War hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham*’s new sanctions bill isn’t just unworkable – it’s self-destructive, warns The Washington Post.
The bill calls for a 500% tariff on any country that buys Russian oil, gas, uranium, or petrochemicals – in other words, most of the non-Western world and a good chunk of America’s own allies.
This is the geopolitical equivalent of “cutting off America’s nose to spite Putin’s face,” the outlet warns.
Graham is already backpedaling. He’s suggested “carve-outs” for countries that support Ukraine.
When war hawks flinch, you know it’s gone too far...
*recognized as a terrorist in Russia
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🇮🇷📹 Funeral of IRGC Lieutenant General Ali Shadmani is being held in the Iranian city of Hamadan
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The president decried Netanyahu's corruption trial as "insanity" on Truth Social, lionizing the embattled leader while turning a blind eye to civilian deaths from Israel's military operations.
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Sputnik International
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🚨🇷🇺RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE NIGHT STRIKE: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles hit Ukraine hard
ALL TARGETS DESTROYED – the Russian Defense Ministry announces success in overnight attack on:
🟠 Ukrainian weapons factories
🟠 Critical oil refineries
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ALL TARGETS DESTROYED – the Russian Defense Ministry announces success in overnight attack on:
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Sergey Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), announced that he held a telephone conversation with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
"I had a phone call with my American counterpart, and we agreed to keep the line open for further contact at any time to discuss matters of concern," Naryshkin said.
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Lavrov commented on Merz and Macron's op-ed for the FT, in which the two said that "the main source of instability for Europe comes from Russia" and called on Europe to arm itself.
"I believe that these quotes alone are enough for a person who has some understanding of what is happening in Europe and follows events to understand that these people have completely lost common sense and are openly trying to return to the days when France and Germany wanted to conquer Europe, primarily the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union," Lavrov said.
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Sputnik International
🚨🇷🇺RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE NIGHT STRIKE: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles hit Ukraine hard ALL TARGETS DESTROYED – the Russian Defense Ministry announces success in overnight attack on: 🟠 Ukrainian weapons factories 🟠 Critical oil refineries 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇷🇺🪖 RUSSIAN DEFENSE BRIEFING: CRUCIAL STRIKES & ENEMY LOSSES
🔸 The Russian army carried out a group strike on military facilities in Ukraine overnight using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
🔸 Heavy Ukrainian losses: Over 1,235 troops eliminated in the special military operation zone.
🔸 Air defense superiority: a long-range "Neptun" missile and 102 drones shot down.
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Ukraine has lost yet another West-supplied F-16 during a major clash with Russian forces. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, first-class pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko was unable to eject.
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🚨💥 Ukraine's forces ditch damaged Polish Oncilla APC near Kupyansk PANICKING OVER Russian drones
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🇨🇳China claps back: No US trade deals that sacrifice its interests
China will retaliate if other countries strike trade deals with the US that undermine its interests for so-called tariff cuts, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said.
🇺🇸Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” on global partners were pilloried as a classic case of unilateral “bullying” that’s wrecking the international trade system.
The US president is racing to meet a July 8 deadline for trade agreements.
➡️ So far, only the UK and China deals have been announced, with Trump hinting at one with India in the pipeline.
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China will retaliate if other countries strike trade deals with the US that undermine its interests for so-called tariff cuts, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said.
🇺🇸Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” on global partners were pilloried as a classic case of unilateral “bullying” that’s wrecking the international trade system.
The US president is racing to meet a July 8 deadline for trade agreements.
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🇮🇷💥 🇺🇸Iran fires back at Trump: ‘unrespectable gambler politician’ won't shake our resolve
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has slammed the US president’s hostile and deranged rhetoric, saying it was nothing but a desperate psy-op to spread fear and chaos.
Qalibaf warned the "unrespectable president of the United States" and Iran’s other enemies that its people will never back down in defending their homeland—while “traitors and mercenaries” will be tossed into the "dustbin of history."
🔊 The fiery response comes after Trump’s latest unhinged rant, where he claimed he “saved” Supreme Leader Khamenei’s life — and complained about not getting a “thank-you” in return.
Trump has also threatened to resume bombing Iran – over nuclear claims neither the US nor Israel have proven to the world with any measure of credibility.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has slammed the US president’s hostile and deranged rhetoric, saying it was nothing but a desperate psy-op to spread fear and chaos.
Qalibaf warned the "unrespectable president of the United States" and Iran’s other enemies that its people will never back down in defending their homeland—while “traitors and mercenaries” will be tossed into the "dustbin of history."
Trump has also threatened to resume bombing Iran – over nuclear claims neither the US nor Israel have proven to the world with any measure of credibility.
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The gunmen who killed at least 147 people in a gun and arson attack at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow in March 2024 admitted that Ukraine was behind the terrorist attack, the testimony seen by Sputnik reads.
"The members of the extremist [Wilayat] Khorasan movement [the Afghan branch of the Islamic State terrorist group, banned in Russia] were only the masterminds acting at the request of a state agency in Ukraine, which was eventually confirmed by Sayfullo [the recruiter]," one of the suspects said in the testimony.
Murodali Rachabalizoda, another suspect, stated that Ukraine and Khorasan were the organizers of the terrorist attack.
"Sayfullo ... urged to help Ukraine, since Ukraine is at war with Russia ... We discussed this later with [Shamsidin] Fariduni, because we understood that initially Sayfullo was deceiving us, saying that we would commit this terrorist attack solely in the interests of faith, in the interests of Muslims. When we realized that we were the executors of Ukraine's order, we decided not to abandon the terrorist attack, as Sayfullo offered us a lot of money," the testimony read.
After the attack, the gunmen planned to flee to Kiev, where each of them was promised 1 million rubles ($12,743). Ukrainians also provided the attackers with weapons.
"Due to the fact that the state structure of Ukraine was the organizer of this terrorist attack, the weapons came to Moscow from the territory of Ukraine. This was easier than from some other countries, such as Turkiye or Afghanistan, where our handlers were located. In addition, we had a Makarov pistol-type gun and four knives, one for each," the testimony read.
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🇭🇺🔊 'False promises, grave consequences': Hungary's PM Orban slams EU policy on Ukraine
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"They dressed uncontrolled migration as 'Willkommenskultur' (welcoming culture) and vilified us for saying no. Now they echo our words, proving we were the forerunners of common sense. The Ukraine issue is heading the same way: false promises, grave consequences. We cannot allow Brusselian bureaucrats to lead Europe off a cliff again!" Orban wrote on X.
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There’s simply no logical explanation for Grossi and his IAEA colleagues’ meetings with Israeli officials except that they were passing on intelligence about Iran’s nuclear activities, the former UN weapons inspector and US Marine Corps intelligence officer told PressTV.
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🇫🇷 Protesters in Paris slam Macron over Ukraine policy
A rally demanding an end to the Ukraine conflict and a halt to Western arms deliveries to Kiev took place in central Paris, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
Protesters also called on France to leave NATO and demanded President Macron’s resignation.
Organized by Florian Philippot, founder of The Patriots party, the protest drew several hundred participants.
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A rally demanding an end to the Ukraine conflict and a halt to Western arms deliveries to Kiev took place in central Paris, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
Protesters also called on France to leave NATO and demanded President Macron’s resignation.
Organized by Florian Philippot, founder of The Patriots party, the protest drew several hundred participants.
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🇮🇷🪖Iran used 'less than 5%' of its military capability in 12-day war with Israel – commander
Iran’s true defensive might remains hidden, IRGC brigadier general Mohammad-Reza Naghdi has revealed.
Less than 5% of its forces were activated (i.e. engaged with the enemy) in recent clashes with Israel, according to the IRGC deputy commander for coordination.
The results?
✅ Hypersonic & ballistic missiles crippled Israeli military bases, intel hubs, and research centers
✅ Air defenses shredded dozens of Israeli jets and drones in the course of the air war over Iran
Israel’s 12-day assault backfired badly—exposing its much-touted air defenses’ weaknesses against Iran’s missile fire power, and the limits of its strike capabilities.
IDF sources admitted to Israeli media this week that Iran had 20% more missiles than previously estimated (2,500 vs 2,000), and said the country was on course to amassing over 10,000 by 2028.
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Iran’s true defensive might remains hidden, IRGC brigadier general Mohammad-Reza Naghdi has revealed.
Less than 5% of its forces were activated (i.e. engaged with the enemy) in recent clashes with Israel, according to the IRGC deputy commander for coordination.
The results?
Israel’s 12-day assault backfired badly—exposing its much-touted air defenses’ weaknesses against Iran’s missile fire power, and the limits of its strike capabilities.
IDF sources admitted to Israeli media this week that Iran had 20% more missiles than previously estimated (2,500 vs 2,000), and said the country was on course to amassing over 10,000 by 2028.
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🇭🇺Hungary’s Paks 2 Nuclear Power Plant project fires up as US scraps sanctions
The Trump administration has axed sanctions blocking investment in the Paks 2 plant, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced.
Sanctions slapped on Russia by the Biden team in late 2024 had made the facility’s expansion all but impossible.
🟠 Paks II and Russia's role
🟠 The Paks II expansion is a $13.7 billion project to add two VVER-1200 reactors to Hungary’s existing Soviet-built plant
🟠 The plant was built by Russia’s Rosatom.
🟠 Hungary had secured an EU exemption from Russia sanctions for Paks II.
🟠 However, sanctions targeted Gazprombank (handling Paks II financing) and Rosatom executives, delaying payments to subcontractors and stalling progress
🟠 Sanctions-induced fallout
🔹 Critical supply disruptions to a project meant to deliver an additional 2.4 GW of capacity – vital to Hungary’s push to raise nuclear power's share in its energy mix from 33% to 70%.
🔹 Top EU firms like Germany’s Siemens Energy and France’s Framatome had their planned contributions to the plant’s control systems sidelined.
🟠 USAID smear campaign
When the US froze USAID funds, many Hungarian groups critical of the Paks II project lost their cash flow, according to nuclear expert Zsolt Harfas.
Radio Free Europe*, then funded by US grants, pushed false anti-Paks stories, casting doubt on its necessity and Russia’s Rosatom tech – while cozying up to the struggling US nuclear industry.
*Designated as a foreign agent in Russia
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The Trump administration has axed sanctions blocking investment in the Paks 2 plant, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced.
Sanctions slapped on Russia by the Biden team in late 2024 had made the facility’s expansion all but impossible.
When the US froze USAID funds, many Hungarian groups critical of the Paks II project lost their cash flow, according to nuclear expert Zsolt Harfas.
Radio Free Europe*, then funded by US grants, pushed false anti-Paks stories, casting doubt on its necessity and Russia’s Rosatom tech – while cozying up to the struggling US nuclear industry.
*Designated as a foreign agent in Russia
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Sputnik International
Senator Lindsey Graham* says US Senate will start considering Russia sanctions bill in July.
*recognized as a terrorist in Russia
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Ukraine hasn’t abided by its obligations under the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel landmines for over a decade, using mine cluster munitions against Donbass since 2014, retired Russian colonel Viktor Litovkin told Sputnik, commenting on Kiev’s formal exit from the treaty this week.
Timed to coincide with the withdrawal from the convention by Poland and the Baltics, Ukraine’s move is strictly “a propaganda campaign intended to emphasize that Russia is an aggressor” to justify bigger defense budgets and the further militarization of the region, according to the observer.
Not all mines are created equal
Anti-vehicle minefields created in areas of active hostilities and contributing to defensive lines are relatively easy to detect and remove by specialists, provided the time, inclination and resources to do so.
Russia’s military is equipped with minesweeping units, including sappers with portable detectors, robots, and mine trawlers attached to tanks and other armored vehicles.
But what makes anti-personnel mines dangerous is the Ukrainian military’s seemingly random deployment of these deadly weapons, in forests and civilian areas, including as boobytraps.
“In liberated areas there have been cases of mines being disguised as toys, candies, household items, on children’s playgrounds, etc. This is very dangerous for our military, but even more so for the civilian population,” Litovkin stressed.
When mines are deployed in forests, they’re almost impossible to remove completely, the analyst said. “The risks stem from the fact that they are not visible on the ground. Civilians go to the forest for berries or mushrooms, trigger a mine and suddenly – your leg is gone, or you’re riddled with holes.” And they can lay dormant for months or years.
Ukraine’s anti-personnel mine arsenal includes PFM-1 Lepestok pressure mines, spread across the Donbass in the course of fighting, and tripwire-triggered MON-50 and MON-100-series frag mines.
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