Plan: Take Down Kaliningrad

Hi Global Recap readers,

The world’s feeling a bit quieter today (at least on the geopolitical front).

• Aside from local drama like the Epstein scandal and a few other stories, there’s nothing major that calls for a deep dive.

• So for today, we’re keeping it light with just the Fast Scroll News.

🤞 That said, have a great weekend, everyone. Let’s hope things stay calm—though I’m not expecting any surprises (the stock markets are closed, after all… and you know what that usually means). But hey, fingers crossed.

🌐 WORLD
Fast Scroll News

🇰🇵 North Korea Shuts Resort. Remember that huge Wonsan Kalma beach resort North Korea unveiled recently? Well, it just slammed the door on foreigners at it, barely weeks after opening and right after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov toured the place.

• The country’s tourism agency gave zero explanation, but satellite images show parts of the luxury complex (think: 7,000 rooms, waterpark, private villas) still look half-baked.

• Kim Jong Un personally oversaw construction and even has a private mansion nearby.

• Lavrov had promised Russia would send more tourists, but so far, only a trickle of Russians have been allowed in since pandemic rules eased.

• The move comes as North Korea cozies up to Moscow, even sending 6,000 more workers to Russia last month.

🇷🇺 Russia Warns NATO Escalation. Speaking of Russia, Moscow is fuming after a new NATO plan, announced by US General Christopher Donahue on June 18, would let the alliance “take down” Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave faster than ever.

• Russian officials are calling this strategy a potential trigger for World War III and threatening “all due retaliatory measures,” including nuclear options.

• The plan, called the “Eastern Flank Deterrence Line,” focuses on boosting NATO’s ground forces and military industry, especially near the vulnerable Suwalki Corridor between Poland and Lithuania.

🇩🇪 Germany, UK Seal Defense Pact. And what is Germany and the UK doing to deter Russian threats? They just signed their first defense treaty since World War II, locking in a promise to back each other if attacked and dialing up military teamwork.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK PM Keir Starmer inked the “Kensington Treaty” in London, with plans to co-develop a precision strike weapon that can hit targets over 2,000km (1,243 miles) away, ready in the next decade.

• The deal covers everything from joint arms exports to school exchanges and drone tech.

• Both leaders pledged more long-range weapons for Ukraine, which triggered Russia to threaten “decisive” strikes against Western Europe if those arms are used against them.

🇬🇧 UK Hits Russian Spies. On top of that, the UK just slapped sanctions on 18 Russian GRU intelligence officers and three spy units for running a long-term cyberattack campaign, including hacking Yulia Skripal’s phone after Russian agents in Salisbury poisoned Sergei and Yulia Skripal with the nerve agent Novichok in 2018.

• Foreign Secretary David Lammy straight up called out Russia for “trying to destabilize Europe,” linking the hacks to UK support for Ukraine.

• The EU, meanwhile, dropped its toughest sanctions yet, banning Nord Stream pipeline deals and lowering the price cap on Russian oil—moves the UK quickly backed.

• Moscow’s brushing it off, but officials admit Western sanctions haven’t stopped Russia’s war machine, since oil’s still flowing to China and India.

🇺🇸 Trump Touts Hostage Deal. Now, shifting focus to the Middle East, Trump just told GOP allies at a White House dinner that 10 more hostages are about to be freed from Gaza, crediting his team’s foreign policy moves.

• He claimed, “We got most of the hostages back,” and expects this next group “very shortly.”

• So far, the US has brought home five Americans (three alive, two dead); two are still missing, along with dozens of non-Americans.

🇸🇾 Syria Deploys New Force. Syria’s interim president just ordered fresh troops to Suwayda to stop the violent fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups, with nearly 600 dead since Sunday.

• Residents blame government forces for killing Druze civilians and carrying out executions, which sparked Israeli airstrikes to force a pullback.

• However, President Sharaa promises to protect the Druze and punish “outlaw groups” who “rejected dialogue for many months,” effectively pointing the finger at others. Meanwhile, Israel and Sharaa’s critics aren’t buying it, arguing he’s no different from Assad.

• Israel says it’s allowing Syrian forces to enter the area for 48 hours.

• US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, says Israel and Syria agreed to a ceasefire, but neither side has commented on it publicly.