Europe

• Eastern, Nordic NATO allies urge stronger air and missile defences
• They accuse Russia of repeated airspace violations
• Joint statement calls for boosting defence industry capacity
• Ukraine's Zelenskiy also attends Bucharest meeting, ​urges allied unity

Russia's repeated airspace violations of countries on the ‌eastern flank of NATO underline the urgent need to consolidate the alliance's air defences against missiles and drones, the leaders of 14 allies said on Wednesday.

They also called for greater cooperation in building up defence industry capacity in a ​joint statement, issued after a meeting of eastern flank allies in Bucharest hosted by Romania's ​President Nicusor Dan and Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

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"We condemn Russia's highly confrontational actions ⁠against Allies and partners, including sabotage, cyberattacks, and a wide range of hybrid attacks and destabilising ​activities," the leaders' joint statement said.

"Repeated airspace violations on the Eastern Flank underscore the urgent need to ​continue strengthening NATO's air and missile defence, including against unmanned aerial vehicle threats."

Romania, Poland and Baltic states have had their airspace repeatedly breached by Russian drones. Russia has denied targeting NATO states. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General ​Mark Rutte and U.S. Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno were among ​those attending Wednesday's one-day gathering.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51940381

This in an opinion piece by Yuliia Bond, a refugee from Ukraine who has been living in Caerphilly, Wales, since 2022.

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After more than a century of Labour dominance, the political landscape of Wales has fundamentally changed [the Labour Party lost heavily in the recent elections to the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament , while the right-wing Reform Party party surged].

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This was not only a normal democratic swing.

It was also the result of a much deeper emotional and informational transformation that has been building quietly across society for years and social media played a massive role in accelerating it.

And maybe some people will think I’m exaggerating this. I genuinely hope I am. But coming from Ukraine probably makes me much more sensitive to changes in public language, disinformation and emotional radicalisation than the average person here.

People from my part of the world do not really assume democratic stability is permanent anymore.

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In the 2024 general election, Reform UK won 20.3% in Caerphilly. One year later, in the 2025 Caerphilly Senedd by-election, Reform jumped to 36%. That is a 15.7 percentage point increase in barely over a year.

Then during the 2026 Senedd election campaign, final constituency models for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni projected Reform around 31-35% of the vote, directly competing with Plaid while Labour collapsed dramatically in former Valleys strongholds.

That is not “just a protest vote” anymore. That is a structural political realignment. And it did not happen in a vacuum.

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Modern political conflict increasingly operates through information warfare

People in the UK often still imagine “disinformation” as something abstract. Something foreign. Something extreme. Something only relevant during wars.

But one thing Ukraine understood very quickly is that modern conflicts are fought not only on physical battlefields, but also inside digital information spaces.

Russia weaponised disinformation for years before tanks crossed borders. Emotional narratives spread faster than factual corrections. Algorithms rewarded outrage. False stories repeated until they emotionally felt true. Trust slowly eroded. Society polarised.

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Ukraine realised very quickly that defending democracy was not only the responsibility of soldiers. So society mobilised. Not only the military. Ordinary people. Researchers. Teachers. Journalists. Volunteers. Students. Community organisers. Online investigators. Digital activists.

Ukraine created a Digital Army, but beyond cyber operations there was also something much deeper: a society-wide understanding that information itself had become strategically important.

People tracked propaganda. Reported manipulation.Countered false narratives. Protected vulnerable communities. Strengthened digital literacy.Built civic resilience.

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Because many people here still underestimate the danger.

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Modern propaganda looks far more ordinary ... Facebook comments ... TikTok clips ... Emotionally manipulative headlines ... Rage-bait videos ... Out-of-context crime stories ... “Someone I know said…”

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And over time, those narratives emotionally reshape political reality itself.

Can’t get housing? Migrants.

Public services struggling? Migrants.

Crime? Migrants.

Economic insecurity? Migrants.

National decline? Migrants.

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And this is why social media matters so much. Because algorithms are not designed to reward truth. They reward emotional engagement. Fear spreads faster than nuance. Anger spreads faster than statistics.Outrage spreads faster than context.

A person can now live in an area with relatively little migration, yet consume hours of emotionally charged immigration content every single week online.

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Social media no longer only shapes opinions – it increasingly shapes identity

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This is not only about Reform voters

And this is important to say clearly. I do not think every Reform voter is racist. That explanation is intellectually lazy and emotionally convenient.

Many people are genuinely struggling. Communities genuinely feel abandoned. Public services are under pressure.

People are exhausted financially and emotionally. Many towns across Wales genuinely do feel forgotten.

The anger itself is often real. But modern populism is extremely effective at redirecting that anger toward emotionally convenient targets. That is the real danger.

Because instead of discussing housing policy, austerity, economic inequality, underinvestment, collapse of local journalism, long-term industrial decline, or failures of governance, society becomes emotionally organised around permanent blame.

And once politics becomes psychologically based on outrage and identity rather than problem-solving, democratic culture itself starts weakening.

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Wales still has a choice

But this situation is not hopeless. And the answer is not censorship. Nor is it dismissing everyone who voted Reform as evil. That usually makes polarisation worse.

What Wales urgently needs now is democratic resilience.

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What should actually happen now?

𝟭. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 ... 𝟮. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ... 𝟯. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 ... 𝟰. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 ... 𝟱. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 ... 𝟲. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 – 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 “𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲” ...

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Because societies do not suddenly become divided overnight.

Usually they become divided by one emotionally manipulative headline, one algorithm, one rumour and one dehumanising narrative at a time, until eventually people stop seeing each other as neighbours at all.

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Web Archive link

This piece is written by Abdurahim Gheni, an Uyghur activist who was born into an intellectual family in Uchturpan County in East Turkestan, known as in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, in the Aksu Prefecture. He graduated from Lanzhou University with a degree in chemistry and worked as a chemistry teacher at the Aksu Prefecture Normal School. He currently resides in the Netherlands and is a biochemical analyst by profession.

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The brutal attack launched against me by a group of Chinese nationals on February 14, 2026, during the Chinese New Year celebrations organized by the Chinese Embassy at the The Hague City Hall, was not a mere act of common violence. It was not only an assault on my person but a terrorist strike against Dutch democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

On March 11, the Dutch National Police informed me that a formal criminal investigation had been launched under Article 300 of the Penal Code. Subsequently, Victim Support Netherlands (Slachtofferhulp Nederland) contacted me and invited me for an official consultation on April 7. This meeting represents a critical turning point and a significant victory in my long journey toward seeking justice.

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I highlighted another grave tragedy: On February 19, the Iranian dissident Siamak Tadebbi was shot and killed in broad daylight on the streets of Schoonhoven. The brutal assassination of an Iranian activist who had lived and campaigned in the Netherlands for years has placed a heavy psychological burden on me.

Iran is not as globally powerful as China, yet they dare to eliminate their dissidents on European soil. If that is the case, who can guarantee that China—the world’s most powerful dictatorship—will not target me, a person who has become a “thorn in their side”?

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I am a political activist who has consistently raised my voice against the Chinese government’s occupation and systematic genocide in East Turkistan, from Amsterdam to Geneva, and from Paris to the Dutch Parliament. My actions are a powerful weapon that shatters China’s false propaganda.

I do not only fight for the freedom of the Uyghurs; I strive to warn the world against the Chinese threat and the trap of their deceptions, so that others do not suffer the same fate. The genocide currently being endured by the Uyghurs is the price paid for the world’s misplaced trust in China’s lies. For this reason, the Chinese regime has made me a primary target, repeatedly attempting to silence me through death threats and violence.

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The Chinese regime must understand: your “Long Arm” cannot silence me. I am not alone. Standing behind me are Dutch democratic laws, the police system, and official institutions dedicated to protecting my rights. Every threat you make is being officially recorded by the judicial authorities.

I hope the Dutch government will set an example for other Western nations by severing the “Long Arm” of China within its territory. We will not be silent; on the contrary, we will demand justice even more loudly. To die in the cause of one’s nation’s freedom is the most honorable of ends. I will never cease my struggle on the path of truth and justice!

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Web Archived link

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51816088

The Hana Human Rights Organization has issued a stark warning regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s exploitation of its European embassies and consulates to surveil, identify, and conduct transnational repression against political dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders, and Iranian asylum seekers.

Emerging patterns and reports indicate that elements within Iran’s diplomatic and consular missions are operating far beyond their legitimate mandates. In coordination with Iran’s security and judicial apparatus, these missions are actively gathering intelligence on political activists, tracking their residences, assets, and family ties. This surveillance is directly utilized to fabricate security cases and facilitate the seizure or confiscation of dissidents’ properties back home.

Under Article 3 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomatic missions are strictly limited to gathering information through lawful means. Furthermore, Article 41 mandates that diplomatic agents respect the laws of the host state and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs. Consequently, weaponizing diplomatic cover for political espionage, transferring personal data to security agencies, identifying dissidents, and facilitating judicial or security actions against them falls entirely outside the scope of legitimate diplomacy. Such actions constitute a flagrant abuse of diplomatic immunity, a breach of the principle of good faith, and direct interference in the internal affairs of European states.

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The Kremlin continues its information war against Poland. Specifically, the Polish disinformation research project DISINFO DIGEST has recorded a systematic Russian propaganda campaign aimed at discrediting the Polish Armed Forces and intimidating Poles into not signing contracts with the army.

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Russian propaganda takes routine administrative procedures for military registration and reserve checks out of context, presenting them in a panic-inducing light. This is portrayed as a sign of alleged violations of citizens' rights, and military recruitment centers are associated with institutions that should be feared.

"In this way, Russia is trying to instill a narrative in the consciousness of Polish society that the state is acting against its own citizens. This is intentionally presented through vague hints that "something is happening" but "the population is not informed," the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine noted.

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Web Archive link

Russian exiles warn that the Kremlin is misusing the commemoration of the victims of the Second World War for propaganda. The rallies of the so-called Immortal Regiment taking place in Geneva and Basel on Friday and Saturday are affected.

The association ‘Russia of the Future – Switzerland’, which was founded by exiled Russians in Switzerland, says that “this action has now been completely appropriated by the Kremlin”.

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What once began as a civil society initiative for family commemoration now serves as an “instrument of hybrid influence to legitimise Russian aggression against Ukraine”.

Participants in the rallies for the ‘Immortal Regiment’ often use symbols such as the St George’s Ribbon, which are directly linked to the war crimes in Ukraine and Russian state ideology.

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Militaristic rallies right next to the ‘Broken Chair’ exhibit in Geneva – a symbol for the victims of war violence – are also an affront to Switzerland’s humanitarian values, the group added.

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Moscow is using these events to create an image of united support for the war among Russians living in Switzerland, warns Russia of the Future – Switzerland. This does not correspond to reality and is an instrumentalisation of the diaspora, the Russian exile community.

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• DPC last year fined TikTok 530 million euros
• Says Shein inquiry is a 'strategic priority'
• Shein says it has been actively engaging with ​DPC

Ireland's Data Protection Commission has opened an ‌inquiry into Chinese online retailer Shein over the transfer of European users' data to China, the company's lead EU privacy regulator said on Tuesday.

The DPC, which has the power to impose heavy fines, will examine and assess ​the extent to which the company's Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dublin ​has complied with its relevant obligations under the EU privacy rules - known as ⁠the General Data Protection Regulation, it said in a statement.

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When personal data is transferred to ​a country outside the EU, GDPR requires that data is given equivalent protections to those it would ​have within the bloc, according to the regulator.

The DPC last year fined China's TikTok 530 million euros ($619 million) over concerns about how it protects user information and ordered the short video platform to suspend data transfers to China ​unless its processing were made to comply.

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Despite repeated complaints from the Chinese government, April 14 saw the hosting of a hearing-style event in the EU Parliament on China’s unjust imprisonment of European citizens and foreigners in general, with a slew of first-hand testimonies from actual victims and family representatives. The event, “Piercing the veil of imprisonment in China”, was led by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Miriam Lexmann (EPP/Slovakia) and co-organized by MEPs Engin Ergoglu (Renew/Germany) and Marketa Gregorova (Greens/Czechia), in a large 80-seat hall filled with MEPs from across the political spectrum, alongside media, scholars, lawyers and family of victims.

[A video of the event, with certain anonymous contributions removed, is available at the linked site.]

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MEP Lexmann ... said that

"human rights must be at the centre of our relations with China. This means addressing credible reports of human rights abuses, including the arbitrary use of incarceration of foreign nationals, and ensuring that our policies do not contribute to or enable them."

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The testimonies were led by the UK’s Peter Humphrey, a former detainee and prisoner in China, who took the role as lead panelist setting the scene for the discussion, alongside remarks on his own two-year-long incarceration in a pre-trial detention centre and later a prison in Shanghai. Having spearheaded the creation of the event himself, he explained:

“Why am I so involved in all this imprisonment stuff? I spent 20 years in mainstream journalism and then 15 years in investigations. I have spent over 50 years in all involved with China in various roles - and two of those years were in Xi Jinping’s prisons. My American wife was imprisoned at the same time. Both of us were falsely accused of illegal information gathering for my due diligence company, ChinaWhys.”

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Two surprise witnesses also took center stage: France’s Francois Dupouy, whose Chinese husband has spent over five years in prison, with another six years to serve on what Peter Humphrey described as clearly homophobic and political persecution; another French victim, anonymously referred to as Remy, who was subjected to severe torture and beatings during two years of detention.

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Peter Humphrey provided information and made remarks relating to some 25 European citizens who have faced detention and imprisonment in China, often on arbitrary grounds (see list at bottom). Marius Balo cited a young female Romanian victim largely ignored by the Romanian government when he said, "the event allowed stories of injustice to be shared, including that of a 28-year-old Romanian woman imprisoned there for more than eight years. The Romanian government, still communist in thinking, did nothing to help her."

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To some visible shock, Peter Humphrey produced copies of numerous products made in the Chinese prison where he and others were held, products which were readily available in supermarkets and malls across Europe; and Marius Balo described his prison facility as really being a large factory, where cell blocks took up only a small part of the facility. The Swedish citizen Peter Dahlin, referencing a forthcoming report from Safeguard Defenders, said 32% of surveyed prisoners were forced to work without any pay at all – while others have pointed out that while they officially received a certain pay, the actual payment received shrank because much of it was skimmed in acts of corruption by the prison authorities.

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In his brief presentation before the discussions, Peter Dahlin also outlined the RSDL system, residential surveillance at a designated location, which takes the powerlessness of a pre-trial detainee to new extremes, where people are kept at secret locations, for up to half a year, incommunicado from the outside world, and without legal counsel. This system, designed to be a rare exception, now grabs tens of thousands of victims per year. It has been systematically used in politically sensitive cases, as well as against at least 21 foreign citizens that we know of so far.

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Peter Humphrey spotlighted the USA’s Levinson act, and its establishment of a Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEA). “Today the European Union has no legislation comparable to the American Levinson Act which sets out criteria to designate an American prisoner held overseas as arbitrarily detained or as a hostage."

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He went on to point out that there is a Chinese legal mechanism to get a prisoner out of China that most governments are not using. “Even China has a law that can help European governments get their citizens out of Chinese prisons. A Chinese law promulgated in 2018 allows any country - even a country that has no bilateral prisoner transfer agreement with Beijing - to initiate a discussion with Chinese judicial authorities to transfer a citizen from a Chinese jail to one in their home country,” he said. “But most governments have not bothered to look at this, or even notice it, except perhaps France,“ he added.

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Peter Dahlin outlined the failures of European governments to act on cases in a coordinated manner. He showcased how, when a citizen of an EU member state is detained by China and there is a clear political motive or revenge motive aimed at gaining diplomatic leverage, the country is largely left standing alone, and that China has clearly anticipated and exploited this as part of its divide-and-rule strategy to pick off EU countries one by one, knowing there is unlikely to be a coordinated response.

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Ding Lebin [and exiled German-based Chinese citizen, whose parents have been jailed on multiple occasions and tortured for practicing the falungong religion] warned that "the CCP is using the persecution of Falun Gong as an ongoing testing ground for methods of repression against other religious communities and human rights defenders.“ With the recent expansion of the crackdown on Christian "house churches", his words rang eerily true. It would benefit the EU and its member states to pay closer attention not only as it is the moral right thing to do, but to identify changes that may later be applied to a wide variety of other groups.

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Ding Lebin called on "The European Union, the G7, and EU member states [to] initiate an independent international investigation into this persecution, make freedom of religion and belief in China a core component of national security objectives when engaging with Communist China, expand sanctions against CCP perpetrators, and combat transnational repression.”

Web Archive link

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51621837

Catalyzed by a global polycrisis and associated disruptions, Taiwan and European countries have rapidly moved towards deepening their relations—resulting in a five-fold increase in engagement volume in recent years. Engagement is now delving into the more sensitive areas of security and defense cooperation. To ensure continued momentum, both sides need to invest in future-proofing their mutually-beneficial ties.

[Op-ed by Matej Šimalčík, Executive Director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies.]

Towards the end of January this year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that called for “enhancing security and defense cooperation and partnership with the EU’s Indo-Pacific partners, including Taiwan, particularly in drone technology and relevant industries.”

The European Parliament’s call for more defense cooperation with Taiwan has followed sustained efforts by certain member states—namely Poland, Czechia, and Baltic nations—to chase down drone cooperation with Taiwan. These European countries seek to remilitarize and achieve technology transfers and investments with added value—largely inspired by Ukraine’s successful use of drones in its defense against Russian aggression.

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This development is part of a broader trend of maturing ties between European states and Taiwan. Taiwan-European ties have increasingly normalized over the past five years, shifting from covert engagement to interactions in the public spotlight. Data on mutual engagements between EU members and Taiwan—collected by the EU-Taiwan Tracker project run by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies—shows a five-fold increase in overt engagements with Taiwanese interlocutors between 2019 and 2024. These engagements span economic, political, security, para-diplomatic, and civil society fields.

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For a long time, European governments have treated security and defense cooperation with Taiwan as a taboo issue, driven by fears of potential Chinese retribution ... The recent evolutions in drone cooperation, however, indicate that perceptions regarding defense and security cooperation with Taiwan are rapidly changing across Europe. In fact, three recent developments have been essential to dismantling the traditional taboos.

First, “security-adjacent” economic cooperation is exposing Europeans to the idea of security, and even military, cooperation with Taiwan. While partnerships on secure UAV supply chains are one example of security-adjacent economic cooperation, more is already happening. Last September, an unprecedented number of European companies made their way to Taipei to showcase their products at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition ... Among them was Airbus, the European aerospace giant, which is otherwise keen on selling its commercial aircraft to China, the company’s largest individual market. Czech and German defense companies also made appearances.

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Secondly, Taiwan and Europe increasingly engage on matters of soft security, such as dialogues on how to respond to Chinese and Russian foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) operations. Overlapping interests also exist in the protection of critical infrastructure (such as undersea cables) or economic security. Much of the cooperation has been driven by the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), a platform initiated in 2015 by Taiwan with the participation of the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada.

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Thirdly, the global polycrisis, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s weaponization of supply chains, and Chinese and North Korean support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, have driven home the understanding that European and Indo-Pacific security are deeply interconnected. This has contributed to advent of European nations’ freedom-of-navigation operations (FONOPs) in the region. European nations have even conducted FONOPs through the Taiwan Strait, asserting its status as an international waterway.

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Web Archive link

Europe’s battery dependence on China is clear, but closing the gap alone will be difficult. Partnering with South Korea, the world’s second-largest manufacturer, offers a faster and more realistic route

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Europe is still highly dependent on foreign players. China dominates the entire battery supply chain, producing 80% of global battery cells, most of them within its own borders. For lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, increasingly preferred by carmakers, China controls a staggering 94% of global production. European EVs using LFP batteries rose from 3% in 2022 to 10% in 2024, with nearly all supplied by China.

Closing the gap with a purely domestic strategy will be difficult. A more realistic route for Europe lies in deepening industrial cooperation with other countries. South Korea is one such promising partner, with globally competitive firms, large-scale manufacturing capacity, existing industrial footprint in Europe—accounting for 78% of our installed battery-manufacturing capacity—and active efforts to reduce dependencies on China.

This should be seen as a complement, not a substitute for building up Europe’s own industry. With the right policy framework, cooperation can accelerate de-risking while enabling the sharing of technology and manufacturing knowledge that many European players still lack.

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To strengthen these pull factors, European policy should continue efforts to reduce red tape, simplify permitting procedures and, most importantly, stay on course with the green transition. Policy reversals, like the recent softening of fleet requirements for European carmakers, undermine confidence in Europe’s future battery demand and ultimately weaken Europe’s attractiveness as an investment destination.

China’s battery dominance in Europe is not inevitable. South Korea already stands as a capable and established partner, producing NMC and increasingly LFP cells for both EVs and energy storage, while actively diversifying their supply chains from Chinese inputs. With the right policy framework, this partnership could form the backbone of a more resilient battery supply chain in Europe.

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Web Archive link

Japan and the European Union agreed Tuesday to strengthen their cooperation over regulations regarding social media and other online platforms.

Based on the agreement, reached at the fourth ministerial meeting of the Japan-EU Digital Partnership framework held in Brussels, regulatory authorities of the two sides will promote talks on taking measures against illegal content and ensuring transparency in implementation rules.

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A joint statement adopted at the meeting called for Japan-EU cooperation in areas that are important in light of economic security, such as data flow and communications infrastructure, in addition to artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other advanced technologies.

Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president of the European Commission, the executive organ of the EU, said at a news conference that cooperating with like-minded countries such as Japan is essential.

[Japan communications minister Yoshimasa] Hayashi said that Japan and the EU share a need to protect minors on online platforms, adding that Japan plans to take appropriate measures while watching discussions in the EU.

The Japan-EU Digital Partnership was launched at a meeting between Japanese and EU leaders in 2022.

Under the framework, Japan and the EU are advancing cooperation in a wide range of areas such as AI, semiconductors and communications infrastructure. Progress is reviewed at an annual ministerial meeting.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51599942

After 8 years of negotiations, Australia has secured a landmark trade deal with the European Union, the world’s second largest economy.

The Australia–European Union Free Trade Agreement will lower trade and investment barriers between Australia and the European Union – a market of around 450 million people.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, together with the Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator the Hon Don Farrell and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Mr Maroš Šefčovič announced the conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement today which, together with the Australia-EU Security and Defence partnership, is a key aspect of our growing strategic relationship.

The deal will strengthen our economic and strategic partnership; demonstrate our mutual commitment to open and rules-based trade; and diversify our trade – bolstering Australia’s competitiveness, growth and resilience in an increasingly uncertain global trade environment.

The trade agreement will result in 98 per cent of the current value of Australia’s exports entering the European Union duty free.

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The rights of Australians have been protected to continue using well known terms such as parmesan, and kransky. And the right for Australian winemakers to keep making and selling Prosecco domestically. Grandfathering and lengthy phase-out periods have been secured for a limited number of terms such as Feta, Romano and Gruyere.

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Almost all Australian exports of manufactured goods and mineral resources will face zero import tariffs into the European Union. For example, the elimination of European Union tariffs on Australian critical minerals and hydrogen will support our ambition to become a renewable energy superpower and help stabilise supply chains.

The trade agreement will support investment in both directions. The European Union was Australia’s second largest source of foreign investment in 2024, with total investment stock worth $869.3 billion.

Australian companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, will have better access to bid for lucrative European government contracts, worth around $845 billion annually, including for rail and construction.

Australian service providers will have greater market access to the European Union, including in financial services, education, tourism and communications. Australian professionals will be able to travel to the European Union more easily and will benefit from streamlined recognition of their Australian qualifications.

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The Agreement will enter into force when both Australia and the European Union have completed their domestic processes.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51599704

Kiwi exports to the European union have increased by $3 billion in two years under the New Zealand-European Union free trade agreement.

In a press release Trade Minister Todd McClay said, “making full use of the agreement is vital in a time of global uncertainty and supports New Zealand’s goal of doubling export value within a decade."

The European Union ambassador to New Zealand, Lawrence Meredith, joined Mike Hosking to chat about the numbers.

Meredith said, "I think it's a mutual trust is going up and mutual opportunities."

Web Archive link

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51599499

The EU’s Ambassador to Canada, Geneviève Tuts, says the bloc is looking to "elevate" its relationship with this country and take it to the "next level."

In an interview with the CBC’s Power & Politics on Tuesday, Tuts dismissed the idea of outright membership, but said Canada and the EU should look for "something else, something stronger than what we have today."

"We have to be creative, we have to be innovative, and we are creative in Europe, we have ideas," Tuts said.

Recent polling suggests the idea of Canada joining the EU is gaining in popularity within Europe. The notion has been floated by France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

A country can join the EU if it fulfils what's known as the Copenhagen criteria, a list of specific values such stable democratic institutions, the rule of law and human rights. Any European State which respects these values may apply.

While Tuts said that poses obvious geographic restrictions for Canada, "that doesn’t mean that we should not look for another form of co-operation."

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A pro-Russian hacker group accused by European authorities of carrying out cyberattacks against governments, banks and infrastructure across the West has turned participation in cybercrime into what it calls a “patriotic online game,” recruiting volunteers through Telegram and rewarding them with cryptocurrency.

The group, NoName057(16), has claimed responsibility for waves of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on public institutions and private companies across Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western intelligence agencies and Europol say the hackers function as part of Russia’s broader hybrid war against countries supporting Kyiv.

An investigation by the Poland-based news outlet Vot Tak, conducted with cybersecurity experts from RKS.Global, found that the group’s activity has not diminished despite a major Europol-led crackdown in July 2025 known as Operation Eastwood.

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One of the group’s most visible campaigns came during Denmark’s municipal elections in November 2025. Fearing disruptions, local authorities installed backup generators, printed paper voter lists and bought camping lanterns for polling stations in case of outages.

The precautions followed waves of cyberattacks that temporarily disrupted Danish government websites, political parties, municipal administrations, police services, railway operators and a defense company.

Responsibility was claimed by NoName057(16), which had warned in a private channel days earlier that Denmark would be its next target.

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Initially focused on Ukrainian media and government websites, it later expanded across Europe and beyond, targeting countries that support Kyiv, including the U.S., Canada, Israel and Taiwan.

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The group’s operations rely on software called DDoSia, which experts say is simple enough for non-specialists to install.

RKS.Global researchers downloaded and analyzed the program for Vot Tak. Available for Windows, Linux, macOS and Android, it can be installed on phones, computers and even routers.

Once installed, the software effectively turns the device into a participant in cybercrime.

Users do not choose targets themselves. NoName057(16) administrators send attack configurations from rented control servers, specifying which domains or IP addresses should be hit. After receiving those instructions, the infected device automatically begins generating traffic against the selected targets.

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The EU is sending a team of experts specialised in combating Russian propaganda and interference to Armenia, as it increases its support to the former Soviet republic in a tense political period.

In a highly symbolic sequence of events, EU leaders will hold their first summit with Armenia on Tuesday, after a pan-European gathering of about 45 leaders at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.

The EU has been deepening links with Armenia as Russian influence has waned since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that is seen as having diverted Moscow’s attention other countries it regards as its “near abroad”.

On Tuesday, Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and the EU leaders, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, are expected to formally welcome the concept of an EU mission to counter foreign interference in Armenia at the summit in Yerevan, where they will also discuss energy, transport and economic support.

The EU is setting up a team of 20-30 civilian experts for a two-year mission based in Armenia aimed at improving the response to Russian cyber-attacks, information manipulation and interference, as well as countering illicit financial flows. The mission, which could be increased in headcount and duration, is expected to start work after parliamentary elections on 7 June.

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Separately, the EU’s foreign service has announced “a hybrid rapid-response team” with the short-term goal of battling foreign interference before those elections, which are seen as pivotal in determining whether Armenia stays on a broadly pro-western path.

The EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said last month: “Armenians are facing massive disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks. When Armenians go to the polls in June, they alone should choose their country’s future.”

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Armenia is under heavy pressure from Russia, still a significant trading and security partner, which has a base in the city of Gyumri. Moscow has imposed restrictions on the sale of imported Armenian mineral water and cognac, which recalls similar attempts to use economic leverage over its neighbours. Vladimir Putin has also warned Pashinyan that cheap Russian gas supplies are at stake if Armenia pursues deeper integration with Europe.

MEPs last week urged the EU to go beyond the symbolism of events in Armenia. In a non-binding resolution, the European parliament called for a robust international election observation mission, cybersecurity for electoral infrastructure and strong safeguards against vote buying.

The French centrist MEP Nathalie Loiseau, who was involved in drafting the text, said: “Faced with all those seeking to pressure Armenian voters, the country is looking to the European Union to help it hold free and fair elections.”

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Over 50 cities, mostly European, have either restricted or tabled motions to introduce formal limitations on the advertisement of polluting products and services. Some – including several Dutch municipalities, Stockholm, Edinburgh and Sydney – have banned them altogether.

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Russian diplomats in Paris have had their bank cards blocked from making fuel purchases, Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Meshkov told the state news agency, The Moscow Times reported.

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Meshkov ... stated that a Belgian bank initially triggered the block, and subsequent attempts to pay for gas through a French bank were also rejected. “This is a precedent literally from this week, because before this, even since 2022, there had never been any problems from this point of view,” the ambassador noted.

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The diplomat called the frozen cards a “substantial blow,” citing the high fuel prices in Europe. He also complained that the embassy’s issues with its bank accounts have become “practically permanent.”

This financial squeeze follows a February 2025 decision by France to block the accounts of the Russian House in Paris [the Kremlin’s so-called “cultural humanitarian organization”— the Russian House—remains a key tool of Moscow’s political subversion], though the French Finance Ministry later allowed basic “life-supporting” payments to be processed directly through a bank employee, according to The Moscow Times.

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In a joint resolution, members of the European Parliament across the political spectrum condemned "China’s repressive assimilation policies and consequent violations of universal human rights, including in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia", the resolution reads.

"[The Parliament] expresses grave concern over the adopted Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which openly promotes assimilation policies and restricts the cultural, religious and linguistic freedoms of various groups within China and beyond."

The lawmakers urge China to repeal the law, thereby upholding its obligations under international law regarding non-discrimination, and call on European Council to activate the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against officials and entities responsible for conceiving and implementing this law.

The resolution also urges all EU Member States to suspend extradition treaties with China to protect persecuted individuals residing in the EU from the risks of transnational repression under this law.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51208875

• "Europe and ​Canada are more than just like-minded partners - together we are building a global ​alliance to defend peace, shared ​prosperity and multilateralism," wrote [European Council President Antonio] Costa on [social media].

• The ‌European ⁠Political Community, whose forthcoming meeting is due on May 4 in Armenia, is a gathering ​of nearly ​50 heads ⁠of state and government, including from the EU-27, ​Britain, Norway, Switzerland and ​Ukraine.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51052167

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a fundamental shift in European policy, arguing that the continent must “wake up” to a new reality where the US, Russia, and China are all categorically opposed to European interests.

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Speaking in Athens during a discussion with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday, April 24, Macron described the current period as a “unique moment” of geopolitical pressure.

He emphasized that the tension with Washington is an “historical trend” likely to persist beyond the term of US President Donald Trump. “We must be a little more self-confident and propose our own agenda,” Macron stated, urging European nations to act with greater unity to protect their own interests.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has announced that Ukraine will assist Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in countering Russian disinformation and accusations surrounding the use of airspace by Ukrainian drones.

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Sybiha emphasized the growing information warfare by Russia in the Baltic countries.

“The Russians are particularly active in spreading disinformation in the Baltic states. They are sending the message that you have provided your airspace for the use of Ukrainian drones. There are also other aspects,” he said.

The Minister further stated that the Baltic nations have requested Ukraine’s help in de-escalating the tension caused by Russia’s threats.

“Of course, we will help our friends,” Sybiha confirmed.

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In a related development, Estonia’s foreign intelligence service has issued a warning about the need for Europe to enhance its defense and internal security to prevent Russia from perceiving an opportunity to challenge NATO.

Kaupo Rosin, head of the Estonian intelligence service, stressed that “Europe must invest in defense and internal security so that... in the future, Russia would conclude it has no chance against NATO countries.”

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The EU, together with Ukraine and Canada, will co-host a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on 11 May in Brussels.

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According to Ukrainian authorities, over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This, paired with Russia's systematic efforts to conceal their identities and whereabouts, demands sustained international support. Ensuring that perpetrators of these heinous violations of international humanitarian law are held accountable is paramount.

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The meeting will bring together partners from across the world with the clear mission of returning all Ukrainian children that were unlawfully taken by Russia, helping them reintegrate back into their families, culture and society, as well as hold Russia accountable for its criminal actions.

The European Union, together with its partners, is supporting Ukraine in its quest to ensure that all Ukrainian children are returned to their homes. The International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was launched in Kyiv in February 2024 and is co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada, with the EU becoming a full member in September 2025 ... It unites 47 countries and international organisations and serves as a platform for coordinating the diplomatic, humanitarian, legal, and informational efforts of foreign governments that, together with Ukraine, are working to address the problem of the deportation of children.

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The German Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador following recent statements from Moscow that targeted European drone manufacturers supporting Ukraine.

German officials issued a formal protest against what they described as intimidation tactics directed at companies operating within Europe.

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The ministry stated that Germany would not be intimidated by such actions and noted that both threats and espionage activities are entirely unacceptable.

The tension began on April 15 when the Russian Defense Ministry published two lists of European companies that it claims are involved in the production of strike drones or components for the Ukrainian military.

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The first list, titled "Branches of Ukrainian Companies in Europe," included 11 entities across several cities, including London, Munich, Riga, Vilnius, and Prague. A second list identified 10 additional foreign companies located in cities such as Madrid, Venice, and Haifa.

Moscow claimed the lists were published so that European citizens would understand the risks to their security and know the locations of facilities producing drone technology.

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Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, referred to the companies as "a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces" and suggested that strikes against these locations would depend on how the situation develops during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevskyy after Moscow issued threats against European nations involved in joint drone production with Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Petr Macinka ordered the meeting to express a strong protest, labeling Russia's rhetoric against Czech entities as completely unacceptable.

During the discussion, Czech officials emphasized that their support for Ukraine was based on international law and reminded the ambassador that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine remained the primary cause of regional instability.

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Russia could attack a European country because it benefits China, Admiral Rob Bauer, former NATO Military Committee head and chief military advisor to the Alliance's Secretary General until January 2025, said in an interview with NV on April 20.

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"I believe in this [that Russia could attack a European country], but it is not related to Ukraine," he said.

"It is related to China. So, the scenario that deeply worries NATO is that China is forging ties with Russia to attack Taiwan, because if Russia attacked a European country, if that happens, the U.S. would have to choose and fight on two fronts. One front is Europe, and the other is in the Asia-Pacific region. This is the scenario now being considered, and it causes concern for NATO. And since Russia is increasingly becoming a Chinese satellite, it will likely have to do it. I think this is a very alarming scenario."

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Russia strategically lost the war against Ukraine because the conflict turned Russia into a Chinese satellite, unable to continue the war without Beijing's help, he added.

"It is unacceptable for China if Russia loses the war," the former NATO secretary general's advisor noted.

"However, China is simultaneously not interested in Russia winning the war. A long war benefits China because it keeps us, the democratic world, occupied as we support you."

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The European Union will hold exercises to test its mutual assistance mechanism in the event of armed aggression against one of its member states.

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Russia could seize an island in the Baltic Sea to "test NATO's resolve," The Times cited Swedish Commander-in-Chief Michael Claesson in an article published on April 15.

Russia launched a disinformation campaign in Lithuania about the "Klaipėda People's Republic," the Center for Countering Disinformation reported on April 12, citing data from the Lithuanian State Security Department.

Moscow will take "appropriate measures" if EU countries provide their airspace for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on March 31.

If Russia attacks any European Union member state, it will be regarded as an attack on the entire bloc, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated in response.

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