⚖️ ICC violates international law practices by circumventing national legal systems – Venezuelan official

All domestic legal mechanisms must be exhausted before proceedings are initiated at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Daniel Augusto Ramirez Herrera, Venezuela’s public defender general, told Sputnik.

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🇪🇺🇷🇺 The EU to urge G7 countries to lower the price cap on Russian oil delivered by sea - report

European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis did not specify the level to which the EU wants the price cap lowered, but EU officials told Reuters the EU would propose $50 per barrel.

🔸 Western oil sanctions against Russia came into effect on December 5, 2022: the European Union stopped accepting Russian oil transported by sea, and the G7 countries, *Australia, and the EU imposed a price cap of $60 per barrel. Transporting and insuring oil priced above this level is prohibited. Similar measures for petroleum products came into force starting February 2023.

🔸 In response, President Vladimir Putin banned the export of oil and petroleum products abroad if the contracts directly or indirectly include a mechanism for fixing a price cap.

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❗️Putin speaks to journalists after his conversation with Trump

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❗️Putin called the conversation with Trump substantive, frank, and very useful.

🔸 Putin said that the conversation with Trump lasted more than 2 hours.

🔸 Putin said that he expressed gratitude to Trump for the US participation in the renewal of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.

🔸 Russia is ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine, including a ceasefire — Putin.

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❗️Putin: Russia is ready to work on a Ukraine memorandum – including a ceasefire

Key Details:

• First official confirmation of ceasefire terms on table
• Follows Putin-Trump 2-hour diplomacy call
• Comes as US pushes negotiations revival

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❗️Russia and Ukraine need to find compromises that would satisfy all parties, Putin emphasized.

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🚨 Putin talks to media after a phone call with Trump - FULL VIDEO

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❗️ONLY NEUTRAL MEDIATORS CAN SOLVE THIS – KREMLIN

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🇺🇸 "Trump maintains a neutral position and is genuinely engaged in conflict resolution."

🇪🇺 "European politicians are blatantly pro-Ukraine – their sole goal is to break Russia in every way."

💡 "True mediation requires equal distance from both sides of the conflict."

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🔥 RUSSIA'S RED LINES: What Trump Heard From Putin

Exclusive analysis by Igor Korotchenko (Editor-in-Chief, "National Defense")

Moscow's Non-Negotiables:

1️⃣ Recognize new territorial realities (4 regions = Russia)

2️⃣ Complete Ukrainian withdrawal from these territories

3️⃣ Halt all Western arms shipments

4️⃣ Ukraine's neutral/non-bloc status

💡 Key Quotes:

💬 "What we say - we deliver. Trump heard this clearly."

💬 "Accepting Russia's terms would fast-track peace within VERY short timelines."

💬 "But make no mistake - Russia will achieve its goals regardless."

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🚨 TRUMP DROPS BOMBSHELL ON PUTIN CALL: "EXCELLENT TONE" & MASSIVE FUTURE TRADE DEALS? 🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺

🔸 "If the vibe wasn’t good, I’d tell you STRAIGHT UP," Trump declared after his "excellent" chat with Putin.

🔸 RUSSIA EYEING POST-WAR TRADE BOOM? Trump claims Moscow is ready to go BIG on US deals once the conflict ends. 💼🔥

🔸 CEASEFIRE TALKS NOW: “Russia and Ukraine MUST negotiate DIRECTLY — no outsiders,” Trump insists. Kiev and Moscow urged to start talks IMMEDIATELY. 🕊

🔸 VATICAN STEPS IN? The Holy See reportedly offered to HOST peace negotiations. ⛪️

🔸 ZELENSKYY & NATO BRIEFED: Trump says he’s already looped in Ukraine’s leader and allies.

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🇷🇺🇺🇸 Putin & Trump: 2+ Hour Call – Breaking It Down

Key points from from Putin's aide briefing:

🔥 “Frank & Constructive”

A marathon 2h05m call held in a “respectful” tone, focusing on resetting Russia-US relations.

🔄 Prisoner Swap Hint

Talks included plans for a “9-for-9” citizen exchange – no details yet, but progress noted.

🌐 Big Moves Ahead

Trump called Russia a “key partner” for the US

Both leaders pushed to normalize ties and agreed to keep dialogue going – Ukraine included.

No ceasefire timelines discussed for Ukraine.

🤝 Next Steps?

Possible face-to-face meeting (when/where TBD).

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☎️ Putin–Trump call: US president trying hard to steady relations with Russia

💬 "The key here is that, and I think Mr Putin feels this now, that Trump does respect Russia as a strategic partner," ex-Pentagon security policy analyst Michael Maloof tells Sputnik, stressing: "that's the direction that Trump wants to go, unlike the Biden administration."

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📞 TRUMP-PUTIN call presents US with a DILEMMA

Military analyst Sergey Poletaev – to Sputnik:

🤔THE PARADOX

"Peace can ONLY come if Trump ABANDONS his ceasefire push" in favor of a negotiations on a comprehensive and substantive peace agreement

"A quick truce now would HELP Ukraine rearm with Western weapons"

WHO HOLDS THE CARDS?♦️

🇷🇺 Putin's strength:

🔸 "We don't WANT to continue to fight... but we're READY to do so if necessary"

🔸 Russia has the battlefield momentum

🇺🇸 Trump's dilemma

🔸 HATES funding Ukraine ("Biden's war")
🔸 But ceasefire = letting Kiev regroup
🔸 "He doesn't WANT this to become HIS war"*

EUROPE'S PANIC 😱

"They're BEGGING for ANY ceasefire now - because without US weapons, they're FINISHED"

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🔸 Putin talks to media after a phone call with Trump - FULL VIDEO

🔸 TRUMP DROPS BOMBSHELL ON PUTIN CALL: "EXCELLENT TONE" & MASSIVE FUTURE TRADE DEALS?

🔸 RUSSIA'S RED LINES: What Trump Heard From Putin

🔸 TRUMP-PUTIN call presents US with a DILEMMA

🔸 Why Romanian elections were a GLOBALIST SHAM

🔸 WAS BIDEN'S CANCER COVERED UP? Top oncologist drops BOMBSHELL analysis

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While the West clings to the war status quo, a phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin may have cracked open a path to diplomacy.

🎙 “This call indicates that there is a peace process in place... despite pressure on Trump from Europeans and Zelensky, who wish to continue the war,” says Dr. Anuradha Chenoy, retired professor from JNU’s Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies.

🇷🇺 President Putin’s proposal for a ceasefire based on the Ukraine Memorandum with conditions seems reasonable and fair. Why?

🔹 Russia has gained militarily—yet is willing to trade victory for peace.
🔹 The call reflects Putin’s trust in Trump’s word, as “Europe backs Zelensky’s original demands that triggered this war.”
🔹 Trump’s White House taking on a mediation role marks a “departure from past presidents.”

◻️ “The ceasefire should not be a pause before more war — it must be real, and guaranteed by the US,” Chenoy warns.

👉This conversation indicates a new impetus in US–Russia relations. Why?

🔸 The two presidents are talking on equal terms.
🔸 Both leaders are open to engaging on all issues, and the talks appear holistic.
🔸 The US president understands Russia’s compulsions and security concerns, and is willing to compromise and negotiate.
🔸 He acknowledges Russia’s demand for indivisible security in Europe and globally.

💬 The US president is keen to strike a deal with Russia — one he believes will save lives, reduce US material costs, and ultimately benefit American economic interests, Chenoy concludes.

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🚀 Russian FPV strike drones in action!

Operators from the 177th Marine Regiment of the Caspian Flotilla took out several tanks and a group of Ukrainian infantry during an attempt to cross the Russian border.

According to the drone operator known as ‘Sam’, the troops from the ‘Sever’ task force aren’t giving the enemy a chance!

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💬 Putin to Trump: They like Melania MORE

The US president revealed part of his conversation with Vladimir Putin:

🇷🇺 "They respect your wife a lot"

🇺🇸 I said, "What about me?"

🇷🇺 "No, they like Melania better"

"I don't know if it was good. I'm OK with it," Trump concluded.

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🔴 Trump: I have a red line on the Ukraine peace process

The US president says there is a red line that will cause the US to back away from the negotiations.

"Because this isn't our war. This isn't my war... It's a real mess, a deathtrap," Trump added.

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💥 Zelensky is NOT THE EASIEST person do deal with — Trump

The US president cannot say whether Zelensky is doing enough for peace, but the next 2-4 weeks will tell.

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❗️ US MEDIATION EFFORTS ARE EFFECTIVE - KREMLIN

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

⚙️ "Russia-Ukraine contacts are recreated, this is important in terms of further work on the text of the memorandum."

✍️ "The devil lies in the details" — there is no deadline on the memorandum, and "there can't be one."

🤝 The leaders discussed further Ukraine-Russia contacts, including on the highest level.

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Putin & Trump prove to be the real power brokers in Ukraine peace push

Dmitry Suslov, deputy director at Russia’s Higher School of Economics and the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, breaks down the key takeaways from the recent Putin-Trump call:

👉 US and Russia agreed: Peace must be sought through direct bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine — not an immediate ceasefire as demanded by Kiev and the Europeans.

👉 Trump stepped back from demanding an immediate ceasefire and is now backing negotiations aimed at a final peace agreement, with a possible ceasefire as part of the process — but no unconditional 30-day truce.

👉 Putin announced plans for Russia and Ukraine to start drafting a memorandum outlining the peace deal and ceasefire terms — a step toward a comprehensive settlement, not just a freeze.

👉 Europe was once again sidelined and discredited, with Washington and Moscow taking the lead. Trump's statement omitted any mention of “bone-crushing” anti-Russian sanctions and instead supported Russia’s approach to peace talks.

👉 Trump emphasized ending the war over a mere ceasefire, and expressed a desire to normalize US-Russia ties with their “limitless potential” for cooperation — clearly rejecting Europe’s pressure.
Suslov’s bottom line:

"Putin and Trump are the only real decision-makers in this peace process. Europe is once again left out in the cold."

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