Sepia

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43914993

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Pina Picierno is Italian, but Ukraine is everywhere in her vice president's office at the European Parliament in Brussels. Awards resting on the window ledge recognize her fight "for freedom and democracy in Ukraine," like the one she received in 2022 from the Istituto Affari Internazionali, an Italian think tank. There are books and novels devoted to Russia and its unfortunate neighbor, invaded by Kremlin troops in February 2022 and struggling ever since not to be carved up and subjugated. There is also a curious painting, a gift from Ukrainian army veterans, depicting their country's yellow and blue trident, into which real bullets have been embedded.

But what visitors do not notice at first glance is the small red button beneath the meeting table: a "panic button" meant to alert the Parliament security teams in case of danger or intrusion. The surveillance camera at the entrance, filming comings and goings, is just as discreet. Whenever she leaves the building, the MEP is always accompanied by a police escort. "I can't just wake up and go for a walk or suddenly decide to see a film," she said on Friday, December 12. "But there are people who risk far more than I do. Ukrainians, in their trenches, are under bombardment to defend their freedom."

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For months, Picierno has lost count of the death threats she has received in the mail and in her email inbox. She has been the target of intimidation near her home in Belgium – incidents she does not want to discuss in detail so as not to interfere with the ongoing investigation. In January, pro-Russian activists distributed leaflets in Bologna, Italy, comparing her to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister. Does she see Russia's hand behind these acts? "Yes," she replied simply, her face tense.

One episode in particular has fueled Moscow's anger in recent months. In early March, Vladimir Soloviev, a star host on the Russian state television channel Rossiya 1, was invited to appear on a television program in Italy on the channel Rai 3. Picierno publicly protested against this red-carpet treatment for "one of the Kremlin's main propagandists," who has been under European Union sanctions since 2022. "Italian public broadcasting cannot in any way serve as a megaphone for Russian disinformation," she warned on X.

Her efforts paid off: Soloviev's invitation was revoked. Furious, he lashed out with insults on his show on Rossiya 1. "Her mouth stinks of tyranny," he said – in Italian – referring to the MEP, whom he called a "dirty beast, a disgrace to the human race." Internet trolls then harassed her. The barrage was so relentless that she quickly stopped paying attention. But the escalation reached such a level that in June, the Italian government decided to place her under police protection.

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The Italian is not the only European lawmaker facing pressure from Moscow since the war in Ukraine began nearly four years ago. "There are several of us being targeted by death threats – I myself regularly receive them on social media or by email," said French MEP Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe). She recounted how her hotel room was ransacked earlier this year while she was leading a mission observing the legislative elections in Kosovo. For the former minister for European affairs, a strong critic of Putin's regime, there is no doubt about Russia's involvement. "It was an act of intimidation," she said.

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Her colleagues at the European Parliament have noticed that the native of the Naples region has lost weight in recent months. Out of fear of being poisoned, she now only eats food she prepares herself. "I'm human; fear is a normal feeling," she said. "But I also have a duty to be courageous. It's the price to pay if you want to try to change things." She quickly understood the seriousness of her commitment when she entered politics at the age of 16 to denounce the Mafia's hold on her country. Journalist Roberto Saviano, known for his work on the Camorra and who also lives under police protection, is a friend of hers.

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"We need a Europe that is more courageous, stronger and more ambitious," said the MEP. A Europe that takes risks, so as not to run the risk of disappearing.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43886867

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After the mass shooting of Hanukkah celebrants on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, the Kremlin-linked disinformation network known as “Matryoshka” has been promoting claims of an alleged “Ukrainian trail” and frightening Europeans with threats of new terrorist attacks. The watchdog Bot Blocker project (@antibot4navalny), which has been monitoring the network, shared its findings with The Insider.

One video circulating on Twitter (X) and Bluesky is disguised as content produced by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). It claims that experts found markings on the shotguns used by the attackers in Sydney that are supposedly applied to weapons delivered to Ukraine. The video falsely claims that Ukraine has become the “largest source of weapons for the black market.”

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Another video, produced in English, uses the symbolism of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst). It begins with real information about planned terrorist attacks in German cities during the Christmas holidays, then mentions the shooting on the Australian beach — while claiming the perpetrators were connected to “representatives of Ukraine.” The video contains an error revealing poor fact-checking: it states that both shooters in Australia were killed, whereas only one was shot dead, while the second was wounded and detained. A similar video following the same template includes French subtitles and the symbols of French government agencies.

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The bots are also spreading images of alarming graffiti that, supposedly, appeared in Berlin. The images depict a Christmas tree with a time bomb beneath it, as well as the date 25.12.2025. One of the posts, posing as an Instagram story from the BBC, read “Graffiti warning of a terrorist attack appeared in three boroughs of Berlin.”

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The attack in Sydney took place on Sunday, Dec. 14, the first day of Hanukkah. The attackers opened fire on people gathered on Bondi Beach for an event organized by the Chabad movement. Fifteen people were killed and several dozen were wounded. According to police, the shooting was carried out by 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was shot dead at the scene, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, who was wounded and is currently hospitalized. Flags of the terrorist organization Islamic State were found in their vehicle.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43885237

Op-ed by Boris Bondarev, former Russian diplomat who resigned in protest of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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The Belarusian authorities have released 123 political prisoners following negotiations with the United States. From a humanitarian standpoint, this decision can only be welcomed: every drop of freedom regained is meaningful. Yet these releases did not occur in a vacuum and were accompanied by the relaxation sanctions on the regime.

Though the deal did not lift all sanctions, the exemptions and waivers granted reopened access to critically important export revenues. What we are therefore dealing with is not a humanitarian gesture, but a transactional bargain with long-term strategic consequences.

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From a human perspective, freeing political prisoners is an unmitigated good. But in politics, the mechanism matters as much as the outcome.

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Make no mistake, striving to free political prisoners is a moral imperative. But it cannot be the ultimate goal of policy. Political prisoners are a symptom of the disease — the repressive dictatorial regime — and dismantling that regime must be the primary strategic task. Policymakers must aim to make the very phenomenon of political prisoners disappear from reality. Not by offering palliative care, but by curing the disease itself.

[Edit typo.]

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43863645

Nazi salutes such as “Heil Hitler” or “Sieg Heil” are illegal in Germany. Members of the AfD, which Germany’s counterintelligence service described in May as a demonstrably right-wing extremist party, have faced a number of scandals in the past over using Nazi salutes or slogans.

[Alternative for Germany (AfD) MP Matthias] Moosdorf’s case happened in June 2023 when, according to the public prosecutor’s office, he greeted his colleague in the Nazi manner by clicking his heels together and raising his right arm at the entrance to the locker room area of the lower house. The public prosecutor’s office has now charged him with using unconstitutional symbols.

The Bundestag has already stripped 60-year-old Moosdorf of his immunity from prosecution. [He] is described by critics as particularly pro-Russian.

Since the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moosdorf has opposed weapons aid to Kyiv, claiming that opposing Russia means that Germany will end up like it did “in 1945”. The Soviet Union and the Western Allies defeated Nazi Germany that year.

Last year Moosdorf also became a target of criticism even within his own party after he accepted an honorary professorship at the Moscow Academy of Music [he is a Cellist]. Until June this year he held the post of the party’s foreign policy spokesperson.

Moosdorf’s predecessor in that position was Petr Bystroň, who is of Czech origin. Bystroň now faces suspicions of accepting bribes from the pro-Russian “Voice of Europe” news server.

Germany prohibits the distribution or public use of symbols of unconstitutional groups, in particular, flags, forms of greeting, insignia, slogans, and uniforms. Among other things, the ban applies to Nazi greetings, as well as to the farewell phrase “with German regards” (mit deutschem Gruß), which the Nazis also abused.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43814573

One of the leaders of the pro-Russian Koos party and Estonian citizen Aivo Peterson was sentenced to 14 years in prison for treason by Harju District Court on Thursday.

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The trial, which began in November 2023, dealt with allegations of treason against Estonian citizens Peterson and Dmitri Rootsi, as well as claims that Peterson and Russian citizen Andrei Andronov acted to undermine Estonia's independence.

The charges were connected to meetings with Russian politicians, aligning policy positions, the organization of an independent civil defense organization, and a Russian-funded press trip to occupied Ukraine.

According to the indictment, Peterson and Rootsi, based on instructions received from Russia, knowingly and in an organized manner assisted Russia and people acting on behalf of Russian authorities in non-violent activities directed against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Estonia from October 2022 to March 10, 2023.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43794611

A Taiwanese government-backed drone alliance and a Polish uncrewed system industry group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a "non-China" drone supply chain and work together on key technologies.

The MOU, signed by the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA) and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems (PISB) in Poland on Wednesday, would improve ties between the Taiwanese and Polish drone industries, the alliance said in a statement.

Beyond paving the way for creating a non-China supply chain and integrating drone systems, the MOU would also support laws favorable to the market and plans for joint testing at cross-border technology exhibitions, it said.

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In an op-ed, a researcher Konrad Szatters published a comment in CHOICE (China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe):

This development sheds light on several broader issues. It offers insight into how CEE countries are reassessing their technological and security dependencies. It also suggests that Taiwan is finding practical, relatively low-profile, forms of engagement with Europe, and highlights that certain EU member states are willing to explore such avenues of cooperation. This creates an opportunity for Taiwan to strengthen its ties with Europe and make itself more indispensable for its partners, especially in the context of EU’s ongoing ‘de-risking’ from China. Finally, it highlights gaps in Europe’s own defense-industrial capabilities and shows the direction of choices certain governments may make when domestic supply becomes limited.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43763604

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European and Ukrainian leaders have officially launched an International Claims Commission in The Hague, marking a significant step toward accountability and reparations for the damage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The new body is tasked with processing and adjudicating claims related to losses suffered by the Ukrainian state, businesses, and individuals since the start of the war.

The establishment of the Commission reflects growing international consensus that victims of the conflict should have access to a structured, legal mechanism to seek compensation. According to European officials, more than 80,000 claims have already been submitted, highlighting the vast scale of destruction to infrastructure, housing, industry, and livelihoods across Ukraine.

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The International Claims Commission is designed to operate as an independent and rules-based mechanism. Its mandate includes reviewing evidence, assessing damages, and determining the validity and value of claims arising from the conflict. While it does not itself enforce payments, the Commission represents a crucial institutional framework that could underpin future compensation arrangements.

Locating the Commission in The Hague — a city internationally recognized as a center for justice and international law — underscores the legal and symbolic weight of the initiative. European leaders emphasized that the Commission complements existing international justice efforts and reinforces the principle that violations of international law carry consequences.

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For Ukraine, the launch of the Commission represents an important diplomatic achievement and a step toward long-term recovery and reconstruction ... For Europe, the Commission sends a broader message: accountability and reparations are integral to any durable peace. By creating a formal mechanism now, European states aim to ensure that compensation is not treated as an afterthought, but as a core element of post-war justice laying the groundwork for future reparations and reinforcing the international rules-based order.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43764288

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The Moscow City Court has upheld the sentence against Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the election rights advocacy movement Golos (“Vote”). Melkonyants was convicted of participating in the activities of an “undesirable” organization — namely, the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) ... In May 2025, the Basmanny District Court sentenced Melkonyants to five years in a general-security penal colony; his defense appealed the ruling.

At the appellate court hearing, Melkonyants delivered a final statement in which he criticized the work of the prosecutor’s office and the court, calling their approach to sentencing “careless.” [The statement can be read in the linked article.]

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Diplomatic staff from the embassies of the U.S., France, the Czech Republic, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, and New Zealand, as well as a representative of the European Union, attended the announcement of Melkonyants’s sentence in May.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43762657

• The European Union plans to expand its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to some assembled goods such as cars and washing machines to help close loopholes.
• The EU introduced CBAM to safeguard its industry during an ambitious shift to net zero by 2050 and prompt other parts of the world to make their output greener.
• The EU will propose measures to extend the levy to selected steel and aluminium-intensive downstream products, and will also unveil a proposal on how to support its own exporters via a new fund.

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The European Union plans to expand an incoming emissions charge on imported goods as part of efforts to strengthen a flagship climate policy that’s aimed at protecting the bloc’s industries during the green shift.

The EU has pressed ahead with its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — which covers six emissions-intensive sectors — despite criticism from trading partners from the US to China. On Wednesday, it plans to propose measures to extend the levy to some assembled goods such as cars and washing machines to help close loopholes, according to a draft.

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The EU introduced CBAM to safeguard its industry during an ambitious shift to net zero by 2050 and prompt other parts of the world to make their output greener. The idea is that carbon-intensive sectors forced to comply with the bloc’s world-leading climate laws won’t face unfair competition from producers operating in nations with weaker rules. It comes amid concerns that Europe is deindustrializing under the strain of high energy prices and the green transition.

“The overall objective of the legislative proposal is to strengthen the effectiveness of CBAM, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change globally,” the EU says in the draft proposal, which is still subject to change. “This proposal will extend the scope of CBAM to selected steel and aluminium-intensive downstream products.”

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As of January this year, dozens of carbon-trading systems were in force globally, covering almost a fifth of global emissions, according to a report by non-profit organization IETA. Under EU rules, the fee importers will need to pay could be at least partially waived if a carbon levy has already been paid in the country where the goods were produced.

“The CBAM is deeply unpopular among major exporters to the EU, but it has already proven to be effective in pushing reticent countries toward building or expanding carbon-pricing efforts,” said Henry Lush, a carbon analyst at consultants Veyt.

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The European Commission on Wednesday will also unveil a proposal on how to support its own exporters via a new fund filled with a quarter of the proceeds collected from the levy over the next two years, according to a draft seen by Bloomberg. In addition, it will present detailed rules on calculating fees that importers will have to pay at the border, and measures to prevent circumvention.

The fees companies will have to pay will largely depend on the so-called default values, which will effectively set a price list for emissions when importers can’t provide verified, installation-specific data at the border, according to Robert Jeszke, head of Poland’s emissions management authority.

“In the early years, the most immediate behavioral effect is likely to be improved monitoring and verified reporting, rather than instant deep decarbonization across the board,” he said. “But CBAM’s financial materiality will rise over time.”

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43742474

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Following today’s unjust guilty verdict handed down to writer and media publisher Jimmy Lai, PEN International and English PEN have joined Hong Kong Watch and over 30 other civil society organisations in a joint letter addressed to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to to press for the release Jimmy Lai, a UK citizen, PEN writes in a statement on its website.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43734791

Just as Russian President Vladimir Putin was clear about his intentions toward Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping has left no doubt about his plans for Taiwan. The only way to deter him from pursuing "reunification" with the island is to make clear that the costs of doing so will be punishing.

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Last month, Japan’s new prime minister, Takaichi Sanae, stated that Chinese aggression against the self-governing democratic island could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, warranting a military response.

Takaichi is right, but it is not just Japan that would be affected. Because Taiwan produces 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and hosts one of its most vibrant globalized tech ecosystems, a blockade or invasion would send shockwaves through the global economy, potentially tilting the race for AI leadership in China’s favor. The fall of free Taiwan would also upend the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, placing much of Asia under China’s yoke, while cementing China’s chokehold on the South and East China Seas. For these reasons, a conflict over the island has the potential to escalate into a broader war.

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cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43693292

Bloc’s justice commissioner says action needed to protect consumers from products sold on platforms such as Shein.

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[European Justice Commissioner] Michael McGrath [said] that the bloc was not protecting its citizens sufficiently from a rising tide of unsafe goods sent directly from China to customers’ homes.

“I am very concerned about the volume of unsafe products coming into the European Union. I think we have a duty to better protect EU citizens, and we also have a duty to European businesses to ensure that they are operating on a level playing field,” McGrath said.

The Irish commissioner said that “year in, year out” national authorities found products that were “very dangerous, with life-changing consequences for individuals” and which could “even cause loss of life”.

Customs and enforcement officers were overwhelmed, with only “a tiny proportion of the unsafe products coming into the European Union” being stopped, McGrath admitted. “That’s not good enough.”

Some 4.6bn low-value parcels entered the EU in 2024, and the number is continuing to double every two years, he said. Around 90 per cent come from China.

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He said when dangerous goods were identified, often by consumer groups, platforms usually got away with taking them off sale. “I think there needs to be a stronger deterrent,” he said.

Cosmetics and toys are among the most common types of products detected.

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Last month, Brussels said it was examining Shein’s sale of potentially illegal products, including childlike sex dolls and weapons, under its Digital Services Act, which regulates online content.

Brussels has asked for additional information from the company, which could lead to an in-depth investigation and fines.

It followed a move by Paris to suspend the site in France for allegedly advertising the products. France is also seeking to ban AliExpress, owned by Chinese tech group Alibaba, and Portugal-headquartered Joom for similar reasons.

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