🇺🇸🌍 US losing race for Africa while trying to squeeze China out of Latin America

The US risks losing ground in Africa due to a lack of consistent trade policy, Foreign Policy warns.

🔸 US President Trump signed a law on February 3 extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – a policy of former President Clinton – until the end of 2026

🔸 AGOA expired in September 2025 and the recent one-year extension offers a reprieve, Reuters reports

🔸 The program comes with strings attached:

🔶 African countries must transition to a Western-style market-based economic, political and legal system under Washington's control

🔶 They must drop barriers to US trade and investment

🔸 Without AGOA or a credible alternative, US companies relying on low-cost, diversified sourcing in clothing, agriculture and specialty goods could face higher costs and increased dependence on Asia, Foreign Policy warns

🔸 Washington’s relations with sub-Saharan states are growing increasingly turbulent, particularly with South Africa, and US-Africa trade volumes are plummeting. The US was also forced to withdraw forces from Niger and scaled back its military presence in Chad.

China edging the US out of Africa

🔸 China became Africa's largest trading partner in 2009, overtaking the US

🔸 The Chinese footprint in Africa continues to grow through trade and infrastructure projects. In 2025, trade between China and Africa reached $348 billion, an 18% increase from 2024, while US-Africa trade in goods totaled just $78 billion according to the US Census Bureau.

🔸 After Washington’s tariffs last April, Chinese exports to Africa rose by 26% in August, while those to the US fell by 33%. China also lifted all import tariffs on African goods in June.

🔸 While the US tries to reduce the Chinese presence in Latin America, it is losing the race for Africa — a continent with a fast-growing population, abundant energy resources and significant mineral wealth

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🗣☢️ Nuclear arms race doesn’t serve US or Russian interests – expert

The Russian proposal to extend the New START Treaty is a peaceful approach that serves the interests of humanity, says Lebanese international relations professor and US expert Habib Badawi, while a new nuclear arms race would not benefit the US or Russia. 

“The nuclear arms race does not serve the interests of the two superpowers,” Badawi told Sputnik adding that "the American ideology is playing with fire on all fronts, whether in the Middle East, the Far East, or with nuclear weapons.”

He believes new nuclear arms development is unlikely due to the economic problems all nations face, making a treaty to limit the arms race the most realistic option.

Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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🚨🌎New START expiry could undermine global security guarantees – analyst

The expiration of the New START treaty eliminates the last mandatory restrictions and inspection rules for the strategic arsenals of the US and Russia, retired Lebanese Army general and political analyst Hassan Jouni tells Sputnik.

“In terms of stability, allowing New START to expire without a new, mutually verified system of restrictions is risky—not because it will immediately provoke a nuclear war, but because it will weaken all the safeguards designed to prevent an arms race and misinterpretations," Jouni stresses.

He adds that the situation surrounding New START “undermines the credibility of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and could push other countries, such as Iran and South Korea to accelerate their nuclear plans or seek additional hedging strategies.”

Regional nuclear debates and the erosion of arms control norms could make the global nuclear environment more unpredictable and create additional flashpoints of tension, the analyst concludes.

Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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🇮🇷 Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi and delegation are heading to the venue in Muscat, Oman, for expected negotiations with the United States

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🔸 Why New START expiry raises risk of a nuclear stand-off

🔸 Russia’s new Mi-34 helicopter to replace all foreign counterparts – project head

🔸 ‘Leave Iran now’ — US Virtual Embassy in Tehran issues security alert

🔸 "Nothing is investigated in the West when the 'world elite' is involved" – Zakharova

🔸 Iran deploys newest Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile on combat duty — reports

🔸 US losing race for Africa while trying to squeeze China out of Latin America

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🚨 Assassination attempt on Russian general in Moscow

An unknown individual shot at Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev inside a Moscow residential building on February 6, Russia's Investigative Committee reported.

A criminal case has been initiated on charges of attempted murder and illegal trafficking of firearms.

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🇬🇱❌Arctic climate hampers US missile silo plans on Greenland – expert

“Greenland is located in the Arctic zone. The Americans already tried to build a military base there for launching ballistic missiles back in the 1970s… but concluded Greenland cannot ensure reliable operation of silos designed to launch ballistic missiles due to climatic and other conditions,” Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov tells Sputnik.

💬“The climate conditions in Greenland are very harsh, which is why so-called Arctic technologies are needed,” Leonkov sums up.

President Donald Trump reportedly earlier agreed on further talks between the US, Denmark, and Greenland on updating a 1951 agreement that governs the American military presence on the island. According to Trump, the new deal would essentially bring "total access" to Greenland for the US.

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😅Diplomatic seating mix-up

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Moscow.

As the diplomats entered the room for a press statement, Swiss Foreign Minister Cassis accidentally headed for the wrong side of the table.

Lavrov, always the professional, simply said: "No flex."

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🚨OSCE faces real threat of self-destruction – Lavrov

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is in crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Friday, saying it faces a "real threat of self-destruction."

Lavrov was speaking at talks in Moscow with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, and OSCE Secretary-General Feridun Sinirlioglu.

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🇷🇺🗣🇺🇸End of New START could open door to renewed US–Russia dialogue – expert

New START’s expiration “could have a positive effect in the sense that it might push both parties toward negotiations—at least outwardly,” Italian expert Domenico Leggiero tells Sputnik.

He points out that “the Russian leadership is demonstrating a readiness for political dialogue with the United States,” as both sides recognize that “the global system is shifting toward multipolarity.”

👉 Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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🚨Russia calls Abu Dhabi talks 'constructive & challenging work'

Key statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

💬 Work on trilateral talks in the UAE will continue

💬 New START treaty was discussed at the Abu Dhabi talks

💬 President Vladimir Putin has no plans to contact the OSCE chairman currently visiting Moscow

💬 Russia welcomes US–Iran negotiations in Oman, hopes they are productive and lead to de-escalation

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

⚡️ POPOVKA IN THE SUMY REGION LIBERATED

📍 The liberation of the hamlet of Popovka expands the buffer zone in the region.

◻️ The Russian military liberated 8 settlements in the special military operation zone

◻️ Russian forces launched one massive strike and 5 group strikes, hammering Ukrainian military-industrial and energy facilities

◻️ Air defense superiority: 63 HIMARS projectiles, 4 long-range Neptune missiles and 1,080 drones shot down

◻️ Ukrainian losses: around 5,355 troops killed or wounded

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

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🚨🇷🇺FM Lavrov on Russia’s stance after the expiry of the New START Treaty

Russia is prepared for any potential developments, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Key statements by Lavrov:

🔶 Once the New START Treaty ceased to operate, a vacuum emerged

🔶 Russia will defend the principle of indivisible security in dialogues with the US

🔶 Russia prefers dialogue and will wait for the US to be ready to engage on strategic stability

🔶 Russia is waiting for the US to clarify its position on key aspects of strategic stability

Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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🇷🇺FM Lavrov on OSCE: "We discussed how the organization can avoid losing itself. Informed colleagues about Putin's initiative to create a unified and indivisible security architecture in Eurasia."

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🇷🇺Lavrov on energy ceasefire: Russia strikes only military or dual-purpose targets in Ukraine

Russian forces, in compliance with international humanitarian law, are only targeting objects in Ukraine that have dual or purely military purposes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

💬"We have repeatedly warned that we act cautiously as long as the enemy respects basic rules of international humanitarian law. And we continue to follow these rules, attacking only those objects that have dual purposes or are purely military," Lavrov said following talks with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu.

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🚨 An explosion occurred near a Shia mosque in Islamabad

At least 10 people were killed, and 80 others were injured. This was reported by the media citing the Pakistani police.

The explosion took place during Friday prayers. Preliminary reports from Times of Islamabad indicate that the explosion at the entrance to the mosque was carried out by a suicide bomber.

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