🔎 ICC hamstrung by Trump’s sanctions

The International Criminal Court (ICC) now has problems conducting even “basic tasks,” AP reports, citing the organization’s staffers and allies.

The hurdles the ICC currently faces due to Trump’s meddling include:

▪️US staffers of the ICC being warned that they risk arrest if traveling to the United States

▪️ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan losing access to his email and his now-frozen bank accounts

▪️Some NGOs refusing to work with and even outright severing all contact with the ICC

Human Right Watch international justice director Liz Evenson has already complained that Trump’s sanctions “will prevent victims from getting access to justice.”

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🚨 TURKIYE WELCOMES RUSSIA AND UKRAINE IN ISTANBUL — Turkish FM Hakan Fidan

He emphasized that the delegations from Moscow and Kiev must decide for themselves whether to pursue peace or "continue the destructive conflict."

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❗️Key updates on the Russia-Ukraine talks happening now in Istanbul

🔶 Talks have started with opening remarks from Turkish FM Hakan Fidan.

🔶 Fidan said Russia and Ukraine must decide whether to make peace or “continue the destructive conflict.”

🔶 Kiev reportedly plans to discuss a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting.

🔶 Ukraine’s delegation head Umerov reiterated the demand for a ceasefire before talks.

🔶 Earlier today, US, Ukrainian, and Turkish delegations met.

🔶 After that, US Secretary Rubio spoke with UK, French, and German national security advisers.

🔶 Trump said the Putin meeting will happen “as soon as possible.”

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❗️Trump says that he "may" call Putin to discuss the Ukraine settlement, according to CNN

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❗️The first negotiations in three years between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine, taking place in Istanbul, have already lasted an hour, a Sputnik correspondent reports

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🇻🇦 Pope Leo XIV intends to offer the Vatican as a venue for a direct meeting between Russia and Ukraine, the Holy See's secretary of state said

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👀🛢🤏'THEY ONLY GAVE ME A DROP!' — Trump jokingly reacts to a symbolic gift during his visit to UAE

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⚡️The meeting of the delegations of Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul has ended, it lasted less than two hours, a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Sputnik

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❗️The Russian delegation has temporarily left the hall where negotiations with Ukraine are taking place in Istanbul.

▪️It is not yet known whether the Russian delegation will leave Turkiye today

▪️Russian delegation takes a break during talks with Ukraine in Istanbul

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🔍 Russia’s spy chief: Europe can’t stop stirring trouble

“Europe is in an obvious crisis of political identity” and “can’t stop itself from meddling in other countries,” Russian intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin warns.

He adds, “The attempts to spoil our existence and drag us into the abyss will not stop anytime soon.”

Meanwhile, the EU and UK are busy trying to export the Ukrainian chaos model by targeting vulnerable groups and stoking narrow nationalism, Naryshkin concludes.

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🗣🧑‍⚖️ Selective justice: Russia calls out ICC cover-up club

The ICC and its Western “support crew” have nothing to do with justice, said Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya.

“[The] ICC is an instrument for settling scores with political opponents.”

The ICC has issued many arrest warrants that go unenforced. European countries show clear double standards—supporting the ICC only against disliked leaders while ignoring international law on official immunities. Those resisting unlawful warrants face European obstruction.

“Covering for their Western masters is the only task that the ICC has consistently excelled at," she added.

Double standards? Absolutely. When it’s about their allies, ICC suddenly ‘forgets’ international law.

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❗️Talks between Russia and Ukraine have finalized for the day, with any possible continuation still unclear — source to Sputnik

Head of Ukraine's delegation at talks says will soon announce agenda for next round of negotiations

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❗️Russian and Ukrainian representatives discussed CEASEFIRE and PRISONER EXCHANGE during talks in Istanbul, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, said

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🚨LIVE: Statement by the Russian delegation to the press following the talks in Istanbul

👉 Watch live in our Telegram

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🇩🇪 Merz blinked first: Germany backs down on Taurus missiles for Ukraine

Just last month, Chancellor Friedrich Merz didn’t rule out sending Kiev Taurus cruise missiles. Now? He’s suddenly saying Berlin has no plans to supply them — and that the whole discussion shouldn’t have been public at all.

Looks like Germany finally woke up to the hefty price it might pay if those missiles land on Russian soil.

Sometimes reality hits harder than missiles.

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⚡️Russian delegation satisfied with result of negotiations with Ukraine — head of delegation Vladimir Medinsky

▪️Ukrainian delegation head at Istanbul talks says that Russia and Ukraine discussed 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner swap

▪️Negotiations between the delegations in Istanbul are completed

▪️Ukraine requested a meeting of heads of state, Russia took note of this, Medinsky said following the talks

▪️Russia ready to continue negotiations with Ukraine

▪️Both sides agreed to present their vision of a ceasefire

▪️The parties agreed to detail their proposals for establishing a ceasefire

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