🇺🇸🇵🇸 Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists went out to a rally in Boston, where Biden is holding campaign events. The activists’ demands of the president are the same: end aid to Israel and stop the genocide in Gaza.

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📹 Russian Mi-28N helicopters strike Ukrainian strongholds and manpower in Donetsk direction

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🇺🇸 The US helped overthrow Ukraine's elected government in 2014, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie said in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson.

Other statements made by the US lawmaker:

▪️ Ukraine will not be able to take control of the Crimean Peninsula, it will not be able to win the conflict, and it is immoral to finance the "depletion of Russia" at the expense of the lives of Ukrainians;

▪️ The US is spending twice as much on destroying Ukraine's infrastructure as on its own bridges and roads, and Kiev will also be asked to rebuild it at American expense;

▪️ The money for Kiev goes back to the American military-industrial complex and settles in the pockets of those who own shares in defense companies, many of whom are also members of Congress.

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🇻🇪🇬🇾 President Maduro has proposed the creation of Venezuela's 24th state: Guayana Esequiba.

In response, Guyana’s president stated that the actions of the Venezuelan authorities are a threat.

"Guyana sees this as an immediate threat to its territorial integrity and is stepping up precautionary measures to protect the territory."

Venezuela's dispute with first the United Kingdom and then neighboring Guyana over the Esequiba territory has been ongoing since the 19th century. The region has been under British and then Guyanese rule for over a hundred years. The government of the Bolivarian Republic has stepped up its efforts to return this territory to the country after the Guyanese authorities began to transfer mineral-rich areas of the disputed sea shelf to oil companies for production.

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🇷🇺 Russian paratrooper air defense crews shot down three Ukrainian reconnaissance drones in the Artemovsk direction. The missiles were launched using Verba MANPADS and Strela-10 air defense systems.

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🇺🇸 A secret briefing in the US Senate, which was held at the request of the Joe Biden administration and concerned the discussion of aid to Ukraine and Israel, turned into a scandal, Western media has reported.

Here's what various media outlets have found out:

The Hill
The discussions were so heated that some Republican senators shouted questions at officials. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of not allowing an analysis of Ukraine's potential to be done.

The Washington Post
At least a dozen Republicans left the briefing, ignoring the presentation prepared for them.

The New York Times
The event turned into an argument between representatives of the two parties. The fiasco not only made it clear that the appropriations vote would fail, but also diminished the prospects for any bipartisan agreement in the near future.

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🇹🇷🇬🇷 Erdogan is travelling to Athens on Thursday: the Turkish president said he wants to open a new page in relations between the two countries, despite the differences.

This is only the second visit by a Turkish president to Greece in 70 years (the previous one was in 2017). The countries are scheduled to sign at least 20 agreements, including on migration.

Greek police, meanwhile, have banned public gatherings on the day of Erdogan's visit "for reasons of public security".

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

▪️ IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has announced that the number of hostages has risen to 138. Some 20 women and children remain hostage in Gaza, while the rest are men.

▪️ Israeli military struck nearly 250 sites in Gaza Strip overnight, the IDF said.

▪️ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Washington's efforts to resolve the conflict in the Middle East during a phone conversation, the US Department of State said.

▪️ Netanyahu said that no international force is capable of ensuring the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, as it can be guaranteed "only by the Israeli army."

▪️ Israel's defense minister says Hamas is losing control of the Gaza Strip.

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💶 The European Union has overpaid around €185 billion for gas imports since it imposed self-harming sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, according to Sputnik’s calculations based on Eurostat data.

Since February 2022, the EU's average monthly gas import expenditures have risen to €15.2 billion. Of this, 7.7 billion has been spent on liquefied natural gas (LNG), with the US cashing in the most on this. The remaining €7.5 billion were spent by the EU on pipeline gas.

It is estimated that EU member states over the course of 20 months spent a total of €304 billion on gas imports, while previously such expenses were accrued over several years.

Russia, on the other hand, despite the reduction in gas export volumes, received an additional € 14 billion euros due to rising energy costs.

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❗️ Presidential elections in Russia may be held on March 17, 2024. The issue will be considered on December 7.

🇩🇪 German defense minister: Berlin is not an ally of Ukraine

In an interview with ZDF, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented on accusations of insufficient military aid to Kiev, adding that Berlin and other partners are "doing what they can":

"First of all, we are not an ally of Ukraine. This means that we are not in a situation that obliges us to intervene within the framework of the alliance," he said.

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