy Mechanized Brigade carry a Heavy Shot UAV across a field on May 8, 2026, in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Yevhen Titov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Image

 

"Latvia will adopt Ukraine's unique combat experience in airspace defence against drone attacks." 

"[The deal includes] immediate access to technologies, but most importantly, the immediate arrival of Ukrainian anti-drone combat unit experts in Latvia."

"Our skies can only be protected if we follow Ukraine's example, know-how and experience." 

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kilbergs  

A joint drone production facility is to be built near Latvia's border with Russia. Russia's Eastern Europe neighbours are fully cognizant of the potential danger they are in, following Ukraine's invasion, led by the Russian President's roving eye and territorial acquisitiveness. Kyiv anticipates more military and economic support, in particular American-produced Patriot missiles in short supply, given U.S. forces fighting Iran. Its breakthrough arrived when President Trump stated Kyiv would be allowed to make Patriot missiles itself in Ukraine.

 

"The terms must be beneficial for Ukraine, and the proceeds from exports must strengthen Ukraine's defence", stated President Zelenskyy of plans to release exports of Ukrainian drones. Reliance on early warning systems, radar, electronic warfare, mobile fire groups, helicopters, jet fighters and interceptors encompass Ukraine's anti-drone defences. Interceptors are increasingly being realized as the main line of defence for intercepting drones.

 

Over 100 Ukrainian companies produce interceptors. "We have approximately 15 to 20 very effective interceptors, which are also extensively used at the front", revealed Andrii Hrytseniuk, chief executive of Ukrainian government organization Bravel, providing a platform for the country's defence tech sphere. 

 

A Sting interceptor drone flies during drills at the Yatagan School for Unmanned Aerial Systems in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, Efrem Lukatsky/AP

 

"There is no one single bullet. There is sort of this funny magical thinking that a lot of people are doing in terms of 'hey, just send us all your drones or your interceptors'. "

"And what people are sort of missing is that is, even though there's tech and that's what everybody sees, it's only one piece of everything." 

Deborah Fairlamb, American investor in military technology 

Abandoning Allies and Making Deals

"For many countries outside the West, it has become a viable option  to forge strategic agreements with China rather than the United States."

"China and Russia, together with other like-minded states, are seeking to reduce Western -- and particularly U.S. -- global influence."

"At the same time, uncertainty has grown over how the United States will prioritize its resources in the future."

"This gives regional powers greater room for manoeuvre, enabling them to choose between the United States and China or to strike a balance between the two." 

"The strategic importance of the Arctic is rising as the conflict between Russia and the West intensifies, and the growing security and  strategic focus on the Arctic by the United States will further accelerate these developments." 

Danish Defense Intelligence Service report

Greenland became a flashpoint in US-Danish relations earlier this year.

Juliette Pavy/Bloomberg/Getty Images 

"The goal of these Russian cyber and disinformation attacks is clear: It is to divide society, stir up mistrust, provoke rejection, and weaken confidence in democratic institutions."

"This targeted manipulation of information is one of a wide range of activities by Russia aimed at undermining confidence in democratic institutions and processes in Germany."

German foreign ministry spokesperson Martin Giese 

 

"Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a priority in its Middle East diplomacy and an important partner in its global diplomatic strategy, and is willing to work with Saudi Arabia to elevate bilateral ties to new heights."

"Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while co-chairing the Fifth Meeting of the Political Sub-committee of the China-Saudi Arabia High-level Joint Committee in Riyadh with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud."

"Wang said that Saudi Arabia is an important member of the Arab and Islamic worlds and an independent force in the process of multipolarization."

"In recent years, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, exchanges and cooperation across all fields between the two countries have progressed in a sound and steady manner, he said, adding China-Saudi relations have increasingly gone beyond the bilateral dimension, taking on growing strategic significance and global influence."

China Daily 

Washington Institute for Near-East Policy

 

Deliberately, the Trump administration has put its allies on notice of the withdrawal of the United States from its historical, post-WWII position as protector of Western democratic interests globally. Threats that surfaced with the potential to destabilize the security of Europe and allies further abroad brought the U.S. front and centre in its role as global policeman. The objective was always defence of democracy in the global order and with it the central position of capitalism, the engine that brought prosperity to Western economies.

 

When the people of the great United States of America decided to bring a dedicated businessman whose focus was always 'getting a deal' and winning concessions by coercive means to strike that deal whether it be real estate or tariffs, diplomatic tradition between allies was stood on its head. Allies could be casually dumped but the ultimate goal of mercantilism must always be pursued with the passion of amassing ever greater wealth, and that achievement came at a cost to former allies, so be it.

 

In pursuit of that wealth and the prestige that accompanied it, the Trump administration was more than willing to jettison its relations with Europe and its North American partners, and if any took umbrage at side-issues such as imperialist territorial gain, that was their problem. In surrendering the position of leader of global alliances, the United States forfeited the global esteem it had earned. Agitated, discomfited allies, realizing their new vulnerability huddled for support between themselves envisioning the plight of Ukraine under Moscow's military heel becoming their own.

 

Vladimir Putin attending a meeting with Xi Jinping during the Russian delegation’s visit to China in 2024. Photo: Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation

 

And so a report issued in Denmark asserts the reality facing Europe: that the United States is asserting its will, threatening military force against friend and foe alike. At the very time that China and Russia, taking advantage of the monumental split they see between the U.S. and its allies, recognize the opportunity to commit to their own, covert schemes to further diminish Western global dominion, particularly that of the United States. 

 

 Denmark is particularly offended as a NATO and European Union member as well as an ally of the United States to be facing a situation where President Donald Trump has eyed the military advantages as well as mineral deposits to be had in taking Greenland, nominally part of Denmark, at a time when both Russia and China are themselves preparing to influence and take possession of mineral deposits in the Arctic, and Russia has not been shy about building military installations in an assertion of sovereignty in disputed polar territories. 

 

Rising tensions in the resource-rich Arctic  The U.S. is monitoring military cooperation between Russia and China in the resource-rich Arctic. ABC News 

"Several articles published in September 2025 revived alarmist positions on threats to Canada’s sovereignty. Their authors paint a bleak picture of a Canada unable to control its Arctic territory and facing aggressive China and Russia, which have great ambitions for its territory."

"These grim scenarios include Russian icebreakers sailing through the waters of the Arctic archipelago, Chinese bases built without the knowledge of Canadian authorities, and even an attack on the Canadian Arctic by the Russian military."

"The problem is that this bleak picture is based on highly theoretical scenarios and irrelevant observations. Worse still, it probably misses the real issues, which lie both in the need for the Canadian government to ensure a governmental presence in the North and to counter any challenges to its sovereignty in the Beaufort Sea and the Northwest Passage by the United States."

Network for Strategic Alliances, Department of National Defense of Canada 

Northwest Passage, historical sea passage of the North American continent. It represents centuries of effort to find a route westward from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic Archipelago of what became Canada.

 

Putin Prowling Provocatorily ... Germany On Alert

"[Russia is determined to expand its] sphere of influence further westward into Europe."

"To achieve this goal, Russia will not shy away from direct military confrontation with NATO if necessary."

"We must not sit back and assume that a possible Russian attack would come in 2029 at the earliest. We are already under fire today."

"The means Moscow uses are well-known – attempted manipulation of elections and public opinion, propaganda, provocations, disinformation, espionage, sabotage, airspace violations by drones and fighter jets, contract killings, persecution of opposition figures living abroad." 

"[The current] icy peace [with the European Union could erupt at any moment into] heated confrontation." 

German foreign intelligence chief, Martin Jaeger 

This image from October 13, 2025 shows the German navy’s Braunschweig-class “Erfurt” corvette of during the Andoya military exercise in the North Sea near Harstad, Norway. Gerry Images

"[Recent drone incidents underscored the potential] hybrid threat [to Germany and its European allies from Russia, even as investigations remain ongoing]."

"Russia is aggressively pursuing its political ambitions against Germany, the EU, and its Western allies. [Russian conduct is] increasingly escalatory."

"Russian services continuously adjust the levels of escalation of their activities with the strategic aim of weakening liberal democracies."

"As a result, we detect a wide range of espionage, disinformation, interference, sabotage, and cyberattacks conducted by foreign actors and states in Germany."

Sinan Selen, president, German domestic intelligence service (BfV) 

Russia, warned Martin Jaeger, head of Germany's BND (spy service) is prepared to expand its "sphere of influence further westward into Europe". To achieve this goal, Russia will not shy away from direct military confrontation with NATO if necessary." Mr. Jaeger addressed a public briefing with parliament members in Berlin, where he was  joined by leaders of the country's domestic and military intelligence agencies.

 

Other threats were given mention which face Germany, in the realm of political and religious extremism, but it was the threat posed by Russia that dominated their statements. As Russia's "number one target in Europe", since Germany is the largest country in the EU alliance, and plays a "leading role in supporting Ukraine" in Russia's war of territorial expansion, Germany too must consider itself a leading target for Vladimir Putin's grand plan of domination in Europe and its increasingly military opposition to NATO, testing the resolve of the group by challenging the sovereignty of its eastern European members.

 

A series of incidents in recent weeks prodding members of the European Union, included Russian drones appearing in Poland, and Estonian airspace violated by Russian fighter jets. Germany also suspects that Russia is behind a number of drone incursions in Germany as well, including the most recent incident that interfered with flight operations at the Munich airport a week earlier necessitating a temporary close-down. Ongoing sabotage and disinformation campaigns also have European authorities on edge. 

 

Germany has voted to hugely invest in upgrading its military . BBC

 

"We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that. [NATO should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years]."

"It's not about how much time I need, it's much more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared." "And the sooner we are prepared the better."

"Unlike the western world, Russia is not thinking in boxes. It's not about peacetime and war, it's a continuum: let's start with hybrid, then escalate, then back."

"This is what makes me think we are facing a real threat." 

German General Carsten Breuer

 

Friday's Russia/U.S. "Feel-Out Meeting" in Alaska

"[Putin] is  trying to apply pressure ... on all sectors of the Ukrainian front [attempting to demonstrate that Russia is] capable of occupying all of Ukraine. [He] is bluffing [ahead of the meeting planned with Trump]."

"[He is also bluffing on sanctions] as if they do not matter to him and are ineffective. In reality, sanctions are very helpful and are hitting Russia's war economy hard. "

"[There is] currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Pressure must be applied on Russia for an honest peace."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

 

"[The virtual meeting with Trump was] constructive [and] important decisions [could be made in Anchorage, but] fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be protected [at the summit]."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz 

 

"[The Trump administration is making] quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict."

"[Those efforts are intended] to create long-term conditions of peace between our countries and in Europe, and in the world as a whole."

Russian President Vladimir Putin

 

"We’re going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. It’s going to be, I think, very important for Russia, and it’s going to be very important for us."

"[The earth minerals are] very unimportant [compared to] trying to save lives."

U.S. President Donald Trump

 

"For the second month in a row, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine hits a new three-year high."

"Only the first three months after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw more killed and injured than in this past month."

Danielle Bell, head, U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) 

 

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have not met in person for six years (file picture)   Getty Images

 

 During the virtual meeting held Wednesday with European leaders convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. President Donald Trump was "very clear" that the U.S. plans to achieve a ceasefire at the Friday scheduled U.S.-Russia Summit scheduled for Alaska. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at that same meeting informed the group that Russian President Putin "is bluffing" ahead of the meeting with Trump.

He may be bluffing with Trump to reassure the American president that what he really wants is just what Trump wants; a ceasefire and a peace agreement with a cessation of conflict. That bluff includes Putin's determined plans to carry on the conflict despite his assurances to Trump, to advantage Russia with more victories on the battlefield, creeping closer to taking military possession of more Ukrainian land.

Kremlin officials slated to accompany Putin to the Friday summit in Alaska have not been shy in reiterating Putin's intractability on his conflict goals. The war, they reiterate, will end only once Russia has gained full sovereignty over those regions in Ukraine it now partially occupies -- Donetsk and Luhansk -- known more familiarly as the Donbas, along with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia -- along with a pledge by Kyiv for demilitarization, and that Ukraine not join the NATO military alliance of Western nations.

"We will not withdraw from the Donbas. We cannot do that."

"Everyone forgets the first part: our territories are illegally occupied."

"For the Russians, the Donbas is a bridgehead for a future new offensive [that would] pave the way [for further conflict on Ukrainian soil if he surrendered the region]."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  

As a follow-up to the video conference between Trump, Zelenskyy and the other European leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron observed that Trump was prioritizing a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia; Trump had been clear that "territorial issues relating to Ukraine" ... will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president.

 

Once the Friday meeting concludes, President Trump  plans to "seek a future trilateral meeting" with Putin and Zelenskyy -- "I think that's a very important point in this regard, and we hope that it can be held in Europe, in a neutral country that is acceptable to all parties", Macron concluded. Countries involved in the "coalition of the willing", who are prepared to help police a subsequent future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, were expected to join a call for further discussion.

 

Zelenskyy  revealed that his government has conducted numerous conversations with partners prior to the Alaska summit, revealing his doubt that Putin would negotiate in good faith. Trump spoke of his intention to determine whether Putin is serious about ending the conflict now approaching its fourth year; that Friday's summit is a "feel-out meeting" to enable him to assess Mr. Putin's intentions. Allies in Europe are dismayed with Trump's conclusion that Ukraine must concede some of the territory held by Russia. 

 

Trump and Zelensky at the White House in February. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

 

When repeatedly asked directly about Ukrainian concessions and their potential to encourage President Putin to the belief there will be no consequences to his invasion of Ukraine, President Trump leaves no room to hope that Russia will not  be rewarded for its aggression that has impacted both Russia and Ukraine with a horrendous death and injury toll among the combatants. Mr. Trump avoided saying he would have Zelenskyy participate in discussions with Putin. 

 

Putin, the European leaders are concerned, may attempt to use Russia's energy resources to intimidate the European Union for favourable concessions while setting peace agreement outlines without their participation, fearing that the Russian president will not hesitate to set his sights on one or more of their countries, should there be no punitive consequences linked to his invasion of Ukraine. 

 

According to President Zelenskyy, his territorial adversary wants Ukraine to withdraw from the 30 percent of the Donetsk region still controlled by Ukraine, as part of a ceasefire agreement -- a proposal the Ukrainian president has long since categorically turned down as voluntarily unfeasible as a reward for the unbridled aggression that Russian forces have displayed in constantly targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

 

 

Europe's Russian Threat

"Russia is already a direct threat to the European Union."

"[Moscow is spending more on defence than the EU's 27 member states combined, and this year will invest more on defence than [on] its own health care, education and social policy combined."

"This is a long-term plan for a long-term aggression. You don't spend that much on [the] military, if you do not plan to use it."

"Europe is under attack and our continent sits in a world becoming more dangerous." 

"Today, against NATO and the EU, Russia doesn’t stand a chance. But we must stick together."

"When NATO leaders meet next week, keeping unity in the alliance is as much a priority as spending more on defence."

EU Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas 

Vladimir Putin during a visit to the Urakvagizavid factory, Russia's largest producer of tanks: Photo: Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/EPA

 

Acts of sabotage and cyberattacks by Russia toward members of the European Union have not endeared them to Moscow in their studied opinion of the Kremlin's plans post-Ukraine war. That Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen a massive military spending spree leads to the conclusion that relations with Russia stand the potential of degrading even further than merely criticizing it for invading and annexing parts of  territorial Ukraine. That, if in the final analysis, Moscow achieves at least a part of its territorial aggression in Ukraine, it will continue to cast its malevolent eye on its squirming 'near abroad' seems inevitable.

 

There is a fairly general consensus among most EU members that Mr. Putin has plans for future use of his armed forces. Its ongoing airspace violations, provocative military exercises and energy grid attacks, on pipelines and undersea cables, represent in their opinion a testing of the waters, so to speak, as well as a deliberate move to deliver a message for the future. No one in Europe, they feel, can feel securely immune from Putin's roving eye and his territorial ambitions to make Greater Russia even greater at their expense.

 

According to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Russia is producing weapons and ammunition in three months in a quantity and of technical efficiency rivalling the entire output of the 32 allies combined can produce in a year. Russia, he believes, could be in a position to launch attacks on NATO allies come the end of the decade. Europe is becoming increasingly alarmed over the potential of Russia's capacity for mischief.

 

Vladimir Putin sits in a T-90AM tank at the Russian Expo Arms in the Urals city of Nizhniy Tagil in 2011. Photograph: Alexei Druzhinin/AP

 

Even to the extent that Russia might wish to test the organization's Article 5 security guarantee, the assurance to its members that should any one of their members come under attack, NATO would act as one in response; the entire 32-member alliance would be committed to militarily defend any one of their members coming under a military attack by an outside source. This is a pact that is taken seriously, presumably acting as a clear deterrent to any member-state of the alliance coming under attack from malign forces.

 

NATO allies officially recognized that significant and cumulative cyberattacks could be viewed as representing a situation analogous to an armed attack, and as such could lead to an invocation of Article 5. Although that recognition of a prevailing situation was formally accepted in 2021, those same attacks have continued, with the alliance making no move to counteract them collectively. A malign actor perceiving sound and fury but no reaction could very well make their own conclusions based on probing the intent and analyzing the lack of response.

 

Europe finds itself somewhat rudderless of late, with new realities brought to the fore under the Trump administration in the United States, their foremost sponsor for decades. Reliance on the steady commitment of the United States to guide and direct the alliance has come under the sharp new lens of an altered political environment, leaving Europe adrift in indecision, a quandary propelling it to commit to greater responsibility for the outcomes of its relations with outlier nations.

 

Europe feels more vulnerable without the assured military canopy of the United States under the Trump administration that blows hot and cold with conflicting positions and alarming statements issuing from the American president. It is learning to fend for itself. Its support for Ukraine in its battle against predatory Russia remains firm, albeit weary; a general feeling of reduced assurance in the precarious position it now finds itself in, makes the alliance both nervous and defiant.       

                       

Military hardware in Red Square during Russia’s annual Victory Day military parade in May 2022. Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA

 

"We are very certain, and we have intelligence evidence for this, that Ukraine is just a step on the path to the West."

"[Russia's goal is to expand its sphere of influence westward]. They want to catapult NATO back to the state it was in at the  end of the 1990s."

"They want to kick America out of Europe, and they'll use any means to achieve that."

Bruno Kahl, German's Foreign Intelligence Service chief 

Trump Has Adopted "The Most Favourable Position" for Moscow

"We have made clear again and again that we simply expect one thing from Russia now: namely, a ceasefire, unconditional and immediate."

"We welcome the fact that Ukraine is still prepared to do this."

"We note with disappointment that Russia has not yet taken this decisive step, and we will have to react to this."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul

 

"It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war and occupation."

"We are working with partners to put pressure on the Russians to behave differently." 

"[It is] important that America continues to be involved in the peace process."

"Russia fears American involvement, [many lives could be saved if the U.S.] pressures Putin to end the war."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukranian President Voloydmyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk walk in the grounds of the Mariynsky Palace, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 10, 2025. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

"This round of sanctions on Russia is the most wide-sweeping since the start of the war, together with new hybrid, human rights, and chemical weapons-related sanctions. In this 17th package, we include Surgutneftegas - a Russian oil giant - as well as almost 200 vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet."

"While Putin feigns interest in peace, more sanctions are in the works. Russia’s actions and those who enable Russia face severe consequences. The longer Russia persists with its illegal and brutal war, the tougher our response will be."

Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/ Chair Foreign Affairs Council

New sanctions were slapped on Moscow, following a call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended without a breakthrough on putting an end to the war in Ukraine grinding on for three years, after Russia's invasion of February 2022. Monday's conversation between Trump and Putin failed to produce anything of value that might lead to a cessation of hostilities. The direct talks that took place between delegations of Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul also failed to achieve anything resembling an agreement.

 

Despite that Putin promised Trump that Moscow is "ready to work with" Ukraine on a "memorandum" outlining the framework for "a possible future peace treaty", there has been no movement on the diplomatic front. "It appears that Putin has devised a way to offer Trump an interim, tangible outcome from Washington's peace efforts without making any real concessions", observed Tatiana Stanovaya, senior fellow, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

 

Close to 200 ships were targeted with sanctions by the latest European Union sanctions, representing Russia's 'shadow fleet' in an ongoing illicit shipping transporting oil, skirting Western restrictions. Asset freezes and travel bans were also imposed on a number of Russian officials, along with a number of Russian companies. According to Ukrainian authorities, some 500 aging ships with uncertain ownership are busy dodging sanctions to keep oil revenues flowing to Moscow.

 

The United Kingdom undertook its own additional sanctions aimed at the disruption of supply chains of Russian weapons. "Russia's latest strikes once again show his true colours as a warmonger", stated British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.  Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova responded that "Russia never responds to ultimatums". 

 

President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, on Monday, after a telephone conversation with President Donald Trump.  Alexander Kazakov / AFP via Getty Images

 For its part, Kyiv has made its own compromise in the hope of moving peace talks forward, by offering a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire. Moscow was quick to reject that offer, through the imposition of far-reaching conditions. President Zelenskyy's proposal of a face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart was spurned by Mr. Putin. President Trump acknowledged that it would be his personal intervention that could spur Russia to take peace talks to a new level.

 

According to his account, following separate telephone calls with Putin and Zelenskyy, the two countries would "immediately" begin ceasefire negotiations -- without adding details when or where those talks might be carried out. "The status quo has not changed", stated Mykhailo Podoliak, senior adviser to President Zelenskyy. 

The Russian press is gloating over what they construe as U.S. President Donald Trump continuing to favour Russian outcomes against the embattled Ukrainian military: Trump has adopted "the most favourable position" for Moscow, which "came as a complete surprise to the Western allies of the United States, nullifying their expectations". "In Kyiv and the camp of its Western allies, disappointment reigns over the 'betrayal' of the United States", exulted Kommersant.

Service members of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a mortar towards Russian troops, at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova/File Photo

U.S. President Donald Trump's Trade War With Canada

"All gloves are off."

"Canada is being hit hard from its historically strongest ally, and it may be politically expedient to target individuals like Musk who garner outsized influence over the U.S. administration."

James Hinton, senior fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation

 

"Provinces would need to heavily subsidize new infrastructure to replace Starlink, which could take years to implement."

"Legally, targeting Musk's companies could be seen as overreach and Musk could sue in Canadian or U.S. courts to challenge such measures."

"[A bull's-eye on Musk's back also] risks looking like a personal vendetta rather than a rational economic response."

Andreas Schotter, professor of International business, University of Western Ontario Ivey School of Business

Starlink satellite antennas are seen at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA), the international trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, on August 31, 2023. Photo by ODD ANDERSEN /Getty

As it begins to appear more and more inevitable that Donald Trump is prepared to launch another painful trade war with Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union in his determination to, in his opinion, put a stop to other countries' reliance on America's generosity, helping them to fund their own economic advance to the detriment of that of the United States, former allies and trade partners are mulling their options in an effort to stop the roller-coaster destruction of the global economy.

 

Economists everywhere agree that a substantial trade war such as what Mr. Trump is gearing up for will have the end effect of harming the world's economy, as it plays havoc in targeted nations' economies, bringing many to the point of inflationary stress, certain to impact heavily on national populations' quality of life. There is also the recognition that the United States itself will not come away free from the impact of such a draconian move as Mr. Trump contemplates.

 

In Canada, government authorities at every level are making plans and consulting with one another in a combined effort to produce a protective shield as much as possible to avoid the harm certain to arise when a commanding country whose industries are enmeshed with those of the very countries being targeted will produce harmful effects that will bring economies to their knees. In Ontario, Canada's wealthiest province, a plan is afoot to target Elon Musk in recognition of his influence with the Trump White House. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced his intention to begin the process by "ripping up" the province's $100 million contract with Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet provide operated by aerospace company Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Signed last November, the deal  was on tap to provide internet access for Canadians resident in rural communities. "Ontario won't do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy", blustered Premier Ford, leading other premiers to scrutinize their own Starlink contracts.

 

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford holds a news conference in Etobicoke on Feb. 3, 2025. Later Ford said, with the U.S. pausing tariffs, Ontario will also pause its retaliatory measures. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

 

A situation that elicited a shrug from Mr. Musk who responded to the Premier's X warning statement with a two-word "Oh well". This type of criticism will be no surprise to a man who has aligned himself so intimately with the Trump administration, taking on the role of efficiency czar to a President whose unexpected turn against his U.S. allies has drawn surprise and resentment from his international colleagues. 

 

Emmett Macfarlane, political science professor at University of Waterloo in Ontario, approved of the move to send a powerful message to Musk. "Appeasement does little to stop a bully. We should exercise our powers to punch the bully (metaphorically) in the nose", he said in support of the Starlink cancellation threat. 

Aside from the Starlink contract, there is the issue of Musk companies in operation across Canada; Tesla alone operates 32 stores, Canada's most popular electric vehicle brand. Should a 100 percent tariff be slapped on Tesla vehicles the purchase price would be pushed from its current $56,000 tab into a sphere most electric vehicle buyers would consider hands-off. 

Doug Ford, right, says Ontario is ending its contract with Starlink, the satellite company controlled by Elon Musk, left. Photo by Getty Images/The Canadian Press

"A $100 million contract when he's worth [over] $400 billion -- this is just a flea on his side."

"If we want to truly irritate the Americans, we need to move beyond thinking about what kind of ketchup we buy and think of ways of hitting their [digital] service providers without unduly harming Canadian consumers."

Daniel Trefler, trade economist, Canada research chair in competitiveness and prosperity, Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto 

Georgia, Appealing to Canada for Help

"We are straightforwardly moving towards Russia."

"They're arresting doctors, beating journalists, and threatening to close down the opposition media."

"I do remember the time when the Soviet Union was collapsing and they were dispersing demonstrators, but they never did anything like this. This is brutal."

"[And, because few countries recognize Georgian Dream's re-election as legitimate], there are no institutions that will follow their orders except the police and special forces."

"But they are using special forces against people. We have this generational trauma already. And this just adds to our trauma even more."

Maya Purtskhvanidze, activist, Georgian Women's Initiative Group 

"The criminal acts of inhuman and degrading treatment and targeted persecution of peaceful protesters, as depicted in the video footage distributed by the media are disturbing."

"The video footage and information released clearly reveal numerous episodes of unjustified use of special equipment against protesters, including politicians as well as journalists and detainees, cases of alleged unjustified detention, direct intent to commit violence, and targeted persecution during the dispersal of the peaceful protest."

Public Defender of Georgia statement

 

"By suspending Georgia's EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin."

"It's a textbook Russian way of destabilizing civil society and establishing dictatorship and the regime of the country."

"First, they attack international organizations, watchdog organizations, political parties, and human rights defenders."

"All the boxes are checked right now."

U.S. State Department

Pro-European Union demonstrators hold Georgian and EU flags during a protest against the government's postponement of European Union accession talks until 2028, outside the Parliament in central Tbilisi, Georgia, Dec. 11, 2024. Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto/Getty

Violent protests of Georgian citizens against vote-rigging in their recent election, allied with the decision by the leading governing party, Georgian Dream, to abandon the country's talks of joining the European Union, seem like a reprise of a similar situation a decade earlier in Ukraine. The reversal is that Ukraine wanted to join the EU, and to create a separation between itself and Russia, and in Georgia the ruling party is moving closer to Russia, abandoning the country's aspiration to join the European Union.

Weeks of protests in the country of 3.7 million people has seen Tbilisi punished by an increasingly authoritarian government re-installed by the election on October 26 in parliamentary elections ostensibly favouring Georgian Dream. Voter intimidation, vote-buying allegations and associated voting irregularities were reported by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Georgian Dream, in its 12th year in government, announced a day following the election its intention to halt accession talks with the EU until some time in 2028. This, despite its constitution which promises to pursue full integration into the European and NATO. The European Parliament had issued a resolution critical of the election it characterized as unfair. The EU suspension announcement saw a wave of protests and a violent response in the past several days where tear gas, water cannons and police beatings broke up the protests.

In recent weeks, a constitutional institution independent from government, the Public Defender of Georgia, spoke with 327 detainees who were injured during the protests. Of that total, 225 protesters spoke of ill-treatment suffered from the police, with 157 of that number having visible injuries. "I don't know why the government thought they had to use force", said Moreta Bobokhidze, a Georgia activist.

 

Protests over delays in the country's European Union negotiations have stretched into their 14th consecutive day, as demonstrators demand swift action from the government to advance membership talks, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Dec. 11, 2024. Davit Kachkachishvili/Anadolu/Getty

 

A 28-year-old film and theatre actor, Andre Chichinadze, was arrested when 6 police officers appeared at his house. He was arrested on charges of organizing, leading, participating and publicly calling for violence. His mother explained: "He was just standing in the front line, right in front of the police or the mob, because there were girls he was trying to protect." The government's intention to suppress peaceful protest, intimidate the public and "target positive faces" is part of its plan to subdue protest.

"They could have arrested him during the demonstration, but no. They specifically organized this home arrest and created this propaganda around him as if they were investigating something."

"For so many years, people were patient, or trying to be patient, because they didn't want to fight on the street, they didn't want to demonstrate."

"They wanted peaceful development."

Maya Purtskhvanidze

The public is fearful that suspension of EU accession talks would result in an increasingly vulnerable Georgia, ripe for Russian interference. In desperation, activists in Georgia have called on the Canadian government to "publicly condemn backsliding in Georgia, support targeted sanctions on officials responsible for undermining Georgia's democratic integrity, advocate for peaceful protests and bolster Canadian support for Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration".

"Canada remains open to co-operation with Georgia, as long as the Georgian leadership respects democracy, human rights, rule of law and addresses the recent democratic backsliding."

"We call for calm by all parties and for the Georgian authorities to respect the rights and security of individuals in the context of peaceful protests."\

"[There is a need for] free, fair and independent elections [in democratic societies]."

Canadian government statement

Canada itself is undergoing a situation not entirely dissimilar to Georgia's. The current Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is dysfunctional and has led the country into financial ruin, exacerbated relations between its disparate provinces, mismanaged immigrant intake so that housing, medical care, social services are well beyond breaking point. Rising crime, religious, ethnic turmoil has taken over the streets, while the governing body does nothing to put a stop to the chaos and violence. Hardly the country to turn to for help in Georgia's travails.

Georgia fears the smothering tentacles of  the Russian Federation with designs to once again incorporate Georgia into a greater union with Russia to fulfill Russian President Vladimir Putin's wish to emulate the Soviet Union's control of its eastern European neighbours. Canada, on the other hand, is concerned and restive over a change in the Presidency in Washington that will impact, they fear, deleteriously on Canada's trade and independence. 

 

Perhaps Canada should call on Georgia to condemn the Canadian Prime Minister's refusal to step down from high executive office in favour of alternative governance to return Canada to its center of gravity as a law-abiding, secure and equality-ensuring nation. The vast majority of the Canadian voting public has no trust in this government led by a man whose vision is that of a 'post-National' country whose values, laws, culture and history is to be erased.

Pro-Palestine supporters at a Hands Off Rafah rally in Edmonton, Alberta, on March 10, 2024. (Artur Widak via Getty Images)