The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, along with the president of Lithuania, have issued an open letter to EU leadership calling for increased support for defense initiatives on the eastern border of the Union with Russia and Belarus — specifically the “Eastern Shield” and the Baltic Defense Line.
The Baltic Sea region is becoming a dangerous geopolitical hotspot, warned German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. He stressed that the risk of military conflict in the Baltic region is very real.
“This is a zone where Russia’s hybrid activities threaten our peace and security,” Wadephul stated. "Even after three years of war in Ukraine, some in Germany still believe the conflict cannot reach us. But the truth is this: in the near future, we must organize our security against Russia, not with Russia,” the German foreign minister added.
Russia poses an “existential threat” to Germany and Europe, according to a strategic report by the German Armed Forces.
Denmark’s military has deployed floating unmanned systems in the Baltic Sea to protect underwater infrastructure and enhance surveillance in response to increasing threats of hybrid attacks from Russia.
The Czech Republic has suspended the processing of 2,250 Russian applications for citizenship following the enactment of a law extending temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, which included amendments affecting passport issuance for Russians.
Starting September 1 of this year, advertising placed on platforms banned in Russia — including Instagram and Facebook — will be classified as an administrative offense.
A delegation from the Taliban terrorist organization has reached an agreement with the Kremlin to increase the flow of Afghan labor migrants to Russia tenfold.
Putin has ordered that Russia rise to the top in global “business climate” rankings, despite the recent wave of multi-billion-dollar company confiscations.
The Russian government has decided not to implement a preferential mortgage program for families with children up to 14 years old due to “enormous budget costs.”
Shareholders of “T Plus” have decided not to pay dividends for 2024. The company operates 54 power plants, over 400 boiler stations, and more than 18,000 km of heat networks. Each year, “T Plus” produces and supplies consumers with over 100 million Gcal of heat and 50 billion kWh of electricity.
Executives from Russia’s largest telecommunications companies have expressed concern about growing financial and regulatory pressure on the industry. They report rapidly rising tax burdens, declining investments, and increasing use of the telecom sector to finance unrelated initiatives.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has banned Moscow’s Lokomotiv FC from registering new players for three transfer windows (approximately 18 months). The decision stems from a dispute over the transfer of Mark Mampassi. Lokomotiv was obligated to pay Ukrainian club Mariupol €50,000 as the player’s training compensation but failed to do so. During arbitration proceedings at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2022, Lokomotiv’s representatives argued that Mariupol was a Russian city, no longer under Ukrainian jurisdiction, and that the club had ceased to exist as a football entity.
“We must continue pressuring Belarus through restrictive measures in response to both the internal situation and its support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” said Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.
Annual inflation in Belarus accelerated to 7.1% in May. The sharpest price increases were seen in food products — up 9.6%. Leading the price hikes were vegetables, confectionery, and meat and dairy products. For example, soft cheese rose 2.6% compared to April, boneless beef 3%, pork cuts and stew 2.3%, dry-cured and smoked sausages 2.2%, ground meat 1.6%, poultry-based products and cheese 1.3%, high-grade wheat flour bread and rolls also 1.3%, and pearl barley 1.2%.
During a ceremony honoring university graduates and faculty, Lukashenko reminded Belarusians to plant potatoes to ensure a spring reserve.
