📣🛰 Following comments by Elon Musk, The European Union is now actively exploring satellite alternatives to Starlink for Ukraine.

🤝 Negotiations are underway with alternative satellite operators: SES, Hisdesat, Viasat, and Eutelsat/OneWeb.

These discussions aim to create a "patchwork" of European infrastructure that could partially replace Starlink's services.

🔹The EU is also considering its own satellite communication initiatives:

- GovSatCom: A pooled network of existing national government satellite capacity, expected to reach initial operational readiness in 2025.

- IRIS²: A planned constellation of 290 satellites (18 in MEO and 264 in LEO) led by Eutelsat, Hispasat, and SES, though not expected to be fully operational until the 2030s.

❗️🇮🇹 It is also important to note that Italy is in the final stages of talks for a $1.6b deal with Starlink that could very well be cancelled. The deal was initiated to provide secure internet services for the Italian government and military.

Sources: PCmag, Orbitaltoday, mezha, kyivindependent, mil.in

March 11, 2025

🛫💥Ukraine launched the biggest drone attack on Moscow since the war began using 337 UAVs out of which 91 were reportedly intercepted.

🩸3 people were killed and 18 others injured, including 3 children.

❔The attack appears to be a calculated move by Kyiv to demonstrate its continued offensive capabilities and potentially strengthen its negotiating position.

🚀Russia has now threatened a retaliatory strike and suggested using an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile for that purpose.

This would be the same type of munition used in November of 2024.

🇺🇸⚖️📉US TRADE WAR

In the beginning of March Trump officially started a tariff war with Canada, Mexico, EU and China, stating "Addressing Trade Imbalances and Deficits", "National Security Concerns" primarily citing fentanyl trafficking from China and border security with Canada and Mexico, "Boosting Domestic Manufacturing" and "Using Tariffs as a Negotiation Tool".

⚠️The tariffs currently imposed by the US are:

🇪🇺EU: 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium + 25% tariffs on "cars and all the things"
🇨🇳China: 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium + 20% tariffs on all other goods.
🇨🇦Canada: 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium + 25% tariff on all other goods (delayed to April) + 10% on energy exports

⛹️‍♂️Countries immediately retaliated:

🇪🇺EU: Two phase €26 billion retaliatory plan:
1st phase starting in April: 25% on specific American goods such as jeans, motorcycles, peanut butter and bourbon whiskey. (8 billion euros worth)
2nd phase starting mid April: (% will mirror US tariff) Food and Agricultural Products, Household and Consumer Goods, Industrial Products (18 billion euros worth)

🇨🇦Canada Retaliation:
25% tariffs on steel and aluminium,other goods including computers totalling ($30 billion worth)
Additional $20.6 billion worth of US goods announced to take effect on March 13.

🇨🇳China Retaliation (more than $20 billion):
15% tariff on coals and liquefied natural gas
10% tariff on oil and agricultural machines
15% tariff on American chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton
10% tariff on American sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products

+ Unspecified "crippling" tariffs on American-made vehicles and critical auto parts

+ Sanctions on US Firms:
- PVH Corp. and Illumina added to the Unreliable Entity List.
- Antitrust investigation launched into Google
- 15 US firms prohibited from purchasing Chinese goods, including for military drone manufacturing parts.
- Restrictions on Critical Mineral Exports
- Suspension of Lumber Imports