Zelensky's plan is about dragging NATO directly into war with Russia – US military veteran

"[Volodymyr Zelensky] wants to get people to support his 'victory plan', which really is not a victory plan," Earl Rasmussen, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel and international consultant, tells Sputnik, commenting on Zelensky's trip to the US.

The Ukrainian politician arrived in the US on September 22 to present his war plan to US President Joe Biden and make his case in separate meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Zelensky is pushing ahead with the idea of striking deep inside Russia with NATO long-range missiles, something that Western leaders have so far had cold feet about.

"Let's face it, when he goes deep into Russia, those weapons systems basically need intelligence from the United States - NATO and specifically the US," Rasmussen says. "The intelligence information provided, the targeting, the programing, all is not done by Ukrainians. So, basically, the West becomes a full participant in the conflict then, which would basically then open up the avenue for escalation."

In fact, Zelensky's plan is nothing but a US neocon grand design, according to the military veteran: it's about NATO's expansion, weakening Russia and containing China as well. Rasmussen notes that neocons have been rolling out their Ukraine strategy for quite a while, seeking to install a military base in Crimea, maintaining secret bio-labs in Ukraine, and undermining any peace effort Russia has pursued over the past decade.

What's more, the proposal is absolutely unrealistic, being a one-sided attempt to coerce Russia into surrendering under Ukraine and the West's conditions, the pundit continues.

"They're basically trying to dictate to Russia the terms of whatever agreement there is. And that's unrealistic. It's a non-nonstarter. It's not real negotiations. It's not a proposal for real peace. It just stretches the conflict on," he concludes.

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Updating nuclear deterrence policy could cool zeal of enemies - Medvedev

Changing the doctrine guiding the use of nuclear weapons could cool the tempers of some opponents of the Russian Federation said Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council.

"The mere change in the regulatory conditions for the use of our country's nuclear component may cool the zeal of those opponents who have not yet lost their sense of self-preservation," Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel.

On Wednesday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a session of the permanent meeting of the Russian Security Council on nuclear deterrence, where the update of the Fundamentals of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence was discussed.

The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council called the president's outlining of approaches to the new version of the doctrine "an event that was awaited."

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🏃 Fearful of tough questions, Zelensky flees Russian reporter

“Why don't you want to negotiate with Russia? Can you explain? What's the problem with having a chat, having a phone call?” a correspondent for a Russian television broadcaster asked Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, causing him to quickly leave the scene.

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📹 In Rome, the road near the Colosseum is still flooded after heavy rains, making it difficult for people and vehicles to move.

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The United States is preparing $8 billion in additional security assistance packages for Ukraine in light of Volodymyr Zelenksy's visit to the White House this week, Reuters reported

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he is planning to announce a series of actions aimed at accelerating support for Ukraine’s military.

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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Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Wednesday killed at least 72 people, injuring 392 others, the Lebanese Health Ministry said

Israel began carrying out massive strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday. The death toll from the bombardments reportedly exceeded 560. Hezbollah fighters, in turn, fired dozens of rockets toward northern Israel. This escalation was preceded by a series of explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon from September 17-18, which killed over 40 people and injured nearly 3,500 others.

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US President Joe Biden has authorized $375 million in additional military assistance for Ukraine, the White House said in a memorandum

The new aid package includes additional cluster and HIMARS munitions, Javelin missiles and artillery shells, among other weapons, the State Department said in a separate press release.

US media reported that the United States is expected to announce another $8 billion in security aid packages for Ukraine later this week.

Western countries have provided hundreds of billions of dollars worth of aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. Aid shipments began in 2022 with artillery munitions and training and have escalated to include tanks, advanced air-defense systems, missiles and cluster munitions. The Kremlin has consistently warned against the West's continued arms deliveries to Ukraine, saying that they only prolong the conflict.

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🛒 South Korea has invented hovering carts

Engineers from Seoul have presented Palletrone, a drone-loader that can be pushed like a regular warehouse cart.

It is too weak and loud for now, but Korean specialists are working on replacing carts with it in the future.

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‘Let's extinguish him for good’ – Harris campaign surrogate calls for decisive action against Trump

Kamala Harris supporter and Biden administration Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo called for former President Donald Trump to be "extinguished for good" during a televised interview Wednesday less than two weeks after a second attempt on his life.

"Let's just get it done," said Raimondo in comments that some have claimed appear to condone violence against the Republican candidate.

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🗺 Out of place: Biden welcomes guests to another city

US President Joe Biden mistakenly welcomed world leaders to Washington while speaking in New York Wednesday, representing yet another concerning gaffe following the decision to end his campaign for a second term due to growing concerns over his mental acuity.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Welcome to Washington,” the president said at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel.

Biden confidently continued his speech, seemingly unaware of the mistake.

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US House Speaker demands Zelensky fire Ukraine’s ambassador to US - letter

US House Speaker Mike Johnson sent a letter to Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, urging him to fire Oksana Markarova as Ukrainian ambassador to the United States.

"I demand that you immediately fire Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova," the letter said.

Johnson accused Markarova of influencing US domestic politics by organizing a trip for Zelensky to Pennsylvania to aid Democrats. The trip constitutes election interference and has caused Republicans to lose trust in Markarova’s ability to fairly and effectively serve as a diplomat, the letter said.

Johnson will also not meet with Zelensky during his time at the US Capitol this week due to a scheduling conflict, the speaker said.

"No, I wasn't able to schedule a meeting with Zelensky this week because I had a very busy one, as you all might have noticed, and I don't even think I'll be in town tomorrow," Johnson clarified.

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😯 An unusual volleyball court has been discovered in the Darai Sufi Bala area of Samangan province in Afghanistan.

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Sanctions against Russia make no sense – Hungarian FM

Sanctions against Russia make no sense, just like any sanctions in the history of mankind, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

"Economic sanctions are totally useless in this regard. They absolutely do not work out, they put much more harm on some European economies than on the Russian economy. Many Western countries and Western economies do evade the sanctions. So, I think it is no wonder that we cannot recall any successful sanctions mechanism in history. These sanctions do not make any sense as well," Szijjarto said while speaking at the general debate during the UN General Assembly's high-level week.

Western countries are lying when they say they have stopped purchasing Russian energy resources because they continue to do business with Moscow, the minister highlighted.

"Many Western colleagues of ours like to say that they got rid of the energy resources of Russia, for example. This is one of the biggest fake news ever. Because the Western countries continue to do business with Russia just like others, they just simply deny it," Szijjarto emphasized.

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