Would be beneficial for Germany to pay reparations to Poland for damage during Second World War: Polish PM

According to Mateusz Morawiecki, if this happens, "the attitude of Poland towards Germany, the attitude of the Poles towards the Germans would undoubtedly improve."

“I know it may be shocking, but for our Polish-German relations... repairing these eternal losses, those tears and seas of blood, at least to a minimal extent, through the recognition of reparations, would be something very positive.”

Earlier, Warsaw estimated the damage suffered during the war at $1.3 trillion and asked the UN to help get reparations from Berlin.

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Former Russian President Medvedev’s comments on possible US default:

▪️ It’s not a fact that it is in our interests;

▪️ In 2008 the bubble burst in the US, but it impacted everyone;

▪️ It might not be so good for the yuan either;

▪️ Most likely there will be no default, they will once again increase the national debt;

▪️ However, the printing press can no longer be stopped, no one knows how the world economy will react to this;

▪️ It can withstand $30 trillion in debt, but would not withstand $50 trillion, and then there will be a global collapse;

▪️ In any case, the confidence of different countries in the dollar has been seriously undermined.

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The Kiev authorities have disrupted the rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) staff at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

The IAEA mission has been present at the ZNPP since September 2022. A total of seven IAEA staff rotations have taken place since then, the last one having been completed at the end of April.

"Initially, the rotation was supposed to take place on May 25, then, at the request of Kiev, it was postponed to the 26 and, as a result, was disrupted by the Ukrainian side," Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, said.

The senior official specified that three IAEA inspectors were supposed to arrive at the ZNPP: from Argentina, Ireland and Morocco.

"On the eve of the [IAEA] mission’s arrival, the regime of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky gave the order to subject the city of Vasylivka, through which the usual route of the monitoring mission runs, to massive shelling from heavy weapons," Rogov told Sputnik.

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⚡️ The unmanned boats that attacked the Black Sea Fleet's "Ivan Khurs" were launched from the naval operations center, which was opened with the participation of the United States in Ochakov; the drones are controlled using Starlink, an informed source told Sputnik.

At the same time, according to the source, a batch of new Western-made drones, probably built by Britain, was transferred to Kiev for naval attacks and provocations in the Black Sea.

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❗️ Ukrainian troops use British missiles to shell the rear areas of the Zaporozhye region, a senior regional official said

📹 Russian howitzers fire in action (video by Russian MoD)

The 152-caliber MSTA-B howitzers, serving as fire support for the Russian troops, fired at enemy self-propelled artillery and forces.

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Elizabeth II could have been assassinated 40 years ago during her first visit to California by a man whose daughter was killed during the Northern Ireland conflict

In February 1983, Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip made their first official visit to the US that started in California. 

About a month before Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited California, a San Francisco policeman told the FBI that he knew of a man who wanted revenge for his daughter, who "had been killed in Northern Ireland by a rubber bullet." The policeman met than man at an Irish pub.

"He was going to attempt to harm Queen Elizabeth and would do this either by dropping some object off the Golden Gate Bridge onto the Royal Yacht Britannia when it sails underneath, or would attempt to kill Queen Elizabeth when she visited Yosemite National Park," the document revealed by the FBI reads.

It is unclear exactly what measures were taken at the time to ensure the safety of Elizabeth II, but what is known is the requirement to "close the walkways on the Golden Gate Bridge as the yacht nears"

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The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said that it had detected 33 Chinese aircraft and 10 vessels around the island over the past 24 hours

"[A total of] 33 PLA aircraft and 10 PLAN [People's Liberation Army Navy] vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m. (UTC+8) [22:00 GMT] today. R.O.C. Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," the ministry tweeted.

It added that 12 of the detected aircraft, including SU-30, J-10 and J-16 jets, Y-8 transport aircraft, a WZ-7 drone and a Z-9 helicopter, had entered the island's southwest and southeast air defense identification zone.

The situation around Taiwan recently escalated again after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in April, with Beijing launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a "warning" to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers.

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Russia and Belarus have the right to ensure their security, including in the military-nuclear sphere

"We have noted increasingly frequent comments in recent days coming from White House and State Department concerning the Russia-Belarus military-nuclear cooperation. They once again accused us of ‘irresponsible and provocative’ behavior," the Russian Embassy in the United States said in a statement, adding that "it is the sovereign right of Russia and Belarus to ensure their security by means we deem necessary amidst of a large-scale hybrid war unleashed by Washington against us."

The embassy emphasized that the recent measures with regard to nuclear weapons are fully consistent with Russia’s international legal obligations.

"Before blaming others, Washington could use some introspection. The United States has been for decades maintaining a large arsenal of its nuclear weapons in Europe. Together with its NATO allies it participates in nuclear sharing arrangements and trains for scenarios of nuclear weapons use against our country," the Russian embassy said.

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Russia will continue to support Serbia in its efforts to protect its legitimate rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity

"We will continue to support Belgrade in its efforts to protect legitimate rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have no reason to question the stability of the Serbian government when it comes to the protection of state interests," Yuri Pilipson, Director of the Fourth European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik.

Any decision on Kosovo should be acceptable for Serbians and approved by the UN Security Council, Pilipson also stated, adding that the West is trying to promote other ways to solve the issue with no regard for interests of the Serbian people.

On Friday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic brought the Serbian military to a state of maximum alert due to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija over unilateral steps taken by Pristina. He also demanded that NATO "urgently stop violence against Serbs" in Kosovo and Metohija.

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US President Joe Biden revealed that Secret Service employees are presently working to ensure that his house is bulletproof

"The reason I’m going to Camp David is they are working on the -- the Secret Service is working on my house -- bulletproofing the house," Biden told reporters.

"So there’s no place to go at home; they said I’d be out for five weeks. So I’m going to Camp David because my granddaughter graduates on Sunday, and it’s closest so I can get there to be at her graduation."

The president also said he hoped to know by Friday night whether a deal had been reached with Republican leaders in Congress to raise the US debt limit and that he was "optimistic" about it.

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📹 The Black Sea Fleet reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs has arrived at its home base in Sevastopol after carrying out special missions in the Black Sea

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📹 Russian tank crews destroyed the house where the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hiding

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The US and the UK are certainly starting to question the Ukrainian government's sanity after one of its official's statement calling Vladimir Putin a target

"I have no doubts that the puppeteers in Washington and London are starting to question whether these people are sane. I hope that sanctions will be imposed against these so-called leaders," Lavrov said in a video comment posted on Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin's Telegram channel.

Earlier in the week, deputy chief of Ukrainian military intelligence Vadym Skibitsky told German daily that Putin was at the top of Kiev's list of targets.

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Beijing will boost the dialogue with all parties to the Ukrainian crisis, including Russia, and make efforts to reach a political settlement

"Based on provisions of the document 'China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis,' Beijing will continue to boost cooperation and dialogue with all parties, including Russia, and make real efforts for a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," Chinese Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui said during the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as quoted in a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Chinese ministry stated following the meeting that Russia and China would continue to increase bilateral and multilateral cooperation in various areas and enrich their relations "in a new era."

In February, China released a 12-point document ennoscriptd "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," which underscores respect for the sovereignty of all countries, the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that some of the provisions of the plan could be a basis for a peace settlement, "if the West and Kiev are ready for it."

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Ukraine has made a request to the German government to acquire Swedish-German long-range cruise missiles Taurus KEPD 350 with a range of up to 500 kilometers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the issue of the shipment of German missiles to Ukraine during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier in the month, the newspaper said, adding that the German Defense Ministry confirmed that Kiev had requested Taurus from Berlin.

Earlier in the week, Roderich Kiesewetter, a German lawmaker from the opposition Christian Democratic Union, said that Berlin should abandon "red lines" in its approach to the Ukrainian conflict and provide cruise missiles with over 500km range to Kiev.

Western countries have been supplying military aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. The aid includes both light and heavy weapons, such as tanks and other armored vehicles, missiles, drones, artillery and munitions.

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

▪️In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces destroyed up to 45 Ukrainian troops, two armored fighting vehicles, one Msta-B howitzer, one US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-mortar radar as well as one ammunition depot;

▪️In the Krasny Liman direction, Russian forces neutralized up to 60 Ukrainian personnel, three armored combat vehicles, as well as two D-30 and one Gvozdika howitzer;

▪️In the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 260 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two D-30 and one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer as well as one ammunition depot;

▪️In the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, Russian forces destroyed over 120 Ukrainian troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, a Polish Krab self-propelled howitzer, one US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-mortar radar as well as two ammunition depots;

▪️In the Kherson direction, Russian troops neutralized up to 10 Ukrainian soldiers, one D-30 and two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers;

▪️Russian air defenses shot down two Storm Shadow cruise missiles, two HARM anti-radar missiles, 19 HIMARS missiles, and 12 unmanned aerial vehicles in the LPR, DPR, and Zaporozhye region.

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The training of the military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the use of M1 Abrams tanks and their maintenance has begun in Germany

▪️ The Pentagon was cited by US media as saying 200 military men have begun general-arms briefing at the training grounds in Grafenvoor and Hohenfels; another 200 are being trained in tank refueling and maintenance.

▪️ According to the report, the training will take from ten to 12 weeks.

▪️ Earlier it became known that the United States will transfer Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine without “sensitive” technologies: there are fears that they will fall into the hands of the Russian military.

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EU freezes $26Bln in private assets of sanctioned Russians since February 2022

The value of frozen Russian private assets under sanctions increased from 18.9 billion euros in December to 24.1 billion euros in late May, a German newspaper said.

As many as 1,473 individuals and 205 firms from Russia have been sanctioned by the EU, the newspaper added.

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✈️ 110 years ago, the first-ever four engine aircraft, designed by famous Russian aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, performed its first flight in Russia. Its name changed to Bolshoi Baltiyskiy (The Big Baltic)

A massive contraption powered by four 100 hp Argus As engines made in Germany, Sikorsky’s creation was 20 meters long and 4 meters high, with the plane’s upper and lower wingspan being 27 and 20 meters respectively.

During its maiden flight on May 27, 1913, the plane, piloted by Sikorsky himself, took off from the Corpusny Airfield in St. Petersburg and reached an altitude of about 100 meters.

Russian Emperor Nicholas II himself took interest in Sikorsky’s creation and personally inspected the plane.

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Ukrainian military starts training in Germany to operate US Abrams tanks

About 200 Ukrainian troops started combined arms instruction at training ranges in Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels on Friday, while another 200 started being trained in tank refueling and maintenance, Pentagon spokesman Garron Garn was cited as saying.

Last week the White House gave its consent to European allies to sent Ukraine their US-made F16 jets — Kiev's fighter aircraft of choice. Germany said it would not send fighter jets but would continue supporting Ukraine in other ways. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against Western arms deliveries to Kiev.

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