EU Report

Lithuania plans to allocate up to 6 percent of GDP to defense in the next 5 years, using EU funds This was announced by the country's Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. It is expected that part of the necessary funds will be covered by the European Union. According to the head of the Lithuanian government, 5-6% of GDP will be allocated for defense. "It is obvious that all funding cannot be provided solely by the capabilities of the Lithuanian economy." This is being discussed at the pan-European level. A European defense fund must be created and replenished, as well as a credit fund... Therefore, it seems that there will be comprehensive funding, which, in my opinion, would be logical, because the issue of defense is important for all of Europe," said Gintautas Paluckas. The decision to increase defense spending to 5-6% from 2026 to 2030 was made by the Lithuanian State Defense Council on Friday. The final decision on the size of the annual defense budget will be made by parliament. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇱🇹

53 days of protests: Tbilisi is blocked, Akhaltsikhe is under snow Protests continue in Georgia: Rustaveli in Tbilisi is blocked off, and in Akhaltsikhe the “No to the Russian Regime” protest is taking place despite the snow. Participants are demanding the release of political prisoners, including Mzia Amaglobeli, and the calling of new elections. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪

The EU might have to resort to involving the King of Belgium and the law of 1944 to prevent Orban from unfreezing Russian reserves. Prime Minister Viktor Orban jeopardized the extension of sanctions against Russia at the end of January. With the advent of the Donald Trump administration, they should be canceled, he believes. Such a threat forced Brussels to develop plans to save at least part of the restrictive measures. "It's time to drop sanctions and build sanctions-free relations with the Russians," Orban said on state radio on Friday. The Trump administration is set to start a "new era" next week, and it will take the EU only "a couple of months" to change its position on sanctions, Orban said. He did not say he would veto their extension when their next six-month term expires on January 31. But already in December, the Hungarian leader warned his EU colleagues that he was not ready to renew sanctions: he was waiting for Trump's inauguration, and if he decided to soften them, he, Orban, would insist that Brussels follow Washington. Therefore, Brussels began to look for ways to maintain at least some leverage on Russia - in particular, to prevent it from returning 190 billion euros held in the Euroclear depository, writes the Financial Times. To do this, they will have to take advantage of national restrictions. Since the assets are physically held by a Belgian company, one fallback is to use a military decree passed in 1944, four officials involved in the discussion told the newspaper. It allows King Philip to block the withdrawal of assets from the country. The press service of the King of Belgium said that the decision on the decree is made by the government, but the monarch will have to sign it. Assets in Euroclear account for most of Russia's foreign exchange reserves blocked by Western countries (about $300 billion). The income from them is used as collateral for $50 billion in loans that the G7 countries and the EU decided to provide to Ukraine. Assets are needed to receive income for a decade, from which the loans issued will be repaid. But if sanctions are lifted, "the money will be in Russia the very next day," as financial intermediaries will have no legal reason to hold it. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇭🇺

The GRU created an "university of saboteurs" for sabotage in the West, says investigative journalist. The Main Intelligence Directorate has organized a "university" in Moscow and St. Petersburg to train saboteurs who conduct operations in Western countries. Most of the agents come from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, especially from Kherson; there are also representatives of Latin American countries and Afghanistan among the "students." According to Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist for Der Spiegel and The Insider, career officers of the GRU train foreigners with a criminal past to perform tasks of sabotage and sabotage in Western countries. "They call it a university of saboteurs. Most of the [students] are Ukrainians from territories that came under Russian control, especially Kherson. They study in Moscow and St. Petersburg with these pears that we all know. The second category, more interesting, because they did not appear before, are people from Latin America, South Americans, some of whom have already been to Russia, studied, and were recruited there, and others simply came on purpose, for example, Venezuelans and Cubans." The third category of agents includes immigrants from Afghanistan. In 2023-24, the GRU recruited "a lot" of young Afghans precisely to commit sabotage, the investigator said. Some of them were sent to Europe for this purpose under the guise of refugees. The "University of Saboteurs" was created for three reasons. First, as a result of a series of investigations, about a hundred Russian spies who worked abroad were exposed; secondly, during the war in Ukraine, part of the agents were killed and wounded. Thirdly, the "diplomatic" staff of the GRU around the world, whose employees hid behind the status of "second military attaché or second secretary", can no longer visit Western countries, and "are now training foreigners for the tasks that they themselves did." @freerussia_report 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇺

December 19, 2023: "Russia is not going to war with Europe, Putin said" Today: "Russia Denazifies Europe" And even if the second article is presented as an "opinion piece", but under such a title, (and considering that there is only one opinion allowed in Putinistan) it already establishes the mood that they are trying to convey to readers, and they are setting them against Europeans: "The entire Western media machine, which received instructions on the eve of our great Victory Day not to notice, to question, and in general not to talk about the Feat of our people, should prepare for unconditional denazification." 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇷🇺 @freerussia_report

SpaceX's Starship explodes during test flight. SpaceX's Starship rocket suffered a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” in space a few minutes after launch from Texas on Thursday. The incident forced the airliners that carried out flights over the Gulf of Mexico, to change course to avoid falling debris, and setting back the flagship missile Elon Musk's program, reports Reuters. SpaceX mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship, carrying its first test payload of 10 dummy satellites but no crew, eight minutes after liftoff. Dozens of commercial flights diverted to other airports or altered course to avoid the debris field, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Departures from airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were also delayed by about 45 minutes. The failure came a day after Blue Origin, billionaire Jeff Bezos' space company, successfully launched its giant New Glenn rocket into orbit for the first time. The FAA is likely to open a mishap investigation that would ground Starship - as the agency has done in the past - and examine whether any of the debris from the rocket's mid-flight blast fell on populated areas or outside of Starship's predetermined hazard zone. This would derail Musk's goal to launch at least 12 Starship tests this year. Musk won't like that, he has repeatedly criticized the FAA for "overreacting and making politically-motivated decisions", and called for FAA chief Mike Whitaker to resign in September, shortly after the FAA fined SpaceX and delayed one of its launches. 🇪🇺@EU_Report

Slovak opposition leader arrives in Kyiv to 'reopen door Fico slammed.' A Slovak delegation headed by pro-Western opposition leader Michal Simecka of Progressive Slovakia party arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 17, he said on social media. "Our goal is clear — to reopen the door that Robert Fico slammed with his aggressive outbursts," Simecka wrote, who in turn initiated a confidence vote set for next week. Read more 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇸🇰

The Union of the Left suspended the nomination of a candidate in the municipal elections, Hannu Tiainen from Kihnijö The leadership of the Union of Left Forces of the Pirkanmaa region has withdrawn the candidacy of independent candidate for the spring municipal and regional elections Hannu Tiainen, reports Yle. The reason was an article published on December 29 in the Aamulehti newspaper, in which Tiainen speaks about relations with Russia, called Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine a "special operation," and that Europe must disciplined the madmen of war because Finland is "on the verge of a collapse" while "the arms race is accelerating." Tiainen, who has been a critic of NATO, recalled that he warned in 2022, that you should "not disturb a sleeping bear." He also accused President Sauli Niinistö that he "began to gnaw at our relations with malicious outbursts during his second term", and therefore "ministers, MPs and the mainstream media were given the impetus to attack our neighbour with a punch. It was not enough just to write and talk about Russia, mockery and denigrate Russia, but to start bullying in many different ways." He praised that "Russia is still not provoked by the threats, accusations and outright lies of Finnish decision-makers." The leadership emphasizes that the statements presented by the candidate in the article do not correspond to the party line, so it was decided to withdraw Tiainen's candidacy. "There is a significant contradiction between the values represented by the Left Alliance and the opinions expressed by the candidate," Anna Jukantupa, chairperson of the Pirkanmaa Region, commented on the decision. Tiainen feels "shocked" by the decision. He explained that he called it a special operation because Russia calls it so and all great powers call their attacks always special operations. At the same time he admitted now that "when a special operation has been going on for two years, then this is a war" and assures that he "didn't want to downplay the war." Well, the article reads different. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇫🇮

No criminal investigation against the crew of the Eagle S oil tanker due to the cargo of Russian oil on the vessel. Finnish police detained the tanker in December and reported that suspects the vessel of damaging the power cable, connecting Finland and Estonia, and four more telecommunication cables. The Customs Department separately confiscated the cargo unleaded petrol and diesel fuel because it is classified as a product for which sanctions against Russia are extended. However, since the vessel entered territorial waters Finland, at the request of the Finnish authorities, it cannot be said that the crew deliberately violated the sanctions legislation, the customs service. "The ship's cargo will remain detained by customs for the time being management of Finland," the department added. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇫🇮 @freerussia_report

Estonian Military Will Be Allowed Using Force in Response to Baltic Sea Threats. Estonia will authorize its navy in the Baltic Sea to respond to potential threats with force, announced Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. “The navy, in the event of a threat and if necessary, will be granted the right to use force throughout Estonia’s maritime territory, including its economic zone.” The Ministry of Defense has prepared amendments to the laws governing the "Organization of the Defense Forces" and the "Economic Zone," which will be submitted to the Estonian parliament for approval. Under the proposed changes, military personnel would first need to contact the captain of any suspicious vessel, request a course change, and offer the opportunity to moor. If force is deemed necessary, its use would require authorization from the Minister of Defense. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also stated that Poland would “without hesitation” intercept suspect vessels within its territorial waters. The news found lively interest in russian state-controlled media. Meanwhile, the russian foreign Ministry accused Western nations of leveraging these accusations to impose “arbitrary restrictions on international shipping” in the Baltic and limit russian oil exports. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇪🇪

President Joe Biden issued a directive Wednesday that allows Cyprus to buy arms from the U.S. government and get surplus American military equipment in a move welcomed as promoting stability in the eastern Mediterranean. From Cyprus’ perspective, the development is a key step after the United States in 2020 lifted a decades-long arms embargo on the island nation. The government in Nicosia also see it as an acknowledgment of Cyprus’ reliability as a U.S. partner in the region. Source: -https://apnews.com/article/cyprus-us-weapons-military-equipment-f4267f7dafd40dd3d033e7d6b2582605 @US_Report

Zelensky is convinced that Russia is afraid of the United States, China and a united Europe. Speaking to Polish media during a visit to Warsaw, Zelensky answered in the affirmative whether he believes that the chances of a cessation of hostilities this year have increased. "Trump seriously wants to stop the war - these are his words," Zelensky said. "He is able to exert pressure, influence Russia. I am convinced that Russia is afraid of the United States, China and a united Europe." Ukraine's victory in the confrontation with Russia is critically important for Europe, including to stop the Kremlin before it invades other countries: "Without the Ukrainian army, Europe will not cope with the Russian army, because it is bigger: Russia has more weapons, more people and it is [more cruel] than the Europeans." "Europe is a different civilization. Thank God that it is and that Europeans live in a democracy and do not know what war is. But Russia knows and has experience in this matter. " The West as a whole (with the exception of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, Poland and Romania) has not yet fully realized the expansionist ambitions of Putin, stated the President of Ukraine. And if Ukraine does not defend itself, "he will quickly move on," and without the Ukrainian army, "Europe, unfortunately, today has no chance against Russia." "Putin knows this and talks about it in his circle," Zelensky added. In this situation, "why not strengthen Ukraine as much as possible, increase domestic production for your armed forces?" "You have to produce to help Ukraine, but you also have to produce more for yourself, so that the Russians know that Europe produces more, that Europe will be able to stand up to them. You have to stay ahead of Putin." Read all (Polish) (English translated) 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇺🇦 @Ukraine_Report

Mass strike in Georgia demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of detained protesters. The purpose of the large-scale protest action is not only to put pressure on the regime, but also to show “what awaits Georgia in conditions of isolation due to the refusal to integrate with the EU – a stalled economy, closed businesses, poverty and unemployment.” About 500 enterprises joined the strike. Earlier, the management of a number of large Georgian enterprises said that they would not hinder employees from participating in the strike. The protest is attended by employees of large companies, including branches of Dunkin and Wendy's, owned by the holding of businessman Soso Pkhakadze, who is considered a supporter of the pro-russian regime. Employees of Alta, employees of TBC, Liberty and Credo banks, as well as representatives of Tegeta Motors and other companies are also involved in the action. Strikers found creative ways to block car traffic (video) 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇬🇪 @freerussia_report

Czech munition initiative delivered last year 1.5 million artillery shells to Ukraine. They plan to deliver the same number in 2025. Czechs Defense Minister Jana Černochová informed the allies at the Ramstein meeting about the current state of ammunition supply as well as other forms of support. Last year, the Czech Republic munition initiative supplied Kyiv with around 1.5 million rounds of large-calibre ammunition, a third of which was in 155 mm calibre. Supplies combined 105mm, 120mm, 122mm, 152mm, 155mm and 203mm. But Ukraine is rapidly becoming a standard NATO caliber country so in the future it will need just about only 105mm, 120mm and 155mm. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇨🇿

Addition to previous reports Trump Jr. accused of paying Greenland’s homeless to appear as supporters Donald Trump Jr.’s recent visit to Greenland has sparked controversy after allegations surfaced that his team paid homeless and economically vulnerable individuals to pose as supporters during public appearances. Danish broadcaster DR reports that multiple sources have confirmed the accusations, raising questions about the authenticity of his public reception on the island. According to DR, Trump Jr.’s team allegedly offered disenfranchised individuals free luxury hotel accommodations and expensive meals in exchange for participating in events and appearing supportive of Trump-related initiatives. The goal reportedly was to create an image of widespread local, grassroots support for the Trump family’s ongoing interest in Greenland, which has included discussions about its potential strategic value to the United States. The arrangement was described as “cynical” and aimed at manufacturing a false narrative. It has drawn sharp criticism from Greenlandic officials and advocacy groups. “These people were clearly in need, and they were used as props,” a DR source said. A spokesperson for Greenland’s social services department called the alleged actions “exploitative” and contrary to the values of respect and dignity that Greenland holds dear. Greenlandic member of the Danish Parliament, Aaja Chemnitz (IA), recognized several of the persons used for the PR gig, writes Arctic Today. “These are people who were invited through social media or brought in for this purpose. I don’t think it’s acceptable. From what I can see, people were given a free meal in exchange for wearing a hat and acting as extras in social media videos and podcasts,” she said, adding that many of those appearing in the staged scenes were not politically active citizens. The accusations come on the heels of Donald Trump Jr.’s public endorsement of a controversial proposal to bring Greenland under U.S. control through any means necessary. Greenlandic officials and analysts have described the proposal as deeply alarming, emphasizing the island’s autonomy and its people’s right to self-determination. Well, what do you expect from the son of a man who introduced fakes and lies as "alternative facts" and "alternative realities" in US politics? 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇩🇰

Addition to previous report The United States has prepared a bill to buy Greenland Republicans in the US House of Representatives have prepared a bill that allows Trump to begin negotiations on the purchase of Greenland, Reuters writes, citing a copy of the document. The bill was called the "Make Greenland Great Again Act." You can guess where they took the idea from... "Congress hereby authorizes the President, beginning at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2025, to attempt to enter into negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark for the purpose of securing the acquisition of Greenland by the United States," the document says. At the moment, Republicans are trying to provide the document with the necessary support. Previously, Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has stepped up a push for independence, has repeatedly stated the island "is not for sale" and that it is up to its people to decide their future. Which has been also said by the PM of Denmark - but obviously Trumpists don't care about such minor details. The Kremlin stated that they are "closely monitoring the situation", since the Arctic, in which Greenland is located, belongs to the zone of national interests of Russia and Moscow is "interested in maintaining an atmosphere of peace and stability in the region." 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇩🇰 @freerussia_report

Addition to previous report Russia’s Hidden War Debt The Kremlin has been compelling banks to extend preferential loans to war-related businesses on terms set by the state, resulting in a unprecedented $415 billion surge in overall corporate borrowing. It is estimated that $210 to $250 billion of this surge consists of compulsory, preferential bank loans extended to defense contractors—many with poor credit—to help pay for war-related goods and services. In this way the Kremlin achieved a low-profile, off-budget financing scheme equal in size to the defense budget. Initially, this defense financing scheme proved advantageous to Moscow by enabling it to maintain its official defense budget at manageable levels. But now it's turning toxic, as it has become the main driver of inflation and interest rate hikes, is creating the preconditions for a systemic credit crisis and provides Ukraine & allies with valuable, new negotiating leverage. Read more @freerussia_report

Slovak opposition unites in an attempt for a vote of no confidence to Fico’s government. Slovakia's opposition parties will call a no-confidence vote against the government, a party chief said on Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging foreign policy closer to Russia while failing to tackle problems at home. "Robert Fico has left Slovakia. Instead of being in his home country and working on solving problems, he is flying around the world and bows to dictators," Michal Simecka, the head of the biggest opposition party Progressive Slovakia, told a televised news conference. "We are committed to Slovakia being firmly anchored in the European Union and North Atlantic alliance." It was not said when the vote would take place. The opposition would need a majority to win it, an outcome that would compel Slovakia's president to appoint a new government. Fico's ruling leftist-nationalist coalition has become shakier in recent months, with its majority shrinking to 76 out of 150 seats in parliament. Fico is facing dissent from some junior party lawmakers and also disputes among his partners. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇸🇰

Six EU countries called for lowering the price ceiling for Russian oil Six European countries called on the European Commission to lower the maximum price for Russian oil, set by the G7 states at $60 per barrel, arguing that this will reduce Moscow's revenues and will not cause a market shock. "Measures aimed at Moscow's revenues from oil exports, are of key importance, as they lead to a reduction in the an important source of income for Russia," the letter sent to the EU executive by the Danish governments, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and Estonia says. "We believe that now is the time to increase efficiency of our sanctions by reducing the G7 oil price cap," adding that "the international oil market is better supplied today than in 2022, reducing the risk a lower price cap will cause a supply shock." The G7 price cap was set at $60 per barrel of Russian crude and for petroleum products at a maximum of $100 per barrel of premium-to-crude products and $45 per barrel for discount-to-crude products. "In view of limited storage capacity and its outsized dependence on energy exports for revenue Russia has no alternative to continue oil exports even at a substantially lower price," the letter said. 🇪🇺@EU_Report

Addition to previous report Danish intelligence said that the idea of seizing Greenland could have been planted on Trump by Russia. In 2019, Russia organized the mailing of a fake letter addressed to Trump ally, US Senator Tom Cotton, with an offer to acquire Greenland. "With a high degree of probability, the letter was fabricated and distributed by Russian agents of influence. Their goal was to sow confusion and provoke a conflict between Denmark, the United States and Greenland," Danish intelligence said. According to intelligence services, the letter, dated October 2019, came from the alleged Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greenland. It contained a proposal to allocate funds for a referendum on Greenland's independence from Denmark. Based on the results of the investigation, the Danish authorities concluded in 2022 that Russia was most likely behind the creation and distribution of this document. Tom Cotton admitted in August 2019 that he raised the issue of the acquisition of Greenland by the United States in a conversation with Donald Trump. In an interview with CNN, the senator noted the "strategic importance" of the island in order to "defend the US against threats from China and Russia", argument repeated by Trump, claiming that "China has repeatedly made attempts to gain a foothold in Greenland in recent years." But many point out that Trump's interest in Greenland is driven by economic considerations. The island has significant reserves of gold, diamonds, uranium and rare earth metals, which play a key role in the production of high-tech electronics. Actually the US has already a military presence in Greenland, and neither Greenland nor Denmark are against an increase of the American military contingent in Greenland. 🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇩🇰 @freerussia_report