🇷🇺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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🇷🇺Lavrov on security guarantees for Ukraine

❗️The security guarantees Ukraine proposed in 2022 required consensus from all guarantors—including Russia and China—on any military deployments or exercises in Ukraine. What NATO is planning now is an intervention, the exact opposite.

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🚨🇷🇺 Key statements by Russian FM Lavrov following talks with Swiss FM and OSCE head:

💬 Assassination attempt on General Vladimir Alexeyev demonstrates that Ukraine is ready for constant provocations aimed at derailing the negotiation process

💬 With OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, actions that could help preserve the organization's relevance were discussed

💬 Swiss FM and the current OSCE head desire to overcome the crisis within the organization

💬 Russia is ready to discuss security issues with the US within the framework of strategic stability

💬 After the expiration of New START, Russia is ready for any development of events; the treaty’s end will create a vacuum

💬 In dialogue with the United States, Russia will uphold the principle of indivisible security

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🇵🇰🌏 Pakistan's geopolitical pivot: Why Islamabad is hedging its bets

For decades, Pakistan’s geopolitical compass was oriented decisively toward Washington. Now, as US hegemony continues to decline, Islamabad is charting a new course, looking beyond its traditional ally to find a place—and partners—in a more complicated world.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

🟠 A steadfast strategic partner and leading investor. Saudi funding supports the development of hospitals, schools, and mosques, while also bolstering Pakistan’s defense capabilities through arms transfers and joint military exercises.

🟠 In 2025, the two nations further solidified their alliance with a mutual defense agreement, committing to a coordinated response in the event of external aggression.

🇨🇳 China

🟠 Pakistan serves as a major market for Chinese goods and a critical hub for trade transit, notably through the strategically vital Port of Gwadar - a free economic zone and key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

🟠 CPEC, in turn, is the flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to provide China with access to trade routes and markets in Asia, Europe, and Africa.

🇹🇷 Turkiye

🟠 Relations are rooted in shared cultural, religious, and geopolitical affinities. Analysts note that Ankara perceives Islamabad as a natural ally in balancing influence in the region, especially amid growing India–Israel ties.

🟠 Trilateral cooperation was formalized in 2021 through a joint declaration signed by Pakistan, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan in Baku. The document established a framework for interaction among the parliaments of the three states, which may also be expanded to other areas, including the security sphere.

🇺🇸 United States

🟠 A historically significant, though recently strained, partnership. During the Cold War, Pakistan was a key US ally. Washington contributed substantially to modernizing Pakistan’s military before suspending aid over nuclear proliferation concerns in 1979.

🟠 The withdrawal of US troops Afghanistan and growing cooperation between Washington and New Delhi put further strain on the relationship.

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🚨💥 New START expiry 'WAKE-UP CALL' that may destroy international security system – expert

The expiration of the New START treaty means the absence of any legal protection for the first time since the 1970s, which is pushing the world toward a state of “complete nuclear uncertainty," Egyptian expert Hatem Saber tells Sputnik.

“This vacuum would inevitably lead to increased risks of a global nuclear arms race,” especially given the rapid buildup of nuclear arsenals by a number of countries, as well as “the ongoing erosion of arms control agreements, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty,” the expert emphasizes.

Saber warns that “the world now faces several scenarios, each extremely dangerous”:

🟠New arms race with the deployment of hypersonic missiles

🟠Return to tactical nuclear deterrence and focus on low-yield nuclear weapons, risking a catastrophe akin to the Cuban Missile Crisis due to a lack of transparency

The end of New START does not mean immediate nuclear war, but may be followed by the most dangerous nuclear phase since the end of the Cold War. The key contours of this phase could emerge within the next two years, the expert concludes.

👉 Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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🇮🇷Oman talks wrap up: Iranian foreign minister hails 'a good start'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken on television after negotiaions with the US in the Omani capital Muscat. Here are the key details:

🔸Intensive and productive talks: "We had long and intense negotiations today, from 10am to almost 6pm, with several rounds of indirect meetings," Araghchi said, where Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi played a key role in "facilitating the exchange of messages between parties."

🔸Exchange of views: "We presented our positions and concerns regarding Iran’s national interests and rights," Araghchi said, while "the views of the other side were heard."

🔸A beginning, not a breakthrough: "This was a good start, but the next steps depend on consultations in our capitals and a decision on how to proceed."

🔸Future talks set to continue: "We are close to agreeing that negotiations should continue, but the time, method, and date will be determined in further consultations through the Omani Foreign Minister, God willing," Araghchi stressed. "Overall, the atmosphere was positive, and I would sum it up as a good beginning."

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🇷🇺Russian gold reserves hit record high of $403 Bln

The value of Russian gold reserves soared to $403 billion in January, making up 48% of its international reserves—the highest since 1995.

That came as Russia's total international reserves jumped to $834 billion, marking a significant 23% increase in gold investments.

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📊Russia, US dominate Europe's energy supply

More than 80% of Europe’s LNG in January came from just two suppliers - the US and Russia - with Russian shipments holding at a strong 18% share.

Explore Sputnik's videographic to find out more!👆🏻

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🤔 Why replacing New START could be tricky task

🟠 The development of a new comprehensive pact to replace the New START treaty could take at least five years, Valdai International Discussion Club expert Andrey Kortunov tells Sputnik.

🟠 He says that such agreements typically take a very long time to prepare, and this will be even more difficult now that the experience of the negotiation process has been lost and the experts who worked on New START are gone.

💬 “Although it's difficult to expect any breakthroughs in the near future, the most important thing is that the Americans are ready for dialogue on the matter,” Kortunov points out.

🟠 The expert doesn’t rule out that both sides could finally agree on a deal in the form of parallel declarations of intent, taking into account the modernization programs implemented by Russia and the US, rather than a full-fledged treaty.

💬 “The situation has changed significantly since New START was drafted, which is why working out a new document will be a tricky task. The sides will have to redefine many arms control parameters that will be in effect for decades,” Kortunov concludes.

👉 Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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🇭🇺🇪🇺 Orban: EU wartime economy means $1.5 trillion for Ukraine & austerity for Europeans

European governments are preparing to meet a colossal financial demand for Ukraine: $800 billion for state operations (pensions, salaries) plus $700 billion for armament, totaling $1.5 trillion, the Hungarian prime minister states.

💬 "That’s why there are austerity measures everywhere in Europe, so they can send the money to Ukraine," he adds.

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🚨No new round of Ukraine talks planned in US – Kremlin

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has ruled a new round of Ukraine peace talks on US soil.

💬"I don't think so, there has been no talk about it," he clarified.

While dismissing a US venue, Peskov confirmed that a new round of negotiations will happen soon. "There is no exact date yet," he said, "but it will be soon."

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🚨 Military escalation risks rise worldwide as New START expires – expert

🔶 Now that the whole world is rearming, “the end of this treaty is one of the factors that could potentially reignite the arms race," French political scientist Sebastien Perimony tells Sputnik.

🔶 He describes this dynamic as “extremely dangerous,” adding that “every time the world rearms, as we saw twice in the 20th century, it always resulted in a global tragedy,” an apparent reference to WWI and WWII.

🔶 At the same time, the pundit praises the determination of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping “to play a stabilizing role” in maintaining world peace.

🔶 Highlighting the “ongoing de-Westernization of the world,” the analyst calls for a new global security architecture designed to prevent imbalances that could plunge the world into catastrophe.

👉 Read more about the New START Treaty HERE

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