Macron's Erratic Military Policy Shows Lack of Vision, Expert Says

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a huge boost to military spending after years of advocating for cuts to the defense budget, a move that shows the president's lack of vision, Francois Asselineau, a French political expert and former presidential candidate, told Sputnik.

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US Media Gives Thoughts on Where Abrams Tanks Should Be Delivered Instead of Ukraine

A US newspaper has reported that Washington should consider sending the US M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Taiwan rather than Ukraine because the move would comply with the White House’s geopolitical factors.

The newspaper described Ukraine as “a case study in the failure of deterrence”, arguing that Taiwan is “much more important” to the US’s “security and prosperity.”

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🇸🇿🇷🇺 Early start for Sergey Lavrov's press pool in Mbabane, Eswatini today. Russian delegation is already at the talks with Eswatini officials. We are expecting statements from both sides later on during the day. Meanwhile I'm sharing with you some beatiful Mbabane views from the Cabinet of Ministers compound and my first impressions from visiting the Kingdom. Stay tuned for more, subscribe to @BolotskySputnik.

🇫🇮 The head of the Finnish Foreign Ministry said that negotiations between Finland and Sweden with Turkey on NATO membership need to be paused.

▪️ He also noted that Helsinki may consider applying to NATO without Sweden.

🤔 Helsinki and Stockholm filed a joint application to join the alliance, but now, amid the deterioration of relations between Sweden and Turkey, the Finnish diplomat believes that "the situation needs to be assessed."

Key Ally Slams Swedish Government for 'Indulgence Toward Islamist Forces'

National-conservative Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson has unleashed harsh criticism against the government’s handling of the diplomatic crisis that ensued following the Quran burning that took place in Stockholm over the past weekend.

Following the inflammatory protest by Hard Line party leader Rasmus Paludan that occurred opposite the Turkish embassy, Swedish government officials rushed to mend fences with Ankara, condemning the deed.

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📹 Russia's MoD has published footage showing a sortie of Russian Aerospace Forces Su-25 ground-attack fighters

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❗️🇷🇺Russia has agreed to an earlier request by 🇧🇷Brazil to swap its 2025 presidency in BRICS with Brasilia in order to give the Latin American nation free reins to host the G20 summit in 2024 without having to also preside over the regional economic bloc that year, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Tuesday.

🇸🇿🇷🇺 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with Eswatini's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Thuli Dladla

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❗️ Poland requests permission from Germany to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine – Defense Ministry

❗️LIVE: Russian, Eswatini FMs Hold Joint Presser After Bilateral Meeting in Mbabane

🇸🇿🇷🇺 Sputnik is live from Mbabane, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Eswatini counterpart Thuli Dladla are holding a joint press conference after talks

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❗️ The president of Belarus, Alexandr Lukashenko, said that the West has not abandoned its plans regarding Belarus, and the West continues to train militants and extremists in Ukraine.

💬 "I do not know why the Ukrainians did this. On the one hand, they ask us not to fight with Ukraine under any circumstances, so that our troops haven't moved there. A non-aggression pact is proposed to be concluded. And on the other hand, they prepare this explosive mixture and arm them. Poland and Lithuania are generally crazy. Why do they need it? Unclear. Therefore, we are forced to react harshly." Lukashenko added.

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⚡️Eswatini FM Thulisile Dladla following talks with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov: Lavrov's visit serves to cement relations between Moscow and the Kingdom. Says interactions between govts productive, the visit is an affirmation of good ties.

A Haitian refugee boat was intercepted by the US Coast Guard with 390 migrants on board, all are being transferred to The Bahamas.

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❗️ Lavrov says once he was told that Africa is area of special interests of Europe by high-ranking European officials

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❗️Latest statements by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov:

▪️ Possible tanks supplies to Kiev by Berlin will not improve Russia-Germany ties;

▪️ "Nothing good" would come of German tanks fighting in Ukraine;

▪️ Russia expects that maritime navigation in the Gulf of Finland will be ensured by international maritime law;

▪️ Russia, participating in the agreements on Karabakh, continues to fulfill its obligations.

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⚡️ Berlin has received an application from Poland for the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev, a German government representative told Sputnik

❗️ Lavrov on BRICS: It’s a new type of organization where there are no states which guide or states which are guided; it’s a consensus-based organization, but this consensus is different from the one applied in the EU and NATO

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❗️ The West is "agitated" towards the rest of the world because the dominance, which it has enjoyed in the world for centuries is "fading away" and a multipolar world order is emerging, Lavrov says

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Security forces mistakenly shot a man in his house and accused him of taking a hostage

⚠️WARNING: some viewers may find this content disturbing

A man from Murphy, North Carolina, is now recovering in a Chattanooga hospital after SWAT team members that suspected he was the shooter and had a hostage, shot him after they say he confronted officers, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.

Jason Harley Kloepfer, 41, "engaged in a verbal altercation with the officers, exited the trailer and confronted the officers," the report said. At that moment, he was wounded by members of the special forces.

Later, Kloepfer posted surveillance video that shows a different version of events. The footage shows Kloepfer and his wife waking up and going to open the door. A few seconds later, the officers fired several shots at the unarmed Kloepfer, who fell to the ground.

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