Kremlin says Putin ready to talk with Scholz to protect Russia's interests

Dialogue is necessary, so Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to talk with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in order to protect Russia's national interests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"President Putin remains open to dialogue, while, of course, pursuing the main goal of protecting the interests of our country," Peskov stressed.

However, the Kremlin has no information that Germany initiated a telephone conversation with the Russian president, the spokesman added.

Previously German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told German media that "it has been a while since my last phone conversation [with the Russian president]. But I am planning to talk to Putin again in due course."

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❗️ Russian Foreign Ministry reveals details of meeting between Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Special Representative Li Hui:

▪️ Lavrov reaffirmed his commitment to a political and diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine conflict.

▪️ The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted the obstacles created by Kiev and Western curators for the resumption of negotiations.

▪️ The minister expressed gratitude to Beijing for its balanced position on the Ukraine crisis.

▪️ Both sides expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation between the two countries aimed at maintaining peace.

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⚠️ WARNING: content may be disturbing to some viewers

Sputnik has obtained footage of the combat work of Russian strike drones over Ukrainian positions in the Kharkov region

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🐻 Shower and swing time: orphaned Asian black bear Cub Tono enjoys playful day!

📹 Watch our video for details!

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📹 Russian Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile system destroys Ukrainian UAV near Krasny Liman

With the help of an all-round radar station, the anti-aircraft missile system crew detected the movement of Ukrainian drones.

After identifying the targets, missiles were launched and the enemy drones were destroyed.

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🔬 Elon Musk's Neuralink has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct its first human trials. But is it as safe as described?

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Why is Russia deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus?

Announcing this week’s signing of a deal on maintaining Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil, Russia and Minsk reiterated that this is a response to the aggressive policies pursued by unfriendly countries.

What prompted Moscow to deploy its non-strategic nukes in Belarus?

Reinclusion of Russian banks would facilitate implementation Of Grain Deal - UN spokesperson

Reinclusion of Russian banks would facilitate full implementation of the Black Sea grain deal, but the decision is not up to the United Nations, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.

“It is clear that the reinclusion of Russian banks involved in the trade in fertilizer and food, which are not under sanctions, would facilitate the implementation, but as you well know, that is not a decision that is with the UN’s own wheelhouse,” Dujarric told reporters.

The UN is trying to push things forward on different tracks, he added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that if Rosselkhozbank would not be connected to SWIFT, and without progress on other systematic problems of blocking of Russian exports, it would be necessary to find alternatives for the grain deal.

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The final countdown: Goldman Sachs economists expect US default by June 9

Two economists from Goldman Sachs have issued a warning that the US government has approximately two weeks before it faces a debt default. By June 2, they estimate that the US will have only $30 billion left to fulfill its debt obligations, and the account will enter negative territory by June 9. The deadline given by the US Treasury to Congress for raising the debt ceiling is June 1, leaving minimal room for negotiation.

The debt ceiling issue has been ongoing for months, with Republicans refusing to extend it as a means to pressure Democrats into accepting significant budget cuts. While the Treasury has utilized temporary measures to continue making payments, these options are limited, as emphasized by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other experts. Talks between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have been underway, with the hope of reaching a deal before a default occurs.

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📊 This year, May 25-31 marks the International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs), established by the UN in 1999 to highlight the continuing struggle of those living in such lands and promote self-determination rights.

The United Nations Charter defines a Non-Self-Governing Territory as one "whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government," with the countries in control known as the administering Powers.

In 1946, a number of UN Member States jointly listed territories under their administration that were not self-governing. While since then, most of the mentioned territories have acquired self-governance, the list still includes 17 items, with the UK, the US, France and New Zealand being the administering powers of such territories

See Sputnik's infographic to learn more!

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NATO to upgrade Ukraine’s partner atatus without offering membership

NATO diplomats told media that the alliance will have to find the right balance between maintaining the open-door policy and supporting Kiev's aspirations without directly admitting the country to the bloc.

The proposed Ukraine-NATO Council should serve this purpose. Kiev will become a "full-fledged" party to the body and will have greater opportunities to communicate with the alliance, the sources said. Ukraine will be able to engage in closer intelligence sharing, joint exercises, as well as receive more options for financial support and development of its own armed forces in accordance with NATO standards, according to the report.

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Just like us? Octopuses have nightmares too, new study suggests

A recent study conducted by scientists from Rockefeller University in New York City suggests that octopuses may experience both positive and negative dreams, similar to humans. The study, which is awaiting peer review, observed a captive male Brazilian reef octopus named Costello exhibiting behavior during sleep that resembled nightmares. The octopus changed colors and patterns while sleeping, potentially reflecting the contents of its dreams, and sometimes abruptly awoke, flailing its arms and releasing ink as if trying to escape from a predator.

The researchers compared this sleep behavior to parasomnia and defensive behavior observed in humans, and suggested that octopuses may experience similar disturbances during sleep, potentially including nightmares.

However, as the study focused on only one octopus, it remains uncertain if such behavior is widespread among all octopuses. The scientists hope that their findings will encourage further observation of octopus behavior to validate their conclusions.

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