Michaël A.

🇧🇪 @BeAirForce Officer and proud 🐗 (#Luxembourgbelge) /
“I cannot condone Elon MUSK's open support for Europe's far-right parties” (#HelloQuitX)

[Michaël A. @Michael_A_Bel]

As a humanist and a 🇪🇺 democrat, I'm bowing out of X / Twitter today.
I cannot condone Elon MUSK's open support for Europe's far-right parties. It's contrary to the American way of life and to my values.
United we stand! 🫡

#HelloQuitteX #Democracy #Respect

[Michaël A. @Michael_A_Bel]

Als Humanist und 🇪🇺 Demokrat nehme ich heute Abschied von X / Twitter.
Ich kann es nicht gutheißen, dass Elon MUSK offen rechtsextreme Parteien in Europa unterstützt, da dies den amerikanischen Grundsätzen und meinen Werten widerspricht.
Einigkeit macht stark! 🫡
#HelloQuitteX

[Michaël A. @Michael_A_Bel]

As a humanist and a 🇪🇺 democrat, I'm bowing out of X / Twitter today.
I cannot condone Elon MUSK's open support for Europe's far-right parties. It's contrary to the American way of life and to my values.
United we stand! 🫡

#HelloQuitteX #Democracy #Respect

[Michaël A. @Michael_A_Bel]

Als humanist en 🇪🇺 democraat stap ik vandaag uit X/Twitter.
Ik kan de openlijke steun van Elon MUSK voor extreem-rechtse partijen in Europa niet goedkeuren. Het is in strijd met de Amerikaanse grondbeginselen en mijn waarden.
Eendracht maakt macht! 🫡
#HelloQuitteX

[Belgian Royal Palace @MonarchieBe]

La Reine fête ses 52 ans aujourd'hui. Merci pour vos vœux chaleureux en cette période hivernale! 🎉

📷 Eva Donckers

[David Criekemans @DavidCriekemans]

INTERVIEW @demorgen : Dit gaat niet meer weg, we moeten ons anders opstellen’: hybride oorlogsvoering: https://t.co/Hn505wiiE1

[Anton Gerashchenko @Gerashchenko_en]

Analysis of the situation with EstLink2 cable and predictions about NordBalt cable by Belarusian political analyst Ihar Tyshkevich:

The underwater electricity cable Estlink 2 connecting the Finnish and Estonian power grids has been damaged. It is one of two cables that have a combined capacity of up to 1 GW. EstLink 2 provides 650 MW. No catastrophe has occurred. Neither the Finnish nor Estonian power grids collapsed. But it is worth taking a broader view of the problem.

The energy system of the Baltic States was (and still is) a part of the BRELL (Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) ring during the Soviet era. Moreover, the Baltic countries themselves are energy consumers, but not exporters. And until recently, they had no possibility to get rid of dependence on imports from Belarus and Russia. An illustrative example: even after the commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, president of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda spoke in Ukrainian parliament and called for refusing to import electricity generated by this plant. At that time, the national energy grid operator declared zero imports, but the real stable flow into the Lithuanian energy system amounted to about 400 MW. And from imports in this direction, the Republic of Lithuania could actually reach the minimization of imports (and even abandon them in case of favorable scenario) only in the second half of 2023.

Nevertheless, since 2013, the construction of three power transmission lines under the Baltic Sea has started. These are the mentioned EstLink and NordBalt. The latter, with a capacity of 700 MW, connects the Republic of Lithuania with the Swedish energy system. In parallel, construction of transmission lines in the direction of Poland has been developing. As well as its own generating capacities.

Thus, by the end of 2024, the Baltic States could (and did) achieve energy independence from Russian imports. The missing capacities were obtained from nuclear power plants in Finland and Sweden, as well as from the Polish energy system (but the latter had "round-trip" flows).

And in the summer of the same year, the Baltic States announced their intention to withdraw from BRELL. That is, to eliminate dependence on Russia and Belarus. This event must take place in February 2025.

And then 650 MW "drops out" of the system. The Baltic States will be able to cope with such losses, due to flows from Poland. But if something happens to NordBalt, the situation will be close to critical. And it is not only about withdrawal from BRELL (which will have to be postponed). Let's recall the Belarusian NPP. Power unit No. 1 is under scheduled repair. And power unit No. 2 is shut down because emergency sensors have been triggered. And it is worth mentioning that the software (and the sensors and reactors themselves) were supplied by Rosatom.

There is a great probability that the NordBalt cable will be damaged in the coming weeks. Once again, by some "accidentally passing ship".

Source: Ihar Tyshkevich / Facebook

📷: Scheme of the energy system of the Baltic States

[Foreign Affairs @ForeignAffairs]

“With China and, for the time being, Russia behind it, the Kim family has more confidence about its own future in power than at any other time in the past three decades,” writes @andreilankov.
https://t.co/atO52zIlgm

[Belgian Defence @BelgiumDefence]

Le Chef de la Défense #CHOD 🇧🇪 se rend traditionnellement sur certains théâtres d'opération en fin d'année. L'occasion pour le Général aviateur Vansina de rencontrer nos militaires déployés pour une mission de longue durée https://t.co/efkKIe4rC7

[European External Action Service - EEAS 🇪🇺 @eu_eeas]

In response to an invitation from the National Electoral Commission, HR/VP @kajakallas has decided to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe Ecuador's general elections on 9 February 2025

Read more: https://t.co/BycZwZqrRa

[Belgian Defence @BelgiumDefence]

Le premier vol 🇧🇪 du F-35A, a eu lieu ce jeudi 12 décembre, depuis la base aérienne de Luke en Arizona 🇺🇸. Ce moment historique reflète l’importance stratégique de l’appareil pour la Belgique et ses alliés face aux menaces actuelles https://t.co/ni2aSpBBr2

[L’investisseur long terme @linvestisseurLT]

[THREAD]

🇳🇴 Le fonds souverain Norvégien a atteint le cap symbolique des 20 000 milliards de couronnes norvégiennes, soit 1 700 milliards d’euros.

De quoi mettre à l’abri financièrement tous les habitants du pays (enfants inclus) !

Découvrez l’histoire de ce fonds :

[1/11]

[Institute for the Study of War @TheStudyofWar]

NEW: The Iranian regime is still coming to terms with the fall of the Assad regime and reflecting on its former Syria policy.

Key Takeaways + Full Report ⬇️🧵(1/7)

[Clément Molin @clement_molin]

#Syrie 🇸🇾 après l'euphorie, le nouvel Etat syrien est confronté à d'importants défis internes et externes.

Invasion Israélienne 🇮🇱, intégration des FDS, départ des russes 🇷🇺, influence turque 🇹🇷 et dissensions politiques sur le futur régime...

🧵THREAD🧵1/25 ⬇️

[GeoInsider @InsiderGeo]

The world is fixated on Taiwan, but the South China Sea (SCS) is where China is playing its long game. If you care about global trade, security, and geopolitics, this is the crisis you can't ignore. Let me break it down 👇 1/22

[Directorate of Defence @Defense_lu]

Minister @Yuriko_Backes visited the @ArmyLuxembourg soldiers of the NATO Multinational Battlegroup Lithuania #MNBGLTU @efp_lithuania

Together with Allies from 5 nations🇩🇪🇧🇪🇳🇱🇳🇴🇨🇿 & under German command, 🇱🇺 contributes to the collective deterrence at NATO’s eastern flank.

[Belgian Defence @BelgiumDefence]

Vandaag bezocht Generaal-majoor van het vliegwezen An-Roos De Potter het Centrum voor Basisopleiding en Scholing Noord in Leopoldsburg. Sinds 12 september 2024 is ze, naast commandant van de KMS, immers ook de eerste Commandant der Scholen ooit https://t.co/coJcTBnmAV

[SGRS - ADIV @SgrsAdiv]

Sensibiliseringssessie voor Kamerleden over de risico's verbonden aan inmenging en digitale spionage met de Staatsveiligheid. De nadruk ligt op de complementariteit van de twee diensten!

[Karen van Vlierberge -K2V @K2Vlierberge]

So proud to welcome @TheBelgianNavy patrol Vessel #BNSCastor to @DublinPortCo.

🙏@Commandant_Cstr & the crew for marking the end of our 4 years @NATO CPE Mandate with a fantastic reception.

🙏 @defenceforces & @naval_service for your unwavering support!

#StrongerTogether 🇧🇪🇮🇪

[Jenan Moussa @jenanmoussa]

1/ Developments in Syria going so fast that reports become obsolete moments later.

I've reported from inside Syria since 2011 and I live in the MidEast. So, let me explain in this thread what the implications could be for Syria and wider region in case the Syrian regime falls: