Russia

Europe is caught in gas contracts with Russia. Now look for a way to break them without paying the price

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This winter has ended with an alarming fact for gas in Europe: German reserves are practically empty, 7% of their capacity. Energy expert Javier Blas He explained That the winter of 2024-25 has left the very low gas inventories, and the cost to fill the natural reservoir of Rehden amounts to almost 2,000 million euros. In addition, the continent has entered the discount timesince the European Union has demanded that the deposits be filled at 90% before November 1. However, the European Union has made a decision to close the door forever to the dependence of Russian gas. Close the tap to Russia. From Brussels different legal routes are being explored so that European companies can terminate long -term Russian gas contracts without paying large fines to Moscow. According to Financial Timesthe European Commission has been studying the possibility of declaring force majeure to terminate contractual obligations and not have to pay additional rates. The Russian supply. After three years of war that still persists, this situation has caused a great energy crisis in Europe, reducing its dependence on Russian gas. Currently, the Kremlin supply represents 11% of the block compared to almost two fifths at the beginning of the conflict, such as They have detailed in the British environment. From a more economical vision, the EU paid 21.9 billion euros Russia for oil and gas between February 2024 and February 2025, According to the Clean Energy and Air Research Center. And they continue to depend. Russian liquefied natural gas volumes (LNG) They have increased significantly In the last three years. In addition, Russia has continued to export gas disguised under azeri flag or through relations with two member countries, Hungary and Slovakiawhich has generated tensions within the EU. As He has pointed out The Financial Times, there are important ports such as those of France, Spain and Belgium that continue to receive loads of Russian LNG, showing the complexity of cutting energy ties immediately. Until two years. The European Commission has promised a final roadmap to completely cut energy ties with Russia before 2027. Although its publication has already been delayed twice, the document is expected for May 6, According to Reuters. This delay responds to the conversations reactivated by the United States about the future of the Nordstream gas pipeline, which connects Germany and Russia. The project has gained importance amid the efforts of the Trump administration, since they want look for an approach that implies them in gas transmission. Exploring alternatives … The commission, that He has denied To comment to the Financial Times, you are looking for new supplies. United States, which It takes time exporting LNG to Europehas been profiled as the largest supplier and is seen as a viable replacement. However, with the tariff war in dispute Everything will be to see. But there is an unexpected exit. Continuing with the tariffs, which have been intensified in A bilateral war Between China and the United States. The Asian giant He has found A strategic opportunity: take advantage of contracts signed with American gas to resell it to Europe. This phenomenon has exposed how the global mechanisms of energy trade do not respond to political strategies, but to market logics. An uncertain future. Although the date is marked in 2027, the road map has already suffered several delays and remains surrounded by political and commercial unknowns. In addition, the growing tension with the United States and The lack of a really solid energy plan they leave a European Union corrula, reacting too late before the agency with Russia. Image | Brian Cantoni Xataka | The price of gas has already reached 2022 levels. Now the European industry depends on one thing: that the cold does not return

China and Russia work in “Starlink Killers” to be able to deactivate them

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At the end of February, a heated discussion before the cameras between Volodimir Zelenski and Donald Trump changed the situation in Ukraine, Warning to the European Union. One of the immediate concerns was that Ukraine lost access to Starlinkwho has had a key role in war. But while Europe is looking for alternatives To the constellation of Spacex satellites, Russia and China are developing, separately, electronic and military countermeasures. Starlink is a strategic asset. Both in Its military version, called Starshieldas in its commercial version. When Russia left conventional communication satellite networks (VIASAT, Iridium, Immarsat…), Starlink gave a crucial advantage to Ukraine. The commercial company led by Elon Musk not only had the capacity to send more terminals and antennas to the front, but proved to be more resistant to “Jamming”Russian cyber attacks based on electronic interference. Spacex internally manufactures satellites, antennas and partially reusable rockets, a vertical integration that has put it decades away from the competition. Starlink has more than 7,000 satellites in the low orbit. At this altitude, they complete a return to the earth every 90 minutes, so different satellites are going through the sky to serve a certain area. Cybeards and Jamming are more effective with companies that have a few geostationary satellites, which remain fixed at 36,000 km of altitude. In search of the Killer Starlink. The use of the Spacex Satellites Network in military conflicts has led Russia and China to reinforce its countermeasures. A Recent report De Secure World Foundation stressed that Starlink was a kremlin priority objective after having demonstrated its usefulness in the Ukraine War. Russia has been developing the Kalinka system, Nicknamed the “Starlink Killer”to detect and interfere with protected military communications of the Constellation “Starshield”launched by Spacex and operated by the number. According to Ukrainian sources, Ukraine military forces suffer from Starlink interruptions since May 2024, which is attributed to Russian experimentation in advanced electronic war methods, which not only affect military communications, but also the use of drones. Russia uses the Tobol system to interfere with satellite signals. It is believed that there are at least ten Tobol devices distributed in Russian territory, and one of them could be located in the Russian base of Kalinningradbetween Lithuania and Poland. Tobol has also been used to try to block the satellite transmissions that Ukraine uses in its operations. Members of the European Union, such as Finland, Poland and Sweden, have noticed GPS failures during use. Strange maneuvers in the land low orbit. China advances in parallel to Russia in its spatial developments against Starlink, according to US sources cited by the report. The United States Space Force has observed several Chinese satellites in Coordinated proximity maneuvers. Although these operations in flight could be used for peaceful purposes, such as naves maintenance or space garbage withdrawal, the United States believes that they are being tested to disable or capture rival satellites in case of conflict. Chinese maneuvers, together with the increase of Chinese satellites dedicated to intelligence work, They have put the pentagon on alertalthough the United States is not far behind in military deployments in space. Even Russia has had advances in this defensive development: recently, they demonstrated how some Russian satellites could surround and isolate another ship in low orbit. The definitive and definitely illegal weapon. The Pentagon believes that Moscow is at the same time chasing the idea of ​​placing nuclear weapons in space capable of Generate electromagnetic pulses (EMP), which would be devastating against satellite constellations. In turn, they could trigger a catastrophic collisions waterfall known as Kessler’s syndrome, by the astrophysicist who predicted it. The Treaty on the Ultra -Site Space of 1967 prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but it is an increasingly questioned document by both sides. The last affront the agreement was released by Elon Musk in a political rally, when he declared that Mars would be part of the United Statesviolating another of the key points of the treaty, that the celestial bodies are not subject to demands of sovereignty. Image | Spacex In Xataka | Eutelsat, the “European Starlink”, shot in the stock market. The reality is that no European company can match Starlink right now

If China wants to dodge US tariffs, Russia can teach you a shortcut: Kyrgyzstan

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In the middle of chaos that have generated United States tariffs, a theory as absurd as feasible Start circular. If in a few weeks we begin to hear that, for example, the Kyrgyzstan nation is shooting its exports suddenly and unexpectedly to the United States, it should not surprise us so much. It does not have to be Kyrgyzstan, of course, but, coincidences of a world more and more globalizedthe nation has become the protagonist for Russia … and China. Boom. To understand how a site like Kyrguistan It can be an important actor in a commercial war we must go back to the beginning of the War in Ukraine. Kyrgyzan’s economic panorama changed radically from March 2022. In a matter of months, country imports from traditional business partners They began to growhighlighting the case of China, whose exports almost tripled. However, the most striking phenomenon was the sudden rise of trade with countries with which Kyrguistan barely had previous economic ties. From different points of the European Union (such as Poland, Czech Republic and the Baltic States) began to register A wave of goods. In some cases, the increases were so extraordinary that it was difficult to assimilate. Data from the Institute of International Finance revealed that, between March 2022 and October 2023, German car exports and pieces towards Kyrguistan increased 5,500%. What the hell had happened? The Ukraine War. The date, obviously, was not trivial. Despite the striking of growth, the origin and destination of many of these goods was diffuse. On numerous occasions, the products are classified as coming from an “unknown” country and with equally “unknown” destination, which generated enormous opacity in commercial statistics. However, for researchers and analysts There was no doubt What is the true destiny: Russia. Far from representing a genuine boom of the Kyrgyse economy, that phenomenon was interpreted as proof of the efficacy of the Kremlin to avoid the international sanctions imposed after its large -scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the researcher Erica Marathassociated professor at the National Defense University of Washington DC, these commercial flows are part of a mechanism which facilitates the evasion of sanctions by Moscow, a mechanism that has been skillfully adopted throughout the region. Parallel imports. In May 2022, Russia promulgated legislation that institutionalized what it called “parallel imports“. This regulation allows the entry of sanctioned products through third countries, without requiring the permission of brand owners. It was enough to import products to another country (such as Kyrgyzstan) and then redirect them to Russian territory. The system was adopted quickly by Russian and foreign companies. In addition to conventional supplies, it also included “double -use” products: appliances, electronic components and other civil goods that can be de -slasamed and reused for military purposes. Between May and December 2022, Russia admitted to having imported 2.4 million tons of goods by a Value of 20 billion dollars Through this scheme. Kyrgyzstan map Kyrgyzistan, the epicenter. No doubt, the nation’s exports to Russia went from 393 million dollars in 2021 to More than 1,070 million in 2022. Not just that. The figures could be underestimated, since many countries (including Kyrgyzstan) classify large volumes of trade as appropriate or with “unknown” destination, using this emptiness as a legal loophole to channel goods towards Russia without raising formal suspicions. This practice, according to marath, It is not considered illegaland therefore the authorities feel comfortable ignoring it while receiving economic benefits. Plus: Kyrguistan is not the only country that facilitates the evasion of sanctions, but possesses particular characteristics that make it an ideal transit point. He is a member of the Eurasian economic union (EAEU), a block founded in 2015 that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. This block guarantees the free movement of goods and services among its members, which significantly reduces The bureaucratic load For trade between them. The Chinese friend ”. And what does China look in all this? As we said at the beginning, coincidences of a world globalized And in the midst of a commercial war marked by the tariffs of the United States, China has also noticed Kyrguistan, although From another perspective. I told it This week The Economist: Although Beijing proclaims a cooperation relationship “back with back, shoulder shoulder” with Russia, in practice it is taking distance in a crucial aspect: the safety of its export routes to Europe. Yes, despite its geopolitical alliance with Moscow, China prefers not to depend on Russia to maintain the flow of its assets to the European continent, especially in a context marked by conflicts and sanctions. Solution? In December, the construction of an ambitious began officially Railway project that is going through Kyrguistan and Uzbekistan, with the aim of creating a direct route towards Europe that avoids the Russian territory. This new connection becomes more relevant to a possible intensification of the commercial war with the United States and the growing importance of the European market (China already exports more than America). The impulse. Although the railway project had almost three decades under discussion, its materialization only It was completed after the invasion Russian to Ukraine in February 2022. Before the conflict, the main railway routes to Europe passed through Russia, many times via Kazajistan. The war, however, raised security risks, triggered insurance costs and weakened the Russian rail infrastructure due to sanctions, forcing transport companies to look for alternatives. As a result, they began to deviate towards the call “transpian route“Or” Medium Corridor “, which is going through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea. Connecting the Chinese Railway Net A 520 km line that will consolidate this strategic option. Commercial Resilience. It is not the end of any “alliance”, because as The Economist toldChina continues to consider Russia as a pillar of its ambitious global infrastructure project (the Strip and the Route initiative, launched in 2013 by Xi Jinping), its current enthusiasm by the middle corridor responds rather to economic interests. China’s growth, increasingly dependent on exports, has lost impulse, and guaranteeing stable roads … Read more

The US has detected an object in space with strange behavior. The source that released it has also located: Russia

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Last year there was a fact that formalized the rhetoric of the “spatial war” It was a fact. It was known, in some cases it was intuited, that the United States, Russia and China had transferred their confrontations hundreds of kilometers from the earth through their satellites. However, in December any glimpse of doubt was cleared: United States He designed the bases of a war attack in space. Now they have detected something unusual, and their source comes from Moscow. First was surveillance. In March, The CNN counted that the Pentagon had intensified the surveillance of the spatial activities of Russia and China in the face of growing evidence that both powers are testing New capabilities Offensive in orbit. As American defense officials then said, Russia had carried out coordinated satellite exercises that simulate attack and defense tactics, including maneuvers in which several satellites surround and isolate another, demonstrating a possible scenario of neutralization of enemy ships. China, meanwhile, had executed similar maneuversincluding the closed formation of satellites and offensive approach practices, actions that reinforce suspicions about the growing militarization of outer space. Three satellites and a stranger. Thus we arrive at the news of these days. Russia has launched space three highly secret satellites (Kosmos 2581, 2582 and 2583) that have revived concerns about a possible preparation for space war. On February 2, the satellites were sent to orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket, without Moscow revealing details about their purpose. Not just that. To the unusual maneuvers they have performed since their deployment, the recent appearance of A mysterious objectpossibly released by the Kosmos 2583 satellite on March 18, whose strange draw Observe with concern. The United States’s space force has already cataloged the new object, while some speculation suggests that these satellites could be practicing “attack and defense” tactics orbital, designed to isolate or neutralize enemy satellites in case of a future conflict. Trajectory of the object detected Theories Although astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, from Harvard-Smithsonian Center, nuanced interpretations Alarmists when considering that the observed maneuvers can simply be due to similar orbits, recent history also reinforces skepticism. In 2022, Russia had already launched the Kosmos 2558 in the same orbital trajectory as an American military satellite, which was interpreted as an act of spatial espionage. The geopolitical context and the background of the Kremlin in the matter of covert technologies They raise suspicions that this new satellite trio may be carrying out surveillance missions, interception or testing tests Antisatellite technologiesalthough for now there are no conclusive evidence of hostile actions. The “conquest” of space. We said it at the beginning. The maneuvers attributed to satellites Kosmos 2581-2583 They are framed in a broader scenario in which both Russia and China would be exploring New combat capabilities orbital. The Recent CNN reports They quote officials of the United States Department of Defense, who say that both countries are carrying out military training in low orbits, a key zone for their proximity to land and its frequent use for communication, recognition and intelligence satellites. This trend reinforces the fear that space will be consolidated as a new confrontation field Strategic, one where powers develop technologies to deactivate, interfere or even destroy enemy space assets. Uncertainty and surveillance. So far we write, the nature or function of the object released in March has not been determined with certainty, which increases the tension around this satellite trio. McDowell explained That between February 25 and March 14, proximity operations were registered between the satellites, and that two of them passed near Kosmos 2583 on March 7, although it could not be confirmed if there was an attempt at offensive coordination. Even so, the US spatial force maintains close surveillance on the orbital movements and patterns of these artifacts, given the possibility that it is covert tests of new military capacities in space, a dimension that is no longer purely scientific or commercial, but also tactic. The challenge of “interpreting.” In the background, a problem that until now had not taken place in space, that of the opacity of the nations with respect to the missions of their satellites and the repeated use of covert technologies in their space operations that make it difficult to obtain certainty. In an environment where the simple fact of sharing orbits or making approaches between satellites can have both harmless and aggressive aims, analysts, in this case of the United States, must move between caution and prevention. As We already explainedwhile the calls multiply to establish clear international standards on behavior in space, Washington and its allies already consider spatial domain as a Active strategic theaterand each new mysterious object, such as the newly released by Kosmos 2583, adds one more tension layer to technological and military rivalry in orbit. Image | POT In Xataka | The space is no longer a two thing with the arrival of China, so the US has devised a war plan just in case: “Space fire” In Xataka | Satellites with missiles from Earth is ended up: the United States takes the first step to end the practice

The last tactic of Ukraine is a drone that seeks to catch him. When Russia opens it displays its threat: a virus

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The Russian invasion in Ukraine has led to two very different lines of development in kyiv. On the one hand, and in the face of investment in sophisticated and expensive armament, Ukraine has shown that systems relatively simple and low costas The mounted shotguns In drones, they can be equal or more decisive in asymmetric combat scenarios. On the other, and given the adversity, the creation of one of the most powerful industries From the planet: national combat drones. The last one is a surprise. Technology on the battlefield. We have gone counting months ago. The war between Russia and Ukraine, marked from the beginning by intensive use of New technologieshe has seen in the drones one of his more decisive instruments. However, a recent video Shared in social networks of Russian origin warns about a new and worrying front: Malware use by Ukraine embedded in drones capable of infecting Russian systems. Although these computer threats have been considered lower so far (mainly because they do not attack complete networks, but individual devices such as computers or the captured drones themselves) their appearance represents a more than significant change in the cyber dimension of the conflict. Ukrainian malware. Apparently, Forbes counted that the malware detected in Ukrainian drones has Specific functions: physically damage USB ports, prevent the Reflasso of the system, block the reprogramming of the drone or even very important, allow Ukraine to locate the new Russian operators if the drone is reused by Moscow. As? These malicious codes are designed to sabotage any reuse attempt by the enemy, disabled the electronics of the devices or creating vulnerabilities They can be remotely exploited. In a context in which both countries face resource restrictions, limiting the ability to have enemy drones represents a crucial strategic advantage for Ukraine. Operational impact and consequences. No doubt, the use of malware has immediate tactical implications. Russia depends on the detailed analysis of the enemy drones captured for Adapt your systems of countermeasures, which requires manipulating its components and studying its software. If these drones are protected with code that disables or compromises their systems when connecting them, the reverse engineering process becomes slower, complex and, ultimately, risky. Thus, Ukraine manages to extend the useful life cycle of its drones before Moscow develops an effective countermelted, something vital in an environment where technological innovation translates into direct tactical advantage. “Human” talent. Development looks in the form achieved with the Double cannon or with The optical fiber. The success of these strategies lies in the force of Ukrainian technological sectorthat before the war already stood out for its dynamism and human talent. With a robust base of software engineers and cybersecurity experts, Ukraine has managed to transfer civil abilities to the military, generating asymmetric tools that do not require great physical resources, but a high degree of technical sophistication. The development of malware in drones allows maximizing the impact of available resources, hindering Russian work without increasing the number of devices deployed. A new cyber career in the theater. Not just that. The introduction of malware also marks the beginning of a new phase in the struggle for technological superiority. If Ukraine has begun to use malware with limited but effective functions, it is reasonable to anticipate that Russia will respond with Your own developments Similar offensives, as has happened with previous innovations of both sides. In this way, a climbing cycle is opened: more advanced malware will require better defenses, which in turn will be target of more sophisticated versions. In a short time, it is assumed that both parties could implement specific antivirus protection in drones, harden managerial device management protocols and use new malicious software variants that attack command and control networks or even open rear doors for intelligence operations. Technological consequences. In the last three years, both Russia and Ukraine have converted their respective scientific ecosystems into Weapons at the service of war effort. The Ukrainian decision to integrate malware into its drones not only slows the Russian reusing, but redefines the battle for Technological supremacy In the conflict. In addition, the strategy can be extended perfectly to other electronic devices, including smart weapons, communications sensors or systems. What began as an innovative tactic could be consolidated as a digital war doctrine, influencing the design, use and protection of all military equipment from now on. If you want also, the deployment of malware in Ukrainian drones shows how modern war has moved towards the scope of the code, where only a small script can have effects comparable to a certain shot … without the need for a single bullet. Image | Rawpixel In Xataka | To hunt Russian drones, Ukraine is resorting to a revolutionary technique … from World War I In Xataka | A Russian drone has opened one of the greatest engineering works. The problem: it was the sarcophagus of Chernobil reactor 4

The key is called Giuk and gives China and Russia to the east of the US

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In January it sounded strongly and since then there is no week that the idea is not reproduced: United States Groenland wants. We explain that we are not really new, and that when Trump said wanting to take control of the enclave it was The fifth time in the history that the United States “touched” at the door of the island. However, there is now a difference with respect to other attempts. Greenland has something that makes it a strategic zone “for what can happen.” Russian and Chinese threat. Greenland has become A critical point For the national security of the United States, and although much has been commented, it is not mainly for economic or symbolic reasons, but for Its strategic position in the fight against the progress of Russian or eventually Chinese submarines. In fact, this has been confirmed through General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe and head of the US European command. The man declared before the Senate Armed Services Committee that access to the airspace and maritime of Greenlandia It is fundamental To detect and follow the track of the Russian submarines before they are lost in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is part of the western edge of the Giuk gap (Greenland-Islandia-Reinian Reino), a vital corridor through which the Russian underwater fleet from Murmansk, home of the most advanced naves of the Kremlin, such as class submersibles, such as class submersibles, such as class submersible Yasen-mequipped with long -range cruise missiles. The giuk gap. This corridor is a strangulation point Maritime that, if not properly watched, allows Russian or Chinese submarines operate without being detected In the North Atlantic. Once they cross the gap, its location becomes extremely difficult, both because of the acoustic conditions of the underwater terrain and by the oceanic vastness. Thus, from these hidden positions they can launch missile attacks against strategic objectives On the east coast of the American continent. In fact and in response to this, the United States formed in 2021 the so -called Task Group Greyhounda specialized group of anti -submarine destroyers Designed to counteract This specific threat. The American navy itself warned at the time that the east coast of the country already It was not a safe shelterunderlining the urgency of establishing surveillance and defense points in key areas such as Greenland. Map of the Giuk Via of the Cold War (still relevant) The Russian answer. For their part, they counted the The War Zone analysts that Russia has proven to know very well the value of this corridor. In 2019, he organized his greatest naval exercise since the Cold War, sending at least ten submarines through the completely submerged Giuk gap, with the aim of reaching the Atlantic without being intercepted. According to Norwegian mediathe intention was clear: to prove the capacity of the West to detect movements of his fleet and demonstrate that he could project power to the US coast. These exercises also fulfill a fund growing territorial presence. Advanced control point. The island of Goenland, with only 320 km of separation from Iceland, constitutes a natural bottleneck inside the Giuk. This proximity allows its use as an advanced basis for anti -submarine operations. Although the United States already has the base of the space force In Pituffik (Antigua Thule), equipped with early alert radars against ballistic attacks, General Cavoli suggests that it would be strategically advantageous to expand military capabilities in other areas of the island. Under this prism, the simple possibility that Russia or China can establish military facilities in Greenland represents an unacceptable risk: from there, they could deploy weapons of intercontinental reach only 2,000 km from the US territory. A Yasen-M class Diplomatic tension With this context we arrive at the news of these days. General Cavoli’s statements occur in a political high voltage environment between the United States and Denmark, Sovereign Nation on Greenland. The renewed Donald Trump’s insistence In acquiring the island, it has revived a diplomatic conflict dating from its first mandate. Plus: the Recent visit of vice president JD Vance to Island caused a strong rejection by local and Danish authorities, who met to stage your unit Faced with US desires for annexation. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to Denmark to calm the situation and reaffirm the strength of the bilateral relationship, although tensions remain latent. One More Thing. While the persecution of Russian submarines is the central axis of the strategy, there is much more. To begin with, Greenland also offers other military advantages: its radar infrastructure It allows early detection of ballistic releases, which gives the US government additional time to respond to an attack. In addition, its position at the northwest of the Atlantic makes it a crucial logistics point within the framework of any Arctic or Intercontinental conflict. Although Iceland already houses American anti -submarine aircraft squads that cover the Giuk gap, Greenland could offer redundancy, extended reach and greater operational flexibility. Geopolitics in the ice. So things, and while the debate persists on whether the United States really needs Acquire Greenland Or simply reinforce its presence in the area, the truth is that the island has ceased to be a remote block of ice to become a strategic focus of the first order. The growing Arctic militarizationthe resurgence of Russian naval power and The global competition For the control of polar routes they place Greenland in the center of a new geopolitical board. Its value does not reside in its demography, economy or tourist attraction, but in its ability to influence the balance of power between rival powers. In times of submarine cold war, every kilometer of coast vigilated is worth its weight in gold, and Greenland, today more than ever, he tells much. Image | PicrylRussian Navy, миноборонloy In Xataka | It is the fifth time that the US wants to buy Greenland from Denmark. If they asked on the island they would have it … Read more

Russia and North Korea

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A few days ago, Donald Trump set up in anger, or at least that seemed like face the public. The president showed his anger with Putin for the obstacles in the negotiations of a high fire in Ukraine. The apparent initial closeness for this agreement with the Russian leader, where he even seemed to blame him for the war, gave way to a threat: to impose secondary tariffs up to 50% About Russian oil. Today, and after knowing each other An almost universal list Of tariffs by Washington, we lack two nations: Russia and North Korea. Indulgence to adversaries. It We count this morningto. In a new and unknown phase of his commercial war, President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on some of the closest allies and partners in the United States, a list where we find Japan (24%), South Korea (25%), India (26%) or Taiwan (32%). Territories were also included tiny and remote like Tokelau (New Zealand) and Svalbard (Norway), However, it seems that it exempts from rates to adversary nations such as Russia, North Korea, Belarus and even Iran, a country to which only applied 10%less than Israel Tax (17%), its historic ally. Background: a policy that aligns with Trump’s strategy In his second term, one characterized by punishing allied countries, threatening them even with military actions, and showing themselves, although with asterisks, with traditional adversaries from Washington. The official position. The White House has left the step giving A justification. The total absence of tariffs to Moscow, together with countries such as Cuba, Belarus and North Korea, is due to the fact that “these nations already face sanctions and rates so high that they limit their trade with the United States.” However, the data show that, despite the sanctions, Russia still maintains commercial exchanges significant. Privileged relationship. They remembered a key In Firstpost To understand what is happening. Trump had formalized your affinity With Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to transform Russia as an adversary to partnerand this despite the fact that Moscow has not yielded in its aggression to Ukraine or has moderated its position towards the West. Despite the official justification from the White House that Russia, North Korea and others are already subject to sanctionsthe truth is that commerce with these countries is nothing less null. Namely: in 2024, the United States maintained exchanges with Russia by value of 3.5 billion dollars (yes, in 2021 the bilateral trade was from 35,000 billion of dollars), including US exports of Medical supplies and essential pharmacists. Even North Korea and Iran, under sanctions, maintain Reduced commercial flowsbut existing, in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, chemicals (and even works of art in the case of Iran). Meanwhile, allies as Ukraine (In full war) they also entered that 10% of tariffs, contradicting the logic that policy seeks to protect strategic partners. The validity of Russia. Moreover, like They explained in Axiosin practice, the United States trades more with Russia than with many of the countries sanctioned by new rates, evidencing a contradiction in the official justification. Karoline Leavittspokesman for the White House, he reiterated that Russia could face “new and strong sanctions” in the future, especially after Trump expressed that public discomfort towards Putin for his recent statements about Ukraine and threatened Impose secondary rates to Russian oil. Stagnant negotiations. Russia, on the other hand, has asked the Trump administration Partial withdrawal of sanctions As a key to negotiations for a fire in Ukraine, a process that remains practically frozen. Meanwhile, Trump seems to have chosen to hit traditional partners and smaller economies before Russia, maintaining that pattern that seems to characterize its foreign policy: hardness towards allies and flexibility, or At least containmenttowards strategic adversaries. The Israel-Iran case. We said it at the beginning. Especially striking is The case of Israelwhich recently eliminated its tariffs on American products as a gesture of good will, waiting for the exclusion of sanctions. It has not been so, and finally Trump has not only imposed a 17% tariff to Israelbut has applied a minor one, only 10%, to Iran, country considered declared enemy both from the United States and Israel and “sponsor” of hostile groups to both. What’s doubt, the decision has caused outrage at Tel Aviv And it has been interpreted as a sign that Trump’s commercial policy in his second term does not distinguish between strategic friends and enemies. Controversial turn. What seems clear is that the choice of some and the exclusion of others in the list is not due to random (not with other micro territories and uninhabited spaces). As a result, the strategy has generated bewilderment between Washington experts and allies, seeing how the country hardens its treatment with historical partners and, at the same time, softens your measures Against geopolitical rivals. Far from being only an economic measure, the pattern seems to reaffirm the Trump approach to destabilize traditional alliances in favor of direct relations, although inconsistent, with adversaries, even if they have not offered diplomatic or commercial concessions in return. Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation In Xataka | The most surreal victims of US tariffs: remote islands, islets only inhabited by penguins and a secret base

Elon Musk has fired thousands of US officials. China and Russia want to offer them a new job: spies

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Since Donald Trump put Elon Musk at the head of Doge, the officials have been at his point look. Instead of considering them as public employees who were hired to do a job in the administration, the millionaire first used a derogatory language towards them, for later dismiss them in bad ways. Now, China, Russia, North Korea and other enemies of the US seek to approach these officials dismissed to take advantage of their anger who has fired them to offer them a new job: informant. Fishing in a scrambled river. According to published CBS Newsaround 100,000 federal officials leave their jobs every year, either by retirement, search for new opportunities or changes in their professional career. However, the recent wave of layoffs, marked by indiscriminately dismissed more than 113,361 federal employees, has generated resentment and discontent with the government. Such and as he published CNN citing sources from the CIA, that can become a breeding ground for Russia, China, North Korea or other US adversary countries Take the opportunity to try to recruit to some of those federal employees that had access to sensitive information. “It does not need much imagination to see that these marginalized federal workers with a wealth of institutional knowledge represent amazingly attractive objectives for the intelligence services of our competitors and adversaries,” the American media told the US medium close to the government. LinkedIn: A job bag for spies. Intelligence sources told CNN that both Russia and China are focusing their efforts on those federal ex -employed who had access to confidential information, such as those of the Department of Energy, the Pentagon or the US trade office, whose information could weaken the security and strategies of the country. “This information is extremely valuable, and should not surprise that Russia, China and other organizations – as, for example, criminal organizations – are aggressively recruiting government employees,” said Theresa Payton, former information director of the White House during the presidency of George W. Bush to CBS News. As published CNNAt least two countries have already created recruitment websites and have begun to actively capture federal employees in LinkedIn, two sources indicated. John Schindler, former counterintelligence official, says it is currently very easy to locate these employees “enter LinkedIn, you see someone who ‘before was in the Department of Defense and is now looking for work’ and you think: ‘Bingo’,” said Schindler. Before, Soviet intelligence officers had to wait for a former resentful employee to contact them. Now they are announced on LinkedIn. False employment offers. As CBS News pointed out, one of the simplest ways to approach one of these ex -employed employees is to contact him through LinkedIn and offer them a job interview for false job. In the interview, the agent would discover if he had access to relevant information and could hire him as “consultants” of a cover company and receive a payment for his experience, without even knowing that he is providing information to an enemy. ANDS say, their new company could use them to obtain information discreetly without the former officials being aware of it. Fire with chainsaw. One of the problems of dismissing massively in certain strategic departments, is that they do not adopt mitigation measures. According to experts, the probability that an ex -employed angry will contact a foreign power increases as many federal employees are left without work. According to CNN sources, when an official leaves his job, he undergoes an exit interview designed to avoid the presence of moles or informantsand to remind outgoing employees their duty to preserve secrets and warn them of the security risks they face. However, Doge’s layoffs have not occurred in those terms. The spies are rubbing their hands. According to published The New York Timesthe accelerated rhythm that Elon Musk has imposed on Doge to achieve its cut goals, could have already left exposed to CIA agents and workers. In an effort to comply with the executive order of Donald Trump to reduce the template of officials, the CIA sent an email to the White House with the list of all the new employees who had been in the agency for two years or less, including CIA officers who were preparing to operate undercover, through an unqualified email server. Something that Senator Mark Warner for Virginia, a higher rank member in the Congress Intelligence Committee He described how“A disastrous event for national security.” In Xataka | Elon Musk fired hundreds of employees and now he has to hire them again: they were experts in nuclear weapons Image | Flickr (The White House. Νεα δημοκρατια)

An advantage against Russia, a problem for its pilots

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In the last twelve months what We have been counting: In Ukraine, war has transformed to the nation becoming a catalyst for a war industrial revolution Unexpected It has ceased to be a utopia to think of Kyiv for those nations that want drones. Therefore, the contest, full of paradoxes, offers us one more than anyone saw: they have so many combat drones and so varied that they are an advantage, but also a problem at the same time. Innovation to adversity. The technological history of Ukraine, marked by ingenuity and resilience since Soviet times, explains its current prominence in the field of defense. In 1951, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukrainian engineers developed one of The first computers from Europe in a bombarded building without access to Western publications. This spirit of innovation in isolation, documented in THE BOOK INNOVATION IN ISOLATIONhas endured until today, feeding the emergence of companies such as Grammarly or Ajax, and supporting resistance to Russian invasion. A war revolution. Faced with the Russian invasion, Ukraine has mobilized not only its army, but also its software engineers and developers, who have transformed commercial technology accessible into Effective Combat Systems. From Kamikaze drones Even inhibitor inhibitors of digital signals and platforms Like Delta (which offers real -time tactical vision), Ukrainian solutions arise from improvised workshops and laboratories to the very trenches. Volume, speed and adaptability. In a context where powers like China and Russia They increase their bet For drones, Ukraine has been outlined as An indispensable partner For the western world. Last year, according to Anton Verkhovodov, partner of the Capital Signature D3the country secretly assembled near two million drones In scattered workshops, something unprecedented even within NATO. The advantage does not lie only in the volume, but in the speed of the innovation cycle: it is estimated that in less than a month A new drone can be deployed in the front and, shortly after, face Russian electronic countermeasures, forces it to iterate and improve tirelessly. This adaptation capacity exceeds the development and proof times of Western Defense Contractors, which can It takes years in bringing a new design system to the battlefield. For Rafael Lossof the European Board of Foreign Affairs, this makes Ukraine an ideal partner, both for his tactical knowledge and for his agile and contextualized production capacity. National Autonomy. They counted in Insider that this decentralization has given rise to a kind of “spilled toolbox”, in which countless models, types and technologies coexist. This strategy responds not only to the tactical urgency of facing the Russian invasion, but also to The need for independence in defense, in view of the unpredictability of Western support, especially from the United States. A fact to understand it: in 2024, 96% of 1.5 million drones Acquired by Ukraine were of local production, which shows the solidity of this emerging industrial capacity and its strategic relevance. Flexible supply and adapted to combat. Thanks to this fragmented model, Ukraine has achieved something exceptional: Transfer technology and products from manufacturers directly to the battle frontwithout going through traditional military acquisition structures. Many units obtain their drones through collective financing campaigns, and use civil models adapted to military use. This flexibility allows rapid feedback between operators and manufacturers, optimizing the performance of the equipment and adapting them to the changing demands of the fight. Dimko Zhluktenkoa member of the Ukrainian unmanned systems forces, it emphasizes that it has used multiple drones (99% Ukrainians) from different companies, and that diversity is a tactical advantage over the uniformity of Russian arsenal, much more predictable. Advantages. Unlike Russia, which uses a limited number of drones types, the Ukrainian variety complicates the work of detection, neutralization and counterattack of the enemy. According to The expert James Patton Rogersif Ukraine used only a handful of standardized models, Russia could quickly learn to intercept them by electronic war. However, when facing drones of multiple signatures, configurations and capacities, the Russian forces face a Much more steep learning curve. In addition, the geographical dispersion Production makes Russia identify and destroy key manufacturing centers, something that would be possible with a more centralized model. The competition between manufacturers National also encourages an accelerated career of innovation, with the development of drones guided by artificial intelligencesystems Without GPS, Submarine drones and unmanned land vehicles. Too much. The rhythm of consumption and destruction of drones in the front It is very high. Samuel Bendett, Del Center for Naval Analysishe pointed out that No one foresaw The quickly these technologies would be used, nor the speed with which they would develop countermeasures. Given this reality, Ukraine has opted for the quantity of quality, with an ambitious acquisition plan of 4.5 million drones in 2025. Logic is simple: minimize costs, accelerate times of deployment and maintain tactical pressure by technological saturation. Benjamin Jensen, from Center for Strategic and International Studies, Describe this tactic As a kind of “war lego set”, where pieces of different origins are assembled with creativity, under the guidance of operators and experts around the world. The great disadvantage. However, the worst of this huge drone industry that is raising Ukraine Alexander Pyslar explainedPeloton commander of attack drones, who warned that the diversity of manufacturers represents a constant and unprecedented operational challenge: each model requires adjustments, calibrations and specific training in a scenario where time seems not to exist. This implies that many of the drones received are not sufficiently proven in battle conditionsunlike what would happen with a centralized acquisition strategy with standardized models. Rogers coincides: the quality of the results in the field It varies widelyand the operators must become experts on multiple platforms to use them effectively at an impossible time for it. No doubt, this approach also generates problems of interoperability, maintenance and logistics, key elements in a prolonged combat environment. The drone as the protagonist. In what there are no doubt is in The importance that have acquired these war machines despite their limitations. The drones They have transformed All aspects … Read more

A bomb is directed to Ukraine from the US. It is called GLSDB and is Boeing’s antidote to the “offensive triangle” of Russia

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Two news in the last hours reflect to what extent the war in Ukraine is a nonsense. On the one hand, the United States has confirmed that he is arguing with Putin LAs lands and energy plants that would find the long -awaited fire. On the other, a package is directed from Washington to Ukraine. Inside, some bombs They promise to change the current Russian advantage in the invasion. The “offensive triangle”. They counted several analysts over the weekend that as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, Russia has perfected a strategy that, although it has not achieved decisive advances on the battlefield, is Erosioning systematically the abilities and moral of the Ukrainian forces. The approach, called by British experts such as the “offensive triangle,” combines infantry, attack drones and planning pumps to subdue Ukrainian forces at constant pressure. Tactics has been particularly effective due to Current situation of Ukrainewhich faces the reduction of western military supplies, exacerbated by the decision of the Trump administration of freeze shipments of arms and all cooperation in intelligence (now reactivated both). Although Russia still does not achieve significant strategic advances, its approach is achieving an accumulation of small victories at a high human and material cost. The key role of UMPK. One of the most novel and effective elements of this strategy has been the intensive use of UMPK planning pumpswhich have allowed Russia revive your air capacity without exposing your enemy fire planes. These bombs, which transform conventional ammunition into low -cost precision weapons, have been a key factor for Russia since Your introduction in 2023. Unlike western systems such as The JDAM from the United States (used for more than 25 years), Russian UMPK prioritize quantity over precision. Although its accuracy is less than that of its western counterparts, its explosive power is devastating. Plus: These ammunition have proven to be particularly effective against Ukrainian trenches and bunkers, since even a close impact can destroy well prepared fortifications. It is estimated that Russia will increase its production of 40,000 UMPK bombs in 2024 70,000 in 2025which will mean an even greater challenge for Ukraine. American aid: GLSDB. The response of Ukraine to the Russian offensive triangle will arrive thanks to the reactivation of military aid and intelligence cooperation in the United States. To be more exact, a New improved version of the GROUND-LAUNCHED SMALL DIAMETER BOM (GLSDB). The bomb, which debuted on the Ukrainian battlefield months ago, had a disappointing performance, especially due to the advanced electronic warfare capabilities of Russia, which led to its use was suspended. However, with the growing need for long -range armament after the decrease in reserves of Atacms missilesGLSDB has been reevaluated and modified to counteract electronic interference and improve its effectiveness. The modifications. According to Reutersthe new versions of the GLSDB include structural reinforcements to better withstand launch tensions, in addition to an optimization in Your GPS navigation systemwhich would do it more resistant to blocking and supplantation of signals (Jamming/Spoofing). In fact, to validate these improvements, 19 launch tests were carried out recently. We remember that the bomb was developed by Boeing and Saab, a precision weapon released from the ground with remote attack capacity. Its design is based on the combination of two existing components. On the one hand, the small diameter pump GBU-39/B (SDB), used in air attacks. On the other, the M26 rocket engine, which is used in multiple launcher systems m270 mlrs and M142 Himars. How it works. The system allows the GLSDB to be triggered as if it were a rocket to use and, after reaching a certain altitude, displays retractable wings that allow it to plan without propulsion to its target, using its inertial navigation system and GPS. Its scope is approximately 150 kmwhich makes it especially useful for Ukraine in its attempt to attack Russian infrastructure and supply lines at a great distance. The initial problem. Although Saab had ensured that GLSDB had high precision (with a margin of error of only one meter), reports from the front suggest that their vulnerability to the Russian electronic warfare It was greater than expected. Russia has demonstrated an effective capacity to Block GPS signalswhich affected the precision of the GLSDB and reduced its effectiveness. Interestingly, the aerial version of the SDB has worked well in the Ukrainian Air Force, which has raised doubts about why the land version suffered interference problems. It is suggested that the greatest flight distance in GLSDB may have amplified the impact of GPS signal loss. Strategic importance and versatility. Be that as it may be despite its initial problems, GLSDB is still A key piece In the Ukrainian military strategy. Its great reach places the pump above the 227 mm rockets used in the MLRS and Himars, which allows deep attacks without the need for expensive tactical ballistic missiles such as the same Atacms. In addition, it has the advantage of being compatible with multiple launch platforms, including the MLRS M270 and the Himars M142which facilitates its integration into the Ukrainian Arsenal. Plus: Another important factor is the availability of components, since both M26 engines and GBU-39/B pumps have broad “stock” in the US and other allies, which makes the GLSDB pump a viable and scalable option to maintain the pressure on Russia and cope with that moscow wear war with Your offensive triangle. Image | Saab In Xataka | Russia has crowded a surprising blow to Ukraine: 100 soldiers walking for four days inside a gas pipeline In Xataka | The problem of Ukraine is not just the lack of weapons. The US has a “button” to deactivate the artillery already sent

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