💪 Asian flair meets Russian firepower

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Turkiye and Syria unite to confront ISIS

"Together with our Syrian brothers, we will crush the leaders of Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ISIS*], YPG [People's Protection Units], and other terrorist organizations in a short time," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during his address in parliament.

Erdogan also warned that the PKK and YPG, which he accused of seizing Syria's natural resources, would face a harsh fate if they do not disband.

* Terrorist group banned in Russia

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚫 US Terrorist List – a vague label to exert control

The Biden administration has announced plans to remove Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. But how did Cuba get the designation in the first place?

Background:

▪️This label was first applied to Cuba in 1982, during the Cold War, when the US blamed the country for allegedly supporting insurgent groups in Latin America and Africa.

▪️Despite improved relations under Obama, Cuba was re-listed under Trump in 2021, citing its ties with Venezuela and alleged support for terrorism.

▪️Interestingly, the Catholic Church played an important role in these recent developments. According to reports, the Church has acted as a mediator, advocating for improved US-Cuba relations and urging a re-evaluation of Cuba’s designation.

What could be behind the move?

1. It is not clear what are the deeper motives for this sudden change of attitude towards Cuba. It might be a petty move by the Biden administration towards the incoming Trump administration, which will take office in only 5 days.

2. Another possible answer would be the need for the US to stabilize their diplomatic ties in their own “backyard” as they prepare to counter the influence of Russia and China.

Currently, other countries on the list include:

▪️Iran, designated for its continued support of Hezbollah and various Palestinian factions in 1984;

▪️Syria, added to the list in 1979 for backing Hezbollah and Iran;

▪️North Korea, redesignated in 2017 under Trump for nuclear ambitions and alleged assassinations on foreign soil.

Being on this list is not just a way to humiliate and intimidate, but it makes it difficult for the country to access global markets or international financial systems.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

China knows no borders in technology

The world's first amphibious manned flying motorcycle, Skyrider X1, is being developed by Chinese engineers.

It will purportedly plan any route automatically and gain speeds of up to 100km per hour

You just wait!

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📊 Who’s getting the bigger slice of the US aid pie?

Ukraine has received more US money than both Israel and victims of the LA wildfires, with billions allocated to support the Kiev regime in the ongoing conflict.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Hamas not yet agreed to deal on Gaza, hostages - Netanyahu's office

Israeli Prime Minister’s office denied reports that Palestinian movement Hamas had allegedly agreed to a proposed deal on the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages.

"Contrary to reports, the Hamas terrorist organization has not yet responded to the deal," the statement said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🤝 Who has signed strategic partnership deals with Russia? Part 1 👉 Part 2

On January 14, Armenia and the US signed a strategic partnership charter, with Russia and Iran due to ink a similar document in the next few days. Let’s delve into some other strategic partnership agreements Moscow has previously clinched.

🇮🇷 Russia-Iran: A soon-to-be-inked comprehensive deal covers all aspects of bilateral relations, including trade and economy, but does not aim to form a military alliance.

🇻🇪 Russia-Venezuela: A strategic partnership and cooperation agreement is set to be signed during Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s visit to Russia later this year. The document is expected to expand the existing bilateral deal on joint strategic projects in the economic and military spheres.

🇰🇵 Russia-North Korea: The document, signed in June 2024, stipulates bilateral military and technical cooperation as well as mutual assistance in case of aggression against one of the parties. The deal’s goal is to "protect and defend fundamental interests of Russian and North Korean people," according to DPRK leader Kim Jong-un.

🇻🇳 Russia-Vietnam: The 2024 strategic partnership declaration on strategic partnership in the field of education, science and technology.

🇲🇳 Russia-Mongolia: The accord was clinched in September 2019 and envisages bolstering bilateral military-technical collaboration as “an important component of maintaining regional and global security.”

🇪🇬 Russia-Egypt: The deal was signed in August 2019, with both sides pledging to cooperate “in the interests of developing a dialogue of civilizations” in various fields.

🇷🇸 Russia-Serbia: The 2013 strategic partnership declaration covers all areas of interaction, including politics, trade, economics, culture, science, technology and education.

🇮🇳 Russia-India: The strategic partnership declaration was inked in October 2000 to “particularly close and dynamic cooperation both in the area of bilateral relations and in the international arena.”

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🤝 Who has signed strategic partnership deals with the US? Part 2 👉 Part 1

🇦🇲 US-Armenia: The deal stipulates security collaboration, though without guaranteeing direct US military involvement in potential conflicts, also recognizing Yerevan’s push to join NATO.

🇦🇫 US-Afghanistan: The strategic partnership agreement, which envisaged security and defense cooperation agreement between Kabul and Washington, was signed in May 2012 and broadened by the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) in 2014. The document was terminated by the Trump administration in 2020 after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban taking power there.

🇻🇳 US-Vietnam: The 2023 deal mentions “more extensive and innovative economic engagement” between the sides, not least “establishing workforce development initiatives to support semiconductor capacity in the US.

🇮🇱 US-Israel: The document, inked in 2022, underscores "the unbreakable US commitment to Israel's security."

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔍 What are non-self-governing territories?

The UN’s principle of the right of nations to self-determination has yet to be fully realized for the remaining 17 non-self-governing territories, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated during a press conference. But which are these territories and who administers them?

According to the UN Charter, these are “territories whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government.”

Which are they?

▫️ Administered by the US (3): United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa.

▫️ Administered by the UK (10): Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, Gibraltar, Pitcairn.

▫️ Administered by France (2): New Caledonia, French Polynesia.

▫️ Special cases (2):

1. Tokelau, administered by New Zealand.

2. Western Sahara, with about 30% controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the remaining 70% administered by Morocco.

Referendums and protests

◽️ May 2024 saw a state of emergency announced in New Caledonia amid violent unrest over France’s plans to change the rules for provincial elections;

◽️ In the 2007 referendum in Tokelau, at least 64% of locals supported self-government, falling short of the two-thirds majority by 16 votes.

Which of these countries legally reserve the right to self-determination?

▫️ United States Virgin Islands

▫️ Guam

▫️ New Caledonia

▫️ French Polynesia - has a unique status with significant autonomy and the ability to pursue self-determination through political discussions with France.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Why NATO military training sucks

The reason NATO military "instructors" not only train Ukrainians but also seek to benefit from them is very simple, former Swedish Armed Forces officer and politician Mikael Valtersson explains to Sputnik:

▪️NATO always assumed that it has complete air, information and long-range weapon superiority over the enemy, with the ground forces essentially being given the role of mopping up what’s left. “So the result is they don't have any relevant methods of fighting on the ground.”

▪️The bloc's belief in its superiority leads to another problem: “they are not prepared to meet the adversary that's at the same level or superior to them.”

▪️Even the US, who has the most combat experience out of all NATO members, has not fought against a peer adversary in decades.

▪️Due to all of these factors, it would actually be more fitting for NATO countries to take pointers from Ukraine if they want to fight a power of Russia’s caliber.

▪️“In the near future there will be only two major armies” that are experienced in modern warfare: "Russian and Ukrainian" - or rather, Russian and what little is going to be left of the Ukrainian army at that point, he says.

▪️“If they [NATO] believe that Russia will attack the entirety of Europe, then they are totally delusional. […] So I believe that they are provoking Russia.”

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

From MAGA to MEGA: AfD co-chair adapts Trump’s motto for Europe

Co-chair of German rightwing party AfD Alice Weidel seems decided to borrow a page from Donald Trump's playbook, swapping out "America" for "Europe" in her slogan.

"MEGA - Make Europe Great Again!" Weidel proclaimed on X

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Gaza ceasefire agreement reached, joint statement to be issued soon, according to reports.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣 The United States' official position on the Ukraine conflict must be that it should be brought to an end, nominated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has said.

"I think it should be the official position of the United States that this war should be brought to an end," Rubio said during a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when asked to elaborate on his decision late last year to vote against aid to Ukraine.

The 53-year-old admitted that "this is not going to be an easy endeavor" and called for "everyone to be realistic." He suggested that conflict settlement could start with "some ceasefire" and require concessions by both Russia and Ukraine.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Donald Trump says deal reached over hostages in the Middle East, who will be released shortly.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt