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Macron; Europe in danger. Pirate says Ukraine on brink. 300 sanctions, Russia & China. Swiss Minsk 3

🇬🇪🇺🇦🇷🇺 If you paid close attention to the propaganda tropes they used for Ukraine, you see familiar patterns

Threat of sending Western troops to Ukraine necessary – Macron Moscow should be kept guessing about a possible intervention, the French president has argued. The French leader reiterated his attempt to use a “strategic ambiguity” approach to the situation by maintaining that the option of deploying troops was on the table. He first made the suggestion after hosting an international meeting on Ukraine in February. “If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe,” Macron stated in an interview with The Economist, published on Thursday. “I’m not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out,” he told the magazine, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

🇳🇪🇷🇺🇺🇸 American military personnel in Niger have declared a "heightened state of readiness" due to the presence of Russian specialists at the same base, a source in the security forces of Niger told RIA Novosti. The Russians are stationed at the 101st Airbase alongside the Americans. Also serving there are about 150 Italian military personnel and around 100 Germans. According to the source, the Germans and Italians are behaving calmly, while the Americans are "constantly wearing helmets and body armor and are extremely nervous."

OECD raised its GDP growth forecast for Russia for 2024 According to the OECD's new report, global GDP growth is expected to be steady at 3.1% in 2024, up from a February estimate of 2.9%, with a slight increase to 3.2% projected for 2025 (previously projected at 3%). However, recovery rates will vary significantly by region, with weaknesses in certain Western economies such as Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom being offset by growth in the USA, India, China, and Russia. The OECD's growth forecast for Russia has been significantly revised upward—from 1.8% to 2.6% for this year, placing it sixth globally. Expectations for 2025 remain unchanged at 1% growth. Previously, the IMF updated its forecast for Russia for 2024 from 2.6% to 3.2%, and for 2025 from 1.1% to 1.8%. The Russian Ministry of Economic Development expects growth of 2.8% and 2.3% for 2024 and 2025, respectively. The OECD's revised forecasts for other major economies include the USA from 2.1% to 2.6%, China from 4.7% to 4.9%, and India from 6.2% to 6.6%. According to the OECD, the slowest growth among its members in 2024 will be in the United Kingdom (+0.4%, revised down from +0.7%), Japan (+0.5%), and the eurozone countries (+0.7%), particularly the bloc's largest economies—Germany (+0.2%), Italy (+0.7%), and France (+0.7%). As a result, the United Kingdom will rank second to Germany for the weakest growth rates and will also display the poorest GDP growth performance in 2025 at 1%. The OECD acknowledges that global economic growth rates remain modest by historical standards despite early "signs of improvement." In the medium to long term, financial stability in OECD countries remains under pressure due to high debt levels and rising expenses amid an aging population. According to the OECD's baseline scenario, by the end of 2025, inflation in most major Western economies is expected to return to target levels, though economists warn that the observed core price rise for services in these countries remains significantly above the pre-pandemic trend. Along with ongoing geopolitical risks, including escalating tensions in the Middle East and supply disruptions in the Red Sea, the persistent inflation problem could lead to a slower cycle of interest rate cuts.

Egypt to go away from dollar Egypt is considering increasing its trade transactions using the yuan and the ruble, according to the country’s Minister of Finance, Mohammed Maait. The official emphasized that diversifying the currencies used for trade could enhance the nation's income and security. There's significant potential in this strategy, and it will be interesting to see the outcomes of these discussions.

Uranium prices again reaching annual highs The cost on global exchanges has surpassed $90 per pound, a fivefold increase over the past 12 months. The price spike is primarily due to the USA's attempt to pressure Russia by imposing sanctions, including against the uranium industry. The U.S. Senate recently voted for a law banning the import of enriched uranium from Russia. The bill is now awaiting President Joe Biden's signature. If signed into law, Western companies will face additional strain on their processing and enrichment capacities. It's important to note that Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation, holds a global market share of 30-40% in the supply of enriched uranium for nuclear power plants. Sanctions against Russian uranium are expected to drive prices up by at least another 20-30%, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Shoigu, Russian offensive. Ukraine, Donbass collapse

G7 countries privately recognize Russian assets seizure not on the table Western countries are "exploring alternative ways of extracting funding" for Ukraine from the frozen assets, the newspaper said. Western countries are "exploring alternative ways of extracting funding" for Ukraine from the frozen assets, the newspaper said. The main cause for EU countries being reluctant in confiscating assets is "fear of retaliation," The Financial Times said. The plan of EU countries anticipates in particular the use of "extraordinary profits" generated by Russian assets at the disposal of the Euroclear depository to make joint procurement of weapons for Ukraine, the news outlet said. This option is considered to be "far less risky" because it does not cover the assets proper, experts said, cited by the newspaper. The amount of funds expected to be received is estimated at about three bln euro per year.

🇺🇦 Ukrainian men abroad express anger over pressure to return home and fight - The Washington Post “We all felt like the ground had been pulled out from under us. That Ukraine no longer wants to support us. It was done in a “go to hell” style — “now we’ll catch you, make you feel bad, we’ll punish you,” a native of Kiev living in Austria told the publication. Yesterday, adviser to the head of Zelensky’s office, Podolyak, said that the decision to extradite Ukrainian draft dodgers should be made at the pan-European level, despite the hysteria and screams .