Uhh... Mr. President?

Hi Global Recap readers,

With so little to laugh about in today’s geopolitics, I literally spat out my coffee when this popped onto my feed.

Supposedly, it’s a screenshot of Kazakhstani President Toqayev’s X account commenting on a video where a masseuse uses two fingers to massage a man’s "backside."

Naturally, I checked his account: nothing.

• These screenshots are all that seem to be circulating, so take it with a grain of salt.

• Still, it’s a bizarrely specific thing for someone to fake.

What was he even trying to say?

🇱🇹 LITHUANIA
Belarus Balloons
Trigger Emergency

Lithuania has declared a state of emergency after waves of contraband balloons drifting in from Belarus forced the closure of Vilnius Airport.

Note that the BBC is reporting that Lithuania declared an "emergency situation," which it says is a step below a "state of emergency." However, most outlets are reporting the latter.

• Trigger: Border guards say dozens of balloons have crossed into Lithuanian airspace in recent weeks. Each one carries tobacco packed for smugglers who rely on wind and luck rather than drones or cars.

• Disruption: Vilnius Airport shut its runways after repeated sightings. Officials argue that even small unmanned craft can threaten takeoffs and landings.

• Authority: Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic told colleagues on Tuesday that the emergency is meant to shield aviation and national security.

• Powers: Parliament is being asked to let the army work alongside police to restrict access to areas, stop and search vehicles, check IDs, and detain anyone suspected of crimes.

• Rebuttal: Belarusian "President" Alexander Lukashenko denies any state involvement. He claims Lithuania is "politicizing" a nuisance that he insists cannot harm civil flights.

🇯🇵🇺🇸 JAPAN & US
China Locks in
on Japan

Washington just called out Beijing for a radar targeting incident, accusing Chinese fighter jets of targeting Japanese aircraft during a training flight.

• Incident: Japan says Chinese fighter jets aimed fire-control radars at Japanese military planes on Saturday near the Okinawa islands, a step that pilots treat as a sign an attack might follow. Officials in Tokyo describe it as the most serious run-in with Chinese forces in years.

• Alliance: A U.S. State Department spokesperson publicly criticized China and said the actions were "not conducive to regional peace and stability," while emphasizing that the U.S. Japan alliance is "stronger and more united than ever." Japan's chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara welcomed the comments as proof the U.S. has Japan's back.

• China: Beijing rejects Japan's account and says Japanese aircraft repeatedly approached and disrupted its navy during previously announced carrier training east of the Miyako Strait.

• Spiral: The clash followed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks about how Japan might respond if China struck Taiwan, comments that infuriated Beijing and widened a monthlong diplomatic rift.

• Backdrop: Japan also scrambled jets late Tuesday to monitor a joint Russian Chinese air patrol circling the country, adding more friction to an already tense week.

🇺🇦 UKRAINE
Zelenskyy Rejects
Ceding Land

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has drawn a hard line against trading land for peace, insisting Ukraine will not cede territory to Russia as he prepares a revised peace plan for the Trump admin.

• Line: Zelenskyy told reporters that "Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything," arguing that under Ukrainian law, the constitution, international law, and basic morality he has no right to sign away land that Russian forces occupy.

• Proposal: The current U.S. draft peace plan, pushed by the Trump admin, would have Ukraine give up the entire Donbas region and recognize other Russian gains in the east, part of the roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory now under Russian control, in exchange for a deal that Moscow has already signaled it could accept.

• Revision: Zelenskyy says Kyiv has now built its own Ukrainian and European "components" of a counterproposal with the explicit goal of making any steps workable in practice while keeping Ukraine’s territory intact.

• Diplomacy: In London he met German Chancellor Merz, British PM Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron to lock in backing for a no-territory-concessions stance and for a reworked peace initiative after talks on the original U.S. plan stalled.

• Pressure: Trump, in a new interview, said Ukraine has to "play ball," claimed Russia has the "upper hand" because it is "much bigger," and scolded European leaders as all talk and short on delivery, even as they move ahead with their own security plans for a postwar Ukraine.

🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Pressure Before Progress

Hamas says it will not advance to the next stage of the ceasefire until Israel meets what it calls "basic obligations," urging more global pressure on Israel. At the same time, Israel insists it is ready to move on once the remains of the final hostage are returned.

• Demands: Hamas official Husam Badran wants Israel to halt strikes, stop demolishing homes across Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza, open key border crossings and allow more aid in before any talks move forward.

• Shortages: The U.N. says aid flows remain far below the 600-truck daily target. Around 120 aid trucks have reportedly entered on average and medical supplies are still limited in several hospitals.

• Crossings: Israel has agreed to let Gaza-bound aid enter through a Jordan-Israel crossing and says Rafah can open for outbound (one-way) Palestinian traffic. Entry into Gaza remains off the table for now.

• Next: The second phase of the U.S. crafted ceasefire would require Hamas to disarm. Regional players like Qatar and Turkey are expected to lean hard on the group not to stall negotiations.

🇻🇪 VENEZUELA
Nobel Eve No-Show

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate María Corina Machado had her Oslo news conference abruptly canceled after hours of unexplained delay, just one day before the ceremony.

• Schedule: Machado was set for the traditional pre-ceremony briefing in Oslo. The midday slot drifted by with no appearance and no explanation.

• Notice: The Nobel Institute finally emailed reporters, saying the event "will not take place today" and hinted again that her travel has been difficult.

• Silence: Her team has offered no details on her location or travel plan. She has not appeared publicly since January after a brief detention during an anti-Maduro protest.