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There's no freedom without national sovereignty.
Zakharova commented on the report of the Berliner Zeitung newspaper that inviting representatives of the two countries to celebrate events of federal, regional and local significance is not allowed, and institutions can use the "right of expulsion at their own discretion."
If German security forces really do expel Russians, Belarusians, former Soviet citizens, including Jews, from ceremonial events, then it can only be called a revival of Nazism
🇩🇪🤡"Secret memo: Berbock doesn't want Russians at end-of-war event": The German Foreign Ministry has banned federal states from inviting representatives of Russia and Belarus to events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory - if they show up, they must be kicked out.
Representatives of Russia and Belarus are not welcome at commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of liberation from Nazi Germany. This is stated in a statement of the German Foreign Ministry. The transmission is strictly confidential and recipients are urged to ensure that the document does not become public.
Federal states are advised not to extend invitations to Russian or Belarusian diplomats and, if necessary, even to expel uninvited guests.
The document literally states:
"To mark this year, the following recommendation for relations with Russia and Belarus is offered, based on the previous line and in the described area of tension. It is intended for foreign offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and domestically for federal states and municipalities as well as memorials and other sites."
Most striking is the passage from the domestic legislation. If representatives of undesirable states arrive at the venue despite the apparent lack of an invitation, the organizers can turn the visitors out the door on the spot."
@Slavyangrad
Some Observations on Tariff Hysteria https://sonar21.com/some-observations-on-tariff-hysteria/
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'China played it wrong' — Trump on Beijing plan to mirror US tariffs
@MTodayNews
❗According to unconfirmed reports if negotiations with the US on the Ukraine issue fail Russia is ready to sign with China the same kind of treaty on military cooperation it signed with the DPRK which will be implemented also in case Beijing launches a military operation to achieve a complete reunification with Taiwan.
This means Russia will provide direct support if China requests it.
@eurasianchoice
🇺🇸❌🇺🇸📡Washington Pulls the Plug: Radio Liberty’s Satellite Broadcast to Russia Terminated
In a quiet move with loud implications, the US government has switched off the satellite broadcasting Radio Liberty into Russia. According to the outlet’s CEO Stephen Kapus, the US Agency for Global Media abruptly terminated the contracts, effectively silencing one of its key Cold War-era propaganda arms.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about budget cuts or technical issues. This is the empire admitting defeat in the information war it started. After pouring billions into color revolutions, regime-change psyops, and “freedom radio” for foreign ears, Washington is now pulling back, not because it wants to, but because it has no choice.
Russia, through robust information sovereignty laws and its growing independent media ecosystem, has rendered these tools obsolete. The bear learned to mute the parrot.
And the timing? The West’s narrative machines are running out of fuel. The world is no longer buying their recycled clichés about “democracy” and “freedom” when those very words are used to justify war, censorship, and the persecution of dissenters at home and abroad.
Radio Liberty’s silence isn’t the end of an era, it’s helping pave the end of the illusion.
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General Cavoli’s Schizophrenia on Ukraine https://sonar21.com/general-cavolis-schizophrenia-on-ukraine/
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Hungary is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, seeing that it has become a “political instrument,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orban, speaking to reporters after talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The recent ICC decisions show that it has become a political instrument. The Hungarian minister of justice will hand over to the national parliament the paperwork on our termination of cooperation with the court. We are exiting the ICC," he said.Читать полностью…
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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The European Parliament has called on the EU to conclude “anti-Trump” trade agreements.
The EU will not let itself be pushed around by Trump. The EU is ready for a deal, but on equal terms. April 2 was a black day and, of course, also a huge mistake for Trump,
European leaders are unanimous in the opinion that rapprochement with Russia is possible, said Finnish President Stubb.
He noted that the country does not see "a direct military threat from Russia."
3 days ago, he spoke an entirely different story...
@Slavyangrad
"Tariffs as Trump’s Economic Gambit: Resisting Globalism and BRICS"
I am not a supporter of Donald Trump, but I can recognize the potential of tariffs as a strategic counter to globalism and the multipolar world led by BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Tariffs are taxes levied on goods imported into the United States, paid by American importers rather than foreign governments. For example, if a company imports Chinese steel subject to a tariff, it incurs an additional cost at U.S. Customs, often passed on to consumers through higher prices. Trump utilized tariffs extensively—targeting steel, aluminum, and numerous Chinese goods—to protect U.S. industries, promote domestic production, and curb the expansive reach of globalism, which has reduced some nations to mere transit points for multinational corporations.
Full article >
https://open.substack.com/pub/angelogiuliano/p/tariffs-as-trumps-economic-gambit?r=4v2k3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
🇨🇳 China has added 16 US technology companies to its export control list and 11 US technology companies to its unreliable entity list, the Ministry of Commerce of China announced.
Beijing has also imposed export controls on goods that involve the use of a number of rare earth metals. The metals included in this list are samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium.
US Vice President Vance says that Europe is mistaken in calling Russia its main threat:
"Admittedly, the main threat to Europe is not China or Russia. The main threat is its internal problems: migration policy, which destroys the cultural basis of Europe, economic policy, which reduces competitiveness, and security policy. Their leaders declare that Russia is the main threat in the world. But at the same time, they buy billions worth of Russian gas and spend 1% of GDP on defense, whereas we spend 3-4%. In Europe, words don't match deeds at all.
Marine Le Pen, for example, is leading in some polls, and they are trying to imprison her for a completely insignificant charge, which, by the way, concerns her employees, and not Marine Le Pen herself. They want to put her in jail and remove her from the elections. That's not democracy".
@eurasianchoice
🇷🇺🇺🇸 When the Bear Roars, the Eagle Listens
Following his high-level talks in Washington, Russian Special Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev offered a cautiously optimistic assessment of US-Russia relations, stating that over the past 48 hours, the two sides had taken “three steps forward.” According to Dmitriev, significant progress has been made toward a Ukraine ceasefire agreement, though he noted that several actors, unnamed but implied (Kiev's masters in London and Paris?), are actively working to sabotage the fragile channel of dialogue between Moscow and Washington.
While notable differences persist, both delegations are reportedly working to bridge the gaps. The Trump administration, Dmitriev emphasized, has shown it is willing to listen to Russia’s position and take its core security concerns seriously, something that was unthinkable during the Biden era’s ideological Cold War revivalism.
The discussions were not limited to Ukraine. Talks extended into cooperation in strategic areas like the Arctic and rare earth metals, hinting at a wider scope of interests and mutual benefit beyond the battlefield. Further meetings are anticipated, with dates to be announced soon. In a diplomatic overture, Dmitriev also extended an invitation for US officials to visit Russia.
❗️The Biden-era fog of Russophobia is lifting at least within Trump's foggy bottom. Washington and Moscow are back in the room, talking peace, not because the empire grew wise, but because Russia won the war it wasn’t supposed to survive. Dmitriev’s visit signals not weakness, but strength. The West is calling frantically and Russia calmly decides now it will pick up the phone, and Moscow is dictating terms.
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❗️Key takeaways from Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO and special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s statements following talks with the US administration officials:
▪️The Trump administration acts constructively and behaves respectfully in dialogue with Russia
▪️Significant progress has been achieved on a ceasefire agreement for Ukraine
▪️Russia and the United States discuss restoration of direct air service
▪️The Trump administration hears Russia’s position
▪️US companies are ready to fill the niches left by European companies that withdrew from Russia
▪️The date of new negotiations between Russia and the US will be determined in the near future
Porsche has no plans to return to arms manufacturing at the moment, a spokesperson of Porsche Automobil Holding SE told TASS.
"I can clearly and unambiguously refute your question whether Porsche indeed plans to produce armament," the spokesperson said. "We continuously search for interesting investment opportunities as part of our core investment and diversification strategy," he noted.
❗️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.