Jul 26: E-Stories

RUstrikes CombatSit BehindLines France NATO InRussiaChinaHun Allies EU A&P ISW CDS Noel UKDef United24 FT Matviyishyn Zabrisky Kokcharov Rosenberg Stapcynski Weber Brink Kapparov Beketova Jozwiak

Catching up…

EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.

Recap on main developments:

• The Diplomat: NATO Summit in Washington on Jul 8-11—Keep American in, Russia down, and China out. NATO’s official statement here.

• Ursula von der Leyen’s EU Commission presidency has been reconfirmed, as has that of Roberta Metsola as president of the EU Parliament.

• The U.S. levied a series of important sanctions against Russia, Iran, and China, and has designated a few groups that carry out sabotage, cyber, and other terrorist attacks.

• There have been a series of sabotage acts across the EU which could be attributed to Russia, but difficult to prove.

---

Stories we’re following…

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 4, injure 30 over past day. Ukrainian air defenses downed 25 of the 38 Russian Shahed-type drones over Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts, while three other drones were lost after crossing the border into Romania, Ukraine's Air Force reported.

Kherson Oblast fortifications are 97% complete, Shmyhal says. "Building fortifications is a priority for every front-line oblast's leader. This year, the government allocated Hr 2 billion (around $50 million) to Kherson Oblast for this task," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Russia forms 12 organizations to militarize children in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The Russian proxies conduct propaganda activities among children and youth in the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, the head of the local National Police, Artem Kysko, said.

Nearly 5,000 workers evacuated from Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, minister says. Around 5,000 workers were rescued from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on July 19 during a press conference.

---

Combat Situation Update

Ukraine's 79th brigade says it repelled one of largest Russian attacks near Kurakhove. The Russian army launched the attack from several directions simultaneously at dawn on July 24, the brigade said, sharing footage of the assault. The attack reportedly involved 57 armored vehicles, including 11 tanks, 12 motorcycles, and 200 assault vehicles.

Ukraine confirms withdrawal from Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the village of Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast, Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces, told Interfax Ukraine on July 18.

Russia attempting to break through toward Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, military says. "As of this morning, in the Pokrovsk direction, our defenders repelled 41 enemy attacks in the areas of Panteleimonivka, Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Prohres, Novoselivka Persha, Umanske, and Yasnobrodivka," Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn added.

Russia outguns Ukraine but suffers 3 times higher losses, Syrskyi says. Moscow currently fields some 520,000 troops in Ukraine and plans to raise this number to 690,000 by the end of the year, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with the Guardian published on July 24.

Russia building forces in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, military says. At the same time, there is no indication yet that Russia is preparing for another offensive in the area, said Dmytro Lykhovii, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Tavria group of forces.

The Saki military airport in Crimea and the air defense system were hit by a missile. A radar station was destroyed (Astra source) “Crimean Wind” writes that ATACMS missiles hit an ammunition depot and a plane.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has reportedly launched cyberattacks against Russia’s largest banks, mobile operators, and other online services, a military source told the news outlet Hromadske. The attacks have allegedly targeted Alfa Bank, Sberbank, Raiffeisen Bank, VTB, Gazprombank, and T-Bank, the last of which confirmed to Interfax that it was the objective of a DDoS attack. 

Ukraine shoots down another Russian Su-25 jet in Donetsk Oblast. Four days earlier, the Khortytsia group of forces said it had shot down another Russian Su-25 jet near Pokrovsk.

After capturing the city of Avdiivka in February, Russian forces launched a massive offensive all along the front line and opened a new front in the Kharkiv region. The independent journalism cooperative Bereg set out to investigate the cost of this offensive for one brigade, the Bermuda Triangle, known for its particularly high death tolls and the cruelty with which its commanders, who hail from the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic,” treat their Russian recruits.

Zelensky: China confirms it won't supply weapons to Russia. "There is a clear signal that China supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. It was also confirmed what Chinese leader Xi Jinping told me — that China will not supply weapons to Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. (Me: Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dymtro Kuleba, was in China on July 24. The readouts of the two countries differ. Let’s see what happens.)

---

Behind the Lines in Ukraine and NATO…

CNN: France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by multiple “malicious” acts including arson on Friday, in what has been described as “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt travel ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics. France’s state railways company SNCF called the overnight disruption a “massive attack aimed at paralyzing the high-speed line network.” In a post on X, SNCF said “a large number of trains were diverted or canceled,” and asked “all travelers who can to postpone their trip and not go to the station.”

The attacks occurred in the early hours of the morning: 4 attacks in total, 3 of which were successful. With the fourth attack, railway employees spotted the saboteurs, who then fled. That incident was at 1.15 AM. The attacks were arson attacks on railway network installations, notably including communication cables that are used for the railway signalling system.

Micheal Weiss: Insider and its partners, Le Monde and Der Spiegel have identified the French chef arrested on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence to disrupt the Paris Olympics. Meet Kirill Griaznov, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, reality TV star and FSB officer. We have his emails. Oh, and he's been to New York too!

Kyiv uncovers suspected Russian agent network planning sabotage in Ukraine, Europe. The perpetrators intended to target shopping centers, gas stations, pharmacies, and markets in Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic countries on the instruction of Russian intelligence services, according to the SBU.

Bloomberg: Poland has threatened to choke off a key Chinese rail export route to the European Union in a diplomatic gambit to slow escalating the migration crisis on its eastern border.

President Duda used his state visit in Beijing in late June to link the issue of migration and freight transit on the Belarusian border, according to people briefed on the talks. The number of irregular crossings from Belarus into Poland has dropped significantly since. Tensions escalated in May when a Polish border guard was attacked and killed by a migrant, after which the government in Warsaw pledged to spend around $2.5 billion to fortify the area.

It also found a diplomatic pressure point. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shuttered trade routes, Belarus has emerged as the sole railway link for Chinese goods heading to the EU with the volume of containers increasing by 89% in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Eurasian Rail Alliance.

Romania confirms Russian drone debris landed on its territory. "More heinous attacks have been perpetrated by Russia against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Debris has been found on Romanian territory," Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu wrote on X.

Baltic states to complete decoupling from Russian-controlled power grid by early 2025. Lithuanian operator Litgrid, Latvian AST, and Estonian Elering informed the Russian and Belarusian operators that they would not extend the BRELL agreement, which expires in February 2025, LRT said.

Ukraine's sanctions on Russia's Lukoil halting oil deliveries to Hungary, Budapest says. Ukraine's hardened sanctions against Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil producer, has stopped the company's deliveries to Hungary, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed on July 16.

The Crimea Platform, an non-government organisation, has been working on this issues for several years. I’m a participant in the forum, and can confirm that a teams are tackling the issue that is mentioned in the post below, as well as other issues that touch on legal and social questions. The process of returning Crimea to Ukraine will take many years to sort out.

Alex Kokcharov: This chart shows sign up bonuses offered to Russian volunteers for the war in Ukraine in selected cities/regions in Russia: Moscow - $22,150 Krasnodar - $19,180 Karachay-Cherkesia - $17,490 St Petersburg - $15,150 Samara region - $13,930 Rostov region - $13,930 Leningrad region.

• Moscow residents are set to receive a one-time payment of 1.9 million rubles ($21,777) upon signing a contract with the military, bringing the total first-year payments for new recruits to 5.2 million rubles (almost $60,000)

Follow the Money: The Greek port of Piraeus, one of the busiest in the EU, is now significantly under Chinese control. The state-owned China Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco) holds a controlling 67 percent stake in the port.  This is far from an isolated case. Chinese shipping companies have secured major stakes in 24 European ports between 2004 and 2021, confirming the strategic expansion of Chinese influence in key European infrastructure. Experts warn about serious security concerns derived from these takeovers, and call for more effective measures to maintain control over critical infrastructure.

Newsweek: US Reveals New Arctic Strategy To Combat China and Russia

The Pentagon has announced an updated strategy for the Arctic region amid "growing cooperation" between China and Russia.

The Arctic Strategy, released on Tuesday, calls for increased military presence, intelligence capabilities and cooperation between the United States and its allies. It also highlighted climate change as a challenge as a thawing region made access easier for multiple actors.

"We've seen growing cooperation between the [People's Republic of China] and Russia in the Arctic, commercially, with the PRC being a major funder of Russian energy exploitation in the Arctic, and increasingly militarily, with Russia and China conducting joint exercises off the coast of Alaska," said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

This is the China Cycle: it is part of China’s economic warfare practiced home and abroad. What most people don’t realise is that it’s part of a wider strategic vision. For a up-dated report on China’s strategic aims, please read Dr Yu Jie’s “China Under Seige”, published by Chatham House.

The Russian Central Bank raised its key rate to 18%. With annualized inflation at 9% (and the inflation target at 4%), this points out to high inflation expectations. Also, the role of the key rate gradually goes down as more and more credits are extended to defense industry at sub-market rates.

Eight European finance ministers said Russia is lying about its economic strength - The Guardian The finance ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Poland emphasized in a joint statement that sanctions against Russia are working, but they need to be significantly strengthened for Moscow's economic collapse.

To finance the war, the Russian government has tapped into the liquid assets of Russia’s national wealth fund. Estimates by Bloomberg suggest it has almost halved in size since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the country sacrifices its future prosperity to wreak havoc abroad. Moscow has also resorted to several extreme interventions to control the Russian economy. Export bans for petrol and sugar have been introduced to secure domestic supply. Strict capital controls have been put in place to prevent the exodus of private funds from the country and keep the ruble from freefalling. Even so, there are still reports of billions of US dollars being transferred out of the country.

For many Russians, the wartime economic policy of the Kremlin must bring about a sense of deja vu. Capital controls, export bans and heavy investments in the war industry are not new policies, but rather a return to the Soviet playbook.

What could be perceived and mistaken as a “boost” to Russian growth is, in fact, the beginning of a re-Sovietisation of the economy.

---

Meanwhile in Russia & China

Note to readers: E-Stories has started including news about China, and its international posture. I believe that China is operating as a partner to Russia, Iran, and North Korea in the promotion of their converging global strategic aims.

The Russian government will resume its prohibition on gasoline exports in August. The ban was initially planned to last from March 1 until August 31, but officials temporarily lifted it on May 20 to relieve Russia’s saturated domestic market and facilitate repairs at oil refineries damaged in Ukrainian drone attacks.

Effective March 2025, new legislation in Russia will grant police departments the right to obtain confidential patient information about mentally ill persons under observation due to their tendency to engage in socially dangerous behavior. The expanded data access includes individuals formally diagnosed with alcoholism.

A Moscow court formally jailed Andrey Belkov, pending trial for abuse of office. Belkov is the current CEO of the Military Construction Company, or “VSK” (a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia’s Defense Ministry). The current charges against Belkov concern his previous position at the Main Military Construction Department, but the newspaper Kommersant reports that the case could grow to involve Belkov’s supervisor at VSK, jailed former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who faces bribery his own charges.

CNN: WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich convicted of espionage by Russian court in case denounced by US as a sham

Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, has been found guilty of spying and sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court, in a case that the US government, his newspaper and supporters have denounced as a sham.

The court in Yekaterinburg announced the guilty verdict and sentencing on Friday shortly after 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET). It emerged earlier Friday that Russia was seeking an 18-year prison term for the Wall Street Journal reporter according to state news agency TASS, citing the court.

There are 33 jounalists behind bars in Russia. The video is heart-breaking.

Putin holds talks with Assad in Moscow. According to the readout, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad said he was "happy to see" Russian President Vladimir Putin again and emphasized that "relations between our nations have been based on trust, which is evidence of our nations' maturity."

Steve Rosenberg for the BBC in Moscow: In today’s Russian papers, more insults directed at Kamala Harris. Plus, the Russian authorities to deliberately slow down YouTube: “Loading speed on desktops may drop by up to 70% by the end of next week.”

Russia to slow YouTube speeds after Google refuses to comply with censorship. Russia will deliberately slow YouTube loading speeds by up to 70% by the end of next week, in response to Google's refusal to comply with the demands of the Russian authorities, Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein said on July 25.

Bloomberg: New US restrictions imposed in June to stem support for the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine have put local banks in countries that trade with Russia at a higher risk of so-called secondary penalties, increasingly delaying or disrupting payments to and from places like China and Turkey. That’s making it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to execute transactions, particularly with China, arguably Russia’s most important economic partner since the start of the 2022 war.

Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova is in a romantic relationship with Orthodox media tycoon Konstantin Malofeev, according to new reporting from the outlet Verstka. Lvova-Belova has not announced a divorce from her husband, Orthodox priest Pavel Kogelman (with whom she’s raising 10 children), and her relationship with Malofeev has reportedly exacerbated existing tensions between the ultraconservative billionaire and Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill. Here’s what we know. 

State Duma deputies have proposed new federal legislation that would require such athletes to take an “oath of loyalty to their country.” The draft bill’s explanatory note says the measure is necessary due to “politically motivated international pressure” and discrimination against Russian athletes and teams. (Me: this is to curb the trend of many Russian athletes who emigrate to foreign states to get a foreign citizenship. For example, some Russian athletes will be competing in the Olympics under the Kazakh flag.)

Life in occupied Donetsk: In Russian-occupied Ukrainian Donetsk, for the first time since the Russian occupation started in 2013, a massive protest with street blocking took place. Residents of Kirovsky district blocked Kirov Street in desperation because of unbearable living conditions.

Indonesia seeking to buy Russian oil for first time in over 10 years, Reuters reports. The Indonesian state-owned refinery Pertamina has included Russian crude oil grades in its September tender lists for purchase, Reuters reported on July 23, citing three traders.

Asia Sentinel: China’s banking system is headed for crisis, reports say. Nearly 40 Chinese banks have disappeared in the past month.Bankruptcies continue to happen.Amid increasing international reporting, Jiangxi Bank went under with rioting depositors pounding on the doors.

According to other sources, the 3,800 troubled institutions have RMB55 trillion (US$7.5 trillion) in assets, accounting for 13 percent of the banking assets although 13 percent is not enough to constitute a meltdown.

Hong Kong shell companies facilitate Russian sanctions evasion, NYT reports. These companies are owned by oligarchs with ties to the Russian defense industry, and they have funneled millions of chips and sensors to sanctioned defense tech firms in Russia.

A woman said after her husband refused to abandon his work at a mine in Central Africa, Russian fighters shot him to death alongside 7 colleagues. “They came for our wealth, for our gold,” she said. “They’ve already started killing our husbands because of our own country’s wealth”.

Telex: Hungary has taken out a one billion euro loan from China without any announcement from the government, and the amount was already drawn down in April. The loan was taken out by the Hungarian state from the Development Bank of China, the Chinese Eximbank and the Hungarian branch of the Bank of China for a three-year term. The details of the loan are not known, except that the loan has a floating interest rate.

Why the loan? Hungary bought Budapest's Liszt Ferenc International Airport for €3.1 billion, and at the end of the first quarter, the state budget had already reached its deficit target for the year, and in June there was a further deficit of €108 billion recorded.

Hungary to block EU's Ukraine defense funds until Kyiv lifts ban on Lukoil transit, Budapest says. The Slovak leadership also threatened unspecified repercussions against Ukraine, reminding Slovakia's key role as an electricity supplier amid Ukraine's energy deficit.

Forbes: The Hungarian government has introduced a National Card from July that allows Russian and Belarusian “guest workers” to enter the country without the usual security screenings. This policy, which follows the closure of the controversial Russian-controlled International Investment Bank (IIB) or “spy bank,” has raised significant national security concerns.

During a closed hearing in late June, a Belarusian court sentenced 29-year-old German citizen Rico Krieger to death after finding him guilty of multiple crimes, including terrorism, extremism, and mercenary activities. The Belarusian authorities claim that Krieger blew up a railway station outside of Minsk that serves as a transport hub for Russian military equipment and personnel. Nobody was injured in the explosion and according to the state railway company’s own estimate, the incident only caused about $500 of damage.

Georgian security service reportedly begins investigating fighters returning from Ukraine. The opposition media outlet Mtavari reported on July 21 that at least four Georgians who fought in Ukraine have been sought for interrogation by Georgia's State Security Service (SUS).

Reminder: Venezuela will go to the polls on Sunday. The opposition coalition hope to dethrone him. In recent negotiations held by Brazil and Columbia, there have been assurances given to him and his top leadership that they could be granted amnesty. Maduro’s regime is supported by Russia and China.

---

Allied Support

EU Commission Jul 26: “Today we transfer €1.5 billion in proceeds from immobilised Russian assets to the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine. There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin’s money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live.”

8 EU finance ministers: Russia lies about its economic strength, more sanctions needed. Ministers from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltic states said there are many clear signs that Russia's economy is much weaker and the beginning of a "re-Sovietization" of the economy could be mistaken for a "boost."

Biden addresses U.S., promises to work to 'stop Putin' in last 6 months of term. The administration will work toward "rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a national address on July 24.

Jul 25—US Ambassador Bridget Brink: Yesterday in Bohdanivka, I visited a school - one of 3000 - destroyed by Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine with Min of Education Lisovyi. I am proud that, through USAID, we are supporting Ukraine's children and their right to a future of their choice.

G7 to finalize plan by October on $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by Russian assets revenue. The Group of Seven (G7) will likely finalize a framework agreement for a $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets revenue by October, EU Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on July 25.

UK imposes more sanctions on tankers moving Russian oil. London imposed sanctions on 11 more tankers that help Russia carry oil to third countries on July 18, the U.K. government announced.

Ukraine signs long-term security deals with Czechia, Slovenia. Prague and Ljubljana will provide Ukraine with long-term military and non-military assistance.

Spain to provide additional Hawk air defense battery to Ukraine. Spain will provide Ukraine with another Hawk air defense system in September, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during a video call with her Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, on July 24.

Ukraine to receive 14 Leopard 2 tanks pledged by Netherlands, Denmark this summer. Fourteen Leopard 2A4 tanks previously purchased and pledged to Ukraine by the Netherlands and Denmark will be delivered this summer, the Dutch Defense Ministry announced on July 25.

Poland supplying Ukraine with 45th military aid package, official says. "The 45th package is now in the process of being implemented, which includes, among other things, a significant amount of ammunition for Ukraine," former Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych said on July 25.

---

Official Readout: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo to discuss the upcoming 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro in Manila. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Secretary Manalo reiterated the importance of the United States-Philippines Alliance and spoke about shared priorities both in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world. (Me: the Philippines is an important partner for the US Indo-Pacific security architecture.)

Official Readout: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs Battsetseg Batmunkh to Washington, D.C. on July 23 to participate in the inaugural United States-Mongolia Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue.  The two countries discussed concrete steps to advance bilateral relations and build upon our Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership based on shared democratic values and respect for sovereignty, the rule of law, good governance, and human rights.

Official Readout: The United States is today imposing sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13382 on a network of six individuals and five entities based in the PRC for their involvement in the procurement of items supporting the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. This network was a key facilitator of a U.S. designated, Beijing-based representative of the DPRK’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS), which is designated by the United States and the United Nations. Executive Order 13382 targets proliferators of WMD and their supporters.

Official Readout: The United States is taking action today to advance the mission of the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), which supports international efforts to curb financing of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) worldwide. 

Against the backdrop of the 20^th meeting of the CIFG, the United States is designating three individuals in a network associated with expanded ISIS activities in Africa.    

These individuals are key financiers and enablers of ISIS activities across Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa.  They serve as critical links between far-flung ISIS operations, allowing ISIS leadership to leverage each affiliate’s capabilities to undermine peace and security in the region. 

---

The Olympics will be kicking off today in Paris. These are the uniforms of the Mongolian National Team.

---

Elina Beketova: Russia strips Ukrainians of their homes

“My friends called me and said, ‘Katya, someone is living in your apartment’,” said Kateryna, 44, from the occupied village of Novotroitske in the Kherson region. “I asked who and they said ‘We don’t know, but the lights are always on, and they’ve moved their stuff in.”

Kateryna saved for years to buy her apartment and had just renovated it before the full-scale invasion. She believes her neighbors, collaborating with the Russian administration, denounced her. Her son is serving in Ukraine’s armed forces and they knew they wouldn’t be returning soon. 

Her friends are too afraid to confront the occupation administration, while other people she knows are working with the occupiers.

Kateryna asked an acquaintance who is collaborating why people are living in her apartment. “You left,” he replied. “I left because of Russia’s war, and now they claim I abandoned my home,” she said, fighting back tears.

Natalia, 60, from Mariupol, faces a similar situation. Neighbors warned her that if she didn’t register her house with the local occupation administration within a month, it would be labeled as abandoned.

“Chechen people lived in the house; it was filthy,” Natalia said, her voice trembling with memories of February and March 2022. A piano teacher, she managed to flee with her mother to Lviv, and later her daughter-in-law escaped with three children. Natalia still doesn’t know what happened to her son.

---

White House spokesman, John Kirby confirmed that Iran is funding the protests in the US: “We do know that Iran has been funding and encouraging some of the protest activity here in the United States.”

---

U.S. Presidential Election and news…

Polling: most of the polling released thus far either put Harris slightly ahead of Trump or just behind. It’s too early to take any of these seriously but what cannot be denied is a sense of hope and energy in the Dem camp. Harris is still considering candidates for the VP slot on the ticket.

For the time being, Trump has not agreed to debate Harris, and prefers to use his media proxies to convey his position on various issues. You can laugh now.

Trump’s VP choice, DJ Vance, has made some highly offensive statements about the nation being run by childless woman with cats. When I heard it, I couldn’t believe he would say something like this. The issue of having children may be a choice for some women, but for others, it may have depended on physical issues.

NYT: Former President Barack Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, joining the wave of support from Democratic leaders. The former president said in a statement with Michelle Obama, the former first lady, that they would “do everything we can to elect Kamala Harris the next president of the United States.”

This is fun: TikTok has exploded with videos in support of Kamala Harris’s presidential candidacy. This is Shum, which was released by some Ukrainian fans in support of Harris’s bid. The song was performed at Euro Song Festival in 2022 and is psychedelic! Actually my favourite.

'We're forcing everyone away,' Trump says on Russia sanctions. "So what we're doing with sanctions is we're forcing everyone away from us. So I don't love sanctions," Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said.

---

Orban the Trojan Horse

Rikard Jozwiak: After a request from Poland, EU ambassadors on July 10 discussed Orban's trips to Moscow, Beijing, and Mar a Lago. In that discussion, all other 25 member states, with the exception of neighbor Slovakia, criticized Hungary's behavior. The legal service of the Council of the EU also gave a clear assessment that the rotating presidency has no role in the external representation of the bloc. It was also noted that all EU member states, including Hungary, had agreed at an EU summit back in 2022 to refrain from contacts with the Russian leadership.

Some symbolic steps against Budapest have already been taken. For example, all European Commissioners normally make a trip to the country holding the presidency to meet the government. This trip was supposed to happen in July and then was postponed till September. But, on July 15, the European Commission announced it won't happen at all and added that meetings in Hungary during the presidency will only be attended by senior civil servants and not commissioners.

Another potential avenue are boycotts of other EU events taking place in Hungary for the next six months. Every presidency has a number of informal ministerial meetings in which relevant ministers from the member states come to discuss various issues.

Since then, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden have announced that they won't send ministers to informal council meetings in Hungary later this fall, and it remains to be seen if more member states follow suit.

---

What to watch…

Financial Times: Chinese money launderers are facilitating the fentanyl epidemic and helping international drug traffickers, like Mexican cartels and the Italian mafia, launder the proceeds of crime. The FT investigates the connection between capital flight from China and global organised crime.

---