Not an MEP, but a Swedish lawmaker already gave some advice to Asian countries during a recent travel, raising the issues in Europe and Asia are similar:

Swedish legislators to Asian countries: Build security alliances, bolster defense vs. Chinese aggression

China’s hostile actions in Asia are similar to that of Russia’s aggression in Europe, particularly against Ukraine, and countries like the Philippines should prepare by building alliances and strengthening their defense capabilities, visiting Swedish lawmakers said Friday.

Asian countries should also try to “de-risk” and remain independent from potential aggressors, which could resort to economic coercion to gain advantage in a major conflict, said Joar Forsell (Liberal Party), a member of Swedish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

“I think that something to learn is to build alliances, build very close alliances with like-minded partners, real defensive capabilities, not be naïve, buy new weapons, build the defense capabilities and also de-risk to ensure independence,” said Forsell, when asked what Europe has learned from Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has brought the region in its worst security crisis since World War II […]

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This is a completely different issue. There are persons who are known to be exposed to a higher personal threat level, and they get special protection. This is different to the alleged higher threat to the general public. As far as I know and read in the press, police forces are on higher alert to protect public spaces, events, etc. But we can’t mixed this up with the individual threat levels of exposed persons and their special protections.

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Most of us are not exposed to such a threat level. But if so, you can turn to the police and will get special protection. This happens all the time.

I wouldn’t say the CEO of Euroclear is a ‘private citizen’ in this context.

Another disgusting remark by a person as ignorant as his government. In 2023, when Lu Shaye was Chinese ambassador to France, he said that “ex-Soviet Union countries do not have the effective status because there is no international agreement to materialize their status of a sovereign country”. This includes Ukraine, as we know.

The fact that such as person is now “special envoy for European affairs” must only be seen as a provocation by the government in Beijing, a war-mongering government that is bullying more or less all its Asian neighbors like India, Buthan, Nepal, the Philippines, just to name a few.

We must note, of course, that China is a decisive enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine, an aggression from which it greatly benefits. This is not limited to, but includes its intended war with Taiwan which it calls “reunification.” It may also be easier for China to get a chunk of Siberia from Russia to create what Beijing calls the “Arctic silk road”. Later in 2024, for example, there was even a video circulating that shows how China should conquer parts of Siberia up to lake Baikal.

China is also already “investing” in illegally occupied territories in Ukraine. Chinese companies are supplying equipment to mines occupied by Russia in Torez, Snizhne, and Khrestivka. Moreover, Russia is seeking to connect the highway “Rostov-on-Don — Mariupol — Melitopol — Simferopol,” which it is actively constructing, to an international transportation corridor Europe — China. Needless to say that the Kremlin is in contact with the Chinese Communist Party also on that matter (you’ll find ample evidence about this on the web).

Lu Shaye and his government are arguing in bad faith. The least thing they have in mind is the well-being of Europeans. Or the well-being of anyone, not even of the people in the own country. It’s a regime pursuing a dictatorial policy and making decisions in complete disregard of anyone and anything else.

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Russian lawmaker Oleg Morozov in Russian state media: “Trump is keeping all of his promises” (Invidious link, 5 min video, the statement comes at ~3 min)

The EU is getting ready to circumvent Hungary as it tries to come up with the money to maintain support for Kyiv and invest in defense

Already the EU is taking steps to get around Budapest as it looks to maintain support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression and ramp up the European defense industry, according to officials. Finnish Foreign minister Elina Valtonen said there are plans to forge a partnership among countries that can sidestep any internal opposition […]

Finding a way to deal with Orban “is becoming existential for the EU,” said Katarzyna Pisarska, chair of the Warsaw Security Conference. “What I’m expecting in the next weeks is an effort to circumvent Hungary via more enhanced cooperation and coalition-of-the-willing type schemes.” […]

@Jones

Whataboutery is never useful, but in such a context it is absolutely disgusting. It’s derailed in every sense.

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