Putin is ready to squeeze Russia’s outrageously wealthy elite to fund a future war with NATO, analysts say

Business Insider

Putin is ready to squeeze Russia’s outrageously wealthy elite to fund a future war with NATO, analysts say

Tom Porter – March 21, 2024

Putin is ready to squeeze Russia’s outrageously wealthy elite to fund a future war with NATO, analysts say
  • Vladimir Putin is moving to squeeze Russia’s wealthy elite, a think tank said.
  • He needs the money to boost military spending, analysts said, and is prepared to ruffle feathers.
  • Analysts said it’s a sign Putin’s readying for a war with NATO.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to squeeze Russia’s wealthy elite to fund a conflict with NATO, a think tank said.

The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, drew attention to two recent speeches in which Putin voiced rare criticism of the rich loyalists who’ve been the backbone of his power.

In a Tuesday meeting with leaders from Russia’s lower parliament, the Duma, Putin set out the priorities for his new term in office.

He urged officials to “act in the interest of the state instead of corporations or parties.”

The remarks could be seen as a thinly veiled swipe at the widespread corruption that characterizes modern Russia (and from which, Putin’s critics allege, he has also handsomely benefited).

In similar remarks given about a month before to Russia’s Federation Council, Putin said that “individuals who ‘lined their pockets’ in the 1990s” — who are among its crop of oligarchs — are not the real elite.

The actual elite, he said, “are workers and military servicemen who proved their loyalty to Russia.”

The ISW said the remarks indicated that Putin was sending a warning shot to the “siloviki,” the wealthy ex-security officials who form an important part of his power base.

Taken together, the remarks pick away at the long-standing implicit bargain analysts say Putin struck with the country’s wealthy, agreeing to leave their riches untouched in exchange for political support.

The ISW said Putin was changing tack, “signaling that Russia’s long-term financial stability will require imposing at least some pain on some wealthy industrialist siloviki,” it said.

Putin appears willing to risk his accord with his wealthy backers to boost preparations “for a potential future large-scale conflict with NATO,” the ISW said.

The report comes after a series of warnings from Western leaders that Putin might be preparing for a war with the West.

Denmark’s defense minister said it could come in as little as five years.

The NATO alliance has provided Ukraine with crucial support in fighting the Russian invasion, and Putin has repeatedly menaced the alliance with the prospect of nuclear war.

Analysts say that the Russian president has long harbored ambitions to seize back control of territory in northern and eastern Europe that was once part of the Soviet Union and that victory in Ukraine could embolden him.

But fulfilling that ambition would not come cheap.

Who are the siloviki?

When Putin came to power in 1999, he moved to punish some who had grown wealthy during the liberalization of Russia in the ’90s.

Specifically, he took on those who challenged him, such as the oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

A new faction expanded its power under Putin, the siloviki.

Some were handed control over state energy companies and corporations in an apparent exchange for their loyalty, becoming vastly wealthy.

The US sought to undermine Putin’s power by targeting the assets of Russia’s wealthy loyalists in a series of sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war’s start.

But the Russian economy has managed to withstand the worst effects of the fallout from the Ukraine war, and the loyalty of Putin’s wealthy backers has mostly held firm.

Some members of the Russian business elite were critical of the Ukraine war, fearing the effects on Russia’s economy and society. But, The Guardian reported, many have since resigned themselves to the war and Putin’s continued rule.

And it’s not just Putin’s willingness to shake up his relationship with his wealthy loyalists that indicates his readiness to rapidly expand Russia’s military.

Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister, announced plans Wednesday to massively expand Russia’s armed forces by creating two new armies.

Analysts say that Russia is also expanding its military presence in Russia’s northwest, near the borders with NATO’s Baltic allies.

“Several Russian financial, economic, and military indicators suggest that Russia is preparing for a large-scale conventional conflict with NATO,” the ISW said, “not imminently but likely on a shorter timeline than what some Western analysts have initially posited.”

The Latvian sandwich makers training to push Putin’s army into ‘kill zones’

The Telegraph

The Latvian sandwich makers training to push Putin’s army into ‘kill zones’

Sophia Yan – March 21, 2024

Matiss Lopsa, 21, spends a few weeks training with the national guard
Matiss Lopsa, 21, spends a few weeks training with the national guard – ANRIJS POZARSKIS

For most of the year, Matiss Lopsa makes sandwiches in a fashionable cafe in eastern Latvia, but for a few weeks the 21-year-old puts his apron aside and picks up a rifle to train with the national guard.

His home town, Rezekne, lies 35 miles from the border with Russia and is on a direct road to Moscow.

The proximity to danger is not lost on Mr Lopsa.

In January, Latvia reintroduced conscription for men aged 18 to 27 – even for those living abroad. Two years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there are growing fears that Vladimir Putin could make a strike against Nato.

“I thought the government might bring back the draft,” said Mr Lopsa. “So I decided to volunteer, to choose to do this myself now, rather than be surprised if I was suddenly called up.”

He believes the government was right to begin training men like himself how to fight.

“I’m all for it – I think it’s a very, very good way to discipline young men,” said Mr Lopsa, after a day spent tossing meat and vegetables onto flatbread.

“That way, if you are called into war, you won’t be caught short on the first day not physically knowing how to do anything.”

Conscription was reintroduced in Latvia in January 2024 for men 18 to 27
Himars rocket system training in Latvia. Conscription has been reintroduced in the country for men 18 to 27 – INTS KALNINS/REUTERS

It is in anticipation of that “first day” that the Latvian government is seeking to expand its armed forces to 61,000, between active and reserve forces.

In 2024, the military will draft a total of 600 soldiers, with the goal of bringing in 4,000 per year by 2028.

There are exceptions, for example men who are the sole guardians of children or elderly parents, or are studying at university.

Draft-dodgers face fines and a prison sentence of up to five years during wartime.

Latvia is also developing the capabilities of its military. The government has procured new weapons systems from the US, including the Himars rocket system – a key part of Ukraine’s defence against Russia.

It has also purchased German Iris-T air defence units and a naval coastal defence system produced by Kongsberg, a Norwegian firm, and US defence contractor Raytheon. The government has agreed to construct a defensive line with neighbouring Estonia and Lithuania.

Together, the three Baltic nations share the longest Nato border with Russia and Belarus, running about 1,000 miles.

Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are working together to create a defensive line against Russia if it starts to advance
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are working together to create a defensive line against Russia if it starts to advance – SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE

One concern along that stretch of land is the lack of geographical obstacles to any invading force.

Tomas Jermalavicius, the head of studies at the International Centre for Defence and Security in Estonia, said: “There are places where there are thick woods and rivers. But there are also places where it’s really wide open, and where it’s really close to critical points.

“If there are no obstacles … the enemy could be standing at the capital doors in no time.”

Targets that could be vulnerable include Lithuania’s capital, Vilinius, and Latvia’s second-largest city, Daugavpils – both less than 20 miles from the border to Belarus.

There’s also the Suwalki Gap, a roughly 60-mile land strip on the border between Poland and Lithuania. It’s a choke point, flanked to the West by the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and to the east by Belarus, an ally of Moscow.

Were Moscow to seize this strip – known as Nato’s Achilles’ Heel – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania would be severed from their Nato allies.

Geographical obstacles are of critical concern to the three countries
Geographical obstacles are of critical concern to the three countries – SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE

Estonia’s new border defence plan aims to address these concerns by working to “channel advancing forces into ‘kill zones’ identified by the defenders for drone fire, for artillery – to turn those channels into a meat grinder”, said Mr Jermalavicius.

While details are still being worked out, Estonia has already said it will build hundreds of bunkers that can withstand direct artillery fire.

Working together is crucial.

“If Estonia does something Latvia does not do, and it becomes possible to launch an attack on Estonia through Latvian territory – this kind of stuff needs to be co-ordinated,” Mr Jermalavicius said.

Already, Latvia is incorporating lessons from the battlefield in Ukraine, where the country’s military instructors have helped to train local soldiers – an exchange that has boosted understanding both ways.

Troops are no longer only drilling in open fields but learning how to engage enemy combatants in urban settings.

But not everyone is as positive about the draft as Mr Lopsa.

Two teenage boys, 16 and 17, in Zilupe, a tiny Latvian town about four miles from Russia, simply laughed off the prospect.

Another boy, 17, told The Telegraph that he’d simply leave the country to evade service.

Konstantin Tupikins, 28, who has just aged out of the military requirement, thinks his younger brother, 15, would not make it as a soldier.

“He’s not really someone with this kind of bravery and courage,” said Mr Tupikins, who now works in the UK, and was home to visit his mother in Zilupe.

Konstantin Tupikins, 28, is over conscription age but fears for his brother
Konstantin Tupikins, 28, is over conscription age but fears for his brother – ANRIJS POZARSKIS

On a wintry walk with her daughter in a pram, 28-year-old Ekaterina is “quite against” the idea.

“The government hasn’t done enough for us; for people with disabilities or parents with prams, these winter sidewalks aren’t safe,” she said, gesturing at the icy paths, and declining to give a surname.

“Now they’re asking us to give our children?”

War would especially impact border towns like Zilupe – first, as a potential target given close proximity to Russia; and second, because the majority of its nearly 1,400 residents are Russian.

The primary language here is Russian – not Latvian, nor the local dialect, Latgalian.

Experts worry that these eastern reaches of Latvia – with villages populated by Russians and Belarussians – could give Putin fodder to “justify” an invasion and to establish “people’s republic”, as he did in Ukraine with Donetsk and Luhansk.

Many of Zilupe’s residents settled here before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, retaining family ties in Russia.

Before war broke out in Ukraine, people travelled often between Latvia and Russia.

Trips were so frequent that the train station – the last stop before Russia – is still plastered with signs of what travellers can bring into the EU, including a maximum of 125 grams of caviar.

Some still make the trek, though far fewer do so now, as Latvia has closed many border crossings to Russia and Belarus. Cross-border trains have largely stopped, and untouched snow blankets the tracks running east.

Families on both sides of conflict

The town’s complicated dynamics are perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that residents have sons and nephews enlisted on both sides in the Russian and Ukrainian militaries.

Vladimir, 89, who lives in Zilupe and is from Ukraine, with a son in the military, said: “I regret that innocent young people have to get involved in war. Latvia’s demographics are so old, and now we have to send our youths.”

In Riga, the capital, support for Ukraine remains overwhelming. Government buildings hang Ukraine’s flag and its blue-and-yellow colours can be found on everything from tram doors to trinkets such as coffee cups and candles.

While this reflects widespread unease that Latvia could find itself in Putin’s path, it also reveals a deep-seated resolve to defend the country’s hard-won independence.

The Freedom Monument, a 42-metre sculpture of a copper Liberty erected in 1935, stands testament to that desire.

The statue, which survived decades under Soviet occupation, is guarded today by two soldiers at its stone base; police officers patrol the square.

Krisjanis Karins, Latvia’s foreign minister, said: “We simply have to do things differently than if we weren’t living next to Russia. And, you know, Latvia has always been next to Russia.

“It has never been a democratic country … and this is what’s troubling,” he said. “They won’t stop of their own accord; they can only be stopped.

“They need to run up against the brick wall, and that brick wall needs to be Nato resolve and proven capabilities.”

Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the 7th year running. See the top 20.

Business Insider

Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the 7th year running. See the top 20.

Beatrice Nolan and Ana Altchek – March 20, 2024

A woman in Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki, Finland.Lingxiao Xie/Getty Images
  • Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the seventh year in a row.
  • The World Happiness Report released its annual rankings of the happiest countries on Wednesday.
  • The US fell out of the top 20 as youth happiness plummeted.

Finland has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year.

The World Happiness Report released its annual rankings of the happiest countries on Wednesday, with the majority of the top spots going to European nations.

The report, published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, relies on data from the Gallup World Poll, which is analyzed by some of the world’s leading well-being scientists.

The rankings represent the average view of life satisfaction in respective countries, known as “subjective well-being.”

Finland has managed to hold onto the top spot despite Denmark significantly closing the gap between first and second place.

On the flip side, Afghanistan, which was also ranked in last place in 2023, dropped even further for average happiness. America also saw a drop in perceived quality of life, dropping out of the top twenty countries for the first time since the report was published.

Young Americans ranked the lowest, with Gen Z loneliness increasing.

Here’s the full list of the top twenty happiest countries in the world, according to the report.

20. United Kingdom

The London tube.
The London tube.Tim Grist/Getty Images

According to the report, older people in the UK are significantly happier than younger age groups.

Despite the UK maintaining its ranking, a recent report from US nonprofit Sapien Labs’ Mental State of the World Report said that the UK is the second most miserable country in the world. It ranked below Ukraine, and the report indicated that factors like having a smartphone at a young age, eating highly processed foods, and decreased social relationships contributed.

19. Lithuania

Street in Lithuania
A street in LithuaniaRicardo Sergio Schmitz

While it’s No. 19 overall, Lithuania ranked as the happiest country for you people, according to the Gallup report. The country’s capital city, Vilnius, is known for attracting young workers from across the globe because of better work opportunities.

18. Czechia

CZECHIA
A square in Czechia.Courtesy of National Geographic

Czechia maintained its ranking as 18 for the second year in a row. The country is known for its strong work-life balance and low cost of living.

According to the report, growing happiness in Czechia and other transition countries of Eastern Europe, like Lithuania and Slovenia, is partially why the US and Germany have fallen below the top 20 mark.

17. Ireland

Dublin, Ireland.
Dublin, Ireland.Getty Images

Ireland has a slower pace of life and is full of cultural traditions, with drinking being a big one. It also has affordable healthcare and a good work-life balance where weekend getaways are common and encouraged.

16. Belgium

a view of wavre, belgium town hall
Wavre, Belgium.boerescul/Getty Images

Despite a high tax rate, many companies in Belgium offer perks like company cars, meal stipends, and affordable healthcare.

Antwerp, the biggest city in the Flanders region of Belgium, has previously been named one of the happiest cities in the world.

15. Canada

A man wrapped in two Canadian flag parades down an empty street.
A man wrapped in the Canadian flag.Dave Chan

Canada and the UK are the only countries with populations over 30 million that made the top 20 ranking in the report.

Older Canadians are significantly happier than younger age groups in the country. According to a breakdown of younger and older residents in each country, Canadians under 30 ranked 50 points lower than those 60 and older.

14. Austria

a photo of the Vienna, Austria Skyline.
Vienna, Austria.Giannis Alexopoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Many Americans have moved to Vienna and Linz for better work opportunities and overall quality of life. Shortages in engineering, nursing, and baking have opened up opportunities for people living in other countries.

One expat dad living in the country said his overall mental health improved in Austria and the move relieved some of his anxiety related to work. He also gets to travel more easily and spend more time with his family.

Austrians get 38 days of paid time off per year, with 25 days of paid vacation and an additional 13 public holidays off.

13. Kuwait

Kuwait downtown luxury
Downtown Kuwait.trabantos / Getty Images

Kuwait is newly ranked in the top 20 happiest countries. Workers in the private sector get 30 days of paid time off a year, one of the highest amounts of PTO in the world.

12. Costa Rica

Waterfall and pond in Nicoya, Costa Rica.
A waterfall in Nicoya, Costa Rica. underworld111/Getty Images

Costa Rica returned to the top 20 list after earning the same ranking in 2012, according to the Gallup report. Housing isn’t cheap, but some residents save money on utilities and transportation.

Others have reported improved mental health after moving there from the lifestyle and culture that centers around wildlife and nature.

11. New Zealand

Aerial View Of Auckland City's skyline in New Zealand at sunrise
Aerial View Of Auckland City’s skyline in New Zealand at sunrise.Jonathan Clark/Getty Images

According to some Americans who moved to New Zealand, housing costs are high, and buying options are limited. But work-life balance is better, and education and healthcare come at a lower cost.

Despite its high ranking, the report reveals that younger people living in New Zealand are significantly less happy than older residents. A separate list comparing young and older age groups in each country found that Kiwis 60 and older ranked in sixth place in happiness globally, while Kiwis under 30 ranked at 27.

10. Australia

The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.
The iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia. James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Australia has a reputation for offering one-of-a-kind experiences in nature, like snorkeling with turtles off the Great Barrier Reef or observing kangaroos in wildlife preserves. It’s also known for its laidback culture and relaxing vibe.

9. Switzerland

The Bernina Express train in Switzerland
The Bernina Express train in Switzerland.Roberto Moiola/Getty Images

Switzerland was previously named the world’s best country by US News & World Report, and its business-friendly culture was a big part of the ranking.

Switzerland is a hub for raw materials like oil, and the country may also benefit from its historical stance of neutrality during international conflicts.

8. Luxembourg

Luxembourg city old town
The old town of Luxembourg City.Getty Images

Luxembourg is known for its rich history, tasty pastries, and fairytale aesthetic in some of its villages like Echternach.

According to an American student who moved there for grad school, the lower cost of tuition and cheaper healthcare necessities were a perk. Other notable factors included an efficient transportation system and a strong work-life balance that made a difference for her.

7. Norway

oslo norway
Oslo, Norway.Getty Images

Norway maintained a high ranking in the report, but it also experienced a drop in scores among younger age groups.

While the weather doesn’t bode well for everyone, the country’s capital Oslo has previously been ranked as the best city in the world for work-life balance. Oslo has high employment opportunities in the life sciences, IT, and energy and environmental technology sectors.

6. The Netherlands

Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Mouneb Taim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A large part of Dutch culture lies in the concept of “niksen,” or doing nothing. Dutch residents value relaxation and tend to be friendly and welcoming to others.

The country is also known for its transportation system and Dutch-style home mortgages that make it easier for some residents to buy property.

5. Israel

Jerusalem, Israel
Israel.Nick Brundle Photography/Getty Images

Israel remained in the top five happiest countries in the world, moving down one ranking and 0.9 of a percentage point from last year. While the poll was taken before warfare in Gaza escalated, it was taken after the October 7 attack and hostage crisis.

With men and women joining the military at 18 years old, Israelis value living live in the present. The country also places high importance on community and family life, and less emphasis on work and status.

4. Sweden

Norrbro Bridge and the Royal Opera building in Stockholm, Sweden.
Norrbro Bridge and the Royal Opera building in Stockholm, Sweden.Murat Taner/Getty Images

According to the Gallup report, older Swedish people are significantly happier than younger age groups in the country.

Sweden is known for its high level of safety and strong work-life balance. According to one consultant from California who moved to Sweden, it took two years to secure a full-time job but now she gets six weeks of paid vacation time and also secured a free master’s.

3. Iceland

Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland.
Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland.Phillip Chow/Getty Images

Despite limited sunlight in the winters, Iceland managed to rank in the top three happiest countries for the second year in a row. While rent is rising in Iceland, it’s still cheaper than in other countries, and the cost of living is relatively low with healthcare heavily subsidized and nearly free.

2. Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Denmark is known for its “hygge” culture, which is the Danish concept of relaxing and enjoying simple comforts — the term is used in different settings to reinforce the idea of having fun.

The country is also known for its exceptional childcare, with Copenhagen ranked as one of the best places to raise children.

1. Finland

Market Square and Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
Market Square and Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral in Finland.Jon Hicks/Getty Images

Finland has a strong sense of democracy, and its public institutions and policies reinforce it.

Some attribute the high satisfaction of its residents to its welfare policy, which covers necessities for residents from “cradle to grave.” The policy offers free healthcare and free education from elementary school to college.

Bolton says Trump wants to be treated like North Korean leader: ‘Get ready’

The Hill

Bolton says Trump wants to be treated like North Korean leader: ‘Get ready’

Lauren Irwin – March 20, 2024

Former national security adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that former President Trump wants to be treated like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and people should “get ready.”

“Donald Trump wants Americans to treat him like North Koreans treat Kim Jung Un. Get ready…..” Bolton posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Bolton, who served as the national security adviser under the Trump administration, posted a viral clip of Trump speaking with Fox News’s Steve Doocy in 2018, where the former president offered praise for the North Korean leader.

“He’s the head of a country, and I mean he’s the strong head. Don’t let anyone think anything different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention,” Trump said in the clip. “I want my people to do the same.”

Bolton joins a list of former Trump officials who are warning of his return to power, just after he clinched the Republican nomination for president and will face off against President Biden in the polls this fall.

The clip of Trump speaking highly of Kim follows a meeting between the former president and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump received sharp criticism for meeting with the Hungarian leader, who said he hopes to see Trump return to the White House.

After the meeting, Trump said Orbán is a “Great Leader” who is “respected all over the World.” The former president has also favorably commented about Adolf Hitler on multiple occasions.

In the past, Trump has said that he would not be a dictator if he were reelected, “Except for day one.”

Meet the wealthy boomer Americans fleeing to Portugal, Spain, and Italy out of fear of a Donald Trump presidency: ‘This country of mine has become intolerant’

Fortune

Meet the wealthy boomer Americans fleeing to Portugal, Spain, and Italy out of fear of a Donald Trump presidency: ‘This country of mine has become intolerant’

Ryan Hogg – March 20, 2024

Fortune· Gabriel Mello—Getty Images

For years, aging Americans have looked south to Florida for their ideal retirement home to escape into retirement from their four-decade grinds in the U.S. workforce.

But wealthy citizens are increasingly considering a life across the Atlantic, with an unappealing showdown between Joe Biden and Donald Trump being labeled as the reason.

‘This country of mine has become intolerant’

David, a 65-year-old lawyer from Chicago, is going to Portugal on a scouting trip next month with a $500,000 budget in the hopes of finding a new second home on the Silver Coast, between Lisbon and Porto.

The lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous, citing concerns he might be harassed, said the political climate had turned so toxic that he was driven to seek peace across the Atlantic.

As the grandson of four immigrants who landed on Ellis Island, David has become particularly perturbed by debate in the U.S. around immigration.

“This country of mine has become intolerant,” David says.

“This country has always vilified people who are not like them. So we see these pictures of people on the south of the border, and they’re just people, but both sides use them for political reasons, and that’s just one example of the absolute intolerance, and it’s sad.”

The lawyer is also moving to escape the looming threat of gun violence.

“I told my wife about 15 years ago that I had made peace with the fact that I could be shot dead at any moment in time in this country,” David said.

David is hoping to close a deal before the U.S. elections in November, because he believes that if Trump secures a second term as President, demand for homes abroad could skyrocket.

Americans rushing abroad

The lawyer isn’t just going on a scouting trip for himself next month. He and his wife intend to earmark locations and properties for five of their other friends.

David’s and his friend’s politically motivated decision to start uncoupling themselves from their home country isn’t uncommon, according to Kylie Adamec, a real estate consultant for Casa Azul who is advising David and other Americans on their moves.

“People are not caring so much about the tax situation, they’re more concerned with what’s going to happen in the United States in the next couple of months. Come November with the election, people just want to have options set up,” Adamec told Fortune.

Last week, Donald Trump and Joe Biden were confirmed as the respective Republican and Democrat nominees for the U.S. presidency in a rematch of 2020.

If this year’s battle is anything like the last one, voters can expect an incredibly toxic election battle, something Adamec’s clients are well aware of.

“From what I can see, it’s, this is a first-time thing in terms of the decision of an election really being a determining factor in whether or not someone moves abroad, be it full-time or part-time.”

Adamec says it’s a mix of American buyers looking at property options in Portugal, but they are more left-leaning.

According to Marco Permunian, you can get a good sense of political instability in the U.S. simply by observing the number of people applying for Italian passports through his company, Italian Citizenship Assistance (ICA), at any given time.

Inquiries began to spike in 2016 following Trump’s election to the White House. They did so again in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic and instability stoked by protests and riots following the murder of George Floyd, as well as after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.

As the U.S. gears up for a second gruesome showdown between Trump and Biden, it’s no surprise that ICA has seen inquiries triple since the end of last year.

The latest spike, though, is attributable to exhaustion on both sides of the political spectrum, Permunian says.

The majority of his clients are from the East Coast areas of New York, Pennsylvania, and Boston, but there are more dotted across the country in places like California and Texas.

He says demand for passports is often the first move for many in a long-term plan to seek a new home in Italy or elsewhere in the European Union, rather than a sign of imminent emigration.

“The majority is still not ready to move but is getting ready, just in case,” Permunian told Fortune.

The company mainly works with people between the ages of 35 and 65 who are looking for extra citizenship options.

That chimes with the latest data. The latest USA Wealth Report found a record number of Americans were looking abroad for residency and citizenship options as the political environment frayed.

Christopher Willis, managing director of citizenship and residency advisor Latitude Consultancy, is experiencing a 300% increase in client inquiries.

It means the smart money is going toward getting exit plans in place now before demand jumps further later in the year. Portugal and Spain are proving to be particularly popular European locations for Willis’s clients.

“People are not waiting for November. They’re getting their affairs in order now,” Willis says.

“So if things go sideways, they’ve already got the option to act on it as opposed to scrambling once the election is completed.”

Steven, who is also is also using a pseudonym as he is awaiting visa approval, is a New Yorker making the move to Portugal through Casa Azul. Having grown sick of New York City, he and his Brazilian wife are giving up their $3,500 rent in the Big Apple for a $2,100 per month three-bedroom home in Lisbon.

“It’s a great city if you have to still have ambition and drive,” Steven says of New York. “But if you want to downshift a little, it will just steamroll you.”

While the political climate isn’t the main reason for his move, Steven acknowledged that the U.S. political system had become “crazy.”

“Being back here is horrifying,” Steven said.

Europe’s own political toxicity

Americans escaping the U.S. in the event of a Trump presidency may find the grass isn’t necessarily greener across the pond.

Europe may appear a haven for U.S. expats tired of their polarized climate and growing threats of violence, but the continent is no longer the safe or mild-mannered haven it has been for so much of the post-World War Two era.

Trump has threatened to pull out of NATO if he is re-elected if “delinquent” European nations don’t pay an agreed 2% of their GDP towards membership in the bloc.

That leaves Europe strategically exposed, as leading figures from the Airbus CEO to European Commission chief Christine Lagarde have warned.

It is also more complicated than it once was for Americans to buy their place on the continent.

Portugal scrapped its golden visa program last year, which allowed foreigners to acquire residency and eventually citizenship in the country through the purchase of property. This set off a scramble to secure visas in the country before the scheme closed.

A higher level of investment, crucially not in real estate, is now the best option for wealthy foreigners.

There are fears that the elevation of right-wing parties into the country’s parliament could further intensify harmful rhetoric against immigrants, aping the kind of polarization that has become commonplace in the U.S.

In Italy, the ruling far-right party has made sweeping changes to the country’s cultural landscape and clamped down on immigration.

Casa Azul’s Adamec, though, said despite expecting inquiries about residency in Portugal to nosedive following the closure of the golden visa program, applications have remained steady, probably fueled by the U.S. election.

As for Europe’s own political toxicity, David isn’t feeling anywhere near as anxious as events in the U.S. have made him.

“They’re all kind of like baby Trumps, so I’m not going to worry about it,” David says of Europe’s intensifying political cauldron.

“Portugal’s always been a pretty liberal place. I’m not overly concerned.”

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says world must make global rule of law ‘work again’

Reuters

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says world must make global rule of law ‘work again’

Josh Smith – March 20, 2024

Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy speaks with India’s PM Modi via phone line in Kyiv

SEOUL (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged world leaders on Wednesday to make a rules-based international order “work again” by standing up to Russian use of force.

In a video address to a global conference hosted by South Korea, Zelenskiy – whose country was invaded by Russia in 2022 – said many nations and regions of the world would benefit from the restoration of the international rule of law.

“Together we have to make the force that has gone mad come back to the rules, and make the rules work again,” he told the Summit for Democracy, an initiative of U.S. President Joe Biden aimed at discussing ways to stop democratic backsliding and erosion of rights and freedoms.

Zelenskiy said that for peace to prevail, the U.S. Congress – where political wrangling has held up passage of a bill that would provide $60 billion more in aid for Ukraine – must join the world in being the “co-authors of solid reliability.”

Kyiv and its Western partners have accused Russia of using false pretexts to wage an unjustified war of colonial conquest in Ukraine. Russia says it sent troops to Ukraine two years ago in a “special military operation” to ensure its own security.

Biden, a Democrat, has backed military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. Some members of Congress and former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican candidate in the U.S. presidential election in November, have opposed it.

This year’s Summit for Democracy largely focused on digital threats to elections and democracy, including AI-powered misinformation, spyware, and other technology.

Russia’s defence minister said on Wednesday that Russian troops were pushing Ukrainian forces back, and that Moscow would bolster its military by adding two new armies and 30 new formations by the end of this year.

Russia said last month its goals in Ukraine remain unchanged, including the demilitarisation and “denazification” of occupied regions, and preserving the broader security of Russia in the face of NATO encroachment.

(Reporting by Josh Smith, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

The world’s 100 worst polluted cities are in Asia — and 83 of them are in just one country

CNN – World – Climate

The world’s 100 worst polluted cities are in Asia — and 83 of them are in just one country

By Helen Regan, CNN – March 19, 2024

Morning walkers seen during a cold and hazy morning at Kartavya Path near India Gate on December 9, 2023 in New Delhi, India.
Morning walkers seen during a cold and hazy morning at Kartavya Path near India Gate on December 9, 2023 in New Delhi, India. 
Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

All but one of the 100 cities with the world’s worst air pollution last year were in Asia, according to a new report, with the climate crisis playing a pivotal role in bad air quality that is risking the health of billions of people worldwide.

The vast majority of these cities — 83 — were in India and all exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report by IQAir, which tracks air quality worldwide.

The study looked specifically at fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is the tiniest pollutant but also the most dangerous. Only 9% of more than 7,800 cities analyzed globally recorded air quality that met WHO’s standard, which says average annual levels of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

“We see that in every part of our lives that air pollution has an impact,” said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hammes. “And it typically, in some of the most polluted countries, is likely shaving off anywhere between three to six years of people’s lives. And then before that will lead to many years of suffering that are entirely preventable if there’s better air quality.”

When inhaled, PM2.5 travels deep into lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources like the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires, and has been linked to asthmaheart and lung disease, cancer, and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cognitive impairment in children.

Begusarai, a city of half a million people in northern India’s Bihar state, was the world’s most polluted city last year with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 — 23 times the WHO guidelines. It was followed in the IQAir rankings by the Indian cities of Guwahati, Assam; Delhi; and Mullanpur, Punjab.

Asian countries top air pollution ranking for 2023

In 2023, the average air quality in Bangladesh exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safety guidelines by nearly 16 times, making it the country with the worst air quality globally. Pakistan and India followed closely behind, with India occupying nine of the top 10 spots for the most polluted cities.

Countries where avg. PM2.5 concentration (micrograms per cubic meter) exceeded WHO guideline seven to 10 times in 2023

A bar chart showing 15 most polluted countries on average in 2023, with Bangladesh at the top. Bangladesh 79.9 – Pakistan 73.7 – India 54.4- Tajikistan 49 – Burkina Faso 46.6 – Iraq 43.8 – United Arab Emirates 43 -Nepal 42.4 – Egypt 42.4 – DR Congo 48.8 – Kuwait 39.9 – Bahrain 39.2 -Qatar 37.6 – Indonesia 37.1 – Rwanda 36.8

Note: The concentration of small air particles called PM2.5 is used to compare air quality as they are responsible for most air pollution today.

Source: IQAirGraphic: Rosa de Acosta and Krystina Shveda, CNN

Across India, 1.3 billion people, or 96% of the population, live with air quality seven times higher than WHO guidelines, according to the report.

Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions globally, home to all four of the most polluted countries last year: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan.

South Asia is of particular concern, with 29 of the 30 most polluted cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. The report ranked the major population centers of Lahore in 5th, New Delhi in 6th and Dhaka in 24th place.

Hammes said no significant improvement in pollution levels in the region is likely without “major changes in terms of the energy infrastructure and agricultural practices.”

“What’s also worrisome in many parts of the world is that the things that are causing outdoor air pollution are also sometimes the things that are causing indoor air pollution,” he added. “So cooking with dirty fuel will create indoor exposures that could be many times what you’re seeing outdoors.”

Video Ad Feedback. This is what happens to your body when you breathe polluted air03:08 – Source: CNN

A global problem

IQAir found that 92.5% of the 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions, and territories where it analyzed average air quality last year exceeded WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines.

Only 10 countries and territories had “healthy” air quality: Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and French Polynesia.

Millions of people die each year from air pollution-related health issues. Air pollution from fossil fuels is killing 5.1 million people worldwide every year, according to a study published in the BMJ in November. Meanwhile, WHO says 6.7 million people die annually from the combined effects of ambient and household air pollution.

Traffic on a Los Angeles freeway during the evening rush hour commute on April 12, 2023 in Alhambra, California. - US President Joe Biden's administration unveiled new proposed auto emissions rules, aiming to accelerate the electric vehicle transition with a target of two-thirds of the new US car market by 2032. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

RELATED ARTICLE: Switching to electric vehicles could prevent millions of illnesses in US children by 2050, report estimates

The human-caused climate crisis, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, plays a “pivotal” role in influencing air pollution levels, the IQAir report said.

The climate crisis is altering weather patterns, leading to changes in wind and rainfall, which affects the dispersion of pollutants. Climate change will only make pollution worse as extreme heat becomes more severe and frequent, it said.

The climate crisis is also leading to more severe wildfires in many regions and longer and more intense pollen seasons, both of which exacerbate health issues linked to air pollution.

“We have such a strong overlap of what’s causing our climate crisis and what’s causing air pollution,” Hammes said. “Anything that we can do to reduce air pollution will be tremendously impactful in the long term also for improving our climate gas emissions, and vice versa.”

Regional rankings

North America was badly affected by wildfires that raged in Canada from May to October last year. In May, the monthly average of air pollution in Alberta was nine times greater than the same month in 2022, the report found.

And for the first time, Canada surpassed the United States in the regional pollution rankings.

The wildfires also affected US cities such as Minneapolis and Detroit, where annual pollution averages rose by 30% to 50% compared to the previous year. The most polluted major US city in 2023 was Columbus, Ohio for the second year running. But major cities like Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles experienced significant drops in annual average pollution levels, the report said.

A coal fired power plant near a large floating solar farm project under construction on June 16, 2017 in Huainan, Anhui province, China.

RELATED ARTICLE: Global carbon pollution hits record high even as renewables surge

In Asia, however, pollution levels rebounded across much of the region.

China reversed a five-year trend of declining levels of pollution, the report found. Chinese cities used to dominate global rankings of the world’s worst air quality but a raft of clean air policies over the past decade has transformed things for the better.

study last year had found the campaign meant the average Chinese citizen’s lifespan is now 2.2 years longer. But thick smog returned to Beijing last year, where citizens experienced a 14% increase in the annual average PM2.5 concentration, according to the IQAir report. China’s most polluted city, Hotan, was listed at 14 in the IQAir ranking.

In Southeast Asia, only the Philippines saw a drop in annual pollution levels compared to the previous year, the report found.

Indonesia was the most polluted country in the region, with a 20% increase compared to 2022. Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand all had cities that exceeded WHO PM2.5 guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report.

Last month, Thai authorities ordered government employees to work from home due to unhealthy levels of pollution in the capital Bangkok and surrounding areas, according to Reuters. On Friday, tourism hot spot Chiang Mai was the world’s most polluted city as toxic smog brought by seasonal agricultural burning blanketed the northern city.

Inequality… and one bright spot

The report also highlighted a worrying inequality: the lack of monitoring stations in countries in Africa, South America and the Middle East, which results in a dearth of air quality data in those regions.

Although Africa saw an improvement in the number of countries included in this year’s report compared with previous years the continent largely remains the most underrepresented. According to IQAir, only 24 of 54 African countries had sufficient data available from their monitoring stations.

Seven African countries were among the new locations included in the 2023 rankings, including Burkina Faso, the world’s fifth most polluted country, and Rwanda, in 15th.

Several countries that ranked high on the most polluted list last year were not included for 2023 due to a lack of available data. They include Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2022.

“There is so much hidden air pollution still on the planet,” said Hammes.

One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality.

“Ultimately that’s great because it really shows governments that people do care,” Hammes said.

Kushner Pitches Moving Palestinians Out of Gaza’s ‘Valuable’ Waterfront

Daily Beast

Kushner Pitches Moving Palestinians Out of Gaza’s ‘Valuable’ Waterfront

Edith Olmsted – March 19, 2024

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has offered his own solution to the mass bloodshed and displacement in Gaza: some good, old-fashioned real estate development.

During an interview with Tarek Masoud, the faculty chair of Harvard’s Middle East Initiative, Kushner proposed moving Palestinians to Israel’s arid desert region to “clean up” Gaza’s “valuable” waterfront.

“Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable to—if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” Kushner said, without clarifying who exactly would profit off such a project. He added that the area could’ve had great potential if “all the money” in Gaza had gone into “education and innovation,” instead of its tunnel network and munitions.

Kushner’s statement comes on the heels of warnings from the United Nations that the people of Gaza are facing an “imminent famine” as Israel continues its offensive.

Kushner suggested displacing the remaining Palestinians from the “valuable” waterfront, and dropping them in the Negev desert.

“I would just bulldoze something in the Negev, I would try to move people in there, I know that that won’t be the popular thing to do, but I think that that’s a better option to do, so that you can go in and finish the job,” he said. The Jewish Virtual Library describes the Negev as “oppressively hot” and “filled more with dirt, rocks and canyons, which are no less forbidding” than sand dunes.

When asked about concerns that Palestinians would be prohibited from returning to Gaza, Kushner said, “I am not sure there’s much left of Gaza at this point.”

Kushner clarified that he didn’t know if Israeli officials were seriously considering displacing Palestinians to the Negev.

“I’m sitting in Miami Beach right now, and I’m looking at the situation and I’m thinking: what would I do if I was there?” Kushner said.

When asked if Israel should allow a Palestinian state, Kushner said it was a “super bad idea” and would “essentially be rewarding an act of terror.”

With the election behind him, Putin says Russia aims to set up a buffer zone inside Ukraine

Associated Press

With the election behind him, Putin says Russia aims to set up a buffer zone inside Ukraine

The Associated Press – March 18, 2024

Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are depicted in a tug-of-war game on a memorial in Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are depicted in a tug-of-war game on a memorial in Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Family members of Vitaliy Alimov, his mother Maria and his wife Natalia, mourn over his body before his funeral in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, Monday March 18, 2024. Alimov, a firefighter, was killed in the Russian attack on Odesa on Friday March 15. (AP Photo/Victor Sajenko)
Family members of Vitaliy Alimov, his mother Maria and his wife Natalia, mourn over his body before his funeral in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, Monday March 18, 2024. Alimov, a firefighter, was killed in the Russian attack on Odesa on Friday March 15. (AP Photo/Victor Sajenko)
FILE - Men in unmarked uniforms stand guard during the seizure of the Ukrainian corvette Khmelnitsky in Sevastopol, Crimea, Thursday, March 20, 2014. When Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly president was ousted in 2014 by mass protests that Moscow called a U.S.-instigated coup, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by sending troops to overrun Crimea and staging a plebiscite on joining Russia, which the West dismissed as illegal. (AP Photo, File)
Men in unmarked uniforms stand guard during the seizure of the Ukrainian corvette Khmelnitsky in Sevastopol, Crimea, Thursday, March 20, 2014. When Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted in 2014 by mass protests that Moscow called a U.S.-instigated coup, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by sending troops to overrun Crimea and staging a plebiscite on joining Russia, which the West dismissed as illegal. (AP Photo, File)
Emergency services workers look on as Military chaplain Archpriest Ioann shovels earth into the grave of Vitaliy Alimov during his funeral in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, Monday March 18, 2024. Alimov, a firefighter, was killed in the Russian attack on Odesa on Friday March 15. (AP Photo/Victor Sajenko)
Emergency services workers look on as Military chaplain Archpriest Ioann shovels earth into the grave of Vitaliy Alimov during his funeral in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine, Monday March 18, 2024. Alimov, a firefighter, was killed in the Russian attack on Odesa on Friday March 15. (AP Photo/Victor Sajenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said after extending his rule in an election that stifled opposition that Moscow will not relent in its invasion of Ukraine and plans to create a buffer zone to help protect against long-range Ukrainian strikes and cross-border raids.

The Kremlin’s forces have made battlefield progress as Kyiv’s troops struggle with a severe shortage of artillery shells and exhausted front-line units after more than two years of war. The front line stretches over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) across eastern and southern Ukraine.

Advances have been slow and costly, and Ukraine has increasingly used its long-range firepower to hit oil refineries and depots deep inside Russia. Also, groups claiming to be Ukraine-based Russian opponents of the Kremlin have launched cross-border incursions.

“We will be forced at some point, when we consider it necessary, to create a certain ‘sanitary zone’ on the territories controlled by the (Ukrainian government),” Putin said late Sunday.

This “security zone,” Putin said, “would be quite difficult to penetrate using the foreign-made strike assets at the enemy’s disposal.”

He spoke after the release of election returns that showed him securing a fifth six-year term in a landslide in an election devoid of any real opposition following his relentless crackdown on dissent.

Monday marks the 10th anniversary of Russia’s seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, which set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in February 2022. However, Putin has been vague about his goals in Ukraine since that full-scale invasion floundered.

Putin again warned the West against deploying troops to Ukraine. A possible conflict between Russia and NATO would put the world “a step away” from World War III, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently said that sending Western troops into Ukraine should not be ruled out, though he said the current situation does not require it.

Commenting on the prospects for peace talks with Kyiv, Putin reaffirmed that Russia remains open to negotiations but won’t be lured into a truce that will allow Ukraine to rearm.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has apparently shut the door on such talks, saying Putin should be brought to trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which last year issued an arrest warrant for Putin on war crime charges.

With crucial U.S. aid being held up in Washington, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham arrived in Kyiv on Monday, the U.S. Embassy said. Ukraine desperately needs the around $48 billion that the package of support would provide, especially artillery shells and air defense systems.

Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 17 out of 22 Shahed drones launched by Russia over various regions of the country overnight. Russia also fired five S-300/S-400 missiles at the Kharkiv region and two Kh-59 at the Sumy region, both in northeastern Ukraine, it said.

Authorities say the intensity of ground attacks and airstrikes has increased recently in the Sumy region, prompting the evacuation of 56 people, including 26 children, from one border village over the past week.

In the past two and a half months the region has been struck more than 3,000 times, after some 8,000 strikes over all of last year, the Ukrainian regional government says. The number of aerial bomb attacks has tripled, and Russian saboteurs are highly active, according to officials.

This story corrects the name of the court to the International Criminal Court.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Russia claims it used ‘vacuum bomb’ to kill large number of Ukrainian soldiers

CNN

Russia claims it used ‘vacuum bomb’ to kill large number of Ukrainian soldiers

Brad Lendon, Manveena Suri, Josh Pennington and Sophie Jeong – March 16, 2024

CNN

Russia says it killed large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers with a so-called “vacuum bomb”, a powerful munition that sucks in oxygen from the surroundings to sustain an explosion.

The deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces told Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting that up to 300 soldiers were killed “as a result of an accurate strike by an aerial munition,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

CNN cannot independently verify the numbers and there has been no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Colonel General Alexei Kim did not indicate where the strike took place but described the location of the strike as the “deployment point of the ‘Kraken’ nationalist formation,” according to the ministry, referring to a special unit of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence.

Kim said a “volumetric detonation bomb” was used in the airstrike, RIA Novosti reported Saturday.

Volumetric weapons are also known as vacuum bombs, thermobaric weapons or fuel-air explosives.

The destruction caused by a thermobaric weapon is caused by the blast wave it creates and also the vacuum resulting from the fuel-air mixture sucking in oxygen to sustain the detonation, according to the Lieber Institute for Law & Warfare at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York.

The force of such a blast is enough to collapse buildings and rupture organs. Walls or even caves don’t provide protection, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Details of the Russian airstrike emerged during a meeting at the headquarters of the Joint Group of Forces, where Shoigu heard reports from commanders on the current situation in the “zone of the special military operation,” the ministry said, Russia’s phrase for its war in Ukraine.

Kim also did not mention when the strike was carried out but noted that “over the past week alone, as a result of effective work of reconnaissance and strike systems, three American Patriot complexes, a Vampire multiple rocket launcher, more than 10 foreign-made artillery systems and fuel and ammunition depots were destroyed,” according to the ministry.

Kim also told Shoigu during the meeting that Ukraine is “suffering significant losses in both equipment and manpower as a result of the use of high-precision weapons and strike drones,” the ministry said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.