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Steven Arrazola de Oñate described Trump's response as interesting and wrote that there was much speculation about the backgrounds of the war. He suggested that the American president might have information that was not public. As a reason to critically examine the official narrative, he referred to previous CIA involvement in regime changes and the destabilization of governments, including in Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, and Chile in the 1970s. According to him, that did not prove anything about the current war in and of itself. Arrazola de Oñate found Trump's wish to end the war even more important. He wrote that thousands of soldiers were dying every month and that preventing more casualties should carry more weight than trying to prove one's own point. At the same time, he stated that a large part of the European political elite depicted Trump as a dangerous dictator, while those same politicians, according to him, insisted on continuing the fight. He wrote that negotiations were framed as weakness and continuing to fight as moral superiority. Finally, he stated that the truth would ultimately come to light. #Trump #oorlog #waarheid (translated)

Sander Sassen wrote that Rob Jetten's call for all possible support for Ukraine amounted, in his view, to prolonging a war of attrition. He argued that the front line barely moved, that the Russian economy had adapted, and that Western munitions stocks and political support were finite. According to Sassen, diplomatic solutions were wrongly dismissed as a sign of weakness. Sassen referred to Ukrainian estimates of more than 1.5 million Russian dead and wounded and to Western analyses, including those from CSIS, which he claimed spoke of hundreds of thousands of casualties and over one hundred thousand deaths in Ukraine. He argued that the war constituted a demographic disaster for both countries and that further pressure from sanctions and weapons would result in more casualties. Negotiations, according to Sassen, were not capitulation but the way to end the war. He claimed that a full Ukrainian recapture of the borders of 1991 was militarily unrealistic without direct NATO intervention, risking a war with Russia. He advocated for territorial compromises, likely along the current front line, security guarantees for the remaining Ukraine, and an end to mobilization. He noted that Ukrainian men were forcibly taken off the streets in this process. Sassen acknowledged that such compromises would feel unjust and could reward aggression, but argued that they were better than continuing the current bloodshed. He accused Jetten and like-minded individuals of blocking serious diplomacy and urged the Prime Minister to immediately pursue a diplomatic solution. #Oorlog #Diplomatie #Vrede (translated)

The negotiations for a new European budget for the period 2028-2034 are stalled, with contradictions between net contributors and countries advocating for a larger budget, while time pressure increases due to upcoming elections in several EU countries. #EUbegroting #onderhandelingen #politiek (translated)

The European leaders stand firm in their positions during difficult negotiations over the budget period 2028-2034, while Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, takes the lead to reach an agreement by the end of 2026. #BudgetEuropéen #ConseilEuropéen #Négociations (translated)

New negotiations are underway in The Hague's politics for a possible agreement with right-wing parties, in which the leaders of JA21 and SGP, Joost Eerdmans and Henk Stoffer, introduce important wish list items such as asylum and abortion, while the coalition of D66, VVD, and CDA tries to find a majority for their budget and tax plans. #Erdmans #SGP #Asielbeleid (translated)

France is causing headaches in Brussels by neither making extra money available for the EU budget nor agreeing to apply spending cuts, while the uncertainty surrounding Emmanuel Macron's political future and the rise of Marine Le Pen complicate the negotiations. #EUbegroting #EmmanuelMacron #MarineLePen (translated)

The negotiations for the formation of a city government in Berlin, with the far-left Elif Eralp as a possible mayor, are under pressure due to controversies surrounding antisemitism and the stance of the party Die Linke regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. #Berlijn #DieLinke #Palestijnen (translated)

In Brussels, the Twenty-Five have begun difficult negotiations over the European budget, with the urgent need to reach an agreement before the 2027 elections, with important issues such as agricultural funding, support for Ukraine, and defense still to be decided. #BudgetUE #NégociationsEuropéennes #Elections2027 (translated)

During the meeting in Brussels, the European leaders of the Twenty-Seven will discuss the impasse in negotiations regarding the multiannual financial framework (2028-2034), with the new proposals from the Irish Council failing to satisfy anyone. #BudgetUE #ConseilEuropéen #Frugaux (translated)

Bart Nijman wrote that the police removed a sign reading "Fuck Hamas" during a pro-Israel demonstration in Amsterdam. According to Nijman, an officer told the demonstrator to take the sign down or leave himself, and made it clear that there was no room for negotiation. Nijman called it a double standard. https://t.co/TjjB3AWL9P #Amsterdam #Protest #Israël (translated)

Prime Minister Bart De Wever is facing a new budget impasse in Belgium, as his proposal to raise VAT encounters resistance from the Francophone liberals, leading to frustration and a repetition of previous negotiations over tax increases. #Begrotingscrisis #BartDeWever #PolitiekeImpotentie (translated)