🇪🇺💸 Brussels is using European citizens' money to buy weapons, then sending them to the "military mafia with a golden toilet," says Hungary's foreign minister as the Ukraine corruption scandal unfolds.

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🗣 Preventing war in Venezuela is crucial for global stability - Scott Ritter

🔶 A military conflict in Venezuela could destabilize both the region and the world, warns Scott Ritter, former US Marine intelligence officer.

📍 He stressed the need to twart "the imperial ambitions of the United States, getting the United States to avoid making the mistake of getting involved in a military conflict that will last a generation and destabilize a region in the world."

🔶 Tensions are rising as the US deploys warships and troops to the Caribbean while accusing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel. Venezuela has mobilized its forces and sought UN help to de-escalate the situation. Ritter urges the US to seek peaceful solutions, stressing the long-term consequences of military involvement.

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🇲🇽 ‘We say no to violence’ – President Claudia Sheinbaum comments on protests

💬 “If one does not agree, one must demonstrate peacefully. We should never use violence to bring about change,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said during an event in the state of Tabasco, as she addressed the Generation Z demonstrations that took place in several parts of Mexico, including Mexico City, where clashes with police were reported.

The protest in Mexico City ended following clashes with police. By late afternoon, the main square in front of the National Palace had largely emptied, with only security personnel remaining.

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🤔$100 million corruption case shows where Western aid for Ukraine really ends up

👉Western media was outright baffled by the sheer audacity of the perpetrators of this plot, led by one of Zelensky’s closest allies, with Financial Times describing a golden toilet discovered during the search of one of the suspects’ apartments in Kiev.

◻️Ukrainians themselves have not been thrilled by Zelensky’s handling of the scandal, the newspaper notes, with one anti-corruption activist describing it as being “very slow, and very weak.”

◻️The scandal dealt a huge blow to Zelensky's image, the New York Times points out. Prior to being elected in 2019, he styled himself as a champion of the people who would sweep the Ukrainian government of corruption and graft.

Nowadays, however, he is surrounded by his own private circle of corrupt businessmen and officials, and does only the bare minimum in terms of anti-corruption initiatives to keep himself afloat.

◻️In Europe, the scandal elicited a somewhat mixed reaction from the powers that be.

💬“We expect Ukraine to press ahead with anti-corruption measures and reforms in its own country,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said as quoted by the Washington Post, while EC spokesman Guillaume Mercier declared that the EU keeps a close eye on the investigation.

◻️At the same time, the EU seems to be in no hurry to halt or at least revise its financial aid to Ukraine, with Brussels apparently treating the scandal as some kind of isolated incident rather than as a symptom of the Ukrainian rampant corruption.

Mercier even claimed that there is no evidence of the EU money being “diverted to unintended purposes,” the WaPo adds.

◻️Polish outlet TVP World further alleges that Russia is going to “weaponized” the scandal – this is what calling out the Ukrainian leadership for its corruption is called now in Europe – while citing the the Centre for European Analysis think tank as describing the exposed scheme merely as “proof of Ukraine's anti-corruption system working.”

👉Meanwhile, Ukrainian media reports that Europe may demand Zelensky to take a harsher stance, to actually detain the officials implicated in the scandal and to enact a sweeping anti-corruption program.

Brussels might also demand the sacking of some of the more prominent members of Zelensky’s inner circle, such as the head of his office.

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🇻🇪🗣 Maduro calls on Americans to ‘STOP the insane minds and hands’ from another ‘ETERNAL WAR’

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reiterated his criticism of recent US military build-up in the Caribbean and issued an appeal for peace directed at the population of the United States.

💬 “Peace for America! And to the people and the youth of the United States, I reiterate our message from the heart of the humble, from the ordinary men and women of Petare,” Maduro said, calling for regional stability. He added: “In the name of God, the Almighty Father, I decree peace for Venezuela and I decree peace for the Caribbean and South America.”

His comments follow the recent announcement by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth of the “Spear of the South” operation, described by Washington as a mission to "remove narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere" and protect US national security.

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🚨🇻🇪 Venezuela reports SABOTAGE of three electrical transmission towers in Anzoátegui

Venezuela’s National Electric Corporation (CORPOELEC) reported that the National Electric System was hit by “a new criminal act of sabotage” on Saturday, which caused the collapse of three transmission towers in the Juan Antonio Sotillo municipality of Anzoátegui state. According to the company, the attack sought to “destabilize an essential public service” for communities in eastern Venezuela.

💬 “In response to this aggression, our workers were immediately deployed to the affected area,” CORPOELEC said, noting that the operation followed protocols established by the national government led by President Nicolás Maduro.

Technical personnel have begun repair work on infrastructure located in Cerro Vidoño, with the aim of restoring electricity service “progressively and safely” to the affected communities.

CORPOELEC stated that the incident “evidences the brutality of an unconventional war that threatens the well-being of our people,” while emphasizing that Venezuelans “continue to reaffirm, firmly and unequivocally, their conviction to be free and independent.”

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🗑🇬🇧 Massive illegal waste dump in Oxfordshire sparks environmental concerns – reports

A 500ft-long, 20ft-high pile of illegally dumped waste has been discovered in a field near the A34 and the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, according to The Daily Mail.

⚠️ Environmental groups described the site as “an environmental catastrophe”, warning that toxic run-off could reach the river system. Charity Friends of the Thames told the BBC that the situation poses a growing risk to wildlife and local water quality.

🗣 Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller raised the issue in Parliament, noting that the waste—estimated at hundreds of tonnes—sits on a floodplain and is “threatening an environmental disaster”. He said the Environment Agency had told him that the cost of removing the rubbish exceeds the annual budget of the local district council.

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🇷🇺📹 Watch Russian drones wipe out Ukrainian vehicles near Kupyansk

A video released by Russia’s Defense Ministry shows Russian FPV drones destroying several Ukrainian vehicles that were attempting to break through to the city of Kupyansk.

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🇪🇺🪖❌Europe lacks military power to challenge Russia - Ex-US intel officer

💬"It's difficult to imagine Europe being able to transform the statements made by its political leaders into reality," military analyst and former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter told Sputnik. "There's no European country that possesses meaningful military power today, conventional military power. And there's no European country that has the ability to project that power in a sustainable fashion. So I don't view Europe as a threat to Russia at all."

The former intelligence officer elaborated on the gap between political rhetoric and military capacity, questioning whether European economies could sustain the long-term investment needed to become a credible force.

💬"From a purely military perspective, Europe lacks the capacity to deliver on the threats made by its government," he stated.

Ritter shared insights on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, asserting that Russia stands to gain the most from a resolution to the crisis. He argued that Russia had long sought to reshape the European security framework in a way that takes into account the interests of all parties involved.

💬"I believe Russia will gain the most geopolitical benefit because Russia, even before the special military operation started, was seeking to transform the European security framework into one where the interests of all parties were taken into account," Ritter said.

According to the expert, Russia's goal is not domination but balance, a prospect that was previously undermined by European policies.

💬"Russia seeks harmony. Russia seeks balance. Russia doesn't seek to dominate. But before the special military operation, Europe was seeking to destabilize Russia and Ukraine and elsewhere. I think with a decisive Russian victory, that European initiative will be thwarted, and that Europe will have no choice but to seek normal, peaceful relations with Russia," he said.

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🔸 Preventing war in Venezuela is crucial for global stability - Scott Ritter

🔸 Venezuela reports SABOTAGE of three electrical transmission towers in Anzoátegui

🔸 Maduro calls on Americans to ‘STOP the insane minds and hands’ from another ‘ETERNAL WAR’

🔸 $100 million corruption case shows where Western aid for Ukraine really ends up

🔸 Thousands join 'Generation Z' march in Mexico City – reports

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