NATO retreating to its 1990 borders is unrealistic in the extreme – Scott Ritter

Donald Trump acknowledges Russia's concerns about NATO expansion, but peace in Ukraine must come before discussing Europe’s post-conflict future, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter said in an interview with Sputnik.

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🇮🇷 Iran promises to show off ‘new generation of smart weapons’, ready to repulse any aggression

The Islamic Republic’s Army, Air Force, Navy and Air Defense Force will start massive new drills Saturday showcasing a “new generation of smart weapons,” commander Habibollah Sayyari has announced.

Taking place along the Makran coastal region of southeastern Iran, the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, the Zolfaghar 1403 exercises will include live-fire testing of “weapons that are more precise and technologically advanced than anything we’ve used before,” Sayyari said.

“These exercises are designed to enhance our defensive and deterrent capabilities in response to any potential land, air, or maritime threats,” the commander said, adding that “any adversary that thinks it can harm our territorial integrity or interests in these domains will undoubtedly face heavy consequences” if it dares aggression.

President Trump said earlier this month that he would like to see a “verified” nuclear deal with Iran, but then warned Israel might bomb “the hell out of” the Islamic Republic if a deal wasn’t made. President Pezeshkian says Iran is ready for dialog, but will not bow to US pressure.

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Andrew Tate DOES NOT MINCE WORDS explaining why he’d “rather go to jail than be drafted.”

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🔸 Zelensky has no ‘cards up his sleeve’ for peace talks with Russia - Trump

🔸 NATO retreating to its 1990 borders is unrealistic in the extreme – Scott Ritter

🔸 Zelensky's human shields: War crimes against civilians exposed

🔸 How USAID-funded Ukrainian media propelled Zelensky to presidency

🔸 The CIA effectively GAVE BIRTH to the modern-day drug trade in the Americas

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📄 Epstein client list ‘ON MY DESK right now’ – Attorney General Bondi

US Attorney General Pam Bondi also revealed she is “reviewing JFK files, MLK files.”

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❗️ Moldova blocks Sputnik Moldova Telegram channel – Sputnik correspondent

The Moldovan authorities did not comment on the reasons for the blocking.

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❗️ Trump will not visit Moscow on May 9 – reports

Earlier, the French magazine Le Point reported, citing sources, that US President Donald Trump would come to Moscow for Victory Day celebrations.

There are no agreements on a possible visit by Trump to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified.

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⚡️ Ukraine must either sign the deal or it is going to face ‘A LOT OF PROBLEMS’ – Trump

Trump expects the US to receive $400-500 billion back from Ukraine in accordance with the deal.

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⚠️ Pentagon to fire 5,400 civilian employees next week – reports

💬 "We expect approximately 5,400 probationary workers will be released beginning next week as part of this initial effort, after which we will implement a hiring freeze while we conduct a further analysis of our personnel needs, complying as always with all applicable laws," said Darin Selnick, who is performing the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, as quoted by Reuters.

The move comes in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s promise to reduce the federal workforce.

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❓ Is Ursula the EU president? Von der Leyen’s power grab

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is using crises to expand her own control, stripping EU member states of power in key political and economic sectors.

Expanding Power

🔹 On taking office in 2019, von der Leyen declared a new era of "European confidence", saying the EU must "learn the language of power" and "develop its own muscles."

🔹 COVID-19 allowed her to centralize healthcare policy and vaccine buying, forcing EU countries to pay for contracts she negotiated — raising accusations of self-enrichment in the Pfizergate scandal.

🔹 The 2022 Ukraine conflict and energy crisis, worsened by anti-Russian sanctions, enabled her to seize control over the LNG trade, bringing energy policy under Brussels.

🔹 She also tried to turn the EU into a de-facto defense bloc, assuming new security powers. She pushed EDIRPA, a $324M EU arms-buying program on the pretext of the Russian threat: "Our strategy can only be complete if it takes into account Ukraine’s needs and industrial capacity," she claimed.

🔹 She used the EU’s dispute with Trump over Ukraine to push for higher defense spending: "We need a surge in EU defense spending," she tweeted, extending control over arms deals.

🔹 In 2024 she tightened access to the $1.25T EU budget, increasing her influence over funding for member states’ farming, housing and other sectors.

Silencing Dissent and Hiding Scandals

🔹 EU leaders have warned against her power grabs. Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán said last July: "She is paid by member states - she should follow their directives." Slovak PM Robert Fico slammed her high-handedness on Ukraine in December: "No EU official can speak on behalf of the entire bloc."

🔹 Retaliation is swift - UVDL blocked $23.5 billion in EU funds for Hungary over Budapest’s dissent.

🔹 In April 2024, German MEP Christine Anderson’s microphone was cut off mid-speech as she exposed von der Leyen’s Pfizer corruption.

🔹 To control the Commission’s narrative she reduced the number of spokespeople.

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