The United States and its NATO allies are creating risks of direct confrontation with Russia, and this could lead to catastrophic consequences, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, adding that Moscow will consider delivery of nuclear-capable F-16s to Kiev as a threat from the West

The minister said that there would be no reason to talk about the use of nuclear weapons by Russia if the West does not make decisions that create strategic risks. Lavrov also recalled that the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons are clearly defined in Russia’s military doctrine.

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📹 Russian FM Lavrov caused a stir among Indonesian journalists at the ASEAN meeting

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📹 Russia’s paratroopers mop up populated areas near Artemovsk in the zone of the special military op

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The UN seeks to extend the grain deal for two months at least, and Ankara will contribute to the negotiations with Moscow, a source familiar with the talks told Sputnik

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to preserve the Black Sea Grain Initiative for a few more months, until the EU manages to connect a subsidiary of the Russian Agriculture Bank to SWIFT.

"Yes, there is such a proposal. We are familiar with its essence. It is proposed to extend the term of the Black Sea grain initiative for at least two months. We will wait for a reaction, we hope for a positive response, we will contribute to the negotiations on our part," the source said.

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🇰🇵 North Korean state TV releases video footage of the Hwasong-18 ICBM launch stage separation

It flew at a lofted angle, reaching an altitude of 6,648.4 km and flying 1,001.2 km in 74 minutes, the DPRK's longest ICBM flight duration.

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❗️LIVE NOW: Russian FM Lavrov speaks to media following ASEAN FM meeting

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⚡ Russia not aware of any new proposals on grain deal - Lavrov

Japan sends signal that do not mind deploying US nuclear weapons - Russian FM Lavrov

NATO leaders have reportedly urged Zelensky to "cool down" after he voiced harsh criticism of the alliance and accused it of being indecisive when it came to Kiev's membership

Zelensky was told that he had gone too far and was advised to look at the full package of NATO commitments to Kiev during a dinner on the sidelines of the NATO summit, according to US media.

It was further reported that the US delegation was "irritated" by Zelensky's comments as UK representatives were looking for ways to alleviate tensions. As for German officials, they were allegedly trying to find alternatives to resolve the situation.

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📹 Russia’s Federal Security Service has published footage showing the detention of a transgender and LGBT activist who transferred money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

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🥴 19 seconds of ultra cringe: Zelensky gets a cup of NATO coffee instead of NATO membership from Netherlands PM Rutte

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📹 The remotely controlled "Kornet" ATGM was successfully used in combat for the first time by the Russian Armed Forces

An anti-tank guided missile destroyed a dugout of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the zone of the special military op.

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Oil production in Russia in June remained at the same level — 9.45 million barrels per day — "as a decline in exports was offset by higher domestic refinery runs," the International Energy Agency reports

▪️ IEA suggests Russia's oil exports in June down by 600,000 bpd to 7.3mln

▪️ IEA upgrades 2023 Global Oil Output Growth Forecast to 101.5 mln bpd

▪️ Total OECD oil, oil products stocks in May up by 5.4 mln barrels

▪️ IEA downgrades forecast for 2023 global oil demand to 102.1 mln bpd

▪️ OPEC+ States increase production by 70,000 bpd in June, to 37.03 mln bpd

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😁 Indo-Russian partnership sends chill down West’s spine

🇬🇧 The UK media seems to be stricken with horror at the fact that New Delhi doesn't want to be Washington's vassal, nor does India plan to ditch ties with Russia to join the West’s globalist sorority.

Are they really shocked that the world's firth-largest economy has chosen its national interests over endless Western sanctions hysteria & warmongering?

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Russia could use the Iranian territory as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to export its grain and other products: Iranian lawmaker

Such transit through Iran is much cheaper than any other route, Iranian lawmaker Zabihollah Azami-Sardoui told Sputnik.

The INSTC is an international multi-mode network nearly 4,500 miles (7,200 kilometers) long, connecting Russia's St. Petersburg and India's Mumbai. The corridor is an alternative to the sea route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean countries via the Suez Canal. There are three routes, namely, the Trans-Caspian using railroads and ports, Western and Eastern both using land routes.

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

🔺To kick things off, we'll be sizing up the NATO summit in Vilnius
🔺Next, we’ll focus on the FBI director’s contentious Congressional testimony
🔺Finally, we’ll delve into why Hunter Biden never registered as a foreign agent while his business partner is charged for that liability

More trending stories coming your way! Watch the live broadcast on Rumble or 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

'Worse than fascists': Western leaders supporting Ukraine turn a blind eye to the fact that over the years, dozens of civilians were tortured "in official pre-trial detention facilities" by Ukrainian security forces.

Check out Sputnik's exclusive interview with three survivors of Ukrainian torture chambers – Russian-born Donetsk man Alexandra Valko, metalworking specialist Andrey Sokolov, and Larisa Gurina, a former police officer from Kharkov – about their experience in captivity. All three spoke candidly about how Ukrainian forces kidnap civilians suspected of disloyalty, and beat, stab, starve, and water board them in hopes of extracting a confession.

Read the full interview on Sputnik's website

US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. considers Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO an unnecessary provocation that becomes a doorway to war with Russia

"It is an unnecessary provocation, and a doorway to direct war with Russia and possibly nuclear conflict. He believes we should begin deescalating right now, with the goal of a negotiated peace that respects the security, sovereignty, and human rights of all parties," his press team told Sputnik.

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US reconnaissance planes violated North Korea's airspace more than 30 times from July 2-10, Pyongyang-run news agency reported

In response, North Korea dispatched air jets and expelled US reconnaissance planes, sending a "clear and strong warning" to the US, it added.

"This is a clear manifestation of the DPRK's will to defend peace and its patience to prevent military conflict that may lead to the worst crisis on the Korean peninsula where nukes and nukes are standing face to face and to control the present dangerous situation," the news agency's military correspondent wrote.

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