REAL POLITIK FLASH NO. 88
18 – 31 MAY 2025
With “ flash” comments on 4 major events in only 1000 words by the prominent analyst,
DR. JORGJI KOTE
Grand Master in Diplomacy
1.A top phone call as a disappointment! Such was the third 125 minute-long phone conversation between Trump – Putin on 19 May.
Despite the tensed situation in the world, they spoke as old friends addressing one another by first name. Putin who was speaking during a visit to a childen school in Soçi did not even forget to congratulate “Donald” for his 11th nephew! The coversation was so pleasant that as a Putin’s close advisor said, they wanted to continue endlessly!
However, it is widely believed that Trump is not yet realizing that after each phone conversation Putin behaves even harder. This has also occurred after their three phone calls on 12 February, 18 March and 19 May when Russia has escalated its attacks and bombardments agaist even against civil facilities in Kyev!
Journalist Steve Rosenberg, who in the last 20 years has been serving as BBC correspondent to Moscow admits that Putin is the winner of the great geopolitical poker; he is playing up with time and Trump, hindering and undermining a clear strategy for ceace-fire and true peace in Ukraine.
2. Exit from Brexit! Such may be called indeed the Agreement on Strategic Partnership EU – UK that was signed on 20 May, at the presence of the top UK and the EU leaders in London.
Actually, this deal together as well as their recent approachment and strengthening of cooperation is the fulfilment of the electoral pledge of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after his plebiscitary victory last July. It incorporates 24 vital aspects coverig political, public, economic, social, tourist and consular areas.
They mean large – scale facilities for the British traditional food stuffs and especially saussages, sardines and hamburgers, in exchange for the British permission to the French fishers to fish in their waters for an additional 12 years time. The latter is a remarkable achievement attained amidst several difficulties, due to the British sensitiviness.
Other major facilities are also provided for the British exports of plants, animals and animal products in the EU market, lifting almost all existing check ups and documentation in the borders with EU Member States.
Another vital field is the free movement of the British citizens in the EU countries, especially the youth and students. Here there are still obstacles, due to the rezistance from the British opposition and the far right party “ Reform”; therefore, this remains an area where further talks are expected. Meanwhile, good steps are made in order to benefit again from the EU famous educational program “ Erasmus”.
Likewise, this Agreement will enable the British tourists to pass in the EU aeroports through the automatic electronic gates, as if they were EU citizens, avoiding long standing queues.
It goes without saying that the most important historic component of this Agreement is the substantial intensification of cooperation between the EU and the UK in the military and security fields; among others, from now on London will be entitled to attend the meetings of Ministers of Defence, other similar forums and others. Most importantly, its senior officials and experts it will be again entitled to participate in the EU defence program ”SAFE” amounting to150 Billion Euro which was adopted on 27 May and it will start its implementation immediately.
The said agreement does also provide for the strengthening of cooperation in the defence industry, joint production of military armament, exhange of data among secrets services and others.
Since it is a general frame agreement, it will be completed in the upcoming months with all other necessary elements and details. However, the most important thing has occurred, i.e. the fact that 5 years after their expensive “ divorce” they have come back together as “friends and partners”, opening up a new chapter of their strategic partnership; or to put it in simpler words, they are making an exit from the Brexit.
3. Germany at the helm! Although only three weeks in his new office, Chancellor Merz is delivering on the promises he has made related to the paradigm shift in the German foreign and security policy.
Thus, for instance, the 10th German Chancellor of the post war period, the 69 year old Friedrich Merz broke the German record of the last 80 years, establishing the great governmental coalition within 75 days!
Merz made “ revolution” even before entering the nww ofice, amending the German Constitution on 18th March with the consensus of social-democrats and the Greens; accordingly, the foreign borrowing cannot hinder anymore the epochal increase of defence expenses. To this end, a special budget of 500 Billion Euro was adopted. The same amount was enacted for the modernization of the country’s infrastructure. During his first week in office, Merz went to Kyev together with Macron, Starmer and Tusk, when his forerunner Scholz waited 444 days to do that!
Further, on 21 May Chancellor Merz and the Defence Minister Pistorius travelled to Lithuania to meet the soldiers of the 5th elite German Tanks Brigade. It is the first German military unit dispatched abroad after the end of WWII and even more in the border with Russia. There are 400 soldiers for the time being but until 2027 it will be completed with 5000 Bundeswehr troops. Meawhile, on 23 May, Merz announced the next revolution in this area, i.e. the increase of military spending for NATO from 2 per cent currently to 5 per cent, 3,5 per cent directly for the army and 1,5 per cent for the modernization of the infrastructure, so that it would adapt to the war conditions. On 26 May, Chancellor Merz announced that Berlin now allows Kyev to launch attacks in the Russian territory with long range weapons. On 28 May, in his 22nd day in office, Merc received in Berlin President Zelenski, where he promised to finance Ukraine for the production of long range missiles.
4. End this political shame up! This appeal sounds as a note of alarm for politics in Pristina from within and our major partners, after the 24th failed edffort to elect Kosovo’s Parliament Speaker. Otherwise, Kosovo may forget its accession to the Council of Europe, NATO and EU, their support in lifting the sanctions, a vital factor in the present challenging and complicated situations! So, elect the Speaker of the Parliament and end this political shame up, NOW!
© 2025 Argumentum
