Good morning, readers!

We are no strangers to politicians flip-flopping. However, according to President Biden’s recent comments on his actions, he had no choice but to flip-flop. So… a mandatory flip-flop?

Today’s geopolitics hotspots

Biden’s border wall flip-flop.

The US-Mexico border wall is back in the spotlight.

No, it’s not Trump who’s building it—it’s Biden.

The same Biden who:

• promised to stop the wall construction on his first day in office.

• now says he has no choice but to use the money that Congress already allocated for the wall.

• faces a record number of migrants crossing the border from Mexico, and needs to do something about it.

🗳️ The politics.

• Biden issued a proclamation soon after taking office, declaring a halt to the wall’s funding. He also demanded a scrutiny of the already-allocated funds.

• However, the review revealed that a portion of the funds were legally obligated to be spent, and certain wall segments were deemed essential for security purposes.

🏛️ Biden’s comments.

On Thursday, Biden defended his move by saying that he couldn’t get the funds allocated for Trump’s border wall reappropriated.

When one reporter asked if he believes the border wall works, Biden simply replied, “No.”

So technically, Biden isn’t using additional tax-payers’ dollars to build the wall. He is using money from the previous administration.

Does this still count as betraying his base and lying?

🤬 Who’s angry?

Pretty much everyone.

• Trump and his supporters are waiting for an apology from Biden for criticizing their wall project in the past.

• Mexico called the move “a step backwards.”

• Environmentalists aren’t happy because 26 federal laws, including the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, had to be waived to make this construction happen.

Quick updates

Click the country's name for more.👇🏻

🇺🇦 Ukraine:

Russia kills at least 51 at a funeral in Ukraine, including children.

Russia has shown its true colors once again by launching a deadly missile strike on a Ukrainian village, killing at least 51 civilians who were attending a funeral. President Zelensky characterized the attack as "a completely deliberate act of terrorism.”

The attack was universally panned as “heinous” and “barbaric.”

✱ NOTE: The attack reportedly used an Iskander missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

🇧🇪 Belgium:

Alibaba’s European hub suspected of espionage.

You might want to think twice before ordering from Alibaba in Europe. The Belgian intelligence service is keeping an eye on the Chinese e-commerce giant’s logistics center in Liège, suspecting it of espionage for Beijing.

✱ NOTE: The hub, which opened in 2021, uses a data platform that could potentially access sensitive information from customers and partners.

🇩🇪 Germany:

Unknown Russian villa raided in Germany.

A court-ordered raid on a lavish lakeside villa has exposed its owner as an unnamed Russian national targeted by EU sanctions. The reason? Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The villa is located in a posh resort town near Munich, where the Russian also owns several other properties. They were searched by 30 investigators from the Central Office for Sanctions Enforcement (ZfS).

✱ NOTE: The Russian national’s identity remains a mystery, yet media reports suggest a link to Alisher Usmanov, a Putin ally previously targeted by a 2022 ZfS raid.

🇫🇷 France:

France to start leaving Niger “this week.”

France is packing its bags and leaving Niger this week, after the military junta and its pro-coup supporters have been rallying to force the French troops to leave Niger.

This is a huge blow to France’s anti-jihadist campaign in Africa, where it has been fighting for a decade. It also gives Russia a chance to fill the gap, as some Nigeriens have shown support for Putin.

✱ NOTE: France has already quit Mali and Burkina Faso after coups in those countries last year.