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• 100 millioner kroner til å hente forskere til Norge, NRK (state media), April 23rd 2025
• Trump-effekten får amerikanske forskere til at søge mod Danmark: 'Jeg har aldrig oplevet noget lignende', DR (state media), April 19th 2025

As the fallout continues from Jordan’s recent security crackdown on a militant cell accused of manufacturing missiles and drones, officials remain tight-lipped about why a court-banned branch of the Muslim Brotherhood continues to operate freely.

The group, declared illegal by a final court ruling in 2020, has maintained its political activities with apparent impunity—a contradiction analysts say points to selective enforcement of the law.

While Jordanian authorities have detained extremists over what was described as a “chaos plot,” they have avoided confronting the unlicensed movement. The Brotherhood’s continued presence, despite Article 159 of the penal code criminalizing illegal associations with potential jail sentences, has puzzled observers.

Analysts say the government’s “soft containment” approach reflects a broader political culture in Amman that avoids clashes with groups enjoying popular support, even if that means ignoring binding court decisions.

Critics argue the state’s flexibility towards the Brotherhood undermines legal consistency and raises questions about the rule of law, especially as other groups face swift and public consequences.

Jordan’s government appears to have taken a markedly tougher stance following the recent exposure of the militant cell allegedly backed by foreign actors and accused of planning attacks with home-built missiles and drones targeting domestic sites—not under the pretext of “supporting the resistance in Gaza”.

The discovery of the plot has prompted a reassessment within the country’s decision-making circles, which are now closely watching for verdicts from the State Security Court—the judicial body with jurisdiction over terrorism and national security cases.

While authorities have clamped down on the immediate threat, they have stopped short of confronting the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group and its political wing, the Islamic Action Front.

Analysts say officials are treading cautiously, wary of provoking parliamentary unrest or street mobilizations that the faction could spearhead if directly challenged.

The government’s current posture suggests a strategic pause—one that balances national security concerns with the potential political fallout of taking on a well-rooted opposition force.

Jordanian decision-makers, however, are stepping up preparations on multiple fronts as the country braces for a possible legal showdown with the Brotherhood.

Authorities are weighing the implications of formally designating the Brotherhood as an unlicensed entity, a move that would entail shutting down its activities, seizing its assets and properties, and treating any political statements or public events linked to its members as violations subject to prosecution under the penal code and counterterrorism laws.

Behind the scenes, government institutions are working to draw a legal and operational distinction between the Brotherhood and the Islamic Action Front, which remains registered under the country’s political parties law.

This delicate balancing act hinges on upcoming hearings at the State Security Court, expected to begin next week. However, officials fear that any legal escalation could spark backlash, including street protests or social media campaigns led by the Islamic Action Front.

Analysts say such a scenario could force authorities to take more decisive measures, including dissolving the party itself, in a bid to dismantle what critics view as a monopolized Islamist platform and reassert control over religious political representation in the kingdom.

April 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine is ready to negotiate but not to surrender, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Wednesday as details emerged in media reports of a U.S. proposal for a deal which would see Ukraine give up almost all territory currently occupied by Russia. "There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence," Svyrydenko wrote on X.

"Our people will not accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace," she added.

Media outlets have this week reported details of a broad proposal by Washington for a deal between Kyiv and Moscow which proposes the formal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea as Russian as well as Moscow keeping de facto control of most captured Ukrainian territory.

On the other hand, Ukraine has pushed for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire with negotiations proceeding after it is established. "A full ceasefire - on land, in the air, and at sea - is the necessary first step," Svyrydenko said, adding that if Moscow instead opted for a limited pause, Kyiv would respond in kind.

LONDON/PARIS, April 23 (Reuters) - Talks between the U.S., Ukraine and European officials to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine faltered on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly cancelled his trip to London and negotiations were downgraded. Rubio's no show prompted a broader meeting of foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany to be cancelled, although talks continued at a lower level. The U.S. would now be represented by Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg.

The downgrading of the talks comes at a critical time, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could walk away if there was no progress on a deal soon. Trump raised the pressure on Sunday when he said he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the three-year war.

A source close to the discussions said the downgrading of the trip came after Ukraine drafted a paper for the Europeans on Tuesday, in which it said there would be no discussions on territorial issues until "a full and unconditional ceasefire". The source said the apparent U.S. nervousness could indicate that the Ukrainian position did not align with what Washington's representatives had agreed so far with the Russians.

Rubio spoke to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy late on Tuesday and said he looked forward to rescheduling his trip in the coming months after Wednesday's "technical meetings". Speaking on his arrival in London with the foreign and defence ministers, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said the talks would focus on ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step to peace.

"Despite everything, we will work for peace," he said on social media. But underlining the distance between the sides in the negotiation, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Kyiv would not recognise Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. That recognition was part of the proposals outlined by the United States to the Europeans last week, sources close to the talks have said.

"Ukraine is ready to negotiate - but not to surrender," Svyrydenko wrote on X. The meeting is a follow-up to a similar session in Paris last week where U.S., Ukrainian and European officials discussed ways to move forward and narrow positions.

During those talks, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff presented a paper to the participants outlining proposals in which Ukraine in particular, but also Russia, would need to make concessions, according to three diplomats aware of the talks. The diplomats differed on whether the position paper was a firm U.S. stance or a starting point to work with Ukraine and its British, French and German allies to formulate a joint position before taking it to Russia.

DIFFICULT PROPOSALS

Some of Washington's proposals were unacceptable to European countries and Kyiv, multiple sources said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that the Europeans had detailed to the United States what they view as the non-negotiable aspects of a potential peace accord. Rubio last week said the U.S. framework that he and Witkoff proposed in Paris received an encouraging reception.

But the sources said that among the U.S. proposals was recognising Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea - a move that was a non-starter for Europe and Ukraine - as well as accepting the reality of Russia's control of the remaining 20% of Ukraine's territory. In addition, NATO membership for Ukraine would be ruled out and the U.S. would begin to lift sanctions on Russia.

The London talks were aimed at working to bridge differences and find areas that could satisfy Moscow and open a serious negotiation, diplomats said. Beyond Crimea, other major sticking points remain, including Russia's push for lifting of European Union sanctions against it before negotiations are finished, which Europe staunchly opposes, diplomats said. Washington proposed last week to establish a neutral zone at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine, according to European diplomats. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he would be ready to partner with the United States to restart the plant.

Some of Washington's ideas are also likely to displease Moscow. Two diplomats said the U.S. was not pushing a Russian demand to demilitarize Ukraine and was not opposed to a European force as part of future security guarantees for Ukraine. Witkoff had not been part of the London talks. But, on Washington's parallel track of diplomacy with Moscow, he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Russia, the White House said. Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine by May, arguing the U.S. must end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and risks a direct confrontation between the U.S. and nuclear-armed Russia.