Weekly Roundup/Catchup 23/02/26
Starlink, Tariffs and Royal Arrests
Above: Trump announcing tariffs in April 2025 - Source: The Guardian
The Ukrainian Front
This week saw one of the most significant battlefield shifts in the last two years of war. According to military analysts, Ukrainian forces have recaptured territory at the fastest rate since mid-2023, capitalizing on a disruption to Russian battlefield communications.
Territorial gains: Between 11 and 15 February, Kyiv’s forces reportedly reclaimed roughly 201 km² of territory along multiple fronts, particularly east of the city of Zaporizhzhia. This area equates to nearly the amount Russia gained for the entire month of December.
Several defence commentators and think-tank assessments link these Ukrainian advances to the shutdown of unauthorized Starlink satellite terminals, which Russian units had been using for tactical communications and drone coordination. By limiting access to SpaceX’s Starlink network near the front lines, Russian command-and-control capabilities were reportedly degraded, creating temporary “chaos” Russian forces struggled to mitigate.
Ukrainian military and NATO sources suggest the lack of effective alternatives has left Russian troops at a disadvantage in maintaining real-time communications and coordinating manoeuvres.
The Starlink disruption has not, on its own, triggered a full-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive. Instead, it appears to have created tactical windows that Ukrainian units have exploited to achieve localised breakthroughs and momentum, particularly in defensive stabilisation and probing operations ahead of the spring campaigning season.
This comes at the same time as Russia moves to block access to Telegram, a messaging app that is very popular amongst both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline and fulfilled a vital role for the Russians in coordinating logistics and even combat fires. Russian milbloggers have theorised that this may be due to plans for mobilisation and a desire from the Kremlin to be able to shut down dissent more easily.
American Front
So, there goes Trump’s ‘trade policy’
In a landmark legal decision with wide-ranging economic and political implications, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the bulk of former President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, ruling that the administration lacked statutory authority to impose them under emergency powers law.
The Court, in a major rebuke of executive authority, held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant the president taxation powers, and that tariffs constitute a tax on imported goods requiring clear congressional authorisation.
The decision affects over $175 billion in tariff revenue, with uncertainty over how refunds to importers will be processed. Already-collected duties now hang in legal limbo.
U.S. manufacturers, retailers, and trade groups welcomed the ruling, highlighting the relief it provides from unpredictable trade barriers and the potential for more stable global supply chains. However, refund mechanisms are expected to take months to resolve.
The former president publicly criticised the Court, denouncing the decision as overreach and subsequently implementing a new temporary global tariff at the statutory maximum of 15 percent under alternative authorities, a move that reflects his intent to continue a protectionist trade agenda despite legal setbacks
World markets reacted to the decision and ensuing policy shifts with volatility. Wall Street futures fell and gold prices rallied as investors grappled with renewed uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.
The European Union has urged the United States to uphold existing trade agreements, warning that arbitrary tariff fluctuations undermine confidence and could trigger retaliatory measures if commitments are not honoured.
The ruling may complicate scheduled high-level visits and trade talks, including discussions between the U.S. and China later this spring, as partners seek clarity on the direction of U.S. tariff policy
This landmark judgement reinforces the constitutional balance between Congress and the presidency in shaping trade policy. It could also accelerate debates in Washington over how to modernise U.S. trade law and ensure that major economic levers like tariffs are wielded with explicit legislative backing.
In response Trump er… announced a 10% tariff on the entire world.
The British Front
For the first time in centuries, a senior member of the extended British royal family has been arrested in a criminal investigation, underscoring both public accountability and the pressures facing the monarchy.
On 19 February 2026, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York and younger brother of King Charles III, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was detained for approximately 11 hours before being released under investigation.
Authorities are probing allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor may have shared sensitive government material in 2010 including details of government visits and protectively marked documents about investment opportunities in Afghanistan with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy, based on documents released earlier this year by the U.S. government as part of the investigation into Epstein.
Police have conducted searches at his current residence on the Sandringham estate and at his long-time former home, Royal Lodge, with further evidence gathering ongoing.
King Charles III publicly stated that he received the news with “deepest concern” and pledged the Palace’s cooperation with authorities, emphasising the importance of the legal process.
Despite having lost his royal titles last year, Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the throne, a position that has sparked intensified discourse about whether Parliament should legislate to remove him permanently from the line of succession.
The arrest reflects broader pressures on the democracies to tackle the heinous activities of elites linked to Epstein. It is the first in what is hopefully going to be a long series of arrests, many hoping that the investigation will eventually reach 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Although, it must be noted that the complete lack of action on the part of the US Justice Department in opening investigations into named individuals is raising eyebrows across the world.
I’m sure it’s nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s nearly 40,000 mentions in the files.