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🇵🇱 Poland - 🇧🇾 Belarus • Tunnels reignite border tensions

Mysterious tunnels discovered in recent weeks on the border between Poland and Belarus are causing concern in Warsaw. The Polish Ministry of the Interior has confirmed the discovery of a 30-meter underground tunnel dug by hand on private property in Kondratki, close to the border. Sensors and cameras reportedly detected underground movement, leading authorities to suspect attempts to smuggle people into the European Union.

This is not an isolated case: another similar tunnel was discovered a month ago. For Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński, these discoveries are part of a broader strategy of "hybrid warfare" waged by Moscow via Minsk. Since 2021, Poland has accused Russia of orchestrating flows of migrants from Africa transiting through Belarus in order to destabilize the region. According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, more than 90% of the migrants intercepted are Russian visa holders.

Faced with this pressure, Warsaw has significantly stepped up its surveillance. The 206-kilometer border is now equipped with an electronic barrier and a 5.5-meter-high steel fence. Since 2024, Poland has invested nearly €30 million in detection systems based on thermal sensors and artificial intelligence. Border guards have recorded more than 26,700 attempts to cross illegally since the beginning of the year.

These tensions bring back memories of the 2021 migration crisis, when Minsk allowed thousands of migrants to pass through to the EU. Today, the proliferation of homemade tunnels highlights the persistence of this invisible front line between Poland and Belarus, which has become one of the most sensitive points on Europe's eastern border. Le Parisien

IN SHORT

🇷🇺 Russia - 🇺🇸 United States • The possibility of a summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Budapest has faded, due to a lack of agreement at the canceled preparatory meeting between Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov. Moscow has persisted in its demands, refusing an immediate ceasefire. The White House and several European leaders have called for a freeze on the current front and the start of negotiations with Russia. Meanwhile, the EU is preparing new sanctions and discussing a loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, while setting a ban on Russian gas by the end of 2027.

🇪🇺 Europe - 🇺🇦 Ukraine • A 12-point peace plan has been jointly developed by Europeans and Ukrainians, aimed at ending the war with Russia along the current front lines and rejecting any Russian demands for territorial concessions. The proposal provides for a halt to offensives, the return of deported children, prisoner exchanges, security guarantees, and accelerated integration of Ukraine into the EU. A commission chaired by Donald Trump would oversee the process, with the promise of gradually lifting sanctions against Moscow, subject to a Russian commitment to participate in Ukraine's reconstruction.

🇫🇮 Finland • President Alexander Stubb told The Times that Europe could rebuild its defense capabilities within five years to deter Russia. He emphasized the key role of the partnership with the United States and the need to maintain pressure on Moscow, particularly through sanctions and ending Russian gas imports by 2028. Stubb rejected the idea of "Finlandization" of Ukraine, arguing that this model had deprived his country of sovereignty and territory. He called for a two-stage negotiation, with a ceasefire and confidence-building measures before addressing the withdrawal of Russian troops and territorial issues.

🇺🇸 United States - 🇮🇱 Israel • Three emissaries close to Donald Trump, including his vice president J.D. Vance and Jared Kushner, were sent to Israel to keep pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to save the ceasefire in Gaza according to the American peace plan. This intervention followed Israeli strikes carried out after the death of two soldiers and an announcement of a temporary suspension of humanitarian aid, which was quickly lifted under American pressure. The United States' role has drawn criticism in Israel, where officials have denounced increased dependence on Washington and the reduction of national leeway.

🇮🇱 Israel • More than 192,000 Israelis left the country permanently or indefinitely between 2022 and August 2024, reaching a historic high and resulting in a negative net migration of 125,000 people, according to a report presented to the Knesset. This massive movement, described as a "tsunami," was fueled by the political crisis, the rise of the ultra-Orthodox, and the attacks of October 7, 2023. The departures, which were particularly marked in Tel Aviv, are worrying the authorities, who see them as a strategic threat to Israeli society. Requests for removal from the national insurance system have tripled, reflecting the desire of many exiles not to return.

🇸🇴 Somalia • Somali authorities have warned of a real risk of famine in early 2026, with the population in "food emergency" having tripled this year in the southwestern state. Cuts in humanitarian aid have severely affected the region, with the number of people in critical condition rising from 72,000 to 227,000 out of a population of 4.2 million. Despite warnings from organizations and a rainy season that was less severe than expected, the number of clinics has been reduced tenfold and nearly 1.9 million children remain at risk of acute malnutrition, in a context of ongoing conflict and climate shock.

NATO • A huge corruption scandal has rocked NATO, involving bribes and kickbacks in arms deals, which have risen sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Searches were carried out in May 2025 in six member countries, targeting employees of defense ministries, Turkish industrialists, and Greek intermediaries linked to contracts for the US and British navies. The Belgian and Dutch courts have launched prosecutions, while the United States has dropped its own without explanation. The investigation reveals malpractice within the NSPA, NATO's logistics agency based in Luxembourg, where millions of euros are alleged to have been embezzled through rigged tenders.

🇫🇷 France • Former President Nicolas Sarkozy was incarcerated today at the Santé prison in Paris after being sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy. The former president, who has been placed in solitary confinement, will serve his sentence in an individual cell with a modified detention regime. His lawyers have filed a request for his release, which the court of appeals will consider in the coming weeks. This incarceration, unprecedented for a former head of state under the Fifth Republic, has sparked strong reactions from the right.

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