The Office of the President of Ukraine has published its recommendations for a draft treaty on security guarantees.

The Kyiv Security Compact is a joint document on strategic partnership that unites Ukraine and the guarantor states.

Recommendations

The recommendations provide for a multi-level approach to guarantees. A core group of allies would make commitments to support Ukraine’s armed forces, while a broader group would provide non-military guarantees built around sanctions mechanisms.

The European Commission has adopted a European Media Freedom Act, a novel set of rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU. The proposed Regulation includes, among others, safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance. It puts a focus on the independence and stable funding of public service media as well as on the transparency of media ownership and of the allocation of state advertising. It also sets out measures to protect independence of editors and disclose conflicts of interest.

The situation has deteriorated such that Hungary has become an “electoral autocracy”

EU inaction exacerbated the backslide; recovery funds should be withheld until the country complies with EU recommendations and court rulings.

Lack of progress in the Article 7 process would amount to a rule of law breach by the Council

Parliament condemns the “deliberate and systematic efforts of the Hungarian government” to undermine European values and demands results in the Article 7 process.

Authors: Bryan Frederick, Samuel Charap, Scott Boston, Stephen J. Flanagan, Michael J. Mazarr, Jennifer D.P. Moroney, Karl P. Mueller

Source: Rand Corpiation

Pathway 0 Escalation Spiral That Could Have Already Begun.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a a Eurasian political, economic and security organization. In terms of geographic scope and population, it is the world's largest regional organization, covering approximately 60% of the area of Eurasia, 40% of the world population, and more than 30% of global GDP.

The SCO is governed by the Heads of State Council (HSC), its supreme decision-making body, which meets once a year.

Membership

Putin’s regime now faces a difficult choice; the war is dragging on and its undersupplied forces are likely becoming demoralized as they come under pressure from Ukraine’s well-organized and well-armed army. Putin now essentially has three options.

Ranking of EU countries by number of billionaires

1. Germany
2. Italy
3. Sweden
4. France
5. Spain
6. Austria
7. Netherlands
8. Czech Republic
9. Ireland
10. Denmark
11. Finland
12. Poland
13. Portugal
14. Cyprus
15. Greece
16. Belgium
17. Bulgaria
18. Romania
19. Slovakia
20. Estonia
21. Hungary

Germany

As of 2022, there are 43 sovereign states in the world with a monarch as head of state, 13 in Asia, 12 in Europe, 9 in the Americas, 6 in Oceania and 3 in Africa.

Common wealth realms

Membres de plein droit

1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Australia
3. Bahamas
4. Bangladesh
5. Barbados
6. Belize
7. Botswana
8. Brunei
9. Cameroon
10. Canada
11. Cyprus
12. Dominica
13. Eswatini
14. Fiji
15. Gabon
16. Gambia
17. Ghana
18. Grenada
19. Guyana
20. India
21. Jamaica
22. Kirubati
23. Lesotho
24. Malawi
25. Malaysia
26. Maldives
27. Malta