🇫🇷 The leader of France's Eurosceptic party The Patriots, Florian Philippot, said that the French authorities may "slow down" the decision on the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

💬 "Everything is possible. However, I think this issue is becoming an increasingly difficult one for the French government since the French are increasingly in favor of negotiations and stopping arms shipments to Ukraine, as we can see from opinion polls," Philippot said when asked whether Paris would decide to supply Kiev with heavy arms.

The politician said that it would not be easy for Paris to send weapons and funds to Ukraine because of the current situation in France with the pension reform and the crisis in the healthcare system. He added that many French are already wondering why the government has no money for pensions, but there are always funds for military aid to Ukraine.

💬 "I think the authorities will slow down the decision on the issue; they just would not have any other choice ... The French are forcing the authorities to 'slow down,' to send fewer weapons and money [to Ukraine]," the politician noted.

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🇪🇨 Ecuador's lawmakers file impeachment motion against president Lasso

A group of 58 lawmakers of the Ecuadorian National Assembly, the parliament's lower house, have handed over to National Assembly President Javier Virgilio Saquicela Espinoza a motion to impeach incumbent President Guillermo Lasso, who is accused of corruption and administrative irregularities, the National Assembly said.

Earlier this month, the National Assembly approved a report of a legislative commission that recommended launching an impeachment process against Lasso because of his suspected involvement in corruption schemes.

The commission's investigation focused on Lasso's alleged involvement in a corruption scheme in state-owned companies, which the prosecutor's office called the Encuentro case, as well as leaked data from a police investigation into drug trafficking. These involve the president's brother-in-law, Danilo Carrera Drouet, and Ecuadorian businessman Ruben Scherres suspected of drug trafficking.

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🇰🇵🇯🇵 The Japanese government has sanctioned three North Korean officials involved in the development of nuclear and missile programs of North Korea in response to Pyongyang's launch of a Hwasong-17 ballistic missile on Thursday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

💬 "These provocative actions, taken with unprecedented frequency, constitute a serious and imminent threat and are totally unacceptable," Matsuno told a briefing.

According to a the ministry's statement, the new sanctions list includes Jon Il Ho, the deputy head of the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Su Gil, the former director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, and Yu Jin, a former head of the Munitions Industry Department.

The restrictive measures include a ban on any form of transaction with the three North Koreans and the freeze of all their assets in Japan if found, the statement said.

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🇰🇷🇺🇸 South Korea and the US will hold the Ssangyong amphibious exercise from March 20 to April 3, after a five-year pause, as part of their allied field drills, South Korean news agency reported, citing military officials.

💬 "The upcoming training will demonstrate the South Korea-US alliance's will to realize 'peace through strength,' and we will further strengthen the combined defense posture to defend South Korea," South Korean Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan said.

Moreover, about 40 UK marine troops will participate in the drills this year, the military officials told the news outlet, adding that the military from Australia, France and the Philippines would observe the exercise.

The Ssangyong exercise will take place 272 kilometers (169 miles) southeast of Seoul. As part of the drills, the allies will mobilize division-level amphibious landing forces, 30 vessels, including the allies' amphibious assault ships, 70 aircraft, such as F-35B fighters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, as well as about 50 amphibious assault vehicles, the news agency reported.

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❗️The Russian Foreign Ministry’s latest statements on Russia's suspension of its participation in the New START Treaty:

▪️Russia considers US claims that Moscow's suspension of the new START is legally invalid are untenable;

▪️A significant violation of the START treaty by the US gave Russia grounds under the 1969 Vienna convention to suspend it;

▪️If the US is interested in renewing the START treaty and cooperating on arms control, they should stop dabbling in make-believe about Russia’s ‘strategic defeat.’

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❗️Chinese President Xi will pay a state visit to Moscow from March 20-22 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said:

▪️Both parties will discuss topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China;

▪️The leaders will also exchange views in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena;

▪️A number of important bilateral documents will be signed following the talks.

❗️The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the following about Xi Jinping’s upcoming state visit to Moscow:

▪️Xi’s trip will be a visit of friendship that will further strengthen mutual trust and understanding between the countries;

▪️The Chinese president visit will be of a peaceful nature, the sides will practice true multilateralism based on the principles of non-alignment and non-targeting of third parties;

▪️Xi will hold an in-depth exchange of views with Putin on bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues;

▪️China will adhere to an objective position on Ukraine and play a constructive role in advancing negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.

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USAF Reportedly Sent Another Spy Drone to MQ-9 Crash Site Shortly After Incident Over Black Sea

The incident has prompted the US to “take a close look” at its surveillance drone routes, and is generally conduct an assessment of its drone operations in the Black Sea area, the same US officials were quoted as saying. The media report reveals that the Pentagon, together with its European Command, for all their brazen statements about continuing the drone missions, intends to analyze and weigh overall costs and benefits of such surveillance missions.

As part of this assessment, an attempt will purportedly be made to weigh the intelligence value of the particular route, and, accordingly, justify pushing ahead with surveillance flights in an area fraught with further escalation with Russia.

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🇬🇧 The UK’s Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union said in a statement that more than 1,000 of its members working across most of the UK's passport offices will strike starting from 3 April to 5 May. Union members are asking for a 10 percent pay rise.

💬 "This escalation of our action has come about because, in sharp contrast with other parts of the public sector, ministers have failed to hold any meaningful talks with us, despite two massive strikes and sustained, targeted action lasting six months," PCS General-Secretary Mark Serwotka said as quoted by media.

According to the union, the action may have a "significant impact" on the delivery of passports in the run-up to the summer holidays. The offices affected in England, Scotland and Wales will include Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport. Passport officers in Belfast in Northern Ireland could also join the strike.

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🇹🇷 Turkish media accused Twitter of supporting opposition forces in the country's upcoming general election scheduled for May 14 and creating accounts spreading provocative information about the incumbent government.

Twitter users' timeline in Turkiye displays messages of opposition politicians and journalists, as well as fugitive members of the organization of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen (FETO) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), both deemed terrorist by Turkiye, while the page of Erdogan, who is the country's most popular figure, is never showed among "recommended" accounts, the report said.

Ankara has repeatedly restricted access to Twitter for a variety of reasons. In 2020, the platform was blocked on the territory of Turkiye after the company refused to open its office in the country in accordance with the Turkish social media law. The authorities restored access only after Twitter opened the headquarters in March 2021. In January 2023, the head of communications in the Turkish presidential office, Fahrettin Altun, urged Musk to disclose information about Twitter's past interference in Turkiye's domestic political affairs.

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❗️Shoigu nominated the Su-27 pilots for state awards for stopping the US-made MQ-9 UAV from violating the borders of the special operation area

📹 Russia’s Su-35S performing combat sorties as part of the special military operation

During the sorties, the fighter crews practice air patrol tasks, and provide cover for attack aircraft and helicopters during airstrikes on Ukrainian military facilities and equipment.

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❗️EXCLUSIVE: Russian Sports Minister #Oleg_Matytsin denounces the politicization of sports and the discrimination at the global level.

💭 “We believe it is absolutely unacceptable for states to interfere so malignantly and aggressively. And today we see that all of us together, both federations and states, must safeguard true values and help the International Olympic Committee to defend these positions of independence.”

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Catch our Fault Lines show where we provide updates and analysis on all the most vital stories! Here's our line-up for today:

🔺To kick things off, we’ll be discussing the situation in the US banking system, as well as all the news around Ukraine
🔺Next, we’ll touch upon the ultimatum that the US issued to TikTok
🔺Finally, we turn our attention to France where Macron imposed a controversial pension reform with no vote

More trending stories coming your way! Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 7am EST|4am PST|1pm CET via the website or app!

📻Also in the United States at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

🚇 Earlier this month, during the launch of the Big Circle Line of the Moscow Metro, Vladimir Putin said that he intends to show Xi Jinping the line personally, or, "at least, to the delegation [of China].”

▪️The new underground line is said to be the longest circle subway line in the world: it includes 31 stations and spans a whopping 70 kilometers (43 miles) of railway.

❓What do you personally expect from Xi’s state visit to Moscow? Let us know in the comments below.

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Biden Official to Visit Honduras After Tegusigalpa's Pivot Towards 'Official Ties With China'

The announcement that Honduras is shifting towards strengthening ties with China and other countries has spurred the United States on to making intense diplomatic efforts in Central America.

The Biden administration's special presidential adviser for the Americas, has been sent to Panama and Honduras this month.

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UK's Johnson Re-selected as Tory Candidate for Next General Election

"'Tonight the Uxbridge and South Ruislip selection committee re-adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate," the constituency's Conservative spokesman was quoted as saying.

The Privileges Committee is investigating whether Johnson misled Parliament about parties at 10 Downing during the COVID-19 lockdowns while he was in office. If the allegations are proved, Johnson could face a 10-day suspension from the House of Commons and potentially lose his parliamentary mandate. The UK's next general election must be held by January 2025.

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❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️The Russian Army eliminated more than 135 Ukrainian servicemen in the Donetsk direction;

▪️The Russian military eliminated more than 70 Ukrainian servicemen, an infantry combat vehicle, and a Ukrainian howitzer in the Krasny Liman direction.

▪️The Russian Army eliminated over 65 Ukrainian servicemen and two D-30 howitzers in the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions;

▪️Russian air defense systems destroyed five HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system projectiles, a Tochka-U ballistic missile, and 14 Ukrainian UAVs;

▪️The Russian Army eliminated an ammunition depot in the Kupyansk direction;

▪️Russian forces eliminated up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen and an Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer in the Kherson direction;

▪️The Russian Air Force hit two Ukrainian radar stations.

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