Hi Global Recap readers,

Mid-week Slump, Wednesday Slug, or just a slow day - there are many names to describe the feeling of Wednesday being a drag for many people.

But hopefully, this action-packed geopolitics recap will jolt you back up.

📈 Top News

🏷️ UK to label the Wagner Group as terrorists. The UK government has decided to outlaw the Wagner Group. By labelling it as a terror ist organization, the UK making it illegal to support or join the group. Anyone who supports or joins it will face up to 14 years in prison or a hefty fine.

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🚁 Russian pilot ditches his country and gets rewarded handsomely. A Russian pilot who had enough of his country's war crimes decided to switch sides and defect to Ukraine. He didn't come empty-handed though. He brought along a helicopter and some fighter jet parts that he stole from his base. Ukraine was so happy with his gift that they gave him half a million dollars as a reward. Now, he's urging other Russian soldiers to follow his lead.

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🇨🇳🇮🇳 China says it’s cool with India, but is it really? China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning tried to cool down speculations about Xi’s absence from this week’s summit in India, saying their relations are “generally stable” and that China “always supported India’s hosting of this year’s summit…”

What do you think?

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🏠 Country Garden dodges default, sparks property rally. The Chinese property sector is on rally mode after Country Garden, the largest property developer in the country, managed to pay off its bond coupon just in time. The company avoided default by a hair, sending its shares soaring by 26%. Other property stocks also jumped, including Evergrande, which surged by 82% after being in the red for months.

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🇺🇸 Blinken pops up in Kyiv. No official announcement, no press conference, just a stealthy trip to Ukraine by the US Secretary of State. He also announced a billion dollar aid package while he’s there.

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✍️ In-Depth

Russia
Another Russian Mercenary Group Going Against the Kremlin

👀 What’s going on? A Russian mercenary group called Rusich is throwing a tantrum and refusing to fight for the Kremlin in Ukraine.

Why? Because their leader, Yan Petrovsky, a neo-Nazi, got arrested in Finland in August. He is currently facing extradition to Ukraine. But much to Rusich’s frustration, the Kremlin is not doing much to help him out.

🤨 Who are they? The Rusich Group is one of the many militia groups that have been fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine. But recently, they have shown signs of discontent and defiance towards their Kremlin masters.

🔥 Why does it matter? Well, for one thing, Rusich is not just any mercenary group. It’s affiliated with the infamous Wagner Group. Rusich is also known for its far-right ideologies and its involvement in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. So when they threaten to lay down their arms, it’s a big deal.

🚩 What’s the context? Rusich has been fighting on the front line of Robotyne, a small village in southern Ukraine that is strategically important for both sides. Ukraine has been trying to break through the Russian defenses there and reach the road to Crimea, the peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014. But now, Rusich says it’s had enough and wants to go home.

🤔 What’s the reaction? The Ukrainian authorities may see this as a sign of weakness and demoralization among the Russian forces. They have also confirmed that they have captured Robotyne and are advancing towards the next line of defense. Many attribute this recent success to Rusich’s unwillingness to fight. The Russian authorities have not admitted that Rusich exists or that they have anything to do with them. They prefer to pretend that they are not invading Ukraine at all.

📖 What’s next? It’s hard to say what will happen to Rusich or Petrovsky. Maybe they will change their minds and resume fighting. Maybe they will defect to Ukraine or switch sides. Or maybe they will just disappear like they never existed.