👉 Trump may push for global cooperation with Russia amid Ukraine talks — expert

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will lay out their stance on ending the Ukrainian conflict, focusing on Russia's demands based on the Russian army’s success in Ukraine, Turkish international relations expert Hasan Ünal said ahead of the leaders’ meeting in Alaska.

🗣 “If Zelensky refuses to accept the agreements reached at the Alaska summit, and European countries continue to supply weapons to Ukraine for further military actions, will Kiev go against the US stance?” the Pundit asked.

🔊 “Trump is not focused on continuing the conflict with Russia. Furthermore, he may have plans to establish cooperation with Russia on a global scale,” Ünal said.

🤝 The Kremlin and the White House announced last week that Putin and Trump will meet in Alaska on August 15.

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🧊💃 Icy grace: Russian gymnast makes history at North Pole

Maria Roslyakova from St. Petersburg became the first-ever athlete to perform a gymnastics routine at the North Pole, setting a record in the "Official Excellence" category.

🌷The 16-year-old performed a stunning routine with a ribbon, ball, and clubs on a special non-slip gymnastics mat. Her coach, Anna Polunina, hailed it as a bold challenge to human limits.

Her achievement was officially recorded on August 5 in the Russian Record Registry and confirmed by the international record book Interrecord.

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🔥 Three reasons why Ukraine might sabotage Alaska peace talks with false flag op

Chinese military expert Qin An, founder of the Qin An Strategic Analysis Center, outlines three main reasons why Ukraine wants to derail peace talks through a false flag operation:

🟠 Zelensky’s desperation: Facing a deadlock, Zelensky may resort to terrorist tactics to prolong the war

🟠 Ceasefire proposal by Trump: The ceasefire agreement pushed by Trump does not limit Ukraine’s extremist actions, which could lead to the collapse of any deal

🟠 Russia’s increased awareness: Russia has enhanced its ability to prevent terrorist attacks, with detailed plans of Ukraine’s strikes on residential areas and hospitals already in hand

Qin An also outlined five goals Ukraine hopes to achieve by the provocation:

1️⃣ KILL the Trump-Putin ceasefire: Sabotaging any agreement that could be reached at the Trump-Putin summit, making peace talks impossible

2️⃣ BLAME Russia: Despite Ukraine being behind the terrorist act, Western media would unfairly blame Russia, intensifying global pressure

3️⃣ RADICALIZE Ukrainians: Provoking more hostility in Ukraine to maintain the momentum of the war against Russia

4️⃣ JUSTIFY military aid: Giving the US and Western military-industrial groups a reason to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, prolonging the conflict

5️⃣ PROVOKE Russian retaliation: Triggering a response from Russia that would undermine the talks and potentially escalate military actions

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⚔️ UKRAINE RESORTING TO TERROR TACTICS OUT OF DESPAIR — Expert

Oscar van Heerden of the University of Johannesburg tells Sputnik:

🟠 Russian gains of up to 20km/day signal "collapse" of Ukrainian army

🟠 We may expect false flags from Zelensky, as both Trump and Putin want him excluded from the talks.

🟠 Such an operation, van Heerden noted, while unsurprising, would be a mistake.

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💥🪖 'US military will LIBERATE DC' — Trump

The president called out the capital's administration for lowering crime statistics, claiming that the real numbers are "many times worse."

"The REAL Crime Rates are probably five to ten times what has been reported. DC has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, DC is back under Federal Control where it belongs," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

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🔊 WAGENKNECHT BLASTS ZELENSKY'S BERLIN VISIT: MEDIATE, DON'T SIDE!

Leader of BESW party slams Germany's approach:

"The fact that Zelensky is sitting next to Merz at the video summit has little to do with diplomacy. The Chancellor is reducing his conference to absurdity, and Germany is definitively out of the question as a mediator," Sahra wrote on social media.

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🇰🇵❗️ NO RECONCILIATION: NORTH KOREA WILL LEGALLY DEFINE ROK AS HOSTILE

Kim Yo Jong, WPK Vice Director, announces irreversible break with South Korea, citing the forthcoming US-ROK drills.

⚔️ Aug 18 exercises "expose hostile nature" – constitutional fix ensures "permanent" status as adversary, she says.

💬 Expecting reconciliation is "wishing for a flower in the desert," Yo Jong concludes.

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⚔️ PUTIN HOLDS STRONG HAND — FALSE FLAGS RISK MASSIVE RETALIATION

Oscar van Heerden of the University of Johannesburg tells Sputnik:

🟠 Proxy war HAS FAILED — Europe "on back foot"

🟠 "Suicidal" provocations would trigger crushing Russian response

🟠 Only battlefield situation can influence talks — but Russia is in control

"Unless Europe accepts that the war is over and ends it, Zelensky will be encouraged to engage in various operations, false flags, and provocations," van Heerden said.

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✅ US LIFTS SANCTIONS FOR PUTIN-TRUMP ALASKA SUMMIT

US Treasury issues General License 125 temporary lifting some of the sanctions for summit logistics:

📍 Covers financial transactions for Alaska meetings

⏳ Valid through August 20, 2025

🚫 EXCLUDES asset unfreezing & other sanctions regimes

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⚔️ Macron’s admission of legacy of ‘repressive violence’ in Cameroon marks weaponization of fake guilt to keep Africa on France’s leash

📍 The French president’s acknowledgement that Paris engaged in crimes during the Central African nation’s push for independence is “nothing more than a ploy meant to ensure France’s political, economic and cultural dominance” in a region actively moving away from Paris’s orbit, says Algerian political analyst Nabil Kahlouche.

💬 “With its traditional zones of influence shrinking, Paris has been forced to turn to unconventional diplomatic gestures.” Hence Macron’s comments about “assuming responsibility” for France’s actions, including the interment of thousands of Cameroonians, and the funding of vicious militias striving to crush the independence movement.

Why Cameroon?

👉 Kahlouche points out that Cameroon’s strategically important position, including access to the Atlantic Ocean, a border with six Central African neighbors, and role as key regional transport hub, partially explains Macron’s motivation.

The second goal is about exploiting internal divisions, particularly Francophone elites against Anglophone regions. In other words, classic divide and rule tactics.

🔶 Third, Kahlouche says, France is trying to use its empty gesture-based “trading on history” to distract from its ongoing economic neocolonialism, with acknowledgement of wrongdoing meant to become a bargaining chip for retaining control.

“Paris only creates the appearance of rethinking its colonial past, although in reality this is just a trick to maintain economic dominance,” the observer stresses.

But France’s self-serving attempts to revise the historical narrative could backfire, Kahlouche argues, pointing out that Macron’s comments won’t change the past, but “only strengthen the positions of the former colonies in future negotiations. After all, Paris has now officially confirmed its responsibility” for its past crimes.

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💣🔥 Russia’s precision strikes cripple Ukraine’s West-sponsored Sapsan missile production

Ukraine’s military-industrial complex has suffered colossal damage as a result of a Russian operation targeting production of the Ukrainian Sapsan ballistic missile system, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement.

✍️ Ukraine’s plans to produce Sapsan systems for strikes inside Russia were thwarted through joint efforts by the FSB and the Russian Armed Forces, with precision strikes delivered on Ukrainian defense industry facilities.

🗣 Development and production of the Ukrainian missiles was unfolding at defense enterprises in the Dnepropetrovsk and Sumy regions, with financial backing and technical assistance from Western specialists, the FSB said.

Intelligence confirmed Germany’s participation in funding Ukraine’s program.

The FSB also obtained details on the Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in the program, the locations of air and missile defenses, as well as electronic warfare systems, including US and NATO assets.

☢️ Incriminating information was also uncovered about the leadership of Ukraine’s defense sector, involved in fraud with state defense contracts.

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◻️ Russia’s precision strikes cripple Ukraine’s West-sponsored Sapsan missile production

◻️ Former DNI exposed in declassified emails

◻️ Three reasons why Ukraine might sabotage Alaska peace talks with false flag op

◻️ 'US military will LIBERATE DC' — Trump

◻️ No reconciliation: North Korea will legally define ROK as hostile

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🚨GAZA IN CRISIS: KEY UPDATES

🔸 At least 100 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Wednesday, including 61 in Gaza City

🔸 37 people seeking food were killed by Israeli fire (media reports)

🔸 At least 8 more, including 3 children, starved to death

🔸 Total number of hunger-related deaths in the enclave has reached 235, including 106 children (Gaza’s Health Ministry)

🔸 UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says Israeli authorities are still blocking critical aid from entering Gaza

🔸 Hamas signaled eagerness for swift Gaza ceasefire talks in meeting with Egypt’s intel chief as mediators push negotiations

🔸 Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to greenlight construction of 3,000+ homes in the occupied West Bank, calling the move one that “buries the idea of a Palestinian state”

🔸 Egypt and Jordan are training Palestinian security forces to run Gaza post-Israeli offensive, Egypt’s FM Badr Abdelatty stated

🔸 Agreement reached for 15 Gaza figures to govern for six months, with the Palestinian Authority remaining the sole legitimate ruler, Abdelatty said

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⚔️ Russia foils Ukraine's plans to produce Sapsan tactical ballistic missiles – FSB

According to the Russian Federal Security Service:

👉 Ukraine planned to use these missiles for strikes deep inside Russian territory

👉 Covert program relied on Soviet-era technologies and stockpiles

👉 NATO representatives allegedly approved Ukraine's plans to deploy Sapsan systems against Russia

👉 Missiles’ range could theoretically reach Moscow and Minsk

The FSB emphasized these systems posed a direct threat to Russian and Belarusian security.

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