🇺🇸🗣 'Going difficultly, but process underway' — Waltz on settlement in Ukraine

Ukraine remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world and it is necessary to closely monitor funds transferred to it, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has said.

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❗️🇭🇺HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT VOTES TO EXIT ICC— Foreign Minister

"The Hungarian Parliament just voted to withdraw from the International Criminal Court. With this decision, we refuse to be part of a politicized institution that has lost its impartiality and credibility," Peter Szijjarto wrote on X.

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📹 American roots of German Nazism, Part 9: How Nazi Germany championed and copied US racial segregation laws

“America’s former Jim Crow laws, namely, legislation enforcing the racial segregation of African Americans, had a huge influence on the creation of the Nuremberg Race Laws of 1935,” a lecturer specializing on Nazi crimes against humanity at St. Petersburg State University (SPbGU) Yegor Yakovlev told Sputnik.

In our exclusive video series, this historian who specializes in the origins and evolution of Nazism discusses how Nazi lawyers not only drew inspiration from the said American laws—such as prohibitions on interracial marriage and immigration restrictions—but also adapted and enacted these laws in even more radical ways.

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🧐 Ready for round three? Trump’s team prepares as impeachment talk heats up

With Democrats eyeing gains in the House and a possible move against the POTUS, Trump's team is bracing for a possible repeat performance of the "twice-impeached" spectacle, Axios reports.

His team is pushing to pass as much of his agenda as possible - especially the 2017 tax cuts — before the 2026 midterms.

Democrats Rep. Shri Thanedar and Sen. Jon Ossoff are reportedly already laying impeachment groundwork, signaling they’re ready to drag Trump through it all over again. Trump’s advisers know the stakes, and they're preparing for impact.

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📹 Devastating footage shows the Gazan residential neighborhood of Al-Ishreen Street in the Nuseirat refugee camp LEVELED TO THE GROUND by Israeli airstrikes.

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❗️Alexey Petrovich, head of the Russian compatriots council and the Pobeda National Committee, was DETAINED AGAIN at the Chisinau airport on his return from Moscow

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🇷🇺🇧🇾Russia's President Putin and Belarus' President Lukashenko laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame in the Hall of Military Glory and at the grave of Marshal Chuikov on Mamayev Kurgan

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🔥 Arms of Victory: Pe-2 twin-engine dive bomber

Sputnik showcases the heavy weapons employed by the Soviet Army in the Great Patriotic War to defeat Hitler’s Germany.

Initially called the "Pawn" by the military, the Pe-2 became a symbol of Soviet victory, playing a crucial role in the war effort.

As the most widely produced Soviet bomber, it was also one of the most technologically advanced aircraft of its time.

Originally designed as a high-altitude fighter, the Pe-2’s exceptional durability and performance allowed it to evolve into a dive bomber.

Over time, it also served as a ground-attack aircraft and interceptor fighter, proving its versatility and contributing significantly to the Soviet victory over Nazism.

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🇦🇺🔍Australia’s aging fleet of US-made tanks destined for Ukraine remains STUCK FOR HALF A YEAR

The 59 M1A1 Abrams tanks are still waiting for final clearance to be shipped from Australia to Ukraine, with Aussie defense officials blaming the US for the delay.

“There is also the concern that with a possible peace deal [on Ukraine] looming it would be embarrassing to have the tanks on board ships in the middle of the ocean,” one of the officials admitted.

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🇷🇺🔥 Putin calls Victory Day a sacred holiday as Russia prepares for May 9 parade

"In Russia, as in many republics of the former Soviet Union, Victory Day is one of the most significant and sacred holidays," said the president at the international forum "Great Legacy — Common Future."

He also said that Russia expects military crews from many countries participating in the Volgograd international forum to take part in the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9.

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🚨🇪🇺Europe to become a THIRD-WORLD CONTINENT by 2100 (or sooner) 🥴😬

Former European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell once described the continent as a "garden" of prosperity surrounded by the "jungle" of the rest of the world.

Here’s why the “garden” of Europe isn’t the Eden it seems to be.

1️⃣Compromised energy architecture

▪️Europe’s worst energy crisis in years caused blackouts across Spain, Portugal, and parts of France, exposing major flaws in the EU’s energy infrastructure.

▪️Spain and Portugal declared a state of emergency as the crisis triggered panic, highlighting Europe’s failure to ensure energy reliability.

2️⃣Migration inferno

▪️In the UK, foreign nationals are over-represented in prisons, especially for sex crimes. Non-British citizens were 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for sexual offenses, The Times reported.

▪️Europol’s 2025 report revealed that hybrid threat actors are exploiting irregular migration, boosting migrant smuggling networks.

3️⃣Dependence on China

▪️In 2023, the EU had a €291 billion trade deficit with China, signaling an imbalance, Modern Diplomacy reported.

▪️China supplies around one-third of over 200 products the EU depends on, including pharmaceuticals and chemicals, with some sectors reaching 90% dependence.

4️⃣Rising unemployment

Youth unemployment in the EU was 14.5% in February, reflecting difficulties integrating young people into the labor market, the European Commission reported.

5️⃣Dependence on external powers for security

▪️A significant portion of European NATO states' arms imports come from the US.

▪️This reliance covers capacities, including intelligence, and existing systems, particularly in ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), French media reported.

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🇷🇺🗣 Eurasia must become a space of peace and stability - Putin

"We are convinced that the international community needs to work together to create a new architecture of equal and indivisible security that would reliably protect all states without prejudice to the interests of others," Putin said at the Great Heritage-Common Future forum in Russia's Volgograd.

"This issue is especially relevant for Eurasia. Our common continent should become a space of peace and stability, an example of sustainable economic, social and humanitarian development," he added.

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🇭🇺 Hungary’s ICC exit highlights court’s failure to deliver justice and fairness

"The ICC has no international legal standing. It's really a fairly arbitrary collection of countries... created to target adversaries of the West in a moral, legalistic way," Dr. George Szamuely, senior research fellow at The Global Policy Institute, tells Sputnik, commenting on Hungary's decision to withdraw from the organization.

Szamuely points out the double standards, particularly how the ICC never pursued the United States or other major powers for alleged crimes while focusing on African nations. "The only defendants who have been successfully prosecuted by the ICC have been Africans," he says, highlighting the imbalance.

The expert also criticizes the ICC's role in political cases like Libya in 2011, where it issued indictments against Muamar Gaddafi and his son without a proper investigation, essentially serving as "a propaganda arm for NATO."

The ICC's recent actions, including issuing an arrest warrant against President Vladimir Putin without sufficient evidence, further undermine its legitimacy, according to Szamuely. "The ICC readily lends itself to the desires of the NATO powers," he adds, exposing its politicized nature.

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🚀 Russia's Zircon missile: Faster than a speeding bullet and NATO’s worst headache

The US media is freaking out over Russia's missile, and honestly, it’s not hard to see why:

🔸Zircon’s two-pronged capability: Designed specifically to target enemy ships, this nine-meter-¬long hypersonic cruise missile can also engage ground targets.

🔸Beware, NATO: Thanks to the Zircon’s low-altitude and maneuvering flight path, it is capable of penetrating all current NATO air defense systems, including the Patriot fitted with surface to air interceptors.

🔸One of the fastest missiles ever made: The missile is capable of accelerating to speeds up to Mach 9 (over 11,100 km, or 6,900 miles per hour). It is around nine times faster than the speed of sound and nearly 11 times higher than that of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

🔸All by stealth: The Zircon’s case is covered with a special plasma that absorbs radio waves, making the missile invisible to enemy active radar systems.

🔸More features to keep enemies on alert: The missile can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. It can be launched from surface ships and submarines at an altitude of about 30 km (18 miles) and at a range of up to 1,499 km (932 miles).

🔸Second-to-none: Russian President Vladimir Putin touted the Zircon as the weapon that has “NO ANALOGS in any country in the world” and that would “reliably protect Russia from potential external threats.”

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📹 US treasury secretary confirms Trump’s plan to SWAP INCOME TAX FOR TARIFFS

“What President Trump is referring to is the ability for tariff revenue to provide income tax relief,” Scott Bessent told journalists.

When asked whether the US would prioritize long-term tariff revenue or future trade deals, he responded, “I think it’s a combination of both.”

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📹 ‘HOSTILE and POLITICAL’ – WH press secretary slams Amazon for marking higher prices

“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration allowed inflation to reach the highest level in 40 years?” Karoline Leavitt told journalists, commenting on the company adding tariff costs to item prices listed on its website.

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🇷🇺🗣 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope that the world would soon see concrete evidence of mutual interests between Russia and the United States at a meeting with his BRICS counterparts

He said that Moscow and Washington continue to engage in discussions across various areas, with both sides striving to reach a balance of interests.

He also stated that:

▪️Russia regularly informs BRICS partners about the progress of negotiations between Russia and the US.

▪️He clarified Russia’s position on the Ukrainian conflict, which is being actively defended, including in discussions with the United States.

▪️Lavrov urged not to view Russia-US contacts as something out of the ordinary, but as a return to normalcy.

▪️Statements from the Nuclear Five leaders that nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought are still highly relevant.

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⚡️Putin's proposal for a ceasefire on Victory Day is the beginning of direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

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🇰🇵🔥🪖North Korea is a BETTER defense partner than 90% of NATO

Forget NATO — North Korea’s military makes most of the alliance look weak in comparison. Don’t believe it? Lets take a closer look:

🪖 The 4th largest army in the world

North Korea has approximately:

▪️1.3M active personnel in the Korean People's Army (KPA)
▪️600K reservists
▪️5.7M Worker-Peasant Red Guard reservists

Only the US, India and China are ahead.

🫡 Highly disciplined force

The 🇷🇺Kursk operation proved the KPA’s combat prowess. North Korea’s special forces are seen as among the best-trained, known for tough preparation. They are said to "move like a storm" and "feel neither pain nor thirst."

🚀 Missile prowess

North Korea has a significant missile arsenal. Its longest-range missile, the Hwasong-19 ICBM, reached 7,687.5 km in altitude and flew 1,001.2 km during October 2024 tests. Experts say it could exceed 13,000 km on a standard trajectory.

🔸 Hypersonic push

North Korea is one of the few countries with hypersonic weapons. In 2021, it tested the Hwasong-8, reportedly equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle. In January, its latest missile allegedly exceeded Mach 12 and hit a target 1,500 km away.

🚢 A naval power? Not yet - but soon

On April 26, North Korea unveiled its newest 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon at a Nampho shipyard.
DPRK's navy also has around 70 submarines, 400 patrol vessels, and a few Najin-class frigates.

💣 Last but not least: They got nukes

The Asian nation is estimated to possess between 50 & 90 nuclear warheads. Some projections suggest this number could rise up to 166 by 2030.

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