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Henri Vanhanen wrote that the discussions held in St. Petersburg once again demonstrated, in his opinion, the difficulty of negotiating with Russia. He reported that the Kremlin considered the proposals prepared in Oslo to be almost useless but simultaneously stated its willingness to continue negotiations and spoke about the approaching end of the war. Vanhanen described this as contradictory and believed Russia was holding its demands steady without revealing what it would be willing to compromise on. According to Vanhanen, Moscow sought to shift the discussion to the post-war European security order and the security guarantees that would be given to Russia. He regarded the guarantees as absurd because, according to him, Russia had started the largest offensive war in Europe in decades. Referring to previous Russian demands, he assessed that the guarantees could practically grant Moscow influence over which countries would join NATO and what kind of defense arrangements neighboring countries could make. He added that the U.S. President could not promise such things on behalf of other NATO countries or independent European states. Vanhanen argued that European security should not be built by giving an aggressor the right to dictate the defense of other countries. In his view, mutual arms control and the reduction of military risks could be negotiated, but Russia's demands for a sphere of influence should not be presented as security guarantees. He reported that Zelensky had announced Ukraine was ready to freeze the war at the current front lines. Vanhanen considered this a significant practical compromise and clarified that it did not, in his opinion, involve a legal cession of territories to Russia. He compared this to Russia's stance and wrote that Ukraine had indicated what it would accept, while Russia had stated what it would not accept. Vanhanen described the situation as revealing regarding Trump's negotiation tactics. He wrote that the United States had already loosened the pressure of sanctions on Russia and had agreed to diesel cooperation, but he assessed that there were no signs of similar political concessions from Moscow. According to him, the continuation of negotiations could benefit Russia by keeping Washington interested in economic cooperation, giving time to advance military objectives, and providing an opportunity to wait and see if Trump's impatience would again be directed toward Ukraine. Vanhanen asked how many times Trump would be willing to reward Putin for his willingness to negotiate without substantial changes in his actions. He considered the diplomatic work of Stub and Støre the previous day to be important because, in his opinion, they had restored the Americans, Ukrainians, and Europeans to a common preparation. However, he warned that a single successful negotiation day should not obscure the fact that Moscow's public demands remained unchanged. Vanhanen concluded by stating that in peace negotiations, what mattered was not the number of meetings with Putin but what he was willing to do to end the war. #Venäjä #neuvottelut #rauha (translated)

The author assesses that the main outcome of the Oslo meeting has not yet been realized: easing the situation in Ukraine regarding aid, intelligence, and air defense. He wrote that tomorrow's meeting in St. Petersburg would indicate whether Russia viewed the process as beneficial or harmful to itself, and he estimated that Russia would likely prolong discussions. #Ukraina #OslonKokous #Venäjä #UA #RU #NOR (translated)

The ÖRR Blog published the criticism of the professional association BLV-pro against a video by Jan Böhmermann. The association stated that the portrayal of a GDR moped rider as a parody of the AfD politician Siegmund, who is repeatedly run over by a truck while riding a Simson, creates the impression that Siegmund is wished dead, or at least that this outcome is accepted. BLV-pro also criticized that the video generally depicts truck drivers as violent and exploits their profession for provocation. In light of the deaths of four young moped drivers, the portrayal is particularly disrespectful. The association also noted that the contribution is financed with public funds. BLV-pro announced that it is examining legal action and filing a complaint. The association demanded a public statement, a clear distancing from the portrayal, and respect for truck drivers. #OerrBlog #Protest #Satire #LkwFahrer (translated)

Apollo News accused the SPD of using the mourning of Bärbel Bas for political purposes. The party invokes missteps of the Union but cannot provide an example for it, the medium wrote. It called the campaign "disrespectful and undignified" and stated that those who allow themselves to be convinced are responsible for it. https://t.co/jdDVmK19a2 https://t.co/o0mHV0xaav #Politik #SPD #Trauerfall (translated)

Dennis Riehle wrote that the reference to a necessary mourning period for Bärbel Bas had initially been understandable, mentioning September 27 and 30 and October 4 for this. Meanwhile, 17 days have passed since the death of Daniela Ambrosius. Riehle referred to Ambrosius as Bas' stepdaughter and pointed out the age difference of about five years, which he argued makes the classification of the relationship between parent and "child" questionable. Riehle criticized that personal grief is used in Berlin as a shield against criticism. According to him, employees usually only have a grace period of 48 to 72 hours after a death in the closest circle and must then take vacation, reduce overtime, or get a sick note. Three weeks of absence with ongoing salary and protection from opposition are unimaginable for ordinary citizens. Criticism of this difference does not relativize the loss but points out different standards, he wrote. Furthermore, Riehle accused the SPD of placing more importance on the consideration of its own members than on political tasks. He referred to low polling numbers and claimed that SPD-led departments had primarily blocked issues, while questions regarding an eight-hour workday, protection against dismissal, basic security, and pensions remained open. Schwesig and Klingbeil responded with admonitions instead of taking responsibility. Riehle also criticized the outgoing SPD chair for giving the coalition partner an unnecessary dressing down instead of handing over her official duties in an orderly manner. He described using sensitivity as an argument against criticism and tears to deflect criticism of poor performance as weak and despicable. #Politik #Gesellschaft #Trauer (translated)

Julian Adrat criticized what he sees as a double standard: When the 53-year-old stepdaughter of a 58-year-old minister dies after a long illness, social democrats expect national mourning across the country and consider criticism of the minister to be irreverent. In contrast, the relatives of teenage girls who have been stabbed or thrown in front of a train should, according to him, mourn quietly and preferably remain silent forever. #Politik #Trauer #Gesellschaft (translated)

Stefania Battistini wrote that she felt pain for the death of any living being and compassion even for those who had committed serious atrocities, clarifying that compassion did not equate to absolution and that she was not referring to Merz and Macron. She described Bompiani's words as chilling, both for their content and for their ferocity, arguing that they expressed a view in which the value of death depended on who was dying and political affiliation erased compassion. According to Battistini, this lack of empathy allowed for the consideration of the extermination of civilians as an acceptable price in the name of ideology. #compassione #empatia #umanità (translated)

Daniel Hule criticized Deník N for what he claimed was its focus in two articles published on the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which shifted attention from the victims to criticisms of Israel. He stated that Jakub Záhora's commentary described the Czech debate as uncritical of Israeli actions and accused it of a selective approach to the value of human life. According to Hule, the text summarized the massacre, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 kidnapped, in one sentence and compared it to Palestinian losses. The news headline, according to Hule, emphasized the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza despite the ceasefire, rather than the anniversary itself. Hule also noted that the headline did not mention what he saw as the main issue with the ceasefire: Hamas's refusal to meet the disarmament condition. He added that Deník N did not offer any other topics for the anniversary and questioned whether it was a coincidence. #Izrael #Hamas #lidskáPráva (translated)

Veikko Sorvaniemi stated that the nicotine pouches had shown what he believed to be an incapacity to handle matters. He said that there had been a debate in Finland for over a year about what kinds of pouches could be sold, and that production at the Pietarsaari factory was now shifting to Sweden. According to Sorvaniemi, the parliament members of the ruling party, which supported less regulation, had simultaneously been horrified by the transfer of jobs and tax revenues to Sweden. He considered this to be a result of senseless regulation and asked whether the government's own decisions had come as a surprise to the parliament members. #sääntely #nikotiinipussit #työpaikat (translated)

Ultimora.net reported that, in the message for October 7, Sergio Mattarella had recalled the attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians, including young people of different nationalities killed or taken hostage during a party and people kidnapped or killed in their homes, including children and the elderly. Mattarella stated that acts of terrorism could not be justified or forgotten and called for the condemnation of terrorism, anti-Semitism, and all forms of ethnic and religious hatred. He also renewed the Italian Republic's closeness to Israel, to the families of the victims, and to the injured. #Pace #NonViolenza #DirittiUmani (translated)

Today's date marks the tragic anniversary of the despicable attack perpetrated by Hamas against numerous Israeli civilians. Many young people, including others of different nationalities, were cowardly struck, taken hostage, or deprived of life while gathered for a festive occasion. Others were brutally killed or kidnapped in their homes, with no mercy shown to children and the elderly. Acts of terrorism can never be justified or overlooked. They will remain, for all peoples, a painful warning so that the barbaric and uncivilized scourges of terrorism, antisemitism, and every form of hatred based on ethnicity and religion are always condemned and firmly rejected, in the Middle East and around the world. This is stated by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. #Pace #Terrorismo #Israele (translated)

Alpo Rusi wrote that liberal member of the Russian Duma Galina Starovoitova was shot in St. Petersburg on November 20, 1998, at a time when, according to him, her career was on the rise. Rusi mentioned that he had befriended Starovoitova in Italy in September 1990, and said she had estimated that the Soviet Union would collapse. He stated that the picture showed them walking and talking. Rusi added that Starovoitova had resigned from Yeltsin's administration in 1993 and had warned of a return of the KGB. https://t.co/Xkx1Lkk2gA #Venäjä #Historia #Politiikka (translated)