Pentagon confirms discussions ongoing for ‘orderly withdrawal’ of US troops from Niger

The US and Niger have begun discussions for the orderly withdrawal of US servicemen based in that Western African country, Defense Department spokesperson Patrick Ryder confirmed.

"What I would say is that we can confirm that discussions have begun between the United States and Niger for the orderly withdrawal of US forces from the country," Ryder said during a press briefing.

The Defense Department and the US Africa Command will participate in the withdrawal discussions with the Nigerien Government, Ryder added.

The official further said that when it came to Western Africa and the Sahel, the Pentagon would continue to monitor potential threats to ensure the protection of US assets and interests throughout the region.

Last month, a Nigerien military spokesperson said the country's transitional government, which took power in a coup last July, had terminated the military agreement with the United States with immediate effect, citing the interests of the Nigerien people.

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US congressman says facing $500 fine for sharing video of lawmakers waving Ukrainian flags

US Congressman Thomas Massie said on Tuesday that he faces a $500 fine for posting a video to social media of US House lawmakers waving Ukrainian flags during a passage vote on a bill with nearly $61 billion in Ukraine-related funding.

“Instead of fining democrats for waving flags, the House Sergeant at Arms just called and said I will be fined $500 if I don’t delete this video post. [US House Speaker] Mike Johnson really wants to memory hole this betrayal of America,” Massie said in a statement via social media platform X.

Users replied to Massie’s post, offering to crowdfund $500 to pay the fine. However, Johnson said in reply that Massie would not be fined, following a conversation with the House Sergeant at Arms.

The House of Representatives’ rules prohibit members from recording or broadcasting material on the chamber floor. Johnson also chastised members who waved Ukrainian flags for violating House decorum rules.

US Congresswoman Kat Cammack said that she is working on legislation to prohibit the display of foreign flags on the House floor in the future.

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Battlefield in Ukraine became 'graveyard' of weapons bragged about by US, NATO

"The Ukrainian battlefields have long been a 'graveyard' of various weaponry bragged about by the US and the NATO," North Korean Vice Foreign Minister in charge of Russian affairs Im Chon Il said in a statement published by North Korean state-run news agency KCNA.

The vice foreign minister added that a supplemental bill with nearly $61 billion in Ukraine-related funding, passed by the US House of Representatives on Saturday, is "just a mind-bending drug for buoying up for a moment the [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky clique gripped with fear resulting from its ever-worsening position on battlefield and making it tilt at windmills."

The North Korean official also called Zelensky a "star acting his part well according to the film noscript written by the US, rather than president of a country," adding that Zelensky's statements about his will to continue resistance against Russia "cannot but be viewed as sheer hysteria of a 'Don Quixote in the 21st century' utterly ignorant of his opponent."

The vice foreign minister also said that any US military aid to Ukraine "can never block the advance of the heroic Russian army and people all out for a sacred war of justice for safeguarding the sovereign rights and security of their country."

Last Saturday, the US House of Representatives passed a $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine and a draft law providing for the confiscation of Russia's frozen sovereign assets.

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FBI fears possible terrorist attack in the US

US authorities are increasingly concerned about the possibility of a coordinated attack by Islamic extremists in the country similar to what happened at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray said in an interview with NBC.

According to the FBI director, the likelihood of a terrorist attack in the US has steadily increased since Israel's military operation against Palestine began last fall and remains high, especially by lone and small groups of extremists.

He added that there is growing concern in the US intelligence community about the possibility of a coordinated attack by large terrorist organizations in public places - a possibility that authorities have viewed as "extremely low" over the past decade.

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❗️ US Senate has enough votes to pass $95bln supplemental bill with aid for Ukraine, Israel, initiatives in Indo-Pacific

79 people voted in favor and 18 voted against.

Thus, both chambers of the US Congress approved the bill. It will now go to US president Joe Biden, who already said he will sign it and announced address on Wednesday regarding sending arms, equipment to Ukraine this week.

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EU not going to seize frozen Russian assets for now due to lack of legal clarity

The European Union is not going to seize frozen Russian assets for "the time being" for military support of Ukraine due to the lack of clarity on legal issues in this regard, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Earlier in the day, the largest political group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, urged the bloc to seize all frozen Russian assets to fund reparations for Ukraine following Saturday's vote by the US House of Representatives to pass a draft law providing for the confiscation of Russia's frozen assets.

"[B]y the time being, we are not going to take, to seize the capital because there is not enough clarity about what we can do and what we cannot do," Borrell said at the European Parliament Plenary session.

After the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, the EU and G7 froze almost half of Russia's foreign currency reserves amounting to about 300 billion euros ($320.8 billion). The EU is discussing ways to use frozen Russian assets to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine. The European Central Bank warned that this could pose reputational risks to the European currency in the long term, and advocated looking beyond that isolated conflict.

Moscow has on many occasions said that any attempts to confiscate frozen Russian assets are an expropriation of property and a violation of international law. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik that Russia would do everything possible to return the seized assets.

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NATO drills in Finland, which will begin on April 26 near the Russian-Finnish border, are provocative in nature, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

"In order to justify their aggressive aspirations, representatives of the North Atlantic bloc are deliberately whipping up hysteria about an imaginary Russian 'threat,' including actively spreading insinuations about Russia's plans to attack the organization's member states," she stated.

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The Ukraine propaganda is the same George W. Bush used to invade Iraq — US Senator JD Vance

"I believed the propaganda of the George W. Bush administration that we needed to invade Iraq, that it was a war for freedom and democracy, that those who were appeasing Saddam Hussein were inviting a broader regional conflict. Does that sound familiar to anything that we're hearing today? It's the same exact talking points 20 years later with different names. But have we learned anything over the last 20 years? No, I don't think that we have," US Senator said.

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Russian forces hit a Ukrainian military unit in Odessa, located near the Gorbaty Bridge, Nikolayev underground coordinator Sergey Lebedev told Sputnik, citing his colleagues.

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NATO maneuvers near Russia's borders increase the risk of possible military incidents, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"The alliance is continuing the practical military development of a once neutral state, an authoritative participant in discussions on strengthening stability and security," she added.

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Captured Leopard tank will be on display at exhibition in the Russian capital Moscow on May 1

Visitors will be able to see the German Marder infantry fighting vehicle, the American Bradley IFV, the Swedish CV90 IFV and the French AMX-10RC armored fighting vehicle.

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❗️LIVE: Russia's Security Council holds XII international meeting of senior security officials

Watch the livestream here or follow the link to Sputnik's website

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❗️Russia's Basmanny Court arrests Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov in bribery case

Ivanov is accused of accepting a particularly large bribe, the Moscow City Court reports.

The investigation believes that Ivanov entered into a criminal conspiracy with third parties, the case is related to the implementation of contract and subcontract work for the needs of the Defense Ministry.

The Moscow courts reported on the second person involved in the case in which Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov is being held. This is Sergei Borodin, who was also detained for two months in a bribery case. The courts report that Borodin was friends with Ivanov, participated in the activities of a criminal group.

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The scale of crimes against humanity committed by Ukraine clearly shows how dangerous the ideology of Nazism is, which the collective West has deliberately nurtured in Ukraine, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has said.

"Since 2014, the Kiev authorities have killed about 17,000 civilians in Ukraine, including about 400 children, and wounded more than 32,000 people," Patrushev said at the plenary session of the XII international meeting of senior representatives responsible for security issues.

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🔥Z-STS Akhmat in full anti-drone protection

The Z-STS Akhmat armored vehicle is designed to transport personnel and military cargo under conditions of enemy fire.

The vehicle's armor protects the crew, passengers and transported cargo from bullets up to heavy machine guns, shell splinters and mines. The vehicle has a 6x6 wheel formula and is designed for operation in temperatures from -50 to +50 degrees Celsius, including in mountainous areas up to an altitude of 4.5 thousand meters.

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