Emilija Pundziute

President von der Leyen just declared that Europe “can no longer be a custodian” of the rules-based order. This marks a historical departure from the EU’s foundational logic. The Union wasn’t just a defender of that order, but it was built on the same principle: binding rules, institutions above states, disputes settled by law not power. Questioning it externally means questioning the architecture of European integration itself. Three consequences follow: 1.For the EU’s political direction: vdL has picked Merz over Sánchez; power politics over principled multilateralism. That position is now Commission doctrine. 2.For EU institutions: Kallas is being sidelined in plain sight. The HR exists to give EU foreign policy a single treaty-grounded voice. VdL redefined doctrine at Kallas’s own event, to diplomats who report to Kallas. That’s an institutional possibly constitutional revolution. 3.For European integration: a Union that suspends its own normative logic for geopolitical urgency doesn’t easily get it back. The exception becomes the new normal.

Many talented Ukrainian actors, artists, comedians, sportspeople, and others left their professional careers to take up arms and defend their country from Russian occupiers. Russia's war against Ukraine has taken the lives of at least 240 Ukrainian culture makers. This is a great loss. They could have enriched Ukrainian and global culture with their talent for many more years to come. Eternal glory and eternal memory to all who gave their lives for Ukraine. 📹: aleks_780820/Instagram

🥀‼️ BREAKING: Maria Zaitseva, the heroine of a famous photo from the 2020 Belarusian protests, has died in Ukraine. After the war began, she volunteered to defend Ukraine Many remember Maria from a photo taken on August 9, 2020, in central Minsk during the protests. She was injured by a stun grenade, and the photo of her with a bloodied head spread around the world. Afterward, Maria faced hearing problems and impaired motor skills in her hands. She underwent several surgeries in Belarus before being taken to Czechia for treatment. When the war began, Maria joined Ukraine's defenders. She fought under the 2nd International Brigade near Bakhmut, where she tragically lost her life. Yesterday, Maria turned 24 years old. This morning, she passed away. Glory to the Heroes!