Solid Puntland: Trump in the back of a truck with cutlets, Russia's burning rear, and a "Pechersky Court" in Washington

The accountant is in shock: "But Mr. President, where does 300 come from?! The audit will eat us alive!" Trump (patting him on the shoulder): "Don't worry! 60 billion is weapons, and the remaining 240 is moral damages I suffer every time I give an interview and mention this money! Now go and send the bill to the European Union!"

Donald Trump’s latest statement in an interview with Real America's Voice (https://americasvoice.news/) that Joe Biden allegedly "gave Ukraine $300 billion worth of ammunition" once again undermines the factual basis of far-right media.

The myth of "$300 billion" has become a sort of Holy Grail for American right-wing rhetoric. The actual volume of US military supplies was several times smaller, and the lion's share of the funds allocated by Washington actually remained in the US itself—to finance its own defense plants.

However, in Trump's world, this figure plays an important role: it justifies to the American taxpayer a turn toward a policy of business pragmatism, where Europe is assigned the role of buyer, and the US—the main arms cashier.

Meanwhile, Washington's statements about de-escalation around Iran hit a harsh reality. Foreign Policy and Al Jazeera note that a diplomatic way out is stalled by the political interests of the parties, while Livemint writes about a crushing blow of sanctions to the region's logistics and economy.

Responsible Statecraft notes that the US agreement with Somali Puntland to expand the base in Bosaso points to a new trend—a transition from global security to targeted protection of critical straits due to threats from the Houthi side and China's influence.

Despite sounding similar to "Putinland," Somali Puntland has nothing to do with the Kremlin. Local "diplomats" engage in a much more understandable business—maritime piracy and demanding ransom for captured vessels and cargo, while the US deploys military bases there to control the Red Sea, not Moscow narratives.

In addition to key geopolitical shifts and fake "lands," in this issue we will also break down other equally telling topics of the week.

Musk’s Digital Bridle (Frankfurter Rundschau): Elon Musk once again rejected Kyiv’s requests to lift Starlink geofencing for deep strikes inside Russia. As Ukraine faces a shortage of Patriot interceptors and seeks an asymmetric strategy ("hit the archers, not the arrows"), it remains trapped by a private tech tycoon's personal geopolitics.

Russia’s Starlink Counterpart Ahead of Schedule (Bild): According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is building its "Rassvet" satellite network—a Starlink clone—faster than anticipated. While its current constellation is too small for continuous coverage, Austrian Colonel Markus Reisner notes that 12 operational satellites already provide daily communication windows for Russian long-range drones over Ukraine, further straining the country's air defenses.

Ukraine’s Air Defense vs. Russian Missile Production (Sky News): Russia continues to scale up missile output despite sanctions. With Western interceptors scarce and costly, experts emphasize that Ukraine’s only viable solution is asymmetric strikes against Russian factories, oil refineries, and supply chains.

Cartography of Attrition (Associated Press): AP released an extensive interactive project mapping Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia. This fundamental piece normalizes deep-rear strikes for Western audiences, proves the strategy works, and serves as direct media advocacy for removing remaining Western weapon restrictions.

Electoral "War Fatigue" in Western Europe (Le Monde): Opposition and populist parties in Italy (League, 5 Star Movement), Germany (AfD, BSW), and France (National Rally, LFI) are weaponizing anti-war rhetoric ahead of elections. This rising populist pressure threatens to paralyze EU defense decision-making and shift financial burdens.

Trump vs. the ICC (Le Monde): Human rights NGOs sued Donald Trump over severe US sanctions against International Criminal Court officials. Washington’s use of national emergency laws to block international prosecutors resembles a "Pechersky Court" style of legal nihilism, weaponizing law for political gain and chilling global advocacy.

Operation "Catering" (The Washington Post / Global Press): Facing Iranian threats, US intelligence smuggled Trump out of the NATO summit in Ankara using a catering auto-lift truck to board a C-32A, while press pool journalists unknowingly flew on a decoy Air Force One.

Read more in the Ukrainian edition....