The United States suspended arms supplies to Israel last week, according to media reports citing Israeli officials.
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Hamas announced the end of the next round of negotiations, which took place in Cairo, and conveyed its response to the ceasefire proposal.
The movement reiterates its interest in reaching an agreement that would end Israeli aggression in Gaza and lead to an exchange of hostages, the statement said.
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The movement reiterates its interest in reaching an agreement that would end Israeli aggression in Gaza and lead to an exchange of hostages, the statement said.
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Boots on the ground? French Foreign Legion dispatched to Ukraine, ex-DoD official claims
Bryen went on to write that the forces have been deployed “in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in the city of Slavyansk."
The French soldiers were reportedly drawn from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, one of the main components of France’s Foreign Legion. French authorities have not commented on the matter yet.
According to him, about 1,500 French Foreign Legion soldiers are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine in the foreseeable future. The ex-US deputy undersecretary of defense wondered in this regard “whether this crosses the Russian red line on NATO involvement in Ukraine” and if “the Russians will see this as initiating a wider war beyond Ukraine’s borders?”
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron once again did not rule out the possibility of NATO sending European troops to Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced Macron’s statement as “very dangerous”, with the statement also slammed by groups in France, Hungary Italy, the UK and Slovakia.
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“France has sent its first troops officially to Ukraine,” former US deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, Stephen Bryen, has claimed in an article published by the Asia Times.
Bryen went on to write that the forces have been deployed “in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in the city of Slavyansk."
The French soldiers were reportedly drawn from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, one of the main components of France’s Foreign Legion. French authorities have not commented on the matter yet.
“These troops are being posted directly in a hot combat area and are intended to help the Ukrainians resist Russian advances in Donbass. The first 100 are artillery and surveillance specialists,” Bryen argued.
According to him, about 1,500 French Foreign Legion soldiers are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine in the foreseeable future. The ex-US deputy undersecretary of defense wondered in this regard “whether this crosses the Russian red line on NATO involvement in Ukraine” and if “the Russians will see this as initiating a wider war beyond Ukraine’s borders?”
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron once again did not rule out the possibility of NATO sending European troops to Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced Macron’s statement as “very dangerous”, with the statement also slammed by groups in France, Hungary Italy, the UK and Slovakia.
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Ukraine risks losing key Donbass city ‘before summer’
Having successfully repelled the massive Ukrainian counteroffensive last year, Russian forces have been hammering Kiev regime forces across the front line.
With the Ukrainian military suffering one defeat after another, things are looking pretty bleak for the Kiev regime.
As Russian troops continue to make gains after punching through the Ukrainian defenses at Avdeyevka, Kiev may soon lose its hold on a number of key cities, Newsweek claims.
According to the media outlet, the city of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, currently under Kiev’s control, may fall to Russian forces “before summer.”
Chasov Yar has served as a “vital staging point for Ukrainian forces and sits on a hill with commanding views over the surrounding area,” the media outlet notes, adding that it also serves as a “gateway” to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, two prominent cities that Russia needs to secure in order to finally drive the Kiev forces from Donbass.
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Having successfully repelled the massive Ukrainian counteroffensive last year, Russian forces have been hammering Kiev regime forces across the front line.
With the Ukrainian military suffering one defeat after another, things are looking pretty bleak for the Kiev regime.
As Russian troops continue to make gains after punching through the Ukrainian defenses at Avdeyevka, Kiev may soon lose its hold on a number of key cities, Newsweek claims.
According to the media outlet, the city of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, currently under Kiev’s control, may fall to Russian forces “before summer.”
Chasov Yar has served as a “vital staging point for Ukrainian forces and sits on a hill with commanding views over the surrounding area,” the media outlet notes, adding that it also serves as a “gateway” to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, two prominent cities that Russia needs to secure in order to finally drive the Kiev forces from Donbass.
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Britain's ruling Conservative Party has lost almost 500 local council seats and a number of regional mayorships.
The results of these elections are important ahead of the British parliamentary election scheduled for later this year, despite the prime minister still refusing to set a date.
The opposition Labour Party believes that PM Rishi Sunak is afraid to call a general election and is rather “clinging to power.”
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The results of these elections are important ahead of the British parliamentary election scheduled for later this year, despite the prime minister still refusing to set a date.
The opposition Labour Party believes that PM Rishi Sunak is afraid to call a general election and is rather “clinging to power.”
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US uses Ukrainians as ‘cannon fodder’ to preserve ‘geopolitical advantage’
The hefty $61 billion military aid package for the Kiev regime recently approved by US lawmakers will only help “prolong death and destruction” in the Ukrainian conflict zone, argued Dr. Edward Lozansky, president and founder of the American University in Moscow.
According to him, Washington’s efforts to provoke, prolong and fund the Ukrainian conflict were “never meant to promote democracy, but rather to use Ukrainians as cannon fodder to preserve the geopolitical advantage of the hegemon” i.e. the United States.
To add insult to injury, the military aid bill is not going to change the outcome of the Ukrainian conflict, he argues, quoting Richard Sakwa, professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent, as saying that it “will only prolong the agony of Ukraine and Europe.”
As the bill “also raises the stakes, and pushes the world one step further towards a cataclysm the likes of which we have never seen,” Sakwa thus suggests that “now is the time to start de-escalating, and to outline what it would take to start a diplomatic process of some sort.”
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The hefty $61 billion military aid package for the Kiev regime recently approved by US lawmakers will only help “prolong death and destruction” in the Ukrainian conflict zone, argued Dr. Edward Lozansky, president and founder of the American University in Moscow.
According to him, Washington’s efforts to provoke, prolong and fund the Ukrainian conflict were “never meant to promote democracy, but rather to use Ukrainians as cannon fodder to preserve the geopolitical advantage of the hegemon” i.e. the United States.
“Of course, there is an additional incentive to make money for the military-industrial complex, and all those with whom it shares its huge profits, including many members of Congress, think-tanks, and lobbyists,” Lozansky wrote in an article published in American Thinker.
To add insult to injury, the military aid bill is not going to change the outcome of the Ukrainian conflict, he argues, quoting Richard Sakwa, professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent, as saying that it “will only prolong the agony of Ukraine and Europe.”
As the bill “also raises the stakes, and pushes the world one step further towards a cataclysm the likes of which we have never seen,” Sakwa thus suggests that “now is the time to start de-escalating, and to outline what it would take to start a diplomatic process of some sort.”
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Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, commenting on the possibility of negotiations between the West, Ukraine and Russia, said that “there is no one to talk to yet,” given that no Western or Ukrainian politicians are ready for a serious conversation and are only “playing” at a parody of negotiations in the form of a meeting in Switzerland.
“We are seriously open to negotiations based on realities,” Lavrov told Bosnian TV, emphasizing that the Russian Federation will not participate in any events that in one way or another promote the “Zelensky formula.”
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“We are seriously open to negotiations based on realities,” Lavrov told Bosnian TV, emphasizing that the Russian Federation will not participate in any events that in one way or another promote the “Zelensky formula.”
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▪️Russian troops have taken full control of the settlement of Ocheretino
▪️Time to cough up the money: Western bondholders pressure Ukraine to resume debt payments
▪️Boots on the ground? French Foreign Legion dispatched to Ukraine, ex-DoD official claims
▪️Is a power-sharing deal between Israel and Arab states for postwar Gaza feasible?
▪️Sullivan reveals conditions of potential US defense deal with Saudi Arabia
▪️Globalists view Australia as ‘guinea pig’ for new online censorship regime
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▪️Time to cough up the money: Western bondholders pressure Ukraine to resume debt payments
▪️Boots on the ground? French Foreign Legion dispatched to Ukraine, ex-DoD official claims
▪️Is a power-sharing deal between Israel and Arab states for postwar Gaza feasible?
▪️Sullivan reveals conditions of potential US defense deal with Saudi Arabia
▪️Globalists view Australia as ‘guinea pig’ for new online censorship regime
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No direct military threat from China’s floating nuclear plants in South China Sea
US military and State Department officials have expressed concerns about China’s plans to develop floating nuclear power plants in the South China Sea.
Though they fear that these plants could endanger US national security and regional stability, experts interviewed by Sputnik appeared skeptical about the threat allegedly posed by China’s initiative.
🔸 Such floating nuclear plants may indeed be used to supply power to Chinese military and civilian facilities alike, noted Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defense Force Academy.
According to him, the Western powers’ real concern in this matter is the fact that these power plants would serve as “an assertion of China's sovereignty” as they would enable Beijing to lessen the costs of maintaining its bases on the South China Sea islands.
🔸 China may use such mobile nuclear power plants for disaster relief, to provide power to areas where infrastructure was devastated by calamities such as typhoons, tsunamis or floods, argued Jeff Brown, author of The China Trilogy and editor at China Rising Radio Sinoland.
🔸 Military expert and Russian Navy Captain First Rank Igor Kurdin said that China might outfit such floating nuclear plants with various defensive measures – most likely air defense systems and counter-sabotage defenses – to ensure the safety of these facilities. He noted, however, such facilities are not designed for warfare.
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US military and State Department officials have expressed concerns about China’s plans to develop floating nuclear power plants in the South China Sea.
Though they fear that these plants could endanger US national security and regional stability, experts interviewed by Sputnik appeared skeptical about the threat allegedly posed by China’s initiative.
According to him, the Western powers’ real concern in this matter is the fact that these power plants would serve as “an assertion of China's sovereignty” as they would enable Beijing to lessen the costs of maintaining its bases on the South China Sea islands.
“China has built numerous, sophisticated military installations across the South China Sea. A hard-wired nuclear power plant could be hit by NATO missiles, but a floating/mobile one around and on the islands would be much more evasive and harder to target,” he added.
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The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a compound of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) facilities in central Gaza because it reportedly housed a Hamas command and control center used to attack the IDF, a statement published on the social media platform X read.
Previously, Israel made unconfirmed allegations that 12 out of the agency's 13,000 Gaza personnel were involved in the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel. Tel Aviv also demanded that UNRWA be disbanded and its responsibilities and staff transferred to a new body in exchange for allowing more aid into the Gaza Strip.
A number of Western countries suspended their funding to UNRWA amid Israel’s accusations which emerged as the ICJ ordered Tel Aviv to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip." Reports later emerged that IDF members tortured UNRWA workers to extract testimony of alleged Hamas infiltration of the organization.
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“A Hamas command and control center located in central Gaza at an active UNRWA location was precisely struck by IAF fighter jets. The location served as a staging ground for multiple attacks on IDF troops and humanitarian aid distribution efforts as well as a weapons supply facility for Hamas terrorists. Hamas intentionally positioned the command and control position in this location to jeopardize Gazan civilians taking refuge there,” the IDF statement said.
Previously, Israel made unconfirmed allegations that 12 out of the agency's 13,000 Gaza personnel were involved in the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel. Tel Aviv also demanded that UNRWA be disbanded and its responsibilities and staff transferred to a new body in exchange for allowing more aid into the Gaza Strip.
A number of Western countries suspended their funding to UNRWA amid Israel’s accusations which emerged as the ICJ ordered Tel Aviv to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip." Reports later emerged that IDF members tortured UNRWA workers to extract testimony of alleged Hamas infiltration of the organization.
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US senator criticizes uniparty for borrowing money to finance war in Ukraine (Part 1)
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized both of the United States’ major political parties in comments expressing concern over bipartisan spending on the US proxy war in Ukraine.
Observers have long warned of the consequences of US deficit spending, which ballooned in the 1980s and has continued ever since. The US has traditionally financed its debt by selling treasury bonds to foreign countries, with China becoming one of the largest holders. But in 2008 the US government found itself without sufficient buyers as it responded to the financial turmoil of the Great Recession, spending billions of dollars to bail out the country’s banking system.
The Federal Reserve responded to the dilemma by itself buying US Treasuries, with the government printing money to allow the private bank to do so. The strategy has raised significant concerns over the Fed’s “vast expanded powers.”
Meanwhile, US dollar hegemony has been challenged as central banks begin diversifying their holdings as a hedge against US sanctions and other retaliatory measures, while foreign countries gradually pursue trade denominated in their own currencies. “[Dedollarization] means the demise of American power, because American power is based on the ability to pay bills by printing money,” noted US economist Paul Craig Roberts, who warned of the threat of catastrophic inflation.
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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized both of the United States’ major political parties in comments expressing concern over bipartisan spending on the US proxy war in Ukraine.
“My primary reason for opposing sending money to Ukraine is that we don’t have any money,” said the libertarian-leaning lawmaker. “The money has to be borrowed… So basically we owe China a trillion dollars, they bought a trillion dollars worth of our debt.”
Observers have long warned of the consequences of US deficit spending, which ballooned in the 1980s and has continued ever since. The US has traditionally financed its debt by selling treasury bonds to foreign countries, with China becoming one of the largest holders. But in 2008 the US government found itself without sufficient buyers as it responded to the financial turmoil of the Great Recession, spending billions of dollars to bail out the country’s banking system.
The Federal Reserve responded to the dilemma by itself buying US Treasuries, with the government printing money to allow the private bank to do so. The strategy has raised significant concerns over the Fed’s “vast expanded powers.”
Meanwhile, US dollar hegemony has been challenged as central banks begin diversifying their holdings as a hedge against US sanctions and other retaliatory measures, while foreign countries gradually pursue trade denominated in their own currencies. “[Dedollarization] means the demise of American power, because American power is based on the ability to pay bills by printing money,” noted US economist Paul Craig Roberts, who warned of the threat of catastrophic inflation.
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Sen. Rand Paul insisted US lawmakers should stop funding Kiev’s increasingly quixotic war against Russia, and instead push the country to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict (Part 2)
The United States intervened to scuttle at least two opportunities to negotiate an end to the war in the Donbass, while also working to undermine the implementation of the so-called Minsk accords in the years prior. Neoconservative commentators have openly promoted the conflict as a way to weaken Russia, with Moscow becoming “bogged down” in fighting in a strategy reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s involvement in Afghanistan decades ago.
But Russia has actually grown more resilient in the years since launching its special military operation, becoming more independent from the West, increasing its industrial capacity and rapidly expanding its economy. Meanwhile, dollar hegemony has been threatened by the United States’ punitive measures against Moscow, Washington has descended deeper into debt and the NATO military alliance has been revealed to be a paper tiger.
These trends suggest it is not Russia that is becoming “bogged down” in endless global conflict, but rather the United States.
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“That's the one thing [NATO membership] that, actually, Ukraine… could negotiate,” said the legislator. “If they were willing to negotiate that they would be a neutral country and not allied with the… Russians and not allied with the West but be open to trade with both… that could be negotiated for withdrawal of troops.”
The United States intervened to scuttle at least two opportunities to negotiate an end to the war in the Donbass, while also working to undermine the implementation of the so-called Minsk accords in the years prior. Neoconservative commentators have openly promoted the conflict as a way to weaken Russia, with Moscow becoming “bogged down” in fighting in a strategy reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s involvement in Afghanistan decades ago.
But Russia has actually grown more resilient in the years since launching its special military operation, becoming more independent from the West, increasing its industrial capacity and rapidly expanding its economy. Meanwhile, dollar hegemony has been threatened by the United States’ punitive measures against Moscow, Washington has descended deeper into debt and the NATO military alliance has been revealed to be a paper tiger.
These trends suggest it is not Russia that is becoming “bogged down” in endless global conflict, but rather the United States.
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Sputnik International
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, commenting on the possibility of negotiations between the West, Ukraine and Russia, said that “there is no one to talk to yet,” given that no Western or Ukrainian politicians are ready for a serious conversation and are only “playing”…
“Caveman Russophobia” preached by French President Emmanuel Macron may be necessary for him to become a leader in Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
Lavrov recalled that Macron recently said in an interview that Russia is the main threat to Europe and France. According to French president, the ambitions of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte were due to the fact that these countries saw Russia as a threat, Lavrov noted.
The foreign minister said Macron is now taking “fiercely anti-Russian positions.”
Previously, during a speech on the future of Europe, Macron said the European Union needs a common defense strategy, a key element of which is French nuclear weapons. The French president also did not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine if Russia breaks through the front line and Kiev makes such a request.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described frequent statements by Western politicians about the possibility of direct intervention in the Ukraine conflict as a very dangerous trend. He emphasized that the escalation of tension in official statements is a cause for concern.
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Lavrov recalled that Macron recently said in an interview that Russia is the main threat to Europe and France. According to French president, the ambitions of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte were due to the fact that these countries saw Russia as a threat, Lavrov noted.
The foreign minister said Macron is now taking “fiercely anti-Russian positions.”
“I do not rule out that this 'caveman' Russophobia, which Macron is now preaching, is necessary in order to try to become a leader in Europe by 'riding' on this topic, which the West itself has made the main topic of international life,” Lavrov said in an interview with the Bosnian TV channel ATV.
Previously, during a speech on the future of Europe, Macron said the European Union needs a common defense strategy, a key element of which is French nuclear weapons. The French president also did not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine if Russia breaks through the front line and Kiev makes such a request.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described frequent statements by Western politicians about the possibility of direct intervention in the Ukraine conflict as a very dangerous trend. He emphasized that the escalation of tension in official statements is a cause for concern.
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Israel bans Al Jazeera and raids its office
The Israeli Ministry of Communications said that it had confiscated Al Jazeera’s equipment just hours after the Israeli cabinet ordered the closure of the broadcaster in its country, which the Qatar-based news network has lambasted as a “criminal act.” Inspectors from the communications ministry, accompanied by police, raided the Qatari broadcaster’s office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem.
Al Jazeera’s broadcasts and access to its website have been blocked throughout Israel. The network has denounced Israel’s decision as a “criminal act that violates human rights in access to information.” The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has petitioned the move to Israel’s Supreme Court.
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The Israeli Ministry of Communications said that it had confiscated Al Jazeera’s equipment just hours after the Israeli cabinet ordered the closure of the broadcaster in its country, which the Qatar-based news network has lambasted as a “criminal act.” Inspectors from the communications ministry, accompanied by police, raided the Qatari broadcaster’s office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem.
“Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel’s security and incited against IDF soldiers. It is time to expel the mouthpiece of Hamas from our country,” Netanyahu said, according to his spokesperson.
Al Jazeera’s broadcasts and access to its website have been blocked throughout Israel. The network has denounced Israel’s decision as a “criminal act that violates human rights in access to information.” The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has petitioned the move to Israel’s Supreme Court.
“Israel’s suppression of the free press to cover up its crimes by killing and arresting journalists did not deter us from performing our duty. More than 140 Palestinian journalists have been martyred for the sake of the truth since the beginning of the war on Gaza,” said Al Jazeera.
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Following Zelensky and Poroshenko, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs added former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, former Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov, former Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, former Ukrainian Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets, and former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Volodymyr Groysman to Russia’s wanted list under an article of the Criminal Code.
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries insisted the US should continue to support Ukraine “to prevent a broader war.”
He added that there is a growing pro-Russia faction within the Republican Party which does not want to support Ukraine and “believes for some reason that Russia is not an enemy of the United States of America.”
Discussing the ongoing NATO proxy war against Russia where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are being sacrificed for US interests, Jeffries emphasized that "this has been a strategic success by any definition."
Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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"We can't let Ukraine fall because if it does, then there's a significant likelihood that America will have to get into the conflict — not simply with our money, but with our servicewomen and our servicemen," Jeffries said in an interview with Norah O'Donnell for 60 Minutes.
He added that there is a growing pro-Russia faction within the Republican Party which does not want to support Ukraine and “believes for some reason that Russia is not an enemy of the United States of America.”
Discussing the ongoing NATO proxy war against Russia where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are being sacrificed for US interests, Jeffries emphasized that "this has been a strategic success by any definition."
Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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The murder of Sputnik’s correspondent Russell Bentley should be investigated and the perpetrators punished, said Dmitry Kiselev, the general director of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya Segodnya. Kiselev commented on new information about the suspects' detention published by the Telegram channel “Operation Z: Russian Spring's Military Correspondents.”
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“This is our military correspondent. The crime must be investigated, there is the principle of inevitability of punishment. The law applies to everyone without exception,” Kiselev emphasized.
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