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Henri Vanhanen criticized Donald Trump's actions in the Ukraine war, noting that he declared agreements about which there was uncertainty, while pressuring Ukraine in a way that benefited Vladimir Putin. As a recent example, Vanhanen pointed to Trump’s announced energy ceasefire. According to him, Volodymyr Zelensky heard about it practically for the first time from the media, Russia had not confirmed the agreement, and continued, according to Zelensky, attacks on Ukraine's power plants. Vanhanen asked what kind of ceasefire it was if the other party did not know what had been agreed upon. He suggested that Zelensky had to be cautious of Trump’s criticism to avoid being blamed for obstructing peace. Vanhanen referred to the Financial Times reporting that the United States threatened to cut off arms and intelligence supplies to Ukraine unless the country stopped attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. He also wrote that Trump agreed to buy Russian diesel, demanded Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries, and encouraged a change of leadership in Ukraine. Vanhanen estimated that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel prices, the upcoming midterm elections, and the need to show results might explain Trump’s urgency to secure an agreement. According to him, Trump aimed for cheaper diesel and a visible peace political achievement, while Putin would benefit from a decrease in attacks on Russia’s energy sector. Vanhanen noted that the alignment of these goals seemed to occur at Ukraine’s expense. Vanhanen stated that he did not oppose a ceasefire if it protected Ukrainians and also bound Russia. However, he observed that for Trump, merely declaring an agreement seemed to suffice, even without information about its terms or Russia's commitment. Vanhanen assessed that Russia would benefit from a situation in which the United States sought a quick agreement and Ukraine was cautious not to offend Trump. In such conditions, he believed Putin could gain concessions from Trump without Russia needing to win against Ukraine at the negotiating table. #Ukraina #Trump #Venäjä (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Finland should take seriously Russia's alleged plans to assassinate leaders of the European defense industry. According to him, European intelligence services had warned that Russia had intensified its assassination plots targeting business executives. Possible targets included not only large arms manufacturers but also smaller defense technology companies, especially manufacturers of drones and their components. Vanhanen referred to a plan revealed in 2024 to assassinate Armin Papperger, CEO of the German company Rheinmetall. He wrote that more recent intelligence data indicated broader and more systematic actions beyond individual cases. According to Vanhanen, Russia's intention was to undermine the European defense industry, intimidate its business leaders, complicate support for Ukraine, and disrupt the strengthening of Europe's defense capabilities. Vanhanen urged an urgent assessment of whether the protection of key personnel in Finland's defense industry is adequate. He suggested that the security police, police, and defense administration work together with companies to identify individuals at special risk and ensure preemptive action against threats. He proposed, if necessary, strengthening personal protection, enhancing counterintelligence efforts against companies, and improving information sharing among authorities. According to Vanhanen, Finland should not wait for the first attack on its territory before preparing. https://t.co/xVZMYe1R7e #Puolustusteollisuus #Venäjä #Suomi (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Volodymyr Zelensky was ready to hold elections in Ukraine if Vladimir Putin agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. Vanhanen noted that this was not a new concession, as Zelensky had made the same proposal in February and required sufficient security guarantees to hold the elections. Vanhanen interpreted the proposal as a message to Donald Trump, who, in his view, had repeatedly questioned Zelensky’s position and called for elections in Ukraine. According to Vanhanen, holding elections would require the United States to get Russia to stop hostilities for a sufficient period. He found it contradictory that Ukraine was being asked to hold elections in the midst of an invasion, while Russia had not agreed to a ceasefire that would allow for it. Vanhanen also pondered how strong Trump’s pressure on Zelensky had become, referring to Trump’s recent statements regarding Ukrainian leadership. He believed that the replacement of the Ukrainian president should not become a substantive goal of peace negotiations, but rather that Ukrainians should choose their own leader. According to Vanhanen, Trump should have used his influence to promote a ceasefire rather than forcing Ukraine to defend the legitimacy of its democracy. #Ukraina #Zelenskyi #Trump (translated)

Sheep Esports Brazil reported that the Grand Final of CBLOL reached a peak of 289,000 viewers in the match between FURIA and LOS, setting a new record for the second split. The publication also listed FURIA vs LOUD, with 205,000 viewers; LOUD vs LOS, with 196,000; paiN vs LOUD, with 191,000; and paiN vs RED, with 156,000. https://t.co/aXkFPoq4fk #CBLOL #Esports #FURIA (translated)

Karri Kivi and Teemu Niikko are completely at odds about the upcoming league system of the SM-league, where Kivi questions the pressures that the 12-team A-league places on players and coaches, while Niikko warns about the B-league potentially being of low quality. #SMliiga #Jääkiekko #Urheilu (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Donald Trump's Russia policy may not have been guided by a coherent strategy. According to him, Trump made decisions one by one, seeking quick political gains, and then had to fix the consequences. In his assessment, Vanhanen linked Trump's diminished commitment to arming Ukraine, the energy price increases resulting from the war in Iran, and the recent diesel trade with Russia. He believed that trade could bolster the Russian economy and give Vladimir Putin a means to pressure Ukraine into halting strikes on Russia's oil refineries. Vanhanen also criticized Trump for condemning strikes that he claimed weakened Russia's war economy. Vanhanen noted that Trump’s administration had not sought significant new funding from Congress for arming Ukraine. According to him, previously agreed deliveries had continued, and European countries had purchased American weapons for Ukraine. He stated that Trump was not fundamentally on the side of Ukraine or Europe but was primarily pursuing his own interests. According to Vanhanen, Finland's security should not be built on the assumption that there is a plan behind Trump's decisions that would turn in favor of Europe. He urged preparedness for the possibility that U.S. aid could be delayed or smaller than expected, to strengthen the availability of defense equipment and air defense, and to deepen cooperation with Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Britain, Poland, and the Baltic countries. He also believed that Europe should be able to support Ukraine and maintain economic pressure on Russia by its own means. #Trump #Venäjä #Ukraina (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Finland had paid billions of euros because, in his opinion, the geopolitical risks posed by Russia were not taken seriously in time. He referred to Fortum's Uniper transactions, in which he claimed nearly six billion euros were lost, as well as Rosatom's assertion that it had won the arbitration concerning the Hanhikivi nuclear power project against Fennovoima. Vanhanen noted that the final resolution and possible compensation were still unclear. Vanhanen said the losses were in the billions and had also been a detriment to taxpayers. According to him, lessons should have been learned from these cases that geopolitics and security policy could not be separated from economic decision-making. He wrote that warnings about Russia's aggression had been issued for years, but economic interests often outweighed them, and he felt that Finland could no longer afford to ignore the realities of global politics until the billion-euro bill arrived. https://t.co/Omv0fRGsLq #geopolitiikka #turvallisuuspolitiikka #Suomi (translated)

Leena Pihanurmi wrote that there were approximately 140,000 Muslims living in Finland and that, according to her, 884,000 people suffered from gambling-related harms when close relatives were included. She asked when the Prime Minister would invite her to a roundtable discussion to talk about the costs of gambling harms for individuals and society. Pihanurmi stated that she would present scientific evidence of the costs incurred by taxpayers due to these harms. She listed the consequences of gambling harms, including economic despair, family poverty, debt collection, mental health issues, domestic violence, divorces, suicides, and family murders. In addition, she asked why particularly the National Coalition Party had, in her opinion, promoted gambling. Pihanurmi said she would emphasize the prevention of gambling and present concrete ways to reduce gambling, similar to smoking. #uhkapelaaminen #pelihaitat #suomi (translated)

XristosUE commented on a video thread about the Olympiacos–Efes match, noting the return of Milutinov, the dominance in rebounds, and the excellent performance of Jones. He mentioned the intensity in defense, with more energy and better communication from the weak side, as well as the "Pack the Paint" tactic that, as he said, Bi wanted. He also highlighted the Fournier–Vezenkov cooperation in the pick-and-roll, McIntyre's vertical play, Montero's versatility, and the energy of Ward and Enjai. He described the second period as very poor and mentioned an especially interesting week in Spain. #Olympiacosbc #Basketball #EuroLeague (translated)

Elina Hiltunen wrote that she had a positive attitude towards the discussion, but questioned what kind of issues her discussion partner promoted. She said she understood that this person was advocating for their own and Islam's interests, but asked whether such should be acceptable in Finland, especially from the ruling party. Additionally, Hiltunen inquired whether the discussion partner supported sharia law. #keskustelu #Suomi #islam (translated)

Suvi-Anne Siimes considered the matter and the interview important and thanked the building inspector of Muhos for granting the interview. She wrote that municipal officials seemed to be quite alone in such difficult and pressuring situations, and in her opinion, this should not have been the case. https://t.co/gEy6MMaxIw #rakennustarkastus #haastattelu #kuntapolitiikka (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that the agreement announced by Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin to bring millions of tons of Russian diesel to the global market would be very bad news for Ukraine. According to Vanhanen, the arrangement would give Russia new opportunities to earn from energy exports, even though its war of aggression in Ukraine would continue. Vanhanen assessed that the agreement could help Russia mitigate the economic impacts of the strikes on Ukraine's oil refineries. He wrote that the strikes had caused problems and fuel shortages for Russia. In his view, facilitating Russia's energy exports would also reduce the pressure on Putin to negotiate an end to the war. Vanhanen considered it possible that the promised deliveries might not materialize, as he claimed Russia's refining capacity had suffered from the strikes. Vanhanen speculated that Trump was aiming for lower fuel prices in the United States before the midterm elections, but questioned the agreement's impact on prices. He also found the political message of the agreement concerning: in his view, the Kremlin could present it as evidence that Russia is not isolated and that the U.S. president is willing to do business with it. According to Vanhanen, the agreement could place Ukraine's strikes on Russia's oil industry in conflict with Washington's fuel price objectives. He urged Europe to prepare for greater responsibility in supporting Ukraine and pressuring Russia, and maintained that Russia's war economy should not be helped to recover. https://t.co/gpRe9acHoW #Ukraina #Venäjä #Trump (translated)

BobbyD used offensive language towards pro-Europeans and claimed that the diesel was coming from Russia, causing them to abandon it for this reason. He included a statement claiming that after a discussion with Vladimir Putin, Russia was to immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and world markets, another 500,000 tons in November, and 1,000,000 tons immediately thereafter. The statement also said that, depending on the state of Russian refineries, there would be additional supplies of 3,000,000 tons within a short period. BobbyD reiterated the assertion that due to control over the Strait of Hormuz and energy supplies from Russia, diesel prices were expected to drop very quickly to record low levels. #energie #motorină #Rusia (translated)