Europe

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43437607

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Czech developers have unveiled a new Narwhal cruise missile intended for transfer to Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia. The developer, LPP, is already testing the weapon, with combat validation planned as the final stage. Initial use is expected in January–February 2026, with industrial production slated to begin in March, the outlet Aktualne reports.

Experts say Narwhal is designed for a range of up to 680 km, enough to hit targets deep behind the front lines, including Moscow or the Engels strategic air base. The missile can fly up to 750 km/h and carry a 120 kg warhead. That’s more than the Iran-Russia “Shahed” (50–90 kg), making Narwhal more effective against a broader set of targets.

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A clear message in support of Israel’s participation in Eurovision was delivered by France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Europe, Jean-Noël Barrot, who firmly rejected any possibility of a boycott. At the same time, he revealed that France not only voted in favour of Israel remaining in the contest but also played a decisive role in preventing such a boycott, as he characteristically stated.

The French minister expressed his satisfaction that Eurovision “did not succumb to pressure,” stressing France’s role in stopping a potential boycott targeting Israel. At the same time, he expressed deep regret over the decisions of certain European broadcasters who chose a different course.

Barrot condemned what he described as “obscurantism” promoted by those calling for boycotts in cultural venues and universities, questioning whether “we will reach the point of banning the books of David Grossman, the films of Amos Gitaï, or concerts by artists such as Avishai Cohen and Daniel Barenboïm.”

Iceland has joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in saying it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.

All five countries have withdrawn after Israel's participation in the competition was officially confirmed last week.

"The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) has decided not to participate in the Eurovision song contest in Vienna, Austria, next year," a statement said after an RÚV board meeting on Wednesday.

"Participation of Israeli national broadcaster, KAN, in the contest has created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public."

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39940334

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffimed his firm refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for a painful compromise with Russia as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine.

“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for,” Zelenskyy said in a WhatsApp chat late Monday in which he answered reporters’ questions.

“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”

Archived version

Britain announced sanctions against Russian media and ideas outlets on Tuesday as the U.K’s top diplomat warned Western nations must raise their game to combat information warfare from “malign foreign states.”

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the U.K. was imposing sanctions on the microblogging Telegram channel Rybar and its co-owner Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk, the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad — also known as Pravfond and described by Estonian intelligence as a front for the GRU spy agency — and the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, a think-tank run by Russian ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin.

Two China-based firms — i-Soon and the Integrity Technology Group — also were sanctioned “for their vast and indiscriminate cyber activities against the U.K. and its allies,” Cooper said.

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[Cooper] said threats include physical attacks such as sabotage as well as disinformation campaigns “flooding social media with generative AI and manipulated videos” aimed at undermining Western support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russian invasion.

British officials point to fake websites and political ads during Moldova’s recent election and fake news sites carrying videos with false claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife designed to undermine support for Ukraine.

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The scene filmed on Sunday showed France’s first lady in discussion backstage at the Folies Bergère theatre in central Paris with actor Ary Abittan before a performance he was about to give.

The previous night, feminist campaigners had disrupted his show, wearing masks of the actor bearing the word “rapist” and shouting, “Abittan, rapist!”

A woman in 2021 accused the actor of rape, but in 2023, investigators dropped the case, citing a lack of evidence.

Before Sunday’s performance, Macron is seen in the video, published by local media Public on Monday, asking him how he was feeling. When he said he was feeling scared, Macron was heard jokingly responding, using a vulgar expression in French, “If there are any stupid removed, we’ll kick them out”.

EU lawmakers have insisted that the bloc‘s green targets are not being “demolished” — after agreeing a that deal dramatically strips down the reporting requirements for two of the EU’s flagship sustainable business laws.

Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://euobserver.com/eu-political/arddf2eeb4

Europe's top diplomat ducked a "word-fight" with the US, but president Donald Trump issued more anti-EU slurs on Tuesday.

Archived version: https://archive.is/20251209174040/https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ara4d13495

https://archive.ph/2025.12.08-143032/https://www.ft.com/content/fe304bb8-d928-4b9b-8162-2000301be937

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43307501

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Sinan Selen, head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), said in Berlin that Germany is under particular scrutiny from Moscow, as the country serves as a key NATO logistics hub and is a strong supporter of Ukraine.

He emphasized that Russia could exploit elections as a platform to influence public opinion and political processes.

In an interview with AFP, Selen noted that several state elections will take place in Germany next year, making the country vulnerable to disinformation campaigns.

According to him, Russian intelligence agencies have already actively carried out cyberattacks, sabotage, and online operations across Europe, which have intensified since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"We are being attacked here and now in Europe," Selen said in a speech marking 75 years since the founding of the BfV.

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It`s important to note that Russian election interference has become a consistent and established tactic for Moscow in neighboring countries.

In September 2025, Russia reportedly invested nearly €400 million in efforts to influence Moldova’s parliamentary elections and secure a victory for pro-Kremlin forces, according to parliamentary speaker Igor Grosu. The campaign included voter bribery, large-scale AI-driven disinformation, coordinated cyberattacks, and attempts to provoke street protests.

Despite Kremlin pressure, Moldovan voters elected the pro-European PAS party, which won a parliamentary majority.

Beyond financial operations, Russia also leveraged religious institutions to shape public opinion. Moldovan Orthodox priests received funding for pilgrimages to Moscow and, upon returning home, created Telegram channels for their parishes to spread anti-European narratives.

The Kremlin’s use of such legitimate platforms for political influence demonstrates that the threat of foreign election interference is systemic and widespread.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43299607

Web archive link

Here is the official release by the Canadian government and the EU's official statement.

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Canada's Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon held two press conferences on the first day of the two-day meeting in Montreal — one on a new partnership with Germany and the other on a new agreement with the European Union.

The agreement with Germany is meant to increase collaboration on AI, quantum technology, digital sovereignty and infrastructure. Solomon also announced the signing of two agreements with the EU — one focusing on adoption and responsible development of AI and the other on co-operation on digital credentials.

The European Union has been a proponent of AI regulation, while the United States under the Trump administration has opposed regulation. In Montreal, Solomon faced questions from reporters about that dynamic.

"Canada and Europe have both very much been aligned on finding a place where we have the balance between privacy, safety, and AI safety, not just with AI, whether it's with deep fakes and other issues, but also making sure we don't constrain innovation," Solomon said.

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At the press conference with [executive vice-president of the European Commission for technological sovereignty, security and democracy, Henna] Virkkunen, he said one of Canada's goals is to broaden trade relationships, including digital trade relationships with Europe. He noted Canada's digital partnership with the EU began in 2023.

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When Solomon was first named artificial intelligence minister, he said Canada would not "over-index" on regulation and cited U.S. and Chinese disinterest in such efforts.

A month ago, at the Govern or Be Governed conference in Montreal, the European Union’s democracy commissioner said he wouldn't "lecture" Canada or any other country as the EU pushes ahead on regulating tech platforms and artificial intelligence. AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio told the same conference Canada should partner with allies like the European Union.

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A new poll suggests that 82% Of British people want Israel to be removed from the Eurovision Song Contest.

The country’s continued involvement with the Song Contest is the subject of controversy, with Russia having been removed following its invasion of Ukraine.

The poll was pieced together by Pablo O’Hana, and utilised a survey sample of 1093, done in a nationally representative manner.

A noted Eurovision fan himself, Pablo O’Hana adds: “Eurovision isn’t just about songs and staging – it’s about values. If Israel is permitted to compete, the people of Britain believe we should walk away. The BBC must find its backbone before walking into that meeting today.”

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43260260

Human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who advocates for Ukraine on the international stage, Oleksandra Matviichuk, has called on Germany to supply Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles and to take a more decisive stance against Russia.

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Matviichuk noted that it takes Russian missiles less than a minute to reach, for example, a school in Kharkiv.

“The only way to prevent this is to stop these missiles while they are still at a military airfield in Russia. For that, we need Taurus,” she told the media group Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) in an interview.

As stated, the human rights defender urged Germany to more thoroughly analyse the mistakes the country had made in its relations with Russia, particularly highlighting cases of bribery of the German elite during the construction of the gas pipeline.

In her view, until 2022, Germany — like the civilised world in general — allowed Moscow to act with impunity for far too long.

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“Russian war crimes in Chechnya, Moldova, Georgia, Mali, Libya, Syria — no one was held accountable,” Matviichuk emphasised, calling on Berlin to act more decisively now by reassessing its overall policy toward Moscow.

“We are living in times that test all of us for genuine leadership, genuine courage, and genuine responsibility,” she stated.

Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not oppose supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine. However, after taking office, he has not made the corresponding decision.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43242104

You can download the study here: No sense of safety under heaven

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Beyond individual intimidation, the study highlights how these pro-China diaspora networks try to influence local politics. Community groups and lobbyists aligned with Beijing work to shape debates in foreign parliaments, cultivate alliances and strengthen what the author, Ray Wong, calls a “repressive nationalist diaspora.” Such efforts, the study warns, do more than target individuals: they erode basic rights and shift political environments in ways favorable to China’s foreign policy objectives.

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Current [German] legislation does not yet clearly address harassment, coercion or intimidation carried out by non-state actors acting on behalf of a foreign government. As a result, some dissidents living in Germany - including Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Kong and mainland Chinese activists - may face gaps in protection. Enhancing the legal framework, the study suggests, would help ensure that all individuals on German soil can fully rely on the country’s commitment to safeguarding fundamental rights.

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The study acknowledges Germany’s strong emphasis on victim protection and crisis response, but notes that these efforts could be further strengthened through more robust preventive measures. Enhancing legal tools to address foreign-directed surveillance and harassment, it suggests, would help ensure that critics are better protected and that authorities are fully equipped to respond effectively.

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The author also calls for a central coordinating authority to link intelligence services, law enforcement, foreign policy units and victim support agencies. Such coordination, the study suggests, would enable Germany to respond even more effectively to emerging challenges and align more closely with other democracies that are enhancing their approaches to foreign interference.

Ultimately the study serves as a stark reminder: the battleground over fundamental rights is no longer limited by geography. Taking proactive steps, it suggests, would not only strengthen Germany’s national security but also reinforce the country’s longstanding commitment to human rights and democracy at home.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5954308

Archived version

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In 2014, Lemeshchenko moved from the Russian city of Voronezh to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine with her husband and son. ... In the spring of 2024, the athlete underwent training in shooting, drone control, and the manufacture of explosives in Kyiv. She then traveled to Russia via third countries. In October, Lemeshchenko blew up power line towers near St. Petersburg, and then monitored Colonel Alexei Loboda, the commander of an airbase in Voronezh, who is linked to the bombing of Kharkiv. The saboteur was arrested in January 2025. Lemeshchenko did not deny the facts of the charges, but said that she did not consider herself guilty “from a moral point of view.”

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Here is the closing statement of Yulia Lemeshchenko in court.

As you can see, I don’t have any notes, I haven’t really prepared, but I think I’ll improvise. I will probably repeat some of the things I have already said during the hearings, but let this be a kind of summary in a general monologue.

So, as I’ve already said, in any war, there is a clash between sides, and each side defends its own truth, its own justice. I’ve taken a side. I am not a citizen of the country I have decided to fight for. Nevertheless, I consider Ukraine my home. I love this country, I love Kharkiv infinitely.

There‘s a district in Kharkiv called North Saltivka. About 500,000 people lived there, half a million. Some of my acquaintances lived there, including my hairdresser. After Russian shelling and bombing, not a single building in this district remains intact. Not a single one. I’m not just talking about broken windows—I’m talking about entire parts of buildings that have collapsed.

There were explosions right next to my house. My neighbor Anya lived on the first floor with her four-year-old son Nikita. A shell exploded right under their windows, under the first floor. The apartment was completely destroyed. I don’t know what happened to Anya and her son Nikita. I still don’t know if they are alive or not.

In this war, I lost friends, one relative—my second cousin—and my colleagues. War is terrible. I couldn’t just stand by and watch. In any war, people who find themselves involved in it either try to fight or run away. I don’t know, maybe they run away because of cowardice or weakness. I don’t consider myself a cowardly or weak person. I decided to fight against this—against Russian military aggression.

Perhaps what I’m saying is making my situation worse, but my honor and conscience are more important to me. I did what I thought was necessary within my power. Regret, remorse—well, maybe on my deathbed. But for now, everything is as it is. That’s it, I have nothing more to add. Thank you.

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