Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like the news that Kyiv appears to be willing to discuss the future of Crimea with Moscow if its forces reach the borders of the Russian-occupied peninsula. This statement from the Deputy Head of the Office of President Zelenskyy, Andriy Sybiha, is the clearest indicator of interest in negotiations shown by Ukraine since last April. Nevertheless, the possible negotiation seems to concern the Crimean Peninsula specifically, as the Ukrainian army is getting closer to the start of its counter-attack to retrieve its territory.

I like the news that French President Emmanuel Macron told the Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, that Russia’s equipment will not benefit China during their meeting in Beijing. The French President said that France wants to cooperate with China and that Beijing’s cooperation with Moscow would make China complicit in Russia’s violations of International Law. France is one of the countries that, from the beginning of the raging war, wish to end it and defend International Law, which is also evident through its move to approach China and form a possible alliance, which may favor the entire of Europe.

I dislike Italy’s ban on ChatGPT. The decision appears to be an overreach that fails to adequately protect the rights of citizens and their personal data. Although the concerns about artificial intelligence and data privacy are legitimate, the ban potentially stifles innovation and hinders progress in the development of safe AI technologies. Furthermore, the blanket ban on ChatGPT disregards its potential positive applications and contributions to various sectors. A more nuanced approach, involving the development of strict data protection guidelines and AI ethics standards, would be a better method to ensure user privacy and security while allowing the technology to evolve and benefit society.

I dislike the increase in the use of illegal substances in Europe. According to a research by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addiction and the SCORE Group, the levels of illicit drugs in European wastewater increased in 2022. Cities in western and northern Europe are the epicenters of this crisis, particularly larger ports like Antwerp and Tarragona. This piece of news is alarming because first, drugs endanger the lives, as well as the physical and mental health of thousands of people, and second, they burden the treatment facilities which were already dealing with problems caused by insufficient funding. Furthermore, the increase in illicit drug use shows that the illegal trade of these substances is continuing inside the borders of the European Union.