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Russian and Chinese support for Venezuela has largely dried up, with no prospect of real military or financial aid.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/6061854

Archived version

• Italy's landmark China Truck mafia trial stalled for years
• Missing interpreters, lost files fuel sabotage suspicions
• "Coat hanger wars" spread violence across Europe's fashion hub
• Weak China cooperation hobbles probes, Italian prosecutors say

A landmark trial in Italy of Chinese crime gangs has suffered so many mishaps - from the disappearance of documents to the resignation of interpreters - that a senior prosecutor suspects it's being sabotaged to protect the criminals' grip on Europe's fashion industry.

The case, launched after two Chinese men were hacked to death with machetes in 2010, is aimed at dismantling an illicit network accused of controlling the logistics of the continent's multi-billion-euro garments sector from the city of Prato in Tuscany.

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"The suspicion is that there is interference from the Chinese community and Chinese authorities in this matter," said Luca Tescaroli, a veteran of Italy's war against the mafia who is now Prato's chief prosecutor and leading the charge against Chinese crime gangs.

The Chinese embassy in Rome did not reply to emails requesting comment on Tescaroli's remarks.

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When the latest court interpreter failed to show up to a hearing at the end of September, a quick check revealed she had returned to China and her transcripts were "incomprehensible and unusable", Tescaroli said.

The translator was the second to walk off the job and no other Chinese interpreter in Tuscany has agreed to take over. Tescaroli has opened an investigation into the possibility that someone is looking to sink the trial.

The violence prosecutors hoped to curb has only intensified as the trial flounders, with the battle for control of coat hanger production and fast-fashion freight spawning a string of bomb and arson attacks in Italy, France and Spain.

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The Prato prosecutor and his colleagues are pressing the judges in the so-called China Truck trial to define the Chinese gangs legally as mafia groups – a designation that would unlock sweeping powers, asset seizures and stiffer sentence.

However, in Italy that label is difficult to secure, even more so if the organisations are rooted abroad, making them harder to penetrate than home-grown crime groups such as Sicily's Cosa Nostra.

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Wedged in the hills northwest of Florence, Prato is billed as Europe's largest textile manufacturing hub, hosting more than 7,000 textile and garment companies that register some 2.3 billion euros ($2.68 billion) in official annual exports. Over 4,400 of firms are Chinese owned, local authorities say.

Almost a quarter of its residents are foreigners, the largest ratio in Italy, but the percentage is likely much higher as many newcomers are illegal immigrants without work permits.

Prato's streets are lined with Chinese-owned workshops, warehouses, and businesses that have transformed the city into a global fast-fashion production centre, and a flashpoint for violence linked to criminal networks.

The China Truck investigation closed in 2018 with prosecutors alleging that the 58 suspects had formed "a criminal association equipped with very significant financial means ... with support and resources abroad".

Seven years on, not a single defendant or witness has been called to testify.

Meanwhile, the alleged mastermind Zhang Naizhong, described by investigators as a "boss of bosses", slipped back to China in 2018 after he was released from pre-trail custody and prosecutors doubt he will ever return to Italy.

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Chinese businesses in the textile district have long operated within what investigators call the "Prato system", marked by corruption and irregular practices, including labour and safety abuses as well as tax and customs fraud.

These companies can appear and disappear overnight, engaging in a cat-and-mouse game with authorities to dodge taxes and avoid having to give workers proper contracts, according to Arturo Gambassi, a representative from the Sudd Cobas union, which defends workers' rights in the textile sector.

"In all the firms where we have initiated labour disputes, we saw that their business name had changed in the previous two years," he told Reuters.

Police say fabrics are often smuggled in from China to avoid customs duties, while profits are sent back through illicit money-transfer channels, with up to 4 million euros shipped out of Rome's Fiumicino airport each week, according to prosecutors and police.

To maintain their competitive edge, the industry depends on cheap, round-the-clock labour, largely from China and Pakistan, with workers facing a backlash if they seek legal contracts.

On November 17, more than 15 Chinese citizens assaulted a union demonstration in Prato. Plain clothes police who were observing the protest were also attacked, with two officers needing hospital treatment, a police statement said.

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Without the mafia designation or Chinese cooperation, Tescaroli's case in the China Truck trial relies on the fragile scaffolding of Italian procedure, and the willingness of translators to show up.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5998772

Japan has protested after Chinese fighter jets locked radars on Japanese aircraft as tensions between the two nations worsened.

Locking radar onto an aircraft is considered a threat because it can signal a potential attack. Japan said there were two such incidents Saturday off its southern Okinawa islands.

Japan said it scrambled fighter jets in response to the Chinese J-15 fighter jets, while Beijing accused Tokyo of "harassing" its forces during a training exercise. No injuries or damage were reported.

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Last week, China and Japan's coast guards gave conflicting accounts of a confrontation near disputed islands in the East China Sea.

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A Japanese defence ministry official said the intention of the Chinese J-15 jets was "unclear", but added that ... the Japanese aircraft "did not do anything that could be considered a provocation".

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This comes two weeks after Japan scrambled aircraft when a suspected Chinese drone was detected off Yonaguni, island near Taiwan. Tokyo has said it is planning to deploy missiles from Yonaguni in a move that has angered Beijing.

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

Archived version

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

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Here is the closing statement of Yulia Lemeshchenko in court.

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

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

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

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

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

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

You'll find more information on the linked site.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5952260

Archived version

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This is not rhetoric; it is the logic of deterrence. Discussing the use of Russian assets is not an ideological crusade. It is a rational choice and a matter of preventive security.

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Some will point to corruption in Ukraine, a criticism revived by the recent revelations in the energy sector. Yet this scandal shows the opposite of what critics claim.

It was uncovered by Ukraine’s own oversight bodies. Investigations began immediately. And Ukraine’s civil society, one of the strongest in Europe, continues to scrutinise every euro, every contract, every decision.

A sick democracy hides its scandals. A functioning democracy exposes them and acts on them. Ukrainians are defending European values not only on the battlefield, but also through watchdog institutions, investigative bodies and rigorous public accountability.

This is exactly why funds directed to Ukraine today have a genuine chance of being monitored, audited and used properly.

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The option now being discussed in Brussels and across the EU is not a “donation” to Ukraine. It is a European reparation loan mechanism supported by the immobilised Russian assets.

Under this approach, Ukraine receives the funds it needs today. Repayment would take place once Russia pays the reparations it is legally obliged to provide. And until that happens, the interest generated by the frozen assets would cover the costs.

This fully aligns with international law: the aggressor pays, the victim survives.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5917960

Archived version

• Emmanuel Macron is visiting China amidst controversy over Taiwan, with China seeking support from France in its dispute with Japan over the island's status.
• Macron's visit comes after Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a potential conflict over Taiwan could pose an existential risk for Japan, prompting China to lash out and condemn her "provocative remarks".
• Macron will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other senior leaders to discuss issues including economic ties, trade tensions, and the war in Ukraine, with the French president aiming to address "global imbalances" and convince Xi to use his influence to end the conflict.

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The French president’s last visit to China, two-and-a-half years ago, was overshadowed by remarks that appeared to put limits on his commitment to supporting Taiwan. A three-day visit that kicks off Wednesday comes as the democratically-ruled island claimed by Beijing is back in the spotlight. China has been seeking back up from France — one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — in its recent dispute with Japan over Taiwan’s status. Beijing lashed out after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last month suggested that a potential conflict over the island could pose an existential risk for Japan.

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, used a Thursday call with Macron’s diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne to say the two sides needed to support each other and to condemn Takaichi’s “provocative remarks.” An official at Macron’s Elysee Palace on Thursday called for the status quo to be respected, and for an easing of tensions.

The new Japanese leader’s comments are problematic for China in two ways. On the most basic level, they imply Taiwan’s future could become an international dispute — while Beijing’s One-China policy insists the island’s future is a domestic issue. Beyond that, Takaichi’s remarks suggest any conflict would be serious enough for Japan to legally justify deploying its military in support of the Taiwanese.

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Macron was instrumental in persuading the European Union to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year, prompting Beijing to retaliate with minimum price requirements on French cognac makers. Since then, Macron has pushed the EU to deploy its toughest trade tools in response to Chinese restrictions on the supply of rare earths.

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For France, a key goal will be to address what Macron has called “global imbalances,” including over-production in China and Beijing’s dependence on exports, which he says leads to trade tensions.

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Another key point for Macron will be his long-running push to convince Xi to use his influence on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Despite their regular contact since the full invasion in 2022, the French leader hasn’t been able to prevent China from exporting dual goods to Russia.

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5883329

Archived version

Nato is considering being “more aggressive” in responding to Russia’s cyber attacks, sabotage and airspace violations, according to the alliance’s most senior military officer.

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone told the Financial Times that the western military alliance was looking at stepping up its response to hybrid warfare from Moscow.

“We are studying everything . . . On cyber, we are kind of reactive. Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about,” said Dragone, who is chair of Nato’s military committee.

Europe has been hit by numerous hybrid war incidents — some attributed to Russia and others unclear — from the cutting of cables in the Baltic Sea to cyber attacks across the continent.

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Dragone said that a “pre-emptive strike” could be considered a “defensive action”, but added: “It is further away from our normal way of thinking and behaviour.”

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A Baltic diplomat said: “If all we do is continue being reactive, we just invite Russia to keep trying, keep hurting us. Especially when hybrid warfare is asymmetric — it costs them little, and us a lot. We need to try to be more inventive.”

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cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5853903

Opinion piece by Natalia Morozova, a lawyer for Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre.

Archived version

Remember how everyone recently laughed at the UN for publishing a tearful report saying that no one reads its reports? Well, I can tell you about a fresh report that will sadly be read by even fewer people than any UN document.

Because each of its 224 pages is filled with blood and torture. In every third paragraph, someone is being beaten or electrocuted. And when there’s no beating or torture, there’s a tedious explanation of Russian missile guidance systems and why international law prohibits using such systems at night for strikes on cities — even if the missiles are supposedly high-precision and aimed strictly at military targets.

This report from the Memorial Human Rights Center, titled “Ukraine: War Crimes of the Russian Aggressors,” presents the results of our trip to Ukraine in January 2025.

To give our report even a chance of getting as many views as the UN’s work, I won’t spoil where exactly we were, why we went or what we saw. But I will explain why it’s still worth reading, even if we were slow to publish.

At a time when peace plans, amnesties for war criminals and lifting various sanctions are being discussed, it is crucial to know and remember what Russia is doing in the occupied territories.

For example, Russian soldiers gouged a man’s eye out because they found a blue-and-yellow discount card from the Ukraina supermarket in his wallet. The card, they claimed, indicated sympathy for Nazism.

Other Russians mockingly staged a mass execution of several dozen people the day before withdrawing from Kherson.

Others went a step further by actually executing three brothers simply because the eldest had once served in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (the Ukrainian mission to defend its territorial integrity in 2014-2018). The middle brother miraculously survived after a bullet hit him in the jaw. He crawled out of what was literally a mass grave, made his way back to the village by back roads and told them everything.

Russian soldiers also stole cars and engaged in other forms of looting and torture as brutal as their imagination can concoct. Always with taunts of “fascist” and “Banderite scum,” and the words, “And what made you think you can live better than us?”

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This is the terror Russia establishes in the occupied territories.

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Imagine being forced [as an inmate in a Russian penal colony] to stand motionless from six in the morning until eight in the evening without shifting your weight or leaning on anything. Move, and they beat you. This goes on for months while you develop varicose veins, ulcers or gangrene. This is how they torture people at the notorious Penal Colony No. 10 in Mordovia. In addition, prisoners have dogs set on them, suffer beatings and are forced to memorize “Katyusha” and the Russian national anthem.

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We can now afford to say we warned you.

Although, as the dissident Alexander Esenin-Volpin liked to say, we did not “put logic into this system.” Therefore, it is pointless to look for it: a pattern of brutality is unmistakably visible from Chechnya through Georgia and Syria to Ukraine.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5765839

Russia has transferred a group of Ukrainian schoolchildren from the occupied town of Shakhtarsk in Donetsk region to Sakhalin Island under the pretext of “university exchange programs,” according to the Center for National Resistance (CNS) on November 23.

According to CNS, a Ukrainian government-affiliated body, the Russian authorities have launched a campaign to transport children from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia’s Far East regions, particularly Sakhalin. The CNS claims that the initiative is aimed at cultural assimilation and demographic manipulation.

The CNS stated that the children were selected based on specific criteria, including high academic performance, participation in pro-Kremlin youth groups, and family ties to Russian military personnel.

“Russia brought a group of schoolchildren from Shakhtarsk to Sakhalin region under the guise of a ‘university session,’” the Center noted in a statement, adding that the initiative is “part of a structured colonial policy.”

Russian state media reportedly presented the trip as a form of educational exposure, introducing children to local universities and career prospects on the island. They also reported that the students attended “integration sessions” and were familiarized with the “Sakhalin mentality.”

The children, described by CNS as “handpicked for loyalty,” were given campus tours, cultural excursions, and career guidance sessions. Russian organizers reportedly framed the visit as a reward for the children of service members and a “chance to see their future.”

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The Center also highlighted that Sakhalin and the neighboring Kuril Islands have long struggled with population decline, economic stagnation, and youth outmigration. According to CNS, this makes them strategic targets for relocation efforts.

Earlier in November, Ukraine’s Centre for National Resistance warned that Russia had launched a so-called “Siberian Development Program” to facilitate the forced relocation of Ukrainian civilians from occupied territories.

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