Nonetheless, the Eurosceptic trend is gaining steam across the bloc, especially on the right wing of the political spectrum:
The rise of the anti-establishment right in the EU is at least partially due to the decade-long migrant crisis and the recent involvement of Brussels in the Ukraine conflict, which has led to economic slowdown, soaring inflation, plummeting living standards, and an energy crisis, according to international observers.
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The price of the yellow metal soared to a record high on Thursday, with gold futures expiring in April climbing 2.12 percent to $2,206.7 per troy ounce on the COMEX Exchange as of 8:54 Moscow time. Meanwhile, spot gold rocketed to a record high of $2,222.39. Experts believe there is still room for gold to rise further. So, what’s driving this gold bull run?
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This is how he commented on old NYT publications about the corruption case investigation against Hunter Biden.
The media outlet claims that "Trump supporters" made "baseless" accusations against the US President's son in order to politically damage Joe Biden.
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Why Russia resurrected the Dnepr Flotilla
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced this week that the country has reestablished its legendary WWII-era Dnepr Flotilla. This is not a symbolic move, as the mighty river dividing Ukraine in two parts remains a crucial frontline: Ukraine is holding the right bank, while Russian forces are controlling the left across hundreds of kilometers.
Sputnik queried experts to get a sense of some of the tasks the naval group may be expected to carry out.
🔶 “The Dnepr River Flotilla’s formation is connected with the need to strengthen our forces in the southwestern direction,” Russian Academy of Military Sciences corresponding member Alexander Bartosh told Sputnik.
🔶 “This is a significant and important step aimed at strengthening our position in operations on waterways,” Bartosh emphasized, saying he expects the flotilla’s missions to include foiling enemy landing, sabotage and reconnaissance operations and providing support to Russian ground forces, and possibly even being used to support Russian forces in ops in the enemy hinterland.
🔶 “This idea has been around since the very start of the special military operation, since in some areas the line of contact was along the river,” Dmitry Zhavoronkov, a military expert specializing in the Russian Navy and military shipbuilding, told Sputnik.
“So in my view, the decision is an absolutely correct one. The line of contact runs up along the Dnepr River right up to the outskirts of the city of Zaporozhye,” he said.
🔶 Zhavoronkov emphasized the need for the military to pay “special attention” to “various unmanned vessels, including unmanned boats and kamikaze attack vessels, relay boats, air defense boats and electronic warfare vessels” to protect manned ships and enable the flotilla to wage unmanned naval drone warfare operations of its own.
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Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced this week that the country has reestablished its legendary WWII-era Dnepr Flotilla. This is not a symbolic move, as the mighty river dividing Ukraine in two parts remains a crucial frontline: Ukraine is holding the right bank, while Russian forces are controlling the left across hundreds of kilometers.
Sputnik queried experts to get a sense of some of the tasks the naval group may be expected to carry out.
“So in my view, the decision is an absolutely correct one. The line of contact runs up along the Dnepr River right up to the outskirts of the city of Zaporozhye,” he said.
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Caravan of conscience: Italian rockers deliver humanitarian aid to the Donbass
Banda Bassotti is one of Italy’s best known revolutionary rock bands, holding concerts all around the world. Since 2017, the band has organized an annual “Anti-Fascist Caravan” to deliver humanitarian aid to Donbass residents in need, despite obvious pressure from Western governments.
This year’s caravan attracted volunteers from Spain, Italy, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia and Nicaragua, and provided essential items to hospitals and orphanages.
“Banda Bassotti are friends, comrades and a true example not just for those in Europe and Donbass, but also for the people around the world, because the humanity as a whole is one big family, and they [musicians] fight for a better world for all,” reports Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR).
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Banda Bassotti is one of Italy’s best known revolutionary rock bands, holding concerts all around the world. Since 2017, the band has organized an annual “Anti-Fascist Caravan” to deliver humanitarian aid to Donbass residents in need, despite obvious pressure from Western governments.
This year’s caravan attracted volunteers from Spain, Italy, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia and Nicaragua, and provided essential items to hospitals and orphanages.
“Banda Bassotti are friends, comrades and a true example not just for those in Europe and Donbass, but also for the people around the world, because the humanity as a whole is one big family, and they [musicians] fight for a better world for all,” reports Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR).
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🪖 The sabotage failed: Russian troops launched air and artillery strikes against Ukrainian sabotage groups trying to sneak up on the Russian border.
Neither forests nor abandoned buildings helped Ukrainian saboteurs hide from Russian fire.
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Neither forests nor abandoned buildings helped Ukrainian saboteurs hide from Russian fire.
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Looming presidential elections in Slovakia have sparked concerns in European legacy media that the victory of a left-wing ally to Prime Minister Robert Fico could solidify the populist’s positions in the pursuit of a more independent foreign and domestic policy. Sputnik asked Slovak politician Peter Marcek, chairman of the Slavic Unity party, what it is about Fico that’s so unnerving to the establishment.
“Robert Fico has been in office for only four months, but he has begun to implement the right policies. He has begun to pursue policies for his people, for his country,” Marcek said. “He refused to support Ukraine, stopped the supply of weapons to Ukraine, agreeing only to humanitarian assistance and saying that Slovakia would only provide such aid. Fico also doesn’t agree with many of the economic laws adopted by the European Union – which are adopted to benefit the EU itself, rather than its members.”
Across Europe, the growing popularity of politicians like Fico in Slovakia and Orban in Hungary stems in part from Brussels’ suicidal energy policies, Marcek said.
“When sanctions were introduced against Russia, it did not kill the Russian economy, maybe only creating problems at the very start, but Russia was able to find other markets. We bought oil and gas from Russia at reasonable prices, now we pay the Americans four times more. Our standard of living has dropped significantly,” he explained.
Amid the present crisis, the EU will have to change its policy, “or the EU will collapse.” It’s as simple as that, according to the observer.
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Watch Russian and Serbian football fans sing the famous "Katyusha" together during the friendly match of their national teams (1st video)
And while many sing, others, each in their own language, say that: "Russia and Serbia are brothers forever!" (2nd & 3rd videos)
Even those who stay silent proudly wave flags 🇷🇺🇷🇸, which notes that Russians and Serbians have "one color - one faith". (1st picture)
The friendly match between Russia and Serbia was held today in Moscow. The Russian national team won 4-0 and according to the Russian Football Union the match was a sold out.
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And while many sing, others, each in their own language, say that: "Russia and Serbia are brothers forever!" (2nd & 3rd videos)
Even those who stay silent proudly wave flags 🇷🇺🇷🇸, which notes that Russians and Serbians have "one color - one faith". (1st picture)
The friendly match between Russia and Serbia was held today in Moscow. The Russian national team won 4-0 and according to the Russian Football Union the match was a sold out.
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💥Russian FPV drone operators of the Battlegroup Tsentr wiped out Ukrainian armour and stronghold near Avdeyevka
Reconnaissance confirmed the target engagement.
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Reconnaissance confirmed the target engagement.
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16 US states file lawsuit against Biden over ban on LNG exports
Texas and 15 other US states have have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, saying the ban on exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) goes against the Natural Gas Act and Department of Energy policy, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement.
According to the lawsuit, the states that have filed for the lawsuit are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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Texas and 15 other US states have have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, saying the ban on exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) goes against the Natural Gas Act and Department of Energy policy, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement.
"Texas, along with Louisiana and fourteen other states, has filed a lawsuit to void the unconstitutional LNG export ban, which ignores the Natural Gas Act’s presumption in favor of exports, decades of Department of Energy policy, and State and private reliance on exports," Paxton said.
According to the lawsuit, the states that have filed for the lawsuit are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
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US national security adviser Jake Sullivan left Kiev with empty promises – just like 13 months ago
During his surprise visit to Kiev on Wednesday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan urged Ukrainians to “believe in the US,” promising that an aid bill - still stuck in the US House of Representatives - would be unblocked.
Experienced journalists, however, noted that Sullivan almost word for word repeated his statements from 13 months ago when he visited Kiev alongside US President Joe Biden. According to CNN, Sullivan then said that the US House would “eventually” approve additional funding to Ukraine.
Asia Times and Defense News ironized about the need for Sullivan to satisfy too many conflicting money appetites. Elsewhere, the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) is requesting to bump up its outlined funding by $11 billion more than the White House’s fiscal 2025 defense budget request.
The US military has designated the additional expenses to account for a secret space program and unmanned underwater vehicles as it seeks to fight the perceived “Chinese threat” after the Russian one.
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During his surprise visit to Kiev on Wednesday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan urged Ukrainians to “believe in the US,” promising that an aid bill - still stuck in the US House of Representatives - would be unblocked.
Experienced journalists, however, noted that Sullivan almost word for word repeated his statements from 13 months ago when he visited Kiev alongside US President Joe Biden. According to CNN, Sullivan then said that the US House would “eventually” approve additional funding to Ukraine.
However, the bill on US military aid to Ukraine and Israel, which would release some $60 billion and $14 billion in assistance, respectively, remains stalled in the Congress due to growing suspicions among Republicans of the Kiev regime's ties to corruption and ineffective use of American aid. Additionally, Republicans have sought to tie allocated funding to a more active fight against illegal migration on the border with Mexico.
Asia Times and Defense News ironized about the need for Sullivan to satisfy too many conflicting money appetites. Elsewhere, the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) is requesting to bump up its outlined funding by $11 billion more than the White House’s fiscal 2025 defense budget request.
The US military has designated the additional expenses to account for a secret space program and unmanned underwater vehicles as it seeks to fight the perceived “Chinese threat” after the Russian one.
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The International Monetary Fund approved another nearly $880m loan tranche to Ukraine
Earlier, Sputnik wrote that in 2024 Ukraine's national debt could reach 110% of GDP, while in 2023, Ukrainian media wrote that the Ukrainian authorities estimated that the share of public external debt would amount to 80% of the total volume.
Ukraine's national debt per capita has quadrupled over the past nine years to $5.5 thousand, and may reach at least $6.9 thousand in the coming years, Sputnik calculated in 2023.
Earlier, Sputnik wrote that in 2024 Ukraine's national debt could reach 110% of GDP, while in 2023, Ukrainian media wrote that the Ukrainian authorities estimated that the share of public external debt would amount to 80% of the total volume.
Ukraine's national debt per capita has quadrupled over the past nine years to $5.5 thousand, and may reach at least $6.9 thousand in the coming years, Sputnik calculated in 2023.
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💸 It keeps growing and growing: Ukraine's national debt in decade since Maidan coup
Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the Euromaidan protests in central Kiev, which culminated in the February 2014 coup d'etat that brought radical pro-EU…
Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the Euromaidan protests in central Kiev, which culminated in the February 2014 coup d'etat that brought radical pro-EU…
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🎯 Russian paratroopers of the Battlegroup Dnepr destroyed a Ukrainian observation post and infantry in Zaporozhye region.
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that raising tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grain would only exacerbate the food situation in the world while commenting on the proposal of European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen.
On Thursday, von der Leyen said following the EU summit that she proposed to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grain and seed oil products to avoid destabilizing the EU market.
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"Is this her way of worrying about starving countries? How will such measures contribute to world food security? They will not. They will only exacerbate the world food situation already brought to absurdity by the West," Zakharova wrote on Telegram.
On Thursday, von der Leyen said following the EU summit that she proposed to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grain and seed oil products to avoid destabilizing the EU market.
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US ‘grand plan’ is to ‘reoccupy’ Africa
The US’ “grand plan” with its drone base in Niger is to “reoccupy” Africa with “its vassal friends” like France, Koffi Kouakou, an African analyst and senior research fellow at the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg told Sputnik’s Fault Lines.
“The key issue is [the] US’s grand plan to get [Africa] back, with its vassal friends to reoccupy this place.”
“[The US] invested a huge amount of money in this place. They’re not going to leave easily. However, where the Nigeriens have a point is ‘You’ve been there since 2012, but terrorism is still there. What have you done for us to deal with terrorism, if terrorism was really the reason for your presence on our occupied ground?’” Koukaou said, adding that Mali has done “a fabulous job” with the Africa Corps in combating terrorism.
“I think Niger is now winning the information war,” Kouakou concluded, “but this is exactly our concern because the US is going to retaliate one way or another.”
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The US’ “grand plan” with its drone base in Niger is to “reoccupy” Africa with “its vassal friends” like France, Koffi Kouakou, an African analyst and senior research fellow at the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg told Sputnik’s Fault Lines.
“The US ain't going to leave easily. The US is not going to cut and run because there's this big ego at play [in] geopolitics [and] geoeconomics, but also hegemony,” Kouakou explained. “Those who haven’t been paying attention should pay attention.”
“The key issue is [the] US’s grand plan to get [Africa] back, with its vassal friends to reoccupy this place.”
“[The US] invested a huge amount of money in this place. They’re not going to leave easily. However, where the Nigeriens have a point is ‘You’ve been there since 2012, but terrorism is still there. What have you done for us to deal with terrorism, if terrorism was really the reason for your presence on our occupied ground?’” Koukaou said, adding that Mali has done “a fabulous job” with the Africa Corps in combating terrorism.
“There was no terrorism in the area until 2011 when the US and, now let’s say NATO, bombed Libya to smithereens and destroyed it. Now this whole place is running amok with terrorist groups,” noted Koukaou.
“I think Niger is now winning the information war,” Kouakou concluded, “but this is exactly our concern because the US is going to retaliate one way or another.”
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💥 Russian artillerymen of Battlegroup Youg destroyed enemy strongholds in the Donetsk region
The crew of the 152-mm Giatsint-B gun destroyed four dugouts and strongholds, along with Ukrainian servicemen unsuccessfully trying to shelter from artillery fire. Luck turned away from 30 Ukrainian soldiers—they were all either killed or wounded.
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The crew of the 152-mm Giatsint-B gun destroyed four dugouts and strongholds, along with Ukrainian servicemen unsuccessfully trying to shelter from artillery fire. Luck turned away from 30 Ukrainian soldiers—they were all either killed or wounded.
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Ukraine talks haven't started because of US threats to Zelensky, Seymour Hersh says
Negotiations on resolving the conflict in Ukraine could have started months ago, but US authorities threatened Ukrainian President Zelensky with withdrawal of non-military funding, US journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh said in an article on Substack.
According to Hersh's information, US intelligence community recognises that "Ukraine has little chance of winning..."
Hersh's interlocutor also added that US President Joe Biden has staked on confronting the "Russian threat to NATO" and will not change his course under any circumstances, while the end is inevitable.
In autumn 2022, Zelensky signed a decree according to which his country will not negotiate with Russia as long as it is led by Vladimir Putin. Russia, for its part, has repeatedly noted its readiness to discuss the settlement of the conflict through diplomatic means.
As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasised, the Russia does not see any prerequisites for a peaceful transition of the situation, and sovereignty over the new Russian regions and Crimea is not up for discussion.
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Negotiations on resolving the conflict in Ukraine could have started months ago, but US authorities threatened Ukrainian President Zelensky with withdrawal of non-military funding, US journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh said in an article on Substack.
"We were on the verge of a reasonable negotiation several months ago before Putin's re-election and Zelensky's military degradation. The US leaders got wind of the possibility and gave Zelensky the ultimatum-'No negotiations or settlement or we won't support your government with the $45 billion in non-military funds [that Ukraine is now receiving annually],'" the source told the journalist.
According to Hersh's information, US intelligence community recognises that "Ukraine has little chance of winning..."
Hersh's interlocutor also added that US President Joe Biden has staked on confronting the "Russian threat to NATO" and will not change his course under any circumstances, while the end is inevitable.
"There is no road to victory for Ukraine, and it will end with Putin as an historical icon in Russia...," the source concluded.
In autumn 2022, Zelensky signed a decree according to which his country will not negotiate with Russia as long as it is led by Vladimir Putin. Russia, for its part, has repeatedly noted its readiness to discuss the settlement of the conflict through diplomatic means.
As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasised, the Russia does not see any prerequisites for a peaceful transition of the situation, and sovereignty over the new Russian regions and Crimea is not up for discussion.
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