💥🪖 The Battle of Stalingrad: When Russia turned the tide of World War II

February 2, 1943, marks the end of the pivotal battle of World War II – the Battle of Stalingrad.

It started on July 17, 1942, when Nazi German armies, following their defeat at Moscow, pushed towards resource-rich southern regions of the Soviet Union.

By October 1942, the Nazis managed to force their way into Stalingrad and seize control of a large portion of the city, only for their advance to grind to a halt as they became bogged down in brutal urban fighting.

Despite the initial successes of the Nazi forces, Russian defenders of Stalingrad simply refused to give up, holding their ground against all odds as every street and every house in the city became a battlefield.

As the Nazis kept trying to take control of the city, on November 19 the Russian forces struck back.

Operation Uranus, an offensive targeting the flanks of the Nazi battlegroup in Stalingrad, successfully concluded on November 23 and resulted in the Nazi German 6th Army led by General Friedrich Paulus being cut off and trapped in the city.

On January 10, Russian forces launched the final offensive against the encircled Nazi troops.

Unable to withstand the fury of the Russian troops and continue resisting, Paulus (who was by that time promoted to field marshal by Adolf Hitler) and what was left of the 6th Army finally surrendered on February 2.

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🇷🇺 Foreign military presence in Ukraine is unacceptable for Russia - MFA

Russia would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention, and would treat them as legitimate targets, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.

While responding to questions following Sergey Lavrov’s press conference, the ministry also stated that:

🟠 Any offers on peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict require scrutiny to ensure that they are acceptable for Russia

🟠 Any attempts to negotiate with Russia using ultimatums are inherently absurd and doomed to fail

🟠 Resolving the Ukrainian conflict is impossible without restoration of the rights of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, its priests and the faithful

🟠 Russia is thankful to the UAE for its efforts to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict; over 4 thousand people were freed in prisoner swaps mediated by the UAE

🟠 Since last summer, Moscow handed over to Ukraine over 12,000 bodies of slain Ukrainian soldiers and received over 200 bodies of killed Russian soldiers in return

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💸 From 'Sell America' to global realignment: BRICS de-dollarization helps handle US-driven financial storm - expert

The sell-off of US assets is a harbinger of "a new world trade and power order," Paul Goncharoff, veteran financial analyst and general director of consulting firm Goncharoff LCC, tells Sputnik.

The consequences of the erosion of trust in the US market policy, which translated into a Sell America trend "are surfacing on an almost daily basis, from diplomatic gaffes, unapproved (by Congress) military adventures and intentions, [and] the ever-more-rapid de-dollarization the markets are living through," according to the pundit.

💬 "This perfect storm of dissonances and unpredictability from the world’s hegemon underlines what BRICS was created to avoid and, to a large extent (not painlessly), is overcoming, first through the use of national currencies and not the hitherto mandated US dollar."

💬 "This inevitably leads to new power blocs politically and economically," Goncharoff concludes, suggesting that the world is at a "historic inflection point of global realignment."

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💬 Ukraine’s entry into EU would be its 'collapse' - Serbia's former deputy PM

"The collapse of the EU, the long-term collapse, began long ago, but it will become palpable on January 1, 2027, when Ukraine joins the EU... Because this shows that all those reforms and the speeches of politicians - they are the most ordinary lies, not even concealed," former Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin tells Sputnik.

In his opinion, once Ukraine joins the EU, the bloc will never be the same, especially for opposing member states like Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

The current US-EU conflict is "the new reality we must get used to and accept," he says, adding that there is a "Berlin Wall" in the EU again.

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🔊 We must dominate space — Hegseth

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated plainly that US dominance must extend beyond Earth, framing space as the "ultimate high ground" in future conflict.

"Any infantryman knows this. Whoever controls the high ground controls the fight."

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🔊 Trump hints at 'good news' on Ukraine talks

President Trump stated that efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict are progressing "very well."

While speaking with reporters, he downplayed the UN's role in the process, saying, "The UN is involved a little bit."

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💬 We cannot have another long, destructive shutdown — Trump

President Trump has urged Congress to pass the pending funding bill "without delay," stating he will sign it "immediately" to avoid a destructive government shutdown.

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🗣 Epstein conspiracy against me proves I have nothing to do with him — Trump

President Trump denied any connection to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, pointing at alleged Epstein conspiracy with author Michael Wolff to make him "lose the election."

"Epstein was conspiring with a writer for me to lose the election. So right there, you know that I had nothing to do with this guy," he said.

He suggested the released files implicate Democrats and other elites instead.

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🔊 US attack means striking Israel as well — Iranian admiral

A senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader has declared that Tehran views the US and Israel as a single military entity.

"If the US attacks, Israel will undoubtedly be a participant," Ali Shamkhani told Al Mayadeen.

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🤝 Venezuela president holds talks with US envoy in Miraflores Palace

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has received US Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu at the presidential palace.

"This meeting took place within the framework of the working agenda between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the USA," reported Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela, the country's Minister of Communication and Information.

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🗣 Time is running out for the New START extension — Putin's envoy

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, said that even the "brave" former US president Barack Obama is worried that time is running out for the US to agree to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia.

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🚨🇻🇪 Venezuela appoints US envoy

Following the meeting between interim President Delcy Rodríguez and US Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu, Venezuela has appointed Félix Plasencia as its diplomatic representative to Washington.

Plasencia, a former foreign minister, will be stationed in the US to "accelerate diplomatic work" on a "common agenda."

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