🇱🇧🇮🇱 Gaza will 'look like a playground compared to Lebanon' if Israel-Hezbollah clashes escalate

Further regional war may “end in the destruction of entire regions in Israel, but also in colossal destruction in Lebanon and Iran,” Dr. Shaul Bartal, a retired lieutenant colonel and researcher at Israel's Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, told Sputnik.

Gaza will “look like a playground compared to Lebanon” if the current cross-border skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah escalate, the researcher said.

With PM Benjamin Netanyahu threatening to expand the Gaza conflict into Lebanon against Hezbollah, the only solution to the current crisis is “a political agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government that keeps Hezbollah away from the border,” Dr. Bartal concluded.

If current Israel-Lebanon tensions were to spiral out of control, that could “impose a heavy toll on both countries in this conflict,” agreed Joseph Helou, assistant professor of political science and international affairs in the Department of Social and Education Sciences at the Lebanese American University.

💬 “Hezbollah has developed enormous capabilities in terms of techniques and military strategies, not only weaponry, which makes a conflict between two strong actors quite destructive,” the pundit remarked. According to Helou, the international community needs to quickly intervene to avoid further dangerous escalation.

“This international political sponsorship for the resolution of the conflict does not currently dominate the political horizon. It has yet to be achieved,” Helou noted. “But without such backing, the Middle East is unlikely to witness an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.”

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US scrambles to develop hypersonic missiles to catch up with Russia, China

The US Navy’s Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (HALO) program aims to equip surface and subsurface fleets with hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, as reported by The War Zone.

Contracts have reportedly already been awarded to defense contractors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin for competing missile designs, with the projected weapons to be powered by ramjet or scramjet engines. A flight demonstration has been inked in for fiscal year 2027. From vessel-launched, these will potentially be expanded to surface- and subsurface-launched configurations.

Despite lavish budgetary financing, close to a dozen hypersonic weapons projects for the US Army, Air Force, Navy, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have been plagued by delays, test failures, and cancellations.

Currently, nations like Russia, China, and Iran lead the pack when it comes to developing advanced hypersonic missiles. Russia has already used its Zircon surface-based hypersonic missile in its special operation in Ukraine.

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❗️Orban warns: Europe inches closer to war

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that decisions made despite their protests are leading Europe step by step towards war. He recalled two years ago when the war began, emphasizing the Chancellor of Germany's stance against supplying lethal equipment to Ukraine. However, contrasting that time, now German tanks are speeding towards Ukraine, and Western European missile systems are deployed, while sanctions are crippling the European economy.

If we continue at the pace of the last two years, Orban warned, it's not an exaggeration to say we're centimeters away from soldiers, Western European or American, setting foot in Ukraine. The direct confrontation is imminent. "It's not that they don't see it," he added, "it's that they want it. That's the difference. We don't want war, but they do."

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Ukraine’s door to NATO membership shut as invitation would ‘weaken Biden's re-election chances'

Ukraine’s Zelensky may pound on NATO’s door as much as he likes, but it will remain shut for the time being, reported Business Insider. Opening that door could “weaken Biden’s chances of getting re-elected,” the report suggested.

💬 "Biden is trying to solidify the idea for the US public that the US is not getting involved so he doesn't weaken his chances of getting re-elected," Leo Litra, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told the news site.

"No one in NATO, and especially not in the US, wants to have to test Article 5," he added. Article 5 of the NATO Treaty stipulates that an attack on one member state is an attack on them all.

Some 70% of Americans want the Biden administration to push Ukraine toward a negotiated peace with Russia as soon as possible, a February survey from the Harris Poll and the Quincy Institute revealed. Biden's approval rating, meanwhile, fell to its lowest level in nearly two years according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in May. Only 36% of Americans approved of Biden’s performance in the White House.

The US president said he was “not prepared for the NATO-isation of Ukraine,” in an interview with Time Magazine recently. Peace “doesn't mean NATO,” remarked Biden ahead of the alliance's summit from July 9 to 11.

Ukraine’s hopes for a membership timeline breakthrough at the NATO summit in Washington have been dashed, forcing it to settle for bilateral “security guarantees."

Moscow has repeatedly warned that the military bloc's ongoing buildup along Russia’s borders threatens the country’s security. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed that Moscow considers Ukraine’s continued non-aligned status vital to ending the years-long conflict.

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❗️❗️❗️"Unlike the West, Russia adheres to the principle of brotherhood," said the President of Zimbabwe

💬 "The difference I see is that Russia approaches relationships from the standpoint of camaraderie, not 'rider and horse.' That's why we advocate for friendship, equality, brotherhood, rather than director-student relations," Emmerson Mnangagwa said during an interview with SputnikAfrica on the sidelines of #SPIEF2024.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly emphasized that Moscow sees Africa not as an arena of confrontation among global players but as a "new, emerging, diverse, original, global pole of power." Moscow is ready to help strengthen the potential of African countries "without imposing any political conditions or offering unsolicited advice."

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❗️❗️❗️"We are ready to submit an application" - Zimbabwe President on joining BRICS

In an interview with SputnikAfrica at #SPIEF2024, Emmerson Mnangagwa confirmed that Harare wants to join the bloc.

"I have discussed this with my dear brother, President Putin, and I think we are ready to join because now we have a strong currency in Zimbabwe. And our economy is now working on solid fundamental economic foundations. And when we submit our application, BRICS will examine our economy and the approaches we apply. We are confident that we meet the requirements necessary to join BRICS."

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🇮🇱 Israeli Minister Benny Gantz has announced his departure from the Netanyahu government due to the absence of a plan for further action in the Gaza sector.

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Biden once again mixed things up: as his visit to France was ending, the head of the White House, discussing the long-awaited approval of a new tranche of aid to Kiev, referred to Ukraine as Iraq:

"The idea that we become semi-isolationist now, which some are talking about? I mean, the idea we had to wait all those months just to get the money for Iraq and we … because we’re waiting – I mean, it just – it just – it’s not who we are. It’s not who America is,” Biden said.

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◻️ Ukraine’s door to NATO membership shut as invitation would ‘weaken Biden's re-election chances'

◻️ "Unlike the West, Russia adheres to the principle of brotherhood," said the President of Zimbabwe

◻️ Ukraine has not attacked unrecognized Transnistria yet only because de jure, the region is a part of Moldova - ex-president of Moldova

◻️ US scrambles to develop hypersonic missiles to catch up with Russia, China

◻️ "We are ready to submit an application" - Zimbabwe President on joining BRICS

◻️ Moldova-Russia discord due to "Soros puppets" but relations can be restored - ex-president of Moldova

◻️ Gaza will 'look like a playground compared to Lebanon' if Israel-Hezbollah clashes escalate

◻️ What tensions lurk behind Biden-Macron toasts & backslapping?

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❗️ French President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly of France and the organization of new elections, with the first round to be held on June 30.

"I am dissolving the National Assembly this evening. I will soon sign a decree to call new parliamentary elections, the first round of which will be held on June 30 and the second on July 7,” Macron said.

Earlier, Jordan Bardella, head of the opposition party “National Rally”, which won the elections to the European Parliament in France, called Macron for early elections to the French parliament.

“We solemnly ask him to state this new political reality ... and organize new parliamentary elections,” Bardella said, speaking to supporters of his party after the preliminary results of the European Parliament elections in France emerged.

The "National Rally" was gaining 32%, according to polls, while Macron's "Renaissance party" was coming second by a significant, nearly two-to-one, gap 15.4%.

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Lindsey Graham casually reveals US true goal in Ukraine: resources

"If we help Ukraine now, they can become the best business partner we ever dreamed of. That 10 to 12 trillion dollars of critical mineral assets could be used by Ukraine and the West, not given to Putin and China. This is a very big deal how Ukraine ends," stated Graham.

Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban also noted that the West wants to defeat Russia to get to its resources.

"That's a great plan! So simple! And for what? Money. For money, assets, influence, as usual...," said Orban in an interview with HirTV.

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A Ukrainian soldier on a raft made of empty plastic bottles swam across the Dnepr River and surrendered to the Russian army, having previously contacted the Russian military via the chatbot Free soldier, sources in the Russian security services told Sputnik.

According to them, the surrender had been prepared for about 3 months. At the same time, the prisoner told them that his brigade was about to be partially redeployed to the Kharkov area, which is why he decided to escape.

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Opposition surges against mainstream parties in EU vote

Opposition parties have recorded major gains in the European Union parliamentary elections, trouncing their mainstream rivals in several member states.

◾️ France: Macron dissolved the country’s parliament and called a snap election after his Renaissance party was crushed by the right-wing National Rally (RN) party. RN was projected to win about 33% of the vote and 31 seats in the new European Parliament – double Renaissance’s tally.

◾️ Germany: the right-wing Eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is set to secure the second biggest share of the EU vote, over 16%, in its best showing ever. The tally trumps that of all three parties in Olaf Scholz’s coalition, while the opposition Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) tops the polls.

◾️ Austria: Voters dealt a stinging blow to Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The right-wing Freedom Party topped the nationwide ballot for the first time, claiming nearly 26 percent of the vote. The governing conservative People’s Party (OeVP) won close to 24 percent.

◾️ Belgium: Alexander De Croo, a staunch NATO advocate and supporter of Ukraine’s regime, announced his resignation as prime minister after his party, the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD), got only 5.9% of the vote. Right-wing party Vlaams Belang (Flemish interest) made gains, securing 14 percent, but trailed the New Flemish Alliance.

◾️ Greece: the governing New Democracy party got under 28% of the vote, down from the 33% before. Gains were made by both the socialist PASOK, with under 13%, and the right-wing Greek Solution.

◾️ Netherlands: Geert Wilders’ right-wing anti-immigration Party for Freedom was the biggest winner, claiming six seats – one seat more than in the last European Parliament.

◾️ Spain: the right-wing opposition Popular Party (PP) appears to have scored 34 percent of the votes – four points more than Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s center-left Socialists.

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💬 Russian forces have liberated the village of Ryzhevka, located on the border with Russia's Kursk region, the first in Ukraine's Sumy region, head of Russia's Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov said.

Ukrainian forces, he said, suffered significant losses.

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