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Project Porcupine. Assessing the fantasy of an EU military surge.

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2 months ago

5 minute read

“An alliance with a powerful person is never safe.”—Phaedrus

The day after the historic debacle in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received yet another round of “whatever-it-takes” assurances from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, and Russia claimed to have shot down three Ukranian drones from its airspace. Russia asserts that Ukraine aimed to hit a key compressor station on the TurkStream pipeline, one of two remaining active gas links between Russia and Europe. If destroyed, Europe would have plunged into a deep energy crisis. The diplomatic response was swift:

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asked his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, to use all means at his disposal to prevent future attacks and Fidan pledged to do so, the Russian foreign ministry said on its website. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, whose country receives Russian gas through Turkstream, said on Facebook that Lavrov had informed him of the attack by telephone. Szijjarto said the operation of Turkstream was critical to Hungary’s energy security and called on the European Union to uphold guarantees that infrastructure linked to the 27-nation bloc would not come under attack.”
Last ties | Sesfa

We warned of this vulnerability in our January Pro Tier presentation, Natural Gas Between Russia and Europe: History, Current Crisis, and Future Prospects (now unlocked for all subscribers here), and the attack underscores the live-wire risk of fighting wars by proxy: proxies can go rogue. This risk intensifies as the proxy realizes the war is lost, a reality that even Zelensky must be grappling with as he ping-pongs from one crisis meeting to the next. Zelensky’s thinly veiled threat that the US would soon “feel” the pain of the war, delivered to the US president for all the world to hear, leaves little doubt about the intended message behind the TurkStream mission.

With the US looking to wash its hands of the war, leaders of the European Union (EU) are gathering tomorrow in Brussels to plot their next move. Coming on the heels of the summit held in London on Sunday, the EU is pushing forward on a historical proposal to replace the financial and military resources previously provided to Ukraine by the US. Not all European capitals are thrilled about it:

“The European Union is preparing for a military spending bonanza. But for governments, it’s not only about the cash.

An emergency meeting of EU leaders on Thursday to figure out how to boost Europe’s security, amid United States President Donald Trump’s looming military disengagement from the continent, should be a chance to project a show of unity. But instead, it looks like a power grab is on the cards.

National capitals fear European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will exploit this crisis to extend Brussels’ powers to new areas and strengthen her influence vis-à-vis national governments.”
Not wasting this crisis | Getty

The enthusiasm to create a multinational military comes on the heels of von der Leyen’s ambitious plans to reindustrialize the EU and establish a place of prominence in the AI arms race. Among the many problems with this vision, one is determinative: physics. That Europe is a drone attack away from yet another energy emergency is scandalous enough, but it is also testimony to the impossibility of converting platitudes into bombs. Brussels might refuse to acknowledge this fundamental truth, let alone confront it, but it is the sort of problem that cannot be wished away. The numbers are truly shocking.

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International

Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre reportedly dies by suicide

Published on April 27, 2025

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Virginia Giuffre sued the Duke of York in 2021, claiming that he had sexually abused her while she was a teenager. According to her, Jeffrey Epstein, a former sex offender, trafficked her to Prince Andrew.

From LifeSiteNews

By Stephen Kokx

Giuffre had become the most visible of Epstein’s accusers in recent years, with her reported suicide coming just a month after she was struck by a bus.

Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre died by suicide Friday, her family has reportedly announced, according to NBC News. She was 41-years-old.

Giuffre had become the most visible of Epstein’s accusers in recent years. She was hit by a bus in March and suffered injuries that apparently left her in critical condition, though the New York Post stated that police described the accident as a “minor collision.”

Giuffre posted on Instagram not long after the incident that medical staff had given her “four days to live.” Paradoxically, she was released from the hospital on April 7. She reportedly passed away in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living. Her cause of death is not known.

In 2019, Giuffre published a statement on X that declared, “in no way, shape or form am I suicidal … too many evil people want to see me quieted,” leaving many on social media to speculate that foul play was involved with her death. Though some have argued that the abuse she apparently suffered at the hands of her husband, her recent injuries and media attacks took such a toll on her that she likely did take her own life.

Giuffre has long-maintained that Epstein and his then-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently behind bars, coerced her and others into performing illicit acts with prominent figures, including the U.K.’s Prince Andrew. Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew that claimed he had abused her while she was still a minor. The case was settled out of court for $12 million.

In a disturbing development, Lady Victoria Hervey, who has dated Prince Andrew, took to Instagram to seemingly celebrate Giuffre’s suffering. Attached to a photo of a bruised Giuffre during her visit to the hospital, Hervey added the words “karma” and “what goes around comes around.”

Epstein was reportedly an Israeli intelligence asset. For decades he would fly high-profile Western politicians and prominent figures like former U.S. President Bill Clinton to his private compound in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also had other luxurious properties as well. His New York penthouse included a painting of Clinton in a purple dress. It was at his island where he would allegedly record his guests in compromising situations to blackmail them for political favors.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 08: US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman announces charges against Jeffery Epstein on July 8, 2019 in New York City. Epstein will be charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

The “Epstein files” were partially released by the Trump administration earlier this year. They were supposed to have included the names and details of Epstein’s many schemes. Conservatives have ridiculed the files for lacking transparency. Some have suggested that Trump himself along with other public persons are implicated in them, including Epstein’s former lawyer Alan Dershowitz, which would explain why they were not fully released.

GOP Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna took to X to express sympathy for Giuffre’s family.

Giuffre was born in 1983. She had a troubled youth, eventually finding work at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago country club. She was first approached by Maxwell in the year 2000. Epstein reportedly died by suicide in his New York jail cell in 2019 while Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prion on federal sex-trafficking charges.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, call the the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

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International

History in the making? Trump, Zelensky hold meeting about Ukraine war in Vatican ahead of Francis’ funeral

Published on April 26, 2025

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From LifeSiteNews

By Stephen Kokx

Trump and Zelenksy held an impromptu 15-minute meeting inside the Vatican just moments before Francis’ funeral. The Ukrainian leader later said a ‘ceasefire’ was discussed.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met inside St. Peter’s Basilica today moments before the start of Pope Francis’ funeral.  

 

Trump and Zelensky were in Rome along with over 160 dignitaries, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Javier Milei of Argentina, and Prince William of the United Kingdom. The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals. 

Trump and Zelenksy held an impromptu 15-minute meeting inside the Vatican while seated in two chairs. Zelenksy later said on X that their conversation involved discussing a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and forging a “reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.” 

Photographs circulating on social media showed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron also joined in on the conversation. They held private meetings with Zelensky as well. 

Trump’s social media team shared photos and videos of the president and his wife Melania. In one of them, Trump is seen meeting with New York Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is a longtime friend.  

Leaders from various non-Catholic religions attended the funeral as well, including Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, Zoroastrians, though no Muslim or Jewish leaders were officially present per Vatican reporter Michael Haynes. Israel’s Foreign Ministry X account deleted several controversial posts it had initially issued after Francis’ death. Francis had been especially critical of the country’s war in Gaza, hinting on multiple occasions that it may constitute genocide. 

After landing in Rome for the funeral Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had “a good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine.” He urged both countries to “meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’” 

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