EU Troops Are Coming

Hi Global Recap readers,

For months, as we’ve been covering the Russia-Ukraine war, we discussed whether leaders were gradually preparing the public to accept talk of NATO boots on Ukrainian soil. I predicted that such discussions would ramp up over time, and I believe we’re seeing that now.

• Earlier, any mention of sending troops to Ukraine was met with incredulity.

• Today, however, it seems more “normalized,” increasingly framed as an eventual inevitability if stability is to return to the region.

Case in point: 👇

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇺🇸 Allies Weigh Ukraine Troops

US and European defense chiefs just presented military options for securing Ukraine under a potential peace deal, with Europe expected to carry most of the load.

• Meeting: Top defense leaders from the US, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and Ukraine met in Washington between August 19 and 21 to finalize proposals.

• Role: European nations would provide the majority of any deployed forces, while the US might handle command and control.

• Support: President Trump ruled out sending US ground troops but left open the possibility of air support, including enforcing a no-fly zone.

• Backers: French President Macron, UK Prime Minister Starmer, and German Chancellor Merz have all signaled openness to troop deployments.

• Scale: Germany’s soldiers’ union warned that a long-term peace force could require tens of thousands of troops.

🇩🇪 Germany Nabs Pipeline Suspect

German prosecutors just arrested a Ukrainian national in Italy over the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions that crippled Russian gas flows to Europe.

• Identity: Authorities named the suspect as Serhii K., detained near Rimini, Italy.

• Role: Investigators say he helped coordinate the planting of explosives on Nord Stream 1 and 2, which were filled with gas but offline at the time.

• Damage: The September 26, 2022, blasts in Danish waters knocked three of four pipelines out of service, causing major gas leaks.

• Network: German officials believe he acted with others, including an alleged ringleader, Volodymyr Z., who chartered a German yacht for the operation.

• Response: Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig called the overnight arrest an “impressive success” and vowed to pursue all remaining suspects.

🇺🇬 Uganda Takes US Deportees

Uganda just agreed to receive migrants from other countries who are deported by the US but refuse or fear returning home.

• Exception: However, Uganda will not accept people with criminal records or unaccompanied minors under the deal.

• Preference: Officials say they want most transferees to be from African countries.

• Players: Ugandan Foreign Affairs Secretary Bagiire Vincent Waiswa announced the agreement today, via X.

• Strategy: White House border czar Tom Homan says such third-country deals are key to Trump’s mass deportation push.

• Precedent: Earlier this year, the US sent hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador’s CECOT prison and won a Supreme Court case allowing deportations to South Sudan.

🇰🇵 North Korea Hides Missiles

North Korea has been quietly operating a secret missile base near the Chinese border that could launch nuclear strikes on the continental US. The site, called Sinpung-dong, has been operational since 2014 but never publicly acknowledged.

• Location: The base sits 27 km (16.7 miles) from China, tucked in a narrow mountain valley split by a stream, spanning 22 square km (larger than JFK Airport).

• Arsenal: Analysts believe it stores up to nine nuclear-capable ICBMs, possibly Hwasong-15 or Hwasong-18, plus mobile launchers that can fire and relocate fast.

• Strategy: Experts say Pyongyang built it near China to deter US strikes, banking on Beijing’s reluctance to risk fallout.

• Camouflage: Satellite images show entrances hidden under trees and bushes, only visible in winter when vegetation thins.

• Network: Sinpung-dong is part of a larger “missile belt” of 15 to 20 undeclared sites, forming the backbone of North Korea’s expanding nuclear deterrence.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
US Targets
Visa Holders

The Trump administration just greenlit a plan to re-vet all 55 million visa holders in the US. That includes tourists, students, and workers—anyone with a visa could now face revocation based on new scrutiny.

Rubio’s State Department Push

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading the charge, citing national security.

• Rubio announced the State Department will “continuously vet” visa holders for overstays, criminal records, and ties to terrorism.

• The department says it will use law enforcement data, immigration records, and social media posts.

• Officials say visas can be revoked for indicators like overstays, criminal activity, or links to terrorist groups.

• Rubio also suspended visas for foreign truck drivers after a fatal crash involving an undocumented Indian national.

Truck Drivers and a Fatal Crash

But this should come as no surprise to anyone following national headlines in the US.

• On August 12, 2025, Harjinder Singh, an undocumented Indian driver, attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike, blocking lanes and killing three people in a minivan.

• The problem? Post-crash testing revealed that Singh could not read English road signs and correctly answered only 2 of 12 questions on the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) English proficiency exam.

• No English: And what's more outrageous is that Singh had commercial driver’s licenses from Washington and California despite entering the US illegally in 2018.

• Result: The incident triggered political backlash. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspended visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, while Florida officials clashed with California over licensing and sanctuary policies.

• Scrutiny: Rubio argued that foreign drivers “are endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

Social Media Under Review

That said, the vetting won’t stop at paperwork. Your online footprint may be under scrutiny too.

• Officials confirmed they’re scanning social media for “hostility toward the United States” and “antisemitism.”

• A senior State Department official said, “Time is not my concern, the security of Americans is.”

• Critics warn this could punish speech, not actions.

• However, as Secretary Rubio noted, a visa is a privilege granted by a nation, not a right, and it may be revoked if the holder is deemed unfit.

  • This makes sense if you consider the point he is making in the video.

  • If an applicant admits intent to violate conditions of stay, their visa is denied. By the same logic, the government can revoke that privilege once the holder breaks that promise after being granted that visa.

Student Visas in the Crosshairs

Foreign students are getting special attention too.

• Over 6,000 student visas were revoked this week for overstays and legal violations.

• Around 200 to 300 were flagged for alleged “terrorism,” including support for Hamas or Hezbollah (designated terrorist groups).

Legal Experts Push Back

Immigration scholars say this isn’t just impractical, but also discriminatory.

• David J. Bier from the Cato Institute said the plan “targets immigrants with certain backgrounds.”

• He warned that revoking visas based on speech “is not feasible for everyone” and risks selective enforcement.

• Visa holders are already subject to vetting when new info arises, including arrests or convictions.

📊 Poll

What do you think? Is this creating a “dangerous precedent,” as some claim, or should visa holders be monitored to ensure they are not violating the terms of their visas?

• Long-time readers may guess my personal stance, but even though I generally oppose surveillance, one comment from a friend made me pause:

• Of course, there are problems I see with this argument that can be challenged, yet it still contains a kernel of truth worth considering.