🇫🇷 France should withdraw from the European Union and give its place to Ukraine, said the leader of the French Patriots party Florian Philippot on social network X.

"The EU has just informed Zelensky that Ukraine can join the union! Negotiations officially begin! Let's leave room for Ukraine and leave as soon as possible!" - the politician suggested.

He called the EU's decision to start accession talks with beggar and corruption-prone Ukraine "colossal madness" that will only make things worse for the EU.

"Let the EU deal with Ukraine on its own and we will leave," Filippo summed up.

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🇺🇸 During the Miami debate, GOP presidential candidates weighed in on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

▪️ Ron DeSantis stressed Israel should “finish the job once and for all with these butchers, Hamas,” adding that he was “sick of hearing other people blame Israel for defending itself.”

▪️ He was echoed by Nikki Haley, who said that Israel must wipe out the Palestinian militant group and that “The only thing we should be doing is supporting them in eliminating Hamas.”

▪️Chris Christie insisted the US “would have to work with Israel to degrade Hamas and ensure “something like this can’t happen to kill 1,400 individuals again.”

▪️ Senator Tim Scott demanded to "cut off the head of the snake" [Iran], and Israel should "wipe Hamas off the face of the Earth" - the US will support him.

▪️ Vivek Ramaswamy said: “What I would tell Bibi is that Israel has the right and the responsibility to defend itself.”

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What about Ukraine?

▪️ Commenting on possibly sending American troops to Kiev, DeSantis said he would rather "send troops to our southern border."

▪️ Ramaswamy slammed Ukraine as corrupt, adding, “To frame this as some kind of battle of good versus evil: Don’t buy it. Ukraine is not a paragon of democracy.”

▪️ Scott noted the lack of accountability on US weapons sent to Kiev.

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🇵🇸🇮🇱 Latest updates on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

▪️ Now is not the time to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip and how it will be governed - today we need a ceasefire, said Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia.

▪️ The escalation of the conflict has caused public anger against the US, the State Department admitted.

▪️ The IDF claimed to have destroyed 130 Hamas tunnel shafts since the start of the war, as Israel continues to "expand" its ground operation in Gaza.

▪️ The US has taken "additional measures to communicate directly with Iran" that it does not seek to escalate the conflict in the Middle East amid the conflict, a senior US defense official said.

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Watch LIVE: Putin Meets with Kazakh President Tokayev

Follow the live on Sputnik website

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👀 Biden was scheduled to speak at the American Possibilities interactive exhibit at the White House. But... something went wrong.

Instead, Biden suddenly walked backstage and the broadcast was abruptly interrupted.

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🇷🇺🇰🇿 Tokayev met Vladimir Putin at his residence in Astana, where negotiations between the leaders of the two countries are scheduled to be held

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❗️ Documents worth about $100 million have been prepared for signing at the forum of interregional cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan, Putin shared.

Settlements between Russia and Kazakhstan in national currencies are expanding, and cooperation in the agricultural sector is growing, he added.

❗️ The next Russia-Kazakhstan interregional cooperation forum will take place in 2024 in Russia’s city of Ufa, Vladimir Putin stated

❗️ The strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and Kazakhstan is developing confidently, Putin said at the negotiations with Tokayev.

Russia and Kazakhstan have good potential in the agricultural sector, there are good opportunities to both ensure their interests and help partners in the world, he added.

❗️ A joint statement and a 3-year program for the development of cooperation will be signed after talks with the Kazakh president, Vladimir Putin said.

"Here is [Ukraine], a freedom-loving, pro-American country fighting for its survival and its democracy," Nikki Haley claimed during the Miami debate in response to GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

🤔 What steps has Ukraine taken to get on the path to democracy?

▪️ Cancellation of elections
▪️ Banning of opposition parties
▪️ Imprisonment of political opponents "linked to Russia"
▪️ Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

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Journalists in the Gaza Strip continue their work despite frequent interruptions in the network, Internet and electricity access, which prevent the rapid transfer of information. At the same time, journalists are often targets of Israeli airstrikes, as are their family members. Mahmoud Mazloum, a producer and reporter for the "Palestine" channel in the Gaza Strip, told Sputnik.

"For example, my colleague, a correspondent for our TV channel, Muhammad Abu Khattab, was killed along with his family members 15 minutes after the end of his live broadcast. He finished his broadcast, entered the house, and the building was hit. He lived near Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis City."

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The most difficult thing for journalists in Gaza is to continue normal operations under the conditions of a total blockade, said Mahmoud Mazloum, producer and reporter for the ‘Palestine’ channel in the Gaza Strip.

They have to band together to at least charge their cell phones from the remaining available power sources, including car engines.

"We don't even work most of the day. We wait for the phones to charge a little so we can do our work. Also, the network is not always available - sometimes we have to wait for hours for it to be restored".

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📹 Russian special forces destroy Ukrainian armored vehicles with Lancet drones

Ukrainian militants try to camouflage military equipment using forest plantations and natural hiding places, but special forces detect the militants' hidden equipment and attack it with Lancet attack drones.

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