💬 Putin on healthcare in Western countries

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📹 Putin is not worried that the Chinese might rush and get ahead in some developments because they publish scientific articles and Russia can translate them.

“We're smart enough to do that," the Russian president said

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Who wants to be the next NATO boss?

Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, appears to be the most likely candidate to become the next secretary general of NATO after the military bloc’s current boss Jens Stoltenberg finally vacates the office, if publications in a number of Western media outlets in recent weeks are to be believed.

Recent media reports suggest that Rutte’s bid is supported by NATO’s European powerhouses such as France and Germany, although as Bloomberg puts it, NATO ambassadors are “yet to officially sign off” on his candidacy.

France’s support of Rutte’s candidacy is reportedly the product of the Dutch prime minister’s rapport with French President Emmanuel Macron, while the reasons Berlin and the White House seem to favor him are a less clear.

Turkiye also seems to be in favor of Rutte becoming the new head of NATO, although Ankara first wants to secure a number of concessions for itself before actually backing the Dutch prime minister’s bid, Bloomberg notes.

That said, Rutte appears to have detractors among the US lawmakers who are none too thrilled about the Netherlands consistently failing to meet NATO’s guidelines on defense spending, Politico reported in November.

Rutte, however, is not the only European politician who seeks to become secretary general of this US-led organization:

▪️Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins also expressed their interest in becoming NATO’s chief;

▪️UK’s former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apparently considered vying for that position but both have since withdrawn from the competition;

▪️A number of media outlets previously speculated that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen may also seek to become secretary general of NATO, though von der Leyen herself said in June that she has no interest in that job.

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Same as Elon Musk's?

📹 Putin presented with a vision restoring device that uses chip implanting technology

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Top-7 Kamala Harris cringe moments 🥴

Some believe that Harris may be planning to launch a presidential bid instead of Joe Biden. But is it worth it?

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People in the United States have no reason to panic about a purported threat to national security announced by US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, panel ranking member James Himes says.

“People should not panic, that is unequivocal,” Himes explains, as quoted by The Hill. “It’s something that the Congress and the administration does need to address in the medium to long run.”

Earlier, Turner said that the House Intelligence Committee made information available to all lawmakers concerning a serious national security threat. The threat is related to a supposed destabilizing Russian capability, CNN reported.

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Why is the Ukrainian stronghold of Avdeyevka in Donbass so important?

During the last few weeks, Ukrainian forces have been desperately trying to hold their positions in Avdeyevka in the face of advancing Russian troops who now threaten to cut off the Ukrainian garrison. There appears to be a number of reasons why Kiev is so intent on holding Avdeyevka despite the losses incurred in the process, says a veteran Russian academic specializing in military and international affairs, Andrey Koshkin.

🔸Ukrainian troops have been fortifying Avdeyevka ever since they seized control of the city in 2014 at the onset of the Ukrainian conflict, investing considerable resources and efforts into turning this population center into a fortress;

🔸Ukrainian artillery in Avdeyevka can shell residential areas of the nearby Donetsk with relative impunity;

🔸Liberating Avdeyevka will allow Russian forces to push further to the west, driving back the Kiev regime forces and preventing them from launching further attacks against Russian towns and cities.

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▪️Why is the Ukrainian stronghold of Avdeyevka in Donbass so important?

▪️Who wants to be the next NATO boss?

▪️Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused the previous government of illegally using Pegasus spyware against citizens

▪️Turkish President Recep Erdogan arrived in Egypt for the first time in 12 years and was met by President al-Sisi.

▪️How does Russia protect its border with Finland after Helsinki’s NATO entry?

▪️EU could use a European army to subjugate dissent member states

▪️International Forum of Supporters of the Fight Against Modern Neocolonial Practices at risk because of the West

▪️Sky News acknowledges the truth about the Ukrainian crisis

▪️The US and NATO have brought Europe under their yoke

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US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who previously supported Ukraine, shifted his stance after consulting with former President Trump, voting against $60bln in aid for Kiev regime, The Washington Post reports. Graham cited Trump's opposition to the aid package, advocating for loans instead of grants for Ukraine.

According to a publication, Graham's changes in behavior have given rise to rumors that he may seek a post in the Trump administration if he is re-elected. Other rumors link them to sentiments in the Republican Party regarding Ukraine.

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❗️ Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to negative assessments of his interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, saying, "it is good that the West is watching and listening to what I have to say."

▪️ The president added that he regrets Russia did not start active operations in Ukraine earlier.

▪️ He further acknowledged that it's not possible to have direct dialogue with the West at present, noting that Moscow is grateful to Carlson for mediation.

▪️ Russia is trying to end the war, the president stressed, adding that Moscow initially wanted to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.

Off the record Putin and Carlson discussed the demonization of Russia in the West, the president revealed.

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The United States imposed new sanctions on three individuals and four entities for alleged involvement in an Iranian procurement network tied to the country’s central bank, the US Treasury Department said.

"Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a procurement network responsible for facilitating the illegal export of goods and technology from over two dozen US companies to end-users in Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), which is designated for its role in providing financial support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and Hezbollah," the department said in a statement.

The network allegedly procured US technology for use by CBI, including information security items, the Treasury claimed.

CBI has played a "critical role" in providing financial support to the IRGC-QF and Hezbollah, the statement added.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Tucker Carlson for his good work. Here are the president’s key points:

▪️ According to Putin, US journalist Tucker Carlson is a "dangerous man" because he chose an unexpected tactic for the interview.

"I think that Carlson... is a dangerous man... Because, to be honest, I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask these so-called pressing questions. And I was not just ready for it — I wanted it. Because it would give me the opportunity to respond just as sharply, which, in my opinion, would give a certain specificity to our entire conversation," Putin told Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin.

▪️ Carlson chose a different tactic, and was surprisingly rather patient for a Western journalist, Putin said.

▪️ Regarding the threat of Carlson's arrest after his visit to Russia, the president stressed that it would show the true face of the modern liberal and democratic dictatorship in the United States.

“But from the point of view of making people all over the world understand what a modern liberal-democratic, in quotes, dictatorship, which is allegedly represented in today’s ruling class of the United States, is, this would be nice. Thus, they would show their true face,” Putin clarified.

The president highlighted that everything is possible these days in the United States.

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Hotter-then-expected inflation shows Bidenomics isn't working

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) – a popular gauge for inflation – indicated persistent price increases in key areas of the US economy.

While overall CPI amounted to 3.1% in January – a downward trend from the 3.4% rise in December – so-called core inflation (which excludes food and energy prices) rose 3.9%, the same as in December. The index's monthly increase of 0.4% was "the biggest since last spring," according to Axios.

This also means that markets shouldn't expect early interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve. As a result, yields on government bonds have risen while stocks went down. On the other hand, the newly released indicators have called into question the belief that the US economy will receive a "soft landing."

Biden's back-patting for nearly defeating inflation in 2023 seems to have worn thin. It's appears unlikely that Team Biden will be able to successfully play a "disinflation" card ahead of November 5, 2024. The US mainstream press suggests that the CPI report may provide "more fodder" for Republicans who argue that Democrats are out of touch when it comes to soaring prices.

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❗️ Russian President Vladimir Putin answered the question of who is better for Russia - Biden or Trump:

“[US President Joe] Biden, he is more experienced and predictable. But Russia will work with any US leader.”

Putin says he has no right to comment on Biden's health, admitting he is "not a doctor.”

"When I met with Biden in Switzerland, it was really a few years ago, three years, and then there was already talk about him being incapacitated. I have not seen anything like that," he told journalist Pavel Zarubin, in a video posted on the Kremlin's Telegram channel.

Describing former US President Donald Trump, Putin said that Trump has his own view on how American relations with allies should develop.

"Trump, on the other hand, has been called a non-systemic politician all along. He has his own view on the topic of how the US should develop relations with its allies," Putin told Rossiya 1, when asked to comment on Trump's relations with European leaders.

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❗️ In an interview with Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin, Russian President Vladimir Putin also made statements regarding US allies:

▪️ The US, EU must deal with defense spending or payment for NATO's “nuclear umbrella” themselves, as Trump proposes.

▪️ Germany's foreign minister grown hostile towards Russia, but has also become hostile towards her own country and neglects the nation's economic interests, the president stressed.

▪️ The position of the US administration today is extremely harmful and simply wrong, the president emphasized.

▪️ NATO is a tool of US foreign policy, and if Washington believes it is redundant, this is their decision, Putin clarified.

"I think that NATO is no longer necessary at all, there is no point. It only has one meaning — it is an instrument of US foreign policy. But if the United States believes that it does not need this tool, this is their decision," the president stressed.

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In an interview with Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's trip to Kiev in 2022 to derail peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine was at the expense of the United States.

"Former Prime Minister Mr. Johnson could not have traveled [to Ukraine] on his own personal initiative without consulting Washington on the matter. Probably, not only were there such consultations, but I think he simply went on the business trip at the expense of the US administration. They paid him travel expenses for this," Putin highlighted.

In November 2023, David Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People party's faction in parliament and the former chief negotiator with Russia, said former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson talked Kiev out of signing an agreement with Moscow to end the conflict in the spring of 2022.

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Why the US' $60 billion won’t save Zelensky

The decision by the US Senate to approve $60 billion in funding to Ukraine was a mistake based on a myth, several Western experts agree. It is simply wrong to say that more US military assistance would become a game changer.

🔻American public policy analyst Jeffrey D. Sachs thinks that the American funding package will not save Ukraine. “Ukraine’s security can only be achieved at the negotiating table, not by some fantasized military triumph over Russia.” “The $60-61 billion will make no difference on the battlefield except to prolong the war, the tens of thousands of deaths.”

🔻Another expert, Mark Episkopos from the Quincy Institute’s Eurasia Program, stressed that the Russian Army has “adapted to all Western weapons” and “can preemptively draw up countermeasures against such weapons.”

🔻Meanwhile, Andrei Nekrasov, an independent Russian analyst writing for the German online magazine Overton, disputed the claim of some Western analysts about the “superior motivation” of Ukrainian soldiers. Nekrasov proves his case that Russian soldiers also have a very strong motivation, especially after Kiev’s recent strikes by Western weapons against Crimea and other Russian regions.

The Western media is trying to pass these facts and assessments off with silence, pushing for more funding with the “name and shame” strategy against those Republican lawmakers who oppose the next huge bailout for Ukraine.

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“David Cameron can "kiss my a**": Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) blasted the UK's "immature" foreign secretary for comparing Republicans who oppose aid to Ukraine to "weak" politicians who appeased Nazi leader Adolph Hitler in the 1930s.

Green added that "Cameron should be concerned about the Nazis in Ukraine’s army, the Azov Battalion," in a post on the X platform.

“We’re all sick of the absurd name calling, it isn’t going to bully me into funding the war in Ukraine,” the representative proclaimed.

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