Trump said he would not give money to Ukraine if he became president again, and without the US, Europe would not be able to fund the conflict and it would end, said Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, who met with the former US leader in Florida.

"If the Americans do not give weapons and money, and the Europeans follow them, then the war will end. If the Americans do not give money, then the Europeans are not able to finance this war themselves, and then it will end. Trump is not president now, but his party interferes when the Democrats want to send money to the war. Trump said that if he returns, he will not do this, [he will] not [allocate] a penny. And then this war will end," Orban said in an interview with Hungarian broadcaster M1.

On Friday, Trump met with Orban at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to discuss a wide range of issues of common interest for Hungary and the United States.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as well as for the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave.

"I am confident that the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians want the same thing - peace. A step in this direction could be a longer ceasefire: ideally during Ramadan. Such a ceasefire would finally ensure the release of Israeli hostages and an increase in the volume of humanitarian aid flowing into the Gaza Strip. The US president, me and many others advocate for this with all our persistence," Scholz said.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. At least 31,045 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

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Zelensky said that Emmanuel Macron, who has made statements in support of sending Western troops to help Kiev, would soon visit Ukraine.

Agence France-Presse also reported about Macron's imminent visit to Ukraine, citing the Elysee Palace, but wrote that the trip should take place "in the coming weeks."

At the same time, Macron himself, who recently abruptly canceled a trip to Ukraine, has not yet announced any new plans to go there.

The FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other agencies are working with “gaming” companies to combat “domestic violent extremist content,” according to a new government report.

The report notes that the DHS regularly meets with companies, which “share information with the [DHS intelligence branch] I&A about online activities promoting domestic violent extremism” and that the FBI regularly holds briefings with the companies about what it perceives as threats, including Roblox Corporation, Discord, Reddit, an unnamed video game publisher and an unnamed social media platform.

The practice described in the GAO report, regular meetings and reports with the companies, reflect practices used to limit online speech in the Missouri v. Biden case, but notes the FBI and DHS are taking a cautious approach while that case awaits a final ruling in the Supreme Court.

Last March, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) the Senate Judiciary Committee Chair sent letters to several gaming companies, including Valve, Activision, Blizzard, Epic Games, Riot Games, Roblox Corporation and Take-Two Interactive, demanding that they take stronger actions to police gamers and their content.

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The West is not investigating the Nord Stream explosions because the US and "a number of countries like Norway and the UK" are to blame - this was clear from the very beginning, Florian Philippot, the leader of French party The Patriots and a candidate in the European Parliament elections, told Sputnik.

The politician emphasized that even those countries whose interests were directly affected by this sabotage (for example, France and Germany) did not officially protest.

Watch Russian Su-34 bombers carrying out precision strikes on Ukrainian forces' positions in the southern Donetsk region.

For these strikes, unguided FAB-500 bombs with a universal planning and correction module were used.

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Israeli PM Netanyahu instructed relevant government bodies to prepare thousands of new beds in prisons for Palestinians, who will be arrested during the Gaza conflict in 2024, the prime minister’s office said.

"The Prime Minister directed the Finance, Defense and National Security ministries to urgently prepare thousands of spaces for new detainees and prisoners. The directive was issued following a discussion during which the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and the ISA [Israel Securities Authority] presented their assessment that during 2024, thousands of terrorists will be arrested in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria," the office said in a statement.

Since October 7, about "4,000 terrorists have been arrested, most of them in Gaza," the statement added.

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Russian air defense overnight intercepted and destroyed 4 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region and 2 over the Orel region, the Defense Ministry said

🔥 Russian Grad MLRS in action in the south of DPR

Multiple-launch rocket systems strike Ukrainian positions, destroying enemy manpower and military hardware.

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British mercenary Harry Gregg, who fought on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces, committed suicide after coming back to Britain, the Telegraph reported.

The 25-year-old Briton joined the Ukrainian army after getting inspired by ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss’ speech, in which she said that everyone who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces would take part in the "battle for democracy". Gregg, having no military training, went to Ukraine. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after his return, his family said.

In December 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the destruction of over 5,800 foreign mercenaries during the special operation. Kiev has stepped up the recruitment of mercenaries from the US and Canada, as well as various other regions of the world, including areas of Syria controlled by the US.

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▪️ Military operation in the Gaza Strip could be over in one to two months, Netanyahu says

▪️ Orban: Trump won’t give money to Ukraine if he became president again

▪️ The West is not investigating the Nord Stream explosions because the US and ‘a number of countries like Norway and the UK’ are to blame, French politician Philippot says

▪️ Watch Russian Su-34 bomb Ukrainian forces' positions in the southern Donetsk region

▪️ US security agencies are working with ‘gaming’ companies to combat ‘violent extremist content’

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Canada rebukes US over snag with NASAMS delivery to Ukraine

Canada’s Defense Minister Bill Blair has accused the US of delaying the delivery of NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine, the Edmonton Journal has reported.

While the Canadian Ministry of Defense has already given the money for the NASAMS to the US government, Washington is yet to finalize the deal, which is reportedly mired in “red tape.”

Blair noted that without the purchase deal between Washington and Ottawa, his country would need years to acquire the NASAMS via the standard procurement process.

The delay comes as the Biden administration’s own Ukraine aid package is still in limbo in Congress.

Ottawa announced the donation of the mobile air defense systems worth $303 million to the Kiev regime in January 2023. The arrangement was that Canada would cover the costs, but would dodge having to apply to the US government for approval to send the system to Ukraine, as is the case with American military technology sold outside the country.

Moscow has repeatedly warned NATO countries that by supplying arms to Ukraine, they are both prolonging the conflict and dangerously escalating it.

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Britain's Challenger 2 tanks donated to Ukraine lack reliability, ability to maneuver over ground – report

Only half of the Challenger 2 tanks handed over by Britain to Ukraine in 2023 can be used for combat by Ukrainian forces, according to The Sun.

As the newspaper notes, 5 of the 14 tanks are out of service and waiting for spare parts, which could take months to be delivered from the UK. One was destroyed by a Russian Lancet UAV and another is being used by Ukrainian forces to train Ukrainian tank crews deep behind the front lines. It is also reported that two Challenger 2 tanks were damaged in, fighting but have been repaired, with one having its barrel replaced.

“It takes a long time to get spares. The logistics are very complex, at this end and your end," a Ukrainian tank company commander told The Sun. The tanker also said that some parts of the Challenger 2 broke "from the very beginning," while others require frequent replacement, including some components of the tank's turret and precision targeting system, as well as rubber linings on the tracks.

Another drawback of the tanks is their inability to effectively maneuver on the ground, as they often get stuck in the mud due to their weight, the commander reportedly said.

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📹 Footage has emerged online of a fourth destroyed US Abrams tank

The tank was destroyed by the village of Berdychi near Avdeevka, according to Igor Kimakovsky, adviser to the head of the DPR, as quoted by Russian media.

Kimakovsky specified that Russian troops hit the tank using an anti-tank grenade launcher. Along with the armored vehicle, its entire crew was eliminated.

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Russia earns $56 billion from redirecting fossil fuel exports

Russia earned almost $187 billion from oil, gas, and coal supplies to a number of friendly countries last year, which is $56 billion more than the average exports to European countries before they imposed anti-Russian sanctions, Sputnik has calculated.

Twenty-seven EU countries purchased an average of $102.5 billion worth of hydrocarbons from Russia per year before sanctions were imposed, compared to only $31.6 billion last year.
However, this is more than offset by revenue from increased exports to the following six nations: Turkiye, China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Malaysia, which amounted to $186.7 billion last year, compared to an average of $59.9 billion for 2019-2021.

Thus, Russia earned an additional $126.8 billion from these destinations, which is $56 billion more than from shipments to the European Union.

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🇷🇺 The Russian Army will start testing a modified version of the Zubilo unmanned armored vehicle in several military units as early as April, the press service of the Remdizel development company told Sputnik.

The armored vehicle, designed to support assault groups, bring ammunition, transport cargo and wounded, as well as recharge radios and quadcopters, has been reduced in weight and increased in cross-country capability. The Zubilo prototype was first shown at the Army-2023 forum.

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❗️ Commanders and soldiers of elite units of the Ukrainian forces are not satisfied with the reshuffle in the military leadership and are seriously discussing overthrowing Volodymyr Zelensky, a representative of the Russian security services told Sputnik.

According to him, experts have gained access to a closed chat room called ParaBelum. In the chat, Ukrainian soldiers call on fellow troops to stand up in defense of General Valery Zaluzhny.

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❗️ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on the Polish foreign minister's statement that NATO military personnel are present in Ukraine:

The relevant services have long had information that in one way or another, people who call themselves advisers and are directly related to NATO are indeed on the territory of Ukraine.

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Twelve Ukrainian pilots will be ready to fly F-16 fighter jets in combat conditions by this summer, The New York Times reports.

However, according to the publication's calculations, by the time the trained pilots return to Ukraine, Kiev will have received only six aircraft.

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📹 Ukrainian soldiers discuss overthrowing 'rat' Zelensky in voice messages that were leaked from a private chat room

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❗️ Germany's position on supply of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine has not changed, government said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly opposed the idea of supplying Ukraine with missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory. However, recently UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed London’s readiness to assist Berlin in overcoming any obstacles preventing the delivery of Taurus long-range missiles to the Kiev regime. In response, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock signaled openness to Cameron's proposal of a missile swap for Ukraine, per Der Spiegel.