Latest news with #Pro-Russian
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Ukraine Braces for Putin's Retaliation
A NATO official has echoed President Donald Trump's warning that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will seek revenge for Ukraine's drone strikes on Russia's military airfields. Following his phone call with the Russian president, Trump said Putin "will have to respond" to the attack on airfields, which Kyiv said damaged 41 aircraft including heavy bombers and A-50 spy planes. As Trump's envoy has warned the strikes risked escalation in the war, an unnamed NATO official told The Moscow Times that Russia would take "retaliatory actions" against Ukraine for its "Spiderweb" drone operation. Experts have told Newsweek that, in response, Putin is likely to step up drone and missile attacks. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry by email for comment. Ukraine heralded the strikes on Russian airfields as far away as Siberia as a blow to Russia's military capabilities. Pro-Russian Telegram channels have expressed anger at the lack of protection at the sites, but the comments by Trump and his envoy will add to anticipation over what Putin will do in response. Trump said on the social-media platform Truth Social on Wednesday that, during his phone call with Putin, the leaders had discussed Ukraine's attacks on airplanes. The U.S. president said Putin said "very strongly" that he would have to respond to Kyiv's drone attacks without specifying what this would be nor whether he had urged restraint. Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, had earlier told Fox News that Ukraine's attack on "part of their national survival system, which is their … nuclear triad," had significantly increased the risk of escalation. An alliance official told The Moscow Times before NATO's defense ministers meeting in Brussels that Putin will use the attacks to justify additional heavier strikes and stall negotiations. Cédomir Nestorovic, academic co-director at the ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business, told Newsweek that, in response, Russia could launch massive drone attacks on Ukraine, but probably not the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile that Putin has boasted about, nor any nuclear missiles. Aurélien Colson, from the same institute, told Newsweek that Putin's response will be primarily military, but his options are limited to missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. Zev Faintuch, head of research and intelligence at security firm Global Guardian, told Newsweek that Ukraine's attack might slow the massive aerial bombardments of the major Ukrainian cities. However, the only way to bring the Russians to the negotiating table would be to halt their advances on the battlefield, he added. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Wednesday that Putin used his call with Trump, in which they also discussed the train derailments in Russia that Moscow blamed on Kyiv, to portray Ukraine falsely as uninterested in peace and as a bad actor. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields." A NATO official said to The Moscow Times: "There will certainly be retaliatory actions that Russia will take. And there will be defensive things that Russia will do." Aurélien Colson, academic co-director at the ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business, said: "(Putin) will probably launch another larger air attack on Ukrainian cities and infrastructures, through missiles and drones," adding that "going nuclear at the tactical level is excluded," due to China's opposition to such a move. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Wednesday: "Putin's statements to Trump are also likely aimed at distracting from Russia's own disinterest in negotiations and continued preparations for a prolonged war effort." Amid speculation over how Putin might respond to his worst week of 2025, the Russian president told his senior officials on Wednesday that he was no longer interested in negotiating with Ukraine, saying, "How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of R. Politik, a political analysis firm focused on Russia, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Western audiences may view Ukraine's attacks as strengthening Kyiv's negotiating position, but the effect "will likely be the opposite." Stanovaya said such attacks will only reinforce Putin's determination to dismantle the Ukrainian state and that he will respond "by becoming more hard-line and less compliant." Related Articles Welcome to the Age of Dumb Kissinger | OpinionTrump Set to Square Off With New German Chancellor Merz on Trade, UkrainePutin Suffers His Worst Week of 2025Putin Tells Trump the Kremlin 'Will Have to Respond' to Ukraine Attack 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ukraine Braces for Putin's Retaliation
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A NATO official has echoed President Donald Trump's warning that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will seek revenge for Ukraine's drone strikes on Russia's military airfields. Following his phone call with the Russian president, Trump said Putin "will have to respond" to the attack on airfields, which Kyiv said damaged 41 aircraft including heavy bombers and A-50 spy planes. As Trump's envoy has warned the strikes risked escalation in the war, an unnamed NATO official told The Moscow Times that Russia would take "retaliatory actions" against Ukraine for its "Spiderweb" drone operation. Experts have told Newsweek that, in response, Putin is likely to step up drone and missile attacks. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry by email for comment. File photo: Russia's President Vladimir Putin sits at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, on June 4, 2025. File photo: Russia's President Vladimir Putin sits at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, on June 4, It Matters Ukraine heralded the strikes on Russian airfields as far away as Siberia as a blow to Russia's military capabilities. Pro-Russian Telegram channels have expressed anger at the lack of protection at the sites, but the comments by Trump and his envoy will add to anticipation over what Putin will do in response. What To Know Trump said on the social-media platform Truth Social on Wednesday that, during his phone call with Putin, the leaders had discussed Ukraine's attacks on airplanes. The U.S. president said Putin said "very strongly" that he would have to respond to Kyiv's drone attacks without specifying what this would be nor whether he had urged restraint. Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, had earlier told Fox News that Ukraine's attack on "part of their national survival system, which is their … nuclear triad," had significantly increased the risk of escalation. Imagery captured on June 3, 2025, by the U.S. satellite firm Planet shows Russia's Olenya air base, one of five bomber bases targeted by a Ukrainian drone raid on June 1, 2025. Imagery captured on June 3, 2025, by the U.S. satellite firm Planet shows Russia's Olenya air base, one of five bomber bases targeted by a Ukrainian drone raid on June 1, 2025. Planet Labs PBC An alliance official told The Moscow Times before NATO's defense ministers meeting in Brussels that Putin will use the attacks to justify additional heavier strikes and stall negotiations. Cédomir Nestorovic, academic co-director at the ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business, told Newsweek that, in response, Russia could launch massive drone attacks on Ukraine, but probably not the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile that Putin has boasted about, nor any nuclear missiles. Aurélien Colson, from the same institute, told Newsweek that Putin's response will be primarily military, but his options are limited to missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. Zev Faintuch, head of research and intelligence at security firm Global Guardian, told Newsweek that Ukraine's attack might slow the massive aerial bombardments of the major Ukrainian cities. However, the only way to bring the Russians to the negotiating table would be to halt their advances on the battlefield, he added. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Wednesday that Putin used his call with Trump, in which they also discussed the train derailments in Russia that Moscow blamed on Kyiv, to portray Ukraine falsely as uninterested in peace and as a bad actor. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields." A NATO official said to The Moscow Times: "There will certainly be retaliatory actions that Russia will take. And there will be defensive things that Russia will do." Aurélien Colson, academic co-director at the ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business, said: "(Putin) will probably launch another larger air attack on Ukrainian cities and infrastructures, through missiles and drones," adding that "going nuclear at the tactical level is excluded," due to China's opposition to such a move. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Wednesday: "Putin's statements to Trump are also likely aimed at distracting from Russia's own disinterest in negotiations and continued preparations for a prolonged war effort." What Happens Next Amid speculation over how Putin might respond to his worst week of 2025, the Russian president told his senior officials on Wednesday that he was no longer interested in negotiating with Ukraine, saying, "How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of R. Politik, a political analysis firm focused on Russia, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Western audiences may view Ukraine's attacks as strengthening Kyiv's negotiating position, but the effect "will likely be the opposite." Stanovaya said such attacks will only reinforce Putin's determination to dismantle the Ukrainian state and that he will respond "by becoming more hard-line and less compliant."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
EU gives green light for Bulgaria to join the euro
AI- Generative Image The European Commission on Wednesday approved Bulgaria's readiness to adopt the euro, saying the country was sufficiently ready to switch to the common currency. A commission report found that, after successfully reducing inflation, Bulgaria was in a position to become the 21st European Union country to use the euro. When will Bulgaria adopt the euro? Bulgaria, an EU member since 2007, had initially aimed to adopt the euro in 2024 but delayed the move due to an inflation rate of 9.5% at the time. The European Commission now expects Bulgarian inflation to ease to 3.6% this year and drop to 1.8% by 2026. The latest decision confirms that Bulgaria meets the necessary economic criteria to adopt the common currency on January 1, 2026. The European Central Bank (ECB) also assessed Bulgaria's economy as sufficiently prepared. "The government in Sofia has shown tremendous commitment to implementing the necessary changes," said ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane. Why does Bulgaria want to be part of the euro? Adopting the euro gives Bulgaria access to the European Central Bank's monetary policy and financial backstops, reducing the risk of currency crises. It lowers interest rates on government and business loans and eliminates currency exchange risk with eurozone countries, boosting investor confidence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Using the euro simplifies cross-border transactions, making trade and tourism with other EU countries easier. "Congratulations, Bulgaria!" said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "The euro is a tangible symbol of European strength and unity." "Thanks to the euro, Bulgaria's economy will become stronger, with more trade with euro area partners, foreign direct investment, access to finance, quality jobs and real incomes," she said. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov said the EU's approval confirmed the progress made by the Balkan country. "A remarkable day. Another step forward on Bulgaria's path to the euro... This follows years of reforms, commitment and alignment with our European partners," he said in a post on X. Is everybody happy about joining the eurozone? The push to adopt the euro has sparked a significant backlash in Bulgaria. Protests have taken place in Sofia and other cities, and recent surveys indicate that nearly half of those polled oppose joining the eurozone. Some 1,000 people demonstrated Wednesday outside the National Assembly in central Sofia, protesting the planned change. Holding signs that read "Preserve the Bulgarian lev," "No to the euro," and "The future belongs to sovereign states," the crowd voiced concern that joining the eurozone would erode national sovereignty and economic stability. Pro-Russian opposition party Vazrazhdane, which has led several similar rallies in recent months, organized the demonstration. "If Bulgaria joins the eurozone, it will be like boarding the Titanic," said Nikolai Ivanov, a retired senior official, during another recent protest, reflecting fears that euro adoption could harm savings and dent the Bulgarian economy. What is Bulgaria's currency right now? Bulgaria's national currency, the lev, has served as the country's official tender since 1881. The name "lev" translates to "lion" in old Bulgarian, reflecting a traditional symbol of national pride. The lev has undergone three major revaluations, most recently in 1999, when 1 new lev replaced 1,000 old leva. Since then, the lev has been pegged to the euro at a fixed exchange rate of 1.95583 BGN to 1 EUR under a currency board system. Fellow EU countries and the European Parliament must still approve Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone, though approval is widely expected. Bulgaria's path to joining the eurozone has been marked by political instability, with the country holding seven elections in just three years — the most recent in October 2024. Despite the turbulence, Bulgaria has made steady efforts to align its economy with eurozone standards. With a population of 6.4 million, it remains the European Union's poorest member. Under EU treaties, all member states except Denmark are required to adopt the euro once they meet the necessary criteria. Bulgaria is one of six EU countries yet to do so, alongside Poland, Romania, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bulgaria on Track to Adopt the Euro, Supporting the Economic Outlook
Bulgaria's potential adoption of the common currency would support potential growth of around 2.75% a year and accelerate convergence towards average European Union living standards. Bulgaria formally requested that the European Commission (EC) and the European Central Bank (ECB) assess the country's readiness for joining Economic and Monetary Union on 25 February. This was a crucial step that placed the decision about accession in Europe's hands, prudently distancing the decision from persistent domestic political divisions on the subject. Scope Ratings (Scope) expects the ECOFIN Council to approve Bulgaria's accession by 8 July after publication of the special convergence report. Recent feedback from European institutions has favoured Bulgaria's entry. If successful, this would expand the euro area to 21 member states, following Croatia (2023), Lithuania (2015) and Latvia (2014). Bulgaria's efforts at controlling inflation have proven crucial in advancing its bid to join the single currency. Price stability has proven the most challenging of the core euro-convergence criteria in recent years. The harmonised annual inflation rate moderated to 2.8% in April from 4.0% in March. The 12-month-on-12-month rate – the convergence criterion – remained at 2.7% in April, broadly in line with the benchmark of the average of the three euro-area member states with the lowest rates of inflation (France, Cyprus and Luxembourg in April) plus a 1.5pp tolerance margin – totalling 2.8% (Figure 1). Importantly, Bulgaria currently meets the inflation criterion even without the exclusion of outlier countries in the EC's and ECB's calculations – a factor that played a role in Croatia's approval for entry in 2022. Bulgaria has typically had comparatively modest inflation, a trend that may reassert itself. Scope forecasts that consumer-price inflation will average an elevated 3.4% this year before falling to 1.6% next year. Figure 1: Bulgaria meets the final euro convergence criterion as inflation falls Harmonised inflation, annual change, % A primary risk to Bulgaria's accession remains domestic political fragmentation. Sharp divisions between those favouring deeper integration within the EU and those preferring rapprochement with Russia have been reflected in the seven general elections held since 2021. This split has compromised government reforms required for the adoption of the euro, resulting in years-long delays to the process. Divisions about the pace of accession persist within the governing coalition, while pro-Russian opposition group Vazrazhdane (Revival) has called for a referendum on euro adoption to seize on public unease about higher inflation if Bulgaria joins the euro and the fiscal challenges facing some euro area countries. Pro-Russian President Rumen Radev has backed the idea of a referendum, but the right to call one rests with parliament, where the majority of pro-euro parties have rejected the proposal. Radev has referred the matter to the Constitutional Court, but this is unlikely to disrupt the euro-accession timetable. Another concern for accession has been the government's fiscal position. The country has a record of moderate budget deficits and comparatively low public debt. But recent increases in state spending on salaries, pensions, defence and measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis have challenged this record. Nevertheless, the general government deficit was unchanged at 3.0% of GDP last year from the previous year due to strong revenue growth (Figure 2). The authorities have committed to a budget deficit of 3.0% of GDP this year. General government debt will rise steadily, reaching 34% of GDP by 2030 from 24% at end-2024, though remaining among the lowest in the EU. The EC favourably assessed Bulgaria's medium-term fiscal-structural plan for 2025-2028 early last month, which is a positive step for euro adoption, suggesting public finances remain stable and sustainable. Figure 2: Fiscal metrics remain sound, even though deficits are wider and debt is increasing % of GDP For a look at all of today's economic events, check out our economic calendar. Dennis Shen is the Chair of the Macro Economic Council and Lead Global Economist of Scope Group. The rating agency's Macroeconomic Council brings together the company's credit opinions from multiple issuer classes: sovereign and public sector, financial institutions, corporates, structured finance and project finance. Brian Marly, senior analyst of sovereign ratings at Scope and lead sovereign analyst for Bulgaria, contributed to writing this commentary. This article was originally posted on FX Empire Profits, Big Money Inflows Send SEI Shares Higher Bulgaria on Track to Adopt the Euro, Supporting the Economic Outlook Should You Invest in the US Stock Market Now? Portugal: Persistent Political Fragmentation to Test Growth and Fiscal Prospects Uber Picking Up Big Money Inflows Product Performance, Big Money Lift Exelixis Sign in to access your portfolio
The Irish Sun
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Emmanuel Macron reveals reason why wife Brigitte SHOVED him in face in embarrassing moment in front of world's cameras
EMMANUEL Macron has been forced to reveal the reason why his wife Brigitte pushed him in the face in the embarrassing moment caught on camera. Viral footage after landing in Vietnam for the start of their Southeast Asia tour. Advertisement 7 The unbelievable moment French President Emmanuel Macron is shoved in the face 7 Macron looking shocked after realising the plane door was openC 7 Brigitte Macron (back C), the wife of France's President Emmanuel Macron (C) attends a state dinner with her husband and Vietnam's President Luong Cuong Credit: AFP The unbelievable moment captured at Hanoi airport showed Macron facing his wife - who is out of the frame - as the plane's doors opened. Despite Brigitte not being visible, her arms are soon seen raising as she shoves a stern-looking Macron in the face. Appearing shocked, the French leader immediately notices the doors open and quickly turns to wave at the sea of cameras at the bottom of the plane steps . Macron has since slammed claims that the pair were in a heated argument and instead said they were "squabbling and, rather, joking". Advertisement read more news He added that the bizarre incident as been overblown into "a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe". The French leader also argued that the clip and viral reaction to it offered a cautionary tale about disinformation in the social media age. Macron's office were also forced to speak out, downplaying the surprising interaction. His office said: "It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun "It's a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists." Despite Macron's attempt to defuse claims that they weren't in a heated argument, the couple's body language immediately afterwards seems to suggest otherwise. France slams 'cocaine train' conspiracy spread by Russia after vid falsely claimed to show Macron 'hiding bag' with Keir Brigitte and Macron emerge together from the aircraft and walk down the staircase, with the French leader extending his arm to his wife. But she takes hold of the handrail of the walkway for support instead, potentially due to an explosive argument they could have had inside. Advertisement The Macron was in Hanoi to begin a week-long tour of Southeast Asia, where he will also visit Indonesia and Singapore. The French leader has repeatedly been targeted by conspiracy theories and deepfakes. 7 Brigitte's hands are seen on Macron's face Credit: AP Advertisement 7 Macron waves after the little spat on his presidential plane Credit: AFP 7 The pair emerge from the aircraft calm and collected Credit: Reuters 7 France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron disembark from the plane Credit: AFP He previously had to deny Advertisement And recently he blasted a fake Russian claim that he Pro-Russian social media accounts initiated the cocaine conspiracy theory - which spread rapidly online. One account posted on X: "Macron, Starmer and Merz caught on video on their return from Kiev. A bag of white powder on the table. "Macron quickly pockets it, Merz hides the spoon. No explanation given." Advertisement Even Russia 's foreign ministry even poured petrol on the flames, when its spokesperson Maria Zakharova posted on Telegram that 'a Frenchman, an Englishman and a German' had been spotted with cocaine paraphernalia on a train. She wrote: 'The fate of Europe is being decided by utterly (drug) dependent individuals. "It's as if the Almighty Himself is lifting the veil on this putrid spectacle." Macron & Brigette's romance EMMANUEL Macron, the youngest president in France's history, met his future wife when he was just 15 years old. Macron was Brigitte's drama student in school - where she would read his writing out to the class. When Macron hit the limelight, Macron, now 46, shared a classroom at a Catholic school with Brigitte's daughter Laurence - who is the same age as him. His parents were stunned when they learned that their son was romantically involved with his teacher as they believed he was actually in love with Laurence, reports Writer Anne Fulda, who penned the book Emmanuel Macron: A Perfect Young Man, spoke to the politician's parents about the unconventional romance, which happened while Brigitte was still married to the father of her three children. His parents were shocked by the explosive revelation and removed their teen son from the school in Amiens, in northern France, and sent him to finish his education in Paris. Macron married his wife in 2007 after Brigitte's previous marriage ended in divorce. The former economics minister is step-father to his wife's three adult children, including son Sebastien who is two years older than Macron. Macron does not have any biological children with his wife, although he is also the step-grandfather of Brigitte's seven grandchildren.
