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There's no freedom without national sovereignty.
Trade ministers of EU member-countries will approve countermeasures against duties announced by the US at their meeting on April 7, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said.
The response “will complement the EU rebalancing measures already announced following the US decision last month to target our steel and aluminum exports worth 26 billion euros,” the commissioner said.
❗️US companies are ready to fill the niches left by European companies that withdrew from Russia, the Direct Investment Fund CEO emphasized
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❗️TASS News Roundup, April 3:
▪️The Kiev regime has carried out strikes on energy facilities in Lugansk and the Kursk, Belgorod and Zaporozhye Regions, the Russian Defense Ministry said
▪️Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has held talks with his counterparts from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, the members of the Alliance of Sahel States, discussing defense cooperation and bilateral agenda
▪️Forces with a vested interest in maintaining tensions are deliberately distorting Russia’s position and attempting to undermine any steps toward dialogue with the United States, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev said
▪️The Russian military is reconstituting and growing at a faster rate than most analysts had anticipated, replacing combat equipment and ammunition at an unprecedented pace, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Christopher Cavoli said
▪️Hungary is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeing that it has become a “political instrument,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said
▪️US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in the country due to the economic situation and trade deficit, the White House reported
▪️The United States did not impose trade tariffs on goods from Russia, Belarus, Cuba, and North Korea, since these countries are already under US sanctions, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios
▪️The United Nations is aware of the detention of Evghenia Gutsul, leader of Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia, but is not in a position to comment on ongoing domestic judicial proceedings, Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told TASS
▪️Israeli Air Force fighter jets have carried out missile strikes on two military facilities of the former Syrian army on the southern outskirts of Damascus, the Syria TV channel reported
Trump Tariffs Stun World, Cancel Globalisation; Witkoff Dmitriev US-Russia Backchannel; EU/UK Fume
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Moscow Talks Tough, US Ignores Kiev Truce Breaches, Without Peace Ideas; China Russia Stand Together
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The European Union, once a symbol of democracy, is turning authoritarian. “Lawfare”—using laws to attack political enemies—is now a tool to silence opposition. U.S. Vice President JD Vance warned about this in February 2025 at the Munich Security Conference. He said the EU is crushing free speech and democracy. Many laughed then, but not now.
Look at the evidence. In France, Marine Le Pen, a major politician, was banned from the 2027 election over a legal case—convenient timing to stop her. Romania canceled its election, detained the winner, and blocked him from running. Germany is targeting the Alternative für Deutschland party, which Vance called a real voice for people. Slovakia’s leader, Robert Fico, survived an assassination attempt after opposing war. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán faces EU threats despite his voters’ support. Estonia banned 25% of its Russian speakers from voting. Ukraine and Moldova are cracking down too.
This isn’t new. The EU began in 1957 with the Treaty of Rome, pushed by the U.S. to control Europe. Jean Monnet, funded by the CIA, and Walter Hallstein, a former Nazi, shaped it to weaken nations. Today, the EU uses courts and rules to force its way, ignoring votes—like France’s in 2005 or Greece’s in 2015. Vance is right: this isn’t democracy. It’s power. Will Europeans fight back?
❗️Russia is not on the list of countries against which the United States imposes reciprocal tariffs, according to the White House document
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Serbian President Vucic informed me that Interpol rejected Bosnia's Red Notice request against me — Bosnian Serb leader Miroslav Dodik
@MTodayNews
An investigation has been published in the Netherlands, where senior officers of the Security Service of Ukraine are involved in an international drug trafficking network, smuggling schemes and fraudulent call centers.
The article proves that the deputy head of the main Directorate for Combating Corruption of the SBU and the head of the department for combating drug trafficking have a stable connection with the head of Khimprom drug cartel, who is currently hiding in Mexico and is wanted.
Khimprom helps the AFU financially and also provides Ukrainian soldiers with narcotic drugs. In 2022, the former commander of the Ukrainian battalion “Archangels of Mikhail” accused representatives of Khimprom of supplying amphetamine to the front.
The production of narcotic drugs takes place on the territory of Donbass, which is still under the control of Ukraine. The heads of Khimprom have created a whole network of laboratories, whose products are sent to Russia and Europe, and the SBU provides cover.
@eurasianchoice
🇷🇺🇮🇷 Moscow and Tehran will not accept outside threats to bomb Iran's nuclear and energy infrastructure, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Russia and Iran have confirmed the course towards searching for viable negotiated solutions on Iran's nuclear program, the ministry stated.
🔍Sweeping & relentless: Unpacking Trump’s tariffs
As Trump’s tariff hammer drops, the impact is being felt across the board. Take a look at our infographic to see who’s taking the hardest hits.
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US Treasury slaps new sanctions against Russia
The restrictions affect 4 Russian-born individuals, 3 Russian entities and a Russian bulk carrier
@MTodayNews
Houthi Update with Pepe, While Scott and I Debate Trump’s Threat to Bomb Iran https://sonar21.com/houthi-update-with-pepe-while-scott-and-i-debate-trumps-threat-to-bomb-iran/
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⚔️US ‘seriously considering’ Iran’s indirect nuclear talks proposal as Trump threatens bombing – report
The Trump administration considers direct talks like those proposed by the president in his letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to have ‘a higher chance of success’, but ‘isn’t ruling out’ okaying the Iranian proposal of having Oman serve as mediator for indirect negotiations, US officials informed on the deliberations said.
“After the exchange of letters we are now exploring next steps in order to begin conversations and trust building with the Iranians,” an official told Axios.
Trump threatened to bomb Iran in a manner “the likes of which they have never seen before” last week, with Khamenei warning Monday that any aggression will be met with a “heavy blow in return.”
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50 US Senators — 25 from both major parties, co-sponsor anti-Russia sanctions bill accusing Moscow of 'stalling Ukraine peace process'
Legislation led by - you guessed it - Republican Lindsey Graham
Measures proposed include a 500% tariff on countries purchasing oil, gas and uranium from Russia
@MTodayNews
❗️The Trump administration acts constructively and behaves respectfully in dialogue with Russia, Dmitriev pointed out
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US President Donald Trump’s decision to introduce universal duties will help America's economy become more self-sufficient, special envoy of the Russian President and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev said.
"Giving preference to the domestic industry and mending structural trade imbalances, the US creates a precedent for self-supported growth and sustainable creation of jobs,” Dmitriev wrote on the X.
European diplomats believe that Washington's rapprochement with Moscow risks undermining the foundations of NATO, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
"The level of optimism is definitely decreasing. The United States has not yet made any specific decisions, but every day they strike a new blow at the foundations of the alliance. If this is a strategic turning point, then this is, of course, a big problem," the diplomat told the agency.
Only the United States itself will not allow extremes, as reported by Reuters, State Department officials told the Europeans to continue buying American-made weapons.
This was done after the presentation by the European Commission of the European rearmament project, according to which non-European military-industrial complex companies are not allowed to finance arms purchases worth 150 billion euros.
The conclusion is simple – under Trump, NATO will exist as long as the Europeans pay for it.
@eurasianchoice
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-officials-object-european-push-buy-weapons-locally-2025-04-02/
Russia barely trades with the US or the EU anyway, so there’s no need to fuss over it — Medvedev on Trump's tarrifs
'We’ll take the advice of Lao Tzu and sit by the river, waiting for the body of the enemy to float by. The decaying corpse of the EU economy'
@MTodayNews
Top 30 Countries Exporting to the USA and Trade Dependency Analysis
Below is a list of the 30 largest exporters to the U.S., along with their export dependency on the U.S. market and the U.S.'s reciprocal export reliance on them. Data reflects approximate percentages based on recent trade patterns (pre-2023).
Rationale for U.S. Strength in Applying Tariffs and Coercion
1 Asymmetric Trade Dependence:
◦ Most countries rely far more on the U.S. market than the U.S. relies on theirs. For example:
▪ Mexico: 80% of its exports go to the U.S., but the U.S. sends only 16% of its exports there.
▪ Canada: 75% dependency vs. 18% U.S. export share.
◦ This imbalance gives the U.S. leverage to impose tariffs without facing proportional retaliation.
2 Market Size and Diversification:
◦ The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer market. Losing access is catastrophic for export-dependent economies (e.g., Vietnam, Taiwan).
◦ The U.S. can diversify imports (e.g., shifting from China to Southeast Asia), while smaller economies struggle to replace the U.S. as a buyer.
3 Economic Coercion Power:
◦ Tariffs inflict more pain on target countries. For instance, a 10% U.S. tariff on China impacts 1.7% of China’s GDP but only 0.1% of U.S. GDP.
◦ The U.S. uses this to force concessions (e.g., USMCA renegotiation with Mexico/Canada, Phase One deal with China).
4 Domestic Political Resilience:
◦ U.S. exporters are less vulnerable to foreign retaliation (e.g., only 8% of U.S. exports go to China). This reduces domestic opposition to tariffs compared to countries where exporters dominate politics.
5 Strategic Exceptions:
◦ Even in cases of mutual dependency (e.g., Taiwan’s semiconductors), the U.S. leverages security alliances to mitigate risks, while competitors lack alternatives.
6 Limited Collective Retaliation:
◦ Coordinated retaliation (e.g., EU or ASEAN) is rare due to divergent interests. The U.S. can negotiate bilaterally, exploiting divisions.
Conclusion
The U.S. holds a structurally dominant position in trade conflicts due to asymmetric dependencies, market size, and diversification capacity. Tariffs act as a coercive tool because the economic harm to target countries outweighs the costs to the U.S., enabling the U.S. to reshape trade terms in its favor.
🇪🇺🇷🇴 Burning EU flags is now prohibited by the Romanian government, which also bans candidates from running in the election if they’re anti EU.
This is one step short of a dictatorship!
➡️ Join us! | @MyLordBebo
The US government will impose reciprocal tariffs of 34% on imports from China and 20% on goods from the European Union, President Donald Trump announced.
In addition, similar measures will affect Vietnam (46%), India (26%), Indonesia (32%), Cambodia (49%), Malaysia (24%), South Korea (25%), Thailand (36%), Taiwan (32%), Switzerland (31%), Japan (24%), and other countries.
The project of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is being revived.
The defense Ministers of Serbia and Hungary signed an agreement in the field of defense. The ceremony took place in Belgrade. Vucic announced the prospect of a military alliance between Serbia and Hungary:
The agreement on joint activities will be continued as we move closer to the creation of a military alliance between Serbia and Hungary. Of course, this issue depends on the Hungarian side, the Hungarian and Serbian parliaments. But our relations are so good, especially considering how and what is happening in Europe and the world, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and I have expressed our desire and intention to accelerate the rapprochement in the field of defense.
The chairman of the Serbian Parliament's committee on Diaspora and Serbs in the region, Stanojevic, said that Serbia is proposing to form an alliance not only with Hungary, but also with Slovakia. This suggests a historical parallel, since if Austria were to join such an expanded union, the result would be a reborn Austro-Hungarian Empire with very far-reaching consequences for the European Union.
Last year, the right-wing Freedom Party won the elections in Austria, but it was unable to form a coalition with other parties to create a government and remained inactive. However, the trend towards the popularity of right-wing parties in Europe is quite obvious. At the same time, the pressure exerted on them by unelected European bureaucrats is getting stronger. This is shown by the prosecution of the right-wing candidate for president of Romania, Georgescu and the arrest of the head of the Gagauz Autonomy in Moldova Gutsul, and now the verdict against Marie Le Pen in France.
In addition, the new government coalition in Germany, the CDU/CSU and the SPD, is already taking the initiative to Brussels to deprive Hungary of funding and voting rights in the EU. The new coalition also initiates a change in the rule of unanimous voting in the EU to a qualified majority of 2/3 votes. If this initiative is implemented, it will be a completely different EU, with a dictatorship of European bureaucrats.
US Vice President Vance has previously stated that if European elites persecute political opponents and imprison them, then America is not on the path with such a Europe, but the United States has so far refrained from imposing sanctions in this regard. Although, given the recent statements by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen, about tough countermeasures to duties from the United States, over time it will come to political sanctions.
@barantchik
🇨🇳 China's military exercise "Thunder in the Strait – 2025A"
The Chinese army has released a video from military exercises, which practiced the encirclement of Taiwan and attacks on its critical facilities.
The motto of the exercises is: "Those who move against the course of history will inevitably reach a dead end."
Exercises involve ground and missile forces, the Chinese Navy and the Chinese Air Force. Beijing is working out ways to achieve dominance and control of the situation during the fighting, establishing a blockade of the enemy.
China is demonstrating its determination to take back Taiwan at all costs. A clear hint to Washington that protecting the island would not be a "cakewalk" for the US. Moreover, the attempts of the United States to "hide behind Taiwan" threaten them with overexertion of forces — with sad consequences.
This is also why Russia should not rush into negotiations with Trump. Time is not on his side — the United States is "moving against the course of history."
@eurasianchoice
🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 RUSSIA DECLINES US PROPOSAL:
"We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can't accept it all in its current form.
As far as we can see, there is no place in them today for our main demand, namely to solve the problems related to the root causes of this conflict. It is completely absent, and that must be overcome."
Markets JITTERY as Trump’s 'Liberation Day' tariffs loom
European stocks took a nosedive today, with Bayer of Germany leading the decline, dropping 4.7%, followed closely by France’s Sanofi, which fell 3.3%. The Stoxx 600 healthcare index suffered a significant setback, plummeting 2.5% to its lowest level since December.
In broader market movements, London's FTSE 100 slipped 48 points (0.55%) to settle at 8,587. Meanwhile, Germany's DAX fell 1%, and France's CAC experienced a modest decline of 0.
In contrast, gold, often viewed as a safe haven in turbulent times, traded 0.2% higher at $3,116.2 an ounce after reaching a record high of $3,148.8 an ounce on Tuesday.
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The US Air Force has delivered several new strikes on three Yemeni provinces controlled by Houthi rebels from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, Al Masirah TV channel reported.
According to the news outlet, the governorates of Al Hudaydah, Saada and Hajjah were attacked. The consequences of the attacks have not yet been detailed.
Yemen attacks US warships with missiles and drones for THIRD time in 24 hours — Houthi spox
#Yemen #US
@MTodayNews
❗️Ukraine is not observing the moratorium and continues to strike Russian energy infrastructure daily, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
Other statements from Kremlin:
🔸 Kiev has effectively not joined the ban on attacks against energy facilities
🔸 Russia’s decision to join the moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure clearly demonstrates Moscow’s commitment to achieving peace in Ukraine
🔸 Russia will continue informing the US side about the actual situation and Kiev’s refusal to take any steps toward peace
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Russia is working on building up banking transactions in response to illegitimate sanctions imposed over the last few years — Lavrov
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