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Geopolitics never takes a break, not even on weekends. Fear not, we've got you covered with the latest news you might have missed while kicking back.

Today’s geopolitics hotspots:

Poland fears Wagner invasion

Poland’s PM warns of possible Wagner invasion. Mateusz Morawiecki has sounded the alarm bells about a potential invasion by the Wagner Group. According to Morawiecki, there are concerning reports that indicate that over 100 Wagner mercenaries have snuck dangerously close to the border with Belarus, with their sights set on infiltrating Poland.

✍🏻 Rapid Fact Check:

• Reportedly, Wagner mercenaries could pose as migrants or border guards to sneak into Poland.

• Poland is beefing up its border security in response—sending around 1,000 soldiers and 500 police officers to the eastern border.

📚 Context: 

• The Wagner Group is a private army with ties to the Kremlin—accused of committing atrocities in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and Africa. It rebelled against Russia last month and has been exiled to Belarus.

• The Suwalki Gap, situated between Poland and Lithuania, is a strategic corridor that plays a dual role in separating Belarus from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. If Russia were to capture this critical region, it would potentially endanger NATO's endeavors to safeguard the Baltic states.

China fumes over Biden’s Taiwan aid

The U.S. recently unveiled a $345 million military aid package to Taiwan. To expedite the process, they are using the Presidential Drawdown Authority. This process is faster than selling weapons to Taiwan, which has been delayed by supply-chain issues.

China’s response:

✍🏻 Rapid Fact Check:

• The U.S. received appreciation from Taiwan's defense ministry for its “firm security commitment.”

• Taiwan is expecting over $19 billion in military aid from the U.S., but a significant portion of this assistance is still pending delivery.

📚 Context: 

• With the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), the president gains the capability to transfer resources from U.S. stockpiles.

• While the Ukraine PDA was utilized on an emergency basis, the Taiwan PDA, authorized by Congress last year, operates as a non-emergency authority.

Drone wars in Moscow

Ukraine is done playing nice. It sent three drones to strike at the heart of Moscow on Sunday, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

Russia’s claims: 1 was blasted out of the sky and 2 had their signals scrambled. But these two jammed drones still managed to crack two offices in the city’s financial district.

✍🏻 Rapid Fact Check:

• One security guard was reportedly injured.

• The Vnukovo airport was shut down for about an hour.

• The 5th and 6th floors of a 50-story building were damaged.

• The Russian Defense Ministry labeled it “an attempted terrorist attack.”

• Ukraine is yet to acknowledge its direct involvement.

📚 Context: 

After last Monday’s drone attack on Moscow, Ukraine’s Minister for Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, made a daring pledge—he would unleash more drones to wreak havoc on Russia. Sunday’s attack appears to be a way of delivering on his promise.

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