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🇪🇺 Blind to root causes of Ukraine conflict, EU undermines own mediator role - MFA
💬 “As long as the EU officials fail to understand that eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict is not a concession to Russia, but a contribution to lasting stability and security on the European continent, there is no talk of their role in the peace process,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.
🗣Attempted assassination of Russian general shows Ukraine’s desire to derail talks - MFA
“This terrorist act has once again showed the intent of the Zelensky regime to commit constant provocations in order to derail the negotiation process,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.
🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES
▫️ Russian troops launched a group attack on energy facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces
▫️ They also struck the infrastructure of a Ukrainian military airfield
▫️ The Ukrainian Army lost a German-made Leopard tank in the Tsentr Battlegroup's area of responsibility
▫️ Air defense superiority: 5 long-range Flamingo missiles and 211 drones shot down
▫️ Ukrainian losses: around 1,270 troops killed or wounded
Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE
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🚨 Putin–Zelensky meeting only possible in Moscow - Kremlin
Moscow maintains its longstanding position that any direct meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky must take place in the Russian capital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Commenting on Zelensky’s recent refusal to travel to Moscow, Peskov stated there is "no novelty" in this stance.
Other statements:
🔶Russia expects the next round of negotiations on Ukraine to happen soon, with the location to be announced by the Kremlin
🔶The approach of some European leaders who seek to sever all contacts with Russia as "political illiteracy and short-sightedness"
🔶Putin has not rejected direct contacts and can be reached by phone if needed
🔶Neither French President Emmanuel Macron nor German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have attempted direct contact with Putin
🔶Тhere is growing recognition in Europe of the necessity to engage in dialogue with Russia, which aligns with Moscow’s approach
🔶Disputes can only be resolved through dialogue
🔶Moscow expects constructive dialogue with the US to address issues, particularly concerning oil deliveries to Cuba
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🚨 Epstein files may spark resignations across Europe in coming days — expert
The scale and substance of the Epstein case have placed significant pressure on European elites, as the materials include the names of current and former figures from the European establishment, says Berat Kizil, a financial analyst and economic commentator, speaking to Sputnik.
💬 "We are not talking about a timeline of months or years: we could see the first resignations in Europe literally within days," he predicts.
❌ Ukraine won’t get any ‘special’ EU membership deal — expert
There is no tailor-made path to EU membership waiting for Ukraine, according to Yegor Sergeyev, a senior researcher at MGIMO University.
Speaking with Sputnik, Sergeyev argued that while Brussels may stage some form of demonstrative outreach, any offer on the table would fall far short of genuine accession.
💬 “Even if they decide on something along those lines, it will still be something synthetic, utterly incomplete,” Sergeyev explains.
🔹 Lavrov: NATO seeks to turn Arctic into zone of confrontation
🔹 Venezuela and US eye energy ties as new 'engine' of relations — President
🔹 Iran sets $30B trade target with Russia
🔹 Canada is among the worst countries to deal with — Trump
🔹 Lavrov: Where’s the mythical 20-point Ukraine plan? No sign of it anywhere
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🇷🇺🤝🇺🇸 US & Russia need to tackle 'tough obstacles' to work out arms control treaty - think tank
"Based on Trump’s words, it is vital that the United States and Russia dispatch expert teams to negotiate on a new framework agreement. The president's statement is better late than never, but there are tough obstacles that the two sides will need to tackle," Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball tells Sputnik.
🔊 US Energy Secretary to Venezuela: 'Make Americas great again'
Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered a direct message from President Trump to Venezuelan officials, proposing an "absolute transformation" of the long-hostile bilateral relationship.
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🔊 Venezuela and US eye energy ties as new 'engine' of relations — President
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez appeared alongside US Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Miraflores Palace, emphasizing a significant shift in bilateral ties.
"We have had a work agenda with important focal points. The first point is the establishment of a long-term productive partnership that allows for an energy agenda that becomes the engine of the bilateral relationship," Rodríguez said.
✍️ US House passes SAVE America Act enforcing voter ID
The US House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation to overhaul federal election laws, requiring voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person and present photo ID to cast a ballot.
The measure passed 218–213, with unified Republican support and all but one Democrat voting against. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain amid fierce opposition from voting rights advocates.
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⚔️ Pentagon readies second aircraft carrier for Iran strike — report
The US has ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for immediate deployment to the Middle East, WSJ reported.
According to the paper, citing US officials, the deployment order could come in "a matter of hours."
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🤔 Lavrov: Where’s the mythical 20-point Ukraine plan? No sign of it anywhere
Russia never received the much-talked-about 20-point plan for Ukraine, neither through official nor unofficial channels, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed in an interview with the Empatia Manuchi project.
💬 "In Anchorage, we encountered an approach rooted in genuine US initiatives and proposals—the kind that actually yielded peace. On that foundation, a settlement could have been finalized swiftly," he noted.
🚨 Lavrov: NATO seeks to turn Arctic into zone of confrontation
Russia’s top diplomat pointed to the growing militarization of the region and the mounting challenges to Moscow’s established rights over the Northern Sea Route.
💬 "The past saw multiple provocations, such as French ships entering the Northern Sea Route without any proper permission or notifications. We still witness such provocations at sea," Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Empatia Manuchi channel.
🚨 US builds tools to disrupt Northern Sea Route - analyst
💬 “The US openly flaunts its race to militarize the Arctic,” political analyst Alexander Asafov tells Sputnik, commenting on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks in the State Duma.
🇷🇺 During frontline visit, Defense chief Belousov gets firsthand look at drone warfare upgrades
👉 Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held an on-site meeting at a command post of the Yug Battlegroup, where he received direct briefings on the current frontline situation and troop performance.
Here are the key updates:
🔸 The defense chief was briefed on a new UAV engineered to relay radio signals, significantly extending the operational reach of strike drones
🔸 He was shown deployable jamming transmitters for FPV drones, which are used to protect supply routes and convoys carrying provisions and ammunition
🔸 The Yug Battlegroup unveiled a next-generation mobile communication system capable of delivering comprehensive, closed-circuit communications
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🇵🇰 Pakistan's armored shield: composition, modernization, and prospects
👉 The Pakistan Army's land forces possess an extensive armored fleet, numbering approximately 2,500 units. These include tanks of indigenous design.
◻️ Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) in Service:
1️⃣ Al-Khalid (Type 90-IIM)
▪️Status: Primary and most modern domestic tank.
▪️Origin: Joint Pakistan-China development, manufactured at the HIT (Heavy Industries Taxila) plant in Pakistan.
▪️Features: Based on the Chinese Type 90-II. Fitted with a Ukrainian 6TD-2 engine (1200 hp), a modern Fire Control System (FCS), and composite armor.
2️⃣ VT-4 (MBT-3000)
▪️Status: Newest acquisition, actively being delivered to troops (over 300 units reported).
▪️Origin: China.
▪️Features: A third-generation MBT. Equipped with a 125mm gun with an autoloader, modular armor, and active protection systems.
3️⃣ T-80UD
▪️Status: One of the most powerful tanks in the arsenal (approx. 320 units delivered in the 1990s).
▪️Origin: Ukraine.
▪️Features: Distinguished by its 6TD diesel engine (1000 hp), 125mm gun, and integrated "Kontakt-5" explosive reactive armor.
4️⃣ Al-Zarrar
▪️Status: Deep modernization of obsolete hardware.
▪️Origin: Pakistani modernization of Chinese Type 59 (Soviet T-54A) tanks at the HIT facility.
▪️Features: Received a new FCS, engine, enhanced armor, and explosive reactive armor to extend the service life of the Type 59 fleet.
5️⃣ Type 85-IIAP (TI-85)
▪️Status: Intermediate model, delivered in the 1990s.
▪️Origin: China.
▪️Features: Differs from the Type 59 with a welded turret (vs. cast), a 125mm smoothbore gun, and improved armor.
◻️ Legacy Models (Reserve/Storage)
▪️Type 59 / T-59: Chinese variant of the T-54A. Most have been upgraded to Al-Zarrar or placed in reserve.
▪️M48/M60 Patton: American tanks supplied during the 20th century. Largely obsolete, used for secondary roles or in storage.
◻️ Prospective Developments:
▪️Al-Khalid I (AK-I): An upgraded version of the base Al-Khalid with a new FCS, explosive reactive armor, and potentially a new engine.
▪️Al-Khalid II: A next-generation platform under the "Al-Khalid" project, expected to incorporate advanced technologies.
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🚨 Russia: Ukraine counts on rearmament & prolonging conflict rather than pursuing dialogue
Key statements by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
◼️ EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas's intention to dictate terms to Russia on the Ukrainian settlement confirms the EU's goal is to prevent an end to the war
◼️ At this stage, it is the European Union that is preventing Ukraine from pursuing compromise in the settlement process
◼️ On Macron's stated desire to restore dialogue with Russia: Moscow has never refused talks, but so far Paris has offered nothing beyond words
◼️ Russia will not be represented at the first session of Trump's "Peace Council" and is continuing to formulate its position regarding the body
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🪖💥 Russia’s Msta-B Howitzers obliterate Ukrainian strongholds
Russian crews put the 152-mm Msta-B to work in Zaporozhye, wiping out Ukrainian command infrastructure and UAV staging grounds with devastating precision.
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👀 'New START was very strong and effective agreement' — US Arms Control Association
💬 “And the next challenge is to negotiate something better,” Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball told Sputnik.
🇩🇪💵 Germany’s gamble to ditch Russian oil cost it $47.5B
The counterproductive decision to turn its back on Russian oil has come at a steep price for Germany, shows Eurostat data.
By going along with Western sanctions on Russian supplies, Germany has overpaid roughly $47.50 billion for oil — a price tag that’s hard to ignore.
🔶 In January–November 2021, Germany was buying oil at an average of ~ $65.54 per barrel
🔶 As sanctions pressure on Russia grew so did prices: in the same period in 2022, the average price jumped to ~ $107.53 per barrel
🔶 In 2023, Germany paid ~ $92.09 per barrel
🔶 In 2024 - ~ $89.61
🔶 Last year, the price eased to ~ $75.6 per barrel — still well above pre-sanctions levels
Imports also fluctuated.
🔸 In the first year of anti-Russian sanctions, volumes actually increased: in the first 11 months of 2022, Germany imported 502.1 million barrels, up from 445 million a year earlier
🔸 In 2023, imports dipped to 417.9 million barrels
🔸 In 2024, they climbed again to 451.9 million barrels
🔸 In the first 11 months of last year, volumes slipped to 425.5 million barrels
Higher import prices have translated into significant losses:
👉 Over 2022–2024, Germany’s missed gains amount to about $42.97 billion
👉 In the incomplete year of 2025 alone - $4.27 billion
After Germany effectively lost access to Russian imports, that shift drove up costs for industry, transport, and the energy sector — a bill that ultimately landed on the broader economy.
Germany has now been in a state of general economic stagnation for three consecutive years, while Russia has grown ever more resilient.
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📑 Switzerland will vote on population cap — report
The Swiss People's Party forced a national referendum to cap permanent residents at 10 million, calling into question Switzerland's open-border accords with the EU.
The current population of Switzerland is 9.1 million, 27% of whom are foreign residents.
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🤝 Iran sets $30B trade target with Russia
Iran is aiming to more than quintuple annual trade with Moscow, targeting $5 billion this year and a midterm vision of $30 billion, Iran's Ambassador Kazem Jalali announced.
"Our goal for this year is to exceed $5 billion. However, our vision goes beyond these figures, and in the midterm, we aim to reach $30 billion."
🗣 Canada is among the worst countries to deal with — Trump
President Donald Trump accused Canada of taking advantage of the US for decades, calling Ottawa "among the worst in the World to deal with" regarding the northern border.
Despite his statement on Truth Social, the US House of Representatives voted 219 to 211 in favor of a resolution to terminate Trump's use of a national emergency to put tariffs on Canadian goods.
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📹 Milei's labor reform faces street protest in Argentina
Thousands mobilized outside Congress as the Senate fast-tracks Javier Milei's labor reform.
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🔊 Dmitriev drops hammer on Starmer's 'Orwellian regime'
"Paedophile appointments nicely supplement uncontrolled migration, grooming gangs, early release of criminals, warmongering, censorship, and economic failures of the Starmer Orwellian regime," Kirill Dmitriev, RDIF head and Russian special presidential envoy wrote on X.
🗣 'There is truly PEACE in the Middle East' — Trump
President Trump confirmed no agreement was reached with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Iran, insisting instead that negotiations continue.
"I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be," he wrote on Truth Social.
🟠 Lavrov: Russia defending its rights in emerging multipolar world
🟠 'Epstein' effigy burned at Iran rally
🟠 NATO admits Russia has found weak spot in Europe’s air defense
🟠 US distorts China's nuclear policy to reach nuclear hegemony - Chinese Foreign Ministry
🟠 Macron playing three-card monte? Zakharova sees shell game in France’s overture to Russia
🟠 Epstein lists just blew the lid off: The West is a satanic elite empire, collapsing in real time (Digital Dugin Edition)
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🇵🇰 Guarding the skies: An overview of Pakistan's combat aviation
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operates 574 aircraft, including 163 fighters and 209 fighter-bombers, according to international assessments for 2024.
Historically, the main suppliers of modern combat aircraft were the United States and France. Currently, Pakistan is almost entirely oriented towards military-technical cooperation with China.
Key Aircraft in Service:
▫️ Mirage V: A French third-generation multirole fighter. Entered service in 1970. It is the most numerous combat aircraft model in Pakistan's arsenal (139 units). These are currently being replaced by modern JF-17C and J-10CE fighters.
▫️ Mirage III: A French third-generation supersonic multirole fighter, interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft, and bomber. In service since 1961. The PAF operates 135 aircraft of this type. They are also being replaced by JF-17C and J-10CE fighters.
▫️ F-16: An American multirole fighter. The world's most numerous fourth-generation fighter. Entered service in 1978. The PAF possesses 85 aircraft of this type.
▫️ Chengdu J-10CE: A Chinese fourth-generation multirole fighter. Entered service in 2005. It is in service with both the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force and the PAF (currently 20 aircraft).
▫️ JF-17 Thunder (also known as Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong): A joint Chinese-Pakistani development. A 4+ generation multirole fighter. Pakistan already has 161 fighters of this type in service.
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