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Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski criticizes Elon Musk and Donald Trump for their political positions and emphasizes the importance of pressuring Russia to end the war in Ukraine, stating that Poland prefers not to have Russian influence. #Polen #Ukraine #Nato (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)

Superjan wrote that, in his opinion, one should give direct resistance to this kind of people, instead of passively going along with them or remaining diplomatic. Otherwise, he believed they would completely walk over you. He used a coarse insult for them in that context. #actie #standpunt #rechtvaardigheid (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)

The US and we clearly have a different approach. We are trying to pressure the aggressor to stop the war, instead of putting the victim in trouble and forcing them to surrender. The European position was most clearly expressed by Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. #Trump #Oekraïne #Poetin (translated)

"The US and we clearly have a different approach. We are trying to put pressure on the aggressor to stop the war, rather than putting the victim in trouble and pushing them to surrender." The European position was most clearly articulated by Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. "The majority of the Russian war chest is filled with oil revenues. Ukraine wants the war to stop, and cutting off access to financing is the way to do it." And Kallas: "The majority of the Russian war chest is filled with oil revenues. Ukraine wants the war to stop, and cutting off access to financing is the way to do it." #Oekraïne #Trump #EU (translated)

The political crisis surrounding the Brussels social housing file (SLRB) is deteriorating as the parties cling to their positions and the tension increases, with a threat from the PS to paralyze the government until 131 million euros is released. #Bruxelles #Politique #LogementSocial (translated)

In her column, Carolina Trujillo criticizes Secretary of State Silvio Erkens for his hypocritical stance on unanaesthetized ritual slaughter and points out the contradiction between the claimed concern for animal welfare and the reality of intensive livestock farming in the Netherlands. #Dierenwelzijn #RitueelSlachten #Politiek (translated)

The European Union must strengthen its position and protect the International Criminal Court against the threat of American sanctions and technological influence in order to safeguard the international legal order. #InternationaalStrafhof #DigitaleSoevereiniteit #Rechtsstaat (translated)

The Minister of the Interior, Bernard Quintin, defends his stance on a new law against radical organizations, despite criticism from the Federal Institute for Human Rights, and states that a previous law could have prevented Sharia for Belgium from recruiting young people for jihad in Syria. #radicalisation #libertésfondamentales #sécurité (translated)

Jeroen Bergers found it unacceptable that a Flemish member of parliament had been attacked at the front door of his town hall. He also wrote that, in his opinion, few people spoke out about it for fear of being associated with the parliament member. Bergers stated that violence against a member of parliament amounted to violence against democracy and that condemning it said nothing about one's sympathy for their views. #Democratie #Geweld #Vlaanderen (translated)

Mariba criticized Dilan Yeşilgöz after she claimed that Russia had been declared an enemy of the Netherlands. According to Mariba, Yeşilgöz stated that the Netherlands was not at war, but that a carefree peace was also not in sight. Mariba wrote that the Russian consulate had asked the Dutch government to confirm or distance itself from the statements. She believed it should be made clear whether this was about official policy, a political warning, or political rhetoric. According to Mariba, designating an enemy was not a strategy and threatening language could escalate tensions. She argued that the consequences of such statements ultimately affected civilians and urged the government to explain what the policy and risks were and how it intended to ensure security. She criticized the VVD and argued that politicians should think first before declaring an entire country an enemy. #Nederland #politiek #veiligheid (translated)

Rob Roos wrote that Dutch officials, in his opinion, were careless with their words. He referred to Prime Minister Jetten, who had said that opponents would be dealt with harshly. A day later, Jetten referred to that as a slip of the tongue according to Roos, saying that it was not meant literally and did not constitute a call to violence. Roos also cited Minister Yeşilgöz's statement in the House on October 8 that Russia was no longer the aggressor, but "our enemy." According to him, Yeşilgöz simultaneously stated that the Netherlands was not at war and that policy would not change. Roos called both statements careless but made a distinction between Jetten's metaphor at a party congress and Yeşilgöz's qualification of a nuclear power. He wrote that the word "enemy" was not a declaration of war, which would require approval from the States General, but that a minister spoke on behalf of the cabinet in their own domain as long as no distance was taken from it. According to Roos, Moscow had already asked whether the qualification was the official position. He found a debate appropriate regarding whether the cabinet distanced itself from that. https://t.co/D4nlpMtjp9 #Politiek #Nederland #Communicatie (translated)

Jonathan Krispijn wrote that Geert Wilders again advocated for a Nexit, because according to Wilders, an opt-out for asylum and immigration would never come. Krispijn stated that Wilders had previously abandoned his Nexit positions, had been photographed with Zelensky, had acknowledged climate change, and had supported funding for Ukraine. He wondered who still believed Wilders. #wilders #nexit #pvv #politiek #nederland #nexit #wilders #politiek (translated)

Ten literary publishers in the Netherlands have shared their positions on the use of artificial intelligence, emphasizing that they want to adopt an open attitude and establish clear guidelines on AI use in contracts with authors. #KunstmatigeIntelligentie #LiteraireUitgevers #Auteursrecht (translated)

Kirsten Verdel wrote that she had seen the documentary Naza about civilian casualties in Gaza. She said that she generally wrote little about Israel and Gaza, because, according to her, she received strong reactions from all sides and could not please anyone with her stance that both Hamas and Netanyahu were wrong. #Gaza #Israel #documentaire (translated)