🚨 Lavrov: NATO seeks to turn Arctic into zone of confrontation

Russia’s top diplomat pointed to the growing militarization of the region and the mounting challenges to Moscow’s established rights over the Northern Sea Route.

💬 "The past saw multiple provocations, such as French ships entering the Northern Sea Route without any proper permission or notifications. We still witness such provocations at sea," Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Empatia Manuchi channel.

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🗣 'There is truly PEACE in the Middle East' — Trump

President Trump confirmed no agreement was reached with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Iran, insisting instead that negotiations continue.

"I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be," he wrote on Truth Social.

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🤔 Lavrov: Where’s the mythical 20-point Ukraine plan? No sign of it anywhere

Russia never received the much-talked-about 20-point plan for Ukraine, neither through official nor unofficial channels, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed in an interview with the Empatia Manuchi project.

💬 "In Anchorage, we encountered an approach rooted in genuine US initiatives and proposals—the kind that actually yielded peace. On that foundation, a settlement could have been finalized swiftly," he noted.

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🔊 Dmitriev drops hammer on Starmer's 'Orwellian regime'

"Paedophile appointments nicely supplement uncontrolled migration, grooming gangs, early release of criminals, warmongering, censorship, and economic failures of the Starmer Orwellian regime," Kirill Dmitriev, RDIF head and Russian special presidential envoy wrote on X.

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⚔️ Pentagon readies second aircraft carrier for Iran strike — report

The US has ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for immediate deployment to the Middle East, WSJ reported.

According to the paper, citing US officials, the deployment order could come in "a matter of hours."

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✍️ US House passes SAVE America Act enforcing voter ID

The US House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation to overhaul federal election laws, requiring voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person and present photo ID to cast a ballot.

The measure passed 218–213, with unified Republican support and all but one Democrat voting against. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain amid fierce opposition from voting rights advocates.

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🗣 Canada is among the worst countries to deal with — Trump

President Donald Trump accused Canada of taking advantage of the US for decades, calling Ottawa "among the worst in the World to deal with" regarding the northern border.

Despite his statement on Truth Social, the US House of Representatives voted 219 to 211 in favor of a resolution to terminate Trump's use of a national emergency to put tariffs on Canadian goods.

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🔊 Venezuela and US eye energy ties as new 'engine' of relations — President

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez appeared alongside US Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Miraflores Palace, emphasizing a significant shift in bilateral ties.

"We have had a work agenda with important focal points. The first point is the establishment of a long-term productive partnership that allows for an energy agenda that becomes the engine of the bilateral relationship," Rodríguez said.

The meeting follows recent Treasury licenses easing Venezuela oil sanctions.

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🤝 Iran sets $30B trade target with Russia

Iran is aiming to more than quintuple annual trade with Moscow, targeting $5 billion this year and a midterm vision of $30 billion, Iran's Ambassador Kazem Jalali announced.

"Our goal for this year is to exceed $5 billion. However, our vision goes beyond these figures, and in the midterm, we aim to reach $30 billion."

Energy, agriculture, and strategic partnership — insulated from Western sanctions and dollar systems.

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🔊 US Energy Secretary to Venezuela: 'Make Americas great again'

Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered a direct message from President Trump to Venezuelan officials, proposing an "absolute transformation" of the long-hostile bilateral relationship.

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📑 Switzerland will vote on population cap — report

The Swiss People's Party forced a national referendum to cap permanent residents at 10 million, calling into question Switzerland's open-border accords with the EU.

The current population of Switzerland is 9.1 million, 27% of whom are foreign residents.

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🇷🇺🤝🇺🇸 US & Russia need to tackle 'tough obstacles' to work out arms control treaty - think tank

"Based on Trump’s words, it is vital that the United States and Russia dispatch expert teams to negotiate on a new framework agreement. The president's statement is better late than never, but there are tough obstacles that the two sides will need to tackle," Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball tells Sputnik.

The sides should avoid uploading additional warheads while negotiators seek to work out the details of a new nuclear control framework, he adds.

📍 In September 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that Russia and the US continue adhering to the New START nuclear arms control treaty, but no response was received from Washington.

The agreement expired on February 5.

On the same day, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the New START was a “badly negotiated deal” and should be replaced with a new, modernized agreement.

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🇩🇪💵 Germany’s gamble to ditch Russian oil cost it $47.5B

The counterproductive decision to turn its back on Russian oil has come at a steep price for Germany, shows Eurostat data.
By going along with Western sanctions on Russian supplies, Germany has overpaid roughly $47.50 billion for oil — a price tag that’s hard to ignore.

🔶 In January–November 2021, Germany was buying oil at an average of ~ $65.54 per barrel

🔶 As sanctions pressure on Russia grew so did prices: in the same period in 2022, the average price jumped to ~ $107.53 per barrel

🔶 In 2023, Germany paid ~ $92.09 per barrel

🔶 In 2024 - ~ $89.61

🔶 Last year, the price eased to ~ $75.6 per barrel — still well above pre-sanctions levels

Imports also fluctuated.

🔸 In the first year of anti-Russian sanctions, volumes actually increased: in the first 11 months of 2022, Germany imported 502.1 million barrels, up from 445 million a year earlier

🔸 In 2023, imports dipped to 417.9 million barrels

🔸 In 2024, they climbed again to 451.9 million barrels

🔸 In the first 11 months of last year, volumes slipped to 425.5 million barrels

Higher import prices have translated into significant losses:

👉 Over 2022–2024, Germany’s missed gains amount to about $42.97 billion

👉 In the incomplete year of 2025 alone - $4.27 billion

After Germany effectively lost access to Russian imports, that shift drove up costs for industry, transport, and the energy sector — a bill that ultimately landed on the broader economy.

Germany has now been in a state of general economic stagnation for three consecutive years, while Russia has grown ever more resilient.

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🔹 Lavrov: NATO seeks to turn Arctic into zone of confrontation

🔹 Venezuela and US eye energy ties as new 'engine' of relations — President

🔹 Iran sets $30B trade target with Russia

🔹 Canada is among the worst countries to deal with — Trump

🔹 Lavrov: Where’s the mythical 20-point Ukraine plan? No sign of it anywhere

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👀 'New START was very strong and effective agreement' — US Arms Control Association

💬 “And the next challenge is to negotiate something better,” Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball told Sputnik.

Trump said earlier this month that the New START, which expired on February 5, was a badly negotiated deal by the United States.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was prepared to continue adhering to the New START restrictions for one year after February 5, 2026. He explained that steps to comply with the treaty's restrictions would be effective if the United States reciprocated.

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