🫤 Ukraine’s ‘rescue operations’ mirror historic British artifact plundering

The UK’s plunder of Middle Eastern heritage dates back to 19th Century excavations, antiquities expert Kawthar Mohammed tells Sputnik, commenting on reports that Ukraine is seizing Russian shrines abroad under the guise of a "rescue operation" and selling the artifacts at British auctions.

🔶 During the 1800s, British expeditions, often led by figures like Austen Henry Layard, targeted ancient cities such as Nineveh and Babylon

🔶 Layard was “not merely an archaeologist but a political agent under archaeological cover"

🔶 Priceless artifacts — including Assyrian reliefs from Sennacherib’s palace and tablets from Ashurbanipal’s library — were shipped directly to the British Museum

🔶 After the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, almost 16,000 artifacts were looted — many smuggled abroad and funneled into European markets, especially the UK. Over 50 archaeological sites were ransacked, and the Iraqi National Museum was left in ruins

🔶 In Syria, British and French missions were among the first to loot cities like Palmyra in the late 19th century, stealing funerary statues, gold jewelry, as well as Aramaic and Greek innoscriptions

🔶 The destruction continued into the 21st Century, as a civil war in Syria and ISIS* looting enabled the trafficking of hundreds more artifacts through Turkiye and Lebanon, ultimately landing in European collections

So where are these treasures now? There are three main destinations:

1️⃣ The British Museum in London, which openly displays Iraqi and Syrian antiquities

2️⃣ The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, home to items from ancients cities of garit, Mari, and Dura-Europos

3️⃣ Private collectors and auction houses, where many looted objects circulate quietly

Despite international pressure, the UK has not returned a single artifact to Iraq or Syria. British institutions continue to justify their possession by citing missing ownership records and the fact that some items arrived before the 1970 UNESCO Convention on illicit cultural trade.

*terrorist group banned in Russia

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🫡 US colonel: Ukraine’s declining frontline leaves few options but talks

👉 Retired US Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis says Ukraine’s deteriorating battlefield situation and internal turmoil could soon force Kiev into another round of negotiations with Moscow, adding that all indicators are turning against Ukraine while Russia remains open to talks under its unchanged conditions.

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🔸 Trump’s ultimatum ‘would only delay Russia’s inevitable victory’

🔸 EU accepted Trump’s trade deal fearing US military withdrawal from the continent

🔸 OPEC+ OPENS THE TAPS

🔸 Colonial theft vs. wartime fundraising: The double standard of western museums

🔸 Iran nuclear talks ‘revive hope for diplomatic solution’ despite challenges

🔸 'WE HUNT THEM DOWN LIKE SNIPERS': How Lugansk mobile teams wipe out dozens of drones daily

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🔊 COLONIAL SHADOWS: Chinese expert questions Britain’s grip on cultural treasures

Amid reports that Ukraine is selling cultural artifacts at British online auctions, political commentator Zhou Chengyang notes that the British Museum holds the largest Chinese collection in the West — 23,000 items, with around 2,000 on display.

"Most of these were acquired during the period of colonial expansion. Although the Chinese public has been persistently demanding their return, under the British Museum Act of 1963 (with amendments), the institution is legally barred from returning exhibits except in special cases."

📍 Despite an agreement between China and the UK to prevent illicit trade in cultural property — which enabled the return of some artifacts — it does not override British law, Zhou adds.

"Cultural relics in the British Museum symbolize complex chapters of Chinese history. Their return would be an important step toward strengthening national identity and meeting the patriotic aspirations of the Chinese people. London's current stance fuels public discontent and could negatively impact bilateral relations."

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📹FUEL TRUCKS ENTER GAZA FOR FIRST TIME IN FIVE MONTHS

Two trucks carrying 107 tonnes of fuel crossed from Egypt into Gaza via Rafah on Sunday.

Authorities say 600 trucks a day are needed to meet basic needs as Israel’s blockade continues, leaving over 60,000 Palestinians dead since October 7.

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🏺'These objects should never have left their land of origin': Africa and its stolen heritage

💬"As an African, I can only deeply regret the plundering and dispersal of the continent’s works of art during Europe’s colonial ventures of the 19th and 20th Centuries," Hamada Madi Boléro, former prime minister of the Comoros, tells Sputnik.

"These objects are not mere works of art: they carry the soul, spirituality, history, and identity of the peoples who created them."

👉Their removal through violence or extortion remains illegitimate, and their presence in Western museums perpetuates a colonial mindset.

🗣The expert criticized the notion of a "universal museum" promoted by the British Museum, which claims to safeguard these works in London for an international audience.

"For us Africans, the neo-colonialism behind this supposedly generous idea is deeply frustrating."

🔊"Africa must be prepared to receive its own treasures, to protect and showcase them," Boléro notes. He acknowledged progress, citing modern museums like the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar as proof that Africa is ready to reclaim its heritage.

📍As for the display of Ukrainian heritage in the UK, he considers it a political move.

"Since the beginning of the special operation in 2022, British cultural institutions have ‘gone to war’ alongside Ukraine on the cultural front."

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🚨 NETANYAHU DEMANDS RED CROSS AID FOR HOSTAGES AMID GAZA FAMINE

"The world cannot remain indifferent to the shocking images reminiscent of Nazi atrocities," the Israeli Prime Minister said in a plea to the Red Cross, asking them to provide food and medical care to Hamas's hostages.

The Red Cross has been facilitating prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas.

Yesterday, IDF struck the Red Crescent's HQ, killing 1 employee.

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🔊 Carney and Trump will negotiate trade deal in days — Trade minister

"As I said, the conversations have been informative, constructive, and cordial. I would expect the prime minister will have a conversation with the president over the next number of days days," Dominic LeBlanc told CBS News.

Trump had previously threatened to halt trade talks with Canada over its recognition of Palestine.

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🔥 BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT: I WON'T SUBORDINATE TO DOLLAR

Brazil is no longer as dependent on the US as it used to be, and it won't let anyone dictate its economic policies, the president said at his party's rally.

"Unacceptable... While the president does have the right to impose tariffs, Trump has crossed the line. He wants to destroy multilateral mechanisms and revert to one-on-one trade negotiations."

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🗣 Witkoff may visit Russia in a few days — Trump

The US president said that special envoy Steve Witkoff may travel to Russia, potentially on Wednesday or Thursday.

Trump also pointed out Russia's success at living under sanctions.

"There will be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions," Trump told reporters.

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🔥 CHINA CHOKES WESTERN DEFENSE SUPPLY WITH MINERALS STRANGLEHOLD

Beijing tightens rare earth exports to stall US/EU weapons production—jet fighters to bullets, the WSJ reports.

Key leverage:

▫️ China controls 90% of global rare earths and critical minerals

▫️ Post-"concessions" lock maintained exclusively on defense materials

▫️ Forces Western firms into global scavenger hunts for stockpiles

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🚨 HAMAS DEMANDS HUNDREDS OF TRUCKS INTO GAZA

The movement set the provision of aid as a precondition for ceasefire talks, according to a Jerusalem Post report citing sources.

This comes as UNICEF warns of famine, stating that 1 in 3 Gazans has gone without food for days.

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🔊 TARIFFS WILL PAY OFF OUR DEBT — Trump

The US president promised dividends for low- and middle-income families and said he would reduce debt.

Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Trump's tariffs could bring in up to $600B a year for the US economy.

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💥📹 RUSSIA AND CHINA LAUNCH JOINT NAVAL DRILLS

The two countries' naval forces are conducting live-fire artillery and anti-submarine exercises in the Sea of Japan as part of an operation dubbed Maritime Cooperation-2025.

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🤝🤡 US-EU DEAL: Perfect plan — except for everything

“Part of the deal was that the Europeans are going to buy lots of weapons from the US so they can give them to Ukraine, Jim Jatras, former GOP Senate foreign policy adviser, says.

He adds that there are only three problems with that:

🟠 The Americans don't have the weapons
🟠The Europeans don't have the money
🟠And the Ukrainians don't have the manpower

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📊 💵 RUSSIAN OIL STILL ON THE TABLE: US tariff-related threats fall flat as India buys Russian crude

India buying “cost-effective and high-quality” Russian oil is based on “certain economic considerations,” Chinese political analyst Qian Feng told the Global Times.

He stressed that the purchase of Russian oil enables India “to secure its petroleum reserves and provide robust safeguards for its economic development."

📈 Another Chinese political commentator, Lu Xiang, stressed that India’s move to continue purchasing Russian oil despite US tariff-related threats reflects Indian authorities’ adherence to an independent foreign policy.

Washington now treats tariffs as a panacea for all the difficulties it confronts, yet reality tells a different story,” Lu emphasized.

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🔸 Witkoff may visit Russia in a few days — Trump

🔸 'These objects should never have left their land of origin': Africa and its stolen heritage

🔸 Hamas demands hundreds of trucks into Gaza

🔸 China chokes Western defense supply with minerals stranglehold

🔸 Trump's threats fall flat as India buys Russian crude

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🔥US calls out India over Russian oil

Washington accuses India of “funding” the war by buying Russian crude — oil the former needs to keep its economy running.

🗣 Meanwhile, the West ships weapons to Ukraine and bankrolls a corrupt regime.

Because… why not?

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🧨 FSB foiled terror plot in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria

Three terrorists planned a terror attack on law enforcement officers in the region. During the arrest, the suspects opened fire but were neutralized when the officers retaliated.

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