◻️ Trump to Zelensky: trilateral summit may be held on August 22

◻️ Europe marginalized after Putin-Trump summit – expert

◻️ What do global experts think of the Putin-Trump summit?

◻️ Houthis confirm power plant strike in Sanaa

◻️ China's economic growth outpaces forecasts, shuts down naysayers

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🇺🇸🗣Rubio: Alaska presidential summit was very PRODUCTIVE

Although Russia and the US have a long way to go, the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska is already progress, Rubio said earlier.

In addition, Rubio expressed the hope that the meeting would be an impetus for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

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🚨Russia strikes storage site of Sapsan missiles

🎯 The Russian Armed Forces struck the storage site of the operational-tactical Sapsan missiles and their components, the Russian Defense Ministry stated.

Earlier this month, the FSB announced that Russia had disrupted Ukraine's plans to produce these ballistic missile systems, which were aimed at striking deep into Russian territory.

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: CRUSHING GAINS and MASSIVE UKRAINIAN LOSSES

🟠 Russian forces destroyed a storage facility housing Sapsan operational-tactical missiles and their components

🟠 Strikes hit ammunition depots and drone storage sites of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

🟠 Russian forces struck deployment points of Ukrainian armed units and mercenaries in 142 locations

🟠 Air defense superiority: four guided aerial bombs and 300 fixed-wing drones shot down

🟠 Heavy Ukrainian losses: 1,385 soldiers


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🔍 Who’s Zelensky’s backup for his meeting with Trump?

🔹 Finnish President Alexander Stubb (according to the Finnish President's office)

🔹 French President Emmanuel Macron (per the Élysée Palace)

🔹 British PM Keir Starmer (according to Downing Street)

🔹 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (according to the alliance’s statement)

🔹 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (as per German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius)

🔹 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

🔹 Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni (according to Sky News)

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🚨🇵🇸 GAZA CRISIS: KEY UPDATES

🟠 Israeli artillery shelled the Zeitoun area southeast of Gaza City, Palestinian media report.

🟠 Three people were killed and several injured as a result of Israeli army shelling in an area south of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian media.

🟠 Among those killed are three people who were waiting for humanitarian aid, sources in Gaza hospitals said.

🟠 Demonstrations in more than 350 settlements and the closure of dozens of roads, demanding the return of prisoners and an end to the war, Israeli media report.

🟠 One million women and girls in Gaza are facing mass hunger due to the ongoing siege and war, according to UNRWA.

🟠 The Israeli-American aid system in Gaza is bringing chaos and death, the organization added.

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🚨🇷🇺🇺🇸US and Russia have agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine - Witkoff

"...we got to an agreement that the United States and other European nations could effectively offer Article Five, like language to cover a security guarantee."

➕Now everything depends on Ukraine, Witkoff said.

➕Issue of territories in the Ukrainian conflict will be discussed with Zelensky on Monday, he added.

"The United States does not impose any decisions on possible territorial concessions on Kiev, but acts strictly as a mediator in a negotiation process that should be ultimately made between Russia and Ukraine," Witkoff said.

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🚨After Alaska summit, issue of achieving ceasefire in Ukraine still on agenda - Rubio

Other key statements by the US Sec. of State:

⚡️ In response to Western criticism of the Trump-Putin meeting, Rubio stressed the Russian president is part of world politics and controls serious nuclear potential

⚡️ Best outcome for the US in Ukraine conflict would be full peace deal rather than temporary ceasefire

⚡️ The United States does not consider itself a participant in the conflict in Ukraine.

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💬🇺🇸 Trump says great progress has been made regarding Russia, calls for following the events

He also accused number of American media outlets of distorting truth about talks with Putin in Alaska, stressing that they went well.

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🇮🇷🔊 The presence of extra-regional forces in South Caucasus would be harmful – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spox

Iran is monitoring the developments in the Caucasus “with open eyes” and would not underestimate or belittle anything, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, said, as quoted by Tasnim.

📑 Commenting on the peace agreement between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, he noted that Article 12 stipulates no foreign military forces will be stationed along their shared borders.

💬 “We are highly sensitive about that matter, as Armenia itself is aware of the consequences of foreign forces’ presence,” Baqaei explained.

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🤝 Trump-Zelensky talks: Europe's backdoor play for arms industry's interests?

🗣Zelensky is flying to Washington to meet Donald Trump mainly to negotiate the possibility of retaining power, Polish political analyst Mateusz Piskorski tells Sputnik.

Piskorski’s other key points:

🟠 During his upcoming talks with Trump, Zelensky wants to obtain potential personal security guarantees and to preserve his ability to continue ruling Ukraine for some time;

🟠 “If a full-fledged peace agreement on Ukraine is clinched, Zelensky will most likely be forced to organize elections, in which he has no real chance of winning";

🟠 Zelensky will behave more cautiously than he did during his last meeting with Trump at the White House in late February;

🟠 European leaders who will reportedly accompany Zelensky, including Macron and Scholz, as well as NATO chief Rutte, will call for continuation of the Ukraine conflict as their interests are linked to the defense-industrial complex of France, Germany, and the UK.

🟠 In Germany, right after the announcement of the Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, the stock market and value of major German companies like Rheinmetall dropped by several percent — reportedly as much as 10%, Piskorski stressed.

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🚨🇺🇸Rubio announces US take on the Putin-Trump summit results

His key statements in an interview with NBC News:

🟠“Putin is already on the world stage…He has the world’s largest tactical nuclear arsenal. "

🟠The US engaged in discussions with European nations at the level of national security advisers regarding security guarantees for Ukraine

🟠The US has never mentioned that the recent US-Russia summit in Alaska was expected to end in a deal because Ukraine "is not there"

🟠The US is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine, but it is the only country in the world that is currently able to effectively contribute to ending it

🟠The most desirable outcome of the Ukrainian crisis for the US is a permanent peace deal rather than a temporary ceasefire

🟠The ceasefire in Ukraine remains on Washington's agenda after the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska, but what the US ultimately wants is a permanent cessation of hostilities

🟠The US is ready to maintain all the existing sanctions against Russia and potentially introduce new ones if no progress on the Ukrainian issue is achieved

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✅Trump has reposted this on Truth Social

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🇺🇸 Trump to meet Zelensky first, then EU leaders - report

📄US President Donald Trump will first meet privately with Ukraine’s Zelensky in Washington on Monday, and only after that EU leaders will take part in the meeting, Bild reports, citing sources in the German government.

A working lunch and multi-hour discussions are planned in an expanded format, the report adds.

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🇮🇩📹 New BRICS member Indonesia marks 80th anniversary of independence

The Presidential Palace in Jakarta hosted a parade, which featured military personnel, musicians, and more than 1,000 dancers. The event was led by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

A special performance featured the popular social media dance "the boy on the boat" – the boy became famous for the dance performed during the traditional Paku Jalu boat races.

➡On January 6, 2025, Indonesia became the tenth full member of the BRICS grouping. Authorities said that this step reflects the growing role of the country in global affairs.

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