Lindsey Graham encourages citizens from NATO countries to become mercenaries in Ukraine

“We're looking for pilots who are willing to fight for freedom as the Ukrainians train their own pilots. So my message is, we need to be all in,” the warmongering Senator claimed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said the arrival of F-16s to Ukraine will not affect the course of the special operation on the battlefield.

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Meet Gortenziya, one of Russia’s first mass-produced FPV-drones

The Gortenziya (lit. Hortensia) drones have been deployed on the front lines almost since the start of the special operation, with over 8,000 units shipped so far, Technical Director of Gortenziya Design Bureau Alexander Medvedev told Sputnik at the Russian ARMY-2024 forum.

“The vehicles can be delivered with different type of communication, both non-standard frequencies on video and on control, also with communication on control that cannot be detected and jammed, the so-called broadband communication system,” he pointed out.

Medvedev underscored that each device undergoes several testing stages and a mandatory test flight. Today, the Bureau produces about 120 vehicles a day, or roughly 3,000 units a month.

“We have a combat team that travels along the battle contact line to provide additional training for each of our vehicles, to talk about the nuances of our drop systems and transponders,” he added.

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US deployment of powerful armada to Middle East can’t hide host of weak spots

It’s been said that the world reserve currency status of the dollar is propped up by America’s aircraft carriers (i.e. the ability to project power around the world). When Pentagon's chief Lloyd Austin ordered a guided-missile sub and a carrier strike group to steam for the Middle East, US' allies took notice.

But what’s increasingly difficult NOT to notice is the declining power of the US Navy in recent years. A number of factors play into it, including:

🔸 Falling production and astronomical rises in equipment costs: A recent CBO analysis found US shipbuilding to be in a “terrible state,” with the downturn attributed to a shortage of skilled labor, erratic swings in Pentagon priorities, and cost overruns.

Speaking of costs, the Navy suffers the same problem as other branches. The newest carrier, the Ford, cost over $13 billion, not counting its F-35 strike fighters - the most expensive weapons project in human history ($2+ trillion and counting).

🔸 Recruitment crisis: The Navy is suffering from a long-term dearth in recruitment, missing enlistment goals by over 7,400 sailors in 2023. The causes are legion, from health issues facing young people, to new generations’ rejection of the idea of service as a patriotic duty thanks to decades of US aggression abroad, to DEI and identity politics and mandatory Covid jabs, which thousands of servicemen have quit over in the past three years.

🔸 Skyrocketing bureaucracy: There are more generals and admirals in the US today, in peacetime, when 2.86 million are under arms, than during World War II, when over 17 million Americans were in uniform and the country was fighting a global two front war.

Senior officers draw outsized salaries and pensions compared to grunts, a fact not lost on ordinary soldiers, sailors and airmen, and poisoning morale.

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What are the possible consequences of Germany's potential withdrawal from the Schengen Agreement?

Several major German parties have spoken out in favor of blanket identity checks on the borders between EU states, if such a decision is taken it could lead to a revamping of the entire Schengen zone.

While Pro-EU outlets expressed concern about the suggestion of the CDU/CSU bloc (Christian Democratic Union of Germany with the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, which is considered the strongest opposition force in Germany) and liberals from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to reintroduce checks inside the Schengen zone, its critics inside the CDU cited their reasons:

🌏 Previous measures, when Germany reintroduced identity checks on the border with Austria (since 2015) or with Poland, Czech Republic and Switzerland (since September 2023) yielded positive results with a 72% fall in the number of illegal migrants coming to Germany via Eastern Europe.

🌏 Internal checks at borders within the EU would help alleviate European citizens' concerns about illegal migration. To this effect, the parties proposing the bill could try to improve their plight by winning votes from parties that also oppose the issue, such as the AfG.

At the same time, the German Green party vowed concerns saying this move, if it succeeds, would deal a blow not only to the dream of “borderless Europe,” but also to the EU itself. In their interviews, the Green politicians and Social Democrats noted the following:

🌏 The resumption of border controls will greatly affect the "just-in-time" production system, where components could be ordered and delivered between different EU member states without border crossing formalities.

🌏 Many economists say that without Schengen there will be no free movement of people, workforce and investments inside the EU. Moreover, without this freedom the common currency of the Eurozone (the euro) makes little sense.

Nevertheless, in the last year and a half, already 11 Schengen countries have done away with it at their borders partially or completely and Germany's decision could make this process a landslide.

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The experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cannot yet determine the cause of the fire at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant's cooling tower and will continue to analyze the information, the IAEA reported.

"The team has not been able to draw definitive conclusions on the basis of the findings and observations so far. The IAEA will continue its overall analysis after additional review and access to the water nozzle distribution level and the cold-water basin," the organization said in a statement.

Earlier, Russian state corporation Rosatom said that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant cooling tower had been seriously damaged as a result of two direct strikes by the Ukrainian forces' drones. The fire that broke out was extinguished by the Russian Emergencies Ministry, and the threat of collapse of the structure will be assessed by specialists when the situation allows to do it, Rosatom said. The nuclear power plant cooling tower burnt out from the inside after the UAV strikes, the restoration time will be clear after assessing its condition, the plant's spokesperson said.

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Elon Musk began his interview with former US president Donald Trump about 45 minutes late.

The conversation started with a discussion about the assassination attempt against the Republican candidate last month.

"I knew immediately that it was a bullet. I knew immediately that it was at the ear... For those people that don't believe in God, I think we all have to start thinking about that," Trump emphasized, appearing to court religious voters.

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Trump provides a masterclass in international diplomacy: “I told him things that what I do," he said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "And he said, no way. And I said, way."

The former US President hopes to have good relations with the Russian leader. “I got along well with him. I hope to get along well with him again,” Trump said.

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The biggest threat to humanity is not global warming, but nuclear weapons, Trump said.

"The biggest threat is not global warming ... The biggest threat is nuclear warming," he declared during an interview with Elon Musk on the social media platform X.

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Former US President Donald Trump claimed he had a productive relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his time in the White House and hopes to maintain good relations during a second term.

“I had a good relationship with Putin, despite the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax that lasted for over two years,” Trump said to tech magnate Elon Musk. “Just a hoax created by Hillary Clinton and Adam Shifty Schiff. Some just bad people, you know, just sick people, frankly.”

“They put our country in danger with that stuff, too,” he added. “He respected me… I loved Russia. I was a friend of Putin and I loved Russia.”

Trump suggested he was able to influence and intimidate the Russian president, discouraging him from taking action in Ukraine amid the Donbass crisis.

“He actually said to me one time, he said, ‘if you're my friend, I'd hate to see you as an enemy,” he continued, claiming that he “shut down” the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running from Russia to Europe.

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Trump called President Biden's suggestion that Ukraine should join the NATO alliance a “stupid thing” to say.

The former US president also called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a good negotiator”.

“Putin's a good negotiator. I thought he was doing that to negotiate. But then Biden started saying such stupid things. For instance, he said that it [Ukraine] can be a NATO country,” Trump emphasized.

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Trump acknowledged that it was Russia who defeated Nazi Germany in 1945 and the First French Empire (Napoleonic France) in 1812. “They're a big fighting force," he said, praising Russian military prowess.

“But if you think about it, Russia's gone – Russia defeated Germany with us, and they defeated Napoleon. You know, they've been around a long time. They're a big fighting force,” the former US president emphasized.

“And Ukraine now doesn't have enough men. They're now using young men and very old men to fight. And we're in a very bad position,” Trump said, summarizing the poor situation of the West in its proxy war against Russia.

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The bigger the button, the better

Trump recalled a famous tweet in which he threatened North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a “much bigger” nuclear button.

“He said that he has a red button on his desk. I said I have a red button on my desk, too, but my red button is much bigger and my red button works,” Trump claimed.

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