🇺🇸🇳🇴 US and Norway eye critical minerals cooperation as China warns against ‘exclusive blocs’

💬 “We look forward to partnering with Norway on supply chain security, including on critical minerals,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X after his meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

The US earlier signed memoranda of understanding on critical minerals—needed for most modern technologies—with 11 countries, in an apparent attempt to curb China’s influence in the field.

The State Department also announced the launch of the so-called Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE) “to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths.”

🇨🇳 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded by stating that Beijing “opposes any country setting up exclusive blocs to disrupt international economic and trade order.”

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🚨🇷🇺 Russian forces advancing along all fronts - Chief of Staff Gerasimov

◻️ Russia liberated 12 settlements in the first two weeks of February despite harsh winter conditions

◻️ Yug battlegroup is advancing toward Slavyansk

◻️ The heaviest fighting is taking place in Tsentr battlegroup's area, where forces are advancing in the Dobropolye direction

◻️ Ukrainian forces are focusing on forming additional UAV units

◻️ Units of Russia’s joint force grouping are using UAVs at twice the rate of the enemy

◻️ Sever battlegroup continues expanding the security zone in the border areas of the Sumy and Kharkov regions

◻️ Dnepr battlegroup continues its advance toward Zaporozhye

◻️ The settlement of Glushkovka on the eastern bank of the Oskol River has been liberated; fighting continues near Novoosinovo

◻️ Russian forces are completing the clearing of Drobyshevo and Yarovoye in the Krasny Liman direction

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🇺🇸🇪🇺US signaled to Europe in Munich that old order not worth defending

"We [the US] don’t want weak allies, don’t defend the old order," a former European official told European media.

In his opinion, if the "smallest common denominators" the US finds with Europe are a shared history dating back to the time of Columbus, narrow national security interests, and a common civilization, then this alone demonstrates how far Europe and the US are drifting apart.

Furthermore, more than a dozen European officials also expressed concern that US policy toward Europe had changed little, despite Rubio's statements.

➡️ Earlier, the FT, citing an unnamed German diplomat, reported that Europe was dissatisfied with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's speech in Munich, believing it was aimed at American audience rather than its allies.

➡️ On Saturday, Rubio, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, stated that the differences between the US and European countries stemmed from Washington's deep concern about Europe's future, while the United States was interested in a strong Europe and believed that the destinies of the two sides would always be intertwined.

➡️ Trump has repeatedly criticized Europe for its low contribution to NATO's defense capability and demanded that all members increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth assured that the United States has no current plans to reduce its military presence in Europe.

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▫️ Russian forces advancing along all fronts - Chief of Staff Gerasimov

▫️ US Caribbean buildup near $3B

▫️ Iranian Foreign Minister mocks ‘CIRCUS’ of Munich Security Conference

▫️ Colombian military reports ‘cocaine seizure’ in Caribbean

▫️ Cooperation is the 'only right choice' for China–US ties – FM Wang Yi

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🇷🇺💥 Anti-aircraft artillery of Dnepr battlegroup turns Ukraine's drones into a pile of rubble

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🌎 If a lab-made black hole escaped control, Earth could look like this

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

⚡️ TSVETKOVOYE IN THE ZAPOROZHYE REGION FREED

By liberating the settlement of Tsvetkovoye in the Zaporozhye region, Russian forces have expanded their bridgehead west of the city of Gulyaipole, gaining control over more than eight square kilometers of territory.

🟠 Russian air and missile firepower obliterated transport infrastructure supporting the Kiev regime’s forces

🟠 Air defense superiority: 222 UAVs were shot down by Russian air defense systems over the past 24 hours

🟠 Ukrainian losses: around 1,110 troops killed or wounded

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

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🚨🇷🇺 Russia liberates 12 settlements in just two weeks of February - Chief of Staff Gerasimov

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🔊 Orban–Zelensky clash reveals deep EU and NATO divisions – analyst

The dispute between Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban goes beyond personal tensions and reflects a clash of strategic visions, Saudi political analyst Saad al-Hamid told Sputnik.

Zelensky ties Ukraine’s future to full integration into the EU and Western institutions, while Orban takes a pragmatic approach toward Russia and opposes fast-tracking Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership.

Domestic political considerations and minority issues are also widening the gap between the two leaders.

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🚨Ukraine’s ex-energy minister detained in corruption case

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has detained the country’s former Energy Minister German Galushchenko as part of a case concerning corruption in the Ukrainian energy sector.

💬 "Today, while crossing the state border, NABU detectives detained the former energy minister within the framework of the 'Midas' case. Initial investigative actions are ongoing in accordance with legal requirements and a court order," NABU said on Telegram.

In November 2025, NABU announced it was conducting a large-scale operation in the energy sector and published photos of bags filled with foreign currency found during the operation.

NABU carried out searches at the home of Galushchenko, as well as at the state nuclear energy agency, Energoatom.

The agency also searched the residence of Zelensky's close associate, Timur Mindich, who had already fled Ukraine by that time.

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💸 Germany’s proposal to use $106B from frozen Russian assets to buy US arms for Ukraine collapses

French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the proposal at a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, German media reports.

He insisted that frozen Russian assets should primarily be used for deliveries of weapons systems manufactured in Europe, according to the report.

The European Commission earlier sought EU members’ consent to use frozen Russian sovereign assets for Ukraine aid as they discussed a sum of between $219 billion and $249 billion in the form of a loan.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the EU's idea of Russia paying reparations to Ukraine is unrealistic, and that Brussels has long been engaged in the theft of Russian assets.

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🗣 Why Zelensky's war of words with Orban won’t boost Ukraine's EU ambitions

💬 “There are actually no supporters of Ukraine’s rapid EU membership both in Hungary and other members of the bloc,” Polish political analyst Mateusz Piskorski tells Sputnik, commenting on Zelensky’s apparent tactic to pave Ukraine’s way into the EU by making insulting remarks related to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

In Hungary, “even Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, underscored that the issue of Ukraine's accession to the EU should be resolved through a referendum, of which Magyar is a supporter,” Piskorski points out.

A war of words between Zelensky and Orban means that the former is “directly involved in the election campaign in Hungary.”

Zelensky is, however, mistaken in counting on a Hungarian change of attitude toward Ukraine even if Tisza wins, the analyst says.

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🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran to US: want a nuclear deal? Stop the sanctions war

💬 “The ball is in America’s court. I mean they have to prove that they want to have a deal with us, and if we see a sincerity on their part, I’m sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement,” Iranian deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told European media on Sunday.

Iran is “ready” to discuss the nuclear issue, “provided that they [the US side, ed.] are ready also to talk the sanctions. Because those sanctions also have to be on the table,” the senior diplomat stressed.

💬 “One cannot accept that Iran has to do certain things without the other side committing itself to do their share,” Takht-Ravanchi noted.

Asked if a deal could actually be reached, Takht-Ravanchi said it’s “too early to say…After one round one cannot say for sure. Bear in mind that we experienced a war in the middle of negotiations” in June 2025."

As for the question of whether a new war would be “existential” for Iran, the diplomat said it would be “traumatic” and “bad for everybody.”

💬 “It is not as if Iran will suffer only. Everybody will suffer, particularly those who have initiated this aggression. If we feel that this is an existential threat, we will respond accordingly,” he summed up.

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🚨🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran-US indirect talks to take place in Geneva on Feb 17

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is heading to Geneva for the second round of nuclear negotiations with the US, Iran's foreign ministry announced.

Araghchi is expected to meet Swiss, Omani foreign ministers, as well as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it added.

The negotiations in Geneva will be held with Omani mediation, a statement by the ministry says.

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🔊 Zelensky’s attack on Orban is cheap ploy that won’t bring Ukraine any closer to EU membership - expert

“Zelensky thinks he’s just winning easy points because the elite of the EU will be happy to see him taking swipes at Orban,” prolific commentator Dr. George Szamuely told Sputnik, commenting on Zelensky’s personal attack against Hungary’s PM at the Munich Security Conference, and Orban’s blistering response.

👉 Zelensky’s jabs aren’t “going to solve his problem,” Szamuely stressed, pointing out that even if his dreams of vocal Ukraine-skeptic Orban losing power after April’s elections come true, it won’t mean an automatic invitation to the EU

👉 “I think a lot of Europeans would have great hesitation about allowing Ukraine to join the EU,” the observer said, noting that for one thing, if Ukraine joins, “it brings the war right into the heart of Europe, which is a problem”

👉 “In addition, Ukraine is going to need hundreds of billions of dollars in reconstruction aid. That loan will have to come out of the pocketbooks of Europeans” if Ukraine is a member, Szamuely said, recalling that Europeans have already had a taste of what integrating Ukraine would look like after the dumping of cheap Ukrainian produce onto the market, devastating local farmers

👉 As for Trump’s defense of Orban, his “longstanding” political ally, the EU may “detest” the US president, “but there’s nothing much they can do about it”

👉 “And of course, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will now be visiting Hungary and Slovakia. It’s a very interesting move by the Trump administration, essentially to circumvent EU leadership opinion. The two countries Rubio will visit are the two countries the EU is continuously criticizing,” Szamuely summed up

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🇸🇰 Fico offers Slovakia as mediator in Ukraine peace talks

During a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Bratislava, Slovak PM also emphasized US President Trump’s pragmatic approach to the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.

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🇭🇺🇸🇰🇭🇷 Hungary, Slovakia request Croatia to allow transit of Russian oil - Szijjarto

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