Anonymous ID: 79f2cf May 27, 2025, 11:55 a.m. No.23088518   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Canada #77

WWIII Watch: Germany's Merz Greenlights Ukraine To Strike Russia With German Weapons

Via Remix News Tuesday, May 27, 2025

 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has now authorized the use of German missiles for strikes against Russian territory, in a move that signals a dramatic escalation against Moscow.

 

He also signaled that this will not only apply to German weapons, but also other weapons systems from countries like France and the United States.

 

Posting to X, Merz wrote: “We will do everything in our power to continue supporting Ukraine. This also means no longer having any range restrictions on the weapons we supply. Ukraine can now also defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia.”

 

Previously, Kyiv was permitted to use these weapons only against Russian forces in occupied Ukrainian territories.

 

Speaking at the “WDR Europaforum 2025” at the re:publica digital conference in Berlin, Merz stated, “There are no longer any range restrictions for weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine, neither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us, nor by the Americans.”

 

Two years ago, Remix News ran a video from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, outlining how the conflict started with countries sending helmets and then tanks to illustrate how deeply the West was involving itself in the war.

 

The conflict appears to only be escalating more and more since Orbán issued his warning.

 

As the war has progressed, nations like Great Britain and France supplied advanced weapons systems, including Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles. Germany has been debating the delivery of its Taurus cruise missiles, which have a 500-kilometer range, a move Moscow has warned would make Germany a direct party to the conflict.

 

Merz did not explicitly mention Taurus missiles in his statement, but his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to provide Ukraine with such weapons, fearing a sharp escalation of the war.

 

This policy change comes against a backdrop of continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and stalled peace efforts. While Merz emphasized that Ukraine does not target civilian areas — and should maintain that distinction — he stressed that a country unable to retaliate within the aggressor’s territory cannot adequately defend itself.

 

Notably, polling on the topic of Taurus missiles has consistently shown that a majority of Germans reject sending the missile to Ukraine.

 

However, it appears that Western countries are already actively targeting Russian forces. Reports from November indicated that Ukraine had already used long-range ATACMS missiles from the U.S. and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles against military targets in Russia.

 

Merz also cautioned that the West must prepare for a prolonged war, even as diplomatic channels remain open. He suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin views Western offers of dialogue as a sign of weakness, asserting that “Nobody can now seriously blame us for not having exhausted all the diplomatic means that exist.”

 

At the same time, President Donald Trump has reportedly become increasingly disillusioned with Putin following Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine. Trump recently launched an unusually sharp criticism of Putin on his Truth Social platform, describing the Kremlin chief as “absolutely crazy.”

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/wwiii-watch-germanys-merz-greenlights-ukraine-strike-russia-german-weapons

Anonymous ID: 79f2cf May 27, 2025, 12:12 p.m. No.23088587   🗄️.is 🔗kun

>>23088491

 

AGOA expires this yer, time not to extend it for South Africa

 

Africa-US trade: Agoa deal expires in 2025 - an expert unpacks what it’s achieved in 23 years

Published: November 12, 2023

https://theconversation.com/africa-us-trade-agoa-deal-expires-in-2025-an-expert-unpacks-what-its-achieved-in-23-years-217113

 

 

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)

 

Since its enactment in 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been at the core of U.S. economic policy and commercial engagement with Africa. AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for over 1,800 products, in addition to the more than 5,000 products that are eligible for duty-free access under the Generalized System of Preferences program.

 

To meet AGOA’s rigorous eligibility requirements, countries must establish or make continual progress toward establishing a market-based economy, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the right to due process. Additionally, countries must eliminate barriers to U.S. trade and investment, enact policies to reduce poverty, combat corruption, and protect human rights.

 

By providing new market opportunities, AGOA has helped bolster economic growth, promoted economic and political reform, and improved U.S. economic relations in the region.

 

36 countries are eligible for AGOA benefits in 2022. In 2015, Congress passed legislation modernizing and extending the program to 2025.

 

Section 104 of AGOA includes requirements that the country has established or is making continual progress toward establishing, among other things:

 

a market-based economy;

the rule of law;

political pluralism;

the right to due process;

the elimination of barriers to U.S. trade and investment;

economic policies to reduce poverty;

a system to combat corruption and bribery, and;

protection of internationally recognized worker rights.

 

In addition, the country may not engage in activities that undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests or engage in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Section 502 of the 1974 Act provides for country eligibility criteria under GSP. For a complete list of the AGOA eligibility criteria and more information on the GSP criteria, see section 104 of the AGOA and section 502 of the 1974 Act.

 

https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/trade-development/preference-programs/african-growth-and-opportunity-act-agoa