Donald Trump disgusts me; indeed, he should disgust all decent, principled people. I therefore hope and trust that he disgusts you, too. — © Mark Alexander
October 19, 2026
Trump Needs a Scapegoat, and That Scapegoat Is Zelenskyy | Wider View from Brussels
Donald Trump disgusts me; indeed, he should disgust all decent, principled people. I therefore hope and trust that he disgusts you, too. — © Mark Alexander
Argentina in Turmoil: University Protest Turns Violent Outside Congress in Buenos Aires
Oct 16, 2026 | BUENOS AIRES — Violent clashes erupted outside Argentina’s National Congress in Buenos Aires as thousands of students, university lecturers, and trade union workers staged a nationwide protest demanding President Javier Milei’s administration implement the University Financing Law.
Federal security forces deployed water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators protesting against real-terms education spending cuts and rising living costs.
The fifth major federal mobilization since Milei took office highlighted escalating political friction over his fiscal zero-deficit policy, with university unions demanding inflation-linked wage adjustments and opposition lawmakers attempting to repeal sweeping executive decrees.
Local authorities confirmed at least 25 arrests and several law enforcement injuries as police moved to clear blockades around the congressional plaza.
Federal security forces deployed water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators protesting against real-terms education spending cuts and rising living costs.
The fifth major federal mobilization since Milei took office highlighted escalating political friction over his fiscal zero-deficit policy, with university unions demanding inflation-linked wage adjustments and opposition lawmakers attempting to repeal sweeping executive decrees.
Local authorities confirmed at least 25 arrests and several law enforcement injuries as police moved to clear blockades around the congressional plaza.
„Davos in der Wüste“: Saudi-Arabien verschiebt sein wichtigstes Wirtschaftsforum
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Saudi-Arabiens wichtigstes Investorenforum soll kommende Woche nicht vor Ort stattfinden. Finanzkonzerne haben Sicherheitsbedenken geäußert.
Die Aramco-Zentrale in Dhahran am 14. Oktober. Die Huthi-Miliz erklärte, Anlagen des saudischen Ölkonzerns angegriffen zu haben. | © AFP
Saudi-Arabien hat nach Medienberichten entschieden, sein als „Davos in der Wüste“ bekanntes Investorenforum kommende Woche nicht als Präsenzveranstaltung abzuhalten. Wie das US-Nachrichtenportal Semafor am Montag unter Berufung auf informierte Personen berichtete, teilen die Veranstalter Teilnehmern eine Verschiebung auf 2027 mit. Hintergrund sind die eskalierenden Angriffe der Huthi-Miliz auf das Königreich und Sicherheitsbedenken internationaler Finanzkonzerne.
Auch das Wall Street Journal berichtete, dass die Future Investment Initiative (FII) nicht wie geplant vor Ort stattfinden werde. Nach dessen Informationen stehen eine vollständige Onlineveranstaltung oder eine Verschiebung zur Wahl. Eine öffentliche Bestätigung der Veranstalter lag zunächst nicht vor. » | Sophie Barkey | Montag, 19. Oktober 2026
Saudi-Arabien hat nach Medienberichten entschieden, sein als „Davos in der Wüste“ bekanntes Investorenforum kommende Woche nicht als Präsenzveranstaltung abzuhalten. Wie das US-Nachrichtenportal Semafor am Montag unter Berufung auf informierte Personen berichtete, teilen die Veranstalter Teilnehmern eine Verschiebung auf 2027 mit. Hintergrund sind die eskalierenden Angriffe der Huthi-Miliz auf das Königreich und Sicherheitsbedenken internationaler Finanzkonzerne.
Auch das Wall Street Journal berichtete, dass die Future Investment Initiative (FII) nicht wie geplant vor Ort stattfinden werde. Nach dessen Informationen stehen eine vollständige Onlineveranstaltung oder eine Verschiebung zur Wahl. Eine öffentliche Bestätigung der Veranstalter lag zunächst nicht vor. » | Sophie Barkey | Montag, 19. Oktober 2026
Steve Rosenberg: Russian Press Dubs Trump "a Magician" for Making Some Sanctions Disappear.
Andrew Neil Explains the French Protests In 9 Minutes
France’s Far Right Seizes the Moment as Rioting Stuns the Country
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The National Rally, already ahead in the polls, presented itself as the party best placed to restore law and order.
The aftermath of protests in central Bordeaux on Sunday. Credit: Philippe Lopez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
After riots erupted this weekend in cities across France, its centrist government blamed the main far-left party, accusing its politicians of inciting the violence. That party blamed the government, accusing it of stirring public anger through years of bad governance and heavy-handed policing.
What did the main far-right party do? It blamed both, and launched into campaign mode. >br />
“We are paying for decades of being soft on crime, of weak authority, of the moral, psychological, and material disarmament of our internal security forces,” Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally party, said after emerging from a police station in central Paris on Sunday. He said had gone there to support police officers.
Then he addressed France’s “honest citizens” who were stunned on Sunday by the smashed storefronts and burned-out businesses destroyed by rioters the night before. He said they had a vital role to play in reinstating national stability. And that would be by voting in the coming election for his party.
“People need to wake up now,” Mr. Bardella said. “They need to make the right political choices, and in any case, we stand ready to restore order in the country.”
Sunday was a day of mourning, shock and finger pointing in France. The day before, huge peaceful protests for better school conditions and against rising living costs were overshadowed by black-clad and often masked agitators of unclear affiliation who attacked government buildings and shops across the country, sometimes stealing wine or electronics.
For the National Rally, which bills itself as the party of law and order as well as an advocate for expelling unauthorized immigrants, Sunday was also a day of political opportunity. It is six months before a presidential election that the party’s candidate, Marine Le Pen, is the favorite to win. » | Catherine Porter | Reporting from Paris | Monday, October 18, 2026
After riots erupted this weekend in cities across France, its centrist government blamed the main far-left party, accusing its politicians of inciting the violence. That party blamed the government, accusing it of stirring public anger through years of bad governance and heavy-handed policing.
What did the main far-right party do? It blamed both, and launched into campaign mode. >br />
“We are paying for decades of being soft on crime, of weak authority, of the moral, psychological, and material disarmament of our internal security forces,” Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally party, said after emerging from a police station in central Paris on Sunday. He said had gone there to support police officers.
Then he addressed France’s “honest citizens” who were stunned on Sunday by the smashed storefronts and burned-out businesses destroyed by rioters the night before. He said they had a vital role to play in reinstating national stability. And that would be by voting in the coming election for his party.
“People need to wake up now,” Mr. Bardella said. “They need to make the right political choices, and in any case, we stand ready to restore order in the country.”
Sunday was a day of mourning, shock and finger pointing in France. The day before, huge peaceful protests for better school conditions and against rising living costs were overshadowed by black-clad and often masked agitators of unclear affiliation who attacked government buildings and shops across the country, sometimes stealing wine or electronics.
For the National Rally, which bills itself as the party of law and order as well as an advocate for expelling unauthorized immigrants, Sunday was also a day of political opportunity. It is six months before a presidential election that the party’s candidate, Marine Le Pen, is the favorite to win. » | Catherine Porter | Reporting from Paris | Monday, October 18, 2026
October 18, 2026
Is American Democracy Safe? | Martin Wolf on the US Midterms
Oct 17, 2026 | As Americans prepare to vote in the November 3 midterm elections, FT chief economics commentator Martin Wolf asks what the result will mean for Donald Trump, the future of US democracy and America's place in the world.
In the first of a six-part series of interviews with leading historians and political analysts, Martin speaks to the scholar and former Republican adviser Robert Kagan, who has spent a decade warning about Trump's authoritarian ambitions.
They discuss how Trump has accumulated so much power, whether America's democratic institutions can still constrain him, and what might happen if Republicans lose control of Congress.
Could these elections mark a turning point for American democracy or has the country already gone too far down the road towards authoritarianism?
In the first of a six-part series of interviews with leading historians and political analysts, Martin speaks to the scholar and former Republican adviser Robert Kagan, who has spent a decade warning about Trump's authoritarian ambitions.
They discuss how Trump has accumulated so much power, whether America's democratic institutions can still constrain him, and what might happen if Republicans lose control of Congress.
Could these elections mark a turning point for American democracy or has the country already gone too far down the road towards authoritarianism?
Steve Rosenberg: “A Beautiful Deal”, “A Rotten Fish” and My Long Journey Back to Russia
October 17, 2026
Mitten in der Versorgungskrise: Russische Lieferung von 750 Tonnen Speiseöl erreicht Kuba
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Die Lieferung über das UN-Welternährungsprogramm ist für bedürftige Familien, Schwangere und Kranke bestimmt. Auch aus Japan, China und von den Bahamas erreichen Hilfsgüter die Insel.
Treibstoffmangel und Stromausfälle schränken in Kuba auch den öffentlichen Verkehr und die Versorgung der Bevölkerung ein. | © Angelo Mastrascusa/imago
Russland hat Kuba mehr als 750 Tonnen Sonnenblumenöl als humanitäre Hilfe geliefert. Die symbolische Übergabe fand am Freitag in Havanna statt, wie die kubanische Tageszeitung Granma und die russische Nachrichtenagentur Tass berichteten. Das mit den Vitaminen A und D angereicherte Öl gelangte demnach über das Welternährungsprogramm der Vereinten Nationen (WFP) auf die Insel.
Nach Angaben der russischen Botschaft in Havanna stammt die Lieferung aus Mitteln des russischen Katastrophenschutzministeriums. Rund 211 Tonnen seien bereits entladen, eine zweite Charge von mehr als 500 Tonnen warte im Hafen darauf, meldete Granma. Bereits 2025 hatte Moskau in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Welternährungsprogramm mehr als 800 Tonnen Sonnenblumenöl nach Kuba geschickt, wie die russische Botschaft mitteilte. » | Peter Steiniger | Samstag, 17. Oktober 2026
Russland hat Kuba mehr als 750 Tonnen Sonnenblumenöl als humanitäre Hilfe geliefert. Die symbolische Übergabe fand am Freitag in Havanna statt, wie die kubanische Tageszeitung Granma und die russische Nachrichtenagentur Tass berichteten. Das mit den Vitaminen A und D angereicherte Öl gelangte demnach über das Welternährungsprogramm der Vereinten Nationen (WFP) auf die Insel.
Nach Angaben der russischen Botschaft in Havanna stammt die Lieferung aus Mitteln des russischen Katastrophenschutzministeriums. Rund 211 Tonnen seien bereits entladen, eine zweite Charge von mehr als 500 Tonnen warte im Hafen darauf, meldete Granma. Bereits 2025 hatte Moskau in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Welternährungsprogramm mehr als 800 Tonnen Sonnenblumenöl nach Kuba geschickt, wie die russische Botschaft mitteilte. » | Peter Steiniger | Samstag, 17. Oktober 2026
The Conditions of a Third World War Have Already Been Met | Volodymyr Yelchenko
Oct 16, 2026 | “I'm trying to put it correctly, we are already living, under conditions of the Third World War. It is simply very different from the second and the first.”
Donald Trump doesn’t realise the “full extent” of the damage he could cause if he continues with his current stance on Ukraine, says former Ukrainian ambassador to the US and Russia Volodymyr Yelchenko.
Donald Trump doesn’t realise the “full extent” of the damage he could cause if he continues with his current stance on Ukraine, says former Ukrainian ambassador to the US and Russia Volodymyr Yelchenko.
Trump Signs Order Exempting Russia From Sanctions Law
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The sanctions were part of a measure that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July.
President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last year in Alaska. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.
The sanctions were intended to target Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and were part of a law that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July after spending more than a year building support for the measure.
The law, which is intended to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, also provided Mr. Trump with additional tariff authority that he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.
The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the new law requires Mr. Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the economic restrictions on Russia. Two days before the law is set to take effect, Mr. Trump exercised that power.
“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” Mr. Trump said in the order. “I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.”
The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions is in the interests of the United States or what rationale Mr. Trump is providing to Congress for the waivers. » | Alan Rappeport | Reporting from Washington | Published: Friday, October 16, 2026. Updated: Saturday, October 17, 2026
This bromance is heating up apace! We can now be in no doubt where Trump’s affections lie! We can also no longer be in any doubt about the direction Trump is taking America. Trump is now one step closer to turning America’s back on its traditional allies and, instead, is pivoting America over to the other side. The Western alliance is now all but dead in its current form. From now on, America will grow ever closer with Moscow, the Kremlin, and his very close buddy, Vladimir.
The implications of this shift are GARGANTUAN. Naturally, it shifts power. And in a colossal way. But it is also indicative of what is going to happen to Americans’ human rights. If this continues, gay rights, for example, will be severely diminished. Just take a look at the lamentable circumstances of gays in Russia. Trump will surely wish to follow Vlad now. After all, Vlad is the puppeteer and Trump, the marionette. In common parlance, Vlad is pulling the strings.
However, the greatest change henceforward will be felt in the American political set-up itself. America has never been a true democracy, but it had tried to play that part out. It played a good game.
Just for those doubting my words… There has always been far too much money in American politics for it to be a true democracy. A true democracy is based on the wishes of all the people, regardless of financial means. Not just the wishes of the rich. Further, there is far too much corporate wealth in American politics for it ever to be a proper democracy. If you want to see true democracy in action, look to Switzerland, not the USA.
But all that will now fade into the past. Donald J Trump is taking America on a journey to autocratic rule. To dictatorship, if you will. The world’s dictators are Trump’s role models. He is determined and intent on emulating them and their way of doing business and conducting affairs.
The America the world once knew and loved is being inhumed; it is being laid to rest. Put another way, it is being consigned to the dustbin of history.
Sad indeed, and extremely disturbing! — © Mark Alexander
President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.
The sanctions were intended to target Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and were part of a law that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July after spending more than a year building support for the measure.
The law, which is intended to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, also provided Mr. Trump with additional tariff authority that he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.
The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the new law requires Mr. Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the economic restrictions on Russia. Two days before the law is set to take effect, Mr. Trump exercised that power.
“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” Mr. Trump said in the order. “I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.”
The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions is in the interests of the United States or what rationale Mr. Trump is providing to Congress for the waivers. » | Alan Rappeport | Reporting from Washington | Published: Friday, October 16, 2026. Updated: Saturday, October 17, 2026
This bromance is heating up apace! We can now be in no doubt where Trump’s affections lie! We can also no longer be in any doubt about the direction Trump is taking America. Trump is now one step closer to turning America’s back on its traditional allies and, instead, is pivoting America over to the other side. The Western alliance is now all but dead in its current form. From now on, America will grow ever closer with Moscow, the Kremlin, and his very close buddy, Vladimir.
The implications of this shift are GARGANTUAN. Naturally, it shifts power. And in a colossal way. But it is also indicative of what is going to happen to Americans’ human rights. If this continues, gay rights, for example, will be severely diminished. Just take a look at the lamentable circumstances of gays in Russia. Trump will surely wish to follow Vlad now. After all, Vlad is the puppeteer and Trump, the marionette. In common parlance, Vlad is pulling the strings.
However, the greatest change henceforward will be felt in the American political set-up itself. America has never been a true democracy, but it had tried to play that part out. It played a good game.
Just for those doubting my words… There has always been far too much money in American politics for it to be a true democracy. A true democracy is based on the wishes of all the people, regardless of financial means. Not just the wishes of the rich. Further, there is far too much corporate wealth in American politics for it ever to be a proper democracy. If you want to see true democracy in action, look to Switzerland, not the USA.
But all that will now fade into the past. Donald J Trump is taking America on a journey to autocratic rule. To dictatorship, if you will. The world’s dictators are Trump’s role models. He is determined and intent on emulating them and their way of doing business and conducting affairs.
The America the world once knew and loved is being inhumed; it is being laid to rest. Put another way, it is being consigned to the dustbin of history.
Sad indeed, and extremely disturbing! — © Mark Alexander
October 16, 2026
UK Could Quickly Re-enter EU with ‘Switzerland Plus’ Deal, Senior MEP Says
THE GUARDIAN: Bernd Lange, who was involved in Brexit talks, says deal could be negotiated within months of any decision to deepen ties
Andy Burnham has said he is looking at all options for the UK’s relationship with the EU. Photograph: Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images
The UK could re-enter the EU in a “Switzerland plus” package that could be negotiated within months of any decision to deepen ties with the bloc, the head of a European parliament committee has said.
Bernd Lange, who was heavily involved in Brexit negotiations, said: “I would love to see the UK back.” He said the EU missed the UK in decision-making because of its strong history of promoting open markets and democracy.
A Swiss style arrangement is often considered a halfway house to full membership of the bloc but involves free movement and regulatory alignment.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU but it struck a deal last year cementing its “frictionless access” to the single market across more than 100 agreements with a new framework deal.
This gives it access to the EU’s electricity market, space programmes, Erasmus and the Digital Europe research programme, and participation in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
In exchange, Switzerland agreed to the free movement of people and to pay €375m (£326m) a year into the EU’s economic and cohesion funds. » | Lisa O’Carroll Senior correspondent | Friday, October 16, 2026
The UK could re-enter the EU in a “Switzerland plus” package that could be negotiated within months of any decision to deepen ties with the bloc, the head of a European parliament committee has said.
Bernd Lange, who was heavily involved in Brexit negotiations, said: “I would love to see the UK back.” He said the EU missed the UK in decision-making because of its strong history of promoting open markets and democracy.
A Swiss style arrangement is often considered a halfway house to full membership of the bloc but involves free movement and regulatory alignment.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU but it struck a deal last year cementing its “frictionless access” to the single market across more than 100 agreements with a new framework deal.
This gives it access to the EU’s electricity market, space programmes, Erasmus and the Digital Europe research programme, and participation in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
In exchange, Switzerland agreed to the free movement of people and to pay €375m (£326m) a year into the EU’s economic and cohesion funds. » | Lisa O’Carroll Senior correspondent | Friday, October 16, 2026
Derrière le deal entre les États-Unis et la Russie, les bonnes affaires de Donald Trump et de ses proches
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Les négociations de contrats au bénéfice du président de la première puissance mondiale, ou de son cercle proche, sont au cœur de la diplomatie américaine. Dernier exemple en date, un accord pétrolier profitant à Steve Witkoff et Jared Kushner, en marge des discussions avec Vladimir Poutine.
La stratégie américaine évoque un mélange de Risk et de Monopoly. De la Russie au Moyen-Orient, du Venezuela à Cuba, la diplomatie de la première puissance mondiale voit de plus en plus fréquemment les intérêts patrimoniaux du président américain et de sa famille se mêler aux considérations géopolitiques, avec des conséquences stratégiques majeures. Échappant dorénavant largement au Congrès et au Département d’État, les affaires étrangères sont gérées de façon opaque par Jared Kushner et Steve Witkoff, le gendre et l’ami du président.
Se déroulant généralement sans témoins ni traces écrites, les discussions sur les affaires internationales incluent les négociations de fructueux contrats dont bénéficient les intéressés ou leurs familles, ou bien des groupes financiers leur étant liés. Et au lieu de constituer des à-côtés lucratifs aux discussions, elles en deviennent l’élément central. L’accélération du pivot américain en faveur de Moscou dans le conflit russo-ukrainien au cours du week-end s’est accompagnée d’un extraordinaire tournant dans les négociations avec la Russie. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes, correspondant à Washington | jeudi 15 octobre 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
October 15, 2026
Peter Stevanic: “There Is Not a Single Sign of Any Overall Economic Damage Done by Brexit,” Says Nigel Farage
That charlatan—Farage—has done untold damage to the UK economy; furthermore, he has robbed UK citizens of their rights as European citizens, which they once had. That intolerable man is full of hot air. Further, he lacks all and any substance, just like all snake oil salesmen do. — © Mark Alexander
Brésil : le Parlement approuve la réduction du temps de travail, promise par Lula
LE FIGARO : Le président de gauche Lula mise sur cette réforme pour combler son retard sur le sénateur conservateur Flavio Bolsonaro, en vue du second tour de la présidentielle.
Le Parlement brésilien a adopté mercredi la réduction du temps de travail par le biais d'une réforme constitutionnelle sur laquelle le président de gauche Lula mise pour combler son retard sur le sénateur conservateur Flavio Bolsonaro, en vue du second tour de la présidentielle.
Cette réforme, défendue par le gouvernement de Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva depuis des mois, permet à de nombreux Brésiliens de bénéficier de deux jours de repos hebdomadaires, contre un seul actuellement, et réduit de 44 à 40 heures le nombre d'heures de travail par semaine. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 15 octobre 2026
Poland’s Ascent from Communist State to Top 20 Economy Reverses the Brain Drain
THE GUARDIAN: In the final part of our series on the country, Poles tell how wages have soared – along with the cost of living
A view of Warsaw from the observation deck of Varso Tower, the tallest building in the EU at 310 metres. In the background, the Palace of Culture and Science, built in the 1950s as a symbol of the postwar socialist era. Photograph: Anna Liminowicz/The Guardian
Above the rain-soaked streets of Warsaw, the observation deck of the Varso tower overlooks Joseph Stalin’s gift to Poland that has divided opinion for decades.
For some, the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science is a drunk confectioner’s nightmare; standing as a relic of oppression that should have been demolished. For others, it is an icon on the skyline and a monumental warning from history.
For the managers of the Varso – completed four years ago, as the tallest building in the EU – with its 310m-high spire rising symbolically above its Stalinist neighbour, it is a waypoint on Poland’s rapid path to economic prosperity.
“We look down on it,” says Cezary Błaszczyk, the managing director of HB Reavis in Poland, which owns the tower, gesturing at the palace opposite. A few months ago a slackline walker traversed the 500m gap between the buildings. “It was a symbolic walk from the past to the future,” says his colleague Natalia Kasperska.
“Since we are higher and taller than the Palace of Culture, we treat it as: ‘We got over communism, and now we are a country with a strong economy,’” Błaszczyk says.
Over the four decades since regaining its independence from Soviet-dominated rule, Poland has been transformed. Excluding oil-exporting states and financial hubs, incomes have converged with western levels at the fastest rate in the world; from 40% of the EU average in the mid-1990s to 81% last year. » | Richard Partington in Warsaw | Thursday, October 15, 2026
Above the rain-soaked streets of Warsaw, the observation deck of the Varso tower overlooks Joseph Stalin’s gift to Poland that has divided opinion for decades.
For some, the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science is a drunk confectioner’s nightmare; standing as a relic of oppression that should have been demolished. For others, it is an icon on the skyline and a monumental warning from history.
For the managers of the Varso – completed four years ago, as the tallest building in the EU – with its 310m-high spire rising symbolically above its Stalinist neighbour, it is a waypoint on Poland’s rapid path to economic prosperity.
“We look down on it,” says Cezary Błaszczyk, the managing director of HB Reavis in Poland, which owns the tower, gesturing at the palace opposite. A few months ago a slackline walker traversed the 500m gap between the buildings. “It was a symbolic walk from the past to the future,” says his colleague Natalia Kasperska.
“Since we are higher and taller than the Palace of Culture, we treat it as: ‘We got over communism, and now we are a country with a strong economy,’” Błaszczyk says.
Over the four decades since regaining its independence from Soviet-dominated rule, Poland has been transformed. Excluding oil-exporting states and financial hubs, incomes have converged with western levels at the fastest rate in the world; from 40% of the EU average in the mid-1990s to 81% last year. » | Richard Partington in Warsaw | Thursday, October 15, 2026
October 14, 2026
Ukraine Found Russia’s Weakness. Trump Is Protecting It, Browder Argues
Oct 14, 2026 | Could Donald Trump’s diesel deal help protect Russia’s oil infrastructure from Ukrainian attacks? Bill Browder, an investor and long-time sanctions advocate, argues that the deal resulted from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plea to Trump to help protect Russia’s energy infrastructure from Ukrainian drone strikes. Browder argues that Russia’s dependence on oil revenues makes its energy infrastructure a critical vulnerability – and for the same reason, Ukraine should keep up the pressure.
The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Browder about Trump’s deal to allow Russian diesel supplies to the U.S., the implications for Ukraine and Western policy, and whether sanctions can force Russia to negotiate. Browder explains why he believes sanctions on Russian crude oil could significantly weaken Moscow’s ability to fund the war.
The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Browder about Trump’s deal to allow Russian diesel supplies to the U.S., the implications for Ukraine and Western policy, and whether sanctions can force Russia to negotiate. Browder explains why he believes sanctions on Russian crude oil could significantly weaken Moscow’s ability to fund the war.
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