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Pentagon rules out NATO membership for Ukraine in peace process

The war in Ukraine

Published 13 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The newly appointed US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that Ukraine will not join NATO as part of any ceasefire agreement with Russia. He stressed that attempts to reinstate Ukraine’s 2014 borders are “unrealistic”, and that no US troops will be deployed to enforce such an agreement.

Kiev has repeatedly argued that NATO membership is a key security guarantee, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyj says it is a precondition for resuming dialogue with Moscow.

Despite this, NATO has never presented a membership timetable for Ukraine, and several officials point out that membership is not an option during the current conflict.

Hegseth stressed during a meeting in Brussels that security guarantees for Ukraine must be backed by strong troops from both Europe and other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has previously expressed doubts about the security benefits of NATO membership, saying it could exacerbate tensions with Russia.

Moscow has long opposed Ukraine’s membership aspirations, arguing that NATO’s expansion towards its borders threatens Russian security and that Ukraine should adopt a neutral position in a future peace agreement.

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US envoy proposes territorial solution for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 14 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The war in Ukraine has now been going on for over three years (stock photo).

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff opens the door for Russia to retain control of four Ukrainian regions in exchange for a ceasefire, Reuters reports. The proposal is criticized both in Kiev and in Washington.

Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 8 in St Petersburg. The meeting, which lasted more than four hours, is part of the ongoing negotiations on a possible peace settlement in the now three-year-long conflict.

According to Reuters sources, Mr. Witkoff proposed that Russia retain Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson – areas under Russian control since 2022 – as a way to pave the way for a ceasefire.

The proposal was presented to US President Donald Trump after talks between Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Washington. According to Reuters, Witkoff stressed that control over the territories is already de facto Russian.

Ukraine rejects

Ukraine has categorically rejected the idea of ceding territory. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly reiterated the country’s line that territorial integrity is non-negotiable.

Several European governments are taking the same line, stressing that any peace agreement must be based on international law.

In Washington, Mr. Witkoff’s initiative is divisive. The second US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is skeptical about the proposal and considers it unrealistic.

– Ukraine would never agree to unilaterally cede total ownership of the territories to Russia, Kellogg said, according to sources.

Unclear US line

President Trump has not yet taken an official position on Witkoff’s proposal. The administration is still working to coordinate its strategy, according to two Western diplomats. The US line is described as unclear, raising questions among allies.

Within Congress, several Republican members have reacted with concern. Contacts have been made with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss alternative negotiating paths.

In parallel, talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine continue, but without any concrete results. Both sides are standing by their demands, while Ukraine’s Western allies recently met in Brussels to coordinate continued support.

According to the Kyiv Independent, Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine, which puts Moscow in a strong negotiating position for a possible peace agreement.

UK and Norway to deliver hundreds of thousands of drones to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine

Published 13 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff

The UK and Norway have launched a new support package for Ukraine worth £450 million, including drones, radar systems and funds for repairs. At the same time, Germany is launching a coalition to strengthen Ukraine’s electromagnetic warfare.

The British and Norwegian funds were presented at a meeting in Brussels of the Ramstein Group – a coalition of countries coordinating military assistance to Ukraine.

The package includes radar systems, funding to repair previously delivered equipment and, according to British data, a large number of drones, potentially in the hundreds of thousands, from both British and Ukrainian manufacturers.

–We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today’s major package will surge support to Ukraine’s frontline fight, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said in a statement.

Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, also unveiled a new coalition of support at the meeting, focusing on electromagnetic warfare as a counter to increasingly advanced Russian drone attacks and communications jamming.

Drones key component

Drones have become a key component on the battlefield, both for reconnaissance and direct attacks, while electromagnetic systems protect against hostile technology.

This coalition focuses on electromagnetic warfare – an increasingly important field that encompasses securing our own communications, conducting reconnaissance, disrupting enemy communications, and defending against drones, said Boris Pistorius.

The US defense representative participated digitally in the meeting, and according to John Healey, they highlighted Europe’s efforts since the start of the war. He stressed that the meeting in Brussels shows a continued unity among Western countries, but also an urgency to meet Ukraine’s increasingly urgent needs.

Next steps could include further deliveries of advanced technology, as the Ramstein Group plans new discussions on how to scale up support for the winter.

Comment: The division in Ukraine – and the hate rhetoric here at home

The war in Ukraine

While Swedish media spin on narratives of Russian propaganda and Trump's alleged evil, dramatic shifts are taking place on the ground in Ukraine. However, Colombian mercenaries, increased divisions and a society on the brink of civil war barely make headlines at all.

Published 10 April 2025
– By Jenny Piper
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
{ $opinionDisclaimer }

The news flow is currently not very informative but revolves around the chatter about the stock market slump that mainly affected multinationals in Big Tech, Big Pharma, investment banks, energy companies and the defense industry. In addition, Swedish mass media offers the bickering about Trump’s tariffs, Ukraine’s alleged new successes in a war that they have in practice already lost, and the usual Swedish hate rhetoric against Trump and Putin that they feed the population around the clock.

This afternoon, for example, they are making a big deal out of Zelensky’s claim that Chinese soldiers have been captured, but they omit to report that the Ukrainian military has struck Russian energy facilities in the Kursk and Zaporizhzhya regions twice in the past 24 hours, and that Colombian mercenaries have been brought into the Kursk region.

The Ukrainian publication Zerkalo Nedeli writes that the commander of the 47th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Hamlet Avagyan, confirmed the presence of mercenaries from Colombia in the assault company in the Kursk region and that another 200 people from Colombia are expected to arrive in April.

The Colombian ambassador in Moscow admitted in an interview with RIA that they do not have exact data on the number of Colombian mercenaries taking part in the fighting, but it is known that up to 80 people have died at the front.

“An acute psychosis”

Considering how many months the MSM spent reporting on the alleged North Koreans fighting on Russia’s side, it would have been appropriate to inform about this as well – but as usual, it is dismissed as “Russian propaganda”, while all claims coming from the Ukrainian regime for some unfathomable reason never get the label of disinformation.

It is also interesting to note that Ukrainian political scientist Konstantin Bondarenko, in a video published on Telegram for the publication Politnavigator, states that Ukrainian society is deeply divided, with mutual hostility growing between different groups of the population while socio-political tensions are rising – bringing the country not far from civil conflict.

According to Bondarenko, sociological research shows very serious fragmentation of Ukrainian society. The current state of affairs can be described as an acute psychosis, with the risks of tensions escalating into open civil confrontations becoming increasingly likely.

There is a very serious antagonism between groups of people. And if earlier there was a division into East, West, Russian-speaking, Ukrainian-speaking and so on, now they begin to hate those who are fighting at the front line, those who are in the background, those who stayed, those who left… Civilians or military and even deserters. That is, there are many such moments that can be added to an already military split.

Ukrainian society is ready to deny rights to compatriots who did not go to war and to consider these as second-class people. I think that in reality we are now witnessing an acute psychosis that exists in society. They will look for an enemy among their own kind – in the government, in a neighbor who doesn’t speak the right way, who goes to the wrong church, etc. And this is an extremely difficult situation, because it is lined with civil wars, civil conflicts”.

Resignation demands on Zelensky

So what is really happening behind the scenes now that the focus is elsewhere? The US and Russia are probably busy making deals behind the EU’s/NATO’s back, and more countries are signing tariff agreements with the US. It will be interesting to see if they reach an agreement on Ukraine in May, as previously speculated – which would be a win for all involved.

Zelensky probably needs to step down first, as he continues to cause problems – something Finnish university professor Tuomas Malinen wrote about on X, where he argues that US President Donald Trump should demand that Zelensky surrender and resign for the sake of peace.

Today, American investor David Sachs – appointed by US President Donald Trump to be responsible for AI and cryptocurrency policy – wrote a post on X in which he said that Ukraine is robbing the United States and that Washington should “cut loose” Kiev if Zelensky does not sign an agreement.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of similar public statements in Sweden, where someone really needed to put their foot down – because here only those with the “right” opinion are heard in the media noise.

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

FIFA hopes to see Russia back on the pitch soon

The war in Ukraine

Published 8 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff

FIFA President Gianni Infantino expresses hope that Russia will soon be able to return to international football.

Speaking at the Uefa Congress in Belgrade on 3 April, he stressed that such a step would signal the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and highlighted that football is a path to unity.

Speaking at the congress, Infantino emphasized the role of football as a unifying force, saying the sport can help bring people and nations closer together.

– As talks are going on for peace in Ukraine, I hope we can soon move to the next stage and bring back Russia in the football landscape, because this would mean everything is solved, Infantino said during his speech.

That is what we have to cheer for; that is what we have to pray for because that is what football is about – to unite, not divide, he continued.

Russia banned since 2022

Russia has been banned from all FIFA and UEFA competitions since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This includes both club and national teams. The decision was taken after several nations, including Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic, refused to play against Russia.

Infantino pointed out that Russia’s return is not only about sport but also about peace.

– If football can play a small role once peace is established, we will certainly contribute.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also expressed support for Infantino’s view. However, he made it clear that Russia’s re-entry will only happen once the war in Ukraine has ended.

– I have said it many times and I can repeat it: If the war stops, they will be allowed back, Ceferin told the congress.

Gianni Infantino referred to past examples where politics prevented teams from participating in tournaments, such as Serbia’s exclusion from the 1992 European Championship in the wake of the Yugoslav war.

– We must always strive to use football to bring people together, to unite countries, especially in our world that is so divided, said Infantino.

Meanwhile, other organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have also discussed the possibility of allowing Russian athletes to participate, but under a neutral flag.

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