rfi.fr | The European Parliament will not agree on funding for the EU Council until Ukraine receives new Patriots

writes the publication European Truth, calling the deputies present at the meeting.

"A long-time MEP, former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from the Renew faction proposed removing the approval of the European Council budget from the agenda until the member states can find the seven Patriot systems that Ukraine now urgently needs. Verhofstadt recalled the words of the head of European diplomacy that European countries have hundreds of Patriot systems, when Ukraine needs seven, " the article says.

EU Parliament delays approval of Council 2022 budget audit to press for military aid to Ukraine : "Verhofstadt's move is widely seen as parliamentary theatrics, since the legislature has no power to force the Council to provide weapons."

euactiv Below the radar

Case in point: The announcement that two dozen German soldiers arrived in Vilnius on Monday, with a further 150 due to join them later this year, barely made headlines outside Lithuania...."This is the first time that we have permanently stationed such a unit outside of Germany," German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin at a farewell ceremony for the vanguard of Germany's Lithuanian brigade, according to German news agency dpa. Pistorius called it "an important day for the German army".

US intelligence finding shows China surging equipment sales to Russia to help war effort in Ukraine

["Two senior Biden administration"] officials discussed the findings as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to China this month for talks.

ChatGPT CNN | China is giving Russia significant support to expand weapons manufacturing as Ukraine war continues, US officials say
Just this week Gen. Chris Cavoli, the commander of US European Command, told lawmakers that Russia has been "quite successful" at reconstituting its military since it invaded Ukraine more than 2 years ago, and its capacity has largely "grown back" to what it was before the invasion. US officials are now making clear that China is largely responsible for that rapid build-up.

Blinken is scheduled to travel next week to the Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Capri, Italy, where he's expected to raise concerns about China's growing indirect support for Russia as Moscow revamps its military and looks to consolidate recent gains in Ukraine.

dni.gov | Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community (05.02.24)
An ambitious but anxious China, a confrontational Russia, some regional powers, such as Iran, and more capable non-state actors are challenging longstanding rules of the international system as well as U.S. primacy within it.

[...]

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on April 12, 2024

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz will pay an official visit to China from April 14 to 16. At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic Sylvie Baïpo-Témon will pay an official visit to China from April 14 to 16.
[...]

GT | Scholz to visit China in spite of 'de-risk' voices