Category: Middle East

MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Supporting the EastMed pipeline to reduce energy dependence on non-EU countries – E-000560/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
Following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Commission outlined in REPowerEU the strategic necessity to accelerate the clean energy transition and diversify natural gas supplies, including through domestic gas resources[1]. The EastMed pipeline is one of the options to transport gas from Israeli and Cypriot fields to Greece.

The Commission continuously monitors energy infrastructure developments in alignment with EU policy objectives and available policy instruments. The EastMed pipeline is included in the list of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs), and therefore can benefit from streamlined permitting processes, improved regulatory treatment and funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) under certain conditions. The project has received funding under the CEF to carry out a feasibility study. The feasibility of the EastMed pipeline will depend on its commercial viability, including future demand dynamics in line with our climate ambitions, and its potential to contribute to the goals of the REPowerEU.

The Commission monitors the implementation of the priority projects and works alongside Member States to address emerging challenges. For instance, the EU addresses challenges like cyber threats and physical security to energy infrastructure via the Critical Entities Resilience Directive[2] and the Network and Information Directive (NIS2 Directive)[3], and is reviewing the Union’s energy security framework.

[1] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/key-documents-repowereu_en.

[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2557/oj/eng.

[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2555.
Last updated: 16 May 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
May 17, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus – A10-0087/2025

Source: European Parliament

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus

(COM(2025)0034 – C10‑0006/2025 – 2025/0021(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0034),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 207(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C10‑0006/2025),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 26 March 2025 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade (A10-0087/2025),

1. Adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal;

2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Since 2022 when Russia started its full-scale invasion and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has implemented multiple rounds of sanctions as well as increased trade tariffs to reduce trade with the aggressor. As a result, the imports into the EU from Russia have decreased by 85 % compared to pre-war levels.

However, there are still Russian products that flow into the EU market, consequently fuelling the Russian war machine. This has to be stopped and brought to complete standstill.

The EU imports of urea and nitrogen-based fertilisers from Russia have significantly increased over the last years. The import levels were already worryingly high in 2023 (3.6 million tonnes, worth EUR 1.28 billion, representing more than 25 % of total EU imports), and have increased significantly in 2024 to 4.4 million tonnes, worth EUR 1.5 billion and with an import share of 30 %. Therefore, imports of the fertilisers covered by this Regulation currently reflect a situation of growing economic dependence on Russia.

The European Parliament have already called for a ban on importing Russian grain, potash and fertilisers in Resolution on continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States.

The aim of this Regulation is to eliminate dependencies on imports from Russia and to prevent circumvention through Belarus. Such imports, particularly of fertilisers, make the EU vulnerable to potential coercive actions by Russia and thus present a risk to EU food security. This Regulation proposes that the tariff increase on nitrogen-based fertilisers takes place gradually over a transition period of three years. Through increased import duties and prohibitive tariffs, the Russian share of fertiliser import into the EU will gradually be replaced by other sources. Some of the EU Member States have already decoupled from Russian nitrogen-based fertilisers, without seeing shortages of supply or market price increases.

The tariffs will support the growth of the EU’s domestic production of fertiliser, which suffered during the energy crisis and due to the influx of fertilisers from Russia. EU production reached only 14 million tonnes in 2023, down from an average of 18 million tonnes in the previous 5 years. Despite the closure of some production facilities following the increase in energy prices, the European industry has around 20 % spare capacity (ca 3 million tonnes), on top of 9.5 million tonnes of nitrogen fertilisers exported in 2024. If used, it is expected that this spare capacity could almost completely compensate the shortfall of reducing Russian imports into the EU.

The tariff measures will also allow for the further diversification of supply from third countries. There are many suppliers on the world market who can replace Russian exporters, including Egypt, Algeria, Norway, Morocco, Oman and the US. Indeed, there is room to strengthen the transatlantic cooperation. This will help ensure a steady fertiliser supply and foster market competitiveness.

It is vital that we ensure that Russia’s war economy is weakened. At the same time, we must ensure sure that there is a steady stream of quality fertiliser supply for agriculture in the European Union, and, importantly, ensure that fertilisers remain available for EU farmers at an affordable price. Therefore, the proposal includes monitoring provisions and if needed mitigating measures, should a substantial increase in fertiliser prices occur. The gradual phasing-in of applicable tariff measures will allow European farmers to adapt to the new conditions.

In order to prevent circumvention of these measures, the rapporteur welcomes the fact that the tariff measures will also apply to Belarus to prevent potential Russian imports to the EU being circumvented through Belarus. The rapporteur believes that potential increase of imports from other countries, which are not the traditional exporters have to be closely monitored to detect any possible circumvention.

Besides the import of fertilisers, the Regulation also targets the remaining 15 % of agricultural imports from Russia that had not yet been subject to increased tariffs. With this Regulation, all agricultural imports from Russia will be the subject of EU tariffs. The tariff level would be prohibitive, thus high enough to halt the importation of these goods. Continued imports of the agricultural products concerned could create an additional economic dependence on Russia, which could, if left unchecked, harm the EU’s food security.

The rapporteur welcomes that these combined measures will prevent Russia from benefiting financially from exports to the EU to fund its war of aggression against Ukraine. It is also a matter of EU’s security and strategic autonomy.

The regulation is not expected to negatively affect global food security because the increase in tariffs applies only to imports into the EU.

The rapporteur welcomes Article 207 TFEU as a legal basis as it is a trade policy measure requiring EP co-decision in line with OLP.

The rapporteur hopes the Regulation will be adopted in its current form and in time for the entry into force by 1 July 2025, in order to ensure rapid implementation.

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the draft report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee:

Entity and/or person

Yara, VP European Government Relations & External Communications, VP Corporate affairs and Industrial Relations

Zemnieku Saeima (Association Farmers’ Council), Foreign policy specialist

European Commission, DG Trade Unit E2, DG Trade Unit E3

Fertilizers Europe, Director General, Trade & Economic Senior Manager

Association of the Potash and Salt Industry / VKS – Verband der Kali- und Salzindustrie e.V, Managing Director, EU Office Brussels

Latvijas Lauksaimniecības kooperatīvu asociācija (Latvian Association of Agricultural Cooperatives), Director-General

Business & Science Poland, Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry, ANWIL

Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to the EU, Counsellor (SCA Spokesperson, Common Agricultural Policy)

Council, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU, Chair of Trade Policy Committee-Deputies, Vice-Chair of Trade Policy Committee-Deputies

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (7.5.2025)

for the Committee on International Trade

(COM(2025)0034 – C10‑0006/2025 – 2025/0021(COD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Veronika Vrecionová

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development submits the following to the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible:

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 1


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(1) The Union’s imports of urea and nitrogen-based fertilisers from the Russian Federation were significant at 3.6 million tonnes in 2023 and increased considerably in 2024 by comparison with 2023. The level of the Union’s imports from the Russian Federation of the agricultural goods covered by this Regulation (‘the concerned agricultural goods’) is relatively low for most goods, but could increase significantly if the current trading conditions persist.	(1) The Union’s imports of urea and nitrogen-based fertilisers from the Russian Federation doubled between 2020/2021 and 2022/2023, followed by further growth in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, the Union’s imports of those fertilisers were significant at 3,6 million tonnes, and increased considerably in 2024 by comparison with 2023. The level of the Union’s imports from the Russian Federation of the agricultural goods covered by this Regulation (‘the concerned agricultural goods’) is relatively low for most goods, but could increase significantly if the current trading conditions persist.

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(2) The imports of the fertilisers covered by this Regulation (‘the concerned fertilisers’) currently reflect a situation of economic dependency on the Russian Federation. Moreover, the imports of the concerned agricultural goods could create a similar and additional economic dependency on the Russian Federation, which should in the present circumstances be prevented and reduced in order to protect the Union’s markets and safeguard the Union’s food security.	(2) The imports of the fertilisers covered by this Regulation (‘the concerned fertilisers’) currently reflect a situation of economic dependency on the Russian Federation, which continues to hinder Union fertiliser production due to an unequal level playing field. The large volumes of fertilisers from the Russian Federation intended for export are gradually distorting supply diversification by eliminating both local and third-country suppliers. Moreover, the imports of the concerned agricultural goods could create a similar and additional economic dependency on the Russian Federation, which should in the present circumstances be prevented and reduced in order to protect the Union’s markets and safeguard the Union’s food security.

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 4 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(4a) Reduction of the Union’s dependence on fertilisers from the Russian Federation, avoiding the creation of new dependencies, ensuring the steady supply of cost-competitive fertilisers at affordable price levels for Union farmers in the short, medium and long term and increasing the Union’s strategic autonomy require the development of a long-term Union fertiliser strategy that should primarily focus on enhancing the competitiveness of the Union’s fertilisers production sector in order to secure a steady supply of fertilisers at affordable price levels. That strategy should focus on supporting innovation, attracting investments and developing new business models to reduce or eliminate potentially harmful import dependencies, as well as a trade diversification strategy promoting stable trade relations and securing alternative supply chains. In parallel, measures should also improve access to organic fertilisers and nutrients from recycled waste streams and increase the circularity of farming practices. It is noteworthy that, although the European Parliament has repeatedly expressed concerns regarding fertilisers, particularly through its resolutions of 24 March 2022 on the need for an urgent EU action plan to ensure food security inside and outside the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine1a, and of 16 February 2023 on the Commission communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers 1b, the Commission has not come forward with clear and sufficient measures to support domestic fertiliser production.
	_________________
	1a OJ C 361, 20.9.2022, p. 2.
	1b OJ C 283, 11.8.2023, p. 51.

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 5 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(5a) The production and cost of mineral fertilisers largely depend on the availability and affordability of natural gas.

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 5 b (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(5b) Changes are needed to truly address the Union industry and agriculture structural problems, such as access to energy and raw materials at high prices, the European Green Deal, and excessive regulation.

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 7


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(7) Imports of the concerned agricultural goods and fertilisers that originate in or are exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus should therefore be subject to higher customs duties than imports from other third countries.	(7) Imports of the concerned agricultural goods and fertilisers that originate in or are exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus should therefore be subject to higher customs duties than imports from other third countries while securing the Union´s market stability, and food security and affordability.

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 8 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(8a) At the same time, it is important to consider the Union’s high dependence on fertiliser imports from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Therefore, this Regulation should be accompanied by the development of a mechanism for balancing fertiliser prices and possible subsidies for farmers if the new tariffs results in an excessive increase in the price of fertilisers and thus in reduced profitability of agricultural production. Revenues generated from higher customs duties should be a part of that mechanism.

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 9


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(9) The envisaged increase in customs duties is not expected to negatively affect global food security because the increase in tariffs applies only to imports into the Union and does not affect goods concerned Regulation if they are only transiting through the Union’s territory to third countries of final destination. To the contrary, the envisaged increase in Union import duties may increase the exportation of those goods to third countries and increase the availability of supplies there.	(9) The envisaged increase in customs duties is not expected to negatively affect global food security because the increase in tariffs applies only to imports into the Union and does not affect goods concerned Regulation if they are only transiting through the Union’s territory to third countries of final destination. However, monitoring transit will be critical to prevent any sort of intentional dumping by the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. To the contrary, the envisaged increase in Union import duties may increase the exportation of those goods to third countries and increase the availability of supplies there.

Amendment 9

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(10) At the same time, fertilisers play a significant role for the food security as well as for the financial stability of the farmers in the Union. It is therefore necessary to ensure predictable and sufficient access to fertilisers, at affordable price levels for Union farmers, which should in turn contribute to the stabilisation of agricultural markets. During a transitional period, the proposed measure would stimulate stepping up the Union production and allow for reinforcing alternative sources of supply from other international partners, minimising the risk that fertilisers prices for Union farmers increase substantially. To this end, the Commission should monitor closely the evolution of fertiliser prices on the Union market. Should fertiliser prices substantially increase, the Commission should assess the situation and take all appropriate actions to remedy such surge.	(10) At the same time, fertilisers play an essential role for food security as well as for the financial stability of the farmers in the Union. It is therefore necessary to ensure predictable and sufficient access to fertilisers, at affordable price levels for Union farmers. During a transitional period, the proposed measure would stimulate stepping up the Union production and allow for reinforcing alternative sources of supply from other international partners, minimising the risk that fertilisers prices for Union farmers increase substantially. The Commission shall address the difficult situation of the fertiliser industry in the Union, which has been under strain over the last four years due to high-energy prices, production costs, and challenges posed by existing regulations. The Commission should therefore implement measures to alleviate the high costs burdening the Union industry, which directly impact the entire supply chain, particularly farmers. The Commission should also monitor closely the evolution of fertiliser prices at the Member State and Union levels. Should fertiliser prices substantially increase, the Commission should take all appropriate actions in a timely manner to remedy such a surge.

Amendment 10

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(10a) Ensuring farmers’ access to affordable and sufficient quantities of fertilisers is essential for safeguarding food security across the Union. Therefore, the Commission should urgently explore and propose appropriate support mechanisms to guarantee the availability of fertilisers at competitive prices for farmers in the Union and introduce targeted measures to support the farmers impacted.

Amendment 11

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10 b (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(10b) The Commission must ensure that the introduction of additional tariffs on fertiliser imports from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus does not generate above-average purchase prices, thereby undermining farmers’ access to essential inputs. Given the significant volumes currently imported and the limited short-term flexibility to shift suppliers without incurring additional costs, such measures should not result in the reduction of fertilised agricultural areas and sub-optimal application rates. The Commission must ensure that those measures do not lead to lower yields, diminish profitability, and have potentially negative consequences for food security and farmers’ livelihoods. Therefore, a mandatory monthly monitoring, including at Member State level, of the prices of products listed in Annex II should be established to ensure timely responses and safeguard the viability of the Union farming sector. The price indicators should be published monthly in order to increase transparency. Furthermore, the role of the EU Fertilisers Market Observatory should be increased. Moreover, the European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF) should hold regular exchanges on the availability and price affordability of fertilisers, ensuring an active dialogue with the actors of the food supply chain, including farmers, and provide high-level advice to the Commission on this strategic matter.

Amendment 12

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10 c (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(10c) To accelerate the reduction of imports of agricultural goods and fertilisers from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, the Commission should assess the possibility of developing alternative sources of supply from the Union and other international partners and to authorise alternative measures, such as the use of manure and processed animal manure, including RENURE and digestate, as a sustainable alternative which reduces CO2 emissions by decreasing the need for fertiliser imports, aligns with circular economy principles, and strengthens the Union’s agricultural resilience. The Commission should establish a legal and financial framework that makes manure and processed animal manure, including RENURE and digestate, a viable alternative. That framework should provide regulatory flexibility, beyond the limits currently established by the Council Directive 91/676/EEC1a, while upholding environmental protection and the principles of efficiency and safety, and include financial incentives to keep it affordable for the farmers in the Union.
	__________________
	1a Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1).

Amendment 13

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 11


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(11) The envisaged increase in customs duties is consistent with the Union’s external action in other areas, as set out in Article 21(3) of the Treaty on European Union. The state of relations between the Union and the Russian Federation has greatly deteriorated in recent years and particularly since 2022. This is due to the Russian Federation’s blatant disregard for international law and, in particular, its unprovoked and unjustified military aggression and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since July 2014, the Union has progressively imposed restrictive measures on trade with the Russian Federation in response to the Russian Federation’s actions vis-à-vis Ukraine.	(11) The envisaged increase in customs duties is consistent with the Union’s external action in other areas, as set out in Article 21(3) of the Treaty on European Union. The state of relations between the Union and the Russian Federation has greatly deteriorated in recent years and particularly since 2022. This is due to the Russian Federation’s blatant disregard for international law and, in particular, its unprovoked and unjustified military aggression and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since July 2014, the Union has progressively imposed restrictive measures on trade with the Russian Federation in response to the Russian Federation’s actions vis-à-vis Ukraine. If the Union fails to impose the envisaged tariffs, it would indirectly contribute to financing the war efforts of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and risk supporting other autocratic regimes, as sanctioned gas from the Russian Federation would be utilised for the production and export of cheap fertilisers to the Union.

Amendment 14

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 14 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(14a) Given that fertilisers are widely traded commodities with a substantial risk of circumvention, Member States and their customs authorities should strictly verify and validate the true origin of fertilisers imported into the Union market. That verification process should include thorough scrutiny of shipment documentation and proactive monitoring to prevent any re-export schemes designed to circumvent the tariff-increases. Where circumvention of the measures in force takes place, the imposed tariffs could be extended to goods from other third countries concerned.

Amendment 15

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point d


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(d) The Commission may adopt an implementing act laying down the arrangements for monitoring the import volumes referred to in paragraph 2. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure set out in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.	(d) The Commission shall adopt an implementing act laying down the arrangements for monitoring the import volumes referred to in paragraph 2. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure set out in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

Amendment 16

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(da) The Commission shall, without undue delay, propose a legal and financial framework to scale up the use of manure and processed animal manure, including Renure, as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers.

Amendment 17

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
1. The Commission shall monitor prices applicable in the Union of the goods listed in Annex II during four years from the application of this Regulation.	1. From the date of application of this Regulation, the Commission shall, on a monthly basis, monitor prices applicable in the Member States and the Union of the goods listed in Annex II. The Commission shall publish in a transparent way the results of such monitoring.

Amendment 18

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	1a. The Commission and national customs authorities shall closely monitor imports of the goods listed in Article 1.

Amendment 19

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 2


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
2. Should the price levels of the goods listed in Annex II substantially exceed the levels of 2024 in the period referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall assess the situation and take all appropriate actions to remedy such surge. This may include, if appropriate, proposing the temporary suspension of tariffs for concerned goods imported from origins other than the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.	2. Should the price levels of the goods listed in Annex II substantially exceed the levels of 2024 in the period referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall take all appropriate actions within 14 days to remedy such surge. This may include, if appropriate, the following actions:
	(a) proposing the temporary suspension of tariffs for concerned goods imported from origins other than the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus;
	(b) making financial support available to farmers if a substantial increase in fertiliser prices noticeably reduces the profitability of agricultural production.

Amendment 20

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 2 a (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	2a. If appropriate, the Commission shall propose the temporary suspension of tariffs for goods concerned listed in Annex II and imported from origins other than the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

Amendment 21

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 2 b (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	2b. If it is determined that circumvention practices of the import of products listed in Annexes I and II originating in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus through a third country to the Union have occurred, the Commission shall initiate an anti-circumvention investigation. In order to prevent circumvention practices, the Commission shall examine the possibility of using a licensing system for imports from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

Amendment 22

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 2 c (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	2c. The Commission shall monitor and assess this Regulation every year in terms of food security and sovereignty and, if necessary, propose that it be repealed.

Amendment 23

Proposal for a regulation

Annex I – table – rows 59 a, 59 b and 59 c (new)


Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	– Of rape or colza seeds:
	2306 41 –Of low erucic acid rape or colza seeds
	2306 49 –Other

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS
FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur for the opinion received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the opinion:

Entity and/or person

COPA-COGECA, Secretary General

European Commission, DG AGRI Unit E.1

European Commission, DG Trade Unit E2

Fertilizers Europe, Director General,

LAT Nitrogen, Head of Public Affairs Europe

Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Fertilizantes (ANFFE) (Spanish National Association of Fertilizer Manufacturers)Secretary General

Asociación Agraria – Jóvenes Agricultores ASAJA- (Association of young farmers). President, EU Office Brussels

Cooperativas Agrolimentarias de España, (Sapnish Association of Agricultural Cooperatives) EU Office Brussels

Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos (UPA) (Association of small farmers) EU Office Brussels

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur for the opinion.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur for the opinion declares that she has submitted to the concerned natural persons the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Title	Modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus
References	COM(2025)0034 – C10-0006/2025 – 2025/0021(COD)
Committee(s) responsible	INTA
Opinion by Date announced in plenary	AGRI 10.3.2025
Rapporteur for the opinion Date appointed	Mireia Borrás Pabón 27.2.2025
Discussed in committee	19.3.2025
Date adopted	5.5.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	25 5 14
Members present for the final vote	Sergio Berlato, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Asger Christensen, Barry Cowen, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Ivan David, Valérie Deloge, Salvatore De Meo, Csaba Dömötör, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Sebastian Everding, Carlo Fidanza, Maria Grapini, Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Krzysztof Hetman, Céline Imart, Elsi Katainen, Stefan Köhler, Tomáš Kubín, Norbert Lins, Cristina Maestre, Maria Noichl, Gilles Pennelle, André Rodrigues, Katarína Roth Neveďalová, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Arash Saeidi, Eric Sargiacomo, Christine Singer, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Veronika Vrecionová, Thomas Waitz, Maria Walsh
Substitutes present for the final vote	Peter Agius, Wouter Beke, Benoit Cassart, David Cormand, Claire Fita, Esther Herranz García, Anna Zalewska
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Giuseppe Lupo, Jana Nagyová

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 17, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Türkiye and the European defence architecture – E-000967/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
Türkiye is a candidate country and a longstanding partner in the Common Security and Defence Policy . Respect of rule of law and progressive alignment with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy are integral parts of the EU-Türkiye relationship.

The EU recognises the contribution of all non-EU allies, including Türkiye, to the European and Transatlantic security. The EU is engaging with Türkiye on a phased, proportionate and reversible manner in line with the November 2023 recommendations of the ‘Joint Communication on the state of play of the EU-Türkiye political, economic and trade relations’[1] and the Conclusions of the European Council of April 2024[2].

The Council has reiterated the EU’s full commitment to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, within the United Nations agreed framework, in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. It remains crucial that Türkiye commits and actively contributes to such a peaceful settlement[3].

The existing European defence initiatives, such as the European Defence Fund[4] or Act in Support of Ammunition Production[5] specify that eligible entities should be established and have their executive management structures in the EU or in an associated country. In case such entity is controlled by a non-associated third country or a non-associated third-country entity, additional guarantees need to be made available to the Commission. These guarantees should provide assurance that the involvement of such entity does not contravene the security interests of the EU and its Member States.

The proposed Regulation on Security Action for Europe[6] is under discussion in the Council and the conditions for cooperation with partners will be settled in this regulation, once adopted.

[1] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-11/Joint%20Communication%20to%20the%20European%20Council%20-%20State%20of%20play%20of%20EU-Turkiye%20political%2C%20economic%20and%20trade%20relations.pdf.

[2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/m5jlwe0p/euco-conclusions-20240417-18-en.pdf.

[3] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-16983-2024-INIT/en/pdf.

[4] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/european-defence-fund-edf-official-webpage-european-commission_en.

[5] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/asap-boosting-defence-production_en.

[6] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6d6f889c-e58d-4caa-8f3b-8b93154fe206_en?filename=SAFE%20Regulation.pdf.
Last updated: 16 May 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Guaranteeing the continuation of UNRWA’s work in Palestinian territories illegally occupied by Israel – E-000432/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The EU has condemned any attempt by Israel to abrogate the 1967 agreement between Israel and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or to otherwise attempt to obstruct its capacity to operate its mandate[1]. The EU has stressed the essential role of UNRWA, which provides crucial support to the civilian population in both Gaza and the wider region and committed to continuing its support to the Agency [2].

In 2024, following the fulfilment by UNRWA of all the conditions agreed for the 2024 EU funding, the Commission disbursed a total of EUR 92 million to the Agency[3]. This came in addition to the EUR 48.5 million of EU humanitarian funding in 2024. In 2025, the EU is committed to continuing its support for the Agency, and as a part of its multiannual and comprehensive programme for Palestine[4] 2025-27[5]. The Commission is willing to propose to allocate EUR 82 million per year to provide services to Palestine refugees via UNRWA, both in the occupied Palestinian territory and the wider region. This will enable UNRWA to continue ensuring its crucial role both as a humanitarian and a development actor.

The EU has been consistently clear that political engagement and open dialogue are the most effective ways to convey concerns, including to the Israeli government. The current EU-Israel Association Agreement[6] is the legal basis for the ongoing dialogue and cooperation with Israel and it provides a useful mechanism to discuss and advance the EU stance. In this regard, the Association Council meeting that took place in February 2025[7] was an opportunity to pass clear messages with regard to the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. The Commission keeps under constant review all EU agreements with third countries, and the principles and values upon which they are based.

The EU is extremely concerned by reports on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which suggest that food supplies brought in during the ceasefire are running out. Under international humanitarian law, humanitarian aid must reach civilians in need. The EU has repeatedly called on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to start flowing at scale into and throughout the strip[8].

[1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/2pebccz2/20241017-euco-conclusions-en.pdf https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6511-2025-INIT/en/pdf .

[2] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6511-2025-INIT/en/pdf.

[3] https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-disburses-additional-eu10-million-payment-unrwa-2024-12-20_en.

[4] This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individuals positions of the Member States on this issue.

[5] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1055.

[6] https://eeas.europa.eu/archives/delegations/israel/documents/eu_israel/asso_agree_en.pdf.

[7] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6511-2025-INIT/en/pdf.

[8] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_25_1052.
Last updated: 16 May 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Oral question – The United Kingdom’s accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters – O-000016/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for oral answer O-000016/2025
to the Commission
Rule 142
Ilhan Kyuchyuk
on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs

On 27 June 2024, the United Kingdom signed and ratified the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (the Judgments Convention), which has also been signed by Uruguay, Israel, Costa Rica, Russia, the United States and Ukraine. The Judgments Convention entered into force on 1 September 2023, one year after the first two parties deposited their instruments of ratification/accession. In accordance with Article 29(2) of the Judgments Convention, the EU can notify the depositary, before 27 June 2025, that ratification by the UK does not have the effect of establishing treaty relations between the UK and the EU. If no such notification is issued – that is, if the EU tacitly accepts the UK’s accession – the Judgments Convention will begin to apply between the two parties on 1 July 2025.

Parliament understands that the Commission’s assessment of the UK’s accession is positive and that the Commission would be in favour of tacitly accepting it. However, the significance of private international law rules[1] for EU citizens in this particular area also has a political and legal impact, not only on the area of judicial cooperation but also beyond, bearing in mind the relevance of relations between the EU and the UK in a volatile international context.

With respect for each EU institution’s prerogatives and Parliament’s consistent position[2], a statement would allow the Commission to tacitly accept the UK’s accession to the Judgments Convention on the EU’s behalf, under the relevant provisions of that Convention.

1.Given the deadline set down in the Judgments Convention, the need for the EU institutions to act without delay to ascertain the EU’s acceptance of the UK’s accession to the Convention, and Parliament’s intention to make an appropriate statement in this regard, could the Commission confirm its assessment of the UK’s accession to the Convention?

2.Having regard to the commitments made in November 2024[3] by Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič with regard to third countries’ accession to conventions and respect for Article 218(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, what concrete steps does the Commission intend to take in future to ensure that Parliament’s prerogatives relating to third countries’ accession to the Judgments Convention are always fully and formally respected under the Treaties, and what timetable does it envisage for taking these steps?

Submitted: 13.5.2025

Lapses: 14.8.2025

[1] Study requested by Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs – ‘Ensuring Efficient Cooperation with the UK in civil law matters – Situation after Brexit and Options for Future Cooperation’, European Parliament, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, March 2023: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2023/743340/IPOL_STU(2023)743340_EN.pdf.

[2] European Parliament resolution of 15 June 2023 on supporting the accession of Ukraine to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (OJ C, C/2024/489, 23.1.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/489/oj).

[3] https://hearings.elections.europa.eu/documents/sefcovic/sefcovic_writtenquestionsandanswers_en.pdf.
Last updated: 16 May 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: President Donald Trump Names Advisory Board Members to the Religious Liberty Commission
Source: The White House
Today, President Donald Trump has designated the following individuals to serve on the advisory boards of the Religious Liberty Commission. On May 1^st, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission. He designated Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as chair and Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair, as well as 11 other commission members. Today, he has designated individuals to serve on the three advisory boards comprised of religious leaders, legal experts, and lay advisors, respectively.

Advisory Board of Religious Leaders
1. Bishop Salvatore Cordileone. Salvatore Cordileone is the Archbishop of San Francisco and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and also of its Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
2. Pastor Jentezen Franklin. Jentezen Franklin is the Senior Pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church based in Gainesville, Georgia. He has written multiple books including the bestseller, Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God.
1. Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Archbishop Elpidophoros is the eighth Archbishop of America elected since the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in 1922. He has been an active member of the World Council of Churches and has advanced religious freedom for decades.
1. Father Thomas Ferguson. Father Thomas Fergusonis the pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria, Virginia. He is the author of Catholic and American: The Political Theology of John Courtney Murray.
1. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb is Chief Education Officer of Tikvah and founding dean of the Tikvah Scholars Program. Prior to joining Tikvah, Rabbi Gottlieb served as head of school at Yeshiva University High School for Boys and principal of the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. Rabbi Gottlieb is a trustee of the Hildebrand Project and serves on the Editorial Committee of Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought.
2. Pastor Jack Graham. Jack Graham is Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, and author of multiple books, including The Jesus Book: Reading and Understanding the Bible for Yourself. Dr. Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and has helped lead various national prayer initiatives. From 2002-2004, he served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
3. Rabbi Yaakov Menken. Rabbi Yaakov Menken is the Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values. He previously co-founded and edited Cross-Currents.com, an online journal of Orthodox Jewish thought and opinion. Rabbi Menken is a fellow of the Amud Aish Memorial Museum, focusing upon the study of modern anti-Semitism, and author of The Everything Torah Book.
4. Bishop Thomas Paprocki. Thomas Paprocki is the Bishop of Springfield, Illinois. He coined the “Fortnight for Freedom,” a campaign of American Bishops to defend religious liberty. The episcopal board chair for the Catholic Athletes for Christ, Bishop Paprocki has completed 24 marathons and authored Running for a Higher Purpose and Holy Goals for Body and Soul.
5. Bishop Kevin Rhoades. Kevin Rhoades is the Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. He currently chairs the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Religious Liberty. In addition to his religious liberty work, Bishop Rhoades sits on the USCCB Committee on Doctrine, ad hoc Committee against Racism, and served on the board of directors for the National Eucharistic Congress.
6. Rabbi Eitan Webb. Rabbi Eitan Webb co-founded the Chabad House of Princeton in 2002, with his wife Gitty and has served as a Jewish Chaplain at Princeton University since 2007. In addition to his service to university students, Rabbi Webb serves on the board of directors of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation and of the Sinai Scholars Society.
7. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel is the Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, an American organization that represents Orthodox Jews. In 2020, he helped organize one of the largest gatherings of Orthodox Jews in U.S. history.
Advisory Board of Legal Experts
1. Francis Beckwith. A Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Affiliate Professor of Political Science, and Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy at Baylor University, Dr. Beckwith teaches and publishes in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics. A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy) and the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis (Master of Juridical Studies), he has published over 100 academic articles, book chapters, reviews, and reference entries.
2. Jason Bedrick. Jason Bedrick is a Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, where he focuses on policies that promote education freedom, religious liberty, classical education, and restoring the primary role of families in education. Bedrick is the co-editor and co-author of two books, including Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson, Debating His Ideas and Religious Liberty and Education: A Case Study of Yeshivas vs. New York.
3. Josh Blackman. A national thought leader on constitutional law and the United States Supreme Court, Blackman serves as a professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston where he holds the Centennial Chair of Constitutional Law. Blackman was selected by Forbes Magazine for the “30 Under 30” in Law and Policy and is the President of the Harlan Institute.
4. Gerald Bradley. Gerard Bradley is professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches Legal Ethics and Constitutional Law. He directs the Natural Law Institute and co-edits The American Journal of Jurisprudence, an international forum for legal philosophy. Bradley has been a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, and a senior fellow of the Witherspoon Institute, in Princeton, New Jersey. His most recent books are an edited collection of essays titled, Challenges to Religious Liberty in the Twenty-First Century.
5. Alyza Lewin. Alyza Lewin is the President of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Lewin is also a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. Her experience includes criminal defense, civil litigation and anti-discrimination matters. Lewin served as President of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists from 2012 – 2017.
6. Kristen Waggoner. Kristen Waggoner is the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom: the world’s largest legal organization advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth.
Advisory Board of Lay Leaders
1. Abigail Robertson Allen. An on-air reporter for over ten years, Abigail Robertson is the co-host of Heaven Meets Earth, a podcast of the Christian Broadcasting Network that highlights modern-day miracles and divine encounters.
2. Gene Bailey. Gene is a host on The Victory Channel, a faith-based Christian television network. He is known for hosting programs like FlashPoint, which discusses current events and prophecy, and Revival Radio TV, which explores historical and modern-day spiritual awakenings.
3. Mark David Hall. A professor at Regent University in the Robertson School of Government, Dr. Hall is a scholar of early America. Prior to Regent, he was the Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics at George Fox University. Hall has written or edited a dozen books including, Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth, Great Christian Jurists in American History, and Faith and the Founders of the American Republic.
4. Alveda King. Building upon the efforts of her father, Rev. A.D. King, and her uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Alveda King has dedicated her life to the civil rights issues of our time. King is Chair of the Center for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute and Board Member to Priests for Life. She previously served on the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission.
5. Christopher Levenick. Director of the Program for Civic Renewal with the Connelly Foundation, and the editor-in-chief of Philanthropy Magazine, Levenick has explored religion in the United States throughout his career. Writing for Claremont, AEI, and other publications, Levenick has long traced strands of the Founding manifesting themselves in the character of American Christianity, compared the principles of constitutional interpretation with those of scriptural exegesis, and explored the implications of pluralism on the exercise of religion in the public square.
6. Sameerah Munshi. Sameerah has courageously spoken out against forcing children to learn radical gender ideology in schools. She testified before the Montgomery County School Board, in a case that is currently before the Supreme Court, and has worked with the Coalition of Virtue and the Religious Freedom Institute.
7. Ismail Royer. Ismail Royer serves as Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute. Since converting to Islam in 1992, he has studied religious sciences with traditional Islamic scholars and spent over a decade working at non-profit Islamic organizations. Royer has worked with nonprofits to promote peace between faiths. His writing has appeared in multiple publications and he co-authored an article on Islam on Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World.
8. Ryan Tucker. Ryan Tucker serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Christian Ministries with Alliance Defending Freedom. He oversees all litigation efforts to maintain and defend the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian ministries, and religious schools to exercise their rights under the First Amendment.
9. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. Sheikh Hamza is one of the leading proponents of classical learning in Islam and is a co-founder of Zaytuna College, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. He is an advisor to the Center for Islamic Studies at Berkeley’s Graduate Theological Union. For almost a decade, Hamza was consecutively ranked as “The Western world’s most influential Islamic scholar” in The 500 Most Influential Muslims. During the first Trump administration, he served on the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights.
MIL OSI USA News –
May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Defacing Religious Property in Vandalism of Synagogue Building

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging a religious building, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Talya A. Lubit, age 24, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Lubit and her codefendant, Mohamad Hamad, conspired from July 2024 to July 29, 2024, to damage and deface the Chabad of Squirrel Hill. The Chabad is a center for Jewish educational programming and occupies a building for Jewish religious services in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In the early morning hours of July 29, 2024, acting on their plan to cause damage to a Jewish institution, Lubit and Hamad spray-painted the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle onto the exterior of the building with red paint. The inverted triangle first appeared in videos posted online by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of the current fighting in Gaza where it was used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked by Hamas fighters. The act of vandalism was born from Hamad’s and Lubit’s shared growing animosity towards Israel since the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the war that ensued between Israel and Hamas.

In connection with the guilty plea, Lubit agreed to pay full restitution for the damage done to the Chabad property, as well as graffiti that she and Hamad spray-painted on an entry sign to the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh the same day.

Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, the Court continued Lubit’s bond with special conditions including home detention.

Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lubit.

MIL Security OSI –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: As Trump Racks Up Corrupt Deals, Kaine & Colleagues File Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to Block $3.5 Billion in Arms Sales to Qatar and the UAE

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Brian Schatz (D-HI), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) filed four joint resolutions of disapproval (JRD) to block a $1.9 billion arms sale to Qatar and three arms sales—totaling $1.6 billion—to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as President Donald Trump racks up corrupt deals with those countries. The Senate is required to vote on JRDs.
The introductions come after Qatar offered to gift President Trump a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 jumbo jet; an investment firm backed by the Emiratis announced that it would use a stablecoin issued by a crypto company directly backed by the Trump family to facilitate a $2 billion investment in the Binance cryptocurrency exchange; and after the Trump Organization signed a $5.5 billion golf course and real estate deal with Dar Global and Qatari Diar, a firm established by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.
“Everywhere I go in Virginia, I hear about how worried folks are about price hikes because of President Trump’s tariffs and the massive cuts he’s trying to implement on basic government services, including Medicaid. Meanwhile, he’s hatching secret plans with corrupt foreign governments to enrich himself with crypto deals, golf courses, and a luxury plane?” said Kaine. “I’m glad to be working with my colleagues to force votes on legislation challenging arms sales to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to make it clear that bribing an American president is one of the fastest ways to poison your relationship with the United States. Countries around the world should take notice.”
The JRDs would block the following sales:
A $1.9 billion arm sale to Qatar, which would include:
Eight MQ-9B Armed Drones and associated equipment, including 200 JDAM tail kits, 300 500-lb bombs, and 110 Hellfire II missiles.

Three separate arms sales totaling $1.6 billion to the UAE, which would include the sales of:
Six CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters and associated equipment, valued at $1.32 billion;
F-16 aircraft components, accessories, and defense services, valued at $130 million;
Spare and repair parts to support the UAE’s fleet of AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, and CH-47 Chinook aircraft, and other logistics and program support, valued at $150 million.

Full text of the Qatar JRD is available here.
Full text of the UAE JRDs are available here (Chinook helicopters), here (aircraft equipment), and here (helicopter equipment).

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Promoted to Major General

Source: US State of Missouri

MAY 16, 2025

Jefferson City — Today, during a ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol, Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Charles D. Hausman was promoted to the rank of Major General.

“This promotion is a testament to Major General Hausman’s remarkable leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our state and nation,” said Governor Kehoe. “In the months since General Hausman assumed command, he has led Missouri’s soldiers and airmen at home and abroad through both day-to-day trainings and missions to their vital assistance with multiple rounds of winter storms and flooding across the state. On behalf of all Missourians, congratulations to General Hausman and the Hausman family on this well-deserved promotion.”

Governor Kehoe selected Major General Hausman as the next Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard on January 8, 2025, and he took command on February 1. With over 36 years of service in the Missouri National Guard, the General has an extensive military career with a high level of expertise in operational leadership, military strategy, and interagency coordination.

“It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted with this responsibility,” General Hausman said. “Leading the exceptional soldiers and airmen of the Missouri National Guard as we carry out our mission of serving the people of Missouri and this great nation is the honor of a lifetime.”

General Hausman enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1988, joined the Missouri National Guard in 1989, and transferred to Aviation in 1993. He has commanded at every level from company to brigade and held key staff positions such as Executive Officer of the 35th Combat Aviation Brigade, Deputy Director of Manpower and Personnel of Joint Force Headquarters, Deputy Commander of 70th Troop Command, and Director of Aviation and Safety of Joint Force Headquarters.

In addition to his assignments within the United States and Missouri, General Hausman has had several assignments abroad including in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.

A seasoned aviation officer and combat veteran, he has earned multiple military awards including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with Numeral Two, and the Master Army Aviator Badge. He is qualified in the TH-67, UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, AH-64D Apache, and is qualified as an instructor pilot in the OH-58A/C and AH-64A Apache.

The General received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Technology from the University of Central Missouri in 1991 and a Master of Science degree in Aviation Safety from the University of Central Missouri in 1993. He completed a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies through the United States Naval War College in 2015.

General Hausman is a native of Saint Joseph, Missouri, and currently resides in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, and has two adult children, Alex and Libby.

Pictures of the promotion ceremony will be available on Governor Kehoe’s Flickr page.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Marvellous Moomins, the downfall of Dahl and David Attenborough’s Ocean – what to see, watch and read this week

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Wright, Commissioning Editor, Arts & Culture, The Conversation UK

This article was first published in our newsletter Something Good. If you’d like to receive fortnightly recommendations from experts on the best films, TV, books, plays and exhibitions, sign up to get Something Good delivered direct to your inbox.

Just under a week to go till our much-anticipated Moomin event in Bradford, celebrating 80 years of Tove Jansson’s magical creatures that inspire so much affection and nostalgia in generations of readers who have found solace and delight in her Moominvalley tales.

On Friday May 23, we are hosting a film event in conjunction with Cine Spotlights at Bradford’s National Museum of Science and Media. We’ll celebrate this special anniversary with a screening of Moomins on the Riviera, followed by a Q&A with our very own panel of Conversation Moominologists.

Jansson’s first book, The Moomins and the Great Flood, was published in 1945, telling the story of a family of “Moomintrolls” who become refugees after a flood washes away their home. Written at the end of the second world war when millions of people were displaced, it reflects the struggles of rebuilding lives after disaster. After the screening, we will be discussing the theme of refugee experiences in Jansson’s work with four Conversation authors.

This is a particularly apt discussion to be having in Bradford, designated a City of Sanctuary and also the site of one of four Moomin art installations around the country. Basel Zaraa’s work is an immersive, multi-sensory installation that creates a lush world within a refugee tent, inviting audiences to imagine life beyond occupation and exile.

We’d love to see you there, so come along and join in the discussion.

The fall of a giant

First, there was the furore surrounding the revision of the language in his children’s books. Now, a play examining the extent of Roald Dahl’s anti-semitism has transferred to London’s West End. It explores the fallout from Dahl’s 1983 review of God Cried, a photographic book about Israel’s siege of West Beirut.

In the play’s blend of fact and fiction, the very real controversy arises from an interview Dahl gave to The New Statesman shortly afterwards. Many Jewish (and non-Jewish) people objected to it as strongly anti-semitic, while others saw it as justified criticism of Israel’s actions. In the play, this is meshed with a fictitious situation where Jewish staff from Dahl’s publishers visit him at home to help counteract the backlash.

But there is so much more to this fascinating play, which features an extraordinary performance from American actor John Lithgow. It engages with issues around language – how it is interpreted and how meaning is formed – as well as misogyny, racism, and the idea of genius being excused its sins. And it returns to the ever-open wound of cancel culture, and the way children’s literature has become a political hot potato.

Giant is at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre until August 2 2025.

With echoes of the theme of refugee experience in our Moomin event, Madeleine Thien’s new novel is an astonishingly original and deeply philosophical work that blends historical and speculative fiction.

Exploring issues of migration, the refugee crisis and cultural conflict, The Book of Records centres around the tale of a young girl called Lina and her ill father who flee to a strange otherworldly enclave called The Sea, where Lina feels the pain of separation from her mother and brother. She endures here for years, finding succour in three books from The Great Voyagers encyclopedia series, each of which represents a famous (real) philosopher through which she learns about exile and survival.

As our reviewer Manjeet Ridon explains, The Book of Records is “a sobering meditation on the human condition in times of crises”. A book to savour and reflect upon in a world that is distressed by the rising tide of refugees, but seems unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

Climate fact and fiction

For 70 years, David Attenborough has shaped how we see the natural world through his memorable nature documentaries. From the BBC’s groundbreaking Zoo Quest in 1954 to Life on Earth in the late 1970s and the spectacular Blue Planet in the 2000s, Attenborough, with his quietly compelling voice, has brought viewers the glory and wonder of the natural world. In doing so, he pioneered a nature documentary style that is accessible, educational and entertaining.

But now, at the age of 99, Attenborough’s latest film, Ocean, brings a change of tone: one of serious urgency as the world seemingly fails to get to grips with the climate change crisis.

As our reviewers Neil Gostling and Sam Illingworth explain, after a lifetime of gentle narration, Attenborough now speaks unflinchingly of the scale of the crisis and the need to act, combining stunning imagery with a stark assessment of the health of our oceans. From the horrific destruction wreaked by bottom trawling to plastic consumption and pollution, Attenborough doesn’t pull his punches on the moral and existential imperative to restore the balance of our oceans. As the great man puts it: “If we save the sea, we save our world.”

Ocean is on at select cinemas now

This week saw the announcement of the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize, which has been won by the Nigerian writer Abi Daré’s And So I Roar.

A poignant follow-up to her debut novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice, Daré follows the stories of Tia, an environmental activist, and Adunni, the Nigerian teenager from her debut, who has escaped child marriage and domestic abuse for shelter under Tia’s care in Lagos.

Daré masterfully explores how environmental crises collide with domestic pressures and abuse, revealing how women who exist in poverty disproportionately shoulder the burden of climate change. But it also celebrates solidarity across class, ethnicity and generational divides, standing as a powerful testament to female courage and resilience.

– ref. Marvellous Moomins, the downfall of Dahl and David Attenborough’s Ocean – what to see, watch and read this week – https://theconversation.com/marvellous-moomins-the-downfall-of-dahl-and-david-attenboroughs-ocean-what-to-see-watch-and-read-this-week-256849

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Ogles Urges Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees to Investigate Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell for Obstructing ICE Operations

Source:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Andy Ogles (TN-05) sent a letter to Chairmen Jim Jordan (OH-40) and Mark Green (TN-7) urging them to investigate the conduct of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has issued an executive order directing city agencies to track and report all interactions with federal immigration authorities.

“Instead of applauding the heroic efforts of law enforcement for removing violent criminals, drug traffickers, and even a convicted child sex predator from our streets, Nashville’s mayor chose to grandstand—penning an executive order directing city agencies to track and potentially undermine cooperation with ICE,” Congressman Ogles said.

“I want to remind Freddie that complying with federal immigration law is not optional. It is appalling that the mayor is using his office to obstruct lawful enforcement and shield criminals—not just putting neighborhoods at risk, but eroding the rule of law.

Let me be crystal clear: if any city agency in Nashville obstructs federal operations or impedes ICE, I will pursue every tool available in Congress—oversight hearings, funding restrictions, and legislative remedies—to hold them accountable.

Democrats want so badly to turn our growing metro area into a liberal hellscape reminiscent of the West Coast, but I refuse to let them. If they want to California our Tennessee by making it a sanctuary for gangs, predators, and traffickers, I think they should be investigated.

I commend ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for their bravery and professionalism in the face of childish political hostility. I will not stop until every illegal alien is sent home, and Tennessee leaders follow the law,” said Congressman Ogles.

Letter Text

Read Fox Exclusive

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MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Jacobs, Meeks Introduce Joint Resolutions of Disapproval for Trump Administration’s Rushed Arms Sales to United Arab Emirates

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)

May 15, 2025

Representatives Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, and Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee today issued the following statement announcing the introduction of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) to block the Trump administration’s recent notification it would advance over $1B in arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by skirting longstanding practice to subject such sales to Congressional committee review and violating Congress’s constitutional role. In doing so, the Trump administration blew past the hold that Ranking Member Meeks had placed on U.S. arms sales to the UAE – as well as any other country fueling the conflict in Sudan – earlier this year.

PDFs of the JRDs are available here and here.

“The Trump administration’s decision to once again bypass the Congressional review process and notify over one billion dollars in arms sales to the UAE is a clear violation of longstanding, bipartisan process and undermines Congress’s constitutional authority and responsibility in overseeing arms transfers.

“Worse, this comes amid further credible reporting and evidence – both inside and outside the U.S. government – that the UAE continues to provide weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fueling the conflict in Sudan where more than 150,000 people have died and the RSF is committing genocide.

“The Trump administration’s end-run around Congress is irresponsible and will further embolden the UAE to violate the UN’s Darfur arms embargo and continue its support for the RSF and the killing of innocent civilians. The brutal war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces has already displaced nearly 13 million since it began in 2023 and forced 1 million people to the brink of starvation. It must end now.

“The JRDs seek to block certain arms cases the Trump administration notified on May 12 for export to the UAE, despite a Congressional hold. We urge our colleagues to support these JRDs to block these arms sales until the UAE ceases its armed support to the RSF and fueling of its horrific atrocities.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Statement on the Release of Edan Alexander

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

SCHAUMBURG,IL – Following the news that Edan Alexander has been freed after more than 580 days in captivity, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement:

“I am deeply relieved that Edan Alexander is finally coming home after more than 580 days in captivity. His release is a long-overdue moment of hope, and my thoughts are with him and his loved ones as they begin the healing process.

We must remain unwavering in our efforts to secure the safe return of every remaining hostage and to advance a durable peace rooted in a two-state solution without Hamas — one that ensures Israel’s security, upholds dignity for the Palestinian people, and delivers a future free from terror and violence across the region.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Johnson Joins Sen. Ricketts in Sending Letter Backing President Trump’s Call for Full Dismantlement of Iran’s Nuclear Program

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in sending a letter to President Donald Trump regarding the Administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran. The letter calls on the Trump Administration to secure a deal that results in the full dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program, including permanently ending the regime’s capacity to enrich uranium.
“We write to express our strong support for your efforts to secure a deal with Iran that dismantles its nuclear program, and to reinforce the explicit warnings that you and officials in your Administration have issued that the regime must permanently give up any capacity for enrichment,” the senators wrote.
“We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did. The Iranian regime should know that the Administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated. As always, we stand ready to provide you and your Administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests,” they continued.
Sens. Johnson and Ricketts were joined by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Jim Justice (R-W. Va.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Curtis (R-Utah), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Full text of the letter can be found here.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Demand Information on $400 Million Qatari Plane Bribe

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining his colleagues today in demanding the Department of Defense be transparent with them about the substantial national security risks of the $400 million Air Force One bribe from the Qatari royal family. Just days after Senator King told Scripps News that the jet transfer “poses a serious national security risk,” he signed a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, seeking answers about the unnecessary danger that an unsecure and unprotected Air Force One would present to the President.
The Air Force has been working with Boeing to deliver two brand new 747 jets to be used as Air Force One. However, with the delivery date of the new aircraft not expected until 2027, the White House has proposed accepting the Qatari plane as a short-term alternative. Nevertheless, Article I of the Constitution, specifically the emoluments clause, bars anyone holding government office from accepting any gift or bribe from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.
“[We] write today with alarm over the dangers to operational and national security presented by President Trump’s desire to execute an unconstitutional and unseemly acceptance of a $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family in the form of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft. To serve as Air Force One during his administration, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to accelerate a comprehensive upgrade to the aircraft, with the direct cost to the American taxpayer likely exceeding $1 billion. We are especially concerned about the operational security and counterintelligence risks of potentially using this aircraft for sensitive Presidential travel— and the massive cost to American taxpayers to identify and close critical vulnerabilities,” the lawmakers said.
The Senators continued, “Having the President travel without the necessary security precautions or secure communications renders the aircraft an easy target for adversaries to gain access to sensitive Presidential-level discussions or classified information, impeding the success of ongoing military operations and endangering our servicemembers… President Trump is claiming that this ‘gift’ of an aircraft worth $400 million is saving taxpayers money, but in reality, his decision will force taxpayers to foot an unnecessary bill – potentially more than $1 billion—to convert a foreign-provided aircraft into the fortress necessary to protect him and his communications—all while taxpayers are already paying at least $3.9 billion for the contract for two aircraft currently being built by Boeing to add to the Air Force One fleet.”

In addition to King, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Assistant Minority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
+++
Dear Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Meink:
We write today with alarm over the dangers to operational and national security presented by President Trump’s desire to execute an unconstitutional and unseemly acceptance of a $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family in the form of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft. To serve as Air Force One during his administration, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to accelerate a comprehensive upgrade to the aircraft, with the direct cost to the American taxpayer likely exceeding $1 billion. We are especially concerned about the operational security and counterintelligence risks of potentially using this aircraft for sensitive Presidential travel— and the massive cost to American taxpayers to identify and close critical vulnerabilities.
This announcement alone could pose a threat to Presidential protection now and in the future. President Trump’s public statement on May 12 that the U.S. would accept the Qatari aircraft— before the aircraft was in our Nation’s custody—provides a dangerous opportunity to exploit for foreign intelligence agencies and adversaries seeking to do harm to the United States, who have a great incentive to gain access to the aircraft and individuals with sensitive knowledge and understanding of the Qatar royal family’s “Palace in the Sky.”
Importantly, protecting Air Force One from compromise, attack or disruption is a critical mission of the Air Force and the entire U.S. Department of Defense. A threat to an Air Force One aircraft would not only endanger the President, but also the Air Force pilots and servicemembers in the 89th Airlift Wing who serve on or maintain the aircraft.
We know that the Air Force One fleet has extensive technical requirements each aircraft must meet in order to protect the President from any threats during travel, ensure the aircraft can continue to operate at the ranges necessary (such as through refueling capabilities) and guarantee that the President can communicate continuously and securely, a capability that would prove essential in an unforeseen foreign or domestic crisis. One of the most consequential aspects of this mission is to ensure nuclear command and control remains intact even while the President travels—a cornerstone of our deterrent.
It is unclear whether and how, if President Trump proceeds with this plan to accept this aircraft, the Department plans to ensure the aircraft can meet the necessary high standards for operational security, counterintelligence and Presidential protection under the hastened timeframe arbitrarily set by President Trump to use it for travel before the end of his term in 2029.
An unsecure and unprotected Air Force One presents clear dangers to our national security. Having the President travel without the necessary security precautions or secure communications renders the aircraft an easy target for adversaries to gain access to sensitive Presidential-level discussions or classified information, impeding the success of ongoing military operations and endangering our servicemembers.
This potential move also presents concerning indications of waste, fraud and abuse. Experts estimate that upgrading this unvetted aircraft to meet essential security specifications could cost upwards of $1 billion. President Trump is claiming that this “gift” of an aircraft worth $400 million is saving taxpayers money, but in reality, his decision will force taxpayers to foot an unnecessary bill – potentially more than $1 billion—to convert a foreign-provided aircraft into the fortress necessary to protect him and his communications—all while taxpayers are already paying at least $3.9 billion for the contract for two aircraft currently being built by Boeing to add to the Air Force One fleet.
One expert speaking to Defense News said that, to achieve all the features of Air Force One with this unvetted plane, this option would “be a step backward.” Instead of accelerating delivery of a secure plane for Presidential travel, as the administration contends, “they’d have to start over again with what they’ve been working on with the other 747-8” under the existing Boeing program. “Starting over again with the same plane would take a lot longer.”
This administration has been vocal about its commitment to efficiency and cost-savings in the federal government. But spending taxpayer money on efforts to upgrade this Qatari jet – when the President currently travels securely – is unnecessary and wasteful. We require answers to the following questions regarding the operational risks surrounding the President’s possible acceptance of this aircraft, either in writing or in a briefing to us no later than June 1, 2025. Please provide answers at whatever classification level necessary.
Please detail the mitigation steps and counterintelligence countermeasures that the U.S. Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community would take to prevent foreign intelligence services from exploiting the aircraft before it is safely in U.S. custody.
Which agencies will perform counterintelligence and technical surveillance countermeasures?
What resources will be required for these agencies to perform these countermeasures?
Please detail the certification procedures and standard technical requirements for Presidential protection, operational security, counterintelligence and secure communications required of Air Force One.
Please provide a detailed plan for how the Air Force will retrofit this aircraft to certify that it meets these standard requirements.
Which agencies will be responsible for certifying that there are no physical or cyber vulnerabilities?
What resources will be required for these agencies to perform these certifications?
Please provide a cost estimate and required timeline for retrofitting this aircraft, including certifying against vulnerabilities, installing secure communications and installing other protective or other equipment necessary to meet the security and counterintelligence requirements for the Air Force One fleet.
What timeline has been directed for clearing the aircraft for Presidential use, and can the required certifications and preparations be conducted in such timeline?
What risks have you been directed to accept?
What vulnerabilities will remain as a result?
What mitigation steps will you take to address these remaining vulnerabilities?
How will these vulnerabilities impact the operations of the 89th Airlift Wing?
How will these vulnerabilities impact other core missions of the Department of Defense, such Presidential command and control during crises and contingencies?
Please provide a risk assessment, in coordination with the Intelligence Community, regarding if and how increased public scrutiny of Air Force One capabilities has affected threats to our Presidential protection procedures and capabilities.
Please provide details and documentation of what analysis of alternative aircraft or options the U.S. Department of Defense undertook before settling on the proposal for the Qatari aircraft.
Please provide copies of any communications between the Department of Defense and the Qatari government or its representatives regarding this proposal.
Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Defense may be considering “loosening” requirements of the contract with Boeing to deliver 747-8 aircraft to serve in the Air Force One fleet in order to accelerate delivery from 2029 to 2027. Please provide details 3 of any proposed or decided changes to these requirements and documentation of the Department of Defense’s analysis of tradeoffs of this desired acceleration.
Please provide the assessed impacts of the Department’s plans vis a vis this aircraft on the planned delivery timelines for the existing contract for the other Boeing 747-8 aircraft currently in development, including the potential diversion of specialized DoD personnel to conduct or oversee these upgrades as opposed to work on the existing contract.
The American people deserve to understand this administration’s plans for securing this aircraft, the vulnerabilities its use will present to our national security and the price tag they will be asked to pay for President Trump’s decision to integrate this aircraft into our most sensitive fleet.
Sincerely,

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Coons, Shaheen, Reed, Kelly, Himes, Krishnamoorthi on Trump’s Middle East AI Giveaway

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), as well as Congressmen Jim Himes (D-CT) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s artificial intelligence deals that were announced with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week:
“Democrats and Republicans have long agreed that American companies must remain the undisputed leader in AI, a rapidly developing technology critical to the future of everything from our national security to manufacturing, finance to health care. We have worked hard to ensure the most powerful AI systems are built here, and we have fought to restrict the most sophisticated chips from reaching China – or those who would grant remote access to China – given Beijing’s use of AI to strengthen its military, crack down on domestic dissent, and compete with the U.S.
“President Trump announced deals to export very large volumes of advanced AI chips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia without credible security assurances to prevent U.S. adversaries from accessing those chips. These deals pose a significant threat to U.S. national security and fundamentally undermine bipartisan efforts to ensure the United States remains the global leader in AI. Rather than putting America first, this deal puts the Gulf first.
“The volume of AI chips Trump is offering for export would deprive American AI developers of highly sought-after chips needed here and slow the U.S. AI buildout. Under this deal, data centers and AI systems that would otherwise be built in America will be built in the Middle East – at the exact time that President Trump says he wants to bring jobs and key industries back home. This deal would incentivize U.S. firms to build the factories of the future overseas, creating significant vulnerabilities in our AI supply chain. If our leading AI firms offshore their frontier computing infrastructure to the Middle East, we could become as reliant on the Middle East for AI as we are on Taiwan for advanced semiconductors – and as we used to be on the Middle East for oil. We should not foster new dependencies on foreign countries for this premier technology.
“Additionally, these deals will provide our highest end chips to G42, a company with a well-documented history of cooperation with the People’s Republic of China. We applaud the administration’s efforts to limit exports of advanced AI chips to China, including recent actions to further restrict exports of Nvidia chips. However, these efforts will be for nothing if G42 or other companies with ties to China are given large quantities of our most advanced chips.
“Proponents of the deal argue that China will fill the gap if we do not sell substantial quantities of advanced chips to these countries. This is false. China cannot and will not because China makes fewer chips as a nation than these deals offer, and each is inferior to their U.S.-designed equivalent. This is thanks to the bipartisan efforts under both the Trump and Biden administrations to cut off China’s access to advanced chip manufacturing equipment. These efforts have worked, and we should double down on this success rather than squander the leverage we have won.
“If this deal succeeds, the offshoring of frontier American AI will be recorded as an historic American blunder. People around the world deserve to enjoy the benefits we will reap from AI. However, AI chips must only be exported to trusted companies, in reasonable numbers, and in concert with credible security standards and assurances. We welcome the opportunity to work with the administration to meet these objectives and urge our colleagues in Congress to do the same.”
Senator Warner is Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Coons is Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Senator Shaheen is Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Reed is Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Kelly is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Congressman Himes is Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman Krishnamoorthi is Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s video message to the launch of the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises

Source: United Nations – English

strong>Download the video:
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+29+Apr+25/3365764_MSG+SG+FOOD+CRISES+29+APR+25.mp4

This Global Report on Food Crises reflects a world dangerously off-course.

Hunger is not a crisis bound to one place or time: it’s a chronic catastrophe.

Fueled by conflict, geopolitical tensions, climate chaos, and economic upheaval – food and nutrition crises are rampant and rising.

Over 295 million people faced hunger in 2024, the sixth year in a row of rising need.

From Gaza and Sudan, to Yemen and Mali, conflict-driven hunger is shattering records.

And climate change is accelerating the crisis, wiping out harvests, livelihoods, and hope.

Weather extremes are pushing nearly 100 million people to the brink of hunger.

Just as food insecurity and malnutrition are gaining pace, our ability to respond is hitting the brakes.

The dramatic reduction in lifesaving humanitarian funding is compounding the hunger crisis.

And the prospect of a trade war will only make things worse.

Ensuring a food-secure future means rallying financial resources and driving innovation.

It calls for fair, transparent trade systems that ensure food can move where it’s needed, especially during crises.

And it requires global solidarity to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems for all.

The UN Pact for the Future, adopted in September 2024, reignites momentum for this vital mission.

My message is clear: we must heed the dire warnings in this report.

This July, the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake – taking place in Addis Ababa – will be an opportunity for all of us to unite and boost our efforts.

The time to act is now. Let’s end hunger, together.

***

MIL OSI Africa –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Welch, 28 Colleagues in Introducing Senate Resolution Decrying Two-Month Blockade on Food and Medicine in Gaza

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Washington (May 15, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 28 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to bring an end to the blockade of food and lifesaving humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza. In their resolution, the Senators express grave concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including the imminent starvation of tens of thousands of children.
On March 2, 2025, the Israeli Government began blocking all food and emergency aid—including food, medicine, infant formula, fuel, and other lifesaving humanitarian supplies—from reaching Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In the same month, all 25 World Food Program (WFP)-supported bakeries in Gaza closed, wheat flour and cooking fuel ran out, and food parcels distributed to families—with two weeks of food rations—were depleted. According to the United Nations, about 10,000 children have been identified as suffering from acute malnutrition since January 2025.
Joining the resolution are Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The Senators’ resolution is supported by Anera, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, J Street, and Oxfam America.
“In Gaza today, children are starving, hospitals are collapsing, and families are in a state of desperation. This resolution is a call to conscience, a moment of moral reckoning. Will the world be complicit in Gaza’s collapse, or part of its recovery? We call on the U.S. government in the strongest terms to act swiftly, using all the leverage at its disposal, to urgently permit humanitarian organizations to deliver aid into Gaza. This resolution is a critical step in the right direction,” said Sean Carroll, President and CEO, Anera.
“The crisis in Gaza has reached a breaking point, with over two months of a total blockade cutting off food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. More than two million Palestinians are trapped, starving, and facing a potential famine that could claim thousands of lives. It’s encouraging to see Senator Welch and his colleagues introduce a resolution highlighting this urgent humanitarian suffering. Congress and the Trump Administration must use every diplomatic tool available to demand the immediate, full reopening of Gaza’s borders to deliver life-saving aid,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, Legislative Director for Middle East Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation.
“This resolution comes at a moment of moral reckoning, as conditions in Gaza have become even more unbearable,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, President, J Street. “Children are surviving on one meal every few days. To deliberately starve civilians is immoral. To use water, fuel, food as tools of war is unconscionable. Humanitarian aid must immediately be allowed to enter Gaza unconditionally.”
“The more than two-month-long siege, with no aid being allowed to enter, has now pushed nearly the entire population in Gaza to the brink of starvation. Every day, parents wake up and spend their days searching for something to feed their children – often coming back with nothing. Humanitarian organizations know how to reach the people who most urgently need food, water, medical care, and other lifesaving essentials when we have supplies and can do our work safely, but right now we can’t. We are in a race against time, and we need action from U.S. leaders to allow us to do our jobs, keep pushing for a permanent, immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and an end to the siege, and a return of all hostages and unlawfully detained prisoners,” said Abby Maxman, President and CEO, Oxfam America.
Read and download the full text of the resolution.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Coons, Shaheen, Reed, Warner, Kelly, Himes, Krishnamoorthi statement on Trump’s Middle East AI giveaway

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), as well as Congressmen Jim Himes (D-Conn.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s artificial intelligence deals that were announced with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia this week:
“Democrats and Republicans have long agreed that American companies must remain the undisputed leader in AI, a rapidly developing technology critical to the future of everything from our national security to manufacturing, finance to health care. We have worked hard to ensure the most powerful AI systems are built here, and we have fought to restrict the most sophisticated chips from reaching China – or those who would grant remote access to China – given Beijing’s use of AI to strengthen its military, crack down on domestic dissent, and compete with the U.S.
“President Trump announced deals to export very large volumes of advanced AI chips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia without credible security assurances to prevent U.S. adversaries from accessing those chips. These deals pose a significant threat to U.S. national security and fundamentally undermine bipartisan efforts to ensure the United States remains the global leader in AI. Rather than putting America first, this deal puts the Gulf first.
“The volume of AI chips Trump is offering for export would deprive American AI developers of highly sought-after chips needed here and slow the U.S. AI buildout. Under this deal, data centers and AI systems that would otherwise be built in America will be built in the Middle East – at the exact time that President Trump says he wants to bring jobs and key industries back home. This deal would incentivize U.S. firms to build the factories of the future overseas, creating significant vulnerabilities in our AI supply chain. If our leading AI firms offshore their frontier computing infrastructure to the Middle East, we could become as reliant on the Middle East for AI as we are on Taiwan for advanced semiconductors – and as we used to be on the Middle East for oil. We should not foster new dependencies on foreign countries for this premier technology.
“Additionally, these deals will provide our highest end chips to G42, a company with a well-documented history of cooperation with the People’s Republic of China. We applaud the administration’s efforts to limit exports of advanced AI chips to China, including recent actions to further restrict exports of Nvidia chips. However, these efforts will be for nothing if G42 or other companies with ties to China are given large quantities of our most advanced chips.
“Proponents of the deal argue that China will fill the gap if we do not sell substantial quantities of advanced chips to these countries. This is false. China cannot and will not because China makes fewer chips as a nation than these deals offer, and each is inferior to their U.S.-designed equivalent. This is thanks to the bipartisan efforts under both the Trump and Biden administrations to cut off China’s access to advanced chip manufacturing equipment. These efforts have worked, and we should double down on this success rather than squander the leverage we have won.
“If this deal succeeds, the offshoring of frontier American AI will be recorded as an historic American blunder. People around the world deserve to enjoy the benefits we will reap from AI. However, AI chips must only be exported to trusted companies, in reasonable numbers, and in concert with credible security standards and assurances. We welcome the opportunity to work with the administration to meet these objectives and urge our colleagues in Congress to do the same.”
Senator Coons is Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Senator Shaheen is Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Reed is Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Warner is Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Kelly is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Congressman Himes is Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman Krishnamoorthi is Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCMA visits Hungary to promote development opportunities in GBA

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, and the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan, are currently on duty visit to Hungary to promote the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Mr Tsang arrived in Budapest, Hungary on May 15 (Hungary time) and called on the Chinese Ambassador to Hungary, Mr Gong Tao. Today (May 16) he met with the State Secretary for Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Ms Boglárka Illés, and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary Dr Lajos Oláh, to share views on issues relating to the promotion of exchange and collaboration between Hong Kong and Hungary.

Mr Tsang also attended today the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – Europe (Hungary) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference jointly organised by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government to promote the business opportunities brought about by the GBA to the European business community, and Hong Kong’s position as a GBA’s international entry point and roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”. Speaking at the conference, he encouraged enterprises and talents to capitalise on Hong Kong’s unique advantages of having staunch support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world by establishing foothold in the city and tapping into the huge market of the GBA, and to turn challenges into endless opportunities under the current international situation.

Mr Tsang emphasised that under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong would continue to maintain its status as a free port, implement a free trade policy, maintain the free flow of capital, goods, people and information, and firmly support a rules-based multilateral trading system.

Mr Tsang will depart for Cairo, Egypt, on May 17 to attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – Africa (Egypt) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference to be held there. He will return to Hong Kong on May 19.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: XRP News Update: Kaanch network enters final days of stage 5 presale as the Best Crypto to Buy Now
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

XRP Makes Headlines Again — But the Smart Money Is Watching Kaanch

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XRP is back in the spotlight after its futures launch on the CME and renewed ETF speculation. As institutional interest returns to the Ripple ecosystem, crypto investors are reevaluating their positions — not just in XRP, but in undervalued Layer 1 opportunities with far more upside.

That’s where Kaanch Network is quietly turning heads.

Now live in Stage 5 of its presale, Kaanch is positioning itself as the top crypto to buy today — combining Solana-grade speed with real-world utility, decentralization, and an active leadership team that recently appeared at TOKEN2049 Dubai.

What Is Kaanch Network?

Kaanch is a fully public, non-anonymous Layer 1 blockchain aiming to redefine what it means to build in Web3 — fast, interoperable, secure, and developer-ready from day one.
- 1.4 Million TPS – Handles massive transaction volumes, ensuring smooth and scalable operations.
- 3600 Active Validators – Robust decentralization ensures network security and trustless validation.
- 0.8-Second Block Time – Near-instant transaction finality for a seamless user experience.
- Ultra-Low Fees – Near-zero gas costs make transactions affordable for all users.
- Real-World Asset (RWA) Tokenization – Enables secure and transparent digital asset creation.
- Interoperability – Bridges blockchain networks for seamless cross-chain transactions.
- DAO Governance – A decentralized decision-making framework for sustainable growth.
- Staking & Rewards – Real-time incentives for network participants and validators.
- .knch Domains – Decentralized identity solutions for the Kaanch ecosystem.
All of this is now available to early investors through the presale at presale.kaanch.com.

XRP’s Momentum & Kaanch’s Timing

With XRP futures listed on the CME and ETF chatter increasing, institutional players are coming back to the crypto space. But for those seeking 100x+ potential, the window for XRP is narrowing — its market cap is already in the tens of billions.

Kaanch, meanwhile, is early, underpriced, and actively building.

It offers the infrastructure layer to power:
- DeFi platforms
- NFT and gaming ecosystems
- Cross-chain identity and finance protocols
- Real-world asset tokenization
And it’s gaining traction quickly — with over $1.12 million already raised and a strong presence at global blockchain events like TOKEN2049 Dubai.

Presale Opportunity: $0.16 Now, $0.32 Next Stage

Kaanch is currently in Stage 5 of its presale, offering $KNCH tokens at just $0.16. The next price jump is already scheduled — doubling to $0.32.

Here’s what you should know:
- Over $1,121,747 raised
- Presale live at presale.kaanch.com
- Next stage price = 100% increase
- Purchase via ETH, SOL, BNB, USDT, or credit card
- Staking available with up to 119% APY
Visit presale.kaanch.com to claim your allocation before the next price bump.

The XRP Parallel — But with More Flexibility

XRP has always been about fast, low-fee global payments — and it still leads in cross-border use cases.

Kaanch takes that idea and pushes it further:
- True multi-chain asset movement
- Built-in smart contract layer
- Public governance via DAO
- Decentralized identity tools (.knch domains)
- Enterprise-ready RWA tokenization
With greater flexibility and scalability than Ripple’s current infrastructure, Kaanch could be a superior long-term Layer 1 foundation.

Final Thoughts

XRP is strong — but it’s already priced in.

Kaanch is still flying under the radar, offering early access, better fundamentals, and a builder-first ecosystem that’s gaining speed every day.

If you’re looking for the top crypto to buy today — Kaanch isn’t just an option, it’s a rare opportunity.

Lock in early at presale.kaanch.com before Stage 6 pricing goes live.

FAQs

Which crypto could 100x in 2025?

Kaanch Network ($KNCH) is a high-probability candidate. With its 1.4M TPS capacity, non-anonymous founders, and token utility in staking, governance, and dApps, it has both infrastructure and investor momentum.

How does Kaanch compare to XRP?

XRP is built for specific cross-border payments. Kaanch is a general-purpose Layer 1 that supports payments, DeFi, NFTs, gaming, identity, and more — all with higher scalability and openness.

Is Kaanch backed by a real team?

Yes. Kaanch’s founders are not anonymous and recently appeared at TOKEN2049 in Dubai, reinforcing their commitment to transparency and long-term leadership.

How can I buy Kaanch tokens?

You can purchase $KNCH directly through the official presale at presale.kaanch.com using ETH, SOL, BNB, USDT, or card.

What rewards do I get for staking?

Early-stage staking offers up to 119% APY, allowing investors to compound returns even before token listings go live.

Contact:
Ved Singh
info@kaanch.com

Disclaimer: This is a paid post and is provided by Kaanch Network. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.

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The MIL Network –
May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Shift in EU+ asylum landscape continued in March 2025

Source: European Asylum Support Office

The EUAA has published updated figures on asylum applications lodged in the EU+. In March, the 29 EU+ countries received around 67 000 asylum applications. These latest data suggest an ongoing shift to a new asylum landscape in the EU+, one in which Syrians are no longer the top nationality seeking international protection, and Germany is no longer the main destination of asylum seekers.

The fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria on 8 December 2024 may be the beginning of a sea change in the asylum landscape of the EU+, according to newly released analysis from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). In March 2025, the EU+ received around 67 000 asylum applications, which is part of an ongoing decreasing trend that began in October 2024.

Shifting to a new asylum landscape in the EU+

After a decade during which they were almost always the top citizenship seeking protection in the EU+; in March, Syrians (3 300) lodged the fewest monthly applications on record outside of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, decreasing by almost 80 % compared to October 2024. Venezuelans (8 900), however, continued to lodge increasing numbers of asylum applications in the EU+; this is likely owed both to economic and political instability in Venezuela, as well as restrictive asylum policies in the United States of America.

Applications from Afghans (7 400) remained stable, though the figure was much decreased from a previous peak in October 2023. Though eligible for temporary protection in the EU, Ukrainians (3 400) continued to lodge increasing numbers of asylum applications, up by 77 % compared to March 2024. Another notable shift saw Bangladeshis (3 300) lodging slightly more applications than Syrians in March 2025.

The above trends directly impacted which EU+ countries received the most asylum applications. In March, Spain (14 000) received the most applications in the EU+, with three fifths of applications there being lodged by Venezuelans. Italy (13 000) received the second most applications, though these are still down by 16 %, year-over-year. In fact, Bangladeshis lodged around 85% of their applications in Italy. France (13 000) received about three quarters of applications lodged by Congolese nationals and nearly all applications from Haitian nationals. A significant share of Ukrainians also applied there. Greece (4 600) continued to receive increasing asylum applications from Afghan nationals.

Pending cases and recognition rates

The changing asylum landscape is increasingly reflected in the number of applications that are pending a decision at first instance in the EU+. As of the end of March 2025, the number of such cases stood at a stable, but high, level of 955 000. Syrians (113 000), Venezuelans (105 000) and Colombians (88 000) were awaiting the most first instance decisions. Among the citizenships with the most cases awaiting decisions, the biggest year-on-year increases occurred for Ukrainians (+ 66 %), Venezuelans (+ 58 %), Peruvians (+ 33 %) as well as Bangladeshis (+ 25 %). When accounting for asylum applications that are pending at higher administrative or judicial instances, based on data provided by Eurostat, the EUAA estimates that there were approximately 1.3 million asylum cases pending across the EU+ at the end of February 2025.

In the first quarter of 2025, the EU+ recognition rate – which is the proportion of decisions granting refugee status or subsidiary protection – stood at 25 %, down by about 15 percentage points from previous monthly levels in 2024. This decline was mainly driven by a sharp drop in decisions issued to Syrian applicants, as most EU+ countries have paused processing their applications until the situation in Syria is clearer.

Under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was agreed one year ago, EU countries may subject certain categories of applicants to a border procedure, and must accelerate the examination of their applications (with initial decisions to be taken within 12 weeks). One indicator is if the applicant comes from a country of origin with a low recognition rate (≤ 20 %) in the previous year. In March 2025, some 53 % of applications were lodged by such citizenships,consistent with previous months, suggesting that a large share of asylum applications lodged in the EU+ may be unfounded or inadmissible.

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Leads Democratic Colleagues in Demanding Answers about the National Security Risks Posed by Trump’s Acceptance of $400 Million Plane-Shaped Qatari Bribe

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

May 15, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Assistant Minority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and nine other Democratic colleagues across U.S. Senate Armed Services, Appropriations and Intelligence Committees in demanding that the Department of Defense be transparent with them about the substantial national security and operational risks posed by President Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million aircraft “gift” from the Qatari royal family. In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink last night, the Senators called for answers from the Department of Defense about how it would prevent these national security risks if Donald Trump accepts this gift, and how much taxpayers will have to pay for the extensive upgrades that would need to be made on this unvetted aircraft in order to protect the President, servicemembers and sensitive information from nefarious espionage, attack or disruption.

“[We] write today with alarm over the dangers to operational and national security presented by President Trump’s desire to execute an unconstitutional and unseemly acceptance of a $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family in the form of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft. To serve as Air Force One during his administration, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to accelerate a comprehensive upgrade to the aircraft, with the direct cost to the American taxpayer likely exceeding $1 billion. We are especially concerned about the operational security and counterintelligence risks of potentially using this aircraft for sensitive Presidential travel— and the massive cost to American taxpayers to identify and close critical vulnerabilities,” the lawmakers said.

The Senators continued: “Having the President travel without the necessary security precautions or secure communications renders the aircraft an easy target for adversaries to gain access to sensitive Presidential-level discussions or classified information, impeding the success of ongoing military operations and endangering our servicemembers… President Trump is claiming that this ‘gift’ of an aircraft worth $400 million is saving taxpayers money, but in reality, his decision will force taxpayers to foot an unnecessary bill—potentially more than $1 billion—to convert a foreign-provided aircraft into the fortress necessary to protect him and his communications—all while taxpayers are already paying at least $3.9 billion for the contract for two aircraft currently being built by Boeing to add to the Air Force One fleet.”

In addition to Duckworth, Schumer and Durbin, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The full text of the letter follows and is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures $200 Billion in New U.S.-UAE Deals and Accelerates Previously Committed $1.4 Trillion UAE Investment

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
BUILDING LASTING PROSPERITY FOR AMERICA AND OUR ALLIES: Today in Abu Dhabi, President Donald J. Trump announced over $200 billion in commercial deals between the United States and the United Arab Emirates—bringing the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over $2 trillion.
President Trump continues to advance the interests of the American people, enhancing market access for American exporters to strengthen our economic and national security.
These deals will significantly expand investment in the United States and U.S. market access in the United Arab Emirates.
The following represent just a few of the many transformative deals secured in the United Arab Emirates:
Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 American-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft powered by GE engines. With the inclusion of the next-generation 777X in its fleet plan, the investment deepens the longstanding commercial aviation partnership between the UAE and the United States, fueling American manufacturing, driving exports, and supporting 60,000 U.S. jobs.
In Oklahoma, Emirates Global Aluminum will invest to develop a $4 billion primary aluminum smelter project, one of the first new aluminum smelters in America in 45 years, that will create a thousand jobs in America, strengthen critical mineral supply chains, and double current U.S. production capacity.
In line with President Trump’s executive order to unleash American energy leadership worldwide, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources are partnering with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for expanded oil and natural gas production valued at $60 billion that will help lower energy costs and create hundreds of skilled jobs in both countries.
RTX is partnering with Emirates Global Aluminum and the UAE’s Tawazun Council on a pioneering Gallium project that will help secure and stabilize the United States’ critical mineral supply chain. By diversifying sources of this essential input for semiconductors and defense technologies, the partnership strengthens America’s supply security, supports high-tech manufacturing, and creates jobs across the U.S. critical minerals and defense industrial base.
Qualcomm is expanding its global innovation footprint through partnerships with ADIO and e&. A new Global Engineering Center in Abu Dhabi will focus on AI, data centers, and industrial IoT – advancing the UAE’s digital transformation while supporting U.S. research, engineering jobs and demand for American technologies. Meanwhile, the collaboration with e& accelerates the deployment of advanced connectivity, edge AI, and cloud computing solutions. Together, these efforts strengthen Qualcomm’s leadership in critical technologies, fuel U.S high-tech job creation, and bolster America’s economic and national security.
Amazon Web Services, e&, and the UAE Cybersecurity Council have launched a Sovereign Cloud Launchpad to accelerate public cloud services adoption in the UAE. The initiative is expected to contribute $181 billion to the UAE’s digital economy by 2033 and includes a new UAE cybersecurity technology Innovation center. This collaboration expands demand for U.S.–developed cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity technologies, supporting high-skilled jobs in the United States and reinforcing U.S. leadership in secure digital innovation globally.

These deals lay the foundation for investment, innovation and good-paying U.S. jobs, including in frontier technologies, aerospace, energy, and critical minerals.
Today’s deals strengthen the U.S.-UAE investment and trade relationship and build on the UAE’s landmark commitment to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework that will contribute to the U.S. boom in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, quantum computing, biotechnology, and manufacturing.
The U.S. and UAE signed an AI agreement today that supports the $1.4 trillion investment commitment secured in March. This includes the UAE committing to invest in, build, or finance U.S. data centers that are at least as large and as powerful as those in the UAE. The agreement also contains historic commitments by the UAE to further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of U.S.-origin technology.
The U.S.-UAE AI agreement strengthens bilateral investment partnerships, ensuring U.S. security interests and dominance in AI while extending the American tech stack to an important strategic partner.

ACCELERATING TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: The strategic partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates has spanned decades and supported the prosperity and security of Americans and Emiratis. This partnership encompasses strategic cooperation in defense, trade, energy, space and diplomacy, reflecting shared interests and mutual respect.
This partnership is particularly significant thanks to the historic achievement of the Abraham Accords announced during President Trump’s first term.
The UAE stands as a significant commercial partner for the United States in the Middle East. Bilateral trade and investment have flourished, with the UAE serving as a hub for American businesses seeking opportunities in the region.
The UAE had $35 billion in foreign direct investments in the United States, supporting over 33,000 American jobs in 2023.
U.S. total goods trade with the UAE was an estimated $34.4 billion in 2024, with a U.S. trade surplus of $19.5 billion, the third largest in the world.

President Trump’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates is another opportunity to welcome new partnerships in frontier technologies, health and life sciences, mobility, entertainment, and many other fields.
NEVER TIRED OF WINNING: President Trump keeps scoring great deals for the American people, securing over $2 trillion in investment agreements with Middle Eastern nations for a more safe and prosperous future.
The $200 billion UAE deals build on the $600 billion in Saudi Arabia and $1.2 trillion in Qatar the President secured on behalf of the American people.
This comes days after President Trump announced the U.S.-UK trade agreement and a joint agreement with China in pursuit of more fair, reciprocal trade that grows good-paying jobs and prosperity in America.
While it took President Biden nearly four years to secure $1 trillion in investments, President Trump achieved this in his first month, with additional investment commitments continuing to roll in.
President Trump is accelerating investment in America and securing fair trade deals around the world, paving the way for a new Golden Age of lasting prosperity for generations to come.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Putin is testing how far he can push Trump by not turning up for Istanbul talks

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex

Over three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the countries are finally meeting for direct peace talks in Istanbul. Vladimir Putin will be not be attending.

Ironically, given his no-show, it was Putin who suggested the peace talks instead of immediately agreeing to a proposed 30-day ceasefire. But like Russia’s 2024 presidential elections, from the outside the peace talks appear to be a total farce. Putin is not just stringing the international community along, he is also testing his “friendship” with the US president, Donald Trump.

Trump ran on a platform that he would he end the war in Ukraine quickly (in 24 hours), arguing that he was the only one with the gravitas and strength to handle the Russian leader. Yet Putin has repeatedly ignored Trump’s warnings.

Two days after Trump was inaugurated, the US president posted that new sanctions would be imposed on Russia if the conflict did not end quickly. Then in early and late March, Trump again threatened sanctions if there was no ceasefire. Most recently, on May 8, Trump called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, warning that violations would be met with sanctions.

Putin disregarded every threat, and Trump did nothing to follow through. The pattern seems to be repeating itself.

Now, Trump is trying to save face by claiming that peace talks are only possible if he and Putin meet in person. If that was the case, why didn’t Trump himself attend? He was only a four-hour plane flight away, making billion dollar deals in the Gulf. But as recently as Thursday, Trump floated the idea that he would only attend if “something happened”.

Given how important these peace talks should be, it’s odd that there’s so much confusion about why Putin and Trump are not attending. US special envoy Keith Kellogg stated that if Putin had attended, Trump would be there. Trump, meanwhile, has framed Putin’s snub the other way around, claiming the only reason Putin did not attend was because he was not there.

Institute for the Study of War, CC BY-ND

Meanwhile, Europeans had warned Putin that if he did not attend and the talks failed to produce a ceasefire, he would face tougher sanctions. But Putin was never going to attend these peace talks even as his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, goaded him to do so by arriving in Ankara a few days ahead of time.

What could still happen?

Representatives from the Turkish, Ukrainian and American delegations were due to meet on the morning of May 16, followed by a session with Russia. Reportedly, Turkey is doing everything it can to get the two sides in the same room.

But hopes are not high for any breakthrough. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said he has no expectations, and Zelensky believes Russia is not serious about achieving anything at these talks.

Though Putin was the one who suggested the peace talks “without preconditions”, he has sent a low-level delegation. Zelensksy promised to attend if Putin did, but has interpreted the Russian president’s absence as a sign of disrespect.

Given this backdrop, what can be achieved? Putin has sent his aide (and former minister of culture) Vladimir Medinsky, who Zelensky describes as a “theatre prop”. In Zelensky’s place, the Ukrainian delegation is led by Kyiv’s defence minister, Rustem Umerov.

Umerov has an impossible task, but will be trying to use the peace talks to take the first steps towards de-escalation. The only real winner in these talks is Turkey, which is playing a much bigger role than expected on the international stage as a power broker and mediator, since Putin didn’t come. Turkey also has good relationships with both Putin and Zelensky.

It’s certainly hard to take peace talks seriously when there is an awkward back-and-forth just about who is going to attend. And while Trump thinks peace is only possible through bilateral meetings between himself and Putin, it’s clear he can’t even influence Putin to show up to peace talks that the Russian president himself suggested.

This should give the world little confidence that Putin will agree to a 30-day ceasefire, Ukraine’s main proposal, let alone ever agree to any wider concessions. What’s not clear is what Trump is going to do about it.

Natasha Lindstaedt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Putin is testing how far he can push Trump by not turning up for Istanbul talks – https://theconversation.com/putin-is-testing-how-far-he-can-push-trump-by-not-turning-up-for-istanbul-talks-256820

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message to the launch of the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises

Source: United Nations secretary general

Download the video:
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+29+Apr+25/3365764_MSG+SG+FOOD+CRISES+29+APR+25.mp4

This Global Report on Food Crises reflects a world dangerously off-course.

Hunger is not a crisis bound to one place or time: it’s a chronic catastrophe.

Fueled by conflict, geopolitical tensions, climate chaos, and economic upheaval – food and nutrition crises are rampant and rising.

Over 295 million people faced hunger in 2024, the sixth year in a row of rising need.

From Gaza and Sudan, to Yemen and Mali, conflict-driven hunger is shattering records.

And climate change is accelerating the crisis, wiping out harvests, livelihoods, and hope.

Weather extremes are pushing nearly 100 million people to the brink of hunger.

Just as food insecurity and malnutrition are gaining pace, our ability to respond is hitting the brakes.

The dramatic reduction in lifesaving humanitarian funding is compounding the hunger crisis.

And the prospect of a trade war will only make things worse.

Ensuring a food-secure future means rallying financial resources and driving innovation.

It calls for fair, transparent trade systems that ensure food can move where it’s needed, especially during crises.

And it requires global solidarity to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems for all.

The UN Pact for the Future, adopted in September 2024, reignites momentum for this vital mission.

My message is clear: we must heed the dire warnings in this report.

This July, the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake – taking place in Addis Ababa – will be an opportunity for all of us to unite and boost our efforts.

The time to act is now. Let’s end hunger, together.

***

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: Occidental and ADNOC’s XRG Agree to Evaluate Joint Venture to Develop South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Occidental (NYSE: OXY) and its subsidiary 1PointFive today announced an agreement with XRG, ADNOC’s investment company, to evaluate a potential joint venture to develop a Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility in South Texas. As part of the joint venture, XRG will consider investing up to $500 million for the development of a DAC facility designed to capture 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The Strategic DAC Framework Agreement was signed by Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub and ADNOC Group CEO Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, during U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s state visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The announcement follows several significant milestones in the development of DAC, including Occidental’s progress on STRATOS, its first DAC facility in West Texas, which is on-track to start commercial operations in 2025; further de-risking of Occidental’s DAC technology; and an award from the U.S. Department of Energy for up to $650 million to support development of the South Texas DAC Hub.

“We are proud to advance our decades-long partnership with ADNOC and XRG on our South Texas DAC Hub, which we believe will deliver game-changing technology to support U.S. energy independence and global goals. Agreements like this, along with U.S. DOE support, demonstrate continued confidence in DAC as an investable technology that can create jobs and economic value in the United States and Texas,” said Hollub.

Khaled Salmeen, Chief Operating Officer, XRG, said: “Our longstanding partnership with Occidental continues to drive scalable, high-growth and strategically attractive projects that create long-term sustainable value. The U.S. is a priority market for XRG and we look forward to building on this partnership as we continue to invest in strategic projects across the energy value chain.”

Occidental and ADNOC have been discussing opportunities to collaborate on carbon capture, utilization and storage projects in the United States and UAE since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2023.

The South Texas DAC Hub, located on the King Ranch in Kleberg County, Texas, will be close to industrial facilities and energy infrastructure along the U.S. Gulf Coast, where CO₂ can be transported for use or securely stored in geologic formations. The site comprises approximately 165 square miles of acreage with the potential to store up to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The first DAC facility at the Hub is expected to capture 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and is currently in front-engineering and design.

XRG focuses on transformational global investments that create value across natural gas, chemicals and lower-carbon energy solutions. Occidental and ADNOC have a long-standing partnership at Al Hosn Gas, one of the largest Middle Eastern natural gas developments, and onshore oil and gas development projects in the UAE.

About Occidental

Occidental is an international energy company with assets primarily in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. We are one of the largest oil and gas producers in the U.S., including a leading producer in the Permian and DJ basins, and offshore Gulf of America. Our midstream and marketing segment provides flow assurance and maximizes the value of our oil and gas, and includes our Oxy Low Carbon Ventures subsidiary, which is advancing leading-edge technologies and business solutions that economically grow our business while reducing emissions. Our chemical subsidiary OxyChem manufactures the building blocks for life-enhancing products. We are dedicated to using our global leadership in carbon management to advance a lower-carbon world.

About 1PointFive

1PointFive is a Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) company that is working to help curb global temperature rise to 1.5°C through the deployment of decarbonization solutions, including Carbon Engineering’s Direct Air Capture and AIR TO FUELS™ solutions alongside geologic sequestration hubs. Visit 1PointFive.com for more information.

AIR TO FUELS™ is a registered trademark of Carbon Engineering ULC.

About XRG

XRG is a transformative international energy investment company, focused on lower-carbon energy and chemicals, and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Wholly owned by ADNOC, XRG has an enterprise value of over $80 billion. Its portfolio includes interests in industry-leading companies that are meeting rapidly increasing global demand for lower carbon energy and the chemicals that are essential building blocks for products central to modern life.

To find out more, visit: www.xrg.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the agreement’s benefits and related impact on carbon emissions and Occidental’s and 1PointFive’s deployment and use of DAC technology, which are based on Occidental’s current expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates, and forecasts. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements for purposes of federal and state securities laws. Words such as “believe,” “will,” “may,” “expect,” “plan,” or similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes are generally indicative of forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Unless legally required, Occidental does not undertake any obligation to update, modify, or withdraw any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

These statements are not guarantees of future performance as they involve assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and risks and uncertainties, including those that are beyond Occidental’s control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include Occidental’s and 1PointFive’s ability to access necessary technology, to develop and employ existing or new technology on a commercial scale, to access capital, to collaborate with third parties and customers, and to receive approvals from regulatory bodies, as well as market conditions, geopolitical events, and scientific developments. Additional factors that may affect the agreement’s benefits and related impact on carbon emissions and Occidental’s and 1PointFive’s deployment and use of DAC technology can be found in Occidental’s public disclosure and its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which may be accessed at Occidental’s website at oxy.com or the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Information included herein is not necessarily material to an investor in Occidental’s securities.

Contacts

The MIL Network –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI: Intercom Team Jets into FundedNext for Exclusive AI Collaboration

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

AJMAN, United Arab Emirates, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On May 7–8, FundedNext hosted Intercom’s senior delegation, led by Phil Moore (Head of Sales Engineering) and Ciaran Nolan (Senior Director, EMEA), for a focused two-day collaboration at FundedNext’s Operations & Support Hub. FundedNext is one of Intercom’s most strategic and high-impact clients globally. The partners leveraged this event to significantly enhance Fin AI, Intercom’s next-generation AI support assistant, by advising on advanced, agentic layers capable of handling personalized, high-volume queries at an unprecedented scale.

FundedNext has been working with Intercom since Fin AI’s early days—nearly a year ago. From the start, they fully integrated Fin, tested it extensively, and pushed its limits through hands-on experimentation. The partnership grew deeper with early access to roadmap features, dedicated engineering support, and participation in closed betas and focused six-week sprints to help refine the product.

Workshop Overview
Over two intensive days, FundedNext and Intercom teams co-built strategies to evolve Fin AI into a sophisticated, agentic support layer. Day one began with a comprehensive review of Fin AI’s business impact at FundedNext, spotlighting significant boosts in productivity and customer satisfaction. This was followed by live demonstrations of advanced features, prompting FundedNext’s leadership to provide deep insights on security protocols, regulatory compliance, and integration priorities informed by extensive operational expertise.

On day two, Intercom’s delegation collaborated directly with FundedNext’s Client Experience team. Together, they analyzed customer scenarios across the spectrum—from basic informational queries to personalized, high-volume, and highly complex cases demanding precise human intervention. These interactive sessions will help to refine Fin AI’s ability to deliver automated and semi-automated workflows tailored specifically to FundedNext’s operational scale.

Both teams committed to industry-leading AI safety protocols and proactive regulatory compliance—ensuring every automated decision is transparent, auditable, and built on iron-clad data protections.

Phil Moore, Head of Sales Engineering at Intercom, said:
“Workshops like these deliver results that months of Slack messages or video calls simply can’t. When we collaborate side by side, ideas flow instantly, alignment happens naturally, and we leave with a shared vision that drives real progress.”

Why FundedNext is the Ultimate Proving Ground for Fin AI
Serving retail traders globally with highly diverse and complex trading programs, FundedNext generates a large volume of data, providing Fin AI with a uniquely challenging environment to rapidly advance its predictive capabilities. Successfully managing FundedNext’s diverse requirements positions Fin AI to perform exceptionally across any global customer support context.

Tanzim Hasan Fahim, VP of Technology at FundedNext, commented:
“At FundedNext, we manage some of the industry’s most demanding environments. Integrating Fin AI requires meticulous execution, particularly around security and compliance. Our close collaboration ensures we’re not just adopting technology, but actively setting standards for how AI transforms customer support.”

Syed Abdullah Galib, Chief Strategy Officer at FundedNext, said:
“Our partnership with Intercom is already robust, but this workshop pushes our collaboration even further. We are co-shaping the future of AI support—leveraging our unique operational scale to finetune agentic solutions capable of handling hundreds of thousands of complex, personalized interactions seamlessly and securely.”

A Generational Breakthrough for Customer Support
This engagement represents a new paradigm in AI-powered customer service—uniting global technology leaders and enterprise innovators to co-build intelligent, agentic support systems. By merging AI-driven efficiency, human expertise, and rigorous security standards, FundedNext and Intercom are defining the future, ensuring every customer interaction is handled with precision, empathy, and unmatched reliability.

About the Partners

Intercom
Intercom enables customer engagement for 30,000+ businesses with a unified platform combining chat, automation, and AI workflows. Its latest roadmap introduces proprietary AI-agent features that blend Fin’s automation with expert human handoffs.

FundedNext
FundedNext is a UAE based global proprietary trading platform offering simulated funding to traders in 180+ countries. FundedNext further supports trader development through expert educational resources, a thriving trading community, strategic networking opportunities, and advanced analytical tools. They recently launched their futures prop firm and are expanding their market by introducing its brokerage division in mid-May.

Contact:
Namia Mursalin
namia.mursalin@fundednext.com
Website: fundednext.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d97359e3-3c79-4ffe-919a-1d3e29a69b45

The MIL Network –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SUDAN – The “drone war” hides a “proxy war”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Friday, 16 May 2025 wars

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – The “drone war” is intensifying in Sudan. The use of armed drones and “suicide drones” (similar to cruise missiles, but cheaper) is primarily the prerogative of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias, which do not have an air force.Even the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), although they have combat aircraft, are making extensive use of drones to bomb areas under RSF control.The latter have expanded the area of action of their devices, targeting Sudan’s administrative capital, controlled by the SAF, as well as the country’s most important seaport, Port Sudan (see Fides, 6/5/2025).Previously, attacks carried out by RSF drones were limited to the White Nile, Nile River, and Northern State regions, as well as Omdurman and El Fasher. Among the targets hit were power plants and fuel depots. The expansion of the areas hit by RSF drones raises the question of whether they are launched from within Sudan or from neighboring countries. This is a legitimate suspicion, especially regarding Port Sudan, which is located several hundred kilometers from known RSF positions. Some radar interference on merchant ships operating in the Red Sea suggests that the drones are launched from bases outside Sudan, perhaps from Puntland, where the United Arab Emirates – accused by the Khartoum government of supporting the RSF (see Fides, 11/4/2025) – has a major base in Bosaso (see Fides, 6/5/2025). According to this hypothesis, those who launch them disrupt the radars of ships navigating in the area to hide their launch site. Remnants of the artillery used by the RSF suggest that it is Chinese-made material supplied to Sudanese paramilitaries by the United Arab Emirates.The Khartoum government has called on Beijing to urgently intervene to prevent the RSF from acquiring Chinese-made drones and strategic aircraft. Minister of Culture and Information and government spokesperson Khaled Al-Aiser stated in a Facebook post on May 15, 2025, that China is a friendly country with historical ties and strategic interests with Sudan. He therefore called on Beijing to intervene with the Abu Dhabi regime to end violations of arms purchase contracts and end-use certificates, under which the RSF has been able to obtain advanced drones.The SAF, in turn, is suspected of using Turkish-made drones to support its offensives against the paramilitaries. There are even unconfirmed reports that, in the RSF drone attacks on Port Sudan, some Turkish experts were injured and later repatriated by air ambulance. Thus, the internal Sudanese conflict risks escalating into a “proxy war” between external powers – particularly Turkey and the Emirates – which would further aggravate the conflict. As Pope Francis, and now his successor, Pope Leo XIV, have repeatedly stated, “to end wars, we must end the arms trade.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/5/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Pope Leo to the Diplomatic Corps: Peace, Justice and Truth, ‘key words’ of papal diplomacy

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

VaticanMedia

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Peace, Justice, Truth. These are the three words Pope Leo XIV chose in his address to members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See. Peace which is “the first gift of Christ”, an “active and demanding gift. It engages and challenges each of us”. Justice, which is also denied by “global inequalities – between opulence and destitution – that are carving deep divides between continents, countries and even within individual societies”. Truth, which “can never be separated from charity, always has at its root a concern for the life and well-being of every man and woman”.The “sui generis” Nature of Papal DiplomacyPope Leo began by thanking the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, for his cordial greeting, and recalling the tireless work that he has carried out with his characteristic energy, commitment and kindness”, stressing that papal diplomacy is “an expression of the very catholicity of the Church. In its diplomatic activity, the Holy See is inspired by a pastoral outreach that leads it not to seek privileges but to strengthen its evangelical mission at the service of humanity.” For this reason it appeals to consciences, as witnessed by the constant efforts of my venerable predecessor, ever attentive to the cry of the poor, the needy and the marginalized, as well as to contemporary challenges, ranging from the protection of creation to artificial intelligence”. The Pope born in Chicago then referred to his “own life experience, which has spanned North America, South America and Europe, has been marked by this aspiration to transcend borders in order to encounter different peoples and cultures. Through the constant and patient work of the Secretariat of State”, Pope Leo continued, “I intend to strengthen understanding and dialogue with you and with your countries, many of which I have already had the grace to visit, especially during my time as Prior General of the Augustinians. I trust that God’s providence will allow me further occasions to get to know the countries from which you come and enable me to have occasions to confirm in the faith our many brothers and sisters throughout the world and to build new bridges with all people of good will”.Human Nature and the Gift of PeaceThen, recognizing, with the Christian realism with which Saint Augustine and the Fathers of the Church also contemplated the condition of the human race, marked by Original Sin, the Pope said: “it is part of human nature and always accompanies us, pushing us too to live in a constant “state of conflict” at home, at work and in society”. And “no matter how hard we try, tensions will always be present, a little like embers burning beneath the ashes, ready to ignite at any moment”.In this state of affairs – the Bishop of Rome added – “peace is first and foremost a gift. It is the first gift of Christ”. Yet it is “an active and demanding gift. It engages and challenges each of us, regardless of our cultural background or religious affiliation, demanding first of all that we work on ourselves. Peace – he added -is built in the heart and from the heart, by eliminating pride and vindictiveness and carefully choosing our words. For words too, not only weapons, can wound and even kill”. Looking at global scenarios, Pope Leo recognized “the fundamental contribution to fostering a climate of peace. This naturally requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person. Without it, it is difficult, if not impossible, to bring about the purification of the heart necessary for building peaceful relationships”. The Pontiff also reiterated that “there is a need to give new life to multilateral diplomacy and to those international institutions conceived and designed primarily to remedy eventual disputes within the international community”. Furthermore – he added – “there must also be a resolve to halt the production of instruments of destruction and death, since, as Pope Francis noted in his last Urbi et Orbi Message: No peace is “possible without true disarmament [and] the requirement that every people provide for its own defence must not turn into a race to rearmament.”Justice and the faces of the new “Social Question”“I chose my name,” Pope Leo XIV repeated, introducing the reflections on justice – “thinking first of all of Leo XIII, the Pope of the first great social Encyclical, Rerum Novarum. In this time of epochal change, the Holy See cannot fail to make its voice heard in the face of the many imbalances and injustices that lead, not least, to unworthy working conditions and increasingly fragmented and conflict-ridden societies.”To build “harmonious and peaceful civil societies”- the Pontiff underlined in this passage of his speech – it is necessary to invest “in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman”, and to ensure that “respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike. My own story”, he added, making another reference to his personal story in his speech, “is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate. All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged: it is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God”.Truth is an encounter“Truly peaceful relationships cannot be built, also within the international community,” the Pontiff remarked, dwelling on the third key word of his speech – apart from truth. Because “where words take on ambiguous and ambivalent connotations, and the virtual world, with its altered perception of reality, takes over unchecked, it is difficult to build authentic relationships, since the objective and real premises of communication are lacking.” The Church, for her part –Pope Prevost added – “can never be exempted from speaking the truth about humanity and the world, resorting whenever necessary to blunt language that may initially create misunderstanding. Yet truth can never be separated from charity, which always has at its root a concern for the life and well-being of every man and woman”. And from the Christian perspective – the Pontiff clarified – “truth is not the affirmation of abstract and disembodied principles, but an encounter with the person of Christ himself, alive in the midst of the community of believers. Truth, then, does not create division, but rather enables us to confront all the more resolutely the challenges of our time, such as migration, the ethical use of artificial intelligence and the protection of our beloved planet Earth”. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 16/5/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

May 17, 2025

Category: Middle East

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (7.5.2025)

The fall of a giant

Climate fact and fiction

Shifting to a new asylum landscape in the EU+

Pending cases and recognition rates

What could still happen?