French President Macron:

France without Jews is a tree without a trunk.

French President Macron:

Digital anti-Semitism, boosted by algorithms and the culpable inaction of platforms, gains ground among ordinary people and harasses thousands of our compatriots, even in their private lives.

French President Macron:

I want a mandatory penalty of ineligibility to be established for anti-Semitic, racist, and discriminatory acts and remarks.

French President Macron:

Islamist anti-Semitism, at the origin of the October 7th pogrom, which preachers of hate try to deploy on our soil—in the physical world as in the digital world—intending to make terror reign.

BIG: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says it completed a 23-day mission transferring more than 5,700 adult male ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraqi custody.

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German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius:

There are no recognizable signs that the United States of America wants to withdraw from NATO in Europe. None at all.

‘You Europeans must do more conventionally,’ because we have to shift our focus somewhat to the Indo-Pacific.

We can’t expect them to intensify that while maintaining their commitment in Europe to the same extent as before. That is our task.

America is still an ally. I don’t know why you doubt it.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on nuclear independence:

We signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty and committed not to have our own nuclear weapons. Taking this step would be a breach of these treaties.

Why should we question NATO’s nuclear deterrence?

It is guaranteed by the Americans.

Turkish Aerospace says Saudi Arabia is close to deciding whether to join Türkiye’s next-gen KAAN fighter program.

“It is in the final stages of decision-making process,” said GM Mehmet Demiroglu.

“We are hoping to reach a milestone this year.”

Options range from buying around 20 jets (“a small squadron”) to local production in Saudi Arabia, which would likely require at least 50 aircraft to justify a final assembly line.

Source: Breaking Defense

Tunisian court denied provisional release for jailed lawyer Ahmed Souab and delayed appeal to Feb 23 despite health concerns, highlighting Tunisia’s post-2021 crackdown on dissent under President Kais Saied.

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German Chancellor Merz:

We have entered a new phase of open conflicts and wars.

German Chancellor Merz:

Europe just returned from a vacation from world history.

Together, we’ve entered an era that once again is marked by power and big power politics.

German Chancellor Merz:

China wants to be a leader in shaping the world, and it has paved the ground for that over many years, with strategic patience.

In the foreseeable future, Beijing could be on an equal footing with the United States in military terms.

China systematically uses the dependencies of others, and it redefines the international order in its own favor.

German Chancellor Merz:

If there had been a unipolar moment after the fall of the Berlin Wall — a unipolar moment in history — it has long passed.

The United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged and possibly lost.

German Chancellor Merz:

Our prime task as Europeans, and of course as Germans too — is to accept this new reality today.

It does not mean that we accept it as an inevitable fate.

We are not at the mercy of this world. We can shape it.

German Chancellor Merz admits:

Russia’s GDP is currently about 2 trillion euros; that of the European Union is almost 10 times as high. But still, Europe is not 10 times as strong as Russia today.

Our military, political, economic, and technological potential is huge.

We haven’t tapped it to the necessary extent for a very long time. So, the most important thing is to turn the switch in our minds now.

We have understood that in the era of big powers, our freedom is no longer a given — it is at stake.

German Chancellor Merz:

This will require a willingness to engage in new beginnings and change.

And yes, also make sacrifices — not just someday, but right now.

German Chancellor Merz:

The restructuring of the world by the big powers is happening faster and more comprehensively than we can strengthen ourselves.

Sometimes people automatically demand Europe to just write off the US as a partner.

They underestimate the potential that our partnership with the US continues to have, despite all the difficulties that exist.

German Chancellor Merz:

We have imposed unheard-of losses and costs on Moscow.

German Chancellor Merz:

We will make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe as soon as we can.

German Chancellor Merz:

European standards must not put us in chains that rob us of our competitiveness.

They need to fuel innovation and entrepreneurship, encourage investment, and reward creativity.

German Chancellor Merz:

I have started first talks with French President Macron about European nuclear deterrence.

This will be fully embedded in our nuclear sharing within NATO, and we will not have zones of different security levels in Europe.