LyrArc Article Gist
U.S. president Obama visits Germany in April 2016 just as Chancellor Merkel is under pressure in Germany for her stand supporting refugees right to stay in Germany. Merkel has modified her position to accomodate public opinion by controlling the flow of refugees through a treaty with Turkey that returns refugees back to Turkey.

LyrArc Article Gist
The lack of Soviet era ammunition for older artillery from that period in the army of Ukraine puts Ukraine at a serious disadvantage in Donbas and eastern Ukraine. The war in eastern Ukraine is fought mostly with artillery. Soviet era artillery uses different ammunition than NATO artillery. Ukraine is now calling for NATO artillery to be sent by allies in Europe and the US so that its forces can be supplied with supplies of NATO ammunition. The US and Europe have been slow in providing NATO artillery to Ukraine.

LyrArc Article Gist
Henry Kissinger's first book is on the Napoleonic Wars and how the Austrian chancellor Metternich negotiated a peace that after 1815 kept a fragile peace in Europe till the war in 1914. Sometimes it is said that Kissinger as NSA and Secretary of State to US president Richard Nixon modeled his role from that of Metternich who with Kissinger shared a German background. This was based on realism and was based on offsetting the tyranny of Napoleon in Europe with a balance of power between Britain and Austria-Hungary. 

LyrArc Article Gist
Comments on leaving European Union allies adrift and giving Russia a free hand draws strong response from Republicans and president Biden because they are inconsistent with American support for European allies since the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe during the administration of Harry Truman in the 1950's to the present day- the timeline includes Berlin Crisis in 1950, Hungarian freedom struggle of 1956, Czech freedom struggle, the struggles in Eastern Europe under different administrations through Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan to Biden.

LyrArc Article Gist
The Zeitenwende speech by chancellor Scholz in the German parliament came 3 days after Putin launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. Zeitenwende means turning point in history- and Scholz's speech changed the mood in Germany to take on responsibilities for defense of Europe with a $100 billion fund. Chancellor Merz has expanded this and Germany's defense budget is expanding to $160 billion a year. Germany under Merz will invest 5% of its GDP on defense in future years making the Bundeswehr the largest army in Europe.

LyrArc Article Gist
The EU summit under the presidency of Germany completes its task for setting up the European Recovery Fund and providing nonrepayable aid to countries hardest hit by the pandemic that would otherwise have to spiral their already high debt levels to unsustainable levels or provide little assistance to their suffering public. These countries include Italy, Spain, Greece mostly in southern Europe. Also needing aid are eastern European countries Hungary and Poland. For the first time the European Union is jointly taking on this debt of nonrepayable aid to member states most in need. This is a historic step. The Dutch prime minister, almost ruined the solidarity of Europe with his continual effort to cut the amount of funds and place conditions. The Dutch have favored austerity in Europe but at what cost and at what does it say about the Dutch in Europe. Reports show the Netherlands have gained back billions of dollars that would have gone in taxes to the governments of France, Spain and Italy by setting up tax haven. The Netherlands population 17 million, Sweden population 10 million, Denmark population 7 million, together make up less than half the population of any one of the major countries of Europe, Spain and Portugal, France, Germany, Italy. The combined population of about 350 million people in southern, eastern, and western Europe was arrayed against these 34 million northern countries in the long negotiations, that show solidarity but are also a sign of the changes in Europe as these countries in northern Europe were always guided by their own personal or country interest. Rutte fought hard because of elections he faces a second time against the far right wing parties, for a second time since the 2017 election. It could not get more personal than that. Even Britain if it was still in the European Union is likely under Boris Johnson to have reversed policies of Cameron to support solidarity in Europe and aid for recovery, considering how the government has tackled the pandemic in Britain. Setting conditions would only go part of the way is the reality today. The bigger part of preventing mismanaging of funds comes from the individual experience and hardship of people in southern European nations of Italy, Greece, Spain and other countries after the missteps in the eurozone finances in the last two decades. This provides the necessary dose of internal financial discipline. Not acting quickly in solidarity today would have been a serious mistake for Europe. Still Mr. Rutte and the Dutch have cut the European Recovery Fund's nonrepayable aid by 110 billion euros from the initail target set by Macron and Merkel of 500 billion euros. The agreed target now is $390 billion euros. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
More companies in the US and Europe are renewing the supply chain by bringing production home or close to home.

LyrArc Article Gist
Russia says it's tactical nuclear exercises are a response to Europe's increased military support to Ukraine.

LyrArc Article Gist
Fibonacci's "Liber Abacci," or "Book of Calculations," that brought the Hindu-Arabic system of numbers 0-9 to Europe. Upto that time Europe used the less efficient system of Roman numerals.

LyrArc Article Gist
Cost of Living Crisis under Biden, Affordability Crisis under DJT, and the situation in Feb 2026 with 2.4% inflation and job creation at 130,000 jobs in January 2026. Is this a sign that the tariffs policy is greatly misrepresented and misunderstood? The flexibility in tariffs, attention to financial markets through Scott Bessent's keen sghts at the Treasury shared with the president, the cutouts for key countries such as India to exclude semiconductors and cell phonesand other products from tariffs. For instance under tariffs increase India actually increased its exports by diversifying its economy and signing a trade agreement with Germany and the EU, followed by the trade agreement with the US, so that it remains an enven stronger economic partner. The same is true for Japan where elections are leading to a parliamentary majority for PM Sanae Takaichi who wants to work with the US and build a strong economic partnership, and make the large investments in the US it has promised.  Japan and India are two of the five largest economies in the world (US, China, Japan, India, Germany). German Foreign Minister Wadephul for the CDU welcomed Marco Rubio's call for a "new Western Century" and for strengthening western civilization common heritage of the US and Europe. This means 4 of the 5 largest economies in the world are in sync for the future of world trade, and their economic future.  ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Idea that control over Straits of Hormuz is US goal is repudiated by DJT in his Address to the Nation, yet it finds its way into the media. There is no war for US to win, it is only about removing a nuclear and ballistic missile threat, nothing to do with oil. MAGA base, US public has rejected these wars in remote countries of the Middle East, when reindustrialization is the goal, not repeating the mistakes of Bush and Obama who by fighting these wars for 8 years in Iraq wasted resources and pursued policies that deindustrialized the Nation and weakened the heartland of America. Beyond limiting the threat of nuclear weapons and long range ballistic missiles that could hit US, Europe and other nations there is no other goal. US and DJT repeatedly pointed out that being self sufficient it does not need Iranian or Iraqi or Saudi oil. The president even said in his Address that the US wanted to supply other countries with oil as it produced more than Saudi and Russia combined, and not counting Venezuelan oil production ramp up expected by 3-4 million barrels a day. Behind this is the known fact that China and Japan get 90% of their imports from Hormuz Straits, so it is up to these nations and India and Britain to find solutions to Hormuz not the US. ...

LyrArc Article Gist
DJT policy to re-vet migrants- work permits for 1.5 years instead of 5 years. This means work permits for asylum seekers will be for 1.5 years. Re-vetting reduces risk after the incidents in Europe and the US where migrants have resorted to violence in public spaces disturbing public safety.

LyrArc Article Gist
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, says European nations are spending 2% of their combined GDP on defense spending in 2024. There are variations between EU and NATO members yet Europeans are already at 2% of combined GDP on defense spending. There is more defense spending that is happening beyond the 2% as the Ukraine war continues into 2024. Stoltenberg also said two thirds of this defense spending is going to US manufacturers and for manufacturing in the US as there was great demand for  American made Himars rocket launchers, Patriot missile systems, and for F35 jet fighters. The statements that the Europeans are not taking their defense seriously and that American jobs and American factories as part of defense infrastructure rebuilding are not part of the story no longer hold true.

LyrArc Article Gist
This France24 report looks at the question of whether the policies of four term German chancellor Angela Merkel emboldened Russia under president Putin to launch the invasion of Ukraine. FR24's interview with the vice president of the German Marshall Fund and head of its Berlin office, Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, shows there are many reasons why Merkel's policies were serious errors that ignored caution from past experience and from other western leaders in the US and Eastern Europe. Kleine-Brockhoff says that "Europe did not go wrong, Germany and France did. France and Germany tend to speak for the rest of Europe. Bit these mis-assessments were made in Paris and Berlin, not elsewhere. Eastern Europe didn't go wrong. Northern Europe did'nt go wrong."  Kleine-Brockhoff says the war in Ukraine calls for an urgent re-assessment of the German and French policy towards Russia. "Not only is the post Cold-War order crumbling before our eyes, so are the strategies employed by Germany and France." Under particular scrutiny comes Merkel's policy, and policy supported by Steinmeier of the SPD, that took German dependence on Russian energy supplies from 36% during the annexation of Crimea to 55% in March 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine. Germany's conservative Die Welt has this to say- "What Germany and Europe have experienced over the last days is nothing short of the reversal of the Merkel policies of guaranteeing peace and freedom through treaties with despots," describing Merkel's policies as "an error." About France Kleine-Brockhoff says there were lofty ambitions under Sarkozy and Macron of European strategic autonomy, which did not correspond to reality, to fantasies of European armies when there was nothing but NATO. It is not dialogue with Putin and Russia that was a problem, says Laure Delcour, international relations expert at the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. Some form of dialogue is necessary she says, but the dialogue has to have clear objectives. We must not confuse cause with consequence, she says. We know  that NATO enlargement had a big impact on Russia's perceptions, but the real problem is how Russia responded to enlargement. "In this case the problem is the consequence."  ...

LyrArc Article Gist
The 28 Point Peace Plan offers a basis for further work to arrive at an agreement acceptable to Ukraine and to the European Union, is the view emerging at the G20 talks in Johannesburg, South Africa. The leaders of Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Italy and Spain met on Saturday, November 22 2025. Separately Leyen and the EU council president Costa meet with Meloni of Italy and Macron of France on Saturday after conversations with Zelensky on Friday.  British prime minister Starmer has this view of the 28 Point US plan negotiated with Russia-  “There is only one country around the G20 table that is not calling for a cease-fire, and one country that is deploying a barrage of drones and missiles to destroy livelihoods and murder innocent civilians.” Ms. Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, says-  “Ukraine can count on us because this is not only an aggression against Ukraine, but it is an aggression against the principles of the U.N. charter." “It’s on European soil. Therefore, we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.” Macron of France commended American efforts to reach a peace deal but said EU nations would work with Ukraine to map out a plan for way forward in 48 hours.  "What is at stake is Ukrainian sovereignty and European security.” It is this aspect of European security that may be the reason the EU and Germany may decide to modify the plan to offer a counter proposal on several points. One on limits to the size of Ukraine's defense forces to ensure its defense. Another on the stationing of forces by NATO in a peacekeeping role in Ukraine as proposed earlier. Third on the ceding of territory now in the hands of Ukraine so that these parts of Ukraine can remain independent after 4 years of ragged defense. Germany under CDU Merz and with Pistorius of SPD at Defense in a strong coalition government may be the deciding factor as Merz has already set the goal for the Bundeswehr to become the strongest army in Europe, with plans and action to prepare for this transition to defend European interests. It is true that Ukraine is at a difficult point yet if the Europeans see this as a "capitulation" and a US DJT deadline of one week to push this through Europeans may come up with a counter offer that includes these points that would make it clear that they are not an obstacle for peaceful resolution of this conflict. The history of Europe shows that in such situations with most of Europe on one side and Russia or some other major European power on the other side, eventual settlement ends up with all sides making some concessions, and in no way seen as "capitulation." Asian powers China and India have been pulled out of the conflict to a large degree in 2024-2025, with US shifting to a neutral position. Making this a purely European conflict with the Russian economy mobilized for wartime yet facing all the nations of Europe led by Germany, France and the UK in a transition towards military preparedness and unwilling to see any form of capitulation. In such a situation the larger economies and resources of the EU could effectively counter a Russian threat leading to a settlement that is better for all parties to the conflict.   ...

LyrArc Article Gist
The US has not yet approved the Astra Zeneca vaccine. Yet the US sits on large supplies of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. Europe badly needs the vaccine with its failure to procure enough vaccine doses. This is one of the paradoxes of the situation today. Italy faces a lockdown by Easter. 70% of cases in France are now variants, says the Health Minister Olivier Veran, and ICU's are 80% full. In Germany there are fears of a third wave. Yet vaccine supplies remain low and vaccination drives in Europe are slow, creating much frustration for the people.

LyrArc Article Gist
DW.com shows amazing pictures of European leaders in a really informal setting Starmer, Meloni  and Macron standing keenly listening around them as Merz and Zelensky are in conversation on a sofa bench, EU's Leyen on a sofa nearby, with many other European leaders, all trying to catch the conversation. One can see this by clicking on original article. It shows the closeness that has developed over the long and weary war years of the EU leaders who have stuck together for the first time speaking with one voice on the issues facing Europe with DJT and the US.

The challenge for Europe- to come up with peacekeeping force as a security guarantee to Ukraine so that it can reach a peace agreement with Russia, bringing a final end to this war and overcoming fears that it would erupt again in another way or form. The Swiss and Austria, Hungary offer to host peace talks.

LyrArc Article Gist
Russia uses SCO or Shanghai Cooperation Organization to present it's case on Ukraine saying a coup supported by the US and Europe was the root cause of the crisis, in other words an effort to turn a Russian language country against Russia with it's effort to delink from Russia and join the European Union. US seeing China as the main competitor is trying under a Republican administration to bring Russia back into the European and US fold. The Europeans Germany and France, UK under Macron, Starmer and Merz are pushing back and see it primarily from the Northern European perspective of a Russian threat as they have over centuries of rivalry in Europe since 1600. China sees Germany and German led EU as its main source of western technology, trade and capital needed for a state run capitalism to function effectively. Germany seeks to keep it's China relations on a even keel for its economic interests, so does China. In this situation it can be surmised that it is the Europeans that asked DJT to sanction India for buying Russian oil to cut Russian source of oil resource sales by $119 billion leaving China's $136 billion purchase of oil from Russia aside (knowing China would not cancel sales easily), to buy time till Germany can build up arms supply to Ukraine. India is buying time to make a gradual shift to stand with the US and the improved US-Russia relations under the Republicans can only help India gradually shift to where it always stands- with the English speaking people of the world, the US and Britain, a policy Gandhi firmly supported and which India as an ancient civilization of the Buddha and the Bhagavad Gita finds itself at home with.   ...

LyrArc Article Gist
Closing the plant at Genk in Belgium cost Ford an estimated $750 million and years of difficulty with workers and the community. The plant employs 4300 workers and the cost comes to about $190,000 per worker. Many auto plants in Europe are operating at about 60% of capacity in 2013, and about 7-8 million units of car and light truck capacity remains idle, by some estimates. Ford was compelled to take this action because of billions of dollars of losses for Ford Europe as sales declined because of the eurozone financial crisis and austerity measures.

LyrArc Article Gist
Indian real estate projects with European financing.