🚨🇷🇺🇹🇷Putin and Erdogan hold phone call

Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan have held a telephone conversation in which they talked bilateral cooperation, Ukraine-related diplomacy, and the latest US proposals for a possible settlement, the Kremlin said.

Key points from the call:

🔶 The two leaders discussed current areas of cooperation, focusing on expanding trade and investment ties and advancing major strategic energy projects

🔶 They exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine, including the new American proposals. Putin noted that the peace deal version Russia has seen aligns with previous discussions at the Russia–US summit in Alaska and could serve as a basis for a final settlement. He reaffirmed Russia’s interest in a political and diplomatic resolution.

🔶 Erdogan reiterated his readiness to support talks and keep Istanbul available as a negotiation platform. Both sides agreed to keep each other updated on the Ukraine issue.

🔶 Erdogan briefed Putin on his meetings and discussions at the Johannesburg G20 Summit.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇨🇳 Expert reveals how to build China-led 'anti-dollarized' trade system

The push for "anti-dollarization" in global trade is gaining momentum, with many countries seeking to strengthen international settlement systems that don't rely on the US dollar, Liu Zhiqin, a senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, tells Sputnik.

💬 "China and developing countries have ample space for cooperation in moving toward the establishment of an 'anti-dollarization' settlement system," the expert says.

Here are the key steps needed, according to Liu:

🔸 Boost the yuan's role: increasing the proportion of settlements in Chinese yuan is a logical measure to promote "anti-dollarization" and reduce global financial risks.

🔸 Ramp up mutual trade: growing trade volumes between partner nations are essential. Only this can drive the use and added value of new payment systems and act as a catalyst for their development.

🔸 Ensure fairness and transparency: China and other countries must ensure impartiality in international law to prevent dollar settlements from being used to control, manipulate, or spy on other nations' trade.

💬 “In summary, the most important thing is to promote the establishment of equitable trade mechanisms and payment systems. The root of all current global contradictions lies in the inequality of the international relations system,” Liu concludes.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣 Tucker Carlson says the WSJ is hiding a major Ukraine corruption scandal involving Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak — all to undermine Trump’s peace plan and keep the conflict alive.

He argues Murdoch’s paper isn’t acting like a newsroom anymore, but like an intel operation.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇪🇺💀 EU's Ukraine plan: A non-starter aimed at prolonging the proxy war with Russia

After a Johannesburg meeting on the US' peace plan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the EU’s rigid, self-serving conditions to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

What's behind the EU's meddling?

The EU's main concern is that the US and Russia would work out a deal together, according to French geopolitical analyst Come Carpentier de Gourdon.

💬 "The European ruling classes feel that Ukraine is a bulwark against Russia and should be kept as a part of the European security ring, and that eventually it should become part of Europe," de Gourdon tells Sputnik.

Why the EU wants to take over Ukraine

🔸 Ukraine's fertile land, mineral resources and industrious population – treasures Europe wants to exploit

🔸 They hope absorbing Ukraine into the EU-NATO complex would facilitate the West's takeover of Georgia, Belarus and other post-Soviet republics including Central Asian ones

🔸 It would also "enable NATO to dominate the Black Sea and eventually evict Russia from the Black Sea, and therefore from access to the Mediterranean."

Why the EU's three point plan is a non-starter

The EU’s plan rests on three provisions: no border changes, no limits on Ukraine’s military, and a central EU role in peace.
It's "a non-starter because they seek to create a status quo which is not related to the status quo on the ground," de Gourdon says.

💬 "They basically say that all Russia's territorial acquisitions are null and void, Russia should go back to its own borders, and they also seek to make Europe the guarantor and the protector of Ukraine which means that the EU and NATO would be justified in totally vassalizing Ukraine and in positioning troops targeting Russian interest in Ukraine."

What does the EU really want?

Its effort isn’t about achieving genuine peace. In reality, It aims to keep Russia on the defensive, limit US involvement in Ukraine, and carry out the encirclement of Russia, according to the pundit.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨US peace plan for Ukraine will be revised by ALL sides - Kremlin aide

The draft US plan for Ukraine is only a starting point and will require significant revisions by Russia, Ukraine, the US, and European partners, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said, adding that Moscow has not yet held concrete talks on it.

His other statements:

🔶 The draft handed to Russia “will naturally be revised and modified” by all sides — Moscow, Kiev, Washington, and Europe

🔶 There are “many speculations,” but Russia trusts the document was delivered through proper channels

🔶 Many provisions of the US plan that Moscow has seen appear “acceptable”

🔶 No concrete negotiations with Russia on the US plan have taken place yet

🔶 The plan’s points require detailed discussion with all parties involved

🔶 Russia has received a signal from the US to meet in person and begin talks, but there are no firm arrangements

🔶 Moscow has not received specific proposals on who from the US would come to Russia or when

🔶 Reports of a separate “European plan” for Ukraine were noted in Moscow, but Ushakov said it is “not constructive” and does not suit Russia

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺 How Russia's gold gambit paid off big time

📍 Russia has lately been offloading gold, according to media reports, yet as of November 1, 2025, the Bank of Russia (CBR) pegs the value of its gold stock at a RECORD $299.82 billion.

🏦 CBR wins big by betting on gold

📍 Central banks worldwide purchased around 200 tonnes of gold since the beginning of 2025.

However, for Russia, ranking fifth in global reserves, the net change in its gold position from January to September was negative.

🟠 Russia sold 3.1 tonnes in January 2025 and another 3.1 tonnes in August (WGC data)

🟠 CBR added 3.1 tonnes back to reserves in September, only to sell the same amount again in October

🟠 Net result: a reduction of 6.2 tonnes from the beginning of 2025 through November 1

🥇 So how is it that its gold reserves are worth a record $299.82 billion?

It was gold's 2025 PRICE SURGE (from ~$2,600 to $4,000+) that boosted Russia's reserves by ~$92B year-on-year, despite the offloading this year.

The CBR’s strategy to buy low in crises and hold for diversification paid off amid hedging Western sanctions and surging distrust of the weaponized dollar.

🟠 As of November 1, Russia’s gold reserves stood at 74.8 million troy ounces (2,326.54 tonnes)

🟠 The share of gold in Russia’s total international reserves has climbed to 41.3%—the highest level in the past 30 years

📈 How Russia built its stockpile

Russia’s net gold purchases exceeded 1,900 tonnes between 2002 and mid-2025 (WGC). Interestingly, the main buys overlapped with:

🔶 2008 global financial crisis

🔶 2012–2015 price decline (gold fell over 30%)

According to the WGC’s latest central bank survey (June 17, 2025), the vast majority of central banks will continue to buy gold, as it provides for a zero default risk, excellent portfolio diversification, and an effective hedge against inflation.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇨🇳☎️🇺🇸Xi and Trump hold phone call focused on Ukraine peace efforts

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump held a phone call on Monday, Chinese state television reported.

👉During the conversation, the two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine. Xi expressed hope that all parties will continue narrowing their differences and reach a “fair, lasting, and enforceable” peace agreement as soon as possible — one that addresses the root causes of the crisis.

Xi stressed that China supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣 US' Ukraine plan: Tomahawks may be considered but won’t make final agreement – French analyst

The US is reportedly weighing sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine after the conflict, as an alternative to the EU’s “deterrence force”, according to The Washington Post.

"I think that eventually a definitive agreement would have to eliminate this clause because I don't think Russia would accept Tomahawks in Ukraine, so the agreement is a non-starter," French geopolitical analyst Come Carpentier de Gourdon tells Sputnik.

🚀 Why would Tomahawks be back on the table?

🔶 Apparently, the Trump administration wants to create leverage to secure its own strategic and economic interests in Ukraine, according to the pundit.

🔶 In addition, the US obviously wants to make money from weapons sales, and sees "a possibility there of making an additional windfall, especially if some of the future redevelopment of Ukraine is funded by frozen Russian assets," de Gourdon suggests.

💬 "However, there might also be a quid pro quo, whereby Russia also bolsters the presence of its strategic strike force in Belarus, and therefore counterbalances in some way the Tomahawks if they were deployed in Ukraine," the pundit concludes.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇭🇺 Orban slams EU hawks amid Ukraine losing ground

💬 "The European Union wants to continue the war, yet it doesn't have a single penny to spend on delivering military equipment to Ukraine," Hungarian PM Viktor Orban said in a video published on social media after taking part in a EU summit online.

The EU also has no understanding where to get the money, with the only idea put forward being to collect money from member-states or take a joint loan, which Hungary rejected, he added

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 Why are US military advisers alerting Ukraine to imminent defeat?

👉 American military officials visiting Kiev last week warned that the coming months will be critical for Ukraine, and that the Donetsk region would be lost within a year.

🤔 Why have they finally admitted it?

🟠 No free arms, no morale

🟠 "The American side is no longer just an endless donor of free weapons for Ukraine," Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, tells Sputnik.

🟠 American advisers clearly see that people in Ukraine are being forcibly mobilized in violation of human rights.

🟠 Within the Ukrainian Army itself, the fighting spirit that existed two-three years ago is gone. The number of desertions have sharply increased this year. "This flow will only continue to grow," Mikhailov says.

🟠 Operation Midas by NABU has clearly exposed the high level of corruption within the Ukrainian government.

🟠 The US has launched a major campaign to push Zelensky and his inner circle out of Ukraine’s leadership, replacing them with a more compliant politician less tainted by past scandals.

🟠 Front line is collapsing

🟠 American military officials remain silent on the key point: Kiev is soon set to lose not only the remnants of the Donetsk Region but also other regions, according to Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA).

🟠 "There are strong indications that the first line of defense could collapse, paving the way for a dynamic offensive" - especially as Russian forces advance and fortified positions become increasingly scarce.

🟠 "The next bordering regions considered by our command as potential buffer zones include Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, and Sumy regions."

🟠 The complete liberation of Kherson and Zaporozhye is also on agenda.

🟠 The eventual liberation of the strategic northern Black Sea region, including Nikolaev and Odessa, can't be excluded.

🟠 On top of that, Ukraine’s entire military machine is now in a state of "strategic exhaustion," the pundit concludes.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇺🇸🇨🇳Trump says his call with Xi shows the US–China relationship is “extremely strong”

They discussed Ukraine, fentanyl and soy beans.

Trump accepted Xi’s invitation to visit Beijing in April and invited him for a state visit in late 2026.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇺🇸🇨🇳 Trump is considering allowing Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 AI chips to China, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

💸 Clause on using frozen Russian assets removed from Ukraine peace plan - report

📍 A provision on allocating frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction has been removed from the US-proposed settlement plan, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources.

🔸 What was changed

🔶 The original 28-point US plan included using $100 billion of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s recovery.

🔶 It also envisioned the US receiving 50% of the profit, with the remainder going into a US–Russian investment fund.

➖ Western countries froze around €260 billion in Russian Central Bank assets after the start of the military operation. Moscow considers any use of these assets — or interest earned on them — unlawful and has warned of retaliatory measures.

🔸 Geneva talks outcome

🔶 After the Geneva meeting, both the US and Ukraine said they had created “updated and improved frameworks” for a settlement.

🔶 Ukraine claimed that the 28-point plan “no longer exists” in its previous form — some points were removed, others rewritten.

🔶 Financial Times and Washington Post report the plan has shrunk from 28 to 19 points, though the final number remains undecided.

👀 Russia has not seen any official plan and will not discuss drafts through the media. “We do not know how reliable any of this is,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🟠 US peace plan for Ukraine will be revised by ALL sides - Kremlin aide

🟠 EU's Ukraine plan: A non-starter aimed at prolonging the proxy war with Russia

🟠 Why are US military advisers alerting Ukraine to imminent defeat?

🟠 How Russia's gold gambit paid off big time

🟠 Expert reveals how to build China-led 'anti-dollarized' trade system

🟠 US' Ukraine plan: Tomahawks may be considered but won’t make final agreement – French analyst

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 US judge tosses the 'Russiagate' cases

A federal judge has dismissed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James, ruling that Trump-appointed prosecutor Lindsey Halligan had "no legal authority" to bring the indictments.

The cases were dismissed due to violations of the Appointments Clause, though prosecutors may attempt to refile.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔊 No plans for Trump-Zelensky meeting — Leavitt

There is a "sense of urgency" to reach a peace agreement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters following the US-Ukraine talks in Geneva.

According to Leavitt, the US and Ukraine will continue working on several "points of disagreement."

She added that the pressure on both Russia and Ukraine will continue.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇵🇱 Polish leader pushes to abolish European Council president role

📍 President Karol Nawrocki has raised alarm about the concentration of EU power in the hands of a few during a speech at Charles University in Prague.

He argued that the duties of the president of the European Council should be carried out by the head of government of the member state holding the EU’s rotating presidency.

💬 "The president of the Council has to be, as before, the president, prime minister or chancellor of his or her country, that is a politician with a democratic mandate and political base, rather than a bureaucrat–official dependent on the support of the EU’s greatest powers," Nawrocki said.

What's behind Nawrocki's stance?

👉 The Polish president warns that there are forces seeking to create "a more centralized" EU and strip member states of their sovereignty, downgrade their democracies and establish "the superiority of EU institutions" over the bloc's national governments.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📑 Trump ready to call Maduro — Reports

President Trump is preparing for direct talks with Nicolas Maduro, even after designating the Venezuelan leader head of a terrorist organization, administration officials tell Axios.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣 US can't send weapons to NATO forever — Leavitt

"The United States is still sending or selling a big amount of weapons to NATO. We cannot do that forever," she told Fox News.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 Japan’s military buildup leaves China concerned about regional security

🇨🇳 China has criticized Japan’s move to deploy missiles at Yonaguni, a Japanese island located about 110 kilometers east of Taiwan.

🇯🇵 Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi - who announced the deployment c- laimed that the move is purely defensive.

🟠 Beijing apparently wasn’t convinced by his rhetoric, with China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning arguing that Japan’s actions warrant vigilance from neighboring countries and from the international community.

🟠 She noted that Tokyo’s actions only escalate regional tensions and provoke military confrontation, pointing out how Japan ramps up its military spending and even plans to abandon its three non-nuclear principles.

💬 "Japan's right-wing provocateurs are trying every means to break free from the pacifist constitution, going further down the path of military buildup and leading Japan and the region to disastrous outcomes," she said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📍 US-backed Gaza aid group shuts down

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed aid distributor, is ending operations after months of criticism over its role in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians seeking aid.

The group, which bypassed UN agencies, forced civilians to travel long distances to its southern Gaza hubs — where many were shot by Israeli forces while approaching.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt