Hi Global Recap readers,
Long-time readers will know I’ve been fairly vocal about a dangerous trend of “free speech” increasingly being pushed toward stronger government control through legal means.
Today was no different.
Scrolling through social media, I saw a flood of alarming posts claiming Macron called free speech “pure bullshit.”
Here’s one misleading example.
I’ll admit it. I got heated and clicked through a few. And ironically, the way those clips and captions are being shared ends up illustrating his point… even if I don’t agree with him. 👇🏼
🇫🇷 FRANCE
Macron Demands
Algorithm Transparency
French President Macron called social media's free-speech defense "purely bullshit" on February 18 in New Delhi, arguing that "free speech" is meaningless when nobody can see how platforms steer users.
This was a direct jab at the Trump administration's push to label European tech rules as censorship.
Moment. Speaking Wednesday at an AI summit in New Delhi, Macron said "free speech is pure bullshit" if people do not know how they are being guided, and he demanded "free algorithms" that are "totally transparent."
Pressure. European governments including the UK and Germany are weighing bans on social media for minors, arguing the services are harmful and addictive.
Counter. The US has criticized such bans as speech restrictions, and the US recently imposed visa bans on a former European official and activists tied to efforts to police online hate speech. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the move as resistance to a "global censorship-industrial complex."
⚠️ Beware. I’m seeing a lot of posts claiming Macron called free speech itself “bullshit.” But in the uncensored video I linked above, it’s clear that he is saying that free speech is effectively meaningless if people don’t understand how platform algorithms steer what they see and believe.
🇷🇺 RUSSIA
Russia Confirms
$12 Trillion Package
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and US President Donald Trump (right) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, during Ukraine peace talks on August 15, 2025.
Russia has reportedly confirmed that it is floating a $12 trillion economic proposal to the Trump White House, described as being tied to a potential Ukraine settlement, and is testing whether the US is open to the deal.
Jared Kushner (left), Kirill Dmitriev (center), and US special envoy Steve Witkoff (right) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025.
Reveal. On Feb. 13, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stopped short of detailing the plan but did not deny it, calling the idea of cooperation “quite obvious” and saying joint ventures are natural if companies on both sides want them.
Origin. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy first put the package on the record on Feb. 6, saying intelligence showed him a “Dmitriev package” worth about $12 trillion that had been presented in the US.
The name points to Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, who has stayed engaged with senior US officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and was photographed alongside him in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left), Indian PM Narendra Modi (center), and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Tianjin, China, September 1.
Terms. A Feb. 12 report described an internal Russian memo that frames economic normalization as part of a settlement around Ukraine, with the centerpiece being relief from sanctions that cut Russia off from dollar payments.
The memo lists multiple cooperation tracks, including long-term contracts for American aircraft, joint work on hard-to-recover oil extraction and liquefied natural gas, and broader collaboration in nuclear energy.
It also details Russia's pitch to expand mining projects for lithium, copper, nickel, and platinum, and linking those to a larger reset in commercial ties.
Leverage. The supposed $12 trillion package looks like a bid to trade movement on Ukraine for sweeping economic concessions, even as Russia has spent years talking up “de-dollarization."
In fact, it has been building non-dollar settlements with partners like India and China.
That contradiction is hard to miss, given that Trump warned in January 2025 of 100% tariffs if BRICS members tried to replace the dollar with a new or existing alternative currency for trade.
🇮🇷 IRAN
Gunfire,
But It Was Peaceful
A uniformed security figure appears to fire gunfire at mourners gathered at a cemetery in Abdanan, western Iran.
State media has denied that anyone was hurt, saying the event was “peaceful.”
Scene. Footage from Tuesday shows an armored vehicle rolling past a packed cemetery as a person in uniform, positioned high on the vehicle, discharges a weapon twice while people scream and scatter.
Signal. In the same wave of commemorations, verified videos from Tehran, Mashhad, and Abdanan show crowds chanting "death to Khamenei," while state-organized events aired on television featured leaders prompting "death to America" chants.
Ritual. The gathering in Abdanan was part of 40th-day memorial ceremonies for people killed during last month’s crackdown, tied to the deadliest protest nights on January 8 and 9.
📌 Context. In Iran, the 40th day after a death is a major mourning milestone, and these ceremonies. After weeks of protests that began in late December, the state has leaned on heavy security deployments and tightly managed public messaging.
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Full Withdrawal
From Syria
The US is starting a full troop withdrawal from Syria, with officials describing a near-term retreat that ends a military mission stretching back about a decade.
The pullout covers roughly 1,000 personnel and is already partly underway.
Decision. In Washington, three American officials said the US is in the process of withdrawing all troops from Syria, a move that would close out the long-running US military operation there.
Timeline. The military has already left the Al Tanf garrison near the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border and the Al-Shaddadi base in northeast Syria, according to two officials. The remaining US sites are expected to be vacated over the next two months.
Drivers. The administration is tying the shift to the collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces as an independent US partner, after it agreed to disband and integrate into the Syrian army.
The change follows a rapid January offensive that transferred much of the SDF-held territory to forces aligned with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, alongside a fragile, US-backed ceasefire arrangement.
The officials also said this Syria move is separate from the current US naval and air buildup in the region tied to the Iran nuclear standoff, including a carrier strike group offshore and the USS Gerald R Ford heading toward Iran.
Risks. However, some officials warn that reducing the US footprint could weaken leverage over Damascus and leave more room for ISIS to regroup, even if the Syrian government is now taking the lead on counter-terror operations.
