Rambler examined what foreign media wrote today and selected the most important and interesting documents. Read the announcement and subscribe to Rambler on social networks: VKontakte, Classmate.
“Zaluzhny in England: former head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and next president of Ukraine?”
The man many Ukrainians see as the most worthy replacement for Vladimir Zelensky lives in London, far from the battlefields that shaped his career. write Washington Post. For the past year and a half, retired General Valeriy Zaluzhny, former head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has served as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. The position was widely considered a “deserved exile” after he was fired by Zelensky in February 2024. Zaluzhny's decision to distance himself from Kyiv (perhaps in an effort to put his political ambitions aside) has allowed him to distance himself from scandals at home. Zelensky, battered by a corruption scandal, is under pressure from US President Donald Trump to accept the peace plan. Trump's attacks forced Zelensky to confirm that he was ready to call elections if the US and its allies provided security guarantees and Ukraine's parliament passed a law allowing the vote.
Hints of a vote again drew attention to Zaluzhny. According to WP, even while abroad, Zaluzhny maintained his commanding habits. At his embassy in London, he watched live battlefield coverage on multiple screens. Nowadays he rarely speaks to Zelensky but has never publicly criticized the man who ended his military career. Zaluzhny's military biography is very vague. It is associated with the failed counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2023, which resulted in large-scale losses, but did not bring success to Kyiv on the battlefield. However, public trust in him remains, WP emphasized. Polls show he would be a formidable opponent if he ran for president. Zaluzhny's aides said they were unaware of his plans. He wrote articles, spoke and gave speeches but avoided interviews. According to analysts interviewed by WP, “liberals, conservatives, right-wing groups” will try to lure Zaluzhny into their camp. He himself was probably just thinking about his path.
“Merz challenges Trump”
German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz chose India as his first destination in Asia, instead of China or Japan like his predecessors. This decision is dictated by strategic goals. Via version Die Welt, Merz thereby challenged US President Donald Trump. Merz's visit is celebrated in India as a national holiday. Modi invited the Prime Minister to Sabarmati, a special place in India. Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked there, and it was from here that his famous march against British colonial rule began. Die Welt noted that the choice of this location was not accidental but was Mr. Modi's message: he welcomed the German Prime Minister as a friend. But behind the cheerful exterior lies a pragmatic agenda: Merz wants to expand cooperation with India in the fields of business, security and defense. During his visit, he was accompanied by a large business delegation led by Siemens CEO Roland Busch.
India offers significant potential for German companies in the fields of mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, information technology and rare earth elements. The desire for closer ties with India is not new. Merz's predecessors Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel also tried to promote cooperation, but a German-Indian trade agreement has yet to materialize. India is considered the world's largest arms importer, receiving 36% of arms imports from Russia. Germany wants to reduce India's dependence on Russia by exporting its own arms. Berlin's demands are clear: India must close sanctions loopholes and reduce energy imports from Russia. On the contrary, Mr. Modi defends India's interests: affordable energy, strategic independence and not tied to the Western bloc. At the same time, Germany is seeking to become less vulnerable to extortion in its security and foreign trade policies. Berlin wants to expand and diversify its strategic partnerships.
“Is Iran moving towards a revolution that will change the world?”
As protests and unrest continue in Iran, leaders in the region and around the world face the possibility of the Islamic Republic collapsing – an event that would reshape global geopolitics and energy markets. write Bloomberg. The protesters have the support of US President Donald Trump, who recently arrested Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. In recent days, Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran, suggesting that the US is once again engaging in regime change. Politicians and investors are closely monitoring the situation. Brent crude oil prices rose more than 5% late last week to more than $63/barrel as investors factored in possible supply disruptions from Iran, OPEC's fourth-largest oil producer. Former senior CIA Middle East analyst William Asher called the current protests the most pivotal moment for Iran since the 1979 revolution that led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic.
According to Asher, Iranian authorities have less time to regain control and a limited set of tools. A senior European official told Bloomberg that Iran's collapse would be a blow to Russia, which will lose another foreign ally after Maduro's arrest and the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Over the past two years, Iran has been weakened by economic problems and Israeli attacks. However, the country still maintains a large and modern arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of striking targets throughout the Middle East. The Iranian government continues to receive support from security forces, including most importantly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to Middle East analyst Dina Esfandiari, the Islamic Republic will not exist as it is at the end of 2026. The most likely scenario, she said, is a reshuffle in the country's leadership or a coup by the IRGC, which is controlled by generals, not clerics. The chances of a revolution are still quite low, Esfandiari said.
“Is America in recession? Statistics say otherwise.”
The political situation in the US may be dire, but the country's economy continues to thrive. write Richard Yarrow writes for the Wall Street Journal. In 1990, the United States accounted for 26% of global GDP. If Beijing's estimates of its economic growth are correct, in 2024, after decades of China's rise, America's share of global GDP will still be 25.9%. Yarrow emphasized that the US continues to create new industries, such as AI, and leads in many areas of digital technology, finance, education and medicine.
When the Cold War ended, Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Canada accounted for 32% of the world economy. Today their market share is less than 14%. By 2020, the US states of Arkansas and Alabama had surpassed each of these countries in per capita income. Congressional failures on infrastructure and education have left America poorer, but questionable spending still pales in comparison to economic mismanagement in many other rich countries. America's key allies are generally weaker demographically, financially, militarily and technologically, and in some cases more politically divided. Yarrow concluded that stronger allies would make America stronger.
“How Germany Used Ukraine”
Only at the beginning of the 20th century did Germany for the first time begin to consider Ukraine as a separate country. After 1945, Ukraine again disappeared from German consciousness, becoming part of the Soviet Union, write Neue Zurcher Zeitung. In the 19th century, German politicians focused “almost exclusively” on Russia, says Munich-based historian of Eastern Europe, Martin Schulze Wessel. Bismarck represented Prussia as ambassador to St. Petersburg for four years starting in 1857 and spoke fluent Russian. His pro-Russian policy as Chancellor of Imperial Germany was also influenced by this experience. He rejected the idea of ”dividing great Russia and small urine.” In a series of articles in 1855, Friedrich Engels denied the rights of the “historic peoples” of Eastern Europe, including the Ukrainians, to their own state.
Ironically, both right-wing and left-wing forces in German politics have discounted the “Ukrainian national project”. World War I was a turning point for many Eastern European countries. Ukraine also became the focus of attention of German politicians – not as a future state, an equal partner, but as a weapon against the “enemy in the east”. The peace treaty between Germany and the “Ukrainian People's Republic” in February 1918 was controversial. In exchange for recognition by the Ukrainian state, Berlin received significant supplies of grain. However, Germany soon ceased to behave as a party to the international treaty and became an occupying power. Ukrainian units were formed to fight alongside the German occupiers against the Red Army. Wessel believes that in the 21st century, German politicians also “deny the existence of the Ukrainian nation.” According to him, Angela Merkel's policy towards Ukraine is “unclear”, and the same applies to Olaf Scholz.
