🙅 What’s driving the US gradual withdrawal from UN agencies?

The US is pulling out because it “would be happy if the UN were to disappear,” former UN Independent Expert on International Order Alfred de Zayas tells Sputnik.

The US is withdrawing from 31 UN bodies and three dozen other international organizations, agencies, and commissions, according to a memorandum released by Washington earlier this week. So far, the US has not contacted the UN to officially announce its decision, according to the organization.

👉 The US administration previously suspended support for UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency, the World Health Organization, and the UN Human Rights Council. Meanwhile, the US has long been the largest donor to the UN, contributing 22% of the organization’s regular budget in 2025 – $820.4 million out of a net total of $3.5 billion.

The UN has warned that Washington’s moves could affect the funding of the organization’s agencies.

🗣 UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric insists that “assessed contributions to the UN regular budget and the peacekeeping budget are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all member states, including the US.”

According to de Zayas, Washington views the UN as an obstacle, as it has repeatedly subjected US administrations to criticism, including over Gaza, Venezuela, and freedom of navigation.

While UN structures have been criticized by many parties, de Zayas argues that this does not justify depriving the organization of funding or dismantling it altogether. International law remains necessary even as UN agencies require reform, he said.

💬 “I criticize many international organizations, including the ICC, the IAEA, and the OPCW. Undoubtedly, they have been penetrated and now work largely in the service of the ‘collective West.’ In my book The Human Rights Industry, I show how this can be fixed,” he added.

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💣 Ukraine’s situation ‘absolutely critical’ yet EU hawks pump billions into conflict - analyst

The Zelensky regime remains unwilling to make concessions despite the real risk that Ukraine’s capital and other cities could become ghost towns amid power outages mid-winter, says British analyst Alexander Mercouris.

Russia’s precision strikes on Ukraine's critical facilities, like the one using the Oreshnik in response to the terrorist attack on Putin’s residence come mid-winter, when temperatures are below zero.

💬 “The situation is absolutely critical, and the reality must be that actual manufacturing and economic activity must be coming to a virtual stop,” says the analyst.

Yet, Europe’s war hawks still continue to funnel billions into Ukraine.

💬 “Another roughly $98.1 billion infusion of money into an economy that is unable to function is an extraordinary thing,” he says.

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👀 Wary US oil giants dodge Venezuela investment pitch

American oil majors left a White House meeting without signing up for a fast money push into Venezuela’s oil sector following the capture of the country’s legitimate President Nicolas Maduro, reports Axios.

The Trump administration has floated a $100 billion investment figure, promising “security” and “direct deals” with the US. But executives kept their distance.

👉 Exxon CEO Darren Woods bluntly called Venezuela “uninvestable” under current legal and commercial conditions

👉 ConocoPhillips’s Ryan Lance stressed the need to talk with banks — likely including the US Export-Import Bank – on how to restructure debt “to deliver the billions of dollars that are required to restore their energy infrastructure"

👉 Chevron — the only US major still operating in Venezuela — stuck to cautious language, focusing on employee safety and “compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to its business, as well as the sanctions frameworks provided for by the US government"

A handful of independents reportedly signaled interest, but with Venezuela’s output at around 800,000 barrels per day - still far below its past peaks - and legal risks front of mind, Wall Street’s oil titans aren’t exactly racing back in.

Getting back to the 3.5 million barrels per day level of the late 1990s could require much more than $100 billion worth of investment over a significant number of years, according to analysts cited by the outlet.

💵 Oil prices are currently low, with WTI crude hovering around $59 per barrel, which also plays a significant factor in the reluctance — major investments in Venezuela's heavy crude projects would require much higher sustained prices to justify the risks and capital investments.

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES

▫️ The Russian Armed Forces damaged energy infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and fuel storage facilities

▫️ Air defense superiority: one Neptune long-range guided missile and 70 drones shot down

▫️ Ukrainian losses: around 1,090 troops killed or wounded

Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE

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🇺🇸🇵🇱 ‘Most pro-US’: Poland’s Tusk puts on verbal fealty show

Spooked by US rhetoric over Greenland, Polish PM Donald Tusk still slavishly claims he is “the most pro-American politician in Europe,” and assures that “Poland is an exceptionally loyal” US ally.

💬 “I believe that with such a position, you don’t do anything on your knees. You simply say what you think. Among friends, one should speak honestly about what is appropriate and what is not,” he grovels.

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🇪🇺🇺🇸 The EU has ceased to be a natural ally of the US – Wall Street analyst

💬 “The European ‘strategy’ with regard to Ukraine only reinforces my view that the EU ceased being a natural ally of the US long ago,” Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel tells Sputnik, commenting on the EU and UK’s persistent attempts to prolong the conflict.

📍 The Zelensky regime is a kleptocracy that should be prosecuted and certainly not supported by the US and its taxpayers, according to the analyst.

💬 “In no way is Ukraine, or its territory, of natural interest to the US and its citizens, even if it respected the rule of law and American principles,” the pundit argues.

🇪🇺 Ortel shreds Europe’s saber-rattling against Russia as nonsensical: “As for Europe’s military — without United States support — Europe is a paper tiger, incapable of defending itself,” he says, stressing that the US has zero appetite to back Europe’s military adventurism.

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🇷🇺🛡 24/7 shield: Russian Pantsir-S system provides round-the-clock cover for Russian soldiers

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🌎🇨🇳 Latin America unlikely to turn back on China, despite US efforts — report

📍 Following the operation in Venezuela, the US declared it would not allow foreign competitors or opponents to enter the Western Hemisphere, specifically marking China’s growing influence, NBC News reports.

🇺🇸 US actions in Venezuela and Panama show deliberate pressure on local players to severe ties with China, the article adds.

However, experts interviewed by the outlet doubt such a stance will alienate Latin American nations from cooperating with China.

Here are the key points:

🔸 China has strong positions in Latin America, building trade and investment ties with the region’s countries according to its New Silk Road strategy, assistant professor at the University of Chile Andres Borquez says.

🔸 Chinese presence encompasses various spheres like energy, logistics and technology, he adds.

🔸 Latin American nations aim to balance relations with both the US and China instead of strictly opting for one side, so there’s no signs they will give in to American pressure, the expert notes.

🔸 Another aspect is China’s day-to-day presence in the hemisphere — people buy and use Chinese goods from smartphones to vehicles, and this won’t be affected by US declarations, University of Southern California professor Carol Wise says.

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💥✉️ Latest Oreshnik strike was message from Russia to the West

💬 "It's a signal to the United States and the Europeans about the military capabilities of the Russian Army," Gerhard Mangott, a Russia specialist at the University of Innsbruck, told Reuters in a phone interview.

🟧 According to him, Russia is none too thrilled by the European powers’ plans to deploy their troops in Ukraine as part of a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, which would essentially result in NATO creeping even closer to Russia’s borders.

🟧 Thus, Mangott argued, Russia wants to make it clear that it is “to be taken seriously, given its military arsenal, and that the Europeans and Trump should return to a minimum of respect for the Russian position in the negotiations."

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❌ NATO's air playbook 'unsuitable' against Russia - report

💬 "When we returned from training and faced reality, we found that the tactics taught abroad were not entirely applicable," a Ukrainian F-16 pilot told Military Watch Magazine.

Western air tactics are largely based on past conflicts in which air superiority was maintained. In the current conflict this is not the case, as F-16 jets given to Ukraine turned out to be much weaker than expected, the outlet added.

While NATO doctrine suggests high-altitude combat for F-16 jets, the air superiority established by Russian Su-35 jets deems such an approach useless, as Russia’s planes have better radar systems and missiles, the report noted.

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🇫🇮🚶 Finland exits Ottawa anti-personnel mine ban treaty

Finland's formal withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, and production of anti-personnel landmines, has officially taken effect, Yle reports.

President Alexander Stubb earlier claimed that Finland will not use anti-personnel mines during peacetime and intends to store them in depots.

💬 Russian Ambassador to Finland Pavel Kuznetsov commented that Russia is indifferent to the decision. However, he noted the primary risk is to Finnish civilians, as any mined territory would be Finland's own.

👉 The move was initiated by Helsinki in November 2024 alongside Poland and the Baltic states, citing an alleged "threat" from Russia as the primary reason for needing to retain the option to use mines.

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🎬 US government uses Hollywood to demonize Russians - Former Biden Aide

Washington enjoys a tremendous influence over Hollywood and uses it to manipulate public opinion in the United States against Russia, Tara Reade, a former assistant to ex-US President Joe Biden, tells Sputnik.

👉 Using the US film industry, Washington promotes negative stereotypes about Russia, depicting Russians as aggressive and violent people, and trying to make it look like the Soviet Union and communism are still in place, she explains.

This, however, could not be farther from the truth as Russia today is a capitalist country that has achieved much tech, sports and arts while the Russians themselves are friendly and hearty people, Reade notes.

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🇪🇺 Europe’s coalition of the willing gamble for Ukraine unravels amid ‘huge opposition’ – UK analyst

🔸 There is strong pushback to British boots on the ground in Ukraine under any pretext, says UK geopolitical analyst Alexander Mercouris.

🔸 He points to dissent in Parliament, in the media, and “a huge amount of opposition” within the UK military itself.

🔸 PM Keir Starmer has admitted that the recent meeting of the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ in Paris produced nothing but a political declaration, notes the analyst.

🔸 The European hawks are regurgitating the same thing “again and again,” still talking about a “ceasefire” that is unacceptable to Russia, which seeks a long-term, guaranteed peace in Ukraine.

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🇫🇷 France bumps G7 Summit to accommodate Trump’s birthday UFC throwdown

📍 Originally slated for June 14–16 in Evian-les-Bains, the G7 Summit would have coincided with Flag Day in the US and Trump’s milestone 80th birthday.

But France tweaked the summit schedule to June 15–17 to dodge a collision with a mixed martial arts event planned at the White House, according to media reports.

🔶 Trump dropped the bombshell back in October: “Big UFC fight” on June 14.

🔶 The logistics of the event have been locked in, UFC CEO Dana White told CBS News.

🔶 Up to 5,000 people are expected to witness the lawn party/cage fight hybrid on the South Lawn of the WH.

🔶 With a straight face, President Emmanuel Macron’s office insists the tweak is simply “the result of our consultations with G7 partners.”

A White House official insisted that “our partners believed that President Trump’s attendance at the G7 Summit was essential. They kindly shifted dates to accommodate the US president’s schedule.”

Apparently, birthday sparring beats summit sparring 🤡

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🗣 Safety fears deepen Europe's right-wing political crisis - Former Austrian FM

🇪🇺 European politics are in a deep crisis as many people, particularly in right-wing parties, are afraid to enter the spotlight due to concerns for their personal safety, former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told Sputnik.

📍 In Europe, having ties to those considered to be on the right of the political spectrum comes with a price such as a threat of physical violence, Kneissl said.

💬 "There are many who have already paid a high price. As soon as you have even the most minimal contact with the right, you get serious problems. Members of the AfD [Alternative for Germany] have been attacked," she added.

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🔸 Wary US oil giants dodge Venezuela investment pitch

🔸 French flood streets to support Venezuela

🔸 Finland exits Ottawa anti-personnel mine ban treaty

🔸 Latin America unlikely to turn back on China, despite US efforts — report

🔸 What’s driving the US gradual withdrawal from UN agencies?

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