Recipe for World War 4

Hi Global Recap readers,

The world is… cooking.

I think this is the best way to describe the current geopolitical landscape.

Although I love this meme, I don’t think we should just sit by to let the world leaders “cook” another world war. 👇

(⏰ Reading Time: 6 mins)

ISRAEL

Recipe for World War 4

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse…

Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that any attack on Israel from Iranian soil will be met with direct Israeli retaliation.

• Does this mean an attack on Israel carried out by Iranian proxies will not be regarded as an assault by Iran?

• While Iran’s potential response is expected to be limited in scope, any subsequent actions could escalate tensions, potentially leading to a wider conflict.

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ISRAEL

Flip-flop? Or 4D chess?

Remember when I told you yesterday that Netanyahu has a date set for the Rafah invasion?

Well, scrap that.

Despite Netanyahu’s public claim of a set operation for the invasion, Defense Minister Gallant’s conversation with US Secretary of Defense Austin reveals no such date has been set.

Does this show a rift in the Israeli government? Or is this a clever political maneuver to keep the enemies guessing?

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CHINA

Xi wants peace and unity (?)

The former Taiwanese president, Ma Ying-jeou, is strolling around Beijing once again to facilitate a “peaceful reunification” of China and Taiwan.

🤝 Diplomacy. The encounter at the Great Hall of the People, typically reserved for foreign dignitaries, underscores Xi’s commitment to “reunification” as an inevitable historical trend.

🎭 Politics. The meeting is seen as a tactic by Beijing to undermine Taiwan’s ruling party ahead of the presidential inauguration. It also serves to bolster the opposition party’s position that closer ties with China are key to maintaining peace.

• Is the former president genuine about his conviction that China “peacefully absorbing” Taiwan is the most peaceful and fair option?

• Or has he been in bed with Beijing for personal gains?

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GEORGIA

Georgians rally against “Russian law”

Georgia tried to be sneaky by waiting a year after it dropped the controversial “Foreign Influence” bill to reintroduce it.

But Georgians noticed.

Thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets of their capital, protesting against the government’s renewed attempt to pass a law that mirrors repressive policies enacted by the Kremlin.

📚 Context. The Georgian Dream, the ruling party, has reintroduced a draft of the legislation, previously withdrawn due to public outcry.

• The law requires media and non-commercial organizations to register as being under foreign influence if they receive more than 20% of their budget from abroad.

🚫 Opposition. “What’s so bad about this?” you might say. Critics have dubbed it as “the Russian law” due to its similarity to a law in Russia that stigmatizes independent news media and organizations that go against the “official narrative” of the Kremlin.

🌍 International Impact. If passed, the European Union has warned that the “foreign influence” law would significantly impact Georgia’s EU candidate status.

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EUROPEAN UNION

EU Sanctions Flawed

The EU General Court annulled sanctions on Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, citing insufficient evidence regarding their alleged proximity to Putin.

🚫 Nullified. Despite the annulment, the ruling only applies to the period up to March 2023. Therefore, the oligarchs remain sanctioned post-March 2023, with their appeal in its initial stage.

📢 Echoes of Error? Lawyers for Fridman and Aven hailed the decision, criticizing the sanctions as “completely baseless” and a “counterproductive mistake.”

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