The West is done, Russia is on the rise

"As President Putin explained perfectly, it is an organic shift. It is not nothing new, it is an economic trend. The special operation gave Russia a significant boost to simply move slightly faster towards this new direction", a geopolitical analyst, Adriel Kasonta explained.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called the daily advance of Russian troops "very concerning" and warned that without renewed American assistance, Ukraine will remain at a disadvantage.

"We see every single day that the Russians continue to push for incremental territorial gains," Austin said.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

From ‘Scout’ to ‘Warrior’: meet Russia's amphibious vehicles

Tests of the Triton amphibious vehicle for the special operation zone are slated for this summer, with an array of such vehicles - a means of transport viable on land and water - currently at the service of the Russian Armed Forces.

These include such all-terrain and waterborne vehicles as:

▪️The Plastun (Scout) is already being used in the special military operation, where the vehicle helps evacuate all those wounded during hostilities. Notably, the Plastun is fitted with light armor that can withstand the Kalashnikov assault rifle’s 7.62 mm bullets fired from a distance of one hundred meters.

▪️The Aleut, which has a modular design and is capable of tackling snowy areas and swamps. The vehicle is capable of transporting up to 20 people, including the driver, and has a total carrying capacity of 2.5 tons. "The Aleut’s temperature mode of operation ranges from -40°С to +40°С and perfectly suits the local sharply continental climate,” according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

▪️The Vityaz (medieval Russian warrior), which is even more advanced and ensures the movement of the vehicle amid extreme temperatures (from -50°С to +50°C) on soils with low bearing capacity (swamps, virgin snow land, off-road, and rugged wooded areas).

▪️The Ruslan, equipped with the system of forced folding links in the vertical plane that enables the vehicle to overcome various obstacles with the height of up to 1.8 m. The Ruslan is capable of tackling almost any swampy terrain thanks to its powerful engine.

▪️Last but not least, the MT-LB (multi-purpose light armored tractor hauler), also known as Object 6 or “motolyga”. The vehicle can carry 11 people, plus two crew members. In addition, the MT-LB carries a significant range of weapons, including missile systems. The 9.7-ton platform has a cruising range of 500 km (310 miles).

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says if Ukraine falls he really believes NATO will be in a fight with Russia.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Russia on a 'multipolar path' to rapid economic growth

"I think that it [Putin's State of the Nation] was a very powerful speech," Adriel Kasonta, a London-based foreign affairs analyst, tells Sputnik. "It is related to the foreign policy that Russia is pivoting away from the West; that it's putting a strong emphasis with having closer ties with its BRICS partners and allies and also puts a strong emphasis on the national rejuvenation."

In his address to the Federal Assembly Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia is on track to become one of the world's four largest economies in the near future. Last year, the Russian economy grew faster than the global average and outpaced growth seen in G7 states.

Putin pointed out that by 2028, the share of BRICS in the global economy at purchasing power parity will increase to 36.6%, whereas that of G7's will drop to 27.8%.

"It is very significant to remember that these emerging economies, developing economies, present a profound potential of growth," Kasonta says. "The countries which are seen as a G7, they are declining. Their population growth is declining. Their economies are very weak because of the fact that they engaged themselves in the proxy war with Russia and also that they are subsidizing the war effort in Ukraine. So in my opinion, the West is done."

According to Kasonta, Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine only accelerated the path that Russia has been already on, which is a multipolar path in the economic sphere as well.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Now everyone sees who the aggressor is - Washington, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented regarding Lloyd Austin's statements.

"Is this a direct threat to Russia or an attempt to come up with an excuse for Zelensky? Both are crazy," Zakharova said.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Scott Ritter on the key points from Putin's address to the Russian parliament

"Russia is a nation that has earned its place in the world today. According to Vladimir Putin, the world cannot exist without the Russian nation. And therefore, it's time for the United States, for Europe, for NATO, for all nations of the world to understand that Russia is here to stay. Russia is a part of the global community. And anybody who seeks to change this reality, to achieve the strategic defeat of Russia, is simply entering on a one-way trip to hell", said former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

▪️Key points from Putin's address to the Russian parliament

▪️What are the five new Russian national projects announced by Putin during his address?

▪️The most striking figures in Putin's address to the Russian parliament

▪️Russia on a 'multipolar path' to rapid economic growth

▪️From ‘Scout’ to ‘Warrior’: meet Russia's amphibious vehicles

▪️Meet Russia's new amphibious vehicle: The Triton

▪️US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says if Ukraine falls he really believes NATO will be in a fight with Russia

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Ukrainian military is intentionally targeting Donbass civilians

Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley explains why the recent wave of Ukrainian strikes against civilian buildings in Donetsk is no accident or mistake, but a deliberate effort to kill unarmed men, women, and children.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The US does not see that Moscow is about to resort to nuclear weapons, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

"We do not have any sign that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," Miller said during a briefing for reporters.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, has confirmed that there are many CIA bases on the territory of Ukraine.

"A lot," he said when asked by a journalist how many CIA bases there actually are in Ukraine.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there were probably many more bases than the 12 reported by the mass media.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

‘These are the kind of operations the Ukrainians do’

Back in March 2022, the Ukrainian military sent out fake text messages to the female relatives of Donetsk militiamen, urging them to gather near the administration building at a certain day and time. The Ukrainians planned on firing a missile into the crowd of civilian women.

The plot ultimately failed, but the attack nevertheless ended up killing two dozen innocent bystanders in Donetsk.

Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) recounts the chilling story.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

US arms race against Russia will backfire and lead to self-destruction

"China and Russia perfectly understand the fact that the West, specifically the United States, wants to put pressure on Russia and on China to participate in this artificially created arms race," Adriel Kasonta, a London-based foreign affairs analyst, tells Sputnik.

During his address to the Russian Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin lambasted the West for attempting to drag Russia into an arms race, stressing that similar tricks were used against the USSR in the 1980s to economically exhaust the Soviet Union and facilitate its collapse.

Russia has learnt its lesson well and won't engage in the US-led arms race, but will develop all sectors of its economy efficiently despite sanctions, Kasonta says, referring to impressive economic growth indicators mentioned by Putin.

"Since the illegitimate coup in Kiev in Ukraine, [Russia] understood that it can't rely any longer on the West," the expert notes. "Since 2014, Russia has been changing its economy and adapting economy to the multi-polar world."

For its part, "the American empire is destroying itself by simply putting more money in the military" whereas its economy and its border security is in decline, Kasonta argues, warning that a "never ending arms race" could ultimately lead the US to a civil war.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Republican Congressman Matt Rosendale has accused opponents of the Democratic Party of spreading pro-Ukrainian propaganda using US taxpayers' money that should have been spent on solving domestic problems in the US.

"Members of the other side (Democratic Party - ed.) of the aisle are wasting taxpayers' dollars on Zelensky's propaganda. Our borders are wide open, and our national debt is skyrocketing. We must put America FIRST!," Rosendale said.

This was his respond to a letter from Democratic Congressman George Nickel, who said that "House Republicans surrendered Ukraine to Russia".

68% of the French do not approve of Macron’s position on the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, according to Le Figaro.

The statistic was provided by a survey conducted by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for the newspaper. 31% supported Macron. In addition, the majority of French people (51%) believe that it is necessary to remain neutral towards Russia. 37% of respondents consider Moscow as an enemy, and 11% consider it an ally.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

White House does not reciprocate Russia’s calls for dialogue on nuclear weapons in space

While Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to “frank and genuine negotiation with the US on the placement of nuclear arms in outer space,” he is yet to receive “any signal" from his counterpart on the matter, says Dr. Marco Marsili, a researcher at Cà Foscari University of Venice who holds research positions in major civil and military institutions in Portugal, the UK and Italy.

Commenting on Putin’s recent address to the Russian parliament, Dr. Marsili acknowledged that while Russia previously brought “some solutions within the UN Conference on Disarmament to avoid the placement of nuclear arms in space,” the US and its European allies have always “refused to negotiate them as international legally-binding instruments” in order to maintain their technological advantage.

“Today, Russia is in a stronger position due to its technological advances in missile defence, and has developed hypersonic capabilities, like the Avangard rocket cited by President Putin in his speech, which place the country far away from its Western competitors. Notwithstanding, President Putin is still seeking a dialogue with the White House, but does not receive any response,” the scholar remarked.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 A Russian crew operating Zala reconnaissance drones spotted a Ukrainian tank and self-propelled guns on the right bank of the Dnepr River. They then successfully pinpointed the targets' positions in preparation for an attack using Lancet drones.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Google stock pictures of shoplifting are highly likely to depict white people only

While searching for "Shoplifting stock photo" it is nearly impossible to find even a single stock photo of a non-white shoplifter on Google.

The netizens on X, formerly known as Twitter, roast Google:

“They will gaslight us in every way possible as we can see here.”

“So no white people in important eras in history but shoplifting...”

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in Turkiye to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Lavrov is expected to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, as well as with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and King of Eswatini.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The heads of the G20 finance ministers and central bankers failed to agree on a joint statement at a meeting in Brazil due to disagreements over Ukraine, DPA reported.

The US armed services are spending more money than they are permitted to do by law in their efforts to maintain and continue to operate many weapons systems, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned in a report.

"The GAO looked at DOD [the Department of Defense]'s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 sustainment reviews, and found that seven out of 16 weapon systems had sustainment cost growth above the thresholds identified in law," the report said.

The GAO recommended that the Defense Department address the issue, the report stated.

"The Department of Defense spends billions of dollars a year to operate and maintain its weapon systems. These "sustainment" costs - such as for repair parts or personnel - account for about 70% of a weapon system's total cost, the GAO said.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt