If it’s really Ukrainian drones, then Russia “has a problem,” says Moscow correspondent Joost Bosman. “Because then the Russian air defenses didn’t work well. But, when it comes to Russian drones, how did they end up in Russia itself? In any case, the security services have a problem.’
Smell of Turkish elections
This does not apply to Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, who was elected this week for a third term. However, according to European election observers, the battle has not been fought fairly. “Combined with the continued use of public funds for campaign purposes, this has given the incumbent president an unfair advantage.” In addition, supporters of some opposition parties continue to face intimidation and harassment.
In the US, President Joe Biden can breathe a sigh of relief, the debt ceiling has been raised and a government shutdown has been averted. However, long-term problems won’t go away now that the US government is allowed to borrow more, according to macroeconomist Edin Mujagic. “Then you need a lot of economic growth, or high inflation, to keep the debt-to-GDP ratio as a percentage of the economy from growing with it.”
The conflict in Ukraine is far from over
This week, Russia has again carried out numerous drone strikes against Ukraine to bring down the morale of the Ukrainian people. Mart de Kruif, a retired general and former commander of the ground forces, says: “This shows Moscow that the war is far from over and that it can also be brought to Kiev.”
On the other hand, the air forces of fourteen NATO countries in Scandinavia, not far from the Russian border, held the largest air exercises ever. 120 aircraft and 2,700 military personnel are participating in the exercise, including Dutch F-16s and F-35s. The war in Ukraine underscores the importance of the exercise, says Lieutenant Colonel Niels van Hussen.