The distinction between the consumer and the producer of information vanishes once their activity becomes data. To be online is to both consume and produce data, that is value. Users generate data through interactions which platforms monetize. This unpaid ‘labour’ is comparable to Marx’s labour power, as users produce value (data).▪️AI algorithms, cloud infrastructure, and digital platforms are the new means of production, and they are concentrated in very few hands.
Data extraction and collection is driven by the dictates of capital accumulation, which in turn drives capital to construct and rely upon a universe where everything is reduced to data. Since the data which is fed into machines has undergone a preliminary abstraction process, there is nothing to stop this data from being outcomes of previous cycles of artificial production of information through data. Data generate data that generate data and so on. Like interest-bearing capital, 'a mysterious and self-creating source of its own increase … self-valorising value, money-breeding money’, as Marx describes the process of financialization that autonomizes capital from its own support.
▪️Data accumulation and capital accumulation have led to the same outcome: growing inequality and the consolidation of monopoly corporate power.
But as the autonomization of capital that crowds out non-financial investments has a detrimental effect on productive sectors, so does the proliferation of AI content online. Several researchers have pointed out that generating data out of synthetic data leads to dangerous distortions. Training large language models on their own output doesn’t work and may lead to ‘model collapse’, a degenerative process whereby, over time, models forget the true underlying data distribution, start hallucinating and producing nonsense.3
Without a constant input of good quality data produced by humans, these language models cannot improve. ▪️The question is, who is going to feed well-written, factually correct, AI-free texts when an increasing number of people are offloading cognitive effort to artificial intelligence, and there is mounting evidence that human intelligence is declining?
Read more in my latest article https://lauraruggeri.substack.com/p/the-ghost-in-the-machine-artificial

AI evangelists claim that artificial intelligence will act as a transformative, almost divine force to solve humanity’s problems ushering in an era of prosperity and transcendence. In fact, if the current trajectory is any indication of future developments, AI is more likely to entrench a hyper-capitalist dystopia, rather than build a post-capitalist utopia. (...) In the spectral phantasmagoria of Artificial Intelligence, the “utopian” and the “cynical” have joined hands.
▪️In my latest article i explored the complex interplay of audience dynamics, economic and cultural factors that incentivizes both the rise of AI plagiarism and the social influencer industry, its impact on traditional media, the erosion of trust and the need for transparency and regulation. Walter Benjamin and Karl Marx were my copilots 😉 https://lauraruggeri.substack.com/p/the-ghost-in-the-machine-artificial

A terrorist attack kills Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate, just when Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in Moscow for negotiations with Vladimir Putin. Moskalik, 59, was part of several high-profile Russian foreign delegations in recent years, including in at least two rounds of talks with Ukraine and western officials in 2015 and 2019.
Insiders close to the defence ministry say his influence within the Russian military was on the rise. ▪️I can think of a country that would stop at nothing in order to derail US-Russia negotiations. Cue: it works closely with Ukrainian terrorists.
According to Baza Telegram channel https://t.me/bazabazon/36859 the last owner of the car that exploded in Balashikha, near Moscow, is Ignat Kuzin, a native of Sumy, in Ukraine.
He bought the Volkswagen Golf in early February 2025 from the previous owner and flew from Russia to Turkey on April 19, a few days after he had parked a car packed with explosives outside the general's house. @LauraRuHK

Vladimir Putin would not be at risk of being arrested in Italy under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, as officials never completed the procedures required to make it valid. The failure to file the necessary paperwork is not likely to have been the result of an oversight or a coincidence, La Repubblica reported, suggesting instead a “political choice.”

The decision reflects the Italian government’s position that heads of state and government are protected from prosecution. Diplomatic immunity does not apply to the other Russian officials mentioned in the ICC warrants. Nevertheless, neither the Russian president nor other officials and commanders are likely to travel to Italy, as some are subject to personal EU sanctions. Despite this, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova is set to travel to Italy to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, according to the Kremlin. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK

September 2024, thousands of handheld pagers and hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded simultaneously in two separate events across Lebanon and Syria killing dozens of innocent civilians and injuring thousands more in markets, schools, hospitals... A few weeks later Netanyahu admitted Israel's responsibility. Now the genocidal entity is honoring the Mossad operatives behind these terrorist attacks. Makes sense. The Zionist entity has been a terrorist state since its inception. @LauraRuHK

Sul Corriere della Sera il sud-est dell'Ucraina diventa "sud-est asiatico". Meraviglie dell'Intelligenza Artificiale o della deficienza umana? Posso offrire un aiutino? Ora e' un villaggio nel sud-ovest della Federazione Russa. 😉 @LauraRuHK

I am occasionally impressed by my compatriots' knack for creative accounting. According to Politico's sources, the Italian government intends to reclassify as "military" existing civilian infrastructure and expenditure to reach NATO's defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP. However, Rome may still have to buy some new American weapons systems to appease Washington. The push for rearmament in Europe is hugely unpopular in Italy. @LauraRuHK 👉https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-harbors-private-doubts-over-hitting-2-percent-nato-limit/

This article is for dreamers and pragmatists. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/23/WS6808358aa3104d9fd3820ee2.html

CUI PRODEST? In Kashmir a terrorist attack killed 26 people and injured 19 more at a tourist resort. An obscure "rent-a-terrorist" group, " The Resistance Front," alleged to be a proxy organization associated with the jihadist Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, cut short a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia (India and Saudia Arabia are BRCS members) and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday morning to hold an urgent meeting with his national security adviser, the foreign minister and other senior officials.
India is currently hosting US Vice President JD Vance, who arrived on Monday and is scheduled to leave on Thursday. This attack risks triggering sectarian violence in the region, which could further complicate relations between India and Muslim countries. @LauraRuHK

Officials from the US, Europe, and Ukraine were unable to hold a meeting in London to discuss the Ukraine issue because they had failed to bring their positions closer, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.

"As far as we understand, they have been unable to align their positions on some issues, which is why the meeting did not take place," he noted.

Peskov also pointed out that the London meeting was supposed to give the US "an opportunity to continue its mediation efforts."

According to the Daily Telegraph, the US planned to present a seven-point settlement plan at the London meeting, which included Washington’s recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea. However, Vladimir Zelensky rejected the option on Tuesday, after which, according to the New York Times, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called off his trip to the UK. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK

🇺🇸🇨🇳Martedì Donald Trump ha cominciato a fare un passo indietro e a moderare i toni, affermando che i dazi sulle merci cinesi “non rimarranno al 145%” e che “scenderanno sostanzialmente, ma non saranno pari a zero”. Il Segretario al Tesoro americano Scott Bessent, dal canto suo, ha sottolineato che la guerra commerciale è “insostenibile” e che gli Stati Uniti hanno bisogno di una “de-escalation”. Non appena la Casa Bianca ha accennato ad un ammorbidimento della sua posizione sui dazi, i titoli di Wall Street hanno fatto un balzo.

È chiaro che l'amministrazione Trump cederà sotto la pressione - i segnali di deterioramento dell'economia statunitense sono impossibili da ignorare. La Cina da parte sua non mostra alcuna fretta o intenzione di concludere un accordo in tempi brevi. L'umore prevalente sembra essere “lasciamo che Washington maceri nel suo brodo e si renda conto dei suoi errori”.

@LauraRuHK

🇺🇸🇨🇳On Tuesday, Donald Trump dialed back his rhetoric, stating that tariffs on Chinese goods “will not be as high as 145 per cent” and that “they’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pointed out the trade war is "unsustainable" and the US needs a "de-escalation". As soon as The White House hinted at softening its stance on tariffs against China Wall Street stocks jumped.

It's clear that the Trump administration is caving under pressure as signs of a deterioration in the US economy become impossible to dismiss. China, on the other hand, is showing no urgency and no intention to rush into a deal anytime soon. 'Let Washington come to its senses' seems to be the prevalent mood. @LauraRuHK

I'd better go back to the jewellery store and get my ring.😉 JP Morgan sees gold prices crossing the $4,000 per ounce milestone next year, following increased recession probabilities amid boosted U.S. tariffs and an ongoing U.S.-China trade war.

The bank now expects gold prices to reach an average of $3,675/oz by 4Q25, on the way towards above $4,000/oz by 2Q26, with risks skewed towards an earlier overshoot of these forecasts if demand surpasses its expectations.

"Underpinning our forecast for gold prices heading towards $4,000/oz next year is continued strong investor and central bank gold demand averaging around 710 tonnes a quarter on net this year," the bank noted.

Spot gold, which has gained 29% and hit 28 record highs this year, touched the $3,500 per ounce milestone for the first time on Tuesday. (Source: Reuters) @LauraRuHK

#Gold price. What a difference a day makes. With my birthday coming up, last night i took a picture of this ring. Today i walked into the jewellery store...and then walked out. Without the ring. 😅

The EU and the UK are gearing up to impose a naval blockade on Russia, Nikolay Patrushev, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has said. He warned that Moscow has a fleet powerful enough to respond to any such move.

In an interview published on Monday by Kommersant, Patrushev, who chairs Russia’s Maritime Board, a body which oversees national policy in this domain, stated that Moscow is facing escalating threats and challenges at sea amid growing geopolitical tensions.

“The collective West no longer hides its intentions to expel our shipping from the seas, while sanctions plans mulled, for example, by the British and some EU members increasingly resemble a maritime blockade,” he said.

Patrushev warned that these steps would “meet an adequate and proportionate response” from Moscow. “If diplomatic or legal instruments do not take effect, the security of Russian shipping will be ensured by our navy. The hotheads in London or Brussels need to clearly understand this,” he said. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK

Today is Tin Hau festival and local fishermen are having a blast: dragon boat races, lion dances, music, copious amounts of food and beer, Cantonese opera...

It's Tin Hau festival and local fishermen are having a blast. Dragon boat races, lion dances, music, copious amounts of food and beer, Cantonese opera...

Buona Pasqua! Счастливой Пасхи! Happy Easter to all those who celebrate. Thank you for reaching out to me. I am neither on holiday nor incapacitated. I haven't updated the channel because i am busy writing a long article that requires all my concentration and mental energy — at the best of times these are scarce resources. Even more so when i have to prepare for my next trip to Russia.

The US will seek to force the EU to choose between the US and China on trade, according to briefings circulated to senior ministers and officials.
The overall US strategy is to decouple from China, and any country wishing to have a trade deal with the US will also have to distance itself from Beijing. ▪️The Europeans have already experienced deep economic trauma because of cutting off Russia. They cannot imagine cutting off China. Expect more strong arm tactics. ▪️In 2023 the Biden administration, during Von der Leyen's visit to Washington, had tried to cajole the EU into linking arms to confront China. Right on cue the European Commission initiated its "anti-subsidy investigation" into Chinese electric vehicles at the end of 2023 and introduced tariffs in July 2024. The US had also persuaded European policy makers to apply export restrictions to the high tech sector. For example, ASML, a Dutch maker of semiconductor production equipment, was forced to suspend the export to China of EUV lithography machines. The EU is developing a bloc-wide export control system to limit technology transfers to China, especially in high-tech sectors like semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing, which makes no sense considering EU countries lag behind China in these fields. @LauraRuHK

The Militarisation of European Consciousness: An ‘Enemy at the Gates’ as a Way to Unite Society

On April 15, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled “The Radicalisation of European Society as a Response to Global Challenges”. 

Anton Bespalov, the moderator of the discussion, noted that in the countries of not only the Global South, but also the Global North, the question of what Europe really wants regularly arises. What is the reason for the irreconcilable position of European elites at the national and supranational levels on the Ukrainian crisis, which is becoming increasingly radical against the backdrop of the crisis in the European economy and the weakening of transatlantic ties? Could it be that there is no “mysterious European soul”, and remilitarisation is only a way to overcome the crisis and increase social cohesion?

“Just recently, Europe celebrated the ‘end of history’ and claimed the laurels of a world symbol of economic prosperity, humanism and democracy,” said Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems at the Russian Foreign Ministry. – Today, even the most convinced Eurocentrists recognise the critical processes in the European community and the existence of systemic internal socio-economic problems.” Moreover, these problems are largely caused by the European Union’s move to curtail trade and economic relations with Russia. The policy of sanctions pressure and refusal to make use of Russian energy resources and other goods has hit the European economy, contributing to the deindustrialisation of Europe. Critical phenomena in the economy have led to an exacerbation of social contradictions.

Anatol Lieven, Senior Researcher at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Public Administration (United Kingdom), pointed out the deep gap between the rhetoric of European elites and their plans. Statements about a “state of war with Russia” have become commonplace, but at the same time, society is clearly not ready for collective sacrifices. If peace in Ukraine can be achieved, a significant part of this radical impulse will disappear. The idea of reindustrialising Europe through defence spending has come to the fore. The strategy of the current Western European elite will be based on attempts to unite the population using a military spending programme, mobilisation and the fight against the opposition put forward by Russian agents. Thus, the tectonic shift in European politics, although partly caused by the conflict in Ukraine, is primarily generated by changes in the economy. Ultimately, according to Lieven, some kind of compromise with Russia will be inevitable.

Alexander Kamkin, Senior Researcher at the Sector for Analysis of Political Change and Identity at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations outlined the situation in Germany. He identified the following key trends: remilitarisation, both material and mental, the search for a proper place in the foreign policy sphere, the adoption of a new migration picture, and the “Russian question”, which has become the main one in political discourse. According to Kamkin, a paradox has emerged in German politics: the most radical Russophobes and militarists are now not Alternative for Germany, but parties that were previously considered pacifist and moderate. At present, the course towards radicalisation and the remilitarisation of consciousness is actually being pursued by the ruling coalition. https://valdaiclub.com/events/posts/articles/the-militarisation-of-european-consciousness-an-enemy-at-the-gates/

The 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, celebrated on May 9, 2025, in Moscow, will be attended by several heads of state. According to recent reports, these leaders have already confirmed their presence:
Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela
Robert Fico, Slovakia
Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine
Xi Jinping, China
Narendra Modi, India
Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus
Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia
Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan
Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba
Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska
Tô Lâm, Vietnam
Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso
Sadir Japarov, Kyrgyzstan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova sees the European Union's threat to reject Serbia’s bid to join the union if the country’s leader Aleksandar Vucic comes to the Victory Day Parade in Moscow as "Euronazism."
"If this is the case, then Euronazism is being revived before our eyes," she said. "80 years ago, this is how the fascists forced those who were considered ‘second-class citizens’ to abandon their homeland, ethnicity, and faith."
Maria Zakharova called Ukraine’s possible invitation of European Union leaders to Kiev on May 9 a "theatre of the absurd."

"The theatre of the absurd. For more than a decade now, these two words have characterized most of the events, steps, and statements that we hear and see from the so-called collective West and all those who pledge loyalty to it,"
the diplomat said on Sputnik radio after a request to comment on Ukraine’s invitation of the European leaders to Kiev on May 9, and words of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about the consequences for those who will go to Moscow for the Victory Day Parade.

"You said Zelensky stated that he was ready or could invite representatives of the European Union countries or heads of the European Union countries to Kiev for the event, probably on May 8, yes, they will celebrate, not on the 9th, or what?
After all, earlier he said that it was precisely on the 8th that Memorial Day should be marked in solidarity with the countries of the European Union. Am I wrong? After all, this very regime, this very Zelensky, was sailing full speed away from May 9, rejecting it, marginalizing this sacred date, inventing narratives associated with how it should be celebrated in Europe—what they call Western Europe. And he was sailing with all sails set in the direction of May 8."

The diplomat said that due to the time difference the signing of the act of German surrender in 1945 fell on May 8 in Western European countries, and on May 9 in Russia. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK

Smoke and mirrors - I asked Grok (AI owned by X) two questions "How many X accounts are bots?" and "How much of non-bots content is AI-generated?"
Obviously this state of affair is not limited to X/Twitter. Bots and AI-generated content have flooded all social media platforms, follower counts are artificially inflated, while real users are frustrated and disillusioned. And i am not even talking about censorship and shadow banning, as i have already done so ad nauseam. Bots and undeclared AI undermine real engagement drowning out original content while algorithms amplify these trends. Ironically, you need AI tools like GPTZero to recognize AI content.
Several authors whose work I respect have left social media platforms and erased their profiles to concentrate on their writing and real life interactions. Though I haven't followed their example yet, I now limit the time I spend online to a bare minimum and dedicate myself to healthier and more rewarding pursuits than feeding the Moloch. @LauraRuHK

Elegantly put 😅

On Monday, Xi Jinping arrived in Hanoi to pay a state visit to Vietnam, mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and attend the launch of the Vietnam-China Railway Cooperation, which will help manage an US$8 billion rail project to link Vietnam’s largest northern port city to the border with China. China is the largest trading partner of Vietnam, and one of its biggest foreign investors; Vietnam, on the other hand, has become an important link in the international supply chain, a manufacturing powerhouse and a key route for Chinese exports. Xi, and his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam, witnessed the signing of dozens of agreements covering areas such as connectivity, artificial intelligence, customs inspection, agricultural product trade, culture and sports, people's livelihood, human resources development, and media. ▪️At a time when the region faces a potential disruption of global trade due to Trump's tariffs, Xi urged Vietnam and China to “resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment”.
He also reiterated that a “trade war and tariff war will produce no winner, and protectionism will lead nowhere.” The message certainly resonated with Vietnam: the US is its biggest export market and Trump has recently imposed a 46 per cent tariff on Vietnamese goods.
Today Xi Jinping will continue his South-East Asia tour by visiting Malaysia and later Cambodia. @LauraRuHK

The US bipartisan consensus, which has solidified over the past decade, frames China as the lead villain in trade and tech, and as the United States’ primary geopolitical rival. The narrative about the imaginary genocide of Uyghurs and Tibetans, and the rhetoric about repression in Hong Kong, are co-authored by both parties. Republicans are more likely to invoke old anti-communist tropes to rally their supporters, while Dems are more conversant with the formulaic speech style of NGOs.

Trump is just less interested in moralizing and seeking allies than the Dems. In his impatience to show results before midterms, he is tripping over the stage props while trying to stage a play featuring China as the wicked dragon. Unsurprisingly, the audience isn’t impressed. @LauraRuHK

Lavrov: la Russia ha la conferma che a Sumy c'era una "riunione" di comandanti delle Forze Armate ucraine con i loro colleghi occidentali.

Il ministro degli Esteri russo ha dichiarato che in città ci sono militari dei paesi della NATO e che guidano direttamente le operazioni militari.

Lo ha dichiarato il ministro degli Esteri russo Sergei Lavrov in un'intervista al quotidiano Kommersant, riferendosi all'attacco missilistico russo di ieri. (Fonte: TASS) @LauraRuHK

Lavrov: Russia has factual information that in Sumy there was a "meeting" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with their Western colleagues. The Russian Foreign Minister said that NATO military personnel are in the city and are directly in charge.
Moscow has confirmed that there was another "gathering" of Ukrainian military leaders with their Western counterparts at the facility hit by the Russian strike in Sumy. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the newspaper Kommersant. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK

Uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States could result in tragic consequences and may turn into a catastrophe for all humanity, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told TASS.

"And what is happening in the United States? There, the development of artificial intelligence is largely determined by profit-driven interests. To maintain its dominance, the US has left AI unchecked, which leads to tragic consequences," the ambassador noted. "Since 2024, there have been more cases of AI chatbots developed by US companies encouraging teenagers to commit suicide. In early 2025, the world was shocked by the news of the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, the first-ever [attack] planned using ChatGPT. This incident clearly demonstrates that the uncontrolled development of technology can turn into a disaster for human civilization," Zhang said.

China regards security as a fundamental principle of AI development, "emphasizing the priority of ethical norms and the need to keep AI under control and channel its development with a view to benefit mankind," the diplomat stressed. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK

Il vice primo ministro serbo Aleksandar Vulin ha dichiarato a RIA Novosti che l'UE ha deciso di imporre sanzioni nei suoi confronti, vietandogli l'ingresso nei Paesi dell'Unione. Mercoledì scorso Vulin aveva dichiarato al Parlamento europeo che la Serbia non entrerà mai in guerra con la Russia in cambio dell'adesione all'UE. Ha detto che la Serbia per 20 anni ha soddisfatto “ogni desiderio e richiesta” dell'UE, ma gli è stato detto che il blocco ammetterà l'Ucraina e la Moldavia come prossimi membri, anche se non hanno ancora soddisfatto una sola condizione per entrare.

Vulin aveva anche respinto la richiesta di imporre sanzioni alla Russia. La Serbia non “non scenderà così in basso da imporre sanzioni alla Russia a causa di un conflitto che si sarebbe potuto evitare se solo aveste rispettato gli accordi di Minsk”.

Ha inoltre dichiarato alla TASS che Bruxelles ha elaborato un piano per rovesciare il presidente serbo Aleksandar Vucic con il sostegno dei servizi segreti occidentali.
@LauraRuHK

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin tells RIA Novosti that the EU decided to impose sanctions against him, banning him from entering EU countries. Earlier on Wednesday, Vulin told the European Parliament that Serbia will never go to war with Russia in exchange for EU membership. He said Serbia for 20 years has been fulfilling "every wish and demand" of the EU but was told the bloc will admit Ukraine and Moldova as next members, even though they haven’t yet met a single condition to join.

He also rejected a chance of Serbia imposing sanctions on Russia. Serbia will not "do something so low as imposing sanctions on Russia because of a conflict that could have been avoided if you had just respected the Minsk Agreement."

He also told TASS that Brussels had devised a plan to overthrow Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the support of Western intelligence services. @LauraRuHK

Oggi il Times ha pubblicato un articolo che mette in luce il ruolo centrale della Gran Bretagna nella guerra per procura in Ucraina, dall'addestramento delle forze ucraine al coordinamento delle operazioni militari, dalla fornitura di armi, consulenza strategica e intelligence al ruolo di collante della crociata occidentale contro la Russia e di coach motivazionale per il regime di Kiev. I britannici hanno spinto, e continuano a spingere, in modo irresponsabile per un'escalation del conflitto. Gli Stati Uniti vengono lodati per aver armato gli ucraini, ma criticati per essere eccessivamente cauti. Londra non nasconde la sua irritazione nei confronti di Washington, accusata di voler fare un passo indietro. Del resto i segnali di una relazione tesa tra i due alleati erano visibili anche prima dell'insediamento di Trump.

Sebbene io e altri ricercatori da tempo evidenziamo il ruolo di Londra nell'alimentare la devastazione dell'Ucraina, nel favoreggiare gli attacchi terroristici, nell'oscurare i crimini di guerra e nel radicalizzare l'opinione pubblica sia all'interno che all'esterno dell'Ucraina attraverso martellanti campagne mediatiche, non è chiaro il motivo per cui il quotidiano britannico, noto per essere la voce dell'establishment, pubblichi ora un articolo del genere. Potrebbe essere il segnale di una crescente frattura con Washington e/o di un tentativo di “normalizzare” il coinvolgimento britannico in Ucraina e quindi preparare l'opinione pubblica a un coinvolgimento ancora più profondo. @LauraRuHK https://www.thetimes.com/article/27dc780e-baf3-4a4c-963e-e40a511dbd23?shareToken=ea03d5cf677015c868a34aa1dcc9f302

Oggi il Times ha pubblicato un articolo che mette in luce il ruolo centrale della Gran Bretagna nella guerra per procura in Ucraina, dall'addestramento delle forze ucraine al coordinamento delle operazioni militari, dalla fornitura di armi, consulenza strategica e intelligence al ruolo di collante della crociata occidentale contro la Russia e di coach motivazionale per il regime di Kiev. I britannici hanno spinto, e continuano a spingere, in modo irresponsabile per un'escalation del conflitto. Gli Stati Uniti vengono lodati per aver armato l maggiore fornitore di armi, ma criticati esitano a impegnarsi pienamente. Londra non nasconde la sua irritazione nei confronti di Washington, accusata di fare un passo indietro. Ma i segni di una relazione tesa tra i due alleati erano visibili anche prima dell'insediamento di Trump. Secondo il Times, l'ammiraglio Radakin era la persona che manteneva gli Stati Uniti dalla loro parte e l'amministrazione Biden si appoggiava all'Ucraina nonostante la sua riluttanza.

Sebbene io e altri ricercatori abbiamo ripetutamente evidenziato il ruolo di Londra nell'alimentare la devastazione dell'Ucraina, nel favorire gli attacchi terroristici, nell'oscurare i crimini di guerra e nel radicalizzare l'opinione pubblica sia all'interno che all'esterno dell'Ucraina attraverso le campagne mediatiche, non è chiaro il motivo per cui il quotidiano britannico, noto per essere la voce dell'establishment, pubblichi ora un articolo del genere. Potrebbe essere il segnale di una crescente frattura con Washington e/o di un tentativo di “normalizzare” il coinvolgimento britannico in Ucraina e di preparare l'opinione pubblica a un coinvolgimento ancora più profondo.

Today The Times published an article that highlights Britain's central role in the proxy war in Ukraine, from training Ukrainian forces to orchestrating military operations, from supplying weapons and intelligence to acting as the glue for the Western crusade against Russia and the motivational coach for Kiev. The Brits recklessly pushed, and continue to push, for an escalation of the conflict. The U.S. is depicted as a major arms provider but hesitant to fully commit. London doesn't hide its irritation with Washington, accused of stepping back. But signs of a strained relation between the two allies were visible even before Trump took office. According to The Times, Admiral Radakin was the person keeping the US on side, and the Biden administration leaning into Ukraine despite its reluctance.

Though I, and other researchers, have repeatedly highlighted London's role in fueling Ukraine's devastation, aiding and abetting terrorist attacks, whitewashing war crimes, radicalizing public opinion both inside and outside Ukraine through media campaigns, it's not clear why the British newspaper, known for being the voice of the establishment, would publish such an article now. It could possibly signal a widening rift with Washington and/or an attempt to 'normalize' British involvement in Ukraine and prepare the public opinion for an even deeper involvement. @LauraRuHK https://www.thetimes.com/article/27dc780e-baf3-4a4c-963e-e40a511dbd23?shareToken=ea03d5cf677015c868a34aa1dcc9f302

Politico writes:
"President Donald Trump this week upended not just his tariff strategy but his trade team.
Former hedge fund manager and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — the White House’s main conduit to beleaguered financial markets — is now at the helm, with populist Peter Navarro relegated to the sidelines and Howard Lutnick recast into the role of “bad cop,” according to three people close to the White House. The personnel shuffle comes amid a tug-of-war in the White House between the “fair trade” and protectionist camps.
▪️I think it’s worth sharing again something I posted last November when Donald Trump picked Scott Bessent as U.S. Treasury secretary.
Bessent, a hedge fund manager and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, used to work for short seller Jim Chanos and George Soros. Actually he was chief investment officer (CIO) of Soros Fund Management and the head of its London office when his team, betting against the British pound, garnered over $1 billion for the firm. His bet against the Japanese yen in 2013 brought additional profit. Bessent's own hedge fund, Key Square Group, received a $2 billion anchor investment from George Soros. From 2014 until 2020, Bessent was listed as a council member of International Crisis Group (ICG), an NGO/think tank linked to the CIA and all the notorious "philanthropists". The beneficiaries of market chaos due to sudden policy shifts like tariffs or geopolitical shocks are likely the usual suspects who know how to surf the waves because they are policy insiders.
▪️Bessent frames Trump tariffs as a "negotiating strategy":
"every country in the world who wants to come and negotiate, we are willing to hear you, we are going to go down to a 10% baseline tariff for them."
Bessent said that China is an exception to Mr. Trump's easing. ▪️The US is using tariffs in a doomed attempt to inflict damage on China. By raising tariffs on some nations while offering exemptions or lower rates to others, Washington intends to incentivize alignment with its interests, and create a bloc that’s economically tied to its orbit. Obviously it's not going to work - the idea of cutting China off is totally delusional. China is not isolated. It is interconnected, influential and prepared.
https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9378

Bullying and blackmail followed by panic, hysteria and infighting vs. confidence and poise. Guess which leadership style earns points on the world stage. https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/fyrbt/202504/t20250410_11592730.html

⚡️Italian intelligence: Ukrainian saboteurs most likely behind attacks on oil tanker - The underwater explosions that damaged the oil tanker Seajewel, moored off the Northern Italian port of Savona-Vado, on the night of February 14-15, 2025, might be the result of a Ukrainian sabotage squad, according to Italian intelligence. This theory emerged during a Copasir hearing. Copasir is a parliamentary committee that should oversee the activities of Italian intelligence agencies. ▪️Let that sink in: Ukrainian terrorists are acting with impunity in the EU and most likely receive training, information and help from British intelligence. ▪️Read more here 👉 https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9743

"REARM" is the new "RESET" @LauraRuHK

https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9914 https://www.jpmorganchase.com/ir/annual-report/2024/ar-ceo-letters

JP Morgan goes full MAGA. The letter to shareholders sent yesterday by the chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon reads like a MAGA manifesto. He ditched DEI, wokeism and climate change (which had featured largely in previous letters) and even endorsed Trump's anti-immigration policy and family values. For the first time, Dimon devoted a detailed section of the letter to US military capabilities.
"Sustaining America’s position of power requires major changes in the funding and planning of our military. This includes major changes in trade, production capacity and supply chains to make our military as resilient and capable as possible. Some specifics will suffice:

We don’t have multi-year plans for critical military expenditures and often rely on short-term continuing resolutions to fund our military. This costs the military billions of dollars a year and creates instability and uncertainty for the defense industry. Switching to multi-year plans could potentially provide $40 billion in savings a year (out of a 2024 Defense Department budget of almost $850 billion) and greater stability for the military.
We need to allow greater flexibility on the reallocation of money; i.e., to continuously innovate (buy the newest drones and other items).
Our stockpiles of vital munitions are seriously inadequate – if there was a war in the South China Sea, we would run out of missiles in seven days. If it were up to me, I would be stockpiling ammunition, air and missile defense, rare earths and other critical components, importantly to preserve peace.
We don’t maintain sufficient excess production capacity in our defense industrial base to ramp up the production of weapons, if necessary. We don’t even have the proper capacity to build battleships anymore. It would be rather easy for the government to work with the private sector to help maintain factories capable of producing military materials that would be required at a wartime pace.
We also lack sufficient labor necessary to do everything outlined above. It can take up to six years to train workers on the complex skills that are needed to manufacture this equipment – and we don’t have six years.
We need to immediately restructure some of our trade and supply chains. Surprisingly, many of the essential items we would need in case of war would come from potential adversaries. These products range from rare earths to penicillin and other pharmaceutical ingredients to certain types of steel, semiconductors and even some manufactured components. We need to use all of the tools at our disposal to do this as expeditiously as possible.
Taking the proper unilateral actions on very targeted investment and export restrictions (chip making equipment, advanced chips and other hard-to-duplicate technology used for military purposes) is essential. However, we should only expect these kinds of actions to slow down our competition, not necessarily stop it.
Finally, the extraordinary science that comes out of our national labs and our exceptional universities has been critical to creating and maintaining our scientific discoveries and advances, which have not only fueled America’s economy but have also maintained our military superiority. There are lots of complaints – some legitimate – about America’s elite universities, but this cannot and should not be one of them.
Protecting our country goes way beyond just the military and includes, among other items, grid security, data centers, communications and cybersecurity in general.

Foreign policy is realpolitik.
America’s alliance system is the foundation of our geopolitical advantage and is the special sauce of American leadership. Foreign policy must be grounded in realpolitik – a pragmatic approach that prioritizes national interest over ideological considerations. Realpolitik means that many decisions are properly subordinated to national security. For example, while addressing global challenges, like climate change, is important, such efforts should not overshadow the strategic imperatives of our foreign relations."
@LauraRuHK

🇨🇳🇺🇸The US may increase import duties on Chinese goods to 104% if China doesn't cancel retaliatory tariffs on American products. This potential escalation follows an initial 54% duty on Chinese imports, which could be raised by an additional 50%. The US slapped a 20% tariff on Chinese goods on March 4 (increased from 10%). On April 2, Washington further increased tariffs on China by 34%, totaling 54%, and introduced duties on products from 185 countries. In response, China imposed a matching 34% tariff on all US imports. The new tariff hike to 104% could be approved as early as April 9, according to AFP, citing a White House source. ▪️Chinese authorities have said they will not succumb to US bullying. China has vowed to take countermeasures against any move by the US to further raise tariffs and pledged to take firm action to stabilise the markets.
Meanwhile, several Chinese listed companies have announced plans to accelerate their share repurchase programs. The move reflects strong confidence in their future prospects and recognition of their intrinsic value, and aims to safeguard the interests of all shareholders, reinforce market confidence, and enhance the investment value of the listed companies.
@LauraRuHK

On the ever-evolving geopolitical chessboard, trade has emerged as one of the most potent weapons. The recent decision by the People's Republic of China to impose a 34 percent tariff on all US imports marks a turning point in a long-standing economic conflict. But this move is not an act of provocation — it is a necessary defense against an ongoing campaign of pressure, containment and provocation from Washington.

For years, the United States has wielded its economic might, not only to dominate global markets but to coerce independent nations into compliance with its political agenda. Tariffs, sanctions and trade bans have been used not as tools of fair competition, but as political levers.

By imposing this 34 percent tariff, Beijing is sending a message that it will no longer tolerate unfair treatment or economic bullying. The Chinese economy — resilient and diverse — has long prepared for such scenarios. Policies like "dual circulation" investments in technological self-sufficiency, and partnerships through the Belt and Road Initiative have reduced China's dependency on Western markets.

China is not isolated. It is interconnected, influential and prepared. In contrast, the United States now finds itself in a precarious position. With rising inflation, political instability and shrinking global trust, Washington's aggressive trade policy may backfire. American consumers, already burdened by high costs, will now face even steeper prices. US companies relying on the Chinese market — from tech giants to agriculture — will feel the sting.

Globally, countries are beginning to question the reliability of an economic partner that weaponizes trade. This is not a call for confrontation, but a warning: "The flames of this trade war will ultimately consume the aggressor." China is not the initiator of this conflict, but it will defend its sovereignty and economic future with determination and clarity. The path forward need not be paved with conflict. China remains committed to fair trade, international cooperation and win-win development.
However, it will not allow its interests to be sacrificed at the altar of US domestic politics or hegemonic ambitions. In this economic standoff, it is not simply about tariffs and trade — it is about values, vision and the future of global leadership. The era of unilateral dominance is waning. What replaces it must be built on mutual respect, not coercion. History will remember this moment not just for its numbers, but for its symbolism. A rising power has stood firm, and unless wiser heads prevail, "the fire ignited by arrogance will burn the very hands that lit it." https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/05/WS67f0d360a3104d9fd381db5c.html

Aleksey Mukhin writes: Britain is a fragile empire - in fact, it exists in the imagination of its former subjects. But the individual tentacles are still moving and quite functional. I am referring to the British special services - MI5 and MI6, who desperately pretend that "the patient is more alive than dead" - they will move the arm of this motionless body, then the leg...
Those who thought that with the temporary abolition of USAID, Western countries would loosen their grip on soft power, were mistaken, of course.
The banner of the "color revolutions" set aside by the Americans was quickly taken over by continental Europeans and the British.
For example, the Royal Institute of Defense Studies (RUSI) has launched a public training manual on sabotage and subversive activity: "Violent resistance in occupied Ukraine."
The texts give quite straightforward advice: "to leave the cities for the villages, not to hit the administrations, but the railways, like Rostov–Mariupol–Donetsk," to use special forces as terrorists.
Moreover, the creation of sabotage groups is required not only from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but also from Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. In this case, the EU's involvement in the conflict with Russia is inevitable: both physical and financial involvement will be required.
Russia should have used such intentions of Western actors for a long time in order to prepare a legislative framework and develop law enforcement mechanisms in case "unfriendly" or other countries actually practice terrorism and sabotage activity with all the consequences and criminal prosecution for the participants.
The sleigh is prepared, let me remind you, in the summer...
A special international tribunal for war criminals and terrorists should work, like karma, seven days a week. The BRICS countries and others that have suffered from the illegal actions of Western countries may well participate in it.
None of the war criminals should escape responsibility. I think this is the only way to stop the growing wave of violence and Russophobia. @LauraRuHK https://t.me/AlekseyMukhin/9139

On my way home I walk past the Hong Kong stock exchange. Today there was a crowd of cameramen capturing the sea of red. @LauraRuHK

Two scenes today stand as stark testaments to unbridled savagery.
One from “Israel,” which targeted and killed members of the Civil Defense and Red Crescent in Gaza, falsely claiming it couldn’t identify them, despite the clear visibility of their civilian status.
The other from the United States, which struck a tribal gathering in Yemen, even though it was unmistakably civilian in nature, as the gathering is a tradition done by all Yemeni tribes during Eid.

America and “Israel” have never been more exposed in the brazenness of their crimes.

😂

If there is a lesson to be learned from the Jianwei Xun saga is that the media hype around his persona and work, amplified by reputable outlets, glowing reviews, and a slick online presence, created a feedback loop where the perception of reality outpaced any need to verify it. It’s not just that the lines between real and not real got blurred, it’s that the hype machine made those lines feel irrelevant.
With AI churning out content that to the untrained eye appears indistinguishable from human output, and media outlets racing to publish it, the incentives align more with capturing attention than digging for facts. Xun’s "hypnocracy" concept, ironically, nails it: power lies in shaping what people perceive, not in what’s actually there. The lesson isn’t just that the distinction is blurring, it’s that people are increasingly wired to prioritize the hype over the reality, and the tools to exploit that are only getting better.

The media system, including alternative, non-Western media, feeds on hype. They are providing yet another platform to self-styled analysts/experts who turned bluster and derivative, plagiarized content into influence thanks to their knack for gaming social media platforms. The mechanics are simple. Algorithms prioritize engagement over accuracy, so a slick bio, a bold claim, or a well-crafted image can snowball into credibility before anyone checks their credentials. Xun’s polished website and AI-generated prose got traction because they looked legit, not because they were vetted. Self-promotion, exaggerated claims and confident delivery pull the wool over your eyes. Social media’s speed turns smoke into a fog you can’t see through until it’s too late.
Then there’s the echo chamber effect. Once a persona gains momentum, followers and bots amplify it, creating a mirage of consensus. Social media’s smoke and mirrors work because we are wired for stories, not audits. On these platforms, you don’t need to be an expert, you just need to look the part and fake it long enough to cash in. https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9902

Months after i denounced Jianwei Xun as an AI creation, corporate media finally admit Xun doesn't exist. Xun is the creation of Italian publisher Andrea Colamedici who relied on artificial intelligence to churn out his texts. Aggressive marketing and a credulous public did the rest. Now, the real question is why no one else doubted his existence. It took me five minutes to realize that Xun's academic credentials and affiliations were fake and his best-selling book was an AI-generated hotchpotch of 1960s French philosophy. @LauraRuHK

▪️China will impose a 34% tariff on all imports from the US starting April 10, the country’s Finance Ministry announced on Friday. The decision follows Trump’s announcement of a 34% levy on Chinese goods. Beijing denounced US tariffs as “unilateral bullying.” ▪️China has also suspended import qualifications of six US enterprises on Friday, to protect Chinese consumers' health and ensure the safety of the country's livestock industry.
The suspensions include one US enterprise involved in sorghum exports to China, three enterprises dealing with poultry meat and bone meal, and two enterprises exporting poultry products. The Chinese customs said it has repeatedly detected furazolidone, a prohibited drug under Chinese law, in imported US poultry products and mould in sorghum. ▪️Later China announced rare-earth metal controls, imposing export controls on samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium. @LauraRuHK

🎼Sign of the Times🎼 - Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, will "start the process" of stepping down as chairman of its board of trustees, the Financial Times newspaper reports. @LauraRuHK

Are US tariffs going to drop sand into the cogs of international trade or throw a spanner into the works? I think it is still too early to assess all the implications of Trump's tariffs, particularly in the context of the ongoing trade war.
While the goal of imposing tariffs (e.g., a 20% increase on the EU) is to negotiate lower tariffs and barriers from other countries, historical evidence shows this often fails, leading to prolonged or higher tariffs. Countries could respond in one of three ways: negotiating, not negotiating but not retaliating, or retaliating. Past trade wars, like the US-China conflict during Trump’s first term, ended with permanently elevated tariffs.
For China, which relies heavily on exports for GDP growth (though US exports are now just 15% of its total exports and 3% of GDP), a proposed 54% tariff hike is significant but less disruptive than the earlier trade war. China could mitigate this with fiscal stimulus, and the initial shock to business investment appears smaller.
From a macro, global perspective, if countries negotiate down to a lower tariff equilibrium, the impact would be minimal. If tariffs stay high, it’s going to be messy, and if there’s tit-for-tat retaliation, it could be much worse.
Other Asian economies like Vietnam (25% of GDP tied to US exports), Korea (7%), and Japan (3.5%) are more vulnerable, especially if global demand doesn’t rise to offset reduced US exports. Emerging markets face broader risks as these tariffs are global, not just US-China focused, potentially creating significant economic challenges. The process is expected to be complex and the outcome uncertain. The silver lining is that it may provide an impetus for emerging economies to rely more on trade among themselves, including within groups like BRICS. Emerging markets might pivot toward regional or intra-group trade.
For BRICS specifically, this could mean a stronger push to deepen economic ties already in motion — think China’s export heft paired with India’s growing market, or Russia’s resources feeding industrial needs. BRICS trade has been growing and tariffs could accelerate this trend.
The US could use tariffs as leverage to build a coalition of US-friendly countries. Tariffs aren’t just economic tools. They are political weapons, too. By raising tariffs on some nations while offering exemptions or lower rates to others, the US intends to incentivize alignment with its interests, creating a bloc that’s economically tied to its orbit. Think of it as a carrot-and-stick play: comply with US priorities on "trade deficits" or geopolitical stances, and get favorable access to the US consumer market. @LauraRuHK

IMPORTANT NOTICE - I am travelling and will be mostly offline for a week. For this reason the channel will not be updated until my return. @LauraRuHK

The Russian economy reached a size of 200 trillion rubles ($2.37 trillion) in 2024, growing six times faster than Europe, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Wednesday.
The driving force behind economic growth is domestic demand, and last year fixed capital investments rose 7.5%.
Mishustin also said Russians’ disposable income shot up 8.5% in 2024, while the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in history.
Stating that the economy has grown twice as fast as the world average in the last two years, Mishustin said: “Russia is among the four largest economies in the world in terms of purchasing power parity.
"Our economy grew 4.1% last year. Our growth in two years has exceeded Europe’s almost sixfold." Federal budget revenues increased by more than a quarter, which made it possible to fully fulfill all social obligations, as well as launch new promising national projects. ▪️The report is more about the future than the past. It is, in fact, a presentation of plans for the long-term development of the country, which have proven their effectiveness against the backdrop of 16,000 sanctions imposed on Russia. There is evidence that the Russian experience is going to be studied by China, which did not have and does not have such restrictions. ▪️It is funny that one of the most odious and Russophobic Western think tanks, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in its latest report made a forced but correct conclusion: "The Russian economy of three years ago no longer exists. The economic transformation of Russia, the most sanctioned country in the world, can no longer be reversed."
Not only did Russia not perish, but it became even stronger, and this is now recognized by all those who buried it three years ago. The Carnegie Foundation: "Starting with the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian economy has refuted all expectations, and hopes for a double-digit decline have not materialized"; Euroactive: "The Russian economy has proven that it is strong enough to continue the war in Ukraine for the foreseeable future, even with new sanctions imposed"; German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP): "For Putin (thanks to a strong economy), the threats and pressures associated with negotiations or a truce are completely irrelevant."
The think tank Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA): "There are no sanctions that do not simultaneously harm yourself. The main question is: what kind of pain are you willing to endure when inflicting it on your opponent?" (Kirill Strelnikov/RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK https://ria.ru/20250327/rossiya-2007590044.html

Qui il mio post di ieri in versione italiana. Grazie per la segnalazione. https://www.perunaltracitta.org/homepage/2025/03/27/il-lavoro-della-commissione-eu-consiste-nel-fabbricare-crisi-piuttosto-che-prevenirle/

How do you like the EU new board game? European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib endorsed it - "It's one of the best party games to play while drunk or tipsy." @LauraRuHK Here Hadja shares her winning tips. https://x.com/hadjalahbib/status/1904858985972351264

As US vassals are being told that they may no longer be able to rely on American protection, US think tank RAND Corporation is suggesting "Taiwan should do more for its own defense and resiliency, and fast." Interestingly, the prescribed strategy reads like the EU Preparedness Strategy. "This should include doubling down on resiliency efforts, with a dramatic ramping up of energy, food, and potable water stockpiles. Taiwan must also press ahead with building its communications resiliency, investing in secure and redundant networks—such as satellite-based backup systems and decentralized infrastructure—to ensure that the flow of information remains uninterrupted even under duress. Bolstering civil defense programs through training, clear crisis protocols, and public awareness campaigns will further strengthen Taiwan's capacity to endure and recover from any form of coercion or blockade. [...] While Lai has pledged to get defense spending up to 3 percent of GDP this year through a special budget, this would still require legislative approval, and so the path forward isn't clear. The unfortunate reality is that the politics of national defense have become hyper-partisan. Even among supporters of ramped-up defense spending, debates can arise over the specific focus of the budget—whether it should prioritize indigenous weapons development, foreign arms purchases, or bolstering personnel training and welfare. While the realities of democratic partisanship are understandable, they now present a clear threat to Taiwan's future prosperity and security.

President Lai will need to hammer through these limitations, either through coalition building, or brute force. Like his predecessor Lai is hesitant about directly appealing to the Taiwan people about the true nature of the threat they face, justifiably worried about the side-effects of a panicked population. Given the threats facing Taiwan, and the uncertainty it must now attach to its primary security backstop, it may be time to begin making the case more directly to the Taiwan people that their future faces growing uncertainty." @LauraRuHK https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/03/from-strategic-ambiguity-to-strategic-anxiety-taiwans.html

The EU Preparedness Union Strategy was presented on March 26, 2025, by the European Commission. The launch was accompanied by baseless claims it will "bolster the EU’s ability to anticipate, prevent, and respond to a wide range of threats." The Commission bundled together natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, cybersecurity risks and climate change. Probably to please different lobbies and get their support, but also to ensure that the gravy train won't stop when the conflict in Ukraine ends. The strategy outlined in the report isn't exactly new, it builds on the Niinistö Report (October 2024), which called for a mindset shift toward "comprehensive preparedness."
The EU Commission relies on a permanent "state of emergency" to expand centralized control, militarization, and surveillance under the guise of safety. The strategy’s civil-military integration is deliberately designed to blur lines between civilian life and security agendas, which could lead to the suspension of legal norms, democracy and individual freedoms as it happened during the Covid operation. This is textbook Carl Schmitt — an emergency, or State of Exception, is the ultimate test of political power and reveals in whom that power is vested. The State of Exception determines who is sovereign in a given state. On this theoretical basis, he develops the concept of decisionism, whereby the actual content or “what” of a decision is not the key element, but rather the “who” of the decision and whether a given “who” (or decider) is the proper authority and possessor of the necessary sovereignty. The EU Commission is claiming a form of sovereignty within the EU framework by insisting that EU member states are facing threats that demand a permanent mobilization and is claiming the power to decide what constitutes an "emergency" and how to respond. The call for citizens to stockpile supplies and the focus on vague "hybrid threats" are designed to fuel rather than assuage panic. The unstated objective is to restructure society for oppression rather than protection. Scaremongering is how the EU will ramp up support for more authoritarian measures. The only real emergency, economic recession and widespread poverty, doesn't even warrant a mention in the report. But rest assured that fearmongering will only exacerbate economic woes.

Fear-driven narratives will erode consumer confidence, leading to reduced spending. When people anticipate a crisis, they often cut back on discretionary purchases, thus slowing economic growth.

Due to uncertainty, businesses and investors may delay or cancel investments, unless they operate in the weapons industry.

Negative rhetoric can trigger panic in financial markets, causing stock prices to plummet and increasing borrowing costs for governments and businesses.

Governments might overreact to perceived threats, implementing policies that are poorly targeted, which can stifle economic activity.

Fearmongering can deepen divisions within the EU, as Member States may prioritize national interests over collective solutions, weakening the union's ability to address economic challenges effectively. Just don't tell Ursula and her minions. Their job is to manufacture crises rather than prevent them. @LauraRuHK
https://commission.europa.eu/topics/preparedness_en

What a bunch of psychopaths. Cheering at the news that a building targeted by their bombs has collapsed killing scores of civilians. The members of Trump's cabinet chatting on Signal are no different from Hillary Clinton laughing off Gaddafi’s brutal murder, “We came, we saw, he died.”

They are devoid of humanity. This rhetorical framing aligns with a broader pattern where the human cost of the war is routinely sidelined, obscured and sanitized by Newspeak euphemisms such as "collateral damage."

@LauraRuHK

A report released by a Chinese industry alliance exposed the US intelligent agencies' surveillance and data theft activities targeting global mobile smart terminals and communications. Whether they are high-value targets such as government officials and technical experts or ordinary people, all could potentially become victims of intelligence-gathering operations by US intelligence agencies. They installed hardware-level spyware and backdoors on your phone that monitor your camera, microphone, keystrokes, location, calls, texts, social media and internet activity. @LauraRuHK http://www.news.cn/world/20250325/02ba448744ac4b75a81df613a88b4d26/2025032522b55fd15b244a5fac54e424c62be9b7_1616350dfed1c44ba786a82d574c86c30f.pdf

⚡️ Despite Zelensky's public statement about the Russian-U.S. agreements reached in Riyadh on 24 March to stop attacks against civilian energy facilities, the Kiev regime has continued its strikes on the energy infrastructure of the Russian Federation.

On the night of 26 March 2025, near the Tarkhankut Peninsula, two Ukrainian strike UAVs were shot down by on-duty air defence systems. The drones were targeting the ground-based equipment of the Glebovskoye underground gas storage facility.

Moreover, on 26 March at around 4:45 in the morning, in Bryansk region, the hostile UAVs attacked an object of the Bryanskenergo (Rosseti Centre). As a result of the attack, a 10kV high-voltage electric power transmission stopped working and consumers in Komarichsky District were left without electricity.

Moreover, on the afternoon of 25 March, the Ukrainian strike drones attacked an energy facility of the Kurskenergo (Rosseti Centre). Thus, a number of substation shut down, and over 4,000 consumers in Khomutovsky District were cut off power supply.

❗️Thus, the Kiev regime, while continuing to damage the Russian civilian energy infrastructure, is actually doing everything it can to thwart the agreements reached by the Russian Federation and the United States on step-by-step measures to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.

🔹 Russian Defence Ministry

Anna Prokofieva, war correspondent for Russia’s Channel One, was killed on Wednesday while on assignment in Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine. The broadcaster confirmed her death and said that cameraman Dmitry Volkov had also been injured during the incident. ▪️Earlier this week, three members of news crews were killed in Ukrainian attacks, Aleksandr Fedorchak, a reporter for the newspaper Izvestia, Andrey Panov, a cameraman for Zvezda TV, and Aleksandr Sirekli, their driver. Their vehicle, marked as press transport, was reportedly struck by two missiles fired from a US-supplied Ukrainian HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system. ▪️Commenting on these deaths, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Kiev of deliberately targeting journalists and undermining international laws designed to protect members of the press. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK

The detention of Yevgenia Gutsul, the head of Moldova's autonomous Gagauzia region, is pressure on the opposition and may be followed by arrests of other oppositionists, Gagauz deputy head Viktor Petrov has told RIA Novosti, adding that her detention was "illegal."

Gutsul was arrested at Chisinau airport as she was about to fly to Istanbul. Her passport has been seized. The detention of Gutsul took place against the backdrop of tense relations between Chisinau and Gagauzia. The politician has repeatedly criticized the Maia Sandu's regime for infringing on the autonomy of the region and advocated strengthening ties with Russia. According to a poll conducted in February, 68 percent of the region's residents support rapprochement with Moscow, while only 12 percent favor European integration. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK

US intelligence believes that the crisis in Ukraine has accelerated the rapprochement between Iran, China, North Korea and Russia, and the expansion of cooperation between these countries has become an irreversible process — the report of the office of the Director of National Intelligence of the United States on the existing threats to the country.

"Since 2022, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have become even closer. Eliminating the accelerating factor of the war in Ukraine is unlikely to return these bilateral relations to their 2021 status." (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/23498819

🇨🇳🇺🇸🇻🇪 Responding to a media question on whether China will stop purchasing oil from Venezuela after Donald Trump on Monday issued an executive order declaring that any country buying oil or gas from Venezuela will pay a 25 percent tariff on trade with the US, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China firmly opposes the US' long-term abuse of illegal unilateral sanctions and so-called long-arm jurisdiction, which grossly interferes in other nations' internal affairs.

Guo urged the US to cease meddling in Venezuela's domestic affairs, revoke its illegal unilateral sanctions against Venezuela, and take more actions conducive to peace, stability, and development in Venezuela and other countries.
(Source: Global Times) @LauraRuHK

The Kremlin has released a comprehensive list of energy facilities subject to a temporary US-brokered truce between Russia and Ukraine for a period of 30 days starting from 18 March 2025, with the possibility of extending and withdrawing from the agreement in case of non-compliance by one of the parties.

▪️The types of facilities covered under the truce include oil and gas processing and storage facilities, including pumping stations and pipelines, electricity producing and distribution sites, nuclear power plants, and the dams of hydroelectric plants. ▪️Moscow and Washington agreed to ensure the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative; It implies ensuring the safety of navigation and preventing the use of commercial ships for military purposes:

▪️"The United States will help restore access for Russian exports of agricultural products and fertilizers to the world market, reduce the cost of shipping insurance, and expand access to ports and payment systems for such transactions."

▪️The agreements on the Black Sea Initiative will come into force after the lifting of sanctions against Russian producers and exporters, including fish products and fertilizers; after the lifting of restrictions on the work of insurance companies with food cargoes; after lifting sanctions against the Russian Agriculture Bank and other financial organizations involved in ensuring operations for international trade in food and fertilizers, their connection to SWIFT, the opening of the necessary correspondent accounts; lifting restrictions on Russian-flagged vessels involved in food trade; lifting restrictions on the supply of agricultural machinery and other goods involved in food production. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK https://ria.ru/20250325/vstrecha-2007281585.html

More on the Signal chat saga and waltzing neocons. The best solution would be firing Mike Waltz, now serving as National Security Adviser, a role which is clearly incompatible with such blatant security breach. Waltz claimed he didn’t know Goldberg personally, despite Goldberg saying he does. Whether they met in person or not is irrelevant. The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic insists that Waltz reached out to him two days before adding him to the Signal group.
Unfortunately, dismissing Waltz is not easy. In the Trump administration, he represents the neocon wing relative to purported isolationists like J.D. Vance. Waltz pulls toward interventionism (China, Middle East) while navigating Trump’s deal-making instincts (Russia, Ukraine). Neocon ideas persist, but they are currently subordinated to transactional goals. The question is, for how long?
Waltz’s background as a neocon and zionist is well-documented. He worked as a defense policy director at the Pentagon under Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. Then he served as a counterterrorism advisor to Dick Cheney.
He has consistently framed China as a top strategic threat. His call for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics aligns with this hawkish outlook. AIPAC’s contributions to Waltz totaled over $70,000 in the 2022-24 cycle, making it his top donor, which underscores his alignment with pro-Israel interests.
During his congressional tenure, he backed legislation to increase US military aid to Israel. Neocons might be flying under the radar for the time being, but obviously they haven’t vanished. The military-industrial complex ($900 billion Pentagon budget in 2025) still hums. If the Neocon grip is looser is purely due to Trump’s base, unsustainable debt, the need to streamline government departments (including DoD), and global realities such as multipolarity that can no longer be denied.

@LauraRuHK

Jeffrey Goldberg,The Atlantic editor-in-chief and notorious war cheerleader, was "accidentally" added to a Signal group chat discussing US plans to bomb Yemen.▪️Vice President JD Vance also wrote:
“We are making a mistake” in bombing the Houthis since Europe relies on Red Sea trade more than the U.S. does.
“There’s a further risk that we see a moderate to severe spike in oil prices,” he said. “I am willing to support the consensus of the team and keep these concerns to myself. But there is a strong argument for delaying this a month, doing the messaging work on why this matters, seeing where the economy is, etc.”
“3 percent of US trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does,” he said. “There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary.” ▪️The National Security Council is calling the chat “authentic” but is scrambling to figure out how Goldberg’s number got in there. Anything to do with his allegiance to Israel? Draw your own conclusions. @LauraRuHK

Fake news brought to you by Welt am Sonntag, widely shared by Western media and by people who should know better. The Chinese foreign ministry firmly denied that Beijing could join a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine spearheaded by EU leaders.

“I would like to emphasize that the reports in question are completely untrue, and China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear,”
said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. @LauraRuHK

Recently declassified documents have revealed a Cold War-era plot by the CIA that sought to sabotage Cuban sugar destined for the Soviet Union. In 1962, CIA agents contaminated hundreds of bags of sugar. The objective was to undermine Cuban-Soviet relations and sow discord between Cuban and Russian authorities.

The operation was halted by President John F. Kennedy who ordered the ship to return its cargo. The CIA's confession had remained redacted until March 2025

▪️The plot offers a clear example of the kind of covert tactics the agency employs and fits into a broader pattern of CIA activities aimed at destabilizing governments, economies and international relations, often through criminal means.
@LauraRuHK

(2/2) It's unclear what is more important to Trump right now. To shift the war in Ukraine to Europe and walk away, seizing some assets but scrapping the peace strategy as a resource for further action - which would be a show of weakness. Or to start acting against Europe, seeking the submission of vassals and showing strength. Trump is trying to sit on two chairs at the same time - and that makes any agreements between Russia and him shaky. While winning in one place, Trump is losing in another. This is bound to have consequences: there is a high risk that none of Trump's goals will be achieved. And Russia cannot ignore this probability."

https://t.me/EvPanina/16121

Trump's psychotype and the risks for Russia. Ahead of the next round of talks in Riyadh

Elena Panina writes "When discussing Trump's strategies, two hypotheses are usually put forward: weakening the EU as a global competitor to the US and achieving peace in Ukraine as a way to shift focus to more important goals. That said, two main patterns of behaviour emerge from Trump's psychological profile: the first is economic and the second is political. By politics, Trump solves economics. After all, he came into politics from business, which means that he has a dominant business approach to everything he does in politics. Power for money and money for power. It's a vicious cycle where it all depends on where you cut into it: either when Trump is struggling for resources, or when he's struggling for power. From these patterns, Trump is building his priorities.

The problem, however, is that Trump is not firm in these priorities. They are mixed up and change places from time to time, and for him it happens spontaneously and looks like reflexion. If Trump fails to consolidate power and influence, he turns to fighting for profits. Even if it weakens his power resource.
▪️ The example of Ukraine shows this quite vividly. Since his meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office, Trump has been challenged in a truly existential way. The alliance of the US Democratic Party and the European establishment, which planned Zelensky's prank, has shown for the first time to the whole world that there are limits to the power of the American president in his relations with his vassals. Instead of quelling the riot, Trump engaged in diplomatic games with the rioters. The rebellious provinces challenged Caesar, but he responded not as a metropolis, but as a colony, only bigger and richer. This is a dispute of ‘who is stronger’, not ‘who is in charge’, because the strongest does not mean the most important.

At the same time, Trump is rushing to make a resource deal with Ukraine by all means, suffering humiliation. This is just sacrificing power for money. This is how a merchant thinks, for whom power is not an end in itself, sacred and unconditional, but a bargaining chip that can be sacrificed at some point for the sake of close profit.

From the same series - Trump's decision to prepare an authorisation to start selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, which the latter was not given as punishment for its willfulness - the purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems. In this way Erdogan showed the whole world that it is possible to disobey America and wait for its anger - it will swallow the disrespect and come back with its own deals, because for it money issues are more important than prestige issues.
▪️ Within this same logic lies Trump's relationship with Europe. It was easy to foresee that Europe would show insubordination and sabotage the entire spectrum of relations with the US: from the tariff war to the truce with Russia. And if power issues were as important to Trump as they are to his opponents - the deep state in the US, British elites and the French and Germans - he would have to start by defeating his enemies, or at least accompany his talks with Putin with that defeat. After all, their sabotage leads to the disruption of the ceasefire in Ukraine, which is vital to Trump. Yet Trump shies away from flogging the rioters, thus encouraging further conspiracies, and throws himself into short-term money deals. Not realising that you can win tactically and lose strategically by substituting the benefit of power for the benefit of money. And that, for Trump, could be fatal. (1/2)

🌍This piece looks at the new strategies of member nations, how they can work together, and how they are changing economic relationships as the balance of global power changes. A great job as always by Prof @Warwick Powell! https://substack.com/home/post/p-158160300

Erdoğan’s government has launched a significant crackdown on the opposition, most notably with the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, mayor of Istanbul and Erdoğan’s biggest rival. This move is widely perceived as politically motivated, aimed at neutralizing a major threat ahead of future elections.

The timing of İmamoğlu's arrest suggests confidence in minimal international backlash. The West cannot afford to antagonize Erdoğan. Turkey’s strategic importance, particularly in the context of NATO, seems to be tempering criticism of Erdoğan. That's why the "freedom, democracy, and human rights" brigade is being kept on a short leash, rhetoric has been toned down to the point of being nearly muted.

A recent article published by the RAND Corporation explains what lies behind this shift.
"Turkey offers military mass, a robust defence industry, and diplomatic reach beyond Europe. [...] Turkey's defence industry has grown significantly, benefitting from decades of investment and technology transfer. [...] Beyond its military contributions, Turkey's diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties extend into Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Unlike its European NATO counterparts, Ankara can engage with regimes that Brussels and Washington may prefer to avoid. Whether securing access to critical minerals, negotiating energy deals, or counterbalancing Russian and Chinese influence, Turkey can serve as NATO's bridge to regions where Western credibility is limited.

Deepening NATO's partnership with Turkey requires a shift in mindset. European leaders must abandon the illusion that Turkey will ever be the Westernised, values-driven ally they wish it to be. Instead, they must engage with the Turkey that exists today. A more transactional relationship, where shared interests take precedence over ideological alignment, is the most realistic approach. With NATO's second-largest army, Turkey brings sheer numbers to the alliance, an invaluable factor when defending long frontiers or maintaining a forward presence. Turkey is not an ideal ally, but in today's geopolitical climate, ideal allies are a luxury NATO cannot afford. [...] Turkey remains a critical player in countering Russian aggression, stabilising Syria, and extending NATO's global reach."
@LauraRuHK
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/03/turning-towards-turkey-why-nato-needs-to-lean-into.html

(2/2) The wheel of karma grinds slowly but inexorably. When the bill for transactional myopia comes due—as it did for the Kuomintang’s exiled gold reserves—even a Canadian passport cannot shield one from becoming the entrée at the Pentagon’s banquet.
This is no mere corporate exit. It is geopolitical betrayal, lacquered in legal formaldehyde—a case study of how “neutral” capital, unmoored from national allegiance, becomes the advance guard of neo-colonial encroachment. @LauraRuHK

The Panama Ports Affair: Sovereignty, Compliance, and Geopolitical Chess
Calvin Ho writes: To ascertain whether an international transaction violates cardinal principles of national interest, two questions of paramount importance emerge:
1. Was regulatory due process observed under applicable laws?
2. Did the transaction compromise the nation’s strategic foundations?
The recent defense of Sir Li Ka-shing’s Panama ports divestiture conspicuously sidesteps these existential inquiries, opting instead for rhetorical deflection “Why hasn’t China intervened? Was Li unwilling to sell to Chinese entities?”. Yet a cursory examination of the Panama transaction reveals systemic irregularities that demand scrutiny.
I. Regulatory Noncompliance
Under Hong Kong’s Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), cross-border mega-asset transactions require mandatory filings with the Central Government Liaison Office’s Economic Department—a protocol Li scrupulously honored during past deals (UK Power Grid acquisition, Shanghai Century Link Mall disposal). This transaction, however, constitutes an egregious oversight.
The timeline alone betrays procedural malpractice:
5 March 2025: Trump’s Congressional address demanding “Panama Canal’s return to American hands”
7 March: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s clandestine Hong Kong visit
11 March: Hutchison Whampoa’s announcement of port sales
A six-day “transaction sprint” precluded even basic asset valuation reports, let alone lawful disclosures.
II. Strategic Undervaluation & Geopolitical Subtext
The sale of Balboa and Cristóbal ports—critical chokepoints handling 21% of China’s transoceanic shipping—for $18 billion defies commercial logic, particularly given:
COSCO’s 2023 offer of $35 billion for Balboa alone
$5 billion infrastructure upgrades by Chinese engineers (automated systems, BeiDou navigation integration) that quintupled throughput capacity
The inclusion of Lockheed Martin subsidiaries (recipients of $12 billion Pentagon missile contracts) in BlackRock’s financing consortium, coupled with simultaneous U.S. Navy expansions near Canal locks, transforms this from mere commerce to military-capital collusion—a playbook reminiscent of 2016 South China Sea arbitration-era market manipulations.
III. The Golden Share Paradox
China’s 2022 Foreign Investment Law amendments introduced Article 35: “Golden Share” structures permitting state veto power with 1% equity. Had Li harbored even nominal allegiance, retaining 49% ownership while ceding 1% to Chinese entities would have preserved control while safeguarding sovereignty. Instead, the 100% divestiture—down to scrubbing crane logos—constitutes a scorched-earth severance exceeding even HSBC’s Huawei data surrender.
IV. Historical Ironies & Legal Traps
The transaction’s Byzantine safeguards—$9.8 billion penalty clauses, force majeure liability shifts, triple-layered escrow accounts (NY Fed vaults, New York Convention arbitration locks)—mirror Chiang Kai-shek-era capital flight mechanisms. As Soong May-ling once quipped: “Gold in foreign vaults becomes fairy gold—no mortal may reclaim it.”
Li’s refusal to invoke China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law (Article 13: coercion-based contract annulments) speaks volumes. To claim duress would shatter his carefully curated “apolitical merchant” façade—a persona maintained since 1989 refusals of port equity swaps to 2015 mainland property retreats.
V. The Unspoken Truth
Western “contract sanctity” remains enforceable only within cannon-shot range:
2003: Thatcher’s guarantees for Felixstowe port acquisition
2015: UK’s National Security Act seizure of Li’s $12 billion grid assets
Li, the stateless plutocrat, understands this calculus. His choice of a gilded plate (BlackRock’s bid) over a patriotic platter (COSCO’s offer) epitomizes the zeitgeist lamented by Zheng Guanying: “Ten thousand merchants cannot rival a single comprador.” (1/2)

Ukrainian forces have attacked a key gas pipeline in western Russia that was previously used to deliver gas to the EU.

They damaged the Sudzha gas metering station in the Kursk Region, part of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline, which for decades had delivered gas from Russia to the EU. The flow did not stop even after the Ukrainians captured the station during their incursion last year. Kiev, however, has refused to renew the contract with Russian operator Gazprom and stopped the transit last January. Marat Bashirov argues (https://t.me/politjoystic/44477 ), that the Ukrainian strike is due, among other things, to the fact that some EU elites seriously fear an energy alliance between the United States and Russia. If such an alliance arises, it will control all hydrocarbon supplies to Europe, and thus regulate prices. The metering station in Sudzha can be repaired, but the risk of further attacks and acts of sabotage against Russian pipelines remains high. @LauraRuHK

Vladimir Putin personally appointed Grigory Karasin and Sergei Beseda as negotiators for upcoming consultations with the United States, said the press secretary of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov said that Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Sergei Beseda, Adviser to the Director of the FSB, are the most experienced negotiators.

According to the press secretary, "this is the choice of the President of the Russian Federation, and they will best represent Russia in these negotiations." (Source: TASS)
@LauraRuHK

EU leaders shuffled out of their Thursday powwow and even Politico had to acknowledge that the whole thing collapsed into a glorious mess. Not dead, mind you—just limping along, downgraded from "epic rescue" to "eh, we tried." Turns out, Kaja Kallas forgot the tiny detail of getting everyone on board. If you want to derail the EU, pick a certified Russophobe from an artificial micro state in the Baltics as "top diplomat". Instead of diplomacy you will get righteous indignation, NATO cheerleading, and a sprinkle of "the Russians are coming" paranoia. What could go wrong? 😅

"Kaja Kallas had high hopes of being able to mobilize as much as €40 billion of military aid to shore up Ukraine's position on the battlefield and strengthen its hand in upcoming talks with Russia.

But as EU leaders wound up their gathering in Brussels on Thursday, the plan lay in tatters — not quite dead, but dramatically downgraded from its original ambition.

The problems started, several EU diplomats said, from the plan's inception when the former Estonian prime minister failed to win prior buy-in from crucial stakeholders. The process had been 'botched up,' one of the diplomats summarized. Unfortunately for Kallas her plan didn't survive impact with the reality of a European Union where interest in making sacrifices for Kyiv varies dramatically from country to country."
@LauraRuHK https://www.politico.eu/article/military-aid-ukraine-kaja-kallas-ukraine-eu-leaders-rounds-artillery/

Did Jake Sullivan write Trump's ‘partial ceasefire’ plan?

Elena Panina writes: As it turns out, the points of Trump's ‘peace plan’ for a partial ceasefire, including stopping strikes on energy infrastructure and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, largely coincide with... Zelensky's infamous three-point formula. A surprising revelation of the last few days.

▪️ ‘Formula’ of three points appeared after the reduction of ‘Zelensky's formula’ of ten points and was presented (https://t.me/EvPanina/14081) for discussion at the anti-Russian ‘peace conference’ in Bürgenstock (Switzerland) on 15-16 June 2024. It was then that Zelensky's attempt to involve the Global South in the event failed. Let us quote these points in full:

1. Nuclear energy facilities must be safe and any threat of nuclear weapons use is unacceptable. Nuclear facilities, including the Zaporozhye power plant, must operate under Ukrainian control and in accordance with IAEA principles.

2. Food security must not be turned into a weapon and is guaranteed by free navigation in the Black and Azov Seas. Ukraine should have access to marketing of its agricultural products through third parties.

3. All prisoners of war must be released, including all deported and illegally displaced Ukrainian children and civilians who must be returned to Ukraine.

In fact, we see the same issues - tweaked and without some conspicuous details like mentioning children or the Sea of Azov - in reports (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/03/statement-from-secretary-rubio-and-nsc-waltz-on-call-with-zelenskyy/) about Trump's new peace initiative, as well as in speeches by the US president himself and members of his team.

▪️ It is obvious that the cutting of the ‘Zelensky formula’ from ten points to three last year was under the direct control of Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan. It was he who supervised all ‘peace conferences’ on Ukraine from Washington. And now Sullivan's ‘ugly brainchild’ has found a second life.....

Thus, at this stage of the negotiation process, there is little difference between Trump's stated goals and the intentions of the former US leadership on Ukraine. So far, it looks like the Biden administration was ready to divide Ukraine among ‘its own’ - the US, Britain and the EU. But Trump decided to take it all for himself (https://t.me/EvPanina/16096), clashing with Euroglobalists in a typical imperialist confrontation (https://t.me/EvPanina/15978). At the same time, unlike the globalists, he is not ready to raise the risks of a direct military clash with Russia and is trying to secure for the US the remaining territory of Ukraine through a peace agreement.
@LauraRuHK
https://t.me/EvPanina/16099

Hong Kong will expand the use of mainland Chinese bonds as collateral to obtain yuan liquidity, furthering efforts to enhance the currency's internationalisation and the city's role as an offshore yuan hub.

CMU OmniClear, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Exchange Fund managed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would allow the two entities to enhance cooperation in many areas.
The MOU would lead to the realisation of "cross-asset class efficiencies across equities and fixed income, expanding the use of mainland bonds as collateral [and] enhancing Hong Kong's [role] as a bond issuance centre and [for] developing an international central securities depository in Asia" https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3301047/hong-kong-boosts-yuan-hub-status-expanding-mainland-china-bond-collateral-initiative ▪️This development has potential implications for Euroclear, the Belgium-based international central securities depository (ICSD). Euroclear’s involvement isn’t explicitly mentioned, but its existing ties to Hong Kong’s financial infrastructure and its role in global bond markets suggest several ways it could be affected. ▪️The development of an Asian ICSD could position Hong Kong as a competitor to Euroclear and challenge its dominance long-term. Right now, Euroclear (and its rival Clearstream) dominates the ICSD space globally, handling massive volumes of bond settlements. If CMU OmniClear and HKEX succeed in building a robust Asian ICSD, it might siphon some of that business, especially for yuan-based transactions. ▪️On the other hand, Euroclear might see increased volume in its clearing and settlement services if global investors use its platform to access these bonds. Euroclear could continue to be a bridge between Asian and Western markets, potentially boosting its business in yuan-denominated assets.
In short, this scenario could mean more opportunities for Euroclear to handle yuan bond settlements and collateral services, especially if it leans into the CMU partnership. It all depends on how Euroclear plays its cards in this yuan-driven shift. 🙏 Many thanks to O.H., a subscriber based in Hong Kong, who drew my attention to this MOU between CMU OmniClear and HKEX after realizing that it had been underreported despite its potentially far-reaching consequences. @LauraRuHK

Recently, I had a conversation with a long-time subscriber to this channel, someone who’s been following my work for years—at least since the 2019 attempted color revolution in Hong Kong. At some point he asked me why, back in those days, I didn't mind giving soundbites to media outlets. Good question. The fact is that i never intended to. For instance, i had never agreed to turn an hour-long video interview with a well-known media network into short, catchy snippets that made me sound like a slogan machine. The experience was horrific. I wanted to forget about it, but it wasn't possible because those soundbites, loaded with emotional punch, had taken on a life of their own and gone viral. Those who shared them had good intentions, but i resented the fact that complexity and nuance had been sacrificed for the sake of narrative promotion. An influencer would have welcomed the attention, and cashed on it. I didn't. I am a researcher first and a writer by necessity — someone has got to write up the findings. I have never wanted to work in or for the media industry. It leans on low-paid staff to rewrite trending stories from other sources, splitting tasks, scraping X for hot takes, drafting blurbs, slapping on SEO headlines.... Media production thrives on dividing tasks across specialized roles. Taylorism fits media’s need to feed the beast, and that’s why you see a flood of shallow takes over slow-burn investigations. A year after that ill-fated interview, the journalist who had approached me left the outlet to pursue a completely different career. Burnout is the rule, it's baked into the system.

I gained nothing from media exposure. Complexity was left on the cutting room floor, my long articles didn't find new readers, I received more threats from the usual suspects and spent months declining interviews.

https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9836

Straight out of the "Art of the Deal: Colonial Edition." On March 19, 2025, Trump and Zelensky spoke by phone about Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including its nuclear power plants.

Trump pitched the brilliant idea of the US swooping in to own Ukraine’s power plants. Because, obviously, nothing screams "security" like slapping an American flag on some nuclear reactors. Who’s cashing in when American corporations take the keys? Spoiler: not the Ukrainians. Trump’s acting like he’s doing them a favor, while Zelensky nods along to keep the gravy train rolling. Peace? Sure, if you mean piece...of the profits. @LauraRuHK

🔺In Serbia, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević has stepped down, triggering a 30-day countdown to form a new government—failure to do so will lead to early elections.
▪️But when it comes to threats to regional security in the Balkans, another, even more significant, development is the new defense cooperation agreement signed by Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo, aimed at boosting their armed forces’ interoperability and strategic coordination, developing the defense industry and technological advancements among the three nations. They’ve even extended an invitation to Bulgaria to join. The purpose is to strengthen Euro-Atlantic structures in the region. Serbia has raised objections, formally demanding clarification on the agreement’s “nature and purpose.”
This pact could seriously undermine stability across the region. @LauraRuHK

Reuters asked some legal experts which levers Beijing and Hong Kong could deploy against CK Hutchison. https://t.me/LauraRuHK/9856 The State Administrative Market Regulation Authority could have extra-territorial jurisdiction by applying the anti-monopoly law, if a deal outside mainland China has the effect of eliminating or restricting competition in China's domestic market. Authorities could also use the Measures for Security Review or Foreign Investments, implemented in 2021, to examine foreign direct investments in important fields relating to national security, including infrastructure.

Felix Ng, a partner at law firm Haldanes, said the measures removed the exclusion of acquisitions of interest held by foreign companies, "suggesting that PRC authorities may have the power to review foreign-to-foreign transactions if the target involves PRC-related entities".

While CK Hutchison is registered offshore, it has businesses and a presence in China and Beijing may be able to use this as justification for weighing in, Ng said. ▪️Lawyers said Hong Kong lacked regulations requiring government screening of sales of strategic assets.
That left the government with few options beyond the broad instrument of the 2020 National Security Law to probe foreign deals involving local firms.
The law punishes terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession.

"Given the sensitivities, there would be room for further investigation under the broad sweep of the National Security Law, particularly over collusion or espionage," said Simon Young, a professor at the University of Hong Kong law school.
The offence of collusion would have to involve a person or company intending to disrupt the policies of the Chinese or Hong Kong governments to create serious consequences, Young said. @LauraRuHK https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/explainer-what-levers-do-china-and-hong-kong-have-over-ck-hutchisons-port-deal/ar-AA1Be3mQ?ocid=BingNewsSerp