A protester in South Carolina interrupts neocon Nikki Haley

“No new wars, down with the military industrial complex,” a man vented. “We're sick of the wars, we want America first,” the citizen insisted.

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The EU permanent representatives agreed on the preliminary proposal of the European Commission on the use of income from Russian frozen assets, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU said on Monday.

"EU Ambassadors just agreed in principle on a proposal on the use of windfall profits related to immobilised assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction," the Belgian Presidency said on X (Twitter).

Earlier this month, Belgian Deputy PM and Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem said that the EU has began technical work on the implementation of the proposal put forward by the European Commission at the end of last year to use the proceeds from Russia's frozen sovereign assets in the interests of Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly warned that any attempt by the EU to confiscate Moscow's frozen assets would violate international law.

In December, 2023, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that the Western countries would face repercussions if they used Russia's frozen assets to assist Ukraine.

26 Republican state attorneys general sent letters to Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to affirm their support for the actions Texas has been undertaking to repel the record number of illegal immigrants on its portion of the US border with Mexico, Fox News reported on Monday.

Last Monday, the US Supreme Court ruled that federal agents can cut razor wire fencing Texas installed on swaths of the border, but it does not require the state to remove it. The Texas National Guard placed razor wire fencing along the state's border with Mexico to deter the record level of migrants coming into the United States illegally and overwhelming local resources and communities struggling to cope with the crisis.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Friday that he was prepared for a conflict with the federal authorities over the border protection dispute.

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❓Can secession from ECOWAS "alleviate the multiple sufferings" of the Sahelian population?

The "ECOWAS member countries [...] don't play their role properly because, above all, they have the obligation to assist
people, that is, to help the people of countries that are in difficulty. We currently have three countries that are going through security crises, even economic crises. But we did not feel ECOWAS alleviate suffering of these populations," Iba Karim, doctoral student in Economics and Management Sciences, told Sputnik Africa.

He also recalled the "inhumane, irresponsible and thoughtless" sanctions.

👉🏽 Moreover, this exit of Mali, Niger and Burkina could also lead to the transition to the common currency of the Alliance of Sahel States. It could "perhaps even alleviate the cost of living" and reduce the suffering of the people concerned, according to the scholar.

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US national security advisor John Kirby commented on the reports the drone that killed three servicemen was "mistakenly identified" as an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by saying he will let the Pentagon "talk about the forensics."

"I'm sure that they are already picking it apart and trying to figure out how this happened," Kirby highlighted.

Earlier on Monday, citing unnamed officials told the Wall Street Journal that US forces failed to stop an enemy drone attack on its base on the Syria-Jordan border because the aircraft's approach coincided with the return of a US drone to the military outpost.

According to the paper, a militia backed by Tehran launched the enemy drone towards the Al-Tanf base, an outpost near the Syria-Jordan border.

The report added that US officials have not found evidence indicating that Iran directed the attack.

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NATO‘s door remains open to Ukraine and the country will become a member the military alliance, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington.

"NATO’s door is open, remains open, including to Ukraine which will become a member of NATO," Blinken said on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that NATO expansion to include Ukraine creates a direct national security threat for Russia and Moscow considers the non-aligned status of Ukraine to be extremely important. Putin also said that Russia has always stood against Ukraine's membership in NATO due to its national security concerns, but never opposed its aspirations to join the European Union.

Regarding the deadly drone attack against US forces in the Al-Tanf base, an outpost near the Syria-Jordan border, Blinken clarified that Washington's response "could be multi-leveled, come in stages, and be sustained over" time.

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US direct attack on Iran would unleash hell on Mideast region

"An attack inside Iran would undoubtedly widen the war with the end game becoming even murkier, and [an attack] inside Iraq would further damage US-Iraq relations," Professor Hossein Askari, emeritus professor of business and international affairs at George Washington University, told Sputnik.

Three US soldiers were killed and 34 wounded in a drone attack on an American military base over the weekend, ramping up the pressure on Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 elections, according to the US press.

Even though Tehran made it clear that it had nothing to do with the attack, Washington pinned the blame on Iran and is reportedly planning to either conduct a covert strike on the nation while later denying it, or resort to extraterritorial assassination of Iranian officials.

"The US would try to avoid any and all US casualties," the expert said when asked how the US could implement the alleged plan. "So only cruise missiles and no planes or Special Forces. No regional player would join the US. The only country who would like to get in on the action is Israel."

"I believe the US will take on limited retaliatory attacks against [Islamic] Revolutionary Guards targets in Iran or Iraq without engaging in a wide-scale war," Dr. Imad Salamey, associate professor of political science and international affairs at the Lebanese American University, told Sputnik. "It remains too early in this conflict for the US to target strategic positions such as nuclear facilities. I do not think the allies will join the US in the standoff against Iran, as none have a reason to join rank."

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Weapons for Ukraine are "the way to peace," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg claimed during a visit to the United States.

"Supporting Ukraine is not a charity, it is an investment in our own security," Stoltenberg said during a press briefing on Monday.

Stoltenberg also suggested that arms for Ukraine are "the way to peace."

Moscow has repeatedly stated that Western military supplies do not bode well for Ukraine and only prolong the conflict. In addition, vehicles carrying supplied weapons are a legitimate target for the Russian Army.

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UNRWA may run out of money past February, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.

"Right now, I think past February looks like they will run out of money," Dujarric told a briefing.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has 13,000 staff who serve over 2 million people in Gaza, he added.

On Friday, UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said that Israel shared with UNRWA data on the alleged involvement of some of the agency’s staff members in the Hamas attack, and promised to hold accountable anyone who was implicated in acts of terrorism. The United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, and some other countries swiftly responded by suspending funding for UNRWA.

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Security analyst Mark Sleboda joined Sputnik’s Fault Lines program Monday to discuss a massive new corruption scheme just uncovered in Ukraine.

Key points from the interview:

🔸 $40 million in funds were allegedly embezzled from the procurement of 100,000 mortar shells that were never delivered

🔸 US sources previously reported only 30% of weapons supplied by the West are reaching Ukraine’s front lines

🔸 The US itself is facing shortages of crucial air defense missiles amidst attempts to arm Ukraine and Israel and defend dozens of bases in the Middle East

Nevertheless, the Biden administration is set to continue to support the Zelensky regime through 2024.

👉 Follow the link for more details

BRICS countries' share of global GDP increased from 31% to 35%, exceeding the share of the G7 by the end of 2023, Russian Central Bank Head Elvira Nabiullina told Sputnik.

"The economies of the BRICS countries are developing quite rapidly. With the accession of new members, the share of BRICS in the global economy increased from 31% to 35% if we look at the results of 2023 in terms of purchasing power parity. And these figures are slightly higher than the share of the G7 countries. So the role of BRICS in the world is significant," Nabiullina said.

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Ukraine funding: EU wants to coerce Hungary into submission by hook or by crook

"This means that the European Union is not a democratic community at all," Gabor Stier, a Hungarian foreign policy analyst, moszkvater.com news portal founder and member of the Valdai Discussion Club, told Sputnik.

"If [the EU] exerts such brutal pressure on a member of the union that has a different opinion, it means they are afraid of this country, they are hinting that it should leave this union."

The Financial Times reported on Sunday that it had obtained a secret grand design by EU officials to "imperil" Hungary's currency and drive a "collapse in investor confidence" in the country over Budapest's pledge to veto the bloc's €50 billion ($54 billion) package for the Kiev regime.

It's not the only measure considered by Eurocrats: previously, the bloc punished Hungary by stripping it of a large chunk of funds for being not democratic enough in Brussels' view. EU diplomats also hinted at using Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union to suspend Budapest's veto right.

"If we assume that Hungary will be punished in this way, then it will not be Orban who will be punished, the whole country will be punished, the whole country will suffer, which means collective responsibility. If they approve €50 billion, support Ukraine, [Brussels] will continue to destroy the European Union. This is worse than destroying one country," Stier stressed.

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Russia is discussing with other BRICS countries the integration of national financial message transmission systems, and currently 159 foreign participants from 20 countries have already joined the Russian platform, Russian Central Bank Head Elvira Nabiullina told Sputnik.

"Russia has a Financial Messaging System that is an alternative to SWIFT. Some other countries have similar infrastructure. We are discussing the interaction of such platforms, but the interest and technical readiness of our partners are important here," Nabiullina said, commenting on whether the BRICS countries are ready to integrate national financial communication systems.

A total of 159 foreign participants from 20 countries have already joined the Russian system, the official added.

The share of the Chinese yuan in Russia's exports over the past two years has increased by 86 times to 34.5%, and by more than 8 times in imports to 36.4%, Nabiullina emphasized.

👉 Follow the link for more details

The US can reinstate sanctions on Venezuela in April if Caracas does not commit to free and fair elections, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.

"The Maduro regime... made some commitments about opposition political parties, about free and fair elections and they haven't taken those actions," Kirby said during a press briefing. "They got until April to do so."

Kirby pointed out that the Biden administration has available options, including imposing sanctions, but declined to preview any of those at this time.

Venezuela must allow opposition members to run for office and release "political prisoners," Kirby said.

Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab recently said that the country's security forces had thwarted preparations for five terrorist attacks and conspiracies, with 27 people detained in the case, which the United States claims includes political figures.

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Turkish international relations expert Dr. Hasan Unal joined Sputnik’s Fault Lines program Monday to discuss resentment towards the United States in the wake of this weekend’s deadly drone attack on US forces. Unal stressed that:

🔻 US troops are stationed in Syria and Iraq against the wishes of those countries’ governments

🔻 The US and aligned militant groups have presided over broad devastation in Syria, damaging agriculture, stealing oil, and contributing to the death of half a million people

🔻 The US is resented for its unquestioned support of Israel as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 26,000

“It is because of the United States military presence there that we have much of this problem,” the analyst concluded.

👉 Follow the link for more details

The conflict between state and federal power is among the most historically contentious aspects of the United States’ system of governance. The dynamic has led some to fear an outbreak of violence as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to defy President Joe Biden on policy at America’s southern border.

“This country's coming unglued,” feared host Garland Nixon on Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program Monday.

But his colleague Jamarl Thomas says the confrontation is designed to make Biden look weak before the upcoming November election, with scenes of chaos at the border and a potential collapse in Ukraine as Biden fails to secure legislation on either issue.

👉 Hit the link to get the full rundown

🇰🇵 North Korea launched several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea on Tuesday morning, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCF).

According to the JCS, North Korea fired missiles at around 7 a.m. from its west coast. It did not specify the number of missiles.

"While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military has been closely coordinating with the United States to monitor additional signs of North Korea's provocations," the JCS said in a statement.

The launch comes just two days after the DPRK test-fired submarine-launched Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missiles from the east coast.

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Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have sent official notices to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of their intention to leave the bloc, the media reported on Monday.

On Sunday, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali said in a joint statement that the three countries would withdraw from the bloc as ECOWAS had become a "threat" to member states. The statement added that the regional bloc introduced "illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible" sanctions on the countries.

The three western African states were targeted with sanctions by ECOWAS after it demanded the restoration of civilian governments following coups in Mali in 2020, in Burkina Faso in 2022, and in Niger in 2023.

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On the front lines: Russian soldiers show 3D lab where Kamikaze drones and their ammunition are developed

Drones have become a formidable weapon capable of inflicting great damage on the enemy. Today we will show you the unique production of Kamikaze drones by the remote mining battalion Phoenix.

In a special lab, details are printed on 3D printers: blades, attachments and ejection systems. Fighters are also taught how to fly different types of drones using computer simulators and VR glasses.

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