Nuclear Site Hit

Hi Global Recap readers,

🌹 Happy Valentine’s Day! Can’t believe it’s already mid-February...

For those with significant others, I hope you had a wonderful day. And for those flying solo, maybe next year’s the one.

For today’s newsletter, here are the key stories:

• 🇺🇦 Chernobyl nuclear plant struck

• 🇬🇧 Knife attack in London

• 🇪🇺 EU’s “secret plan”

• 🇵🇸 Hamas’ hostage release

• 🇺🇸 Trump’s hard stance

• 🇺🇸 JD Vance’s speech in Munich

🇺🇦 UKRAINE
Drone Strikes
Chernobyl Shell

Early on Friday, Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear plant was attacked by a drone armed with a warhead. Thankfully, radiation levels remain stable, for now.

Impact and Response

• A drone armed with a high-explosive warhead hit the protective outer shell of Chernobyl nuclear plant on February 14, 2025.

• The impact punched a hole in the structure and briefly started a fire, which has been put out.

• Despite the scary moment, radiation levels at the plant have not increased.

Denial and Blame Game

• Ukraine is blaming Russia for the attack, but the Kremlin denies responsibility (naturally).

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claims, "Our military doesn’t do that."

• However, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists, "Putin is certainly not preparing for negotiations."

Personally, I lean toward the latter. If I were Zelenskyy, even if I wanted to prolong the war to reclaim lost territory, I wouldn’t take the gamble of attacking a nuclear site. But maybe I am too naïve? Who knows.

International Response

• The UN International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that radiation levels inside and outside the plant remain normal.

• The IAEA team stationed at the site heard the explosion and responded within minutes.

• IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi highlighted persistent nuclear safety risks, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

Historical Context

Given Chernobyl's past, any mishap here is a big deal.

• The outer shell struck was built in 2016 to contain the remnants of the 1986 disaster.

• Both the current shell and the previous containment structure aim to prevent radiation leaks.

The Bigger Picture

The attack is part of the larger conflict brewing.

• The strike came just two days after President Donald Trump announced he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war.

• Ukrainian officials plan to provide detailed information about the strike to US officials during the Munich Security Conference.

🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM
Knife Attack Follows
Quran Burning

I know I am a bit late to report this, but I am curious what your thoughts are on this:

On February 13, a man burned a Quran outside Turkey’s consulate in London. Shortly after, an attacker rushed at him with a knife.

The question is, how do these people just happen to carry a knife around with them?

The Attacker Speaks Out

The Quran burner wasn’t quiet about the attack.

• A user on X, claiming to be the Quran burner, noted: “While I was burning the Quran, I was attacked with a knife.”

• He shared videos and reiterated his plans were publicized in advance.

Official Response

The authorities didn’t waste any time.

• The Metropolitan Police responded at 2:11 pm following reports of the assault.

• The victim, with injuries to his finger but no stab wounds, was taken to the hospital.

• An arrest was made on charges of possession of an offensive weapon and grievous bodily harm.

📊 Poll

🇪🇺 EUROPE
“Secret Plan” to
Send Troops

Europe is supposedly hatching a “top-secret plan” to send troops to Ukraine to maintain peace after the war.

UK and France are at the helm of this hush-hush operation, though they’re keeping it under wraps to avoid tipping off Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I suppose it's not really a secret since we all know about it. 😂

Building on Macron’s Idea

The plan builds on an idea floated by French President Emmanuel Macron last year.

• Macron initially faced backlash but has gained support since then.

• European leaders met in December 2024 to discuss the plan with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Troops and Terms

The nature of the peace deal will determine the size and role of the European force.

• President Zelenskyy is reportedly asking for 100,000 to 150,000 troops.

  • But it’s not just ground forces he’s after—he also wants air support.

  • Essentially, he’s hoping NATO will step in and defend Ukraine like it's already a NATO member.

• However, media reports suggest a smaller force of 30,000-40,000 troops.

US Involvement

Keep in mind, that the US is a key NATO member and its largest contributor, giving it significant influence over the alliance.

Here are some rules the US has set:

• US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.”

• The US is clear that any force sent won’t be a NATO mission, meaning NATO’s Article 5 won’t apply. So, if these troops are attacked, it won’t trigger a response from all of NATO.

• No US troops will be deployed to Ukraine.

The Road Ahead

I think Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha put it perfectly on Thursday, highlighting just how much Ukraine relies on the US:

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Hamas to Release
More Hostages

Hamas is set to free three more hostages on Saturday, including one American.

New Names Released

Hamas has announced the release of three hostages.

• American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, and Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn are set to be freed on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

• These hostages were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.

• Dekel-Chen will be the second American released since President Trump’s return to office.

Ceasefire Concerns

There are increasing worries about the stability of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

• Hamas threatened to halt hostage releases, accusing Israel of violating the treaty by not facilitating humanitarian aid and launching airstrikes on Palestinians.

• Trump demanded the release of all remaining hostages, which recently pressured Hamas to change their stance on the upcoming hostage release on Saturday.

The Hostages’ Fate

• Only 16 of the 33 hostages scheduled for release during the first phase have been freed so far.

• Mediators were expected to negotiate the release of the remaining 65 hostages, but these discussions have not officially started.

• At least eight hostages slated for release in the first phase are believed to have been killed in captivity.

And of course, there’s Trump’s ultimatum: 👇

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Trump's Gaza Deadline

Remember when Trump gave Hamas a strict deadline—Saturday noon—to release all hostages at once, not bit by bit?

Trump just told reporters in the Oval Office:

Now, people are debating—does he really not know, or is this a warning?

Personally, I think he’s genuinely unsure. But many pro-Israel supporters are frustrated that only three hostages are being released.

Trump’s Ultimatum

Trump’s deadline is shaking things up in Gaza.

• Trump’s frustration with the hostage situation has led to a “hard stance” ultimatum: release hostages by Saturday at noon.

• Israel, while keen on sticking to the terms of a deal inked last month, is under pressure from Trump’s demands.

Israel’s Delicate Dance

Israel is trying to balance adherence to the deal with Trump’s demands.

• Israel has been sending messages to Hamas through mediators, indicating they are prepared to continue with the existing deal if three hostages are released on Saturday as planned.

• Trump believes his firm deadline pushed Hamas to agree to release three hostages, after initially threatening not to.

  • However, he still emphasized, “But I think they should release all of the hostages.”

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
JD Vance’s Speech
in Munich

Since it’s the weekend and you might have more free time, here’s a video of US Vice President JD Vance speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

• Some people say he was “scolding” the EU, while others think he was just stating facts and encouraging more openness to differing views.

• Regardless of what you think, I believe it raises some important questions about recent events, like the cancellation of the Romanian election after an unexpected “far-right” candidate won.

What do you think?