Slovakia's Fico praises authoritarian states for economic efficiency
During a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suggested that authoritarian states may be more economically efficient than democracies and called for a reassessment of Europe's democratic model.
Fico said Europe should consider reforming its system of governance based on free elections to remain globally competitive. He praised countries like Uzbekistan, China and Vietnam for their ability to act more decisively in economic matters.
Pressed by journalists, Fico clarified that he was not calling for an end to democracy, but argued that involving too many political parties in decision-making weakens a state's ability to act.
"If you have a hundred political parties, you can't compete," he said. "If a government is made up of four political entities, you can't compete."
Fico, who returned to power in 2023 for a fourth term, has faced mass protests in recent months, with critics accusing him of authoritarian tendencies and pursuing a pro-Russian foreign policy. He previously reacted by saying the liberal opposition is trying to overturn election results through street pressure.
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As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war
Moscow said its troops had crossed into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and were conducting offensive operations in the region, a claim Kyiv quickly denied as 'Russian disinformation.' Russian troops have been pushing toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for months, trying to solidify the southern flank to capture Pokrovsk and the remaining parts of the adjacent Donetsk Oblast. Western military experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent said it was clear that Russian troops would eventually penetrate the southeastern region. But they didn't expect either side to throw 'a significant amount of forces' in this sector, as the capture of Donetsk Oblast remains Moscow's main objective. Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group, confirmed that geolocation shows Russian troops entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in recent days. Russian troops will likely advance 'at least somewhat' deeper in the coming months, though it won't change the overall dynamic of the front line, he added. Kastehelmi believes that Russian troops could try advancing northwest from the southern flank of Pokrovsk to encircle the city that is already penetrated from the southern and eastern sides. 'The Russians probably have understood that if they want to make a proper encirclement threat, they need to widen the flanks and then continue operations near Pokrovsk,' Kastehelmi told the Kyiv Independent. The Russian Defense Ministry said on June 8 that its troops were pushing forward in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a region adjacent to Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts but have thus not seen combat actions. It added that the Russian military's 90th Guards Tank Division units had reached the western border of Donetsk Oblast and were thrusting forward into the industrial Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The Ukrainian military immediately denied the claim, saying that the fighting continued inside Donetsk Oblast, calling Russia's claims 'disinformation.' The Ukrainian monitoring project DeepState has put the proximity of Russian troops to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border at about two kilometers, yet painting that distance between the regional border and the alleged position of Russian troops as no man's land. The Kyiv Independent requested a comment to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces but has not heard back in time of publication. Even if militarily not as significant, the Russian penetration into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast would mean yet another Ukrainian region would be now a warzone. It could also help strengthen the Russian negotiation position as the U.S. continues to push both sides to hold peace talks to end the war at all costs. "If they [russians] find a weak spot, they will try to exploit it.' Russia had begun its long-expected offensive in April but has only made limited gains since then, besides opening a new front in the northeastern Sumy Oblast by occupying a number of border villages there. Kastehelmi from the Black Bird Group said that the Ukrainian defense of Pokrovsk would be compromised if Russian troops are able to widen their flanks, which would enable them to bring their support elements forward. 'It can mean that they may be able in the summer to threaten the remaining supply routes to the city in a way which makes it even more dangerous for Ukrainian units,' Kastehelmi said. Kastehelmi added that it would be 'an operational success' for Moscow if it is able to first expand its flank westward toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and then begin attacking northward, while also building on the eastern flank. But he stressed that Russian troops have not been the best at coordinating attacks, even if it looks 'doable' on paper. Jakub Janovsky, a Prague-based military analyst at the Oryx open-source project tracking Ukrainian and Russian equipment losses, said that it likely won't make 'any difference' if Russian troops advanced a kilometer or two into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He added that Russia appears to be continuing to rely heavily on small infantry group assaults, either on foot or motorcycles, thus decreasing the use of Soviet-era BMP fighting vehicles or tanks. 'It seems more likely that Russia will focus on Donetsk Oblast,' Janovsky told the Kyiv Independent. 'But it's entirely possible that if they find a weak spot, they will try to exploit it.' Read also: Inside Russia, calls for peace come with conditions — and Kremlin talking points We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
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Britain should stay close to US to ward off Russian threat, says defence chief
Britain should stay close to the US to stand up to the threat from Russia, the Chief of the Defence Staff has said. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin's comments came after Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, told The Telegraph that people in Britain had 'better learn to speak Russian' if the Government did not drastically increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. Sir Tony, the head of the British military, appeared before the Commons defence select committee on Tuesday, where he was asked if he agreed with Mr Rutte's comments. He said such a scenario could be avoided by sticking close to America and strengthening Nato, telling MPs: 'We all accept that we are in this era of change. 'The piece that I think is so true and consistent for the UK is this security construct which is extraordinary and we should celebrate. 'We are a nuclear power. We are the world's largest and most powerful military alliance and we have as our principal ally the world's most powerful country on the planet. That's what keeps us safe. 'That's what we need to bind to, that's what we are doing, and that's what we need to strengthen so that we don't have the concerns that we are all going to be speaking Russian.' Sir Tony's remarks came as Rachel Reeves prepared to deliver her spending review, in which the Chancellor will set out the details of departmental spending, on Wednesday. However, Sir Tony, who steps down as CDS this autumn and will be replaced by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, refused to say whether he supported an uplift in defence spending to 3 per cent and beyond. Sir Tony also acknowledged the changing relationship between America and the UK, now that Donald Trump has asked the UK to shoulder more of the burden in Europe. Asked if the US withdrew, either entirely or partly, its contribution to Nato, would Europe be strong enough to 'match' Russia, Sir Tony said it was. However, he also insisted that 'America is sticking with Nato'. 'America is going to continue to provide all of us in Europe with the nuclear security guarantee,' he said, while cautioning that the US has other priorities, from homeland security to the Indo-Pacific. 'We no longer have that guarantee in terms of conventional American help for the security of Europe,' Sir Tony said. 'That is a significant change and that's why you are seeing Europe responding.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
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Anti-Trump protests will unfold across South Florida this weekend. Here's what to expect
Anti-Trump protests will unfold across all three South Florida counties this weekend amid heightened nationwide unrest over the president's deportation program. The 'No Kings' protests, planned to coincide with President Donald Trump's birthday on Saturday, are expected to draw thousands of people in several locations from Miami to West Palm Beach. They come as the nation's attention turns to Los Angeles, where ICE raids set off widespread pro-immigrant protests that blocked roads and led Trump to mobilize the National Guard and the Marines. Saturday's protests, unfolding nationwide, were planned a month prior to the events in L.A. to take place at the same time as Trump's military parade in Washington D.C. The protests are expected to be peaceful and orderly, organizers say, but they have taken on new significance in the past few days. Gov. 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Meanwhile, some South Florida residents are planning a pro-Trump boat parade in the Intracoastal from Jupiter Inlet to Mar-a-Lago, according to social media posts. This is an annual event on June 14, Trump's birthday and Flag Day. In Fort Lauderdale, over 1,000 are expected to gather on the beach near Sunrise Boulevard for the 'No-Kings' event. Other caravans and protests will take place in Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Organizers are seeing a new fervor among participants following the Los Angeles news. In Fort Lauderdale, about 150 people registered in the last two days, according to Jennifer Jones, the organizer of the protest for Hope and Action Indivisible Broward. 'People are definitely very outraged at what's happening in L.A. with the National Guard and now the Marines all being weaponized against American citizens,' Jones said. 'I think that is driving more people to get out and show that opposition and just show that, even more so, we have to fight to save our democracy.' Los Angeles protests follow weeks of intensifying immigration enforcement At a sign-making event last week, Jones said several of people went for an immigration theme. Some read 'without immigrants Trump would have no wives' and 'ICE is for soda not for refugees.' Martin Vidal, a co-organizer of the Palm Beach County protest, said that he anticipates at least as many people to come out on Saturday as on April 5, when about 10,000 people took to the streets across South Florida, with a couple thousand in West Palm Beach alone. He currently has RSVPs coming in every few minutes. 'I think it's raising awareness,' Vidal said of the news out of L.A. Both Vidal and Jones emphasized that the protests they're organizing for Saturday are expected to be structured and safe, planned in conjunction with local police. The organizers have trained 'de-escalation teams' and police liaisons in case of counter-protests or any outbreaks of violence. 'If opposition comes or anyone who comes and tries to be violent saying they're part of our group, we have a whole plan,' Jones said. 'We're not putting up with that.' Residents may encounter some traffic in the cities where marches and caravans are underway, but organizers are also planning to make them as unobtrusive as possible, Vidal said. 'We're on the side of all the citizenry here,' he said. 'We're not trying to annoy anyone or disrupt anything. Just trying to speak out against a government with a totalitarian bent.' Here are some of the current rallies scheduled around South Florida: West Palm Beach, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Protesters will gather at Phipps Skate Park and march to Mar-a-Lago, then to a rally at Meyer Amphitheatre. Boca Raton, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: A car caravan will take off from the Fifth Avenue Shoppes at 2000 Federal Highway and end at Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. Boca Raton, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Protesters will gather at Boca Raton City Hall at 201 W. Palmetto Park Road. Delray Beach, 9:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: A car caravan will take off from Delray Place parking lot and end at Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. Boynton Beach, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: A car caravan will take off from Riverwalk Plaza Parking Lot at 1600 Federal Highway and end at Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. Fort Lauderdale, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Protesters will gather at the beach near State Road A1A & East Sunrise Boulevard. Coral Springs, 9 a.m. to noon: Protesters will gather at West Sample Road and North University Drive. Miami, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Protesters will gather at the Torch of Friendship at 301 Biscayne Blvd.
