As Putin meets with global leaders, Biden embraces men in high heels and ladies with facial hair

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile in the US, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with members of the LGBT* community at the White House.

*extremist organization banned in Russia

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⚡️Putin and Kim Jong-un sign comprehensive strategic partnership agreement

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Putin pays visit to Vietnam. Here's what we know

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Vietnam on June 19-20, after his trip to North Korea. Putin's visit to Vietnam will be his first since 2017.

◻️ The Russian leader will arrive in Hanoi on June 19, where a ceremonial reception will be held.

◻️ Putin will meet with the Vietnamese Communist Party Central Committee’s General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and other high ranking officials.

◻️ Bilateral talks will touch upon initiatives to promote bilateral cooperation in areas such as security and defense, economy and trade, culture, and tourism.

◻️ A joint statement is expected to be adopted with around 20 documents on joint cooperation set to be signed.

Vietnam and Russia established diplomatic relations in 1950 and elevated the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2012. Trade turnover between Russia and Vietnam grew over 8% reaching $5 billion in 2023, and the target goal is $10 billion by 2025. The Vietnam-Russia Joint Bank (VRB) set up in 2006 has established a payment system in national currencies in trade.

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❗️LIVE: Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un hold talks

Watch the livestream here or on Sputnik's website

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US cancels meeting with Israel in protest over Netanyahu's video — media

The White House was "fuming" over the video of the Israeli prime minister, who claimed the US was withholding military aid. As a result, they canceled a high-level meeting with Israel on Iran, Axios reports, citing American officials.

"This decision makes it clear that there are consequences for pulling such stunts," the news agency quotes a U.S. official as saying.

In response to Netanyahu's video, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US "genuinely do not know what he is talking about" because only one arms shipment has been stopped since the Gaza war began, while billions of dollars in weapons have flowed freely.

"The Americans are fuming. Bibi's video made a lot of damage," Axios writes, citing a senior Israeli official.

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🇷🇺🇰🇵Putin gave Kim Jong-un a new Aurus luxury car, an admiral's dagger and a tea set, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.

Ushakov did not specifically say what gifts were presented to Putin, but noted that "they are related to the image" of the Russian president.

"There are several possibilities, all of them quite artistic, possibly a bust," he said.

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Footage of North Korean and Russian heads of states signing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement

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❗️International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) condemned murders of Russian journalists Valery Kozhin and Nikita Tsitsagi, who were killed by Ukrainian forces near Donetsk

The statement on the website also calls for a prompt investigation into the deaths of the journalists.

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⚡️Signed agreement between Russia and North Korea implies mutual assistance in case of aggression against one of participants, Putin said.

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❗️In connection with the signing of the treaty with the DPRK, Putin drew attention to statements by the United States and other NATO countries on the supply of high-precision weapons systems and aircraft for strikes against Russia.

"This is not just a statement, it is already happening, and all this is a gross violation of the restrictions accepted by Western countries within the framework of various international obligations."

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❗️Russia does not exclude the development of military-technical cooperation with the DPRK in connection with the signed agreement, Russia's President said

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US budget deficit will reach $1.9 trillion in 2024 due to aid to Ukraine

The country's total national debt will grow to $50.7 trillion by 2034, or 122% of the country's GDP, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The largest contributor to the cumulative increase was the inclusion of recently enacted legislation in CBO's baseline,
which increased projected deficits by $1.6 trillion. That legislation included emergency supplemental appropriations that provided $95 billion for aid to Ukraine, Israel, and countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

In January, the US national debt surpassed $34 trillion for the first time in history - an increase of nearly 10% over the year, or $2.7 trillion.

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Documents signed by Russian and North Korean heads of state include:

🔸 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea;

🔸 Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on the Construction of a Border Road Bridge over the Tumannaya River;

🔸 Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on cooperation in the sphere of health care, medical education and science.

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