The international weapons market has reached an all-time high since the Cold War era, with the US as the world's leading arms supplier. Who is Washington’s closest competitor and which military goods are in highest demand?
Explore Sputnik’s infographic.
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⚡️Trump's call with Putin started about an hour ago, still in progress and going well — White House
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Sputnik International
German lawmakers to vote on landmark spending bill The $528 billion (483 billion euros) package is expected to loosen fiscal restrictions and allow investment in defense, infrastructure, and climate. Last month, Germany’s Chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich…
🇩🇪🪖 The Bundestag has voted overwhelmingly to amend the German Constitution to increase the national debt, which will allow for a significant increase in defense spending.
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Sputnik International
❗️Luxeuil-les-Bains airbase on the German border will house Rafale fighter jets with NUCLEAR WARHEADS from 2035, French President Emmanuel Macron has said. 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🗣 Macron is manipulating the nuclear weapons issue and using it for aggressive purposes, talking about deploying Rafale jets with nuclear warheads, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.
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🇩🇪 A 360-DEGREE TURN: Germany reportedly wants to postulate FM Annalena Baerbock as candidate for the post of UN General Assembly chairwoman
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🔎 Red Sea blockade: How Europe is HIT HARDEST while the US reaps the benefits
The Red Sea, a key route for European imports and exports, with 12% of global trade passing through it, has been blocked by Yemen's Houthis since 2023.
🚢 Check out the damage European nations are facing.
▪️Shipping costs skyrocketed, with container freight rates from Asia to Europe jumping over 300% in some cases. The blockade forced European container ships to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 extra days to voyages.
▪️Prolonged disruptions led to a 1.6% reduction in export growth for the euro area in 2024 and a 0.9% reduction in 2025.
▪️Manufacturing in Germany, France, and Italy suffered due to delayed deliveries of components. The disruption added to slower economic growth as industries struggled with uncertainty.
💰 How the US may line its pockets
▪️The disruptions in the Red Sea led to increased oil prices, benefiting US oil exporters that capitalized on higher demand and pricing in international markets.
▪️Brent crude futures have soared by 1.42% to $71.58 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures have climbed 1.5% to $68.19 per barrel.
▪️US LNG companies could capitalize by exporting more energy to affected regions as the blockade forces countries to look for alternative sources.
▪️US companies that provide security services see increased demand for maritime security, personnel protection, and infrastructure support in the region.
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The Red Sea, a key route for European imports and exports, with 12% of global trade passing through it, has been blocked by Yemen's Houthis since 2023.
🚢 Check out the damage European nations are facing.
▪️Shipping costs skyrocketed, with container freight rates from Asia to Europe jumping over 300% in some cases. The blockade forced European container ships to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 extra days to voyages.
▪️Prolonged disruptions led to a 1.6% reduction in export growth for the euro area in 2024 and a 0.9% reduction in 2025.
▪️Manufacturing in Germany, France, and Italy suffered due to delayed deliveries of components. The disruption added to slower economic growth as industries struggled with uncertainty.
💰 How the US may line its pockets
▪️The disruptions in the Red Sea led to increased oil prices, benefiting US oil exporters that capitalized on higher demand and pricing in international markets.
▪️Brent crude futures have soared by 1.42% to $71.58 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures have climbed 1.5% to $68.19 per barrel.
▪️US LNG companies could capitalize by exporting more energy to affected regions as the blockade forces countries to look for alternative sources.
▪️US companies that provide security services see increased demand for maritime security, personnel protection, and infrastructure support in the region.
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📞 While the Putin-Trump phonecall has already lasted for two hours - meanwhile in France...
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As the world is holding its breath waiting for the results of the phone call between Putin and Trump, let’s look back at some of the most memorable moments from the Russian leader’s past encounters with US presidents.
Putin and Clinton dined on wild boar, went on a short tour of the Kremlin's Senate Palace, and then settled into armchairs to take in a jazz tribute to Louis Armstrong in Moscow in 2000.
Photoshoots of rare face-to-face meetings and brief handshakes between Putin and Obama spoke volumes on their seeming lack of rapport, like when they exchanged a tense luncheon toast during the 70th annual UN General Assembly in New York in 2015.
“One of my best meetings ever was with Vladimir Putin,” Trump said of his first one-on-one meeting with the Russian president in the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018, adding: “I think we'll end up having an extraordinary relationship.”
It was all about conventional diplomatic handshakes and separate press conferences after Putin held his first summit with Joe Biden at a plush 18th century Swiss villa in Geneva in 2021 that ended with commitments on reinstating diplomats and to open “constructive” dialogue.
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📞 Top 10 LONGEST Phone Calls Between Putin and US Presidents 🇷🇺🤝🇺🇸
1. Feb 12, 2025 – Putin & Trump (1 hr 30 min)
🔹Discussed Ukraine, Middle East peace, and Iran.
2. Mar 1, 2014 – Putin & Obama (1 hr 30 min)
🔹Discussed the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s actions in Crimea.
3. Apr 10, 2021 – Putin & Biden (1 hr 25 min)
🔹Focus on US-Russia relations, Ukraine tensions, and cybersecurity.
4. Jun 28, 2019 – Putin & Trump (1 hr 20 min)
🔹Talks on arms control, Syria, and Ukraine during G20 summit.
5. Jul 23, 2020 – Putin & Trump (1 hr 20 min)
🔹Talks on arms control, Syria, and the COVID-19 response.
6. Apr 3, 2001 – Putin & George W. Bush (1 hr 10 min)
🔹Early talks on arms control and the Balkans.
7. Nov 15, 2001 – Putin & George W. Bush (1 hr)
🔹Post-9/11, focusing on terrorism and missile defense.
8. Apr 29, 2013 – Putin & Obama (1 hr)
🔹Discussed counterterrorism and the Sochi Olympics.
9. Feb 12, 2018 – Putin & Trump (1 hr)
🔹Focused on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
10. Jan 28, 2017 – Putin & Trump (45 min)
🔹Early cooperation talks and the fight against terrorism.
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1. Feb 12, 2025 – Putin & Trump (1 hr 30 min)
🔹Discussed Ukraine, Middle East peace, and Iran.
2. Mar 1, 2014 – Putin & Obama (1 hr 30 min)
🔹Discussed the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s actions in Crimea.
3. Apr 10, 2021 – Putin & Biden (1 hr 25 min)
🔹Focus on US-Russia relations, Ukraine tensions, and cybersecurity.
4. Jun 28, 2019 – Putin & Trump (1 hr 20 min)
🔹Talks on arms control, Syria, and Ukraine during G20 summit.
5. Jul 23, 2020 – Putin & Trump (1 hr 20 min)
🔹Talks on arms control, Syria, and the COVID-19 response.
6. Apr 3, 2001 – Putin & George W. Bush (1 hr 10 min)
🔹Early talks on arms control and the Balkans.
7. Nov 15, 2001 – Putin & George W. Bush (1 hr)
🔹Post-9/11, focusing on terrorism and missile defense.
8. Apr 29, 2013 – Putin & Obama (1 hr)
🔹Discussed counterterrorism and the Sochi Olympics.
9. Feb 12, 2018 – Putin & Trump (1 hr)
🔹Focused on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
10. Jan 28, 2017 – Putin & Trump (45 min)
🔹Early cooperation talks and the fight against terrorism.
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Sputnik International
⚡️Trump's call with Putin started about an hour ago, still in progress and going well — White House 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
⚡️The phone call between Trump and Putin has ended, the White House reported.
It lasted almost 2.5 hours.
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It lasted almost 2.5 hours.
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Sputnik International
⚡️The phone call between Trump and Putin has ended, the White House reported. It lasted almost 2.5 hours. 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
❗️The Putin-Trump conversation went "very well", CNN reports, citing "a Russian source with knowledge of the call".
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