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Source: https://www.rt.com/rss/

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
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<channel>
<title>RT - Daily news</title>
<link>https://www.rt.com</link>
<description>RT : Today</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>RT</copyright>
<atom:link href="https://www.rt.com/rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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<url>https://www.rt.com/static/img/logo-rss.png</url>
<title>RT - Daily news</title>
<link>https://www.rt.com</link>
<width>125</width>
<height>40</height>
</image>
<item>
<title>China rejects comparing Ukraine conflict to Taiwan</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618407-china-condemn-compare-ukraine-taiwan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618407-china-condemn-compare-ukraine-taiwan/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b73b120302761b30f02b4.jpg" /> The Ukraine conflict and the issue of Taiwan are “not comparable at all,” Beijing says <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618407-china-condemn-compare-ukraine-taiwan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Beijing warns against drawing “unacceptable” parallels between the crisis in Europe and Southeast Asia
Drawing parallels between Taiwan and the Ukraine conflict is “unacceptible,” the Chinese Embassy in Singapore said in response to remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Comparing the Taiwan question with the Ukraine issue is unacceptable. The two are different in nature, and not comparable at all,” the embassy said on Facebook on Saturday, reiterating that the issue of Taiwan is “entirely China’s internal affair.”
The statement was released shortly after Macron delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday. “If we consider that Russia could be allowed to take a part of the territory of Ukraine without any restriction… What could happen in Taiwan?” he said.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b171a2030272cd020ea34.jpg" alt="French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a keynote address at the 22nd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Singapore, May 30, 2025." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618402-macron-nato-asia-warning/">Macron threatens China with NATO expansion</a></figcaption>
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<![CDATA[
Crimea voted to join Russia shortly after the 2014 US-backed coup in Kiev, and four other former Ukrainian regions did the same following referendums in 2022. Moscow has demanded that, for a viable peace deal, Ukraine must recognize Russia’s new borders and withdraw its troops from Russian territory.
Taiwan has had a separate government since 1949, when nationalists retreated to the island after losing a war with the Communists in mainland China. Beijing maintains that it will achieve “national reunification” and has warned the authorities in Taipei against formally declaring independence.
Only a handful of countries recognize Taiwan as an independent country, while most states, including the US and Russia, adhere to the ‘One-China’ principle. Nevertheless, multiple Western countries maintain informal ties with Taiwan.]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b73b120302761b30f02b4.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jun 2025 01:14:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Israel confirms killing new Hamas chief</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618424-israel-confirms-killing-of-hamas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618424-israel-confirms-killing-of-hamas/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.06/thumbnail/683b98e485f54031c62c0cf2.jpg" /> The Israeli military has said that the new head of Hamas was killed during an airstrike on the European Hospital in the Gaza Strip <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618424-israel-confirms-killing-of-hamas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Muhammad Sinwar was eliminated in an airstrike in the southern part of the Gaza Strip last month, the IDF said
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has officially confirmed the killing of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar during an airstrike conducted earlier this month in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. Sinwar took over Hamas after the IDF killed his brother Yahya Sinwar and senior commander Muhammad Deif in October.

The announcement comes as both sides reportedly signalled the willingness to accept a US-brokered ceasefire proposal.

According to an IDF statement released on Saturday, the strike was carried out on May 13 in coordination with security service Shin Bet. The army said the target was an underground command center operated by Hamas beneath the European Hospital.

“We eliminated the Head of Hamas, again. He happens to be a Sinwar too,” the IDF wrote on X.

“The terrorists were eliminated while operating in an underground command and control center, under the European Hospital in Khan Younis, deliberately endangering the civilian population in and around the hospital,” the IDF said.

The IDF said Sinwar played a “significant role in planning and executing the brutal October 7 massacre.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683886a485f5404ca70e5ca5.jpg" alt="Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618331-netanyahu-accepts-witkoff-gaza-ceasefire-proposal/">Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire proposal – media</a></figcaption>
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<![CDATA[
Also killed in the operation were Muhammad Shabana, commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, and Mehdi Kuwara, head of the organization’s Khan Younis battalion. The IDF identified both as key operatives in the October 7 attack and holding Israeli hostages.

Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied Sinwar’s death. The militant group previously denied the accusations of using civilian infrastructure as cover. Gazan health officials said at the time that 28 people were killed in the May 13 strike.

The strike was reported as Israel stepped up its operations in Gaza, following the collapse of the internationally brokered ceasefire in March.

While reports suggest that both Israel and Hamas have agreed in principle to a new ceasefire framework, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that military operations will continue until Hamas is fully eliminated. Following the hospital strike, he vowed to “go in with full force to complete the operation and free the remaining hostages.”]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Russia-Ukraine peace ‘up to them’ – State Department</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618423-us-ukraine-russia-role/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618423-us-ukraine-russia-role/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b922a2030275b880d7f2c.jpg" /> The US doesn’t want Russian-Ukrainian negotiations to stall, the State Department says <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618423-us-ukraine-russia-role/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
</description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
The US won’t broker the talks indefinitely, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce has said
Washington has done what it can to bring Moscow and Kiev to the negotiating table but won’t wait indefinitely for results, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told Fox News in an interview on Saturday.
Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years on May 16 in Istanbul, agreeing to submit detailed ceasefire proposals. Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed holding a second round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, though Kiev has yet to confirm its participation.
“This is not a long-term thing. This is not simply standard operating procedure. It’s not going to go on for months or years,” Bruce said, when asked whether the US had set a concrete timetable for the peace process.
“We have gotten people to the table, and they know what we are requiring. But it’s really up to them,” she added.
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<figure>
<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a41482030277da15e20fd.png" alt="Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyansky speaks to RT." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618380-polyansky-ukraine-zelensky-talks/">Zelensky ‘playing games’ instead of negotiating – Russian diplomat</a></figcaption>
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<![CDATA[
US President Donald Trump has previously warned that he would walk away from the process if no progress is made. He also threatened to impose new sanctions on Moscow should it fail to reach an agreement with Kiev. “Now, if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say: ‘You’re foolish. You’re fools. You’re horrible people’ – and we’re going to just take a pass,” Trump told reporters in April.
Moscow has rejected accusations of stalling the talks, saying it intends to present a document outlining its terms at the next meeting. Russian diplomats have also accused Kiev of deceiving Washington and “playing games” instead of negotiating in good faith.]]>
</content:encoded>
<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b922a2030275b880d7f2c.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2025 23:36:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
</item>
<item>
<title>Football fans riot after PSG victory (VIDEOS)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/sport/618415-psg-wins-champions-league/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/sport/618415-psg-wins-champions-league/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b8c1a85f540468363886b.jpg" /> Paris Saint-Germain wins Champions League with a record 5-0 as Paris descends into chaos <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/618415-psg-wins-champions-league/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Paris Saint-Germain football club has won the Champions League for the first time
Fans rioted after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stormed to their first-ever UEFA Champions League title, obliterating Inter Milan with a historic 5-0 rout in the final held in Munich.
The French powerhouse made history as the first club to win a Champions League final by a five-goal margin, cementing their dominance on Europe’s grandest stage. PSG’s Desire Doue became the sixth player in UEFA Champions League history to both score and assist in a final.
In Paris, euphoria erupted as fans flooded the streets, waving PSG scarves from car windows and setting off fireworks to celebrate the team’s maiden Champions League triumph. But the festivities turned chaotic on the Champs-Elysees, where police deployed tear gas and pepper spray to quell unrest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">PSG fans rioting in Paris causing chaos on the streets. They’re currently 4-0 up, if this is how they celebrate, imagine what would’ve happened if they’d lost? 😨😨 <a href="https://t.co/2FEPifzZpx">pic.twitter.com/2FEPifzZpx</a>— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) <a href="https://twitter.com/thecasualultra/status/1928913529039470633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A police spokesperson said a car set ablaze near Parc des Princes and said dozens of arrests were made by the end of the night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Caos total en París: turbas de aficionados del PSG cortan el tráfico y disparan fuegos artificiales contra la policía. <a href="https://t.co/KphUM2NH6r">pic.twitter.com/KphUM2NH6r</a>— Sr.Liberal (@SrLiberal) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrLiberal/status/1928909322777501768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In Munich, footage captured PSG and Inter fans clashing violently on public transport, with bottles flying and fists swinging. According to media outlets, at least one PSG supporter was injured in an ambush at the Universitat subway station, with reports alleging that Inter hooligans wielded bladed weapons.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🚨 Torcidas de Inter e PSG entram em conflito antes da final da UEFA Champions League! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CasaDaChampions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CasaDaChampions</a> Vídeo: X/ParisByMatch <a href="https://t.co/NVeYVxS34N">pic.twitter.com/NVeYVxS34N</a>— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TNTSportsBR/status/1928842912537665729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The violence underscores the intense rivalries that often erupt during high-stakes European fixtures.
]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b8c1a85f540468363886b.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2025 23:11:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Passenger train derails after bridge collapse in Russia: Live updates</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618409-russia-train-derailment-updates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618409-russia-train-derailment-updates/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b837685f5403433184ed5.png" /> A passenger train derailed in Russia after a bridge collapsed onto the tracks <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618409-russia-train-derailment-updates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Seven people have been killed and dozens more injured
A bridge overpass collapsed onto railway tracks as a passenger train No. 86 traveling from Klimov to Moscow passed underneath in Russia’s western Bryansk region on Saturday evening. At least seven people were killed and 30 others injured, according to officials.
First responders continue to rescue people from the wreckage. While the cause of the incident remains unclear, the newspaper Izvestia cited regional health officials as saying that the bridge was brought down by an explosion. Multiple Telegram channels have claimed that the bridge was likely targeted by sabotage.
]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b837685f5403433184ed5.png" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2025 21:39:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Seven dead after Russian train explosion – governor</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618408-train-derailment-collapse-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618408-train-derailment-collapse-russia/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b79ae2030276135152c67.jpg" /> A collapsing bridge has caused the derailment of a passenger train in Russia <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618408-train-derailment-collapse-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[
A bridge overpass collapsed in the Bryansk region as a Moscow-bound train was passing underneath
A bridge collapsed onto a passenger train in Russia’s western Bryansk region on Sunday, killing seven people and injuring 30 others, the region's governor Alexander Bogomaz has said.
While the exact cause of the incident remains unknown, Russian Railways said the bridge pillar collapsed due to “illegal interference with transport operations.”
The newspaper Izvestia cited regional health officials as saying the bridge was brought down by an explosion. Multiple Telegram news channels suggested the collapse was likely caused by sabotage.
Bogomaz has not yet disclosed the number of victims, saying that "everything necessary is being done to provide assistance" to them.  
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Videos circulating in Telegram show a crushed train carriage with passengers being evacuated through shattered windows, and emergency services responding at the scene. The collapse also reportedly affected vehicles on the bridge, which fell onto the train below.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) reported that fire and rescue units are actively working at the site of the bridge collapse. “All necessary assistance is being provided to the victims. Additional MChS forces, emergency rescue equipment, and lighting towers for nighttime operations have been deployed to the area,” the ministry noted in an official statement. 
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Just days earlier, a freight train in Russia's border Belgorod region, ran over an explosive device planted under the tracks, causing a powerful blast. According to the governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the explosion damaged the railway’s contact network but caused no casualties.]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b79ae2030276135152c67.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2025 21:28:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Syrian leader threatened by militants who put him in power – WaPo</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618406-syrian-leader-threatened-by-militants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618406-syrian-leader-threatened-by-militants/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b6bbd203027342c666566.jpg" /> Ahmed al-Sharaa led a coalition of Islamist forces that toppled the previous government last November <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618406-syrian-leader-threatened-by-militants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Ahmed al-Sharaa led a coalition of Islamist forces that toppled the previous government last November
The insurgents who toppled previous Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s government and brought new interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to power could now threaten his political survival, the Washington Post wrote on Saturday.
Multiple militant groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power in Damascus late last year. They included thousands of foreign fighters who remain in Syria, some of whom have ties to extremist groups like Islamic State and other radical factions, the newspaper wrote.
While al-Sharaa “seems intent on keeping” some of them around as he courts Western support, the “hard-line Sunni Muslim militants” are already giving him trouble, WaPo wrote. Some of the militants were involved in massacres of Alawites along the Syrian coast in March, the outlet added. At least 1,300 people, including 973 civilians, were killed in the span of a few days, according to local media. Christian and Druze communities in Syria have also reportedly faced bloody sectarian violence since the change in power.
The most radical of the foreign Islamists are “turning their ire” on al-Sharaa, because the new president has not implemented Sharia law and allegedly cooperated with the US and Türkiye to target extremist factions in Syria, WaPo wrote.
]]> <![CDATA[

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618363-trump-syria-sanctions-game/">
READ MORE: What is Trump’s game in Syria?
</a>

]]>
<![CDATA[
Earlier in May, US President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa and announced the lifting of sanctions, most of which had been imposed during the rule of Assad. Al-Sharaa has called Trump’s move “a historic and courageous decision, which alleviates the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth, and lays the foundations for stability in the region.”
]]><![CDATA[
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/682dc5082030275236553843.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Tartus, Syria, on May 14, 2025, after the US announced its intention to lift sanctions against the country." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617953-rubio-syria-collapse-weeks/">Syria facing collapse – Rubio</a></figcaption>
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<![CDATA[
Shortly after the Trump-Sharaa meeting, a top ideologue of Salafi jihadism, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, issued a fatwa branding the new Syrian leader an “infidel.”
Syria remains a hotbed of extremist activity and could destabilize at any time, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The country has become “a playground for jihadist groups, including ISIS and others,” the top diplomat warned last week, adding that it could be “weeks – not many months – away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war.”]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b6bbd203027342c666566.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2025 21:02:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>World Boxing to mandate sex chromosome testing</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618405-world-boxing-sex-chromosome-testing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618405-world-boxing-sex-chromosome-testing/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b5b8885f5403433184ebb.jpg" /> The international Olympic-style boxing federation will require chromosome tests, banning a 2024 gold medalist whose gender was questioned <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618405-world-boxing-sex-chromosome-testing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[
The body has also banned a 2024 Olympics gold medal winner from future events until she is tested
Amateur boxers aiming for the Olympics will now face sex chromosome testing, under a new rule introduced by World Boxing, the sport’s international governing body.
The federation, which will oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has specifically stated that Algeria’s Imane Khelif – an athlete whose eligibility to compete as a woman at the 2024 Paris Olympics was questioned – will not be able to participate until her genetic sex is verified.
The new measure will “determine the eligibility of male and female athletes that want to take part,” World Boxing announced on its website on Friday, explaining that the test is aimed at ensuring the “safety of all participants and… a competitive level playing field for men and women.”
The tests are in the final stages of development, the body said, adding the new rules will come into force on July 1.
Those with “Y chromosome genetic material… or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenization occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category,” World Boxing said. The procedure will involve an appeals process and additional tests in case of any disagreements.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.10/thumbnail/66fffce82030275e0a2775b5.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: The women’s 200m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/605259-un-males-females-sport/">Men shouldn’t be in women’s sports competitions – UN official</a></figcaption>
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<![CDATA[
The decision to introduce the new rules was taken by the body’s executive board in May, the organization said, citing what it called “emergency circumstances” and “physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing.” National federations will be responsible for testing and can be subjected to sanctions if they fail to test or provide fake certifications.
The 25-year-old Khelif found herself at the center of controversy at the Paris Olympics when she defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in just 46 seconds in a preliminary bout, sparking outrage online. She went on to win the gold medal in women’s boxing.
According to Algeria, Khelif is not transgender but is affected by a medical condition characterized by a high level of testosterone and the presence of XY chromosomes. She failed a gender test and had been disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) – the federation that previously oversaw Olympic boxing. However, she was still cleared to compete at the Paris Olympics later.
Khelif herself denied all the allegations and even filed a lawsuit over alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” by several prominent figures, including Elon Musk and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.]]>
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<title>Defeating Russia impossible – German foreign minister</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618404-defeat-russia-impossible-german-minister/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618404-defeat-russia-impossible-german-minister/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b323985f54044e4745160.jpg" /> The Ukraine conflict has to be ended through negotiations, Johann Wadephul has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618404-defeat-russia-impossible-german-minister/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The Ukraine conflict can only end at the negotiating table, Johann Wadephul has said
It has been clear from the very beginning of the Ukraine conflict that Russia cannot be defeated, particularly due to its nuclear status, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has told the SZ newspaper.
Kiev’s Western backers, including top officials in Germany, France, and the UK, as well as the US under former President Joe Biden’s administration, repeatedly stated the intent to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Moscow in the Ukraine conflict, or at least to ensure that it does not emerge victorious. That justification has been used to support continued military assistance to Kiev.
Wadephul admitted on Friday that it was obvious the conflict between Moscow and Kiev can only be resolved in a diplomatic way.
“It was clear from the beginning that this war would most likely end through a negotiated settlement,” Germany’s top diplomat told SZ in a lengthy interview.
“One thing is true: a complete defeat in the sense of a capitulation by nuclear-armed Russia could not have been expected,” the minister stated, adding that “we have now become a little more honest” in this regard. He still maintained that Kiev’s troops have been “successfully defending” against Moscow’s forces, although the Ukrainian military has been losing ground along the entire front over the past several months.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838431685f5404cac0ada38.jpg" alt="German and Ukrainin defense minsiters signing deal on joint production of long-range weapons." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/">Berlin offers Kiev another €5 billion</a></figcaption>
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The foreign minister maintained it was important to help Kiev get a “strong negotiating position” at peace talks and claimed that Russia was “threatening” Germany as he justified a planned military buildup and increase in defense expenditures. He also said that relations between Moscow and Berlin could no longer be described as a “clear peace situation.”
Berlin has taken an even more hardline position on Russia under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In the weeks since taking office, Merz has lifted range restrictions on Ukrainian strikes with German-supplied missiles and hinted at the possibility of providing Kiev with Taurus missiles, which have a range of 500km and could reach Moscow.
Germany has also announced a new military aid package for Kiev worth €5.2 billion ($5.6 billion), which Berlin says would be allocated mostly to long-range weaponry production inside Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reacted to Merz’s statements by saying that Berlin’s “direct involvement in the war is now obvious.” Germany already followed a similar “slippery slope” a couple of times in the last century “down toward its own collapse,” he added.]]>
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<title>Zelensky and Kiev mayor ‘at war’ – The Times</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618403-zelensky-kiev-mayor-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618403-zelensky-kiev-mayor-war/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b2d2f20302734a361201e.jpg" /> Former world champion boxer Vitaly Klitschko has accused the Ukrainian leader of a crackdown on democracy <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618403-zelensky-kiev-mayor-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Former world champion boxer Vitaly Klitschko has accused the Ukrainian leader of a crackdown on democracy
Vladimir Zelensky’s longstanding feud with Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has escalated into “war,” The Times has reported.
The Ukrainian leader has “forced” the former world champion heavyweight boxer – who is said to harbor presidential ambitions – into a “political clinch,” the British daily wrote on Friday. Zelensky is reportedly seizing power from the capital’s civilian government, having taken control of its military administration away from Klitschko in the early months of the conflict.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau has made seven arrests among Klitschko’s subordinates, with a further three under investigation, The Times wrote.
In turn, the Kiev mayor has accused the Zelensky administration of paralyzing the city council with “raids, interrogations, and threats of fabricated criminal cases” that prevent his team from meeting the legal quorum required for decision-making. “This is a purge of democratic principles and institutions under the guise of war,” The Times cited Klitschko as saying. “I said once that it smells of authoritarianism in our country. Now it stinks.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.01/thumbnail/679b478485f540625542b9da.jpg" alt="Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko delivers a video-address." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/611898-ukraine-kiev-zelensky-klitschko/">Kiev mayor accuses Zelensky’s team of attempting to ‘usurp power’</a></figcaption>
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The dispute is as much personal as it is political, according to the newspaper.
Zelensky made personal attacks against Klitschko after the mayor criticized his approach to peace negotiations.
The Kiev mayor has accused Zelensky of overreach, playing into fears that his use of wartime powers has come at the expense of democracy, The Times said. Despite his presidential term expiring last May, the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly postponed elections, citing martial law. Klitschko said that Zelensky is also usurping power from other mayors in the country, but that his celebrity status grants him some protection.
While boxing champion has brushed off allegations against him as mudslinging, arrests in the Kiev administration are real manifestations of corruption in the capital, the Times wrote, citing analysts. Kiev’s flourishing corruption would be “impossible without the city government,” Zelensky-appointed city military administration head Timur Tkachenko told The Times.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/616502-ukraine-world-most-corrupt-waltz/">
READ MORE: Ukraine one of the world’s most corrupt countries – Trump adviser
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Corruption has been a serious and long-standing issue in Ukraine. Top officials in Washington, which has been Kiev’s biggest military sponsor, have expressed concern that US aid has been systematically misappropriated during the Ukraine conflict.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Musk explains his black eye</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618401-musk-black-eye-trump/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618401-musk-black-eye-trump/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b0aab85f5403b7f2efd35.jpg" /> The tech billionaire joked that he “was not anywhere near France” <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618401-musk-black-eye-trump/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The tech billionaire joked that he “was not anywhere near France”
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk raised a lot of eyebrows when he appeared at a press conference with US President Donald Trump at the Oval Office on Friday with what appeared to be a black eye.
The event was dedicated to the tech billionaire’s departure from his leadership role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a task force aimed at cutting wasteful US federal spending.
When asked about what had happened to his eye by journalists, Musk replied that he had been “horsing around” with his son, “Lil X.”
“I said go ahead and punch me in the face and he did,” the entrepreneur recalled. “I did not really feel much at the time, and then I guess it bruises up.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a687b2030277da15e2102.jpg" alt="Elon Musk at the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618382-nyt-musk-drug-use/">New York Times claims Elon Musk is addicted to drugs</a></figcaption>
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Trump said that he did not notice Musk’s black eye until it was mentioned by the journalists. “X could do it. If you knew X, he could do it,” the president added.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO also joked that he “was not anywhere near France” when his injury happened, in a nod to an incident earlier this week in which France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, slapped President Emmanuel Macron in the face in front of cameras as the pair was about to exit a plane during a visit to Vietnam.
On Thursday, the New York Times published a report, citing unnamed sources, who claimed that Musk has been consuming an alarming amount of drugs, including taking ketamine “often, sometimes daily” and mixing it with other drugs, as well as using ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms.
When asked about the article, the tech billionaire dismissed the NYT, pointing out that it is “the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on Russiagate.”
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618291-musk-leavinmg-trump-admin/">
READ MORE: Musk stepping down as special government employee
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Trump thanked Musk for his work in charge of DOGE, while the Tesla and SpaceX CEO assured that his departure is “not the end” of the agency. “I will continue to be visiting here and be a friend and adviser to the president,” Musk said.]]>
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<title>Macron threatens China with NATO expansion</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618402-macron-nato-asia-warning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618402-macron-nato-asia-warning/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b171a2030272cd020ea34.jpg" /> NATO could deepen its involvement in Asia if Beijing fails to curb North Korea’s role in the Ukraine conflict, Macron has warned <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618402-macron-nato-asia-warning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The bloc could deepen its involvement in Asia if Beijing fails to curb North Korea’s role in the Ukraine conflict, the French president has warned
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday, urged China to prevent its ally, North Korea, from deploying troops on “European soil” if it hopes to prevent an expanded NATO presence in Asia.
In April, Pyongyang admitted that its troops were assisting Moscow in liberating Kursk Region, which was invaded by Ukrainian forces last August but has since been reclaimed by Russia.
That month, Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin that North Korean troops had demonstrated “high professionalism, courage, and heroism” in the operation. During Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations, Putin publicly thanked them for their defense of Kursk Region.
“But what’s happening with North Korea being present alongside Russia on European soil is a big question for all of us,” Macron said. “If China doesn’t want NATO being involved in Southeast Asia, they should clearly prevent the DPRK from being engaged on European soil,” he added.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839c3f885f5404c8518d2f0.jpg" alt="Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618367-lavrov-india-china-format/">Moscow wants to rekindle Russia-India-China format as NATO fuels discord – Lavrov</a></figcaption>
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Macron also reflected on his past stance, stating, “l had objected to NATO having any role in Asia because, for me, ‘N’ is for North Atlantic, and I don’t believe in being enrolled in someone else’s strategic rivalry.”
France’s resistance to the bloc’s Asian expansion was evident when it led efforts to reject a proposed NATO office in Tokyo in 2023, with media reports citing Macron’s vocal opposition.
At the time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hinted at opening the office in response to growing military ties between China and Russia, underscored by their joint patrols over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea, which had prompted South Korea and Japan to scramble fighter jets.
Last year, US President Joe Biden and other Western leaders urged Beijing to rein in Pyongyang’s deepening military ties with Moscow, highlighting concerns regarding North Korea’s growing involvement.
The US and South Korea condemned North Korea’s admission of its role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “With their public admission of the deployment, while claiming they are fully in accordance with international law, they are once again mocking the international community,” Seoul’s foreign ministry said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
A US State Department spokesperson, citing Reuters, noted that Moscow’s training of North Korean soldiers violates UN Security Council resolutions, and urged both nations to cease their unlawful cooperation.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Kremlin speaks out on Macron slap</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618400-peskov-macron-brigitte-slap/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618400-peskov-macron-brigitte-slap/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683b0a392030272d43512c5a.jpg" /> “Not our business,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said commenting on a video showing France’s first lady shoving her husband on a plane <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618400-peskov-macron-brigitte-slap/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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“Not our business,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on a video showing France’s first lady shoving her husband on a plane
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was reluctant to comment on French President Emmanuel Macron being pushed in the face by his spouse Brigitte, saying it was unacceptable to talk about such family issues. However, he went on to point out that a wife always has a reason to slap her husband.
The footage of the incident was captured as the French first couple arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 25. The video shows the aircraft door opening to reveal Macron speaking to someone off-camera. Moments later, two arms in red sleeves reach out and push his face, covering his mouth and jaw. Macron steps back, smiles, and waves after noticing the cameras. Brigitte soon appears beside him, wearing a red jacket.
The video later went viral, prompting the president to downplay the incident, describing it as the two of them just “bickering and joking.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839e4682030273fa84ee194.jpg" alt="Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618360-zakharova-macron-france-ukraine/">Moscow questions Macron’s commitment to Ukraine peace</a></figcaption>
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“You know, I am convinced that it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the Macron family’s private matters,” Peskov said. “On the other hand, if a wife slaps her husband, she never does it without a reason, but still, it’s not our business.”
Shifting away from celebrity gossip, the spokesman emphasized that Paris isn’t working towards peace, and opting to increase pressure on Moscow instead.
“France still believes that something can be achieved with Russia through pressure — this reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of our country,” Peskov said, adding that the fact that the French leader “does not understand the reality of the situation” is regrettable.
France has provided over €3.8 billion ($4.2 billion) in military aid to Kiev since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, according to the Kiel Institute.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618378-trump-macron-wife-slap/">
READ MORE: Trump comments on Macron wife slap
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Authorities in Paris have advocated deploying French troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow, arguing that it could help deter Russia. In March, Macron announced a French-British plan to prepare such a “reassurance force” in the event of a ceasefire. The announcement sparked protests in Paris against what demonstrators called NATO’s militaristic stance.
Russia has repeatedly warned it won’t accept the presence of any NATO country’s troops in Ukraine, and pointed out that the military bloc’s expansion in Europe had been a primary reason for the conflict.]]>
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<title>Microsoft subsidiary files for bankruptcy in Russia</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618386-microsoft-subsidiary-russia-bankruptcy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618386-microsoft-subsidiary-russia-bankruptcy/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683af34a85f54034414f1300.jpg" /> The US tech firm scaled down operations in the country in 2022 and was hit by lawsuits <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618386-microsoft-subsidiary-russia-bankruptcy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The US tech firm scaled down operations in the country in 2022 but has recently registered its trademark 
One of Microsoft’s Russian subsidiaries has announced plans to file for bankruptcy, according to a note published on the official Fedresurs registry on Friday. The US-based tech giant opted to exit the country shortly after the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
In March 2022, the corporation stopped selling its products and services in Russia, pausing other aspects of its business in the country to comply with sanctions introduced by the West against Moscow amid the Ukraine conflict.
Since then, a wide range of Russian corporate giants - including Severstal, Uralkali, VTB, MegaFon, Gazprombank, and others - have filed lawsuits against the company’s local subsidiary, Microsoft Rus. The total value of the suits related to breach of contractual obligations after the exit amounts to 341 million rubles (nearly $3.6 million), according to the Russian business daily RBK.
Shortly after pulling the plug on operations in Russia, the company stopped renewing Microsoft 365 subscriptions—including Outlook, Teams, Office, OneDrive, and SharePoint services—for its corporate clients, disconnected a number of Russian organizations from cloud services such as Visio Online, Project Online, and Power BI, and introduced other restrictions.
According to data tracked by RBK, the revenue of Microsoft’s Russian subsidiary last year amounted to 161.6 million rubles (nearly $2 million), with net profit totaling 174.1 million rubles ($2.13 million). The data shows the company reported revenue of 6.9 billion rubles ($84.5 million) and a profit of 638.1 million rubles ($7.8 million) in 2021, which marked its last full year of operations in Russia before deciding to quit.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/681cd17985f5400c0a0d1940.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Kirill Dmitriev." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/617042-western-firms-quietly-returning-russia/">Western firms quietly returning to Russia – Putin aide</a></figcaption>
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Earlier this year, the multinational registered the trademark ‘Microsoft Places’ with the Russian patent office, Rospatent. According to the filing card, the company plans to provide or grant temporary access to “downloadable computer software for managing hybrid planning, workplace management, office space management,” and other types of software until 2023.
In recent months, foreign corporations—including McDonald’s, Hyundai, Intel, LG, IKEA, Chanel, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton—that had previously exited Russia have begun registering new trademarks in the country, signaling their potential return.
Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the creation of a program for foreign corporations willing to return to the Russian market, “but only insofar as it aligns with the protection of our own business interests.” Speaking with business leaders in the Kremlin, the president emphasized that Moscow won’t be “rolling out a red carpet” for McDonald’s and other companies.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>EU state raises alarm about growing illiteracy</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618387-vienna-austria-eu-illiteracy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618387-vienna-austria-eu-illiteracy/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683aeab92030272d564f17c1.jpg" /> The number of Austrians who can barely read has increased by almost 12% in just over a decade, according to government data <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618387-vienna-austria-eu-illiteracy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The number of Austrians who can barely read has increased by almost 12% in just over a decade, according to government data
Almost a third of the population in Austria has poor reading skills, signaling an alarming trend, the EU country’s government statistics office has said.
The decline is particularly noticeable among those with jobs that require medium or low qualifications, Statistics Austria said in a statement earlier this week.
In Austria, which has a population of nine million, a total of 29.0% or around 2.6 million people have a low level of literacy, according to data on the agency’s website.
The number of those who have problems with reading increased by 11.9% between 2012 and 2023, the figures show.
The average literacy level among Austrians aged 16 to 65 stands at 254 points, which is significantly below the average of 260 points set by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).
People from 16 to 24 performed above the OECD average, while older people appear to have significantly lower reading skills than the expected level, the agency said.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839b70c85f54044e4745124.jpg" alt="RT" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618355-teacher-sentenced-prague/">EU state sentences teacher for ‘pro-Russian’ views</a></figcaption>
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“The differences in reading skills among adults are large, and this gap has continued to widen,” Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria, was cited as saying.
There has been “a particularly strong decline” in the consumption of complex reading materials such as newspapers and magazines, with the Austrians mainly reading emails and other shorter texts, the agency noted.
According to Statistics Austria, the number of those with low day-to-day math skills also grew by 6.7% between 2012 and 2023, amounting to 22.6% of the population.
Russia’s state-owned pollster VTSIOM said last year that “reading remains a popular means of obtaining knowledge and information among the Russians” despite what it called “serious competition” from visual media.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618362-veto-ban-end-eu-fico/">
READ MORE: Veto ban would mean the end of EU – Fico
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In the poll carried out in November 2024, some 87% of respondents said that they had read something over the previous week. Fiction topped the chart of the most popular reading materials (40%) in Russia, leaving news and social media posts in second place (37%), according to VTSIOM’s figures.]]>
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<title>Kiev dodges $665 million payment as default fears grow</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618384-ukraine-default-payment-gdp-securities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618384-ukraine-default-payment-gdp-securities/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683ac03585f54031c62c0cc6.jpg" /> Kiev will skip the payment of over $600 million it owes to holders of $2.6 billion in debt, its Finance Ministry has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618384-ukraine-default-payment-gdp-securities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Ukraine has failed to agree on restructuring its debt with a group of international creditors led by hedge funds
Ukraine will not pay $665 million it owes to international creditors, the country’s Finance Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Kiev earlier failed to agree on restructuring terms with a group of debt holders led by hedge funds.
The payment concerns GDP-linked securities — debt tied to economic growth — totaling $2.6 billion, with $665 million due on June 2.
Ukraine was originally scheduled to make the payment a year ago, but a moratorium on bond settlements, approved by authorities in Kiev, allowed the cash-strapped country to avoid default. That moratorium will remain in place until the debt is restructured, the ministry said.
The Finance Ministry noted that under a 2024 agreement with international creditors, the so-called cross-default clause was removed.
That clause had stipulated that failure to pay on GDP warrants could trigger a default on other debt, including international bonds. With the clause removed, Ukraine is not required to declare a default on its international bonds, the ministry emphasized.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/617057-ukraine-debt-soaring/">
READ MORE: Ukraine’s debt doubles in three years – finance minister
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In April, Ukrainian authorities said they had failed to reach a deal to restructure part of the country’s debt, with a nominal value of $3.2 billion.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine offered investors two options during the unsuccessful talks, including a full exchange for sovereign bonds by reopening existing notes. However, creditors reportedly agreed only to restructure the May payment and demanded over $400 million in cash, as well as the conversion of more than $200 million into new bonds – a condition Kiev rejected.]]>
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<title>Ex-Ukrainian PM lands top Moscow academic post</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618385-ukraine-azarov-academician-science/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618385-ukraine-azarov-academician-science/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683aafe385f5403cbe0e051d.jpg" /> Nikolay Azarov led the country’s government before the Western-backed Euromaidan coup in 2014 <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618385-ukraine-azarov-academician-science/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Nikolay Azarov led his country’s government until the Western-backed 2014 Euromaidan coup
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has been elected an academician by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the country’s leading scientific organization has announced.
Azarov, who is a Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences and a professor at Donetsk National Technical University, was Ukraine’s head of government between 2010 and 2014. He resigned during the Western-backed Euromaidan protests in Kiev and fled to Russia after the overthrow of democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovich in February 2014.
The former prime minister became an academician alongside 84 other scientists, including 39 from foreign countries, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement on Friday. During the vote the previous day, his candidacy was supported by 521 members of RAS, it added.
Azarov became an academician in the Department of Earth Sciences; his specialty is the mining sciences, the statement read.
According to RAS, Azarov, who has written more than a hundred scientific papers, made a significant contribution to the theory of the rational industry-related transformation of Earth’s depth during the development of solid mineral deposits.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618383-ukraine-author-elena-zelenska/">
READ MORE: Ukrainian publisher pulps books by ‘pro-Russian’ US author
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Through his scientific work, the 77-year-old also facilitated the development of efficient and safe technologies for the extraction of ore, diamonds, coal and gas deposits, it added.
Azarov, who is a critic of Vladimir Zelensky and the current Ukrainian authorities, has been accused of treason by Kiev. A warrant was issued for his arrest in 2021; he stands accused of working in the interests of Moscow during the 2010 negotiations of a deal to prolong the stay of the Russian fleet in Crimea by another 25 years in exchange for discounts on gas supplies. The former prime minister has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the case against him was fabricated.]]>
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<title>South Africa appoints judges to probe Apartheid-era injustice</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618356-south-africa-appoints-judges-probe-apartheid-era-crimes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618356-south-africa-appoints-judges-probe-apartheid-era-crimes/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839ac3c2030273f5b47d98b.jpg" /> South Africa has formed a commission to investigate long-standing delays in prosecuting crimes committed during white minority rule <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618356-south-africa-appoints-judges-probe-apartheid-era-crimes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The country’s leader has said delays in historical prosecutions have caused anguish for the families of victims
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed retired Constitutional Court Judge Sisi Khampepe to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Inquiry into prosecutorial and investigation delays into apartheid era crimes.
Khampepe will be assisted by retired Judge President Frans Diale Kgomo and Adv Andrea Gabriel SC.
The commission will cover the period from 2003 to the present.
Ramaphosa has signed a proclamation for the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to determine whether attempts were made to prevent the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes.
In a statement by the presidency, the establishment of the commission of inquiry is part of an agreement reached in settlement discussions in a court application brought by families of victims of apartheid-era crimes.
Ramaphosa said: “For many years, there have been allegations of interference in these cases. This alleged interference is seen as the cause of an unacceptable delay in the investigation and prosecution of brutal crimes committed under apartheid. This has caused the families of victims great anguish and frustration. 
“All affected families – and indeed all South Africans – deserve closure and justice. A commission of inquiry with broad and comprehensive terms of reference is an opportunity to establish the truth and provide guidance on any further action that needs to be taken.”
Ramaphosa said the commission will inquire into, make findings, report on and make recommendations on: Were there any efforts to stop SAPS or the NPA from investigating TRC cases? Who made these efforts, and why? Did any SAPS or NPA members improperly cooperate with those trying to influence or pressure them? Should the state take action—like more investigations or prosecutions—against anyone who broke the law? Should any person receive constitutional damages, and if so, how much?
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618316-south-african-woman-accused-selling-daughter-jailed-life/">
READ MORE: South African woman gets life in prison for selling six-year-old daughter
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Victims and their families with a vested interest in TRC cases, including those involved in the current legal proceedings, are among the key stakeholders.
The Commission of Inquiry, established by agreement between the families and the government, has six months to complete its work and must submit its report within 60 days thereafter.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6836dd702030275d265d33ad.jpg" alt="US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a press availability in the Oval Office at the White House, Washington, DC, May 21, 2025." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618247-ramaphosa-answers-trump-success/">Trump vs. South Africa: Who is winning the clash over ‘white genocide’?</a></figcaption>
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While both sides agreed to the commission’s formation, unresolved issues remain—the government sees them as commission matters, while families seek court adjudication.
As the commission began its work, the government welcomed the NPA and SAPS’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting unresolved TRC cases, with dedicated resources already in place for priority matters.
Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of holding those who committed apartheid-era crimes without amnesty accountable and expressed hope that the inquiry would help uncover the truth and bring closure to a painful chapter in the nation’s history.

First published by <a href="https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-05-29-ramaphosa-appoints-judge-sisi-khampepe-to-probe-decades-of-apartheid-era-justice-delays/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IOL</a>]]>
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<title>Elephant seal returns to sea after unexpected appearance in town (VIDEOS, PHOTO)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618352-elephant-seal-returns-sea-south-africa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618352-elephant-seal-returns-sea-south-africa/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839a49485f5404ca03cccb4.jpeg" /> The young male southern elephant seal has been found roaming through the streets of a coastal town near Cape Town <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618352-elephant-seal-returns-sea-south-africa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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A rare visitor has surprised residents in the streets of Gordon’s Bay in South Africa
A southern elephant seal has been safely returned to the ocean after wandering through the streets of Gordon’s Bay, a coastal town near Cape Town, South Africa. The seal’s appearance had prompted a large-scale rescue operation.
The young male, estimated to weigh around two tons (4,400 pounds), was first spotted early Tuesday navigating the suburb’s streets. Startled residents emerged from their homes to witness the unexpected visitor, capturing videos of the marine mammal lumbering along sidewalks.
In one widely shared clip, police officers can be seen surrounding the visitor with their vehicles, attempting to prevent the animal from moving further. However, the seal showed no fear of the cars and calmly rested its head on the hood of a vehicle. After a while, it resumed its journey, making its way onto the sidewalk.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Wow, I didn't have a huge seal in Gordons Bay, Cape Town in South Africa on my list of things to post today....🦭<a href="https://t.co/etkUKcVnk9">pic.twitter.com/etkUKcVnk9</a>— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) <a href="https://twitter.com/volcaholic1/status/1927288980451549640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA confirmed that the animal was eventually secured near a shopping center, at which point experts concluded it was unlikely to find its own way back to sea. A team of wildlife and emergency personnel was quickly dispatched to the scene.
The organization also released a video showing the seal’s return to the sea.
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The SPCA later confirmed in a Facebook post that the seal had hauled out once again, this time at the Naval Base in Simon’s Town. “He’s currently safe and secure in a location where he cannot access any roads, and there’s no immediate risk to his well-being,” the organization said. 
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Southern elephant seals are the largest seal species in the world and are typically found in sub-Antarctic waters. While sightings in South Africa are rare, experts note that young males occasionally stray from their usual habitats and appear along the country’s coastline.
“Wild animals don’t always follow the script, and this seal’s unexpected journey into a residential area created real cause for concern,” Belinda Abraham, a spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, stated.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618003-south-africa-moves-dozens-elephants/">
READ MORE: South Africa moves dozens of elephants in conservation milestone
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The organization also urged residents to avoid approaching, feeding, or attempting to assist wildlife spotted in urban areas, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a safe distance.]]>
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<title>Ukrainian publisher pulps books by ‘pro-Russian’ US author</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618383-ukraine-author-elena-zelenska/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618383-ukraine-author-elena-zelenska/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a7fbe2030277dcc0ed7c5.jpg" /> Ukrainian bloggers have accused US romance author Sophie Lark of promoting pro-Russian narratives <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618383-ukraine-author-elena-zelenska/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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A Kharkov-based imprint has destroyed 30,000 copies of a book by romance writer Sophie Lark following a social media outcry
A Ukrainian publishing house has scrapped an entire print run of books by American romance author Sophie Lark after she was accused of praising Russia and disparaging Ukrainians online.
The Kharkov-based publisher KSD canceled the release of the Ukrainian translation of Lark’s novel ‘Brutal Prince’ following an outcry on social media.
Ukrainian bloggers took issue with her 2024 “romantic thriller” Monarch, whose main character is named Elena Zelenska – which strongly resembles the real-life wife of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Elena Zelenskaya.
In the novel, Zelenska is described as “the world’s most unlikely mail-order bride,” according to the book’s description on Amazon.
Other users claimed the author was “romanticizing the Russian mafia” in her other books and depicting Crimea as Russian territory. Some labeled Lark “a fan of Russia,” accused her of promoting “pro-Russian” narratives, and claimed she called for “the murder of Cossacks” in her novel Anastasia, which centers on the Romanov dynasty.
In a statement issued on Friday, KSD admitted that the decision to publish Lark’s book “was a mistake.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.12/thumbnail/67740eec85f540184014351f.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: A monument to a Soviet poet, singer and actor, Vladimir Vysotsky, is seen in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, on September 28, 2012." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/610240-ukrainian-dismantle-monument-soviet-poet/">Ukrainian city dismantles monument to iconic Soviet poet & singer</a></figcaption>
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“After thoroughly examining the situation and not receiving a response from the author, we have decided to destroy all 30,000 copies of the book and cancel the contract for the entire six-book series,” the publisher said on Facebook. “It is important for us to remain responsible not only in our publishing decisions, but also in our moral principles.”
Ukraine has banned multiple books, films, and songs under its laws prohibiting “the propaganda of Russian imperial policies.” It has also removed monuments and renamed streets as part of its “de-Communization” and “decolonization” campaigns.
The government recently announced plans to remove Russian writers, poets, and composers from the school curriculum.
In March, US publisher Bloom Books pulled Lark’s novel Sparrow and Vine after some readers described parts of the dialogue as racist and criticized lines in which characters praised tech billionaire Elon Musk. Lark apologized at the time, saying she had intended to write “flawed” characters.]]>
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<title>New York Times claims Elon Musk is addicted to drugs</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618382-nyt-musk-drug-use/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618382-nyt-musk-drug-use/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a687b2030277da15e2102.jpg" /> Elon Musk’s drug consumption has escalated “well beyond occasional use,” the New York Times reports <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618382-nyt-musk-drug-use/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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US President Donald Trump’s adviser has reportedly been consuming copious amounts of ketamine and other substances
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a major ally of US President Donald Trump, has been consuming an alarming amount of drugs, the New York Times alleged on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The report came out shortly after Musk announced that he would step down from his leadership role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a task force aimed at cutting wasteful US federal spending.
Although the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and X had admitted in the past to taking ketamine prescribed for depression about every two weeks, the NYT wrote that he has “developed a far more serious habit,” as his drug consumption “went well beyond occasional use.”
The Times cited its sources as saying that Musk had been using ketamine “often, sometimes daily,” and mixing it with other drugs, as well as taking ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837bf9920302719eb237664.jpg" alt="Tech businessman Elon Musk arrives for a town hall wearing a cheesehead hat at the KI Convention Center on March 30, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618291-musk-leavinmg-trump-admin/">Musk stepping down as special government employee</a></figcaption>
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The businessman reportedly travels with a daily medication box that contains about 20 pills, including ones marked as Adderall, a stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He has also been warned in advance about random drug tests of SpaceX employees, the Times said.
In 2018, the Times reported that some board members at Tesla were worried about his use of the sleep drug Ambien. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that senior executives at SpaceX and Tesla were also concerned about Musk’s consumption of drugs, including LSD and cocaine.
Musk dodged a reporter’s question about his alleged drug use at a press conference with Trump at the Oval Office on Friday, dismissing the Times as “the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on Russiagate.”
He said in 2024 that “not even trace quantities were found of any drugs or alcohol” in his system over the three years of tests at SpaceX.
Musk said that his departure is “not the end of DOGE,” whose team will grow over time. “I will continue to be visiting here and be a friend and adviser to the president,” Musk said at the White House.]]>
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<title>Ukrainian drones strike apartment blocks in western Russia (VIDEO)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618381-ukraine-strikes-houses-rylsk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618381-ukraine-strikes-houses-rylsk/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a541885f5404683638838.png" /> Ukraine has targeted apartment blocks in its latest drone attack on western Russia <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618381-ukraine-strikes-houses-rylsk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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At least 14 civilians have been injured in the attacks, according to a top regional official
Ukrainian kamikaze drones struck residential areas in Kursk Region overnight and during the day on Saturday, injuring 14 people, including four children, according to Acting Governor Aleksandr Khinshteyn.
In the town of Rylsk, UAVs hit two five-story apartment blocks, injuring seven people. The victims include a family with two children, Khinshteyn said, adding that some residents were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.
In the village of Artakovo, drones damaged two buildings and a garage. A family of three, who were at home during the attack, were also hospitalized, according to the governor.
In a later statement, the governor said that two more kids were wounded in a UAV strike in the region’s Lgov District. They have been hospitalized in moderate condition and are currently being treated.
A drone also hit an agricultural enterprise in Rylsk District, lightly injuring two people and causing a major blaze, according to Khinshteyn.
In the afternoon, the village of Begoscha came under attack, with a UAV setting a private home on fire. The resident, a 97-year-old woman, avoided injuries and was evacuated, he wrote.
“Dear residents, the enemy continues its vile attacks on our territory. I ask you to remain vigilant. Take care of yourselves,” the governor urged.
<script async src="https://telegram.org/js/telegram-widget.js?22" data-telegram-post="kurskadm/88676" data-width="100%"></script>
Ukraine has stepped up attacks deep inside Russia since the two sides held their first direct talks in three years on May 16 in Istanbul. Moscow has proposed holding a second round of negotiations on June 2, but Kiev has yet to formally commit.
During a meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Russia’s envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused Ukraine of engaging in “manipulations” aimed at deceiving the US, which is attempting to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68381c7385f5404cac0ada20.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin's helicopter lands at an airport." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618302-putin-helicopter-ukraine-ritter/">Ukraine needed Western help to target Putin’s helicopter – Scott Ritter</a></figcaption>
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Nebenzia rejected claims that Russian troops are deliberately targeting civilians in Ukraine, stating that Moscow is only carrying out strikes on military targets.]]>
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<title>Zelensky ‘playing games’ instead of negotiating – Russian diplomat</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618380-polyansky-ukraine-zelensky-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618380-polyansky-ukraine-zelensky-talks/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a41482030277da15e20fd.png" /> A senior Russian diplomat has told RT that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky only wants to prolong the conflict with Moscow <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618380-polyansky-ukraine-zelensky-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Dmitry Polyansky told RT that Kiev isn’t interested in resolving the conflict with Moscow
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky doesn’t want meaningful negotiations and only seeks to prolong the conflict, Russian first deputy envoy to the UN Dmitry Polyansky has told RT.
Russia proposed holding a second round of direct talks in Istanbul on June 2, but Ukraine has yet to formally commit to attending the event.
“They are making every effort to convince [US President Donald Trump] that Russia isn’t interested in peace,” Polyansky said in an interview on Friday. “It is absolutely clear that Ukraine isn’t interested in negotiations. They’re simply playing games. For them, it’s not a serious or meaningful negotiation.”
“Everything Kiev now does and says should be analyzed through [the lens] of Ukraine wanting to prolong the war,” the diplomat added. He suggested that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is motivated by a desire to stay in power and avoid accountability. Zelensky’s five-year presidential term formally expired in May 2024, but he has refused to call new elections, citing martial law.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839e4682030273fa84ee194.jpg" alt="Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618360-zakharova-macron-france-ukraine/">Moscow questions Macron’s commitment to Ukraine peace</a></figcaption>
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“It is not in the interest of the Ukrainian president to engage in any meaningful peaceful efforts because they would lead to elections – something he fears the most,” Polyansky said. “He would also be held accountable for the embezzlement of the state budget and Western aid… That’s why he wants to avert this scenario any way he can.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he no longer considers Zelensky a legitimate leader and argued that his status could potentially undermine the peace process. Trump previously branded Zelensky “a dictator without elections,” but has since toned down his criticism.
Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in three years in Istanbul on May 16, agreeing to carry out a large prisoner exchange and each present ceasefire terms. The Kremlin has denied accusations of stalling negotiations and said on Wednesday that it was finalizing a memorandum outlining its vision of peace.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Trump comments on Macron wife slap</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618378-trump-macron-wife-slap/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618378-trump-macron-wife-slap/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a189285f540343a4d5a0b.jpg" /> US President Donald Trump has said his French counterpart is “fine” following a recent incident with wife Brigitte <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618378-trump-macron-wife-slap/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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“Make sure the door remains closed,” the US president has quipped over a video showing France’s First Lady shoving her husband on a plane
US President Donald Trump has said Emmanuel Macron is “fine” following an incident in which his wife Brigitte appeared to slap her husband aboard their plane.
The footage, which quickly went viral, was filmed as the French first couple arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 25 to begin a Southeast Asia tour. As the aircraft door opened, Macron was seen speaking to someone off-camera. Two arms in red sleeves then reached out and pushed his face, covering his mouth and jaw. He stepped back, smiled, and waved after noticing the cameras. Brigitte, wearing a red jacket, soon appeared beside him. Macron offered his arm, which she declined, and the two walked down the stairs together.
Asked on Friday if he had any marital advice for Macron, Trump quipped, “Make sure the door remains closed.” 
He added, “That was not good,” and said he had spoken to Macron after the incident. “He’s fine, they’re fine,” Trump said. 
“They’re two really good people I know very well,” he added. “I don’t know what that was all about.”
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618167-macron-denies-wife-slap/">Macron explains slap from wife</a></figcaption>
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Macron has downplayed the incident, telling reporters the moment was simply the two of them “having fun.”
He also addressed two other recent viral clips. “A lot of lunatics are spending their days interpreting all these videos,” he said.
One clip, filmed on a train to Ukraine, showed Macron with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The French president briefly hid a small object, prompting online rumors of drug use, which the Elysee palace called baseless.
Another, from the European Political Community summit in Albania two weeks ago, showed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gripping Macron’s finger while seated, a gesture some interpreted as a power play.
Macron confirmed all three videos were genuine but dismissed the narratives around them.
He and Brigitte have been married since 2007. The couple met when he was a student and she was a teacher at his high school in Amiens. She is 24 years older than her husband.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Medvedev suggests reason Zelensky wants three-way Trump-Putin meeting</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618379-medvedev-zelensky-trump-putin-meeting-legitimacy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618379-medvedev-zelensky-trump-putin-meeting-legitimacy/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a0fd2203027767e7a1eab.jpg" /> The Ukrainian leader, whose presidential term expired last year, is trying to legitimize himself, the ex-Russian president has claimed <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618379-medvedev-zelensky-trump-putin-meeting-legitimacy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The Ukrainian leader, whose presidential term expired last year, is trying to legitimize himself, the ex-Russian president has claimed
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky suggested holding a three-way meeting with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to gain some legitimacy as a leader, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has claimed.
Zelensky, whose presidential term expired more than a year ago, has repeatedly cited martial law as a pretext for refusing to hold a new election. The Kremlin argues that he is now “illegitimate” as a leader.
In a post on his Telegram channel on Friday, Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote that the reason why Zelensky wants a meeting with both Trump and Putin at the same time is “obvious enough.”
“A three-way conversation means [he] can get a massive legitimacy boost by latching onto the clout of those at the table,” the Russian official claimed. Medvedev also surmised that Zelensky could capitalize on such a meeting domestically, using it as a pretext to put off elections further and to convince Ukrainian elites that “now is not the time to change horses in midstream.”
On Tuesday, Zelensky stated that “we are ready for the ‘Trump, Putin, and me’ format, and we are ready for the Trump-Putin, Trump-Zelensky format, and then the three of us.”
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618364-putin-open-to-talks/">Putin open to talks with Ukraine – Kremlin</a></figcaption>
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According to Zelensky, while several venues for the potential summit were being considered, Türkiye was the “most realistic option.”
The following day, Trump said he was prepared for a trilateral meeting with Zelensky and Putin “if it’s necessary.”
Speaking during his visit to Kiev on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that he believes “it is possible to cap the first and second direct Istanbul talks with a meeting between Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin, and Mr. Zelensky, under the direction of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan.”
Also on Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that Putin is open to holding high-level direct talks with Kiev. However, he said these should be preceded by concrete progress being made in the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
The representatives of Moscow and Kiev last met in Istanbul on May 16, marking their first formal negotiations since 2022.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed holding the next round of direct discussions on June 2, also in Istanbul.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>China ‘violated’ deal – Trump</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/business/618375-trump-china-tariffs-deal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/business/618375-trump-china-tariffs-deal/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683a0c2020302776810b5086.jpg" /> US President Donald Trump has accused Beijing of breaching a tariff agreement reached earlier this month <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618375-trump-china-tariffs-deal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Washington and Beijing agreed earlier this month to roll back triple-digit tariffs
US President Donald Trump has accused China of breaching a tariff agreement reached earlier this month, reigniting tensions in a fragile trade truce between the world’s two largest economies.
Under the deal announced on May 12 after breakthrough negotiations in Geneva, the US and China agreed to suspend most new duties imposed since early April, pending further talks.
On Friday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, writing: “China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US.” He gave no specifics but said China had been in “grave economic danger” as a result of the tariffs, before Washington stepped in with what he called a “FAST DEAL.” 
“I saw what was happening and didn’t like it, for them, not for us,” Trump wrote, adding “So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”
Multiple outlets reported this week that the Trump administration has ordered US companies to halt shipments of high-end goods to China, including chip design software and specialty chemicals. Experts warned the decision would be likely to further escalate tensions with Beijing.
<iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114596705340367716/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
The May 12 agreement had paused the 34% tariff hikes introduced on April 2 for 90 days, with Beijing taking reciprocal action. Both sides also committed to rolling back tariff increases introduced since April 8, while keeping a baseline 10% duty on mutual imports.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Friday that China had not removed certain non-tariff barriers as agreed under the deal. “They removed the tariff like we did but some of the countermeasures they’ve slowed on,” he said.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/617404-china-us-trade-deal-tariffs/">US and China reach tariff deal</a></figcaption>
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed that concern, telling Fox News the negotiations were “a bit stalled” and may now require direct involvement from Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said he expected talks to resume in the coming weeks.
China on Friday urged Washington to “immediately correct its erroneous actions, cease discriminatory restrictions against China and jointly uphold the consensus reached at the high-level talks in Geneva.”
As part of that consensus, Beijing had also agreed to ease non-tariff measures such as export controls on US goods. The changes were due to take effect on May 14, alongside the creation of a bilateral consultation mechanism for future trade steps.
Tensions spiked on April 2, when Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on more than 90 countries, including China, citing trade imbalances. Beijing retaliated, triggering a tit-for-tat standoff that saw final US duties climb to 145% and Chinese tariffs to 125%. The dispute rattled global markets, driving volatility across equities and commodities.]]>
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<title>NHL legend Ovechkin to return to Russia in 2026 – wife</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/618372-ovechkin-return-to-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/618372-ovechkin-return-to-russia/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839daf485f54031c62c0ca4.jpg" /> The hockey icon plans to move to Moscow after his contract with the Washington Capitals ends, according to his spouse <a href="https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/618372-ovechkin-return-to-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The hockey icon plans to move to Moscow after his contract with the Washington Capitals ends, according to his spouse
NHL star Alexander Ovechkin is reportedly planning to return to Russia in 2026 after completing the final season of his contract with the Washington Capitals. His wife, Anastasia Shubskaya, has told Russian media that the family will move back to Moscow following the 2025–26 NHL season.
”Ovechkin still has a year left on his contract. So, we will play next season and then fly back to Moscow, to our homeland,” Shubskaya said in an interview with Argumenty i Fakty. “We will stay in Russia,” she added.
It follows reports that the upcoming season would be Ovechkin’s last in North America. Earlier in May, some Capitals season ticket holders received an email suggesting 2025–26 would mark the end of the Russian forward’s career with the franchise. However, the team later stated that the message was sent in error by a corporate sales employee, and no official retirement decision had been made.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/615439-trump-ovechkin-great/">Trump praises ‘great’ Ovechkin</a></figcaption>
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Despite that, several statements from Ovechkin’s wife have indicated the couple intends to settle in Russia permanently after his NHL career ends.
Ovechkin, 39, recently became the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history. On April 6, 2025, he scored his 895th regular-season goal in a game against the New York Islanders, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record of 894. Ovechkin has since added two more goals, bringing his tally to 897. He is now aiming for a personal milestone of 900 regular-season goals – an achievement reportedly encouraged by Gretzky himself.
Following his historic achievement, Ovechkin received congratulations from both Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Putin called it “a true celebration for fans in Russia and beyond,” while Trump hailed the Russian star as “great.”
Ovechkin has yet to publicly confirm his retirement or post-NHL plans. However, in an interview in March 2024 with Russian media, he acknowledged he was considering leaving Washington and even mentioned a possible return to Moscow’s Dynamo, where his professional career began.
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Moscow questions Macron’s commitment to Ukraine peace</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618360-zakharova-macron-france-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618360-zakharova-macron-france-ukraine/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839e4682030273fa84ee194.jpg" /> French “neo-fascists” are fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618360-zakharova-macron-france-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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French “neo-fascists” are fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman
French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements in support of the Ukraine peace process are not credible, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. 
In a Telegram post on Friday, Zakharova cited a recent France Info article about a Ukrainian intelligence unit known as the ‘International Revenge’ tactical group, where foreign fighters, including French nationals, are training for frontline operations.
French citizens “were taken aback by a blunt publication” that the country’s soldiers are already “serving the Kiev regime,” Zakharova wrote.
According to the report, the unit includes both civilians and military personnel from France. Some told the outlet they had already been deployed to the front.
Zakharova pointed to what she described as the unit’s neo-Nazi ideology, saying that its name was no coincidence. 
“The group’s symbols bear all the hallmarks of neo-Nazi revanchism,” she wrote, citing skull insignias, dark imagery, and the Latin slogan ‘Memento Audere Semper’ (‘Remember to dare always’). The motto is known to have been used by Italian fascist and Mussolini ally Gabriele D’Annunzio in reference to the MAS, or ‘Motoscafo Armato Silurante’ – a class of fast torpedo boats used by the Italian Royal Navy in both World Wars.
“These French revanchist neo-fascists are not even hiding,” Zakharova added. “They openly talk about coming from France to fight Russians “without sparing bullets” and say they hope to one day face Russia in battle.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6818ce45203027784b78c204.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO. Kremlin" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/616811-peskov-neonazism-manifestations-europe/">Neo-Nazism on the rise in Europe – Kremlin</a></figcaption>
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Zakharova said the revelations cast doubt on Macron’s talk of commitment to the peace process.
France has provided more than €3.7 billion ($4.1 billion) in military aid to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, according to the Kiel Institute.
Macron has advocated deploying French troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow, arguing that it could help deter Russia. In March, he announced a French-British plan to prepare such a “reassurance force” in the event of a ceasefire. The announcement sparked protests in Paris against what demonstrators called NATO’s militaristic stance.
Moscow has repeatedly warned it will not accept any NATO presence in Ukraine, citing the military bloc’s expansion in Europe as a core reason for the conflict.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul on May 16 for their first formal talks since 2022. The meeting led to the largest prisoner exchange to date and an agreement to draft written proposals ahead of the next round of talks, which Russia proposed for June 2.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Ukrainian terrorist plot foiled in Moscow</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618374-terrorist-plot-foiled-moscow-investigative-committee/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618374-terrorist-plot-foiled-moscow-investigative-committee/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839e52b85f54034091b23a5.jpg" /> The suspect was allegedly ordered by his handler to set off a bomb in a public place, the authorities have said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618374-terrorist-plot-foiled-moscow-investigative-committee/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The suspect was allegedly ordered by his handler to set off a bomb in a public place, the Russian authorities have said
A Ukrainian terrorist plot has been thwarted in Moscow, Russia’s investigative committee has claimed.
In a statement on Friday, officials announced that they had discovered plans for a terrorist attack while searching the home of a man already under investigation for “publicly justifying terrorism.” According to the investigative committee, the authorities seized the suspect’s mobile phone during a search, which contained a conversation with “a handler from the Ukrainian special services.” The latter had allegedly instructed the suspect to retrieve an explosive device from a cache in a wooded area in the west of Moscow.
”Investigators from the [Moscow] investigative committee, together with law enforcement operatives, immediately inspected the specified location in the park, where an improvised explosive device was uncovered and retrieved,” the statement claims.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838479485f5404683638781.jpg" alt="Vladimir Medinsky, the Assistant to the President of Russia." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618312-kremlin-threats-ukraine-talks/">Alleged threats to chief Russian negotiator’s family ‘outrageous’ – Kremlin</a></figcaption>
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According to officials, the suspect, who has been charged with preparing a terrorist attack and been remanded in custody, intended to detonate the bomb in a busy public place.
During a phone conversation with his US counterpart last Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Donald Trump of several foiled terrorist attacks in Moscow ahead of Victory Day celebrations earlier this month. The Russian leader pointed the finger at Ukraine, accusing Kiev of attempting to intimidate foreign dignitaries ahead of the event, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
In early May, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky publicly stated that his country could not guarantee the safety of foreign attendees visiting the Russian capital on May 9.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the remark as tantamount to a terrorist threat. Its spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, accused Ukrainian authorities of displaying “classic terrorist behavior.”
Since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Kiev has on multiple occasions targeted Russian cities, including Moscow, with explosive-laden drones and used concealed bombs in several assassinations in the Russian capital and elsewhere across the country.]]>
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<title>What is Trump’s game in Syria?</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618363-trump-syria-sanctions-game/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618363-trump-syria-sanctions-game/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839b5b285f5404cac0ada94.jpg" /> Why has the US president decided to lift all sanctions on Damascus, and how will it shape the future of the region? <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618363-trump-syria-sanctions-game/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Why has the US president decided to lift all sanctions on Damascus, and how will it shape the future of the region?
US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that he intends to lift all sanctions on Syria stands as one of the most unexpected and controversial foreign policy moves Washington has made in the past decade.
Declared during Trump’s Middle East tour at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, the decision marks a dramatic shift in America’s approach to the region – one that could reshape the strategic landscape for both allies and adversaries.
The sanctions on Syria, first imposed in 1979, were progressively tightened over decades in response to accusations of sponsoring terrorism, human rights abuses, and close ties with Iran. Their full repeal is an unprecedented gesture, especially considering that Syria’s current president, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, was until recently regarded by the US as a senior figure in Al-Qaeda – with a $10 million bounty once placed on his capture.
In return, Damascus has made a series of strategic commitments. According to Trump, al-Sharaa has pledged to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), bring all jihadist detention camps under state control, and expel all foreign terrorist formations from Syrian soil. This latter promise is particularly significant, as these militant units – many of them composed of fighters from Central Asia – played a pivotal role in the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime and the rise of the current leadership.
Many of these same groups are also responsible for large-scale ethnic purges, including the massacres of Alawites and other religious minorities earlier this year. Thus, Trump’s proposal does more than legitimize al-Sharaa’s regime – it places on it the mantle of a regional stabilizer, albeit one whose legitimacy remains heavily disputed.
The decision to lift sanctions cannot be divorced from Washington’s broader economic and strategic interests. That the announcement came in Saudi Arabia is no coincidence – it signals a broader understanding with Riyadh, which is eager to deepen its footprint in post-conflict Syria. From the US perspective, the Syria deal is a building block in a new Middle Eastern architecture – one dominated by pro-Western governments and designed to neutralize Iranian influence.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68311a7085f5403d4e0e69c9.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syria's interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618076-trump-syria-sanctions-ease/">US moves to implement Trump’s ‘vision’ for Syria</a></figcaption>
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Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have long viewed Syria’s reconstruction as an opportunity to entrench themselves politically and economically. US sanctions had previously prevented them from acting overtly, and the lifting of restrictions may now be part of a grander bargain: Riyadh receives a green light to invest in Syria, while Washington secures massive financial commitments. On May 14 – the day of Trump’s announcement – Saudi Arabia signed a $142 billion arms deal with the US and pledged an additional $600 billion in American investments.
At first glance, Trump’s move might appear as a betrayal of Israeli interests – an accusation made in several media commentaries. Yet in practice, Israel gains a neighbor that, while unpredictable, is now positioned to suppress Islamist radicals within its borders. This allows it to refocus on countering Iran and Hezbollah without the added distraction of threats emanating from Syria.
The lifting of sanctions also aligns with Türkiye’s strategic goals. President Erdogan, just prior to the Trump-al-Sharaa meeting, personally urged the US president to dismantle the sanctions. Türkiye is a key partner of Syria’s new leadership but has been constrained by its own economic crisis. Moreover, the sanctions hindered Ankara’s allies – particularly Qatar – from taking part in Syria’s postwar reconstruction.
In sum, Trump’s Syrian deal represents more than just a diplomatic maneuver; it is a bold attempt to reengineer the regional balance of power. Whether it brings long-term stability or fuels new fault lines remains to be seen – but its impact on the Middle East is already unmistakable.
<h2>What lies behind this move?</h2>
The developments unfolding in Syria following the rise to power of Ahmed al-Sharaa increasingly evoke the atmosphere of 2011 – the era of the Arab Spring, when the Middle East fractured into two ideological and geopolitical camps. At the time, Türkiye and Qatar actively championed the cause of ‘political Islam’, seeking to expand their influence through the emergence of Islamist-oriented governments. In contrast, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates perceived Islamist forces as a direct threat to regional stability and the survival of their monarchical order.
Today, under al-Sharaa’s leadership, Syria once again reflects that same fault line. A sense of déjà vu looms: The region’s main players find themselves navigating renewed tensions, caught between the desire to preserve influence and the necessity of adapting to a rapidly evolving reality.
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Ankara and Doha, both instrumental in al-Sharaa’s ascent, view his leadership as an opportunity to reclaim their diminished standing in the Levant. Despite its internal economic turmoil, Türkiye continues to position itself as a regional arbiter, relying on a network of loyal political and military actors within Syria. Qatar, for its part, is providing financial and diplomatic support, effectively replicating the strategy it previously deployed in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia.
Yet the current landscape differs markedly from that of 2011. Al-Sharaa, though buoyed by Turkish support, has signaled a desire for greater autonomy from the outset. His first official foreign visit was not to Ankara, but to Riyadh – a symbolic gesture toward Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose economic power is now essential for Syria’s reconstruction. It was also a clear signal that Damascus is open to dialogue, even with those who once backed the opposing side in the civil war.
For Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the resurgence of politically motivated Islamist forces is a source of deep concern, though their response has remained deliberately muted. Rather than overt confrontation, these Gulf monarchies have opted for economic engagement, believing that financial leverage will grant them influence while curbing radicalization.
They also see the new Syrian leadership as a potential partner in shaping a new Middle Eastern order – provided that Damascus does not become an instrument of Turkish expansionism. This explains al-Sharaa’s active display of ‘independent maneuvering’, as he skillfully balances between centers of power – from the Gulf to Ankara, from Washington to Moscow.
Amid this geopolitical mosaic, the US has crafted a new strategic vision. Under Trump’s leadership, US policy increasingly focuses on economic leverage and security cooperation while moving away from direct military engagement in the Middle East. Trump proposes a new model: ‘Regional self-sufficiency’ under an American umbrella.
The essence of this model is to arm and equip regional actors, enabling them to maintain stability independently, with the US acting as a supplier of advanced technology and a guarantor of balance. In return, Washington demands loyalty, political restraint, and – crucially – substantial financial contributions. This underpins the strategic alignment with Gulf monarchies, who possess the means and motivation to counterbalance Iran.
At the same time, Trump is attempting to bridge the divide between Türkiye and Israel, laying the groundwork for an economic partnership despite ideological differences. The goal is to prevent friction among US allies and to forge a unified front against Iran and other hostile forces.
Syria, in this context, becomes a testing ground for America’s new security architecture – a controlled regional equilibrium maintained without the Pentagon’s direct footprint. If successful, this model could be replicated in other crisis zones.
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A potential next step is the normalization of relations between Syria and Israel – a previously unimaginable prospect, now discussed as part of a broader settlement. In parallel, Trump plans to introduce a new Middle East peace framework that includes recognition of Palestine in exchange for diplomatic and economic incentives from Arab states. This scenario may also presage political change in Israel: If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resists the plan, centrist alternatives like Yair Lapid or Benny Gantz – more amenable to compromise – could come to the fore.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of a fundamental reordering of US global priorities. Washington is increasingly pivoting toward the containment of China, its primary strategic rival in the 21st century. The Middle East is no longer seen as a vital sphere; the new approach favors balance over expansion, mediation over presence, partnership over intervention.
Thus, US regional strategy is evolving from rigid control to a more adaptive configuration – one in which local actors are granted greater autonomy, though still within an overarching framework engineered in Washington. Syria may well serve as the first case study of this new era – an era in which the return to the logic of 2011 unexpectedly becomes the launchpad for a very different Middle East.
<h2>Will things get better in Syria?</h2>
The US decision to lift sanctions on Syria following the rise of al-Sharaa to power marks a pivotal moment for a country that has endured over a decade of devastating war, international isolation, and socioeconomic collapse.
This move not only removes one of the most significant external constraints on the Syrian leadership, but also opens a window of opportunity to construct a new model of governance – one grounded in pragmatism, economic rationality, and cautious multilateralism.
Al-Sharaa now faces a critical choice: To use this opportunity to consolidate centralized authority and restore effective governance – or, through missteps or weakness, to allow Syria to fragment further into a collection of ethno-regional entities devoid of a unifying national project.
The World Bank has cleared over $15 million of Syrian debt, once again making the country eligible for participation in international financing programs. This development was made possible through targeted financial contributions from the Gulf states – particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar – signaling their intention to take the lead in Syria’s reconstruction. Following this, the IMF expressed its readiness to provide technical assistance, while the Syrian authorities issued a series of statements inviting investment in agriculture, energy, transportation infrastructure, and tourism.
These actions indicate the new regime’s ambition to craft an economic model that not only addresses the war’s legacy but also generates employment, stabilizes the currency, boosts public revenues, and – most importantly – restores public trust in the institution of the state.
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However, economic recovery is only feasible if accompanied by the genuine restoration of governance.
Syria remains deeply fragmented. Kurdish regions in the northeast are governed by a de facto autonomous administration with its own armed forces and international channels. In the south, the Druze community in Suwayda exhibits growing political and organizational independence, alongside protest movements and local defense initiatives. Along the coastal regions – home to significant Alawite and Christian minorities – distrust toward centralized power continues to grow, especially amid persistent ethno-sectarian tensions. These communities, should the center weaken, may gravitate toward political separatism or at least self-organization into autonomous administrative structures.
If the al-Sharaa government fails to propose a coherent model of political integration – one that includes power-sharing, resource distribution, and the participation of regional elites in governance – Syria could enter a new phase of ‘soft disintegration’: A de facto federalization where unity is maintained in name only.
In this context, foreign policy becomes critically important. Fully aware of the dangers of unilateral alignment, Ahmed al-Sharaa is pursuing a balanced external strategy. Unlike the previous era, which was defined by dependence on a narrow circle of allies, Syria’s new president is embracing a diversified diplomatic approach. He seeks to build relations with the West and the US – especially in the context of economic recovery and Syria’s international rehabilitation – without abandoning existing strategic ties. It is within this framework that Russia remains a key partner to Syria across several strategic domains.
Russia continues to play a central role in Syria’s security architecture and diplomatic positioning, including defending Syrian interests at the UN Security Council and engaging in technical, military, and energy cooperation.
Its presence in Tartus and Khmeimim, involvement in humanitarian initiatives, and potential contributions to infrastructure reconstruction ensure its continued relevance in any long-term settlement scenario.
At the same time, Damascus under al-Sharaa is also looking to build stronger ties with other non-Western power centers – including China, India, and Brazil – while deepening economic engagement with the Arab world. This will help Syria avoid overdependence on any single actor and enhance its strategic flexibility amid global uncertainty.
This approach reflects a clear-eyed understanding of Syria’s geopolitical reality: The country can no longer afford to be part of rigid geopolitical axes. Its survival now depends on its ability to navigate between competing powers – leveraging their rivalry for national benefit without becoming anyone’s pawn. Maintaining cooperative relations with Russia and expanding dialogue with non-Western powers is not just a matter of foreign policy – it is a means of preserving autonomy in a context of limited sovereignty.
The lifting of sanctions and al-Sharaa’s ascent have opened a potential path toward stabilization. But the durability of this trajectory depends on the regime’s ability not only to harness economic resources but also to execute a complex, multi-layered political and diplomatic agenda. Domestically, this means launching mechanisms of integration and decentralization; externally, it requires deft maneuvering between Western and non-Western actors. In this evolving environment, Russia remains an important partner for Syria – not as an exclusive ally, but as a key component in the multifaceted diplomacy that al-Sharaa will seek to construct in order to reinforce not just his own authority, but the very foundations of the Syrian state.]]>
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<title>NYT reports details of Kiev’s memorandum</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839c3f185f5404cbb2ea494.jpg" /> Ukraine has sent its proposal to Russia ahead of peace talks <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618366-nyt-ukrainian-memorandum-ceasefire-monitoring/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Ukraine has sent its proposal to Russia ahead of peace talks
Ukraine’s memorandum ahead of the next round of direct negotiations with Russia calls for an internationally observed ceasefire, the New York Times has reported, citing an anonymous senior official. Moscow has consistently maintained that any ceasefire should not be used by Kiev to rearm its forces.
The two sides last met for direct talks in Istanbul on May 16, marking the first formal negotiations since 2022. The meeting resulted in the largest prisoner exchange to date, with 1,000 POWs released by each side. The parties also agreed to prepare memorandums outlining their positions on a potential ceasefire ahead of the next meeting.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed holding follow-up talks on Monday, June 2, again in Istanbul.
In an article on Friday, the NYT quoted an unnamed source as saying that the Ukrainian document includes “provisions for a cease-fire on land, at sea and in the air, with monitoring to be carried out by international partners.”
The Ukrainian leadership had previously insisted on a 30-day pause in hostilities as a precondition for negotiations. Russia rejected that scenario, arguing that Kiev would use it to regroup its military. The NYT did not mention the timeframe in Kiev’s latest proposal.
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Speaking on Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga accused Moscow of stalling the negotiations by refusing to share its memorandum ahead of the meeting on Monday.
That same day, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the document “will not be made public.”
Responding to a similar demand made by Ukrainian defense minister and top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, on Wednesday, Peskov dismissed it as “unconstructive.”
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed that Moscow’s memorandum includes the “principles of settlement, a timeframe for a potential peace agreement [and] a potential ceasefire for a certain period of time.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from the territories that became part of Russia following referendums in 2022.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ABC News on Thursday, Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, urged Kiev to attend the next round of negotiations with Moscow, irrespective of whether or not Russia agrees to share its memorandum beforehand.
Speaking of the Ukrainian document, Kellogg said that he had seen it, revealing that the memorandum includes 22 terms which he characterized as “pretty good” and “reasonable.”]]>
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<title>Trump hesitant to confront Putin over Ukraine – Politico source</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839bf51203027401c39a166.jpg" /> An EU official has claimed that Trump wants a reset with Russia more than peace in Ukraine, according to Politico. <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618365-trump-ukraine-eu-peace/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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An EU official has reportedly claimed that Trump wants a reset with Russia more than peace in Ukraine
EU officials are reportedly concerned that US President Donald Trump is reluctant to pressure his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over the Ukraine conflict, according to Politico.
Earlier this week, Trump said Putin is “playing with fire” after Russia launched large-scale strikes on Ukrainian military-related facilities. The attacks came in response to a sharp increase in Kiev’s drone raids targeting civilian areas in Russia. Despite his tough rhetoric, Trump has so far held back from approving what Senator Lindsey Graham called “bone-crushing” sanctions against Moscow.
In an article on Thursday, the outlet cited an unnamed EU official who said it is “very clear there is something holding him [Trump] back from actually putting more pressure on Putin.”
“He may want the reset with Russia most of all, more than peace. If he just wants to get the war ended so he can do these deals [with Putin], then he may be weighing the cost of poisoning their potential relationship,” the source suggested.
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Asked on Thursday if he still believes that Putin is interested in finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict, Trump said: “I will let you know in about two weeks. We are going to find out whether or not he is tapping us along or not. And if he is, we will respond a little bit differently.”
According to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, Trump is waiting for the outcome of potential talks between delegations from Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul on Monday.
On Thursday, Moscow’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, reiterated Russia’s readiness to continue “serious direct negotiations” with Kiev in order to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict that addresses the root causes.
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He warned, however, that if Ukraine “tries to prolong the war… neither new anti-Russian sanctions, nor arms supplies to Ukraine, nor other hostile steps vis-a-vis Russia will be able to prevent the inevitable military defeat of the [Vladimir] Zelensky regime.”]]>
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<title>Moscow wants to rekindle Russia-India-China format as NATO fuels discord – Lavrov</title>
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The foreign minister has suggested reviving cooperation amid an easing of tensions between New Delhi and Beijing
Moscow is interested in restarting cooperation within the Russia, India, and China (RIC) format as NATO countries try to sow discord between New Delhi and Beijing, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Speaking at a Eurasian security conference on Thursday, Lavrov emphasized Russia’s “genuine interest” in reviving the RIC trilateral dialogue, citing recent de-escalation along the India-China border as a timely opportunity. 
“Now that, as I understand it, an understanding is being reached between India and China on how to calm the border situation, I believe the time has come to revive the RIC trio,” he stated.
China and India have been locked in a military standoff along their disputed Himalayan border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), since a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. They have since held multiple rounds of talks to reduce tensions and, while some areas of friction remain, officials from the two countries have recently reported signs of de-escalation and continued military and diplomatic engagement.
In his speech, Lavrov also expressed concern about NATO’s alleged attempts to involve India in anti-China strategies. “I have no doubt that our Indian friends – and I say this based on confidential conversations with them – clearly see this provocation,” he said.
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Lavrov previously stated that Western powers were expecting to “make our great friends and neighbors India and China clash.” He claimed that this approach was part of a broader agenda to provoke confrontation in the Indo-Pacific and diminish the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the region.
His comments come as India has continued to develop its strategic cooperation with Western countries, including by taking part in joint military exercises and signing defense agreements with the US. New Delhi, however, has refrained from joining any formal alliances.
India has also maintained strong relations with Russia despite Western pressure related to the Ukraine conflict. New Delhi has opted not to join Western sanctions against Moscow and has expanded economic cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, becoming one of Russia’s largest oil buyers. The countries have set a target of boosting trade to over $100 billion by 2030.]]>
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<title>Makeover plan for Asia’s biggest slum faces ire of residents – media</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839bb8d85f5403cbe0e04e3.jpg" /> An $11bln project aims to redevelop Mumbai’s famous Dharavi slum into a modern residential and commercial area <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618361-makeover-plan-for-asias-biggest/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Local fear that an $11bn redevelopment project in Mumbai could leave out thousands of people
A plan to transform Dharavi, known globally as one of the largest slums in South Asia, is facing opposition from local residents, the Indian Express reported on Friday. Located in the heart of India’s financial capital, Mumbai, Dharavi spans over 250 hectares and has attracted attention from tourists, economists, urban planners, and Hollywood. 
The redevelopment plan, approved by the government of Maharashtra on Wednesday, aims to build nearly 60,000 residential houses and over 13,000 commercial units for eligible tenants in the area. The total cost of the project is estimated at $11 billion. 
The proposal also includes improving infrastructure in the area, and could take up to seven years to complete.
However, according to the Indian Express, this plan has drawn criticism from Dharavi residents, who are protesting that only those occupying ground-floor structures will be eligible for rehousing.
There are over 100,000 ground-floor structures in Dharavi, with at least 150,000 to 200,000 tenants residing on the second and third floors, Rajendra Korde, president of the Dharavi Redevelopment Samiti, told the outlet. He questioned the survey conducted by the agency working on the project. According <a href="https://x.com/mieknathshinde/status/1927737643879759996" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to government officials,</a> Dharavi houses over 600,000 people.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/595064-infrastructure-growth-real-estate-tycoon/">India will be a ‘centerpiece of the world’s economy’ – real estate tycoon to RT</a></figcaption>
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The Dharavi Redevelopment Plan (DRP) is a joint venture between the Adani Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates led by Gautam Adani, and the Maharashtra state government. Since securing the project, the DRP has been conducting a survey to identify the total number of residents in Dharavi who are eligible.
It estimates that 72,000 housing and commercial units built on 47.20 hectares will be required, according to the master plan presented to the authorities, the report noted. While Dharavi is known as a densely populated slum, it is also a thriving hub for small businesses. Over the decades, it has emerged as a vital industrial zone for leather, textiles, and other small-scale exports.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office has stated that the project is designed to preserve Dharavi’s unique commercial identity. The master plan for Dharavi includes creating five industry clusters: garment, pottery, leather, food, and recycling, as well as improving connectivity in the redeveloped areas.]]>
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<title>EU state sentences teacher for ‘pro-Russian’ views</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618355-teacher-sentenced-prague/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839b70c85f54044e4745124.jpg" /> Martina Bednarova has been sentenced in Prague for calling the Russian military action a “justified” way to resolve the Ukraine crisis <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618355-teacher-sentenced-prague/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Martina Bednarova has been given a suspended jail term in the Czech Republic for calling Moscow’s military action “justified”
A Czech court has handed a former teacher a seven-month suspended sentence for expressing pro-Russian views during a school lesson, local media reported on Thursday.
Martina Bednarova was also banned from teaching for three years and ordered to complete a media literacy course, according to the Ceska Justice news portal. The court reportedly said Bednarova misused her role by presenting “misleading information” to students.
The incident occurred in April 2022, shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, during a Czech language lesson at an elementary school in Prague. According to media reports, Bednarova described Russia’s military action of Ukraine as a “justified way of resolving the situation” and cast doubt on Czech television’s coverage.
She also said “Nazi Ukrainian groups” had been killing Russians since 2014, apparently referring to Ukrainian nationalist battalions such as Azov, which Moscow has accused of committing atrocities against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine, and which the Kiev authorities dispute. Students recorded the class and alerted school officials, leading to Bednarova’s dismissal.
Judge Eliska Matyasova claimed Bednarova was not simply expressing personal views but delivering false information in a classroom where students could not question it. Bednarova said her remarks were part of a media literacy lesson and called the case politically driven. The verdict is not final, as she has the right to appeal.
The District Court initially acquitted Bednarova twice, with an appeals chamber backing the second ruling on free speech grounds. In January, however, the Supreme Court overturned the decisions and ordered a new review to assess whether her actions met the criteria for a criminal offense.
Prague has taken a strongly anti-Russian stance in recent years, especially in response to the Ukraine conflict, becoming one of Kiev’s staunchest supporters.
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In its 2023 human rights report, the Russian Foreign Ministry labeled the Czech government’s actions as “Russophobic” and expressed concern over freedom of speech in the country.
It also raised concerns over the functioning of media in the Czech Republic and noted what it called a steady drift toward anti-Russian sentiment.
Russian will also be phased out as a second language by 2034 under new Czech education reforms, with students limited to German, French or Spanish. As of late 2023, over 40,000 Russian nationals lived in the country, making them the fourth-largest foreign community.
The Czech Republic, once part of communist Czechoslovakia and a Soviet-aligned Eastern Bloc member, became independent in 1993 after the 1989 Velvet Revolution and the Soviet Union’s collapse. Since then, the country has removed or altered hundreds of Soviet-era monuments, with another wave of removals following the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev and the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.]]>
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<title>Putin open to talks with Ukraine – Kremlin</title>
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The Russian president however first expects results from direct negotiations between delegations, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to holding high-level direct talks with Kiev on resolving the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Friday.
However, the Russian leader insists that first, results must be achieved in the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Peskov explained.
He also announced that Russia’s team of negotiators is already heading to Istanbul to prepare for the next round of direct talks with Kiev, which is expected to be held on Monday, June 2.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also confirmed that the Russian team will be in the Turkish city to present the Ukrainian side with Moscow’s draft memorandum outlining a path towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict, as well as other ceasefire proposals.
She noted that the talks are expected to be bilateral and stressed that there are no discussions about Türkiye or any other countries mediating the negotiations.
Zakharova also acknowledged that Moscow has heard US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg’s statements to the effect that representatives from Washington, London, Paris, and Berlin would be present in Istanbul on June 2. However, she stated that Moscow “does not see any connection” between their arrival and the Russia-Ukraine talks.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618334-zakharova-ukraine-talks-delegation-makeup/">Russia reveals team for next round of Ukraine peace talks</a></figcaption>
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Delegations from Moscow and Kiev last met in Istanbul on May 16, marking the first formal negotiations since 2022. That round resulted in the largest prisoner exchange to date, with 1,000 people released by each side. The parties also agreed to prepare written proposals – a pair of memorandums – outlining their positions on a potential ceasefire ahead of the next meeting.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Moscow’s memorandum had been completed and proposed holding the next round of negotiations on June 2. 
That statement was met with backlash from Kiev, which said it had already submitted its memorandum to Moscow and criticized the Russian side for not sharing its own document ahead of the talks.
On Thursday, Peskov dismissed Kiev’s demand to see the Russian memorandum in advance, calling it “unconstructive.” He went on to add that, “They should either confirm they are prepared for talks or say otherwise.”]]>
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<title>Kiev accused of systematic torture of Russian prisoners</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839b2752030274cd449a4f5.jpg" /> Returned soldiers have alleged sadistic abuse while in Ukrainian custody <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618358-ukraine-torture-prisoners-report/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Returned soldiers have alleged sadistic abuse while in Ukrainian custody
Ukraine has established a dehumanizing system of torture targeting captured Russian military personnel, a human rights advocate has claimed.
Maksim Grigoriev, who chairs an international commission investigating <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/607474-ugledar-war-crimes-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">alleged</a> Ukrainian government crimes, said his findings were based on extensive testimonies from Russian soldiers released in prisoner exchanges. He presented a report quoting statements from 30 individuals on Friday.
Grigoriev said the widespread nature of the alleged abuse indicates “a deliberate systematic practice of constant torture,” amounting to a crime against humanity. He claimed the purpose was not intelligence-gathering but rather the dehumanization of Russian captives, adding that violence was often inflicted out of malice.
Former detainees described beatings and various forms of abuse they say occurred while in Ukrainian custody. The report cites waterboarding, electrocution, and the use of attack dogs against prisoners as common methods.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/616398-kursk-ukrainian-war-crimes/">Moscow accuses Ukrainian troops of killing civilians seeking food</a></figcaption>
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Some testimonies included accounts of sexualized violence. One soldier alleged that his captors contemplated castrating him and pumping construction foam into his rectum. Another said inmates were forced to urinate on each other.
Several witnesses claimed Ukrainian personnel seemed to take pleasure in the abuse. One soldier, Vladimir Palitsin, said a man beat him with a metal rod: “He was hitting me and smiling. He was happy.” Others said Ukrainian medical staff treated injuries without anesthesia as a method of torture.
Grigoriev compared the alleged brutality to that of “Western-managed” dictatorships in Latin America and elsewhere. He noted that a torture room at one Ukrainian facility was nicknamed ‘Baghdad’, a possible reference to the US military presence in Iraq. The administration of former US President George W. Bush authorized the so-called ‘enhanced interrogation’ of prisoners during its ‘war on terror’ in the Middle East.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618116-russia-ukraine-pow-swap-complete/">
READ MORE: Russia and Ukraine complete largest ever POW swap
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Russia and Ukraine each released 1,000 prisoners earlier this month in a coordinated exchange. During the report’s presentation, Russian lawmaker Andrey Kartapolov addressed Ukrainian criticism that members of the controversial neo-Nazi Azov unit were excluded from the swap, stating: “They are criminals, to the last man.”
“They are not hiding this fact. And we have no intention to forgive them,” Kartapolov added.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova joined the press conference remotely, describing Grigoriev’s report as “yet another step towards justice.”]]>
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<title>Veto ban would mean the end of EU – Fico</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839b1d3203027481b51f388.jpg" /> The Slovak PM has warned Brussels against a push to limit national vetoes, citing a threat to democracy <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618362-veto-ban-end-eu-fico/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Brussels’ attempt to circumvent bloc members who vote against its wishes is a threat to democracy, the Slovak PM has warned
A reported EU plan to scrap member states’ veto power on matters of foreign policy would spell the end of the bloc and could become “the precursor of a huge military conflict,” Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned.
Slovakia and its Central European neighbour Hungary have long opposed the EU’s approach to the Ukraine conflict, criticizing military aid to Kiev and sanctions on Russia. Both governments have repeatedly threatened to use their veto powers to block EU actions they view as harmful to national interests.
To bypass dissent, Brussels is reportedly weighing a shift from unanimous voting, a founding principle of EU foreign policy, to qualified majority voting (QMV), arguing that it would streamline decision-making and prevent individual states from paralyzing joint actions.
Fico, however, condemned the proposal on Thursday during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary.
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“The imposition of a mandatory political opinion, the abolition of the veto, the punishment of the sovereign and the brave, the new Iron Curtain, the preference for war over peace. This is the end of the common European project. This is a departure from democracy. This is the precursor of a huge military conflict,” he said.
EU sanctions on Russia currently require unanimous renewal every six months, with the current term set to expire at the end of July. Brussels is also preparing an 18th package of sanctions aimed at tightening restrictions on Russia’s energy sector and financial institutions.
Earlier this month, during a visit to Moscow for Victory Day commemorations, Fico assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that Slovakia would veto any EU-wide attempt to ban imports of Russian oil or gas.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has taken a similar stance. While Hungary has not formally blocked a sanctions package, it has delayed several rounds to extract concessions.
Orban has also warned that removing the veto would strip smaller nations of their sovereignty.
“We want Brussels to show us, as all other member countries, the same respect, not only symbolically, but also by taking our interests into account,” he said last month.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/617449-brussels-sanctions-hungary-veto/">
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Both Slovakia and Hungary have resisted increased military support to Kiev, with Budapest blocking several key decisions citing concerns over national interests and the potential for escalation. Fico has emphasized the need for peace negotiations over continued military engagement.]]>
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<title>Elite Western universities form a corrupt and parasitic empire</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683996a185f5404cbb2ea46c.jpg" /> Instead of high-quality education, these institutions are fostering a global neo-feudal system reminiscent of the British Raj <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618349-elite-universities-corrupt-empire/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Instead of high-quality education, these institutions are fostering a global neo-feudal system reminiscent of the British Raj
US President Donald Trump has banned international students from attending Harvard University, citing national security concerns.
The move has sparked widespread condemnation from academics and foreign governments, who warn it could damage America’s global influence and reputation for academic openness. At stake is not just Harvard’s global appeal, but the very premise of open academic exchange that has long defined elite higher education in the US.
But exactly how ‘open’ is Harvard’s admissions process? Every year, <a href="https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-131/the-harvard-plan-that-failed-asian-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">highly qualified students</a> – many with top-tier SAT or GMAT test scores – are rejected, often with little explanation. Critics argue that behind the prestigious Ivy League brand lies an opaque system shaped by legacy preferences, DEI imperatives, geopolitical interests, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/21/what-will-help-you-get-into-harvard-super-rich-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">outright bribes</a>. George Soros, for instance, once pledged <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/01/24/billionaire-george-soros-pledges-1-billion-university-fund-to-fight-would-be-dictators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$1 billion</a> to open up elite university admissions to drones who would read from his Open Society script.
China’s swift condemnation of Trump’s policy added a layer of geopolitical irony to the debate. Why would Beijing feign concern for “<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-harvard-trump-international-students-dc443b16ebbd4cd099dec1f974c57691" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">America’s international standing</a>” amid a bitter trade war? The international standing of US universities has long been tarnished by a woke psychosis which <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8-Yslv4PME" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spread like cancer</a> to all branches of the government.
So, what was behind China’s latest gripe? The answer may lie in the unspoken rules of soft power: Ivy League campuses are battlegrounds for influence. The US deep state has long recruited foreign students to promote its interests abroad – subsidized by American taxpayers no less. China is apparently playing the same game, leveraging elite US universities to co-opt future leaders on its side of the geostrategic fence.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/682fe09d2030270fd84e1b13.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Students protesting against the war in Gaza at an encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 25, 2024" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618026-harvard-foreign-students-ban/">Trump bans Harvard from admitting foreign students</a></figcaption>
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For the time being, a judge has granted Harvard’s request for a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-foreign-students-enrollment-trump-lawsuit-94b65866c563e67a7a7a3c79e90144d6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">temporary restraining order</a> against Trump’s proposed ban. Come what may, there is one commonsense solution that all parties to this saga would like to avoid: Forcing Ivy League institutions to open their admissions process to public scrutiny. The same institutions that champion open borders, open societies, and open everything will, however, not tolerate any suggestion of greater openness to its admissions process. That would open up a Pandora’s Box of global corruption that is systemically ruining nations today.
Speaking of corruption – how is this for irony? A <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/harvard-fires-professor-who-fabricated-data-dishonesty-studies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">star Harvard professor</a> who built her career researching decision-making and dishonesty was just fired and stripped of tenure for fabricating her own data!
<h2>Concentration of wealth and alumni networks</h2>
The Ivy League has a vested interest in perpetuating rising wealth and educational inequalities. It is the only way they can remain atop the global rankings list at the expense of less-endowed peers.
Elite universities like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT <a href="https://altrata.com/reports/university-alumni-rankings-of-the-wealthy-and-influential-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dominate</a> lists of institutions with the most ultra-wealthy alumni (net worth over $30mn). For example, Harvard alone has 18,000 ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) alumni, representing 4% of the global UHNW population.
These alumni networks provide major donations, corporate partnerships, and exclusive opportunities, reinforcing institutional wealth. If the alma mater’s admissions process was rigged in their favor, they have no choice but to cough it up, at least for the sake of their offspring who will perpetuate this exclusivist cycle.
The total endowment of <a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/g64503521/best-roi-colleges-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Princeton University</a> – $34.1 billion in 2024 – translated to $3.71 million per student, enabling generous financial aid and state-of-the-art facilities. Less prestigious institutions just cannot compete on this scale.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617459-harvard-trump-funding-letter/">Harvard defends ‘core principles’ against Trump threats</a></figcaption>
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<h2>Rankings, graft, and ominous trends</h2>
Global university rankings (QS, THE, etc.) heavily favor institutions with large endowments, high spending per student, and wealthy student bodies. For example, 70% of the top 50 US News & World Report Best Colleges overlap with universities boasting the largest endowments and the highest percentage of students from the top <a href="https://www.socialmobilityindex.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1% of wealthy families</a>.
According to the <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-reducing-inequalities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Social Mobility Index</a> (SMI), climbing rankings requires tens of millions in annual spending, driving tuition hikes and exacerbating inequality. Lower-ranked schools which prioritize affordability and access are often <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-reducing-inequalities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">overshadowed in traditional rankings</a>, which reward wealth over social impact. Besides, social mobility these days is predetermined at birth, as the global wealth divide becomes unbridgeable.
Worse, the global ranking system itself thrives on graft, with institutions gaming audits, inflating data, and even bribing reviewers. Take the case of a Southeast Asian diploma mill where some of its initial batch of female students had been arrested for prostitution. Despite its flagrant lack of academic integrity, it grew rapidly to secure an unusually high QS global ranking – ahead of venerable institutions like the University of Pavia, where Leonardo da Vinci studied, and which boasts three Nobel Laureates among its ranks.
Does this grotesque inversion of merit make any sense?
Government policies increasingly favor elite institutions. Recent White House tax cuts and deregulation may further widen gaps by benefiting corporate-aligned universities while <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2025-wealth-disparity-gets-much-203016820.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reducing public funding</a> for others. This move was generally welcomed by the Ivy League until Trump took on Harvard.
With such ominous trends on the horizon, brace yourselves for an implosion of the global education sector by 2030 – a reckoning mirroring the 2008 financial crisis, but with far graver consequences. And touching on the 2008 crisis, didn’t someone remark that “behind every financial disaster, there’s a Harvard economist?”
Nobody seems to be learning from previous contretemps. In fact, I dare say that ‘learning’ is merely a coincidental output of the Ivy League brand
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<h2>The credentialism trap</h2>
When Lehman Brothers and its lesser peers collapsed in 2008, many Singapore-based corporations eagerly scooped up their <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/markets/ex-lehman-brothers-trader-to-head-stanchart-energy-team-idUSLNE492048/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">laid-off executives</a>. The logic? Fail upward.
If these whizz kids were truly talented, why did they miss the glaring warning signs during the lead up to the greatest economic meltdown since the Great Depression? The answer lies in the cult of credentialism and an entrenched patronage system. Ivy League MBAs and Rolodexes of central banker contacts are all that matters. The consequences are simply disastrous: A runaway global talent shortage will hit <a href="https://www.superstaff.com/blog/talent-shortage-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$8.452 trillion</a> in unrealized annual revenues by 2030, more than the projected <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/special-reports/india-forward/indias-growing-role-in-the-global-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GDP of India</a> for the same year.
Ivy League MBAs often justify their relevance by overcomplicating simple objectives into tedious bureaucratic grinds – all in the name of efficiency, smart systems, and ever-evolving ‘best practices’. The result? Doctors now spend more time on paperwork than treating patients, while teachers are buried under layers of administrative work.
Ultimately, Ivy League technocrats often function as a vast bureaucratic parasite, siphoning public and private wealth into elite hands. What kind of universal socioeconomic model are these institutions bequeathing to the world? I can only think of one historical analogue as a future cue: Colonial India, aka the British Raj. This may be a stretch, but bear with me.
Lessons from the Raj
As <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe:_A_History" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Norman Davies</a> pointed out, the Austro-Hungarians had more bureaucrats managing Prague than the British needed to run all of colonial India – a subcontinent that included modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. In fact, it took only 1,500-odd white Indian Civil Service (ICS) officials to govern colonial India until WWI.
That is quite staggering to comprehend, unless one grasps how the British and Indian societies are organized along rigid class (and caste) lines. When two corrupt feudal systems mate, their offspring becomes a blueprint for dystopia.
India never recovered from this neo-feudal arrangement. If the reader thinks I am exaggerating, let’s compare the conditions in the British Raj and China from 1850 to 1976 (when the Cultural Revolution officially ended). During this period, China endured numerous societal setbacks – including rebellions, famines, epidemics, lawlessness, and a world war – which collectively resulted in the deaths of nearly 150 million Chinese. The Taiping Rebellion alone – the most destructive civil war in history – resulted in 20 to 30 million dead, representing 5-10% of China’s population at the time.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618100-ai-hallucination-global-embarrassment/">AI hallucinations: a budding sentience or a global embarrassment?</a></figcaption>
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A broad comparison with India during the same period reveals a death toll of 50-70 million, mainly from epidemics and famines. Furthermore, unlike colonial India, many parts of China also lacked central governance.
Indian nationalists are quick to blame a variety of bogeymen for their society’s lingering failings. Nevertheless, they should ask themselves why US Big Tech-owned news platforms, led by upper-caste Hindu CEOs, no less, showed a decidedly pro-Islamabad bias during the recent Indo-Pakistani <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_India%E2%80%93Pakistan_crisis#:~:text=On%207%20May%202025%2C%20India,and%20hundreds%20of%20homes%20destroyed." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">military standoff</a>. Maybe, these CEOs are supine apparatchiks, much like their predecessors during the British Raj? Have they been good stewards of the public domain (i.e. internet)? Have they promoted meritocracy in foreign lands? (You can read some stark examples <a href="https://www.duanemorris.com/alerts/it_firm_found_liable_intentional_discrimination_against_class_terminated_non_indian_1024.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-executive-excluded-meetings-indian-075610740.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> and <a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/my/%E1%80%9E%E1%80%90%E1%80%84/3-us-workers-file-lawsuit-against-indias-largest-it-outsourcing-co-alleging-discrimination-based-on-race-national-origin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>).
These Indian Big Tech bros, however, showed a lot of vigor and initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing their employees to take the vaccine or face the pink slip. They led the charge behind the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, which included an “unprecedented corporate sector initiative to help India successfully fight COVID-19.” Just check out the <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210505005914/en/Global-Task-Force-on-Pandemic-Response-Launched-by-Leading-Companies-and-Business-Associations-to-Address-Urgent-COVID-19-Surges" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">credentials</a> of the ‘experts’ involved here. Shouldn’t this task be left to accomplished Indian virologists and medical experts?
A tiny few, in the service of a hegemon, can control the fate of billions. <a href="https://time.com/6961171/india-british-rule-income-inequality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India’s income inequality</a> is now worse than it was under British rule.
<h2>A way out?</h2>
As global university inequalities widen further, it is perhaps time to rethink novel approaches to level the education field as many brick and mortar institutions may simply fold during the <a href="https://drmathewmaavak.substack.com/p/ai-meets-vuca-the-perfect-storm-threatening" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">volatile 2025-30 period</a>.
I am optimistic that the use of <a href="https://drmathewmaavak.substack.com/p/ai-and-the-quantum-leap-in-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AI in education</a> will be a great equalizer, but I also fear that Big Tech will force governments into using its proprietary EdTech solutions that are already showing signs of runaway <a href="https://drmathewmaavak.substack.com/p/when-ai-hallucinates-into-a-global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AI hallucinations</a> – simply because the bold new world is all about control and power, not empowerment. Much like the British Raj, I would say.]]>
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<title>Russian security chief reacts to German missile claims</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618357-shoigu-merz-germany-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618357-shoigu-merz-germany-ukraine/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839acf3203027481b51f382.jpg" /> Germany’s approval of Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia could result in Moscow removing its own constraints, Sergey Shoigu has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618357-shoigu-merz-germany-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Berlin’s approval of Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia could result in Moscow removing its own constraints, Sergey Shoigu has said
Moscow has the means to respond to Berlin’s decision to lift the range restrictions on Ukrainian strikes with missiles provided by Germany, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has said.
Earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed that “there are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, neither from the British nor the French, nor from us, nor from the Americans.”
In a separate interview on Wednesday, Merz said deliveries of German Taurus missiles – which have a range of 500km and could potentially reach Moscow – to Kiev is “in the realm of possible.”
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, Shoigu highlighted the inconsistency of Ukraine’s Western backers regarding the use of long-range weapons.
The administration of former US President Joe Biden lifted the restrictions on long-range attacks last November, with the UK and France following suit shortly afterwards. Since then, the Russian military has repelled a number of strikes against its territory, which included US-supplied ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683871b685f5404ca03ccc56.jpg" alt="An exhibit of a German-made Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618324-germany-ukraine-taurus-kartapolov/">Russia prepared to strike Germany if Taurus missiles are used – senior MP</a></figcaption>
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Former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was reluctant to approve deep strikes into Russia or to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles over fears of escalation.
“There are many statements. They are all different. First, they say that they had lifted it, then they say that they did not. Then they say that they did it long ago… So, did you lift it or not?” Shoigu said, adding: “we can also lift limitations on some things. I will not expand on this, but we have our own restrictions that we can remove in response.”
The chancellor, who welcomed Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday, also said Germany will help Kiev with the production of long-range weaponry inside Ukraine. According to the German Defense Ministry, a large part of the country’s newly announced €5.2 billion ($5.6 billion) military aid for Ukraine will be allocated for the project.
High-ranking Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik stressed on Friday that any weapons production facilities in Ukraine are legitimate targets for the Russian military, and are subject to “unequivocal destruction.”
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/">
READ MORE: Berlin offers Kiev another €5 billion
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Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large tasked with documenting Kiev’s alleged war crimes, also said Berlin’s recent moves show that they “are not looking for peace, [but are] trying in every possible way to continue the Ukraine conflict, to continue the bloodshed” in order to distract the people from the problems in their own country.]]>
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<title>Trump aide caught in impersonation scam – WSJ</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618353-white-house-impersonator-wsj/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618353-white-house-impersonator-wsj/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839ab0a85f5404cbb2ea480.jpg" /> The FBI is probing impersonation attempts involving Trump aide Susie Wiles, according to The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618353-white-house-impersonator-wsj/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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A caller posing as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has reportedly asked for money from US elites
US authorities are investigating an individual who has allegedly been impersonating White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The impersonator has been attempting to deceive prominent Republican senators, governors and business leaders over the past several weeks, by pretending to be Wiles, sources familiar with the investigation have told the newspaper. The individual has reportedly used text messages and phone calls using a voice likely generated by AI.
Some of the targets interacted with the imposter, but others found the messages immediately suspicious as they contained grammatical errors and used an overly formal tone that did not align with Wiles’ style.
Some recipients were asked questions Wiles would be expected to know, and in at least one case, the caller solicited a money transfer.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683088ef85f54050d11e4bda.jpg" alt="RT" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618050-russia-anti-cyberfraud-app/">Russia to launch nationwide anti-fraud app – minister</a></figcaption>
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Sources told the WSJ that Wiles suspects her personal phone may have been hacked and her contact list compromised, but investigators have yet to confirm that theory.
The FBI does not believe a foreign government is behind the scheme, according to the report.
While Wiles’ contacts have been notified, fraudulent messages were sent as recently as this week, including while she was accompanying Trump on a trip to the Middle East, sources told the outlet.
In May, then-national security adviser Mike Waltz became embroiled in a separate communications mishap after mistakenly adding a senior editor with The Atlantic to a private Signal group chat.
Trump later stated that Waltz had “learned a lesson,” though media reports claimed that internal pressure mounted for his removal. His resignation was <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/616643-trump-confirms-waltzs-departure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> earlier this month.]]>
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<title>Canadian gold miner seeks mediation in African dispute</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618351-mali-mine-dispute-barrick-gold-seeks-world-bank-court-help/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618351-mali-mine-dispute-barrick-gold-seeks-world-bank-court-help/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839a54685f5404c8518d2d1.jpg" /> Barrick has launched arbitration proceedings after Mali took actions it calls unlawful and unprecedented <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618351-mali-mine-dispute-barrick-gold-seeks-world-bank-court-help/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Barrick has said its employees remain in detention in Mali, and exports from its mine have been blocked for months
Canadian company Barrick Mining has appealed to the World Bank’s arbitration tribunal to settle a legal dispute with Mali. The miner currently risks losing control of its gold operations in the West African country, Reuters reported on Friday.
The request to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) comes ahead of a Malian court ruling scheduled for June 2 on the government’s application to place the mine under provisional administration.
Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex, which produced nearly 700,000 ounces of gold in 2023, has been closed since January after Mali seized three tons of gold from the mine over alleged unpaid taxes – a claim Barrick denies.
According to a filing on the ICSID’s website, the mining giant is seeking “provisional measures” to prevent further actions by the Sahel state’s military leadership that could exacerbate the dispute.
The former French colony is one of Africa’s top gold producers, with large-scale operations such as the Loulo-Gounkoto mines, which are 80% owned by Barrick and 20% by the Malian government. Since taking power in a coup in 2020, the new leadership in Bamako has sought more revenue from the sector to boost state income amid rising gold prices. In 2023, a new mining code was introduced allowing the military government to claim a stake of up to 30% in any new projects.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/612558-mali-barrick-gold-negotiations-suspended/">
READ MORE: Mali and Canadian miner fail to resolve payment dispute – Bloomberg
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Barrick, one of the world’s largest gold producers, has been operating in Mali for nearly three decades and insists it has complied with Malian law and its binding mining conventions.
Tensions escalated in late 2024 when four Barrick executives were detained and a warrant was issued for CEO Mark Bristow, all on charges of money laundering and financing of terrorism – allegations the company says are untrue. Negotiations between the two sides recently collapsed after Mali demanded a lump-sum payment of 125 billion CFA francs ($197 million) in unpaid revenues, while Barrick proposed a structured payment plan.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.04/thumbnail/6811ff6b85f540679a7826f5.jpg" alt="RT" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/616539-mali-strengthening-sovereignty-gold-mining/">Westerners came for gold. Now this nation is sending them packing</a></figcaption>
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Earlier this week, the mining firm issued a statement claiming that the Malian government’s attempt to “interfere with Loulo-Gounkoto’s operations is without precedent or lawful justification.” 
“This latest escalation by the Malian government follows the continued unlawful detention of several Barrick employees — now held for over five months — and the ongoing blockage of gold exports from the complex,” the company said.
Barrick is not the only Western company under pressure in the Sahel region. In neighboring <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/616948-niger-seizes-french-miner-orano-equipment/">Niger</a>, French nuclear fuel firm Orano lost its license to the Imouraren uranium mine in 2024. The military government also seized its subsidiary Somair later that year. Orano has taken legal action against Niger’s government, citing illegal detention and property confiscation.
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<title>‘Terrorism and dialogue cannot go together’ – India on talks with Pakistan</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/india/618350-terrorism-and-dialogue-cannot-go/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/india/618350-terrorism-and-dialogue-cannot-go/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839a1c185f5404ca70e5cde.jpg" /> New Delhi has urged Islamabad to “hand over” terrorists and vacate the “occupied” part of Kashmir <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618350-terrorism-and-dialogue-cannot-go/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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New Delhi has urged Islamabad to “hand over” terrorists and vacate the “occupied” part of Kashmir
India has reiterated that “terrorism and dialogue cannot go together” in response to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remark that Islamabad is ready for dialogue with its neighbor. 
Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underscored the country’s unchanged position on engagement with Islamabad. 
“And as far as the issue of terrorism is concerned, any discussion with Pakistan will focus on the list of terrorists we had provided to them some years ago – they should hand them over to us.” 
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday echoed that stance, insisting that Pakistan must hand over <a href="https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-10/Listof57terrorists_07032024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">designated terrorists</a>, including Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed, the respective leaders of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) and Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT), “if it is serious about talks.” Both men are designated as terrorists in India but are also on the United Nations (UN) <a href="https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/hafiz-muhammad-saeed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1267 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List</a>.
“It would be in Pakistan's interest to uproot the nurseries of terrorism operating on its soil with its own hands,” Singh said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pakistan Should 'Uproot' Its 'Nurseries Of Terrorism' - Defence Minister Rajnath Singh <a href="https://t.co/OhhHA4AOvQ">pic.twitter.com/OhhHA4AOvQ</a>— RT_India (@RT_India_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/RT_India_news/status/1928361309399138766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Speaking earlier this week at a Pakistan-Türkiye-Azerbaijan trilateral summit in Azerbaijan alongside presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev, Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif said his country wants “peace in the region,” which requires “talks on the table” on Kashmir, a region that has been claimed by both countries ever since their independence from Britain in 1947. 
“I have said in all earnest that if India wants to talk on countering terrorism in sincerity of purpose, Pakistan would be willing to talk to India on this issue as well,” Sharif was quoted by The Dawn newspaper as saying. Commenting on Kashmir, the Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated that the issue would be resolved bilaterally when Pakistan vacates the part of the region which it holds “illegally and unlawfully.”
The statements come after New Delhi launched military action against targets in Pakistan, which it labeled as “terrorist camps.” The operation was a response to the April 22 massacre of 26 people in Pahalgam, in India’s union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organization.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/india/617955-brahmos--s-400-india-pakistan/">
READ MORE: How Moscow’s legendary S-400 missiles helped India outgun Pakistan
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Islamabad denied any involvement in the attack, with Pakistani top officials claiming the country was itself a “victim of terrorism.” India insisted that it only targeted locations linked with terrorist organizations, and not Pakistani military or civilian targets.
Islamabad, however, accused Delhi of targeting civilians. It later retaliated by attacking Indian military sites, leading to further escalation by both countries. After a brief but intense conflict, a ceasefire was announced on May 10. ]]>
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<title>Trump’s trade war has cost firms $34 billion – Reuters</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618348-trump-tariffs-firms-losses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618348-trump-tariffs-firms-losses/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839969b2030273f5b47d984.jpg" /> Companies across the US, Europe and Japan have reported lost sales and higher costs due to “erratic” nature of the tariffs <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618348-trump-tariffs-firms-losses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Companies in the US, Europe and Japan have reported lost sales and higher costs due to the “erratic” nature of the tariffs
Multi-national companies have suffered $34 billion in losses due to tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, according to a Reuters analysis. The measures have disrupted businesses and heightened tensions with Washington's key allies, notably the EU.
The report, based on disclosures from 56 firms across the US, Europe, and Japan, attributes the losses to higher input costs, revenue losses, and supply chain uncertainty. Economists have warned the real cost could be far higher, owing to ripple effects including weaker investment, reduced consumer spending, and rising inflation risks.
Trump has rolled out sweeping duties since returning to office in January, in the name of protecting US manufacturing which culminated in his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2 that included a universal 10% levy on all imports and a threatened 50% rate on EU goods.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618336-trump-global-tariffs-reinstated/">Trump’s tariffs reinstated</a></figcaption>
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“The Administration has consistently maintained that the United States, as the world’s largest economy, has the leverage to make our trading partners ultimately bear the cost of tariffs,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. However, data suggests American businesses are footing the bill, while relations with Washington’s allies have grown increasingly strained.
The EU prepared countermeasures targeting €100 billion worth of American goods, including cars, medical devices, and plastics. After a call between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the 50% duties were delayed until July 9 to allow room for negotiation.
Apple, Ford, Kimberly-Clark, Walmart, and others have warned of rising costs and lowered their own forecasts, blaming Trump’s “erratic” trade approach, Reuters reported. One of the few to endorse the measures is General Motors, which has backed the auto tariffs, arguing they allow US automakers to compete more fairly.
Trump has defended his tariff strategy as a way of reshoring jobs and reducing the trade deficit. “We’re going to raise hundreds of billions in tariffs; we’re going to become so rich we’re not going to know where to spend that money,” he said in March.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/business/618173-ecb-dollar-euro-alternative/">
READ MORE: Euro could dethrone US dollar – ECB
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According to the Tax Foundation, tariffs imposed and scheduled for 2025 are projected to raise $152.7 billion in federal revenue, equivalent to 0.49% of GDP, the largest tax increase since 1993.]]>
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<title>Russian MP lays out terms for YouTube’s return</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618354-russia-youtube-return-terms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618354-russia-youtube-return-terms/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839a563203027481b51f376.jpg" /> YouTube must reinstate blocked Russian media, pay fines and set up a legal entity in the country, Anton Nemkin has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618354-russia-youtube-return-terms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The platform must reinstate blocked Russian media, pay fines and set up a legal entity in the country, Anton Nemkin has said
YouTube can only resume full operations in Russia if it fulfills a series of legal and technical conditions, State Duma member Anton Nemkin has told RIA Novosti.
Although not officially blocked, YouTube has been largely inaccessible in Russia since last year, when its loading speed began slow dramatically. Authorities blamed a lack of server maintenance following Google’s exit from the country in 2022. Later, officials partially confirmed the slowdown was also linked to YouTube’s failure to comply with Russian law.
Nemkin said on Friday that YouTube needed to deal with abandoned equipment, settle outstanding fines, and establish a legal entity in Russia before the platform’s functionality in the country can be fully restored.
The MP also called on YouTube to restore access to blocked Russian accounts. The platform has removed some media outlets, including RT and Sputnik, and has repeatedly taken down channels run by Russian bloggers, journalists, and artists. Moscow says the removals target content that reflects views diverging from those prevalent in the West.
“Without these steps, it’s impossible to speak of any ‘easing’ – this is not about politics, but legal compliance,” Nemkin said.
In March, it was reported that Russian-registered Google LLC owed national broadcasters $1.16 quintillion in fines for failing to restore their YouTube channels. In January, RBK said the international Google corporation owed more than $22 undecillion. The Kremlin described the figures as symbolic, intended to pressure the company into complying with Russian law.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.01/thumbnail/6788e16685f54003812a8275.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: The application of the Russian video hosting 'VK Video' on the smartphone screen." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/611000-russian-platform-vk-overtakes-youtube/">Russian platform overtakes YouTube – media</a></figcaption>
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Nemkin said dialogue with global platforms such as YouTube could only happen on Russia’s terms. “This is not about bans for the sake of bans, but about equal rights,” he said, adding that companies must comply with local laws, pay taxes, and store user data in Russia.
The lawmaker called for an end to the era of unchecked power for major IT companies. If foreign platforms are restored, “there is no going back to the old dependence.”
“We’ve learned a harsh but valuable lesson: we cannot build our digital future on platforms that can flip the switch at any moment,” he said, adding that YouTube should no longer serve as the foundation of Russia’s internet landscape.
Nemkin pointed out that Russia is now developing its own infrastructure – search engines, cloud storage, video hosting, and ad systems – in support of its “digital sovereignty.”]]>
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<title>Importing crime: Angela Merkel started the EU’s migrant crisis, and she wants it to continue</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618207-germany-merkel-migrant-crisis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618207-germany-merkel-migrant-crisis/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6835b65c203027225110e637.jpg" /> The former chancellor says closed borders could “destroy Europe” – meanwhile, it’s the locals’ way of life that’s getting destroyed <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618207-germany-merkel-migrant-crisis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The former chancellor says closed borders could “destroy Europe” – meanwhile, it’s the locals’ way of life that’s getting destroyed
The former chancellor is back in the news, lecturing her fellow citizens to allow more asylum seekers into their country even as Germany is plagued by rampant crime and dismal economic factors.
If it is true that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results, then we can say with some degree of certainty that Angela Merkel is suffering severely on the mental front. The four-term leader of the Christian Democratic Union (2005-2021) has gone down in the history books as the person most responsible for the greatest upheaval of German society in modern times, and she shows no sign of letting up.
Without ever asking the German electorate what they wanted, Merkel in 2015 opened her country’s borders to over one million illegal immigrants, while holding out cash incentives and other handsome benefits for those who made the difficult journey. Merkel was of the opinion that Germany had the economic strength to handle the influx of migrants and reiterated that there was no legal maximum limit on the number of migrants the country could take. Unfortunately, she was seriously mistaken. And her views on the matter – despite serious cultural, societal and political repercussions – have not changed.
During this week’s presentation of her memoir, ‘Freedom,’ Merkel, 70, <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618137-europe-destroyed-merkel-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spoke out</a> on migration, warning that without it “we could see Europe destroyed.”
“I do not believe we can decisively combat illegal migration at the German-Austrian or German-Polish border… I have always advocated European solutions,” Merkel said when asked about the latest measures adopted by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who faces an uphill battle in the Bundestag, the federal parliament, to incorporate more anti-immigration policies.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68339034203027337e2c22d6.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618137-europe-destroyed-merkel-migration/">EU could be ‘destroyed’ – Merkel</a></figcaption>
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As for Merkel the diehard globalist, who once <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/oct/17/angela-merkel-germany-multiculturalism-failures" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lamented</a> the failure of multiculturalism, she fails to understand that the German people are desperately holding out hope for a real change of political course. The fact is Germany is no longer a safe place to do simple everyday things, like take a casual stroll down the street or to raise a family, without an unhealthy degree of fear and apprehension.
That is because an entirely new phenomenon of knife attacks is now plaguing the streets of every German city as the migration crisis has spiraled into a crime crisis. Statistics <a href="https://rmx.news/article/we-have-imported-knife-violence-wave-of-knife-attacks-shakes-germany-once-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">show</a> that such heinous criminal acts, overwhelmingly committed by individuals of foreign origin, are getting worse, with a shocking 79 knife attacks per day on average now recorded, according to some German media. Last year, there were 29,014 cases involving a crime where a knife was used, of which, 15,741 were knife attacks. Physical harm involving a knife surged by 10.8 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.
Here is just a glimpse of the recent violence that has plagued Germany. In January, a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man were killed in a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70k6x1x67ro" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stabbing in a park</a> in Aschaffenburg, with several others wounded. One month later, a Spanish tourist was <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr72nrzjj5no" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stabbed</a> at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial. This month, a 35-year-old Syrian asylum seeker <a href="https://rmx.news/article/manhunt-continues-after-syrian-asylum-seeker-stabs-5-outside-student-bar-in-bielefeld/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stabbed</a> five youths in an unprovoked knife attack outside a popular student bar in Bielefeld, Germany. Not all of the migrant violence was the result of a knife attack. Last December, six people were killed and hundreds were injured after a car <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cql5nlrp374o" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market</a> in the eastern city of Magdeburg. Such indiscriminate attacks must be taking a heavy toll on the German psyche.
Meanwhile, other <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618058-germans-leave-country-poll/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statistics</a> reveal the state of mind of the average German voter and the real consequences of Merkel’s reckless policies. Die Welt has reported, citing a new survey by YouGov, that 31% of those surveyed said they would “definitely” move abroad if they were entirely free to choose. Another 27% of respondents said they would “probably” leave. Within this group, 61% identified the country’s immigrant situation as a major factor influencing their decision, while 41% cited Germany’s ongoing economic recession.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618058-germans-leave-country-poll/">Most Germans would like to leave country – poll</a></figcaption>
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Speaking of the economy, Merkel’s continual promotion of open borders is coming at a time when Germany has been enduring its longest phase of economic stagnation in post-war history. The country’s struggling economy shrank for a second year in a row in 2024, as gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.2% compared to the previous year. Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, has lowered its forecast for the economy and only expects very modest growth of 0.2% for 2025. In other words, it may be simply asking too much of the German people to continue supporting asylum seekers at a time when so many are feeling the sting of economic uncertainty.
For many Germans, their only hope is for a major change in the political landscape. Thus, many citizens have thrown their support behind the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the biggest opposition party, which came in second in the February general election with just over 20% of the vote. That was the best national result for a hard-right party in Germany since the Second World War, and despite being designated as an “extremist” organization by Germany’s domestic intelligence service.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, described the ruling as “tyranny in disguise”. Posting on social media, Rubio said: “What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD – which took second in the recent election – but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies.”
Angela Merkel would do well to heed the opinion of the average German voter, who seems to be running out of patience, and support a pause in the influx of asylum seekers at this dangerous juncture.]]>
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<title>Heavy rains trigger fatal flooding in African country (VIDEO)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618347-heavy-rains-kill-21-in-nigeria/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618347-heavy-rains-kill-21-in-nigeria/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68397bec85f5404c8518d2c6.jpg" /> Torrential rains in Nigeria’s Niger State have caused flooding that destroyed homes <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618347-heavy-rains-kill-21-in-nigeria/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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At least 21 people have died and more than ten are missing after floods hit two communities in Nigeria
Twenty-one people have died after heavy rains caused flooding in Niger State, Nigeria. The severe weather occurred on Thursday, submerging around 50 houses in two communities, according to local emergency officials.
Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, stated that three people were rescued and are receiving medical assistance at the central hotel in the city of Mokwa. He added that 21 fatalities have been confirmed, and another ten people are still missing.
The severe flooding hit the communities of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa, Niger State.
According to the outlet ‘Punch’, Abullahi Baba-Arah, Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said “the agency, in collaboration with the Mokwa authorities, diverse and very brave volunteers conducted a search and rescue operation to rescue survivors and recover corpses.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">😭 At least 21 dead and at least 12 missing after overnight flooding in Mokwa, Nigeria, according to emergency services....🌊🌊 <a href="https://t.co/jdZfj9pjy5">pic.twitter.com/jdZfj9pjy5</a>— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) <a href="https://twitter.com/volcaholic1/status/1928172239871955214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Preliminary reports indicate that the torrential rainfall in Mokwa swept away hundreds of structures and left several people, including children, unaccounted for.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/611390-nigeria-modern-political-life/">Ancient power: Where age-old tradition defines real politics, and will for decades to come</a></figcaption>
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Nigeria is prone to flooding during its rainy season, which typically begins in April. 
Last September, dozens of people were killed and others trapped after devastating floods swept through Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State. Sirajo Garba, the northeast zonal coordinator for the country’s Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said that over 1,000 people had been rescued, and that more than 70,000 displaced persons were staying in seven camps.
In 2022, Nigeria experienced one of its worst flooding disasters, leaving over 600 people killed and more than 1.4 million displaced, while 82,035 houses were damaged.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/603951-nigeria-dam-burst-deadly-flood/">
READ MORE: Africa’s most populous state devastated by deadly floods (VIDEOS)
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<title>Pentagon employee arrested for trying to leak secrets over Trump grievances</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618346-pentagon-employee-data-leak/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618346-pentagon-employee-data-leak/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683977672030273fa84ee14d.jpg" /> Nathan Laatsch allegedly tried to pass top-secret files to a foreign government, citing disagreement with Trump’s policies <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618346-pentagon-employee-data-leak/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Nathan Laatsch allegedly tried to pass classified data to a foreign government, citing disagreement with the US president’s policies
An IT specialist at the US Defense Intelligence Agency has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide classified information to a foreign government, citing his opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies, according to the Department of Justice.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was charged on Thursday with trying to share classified information with someone he believed represented a foreign government. He was detained following an FBI sting operation.
Laatsch, who has worked as an IT specialist in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division since 2019, allegedly expressed intent to share classified materials due to ideological differences with the Trump administration.
“The recent actions of the current administration are extremely disturbing to me,” he said in an email reportedly intercepted by the FBI. “I do not agree or align with the values of this administration and intend to act to support the values that the United States at one time stood for.”
The DOJ said the FBI had initiated an investigation in March after receiving a tip about Laatsch’s intentions. Undercover agents, posing as representatives of a foreign government, communicated with Laatsch, who began transcribing classified information onto a notepad at his desk over a three-day period. He then allegedly concealed the notes in his socks and lunchbox to remove them from the facility.
On May 1, Laatsch reportedly left a thumb drive containing documents marked ‘Secret’ and ‘Top Secret’ at a prearranged drop-off location in a public park in northern Virginia. He later expressed interest in obtaining citizenship from the foreign country, stating he did not expect “things here to improve in the long term,” the prosecutors said.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618306-cia-recruitment-problems-wapo/">CIA running out of international informants and spies – WaPo</a></figcaption>
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Laatsch was arrested at a subsequent drop-off location on Thursday. He is scheduled to appear in court in Alexandria.
The identity of the foreign government involved has not been disclosed, but the DOJ described it as a US ally.
“This case underscores the persistent risk of insider threats,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X on Friday. “The FBI remains steadfast in protecting our national security and thanks our law enforcement partners for their critical support.”
The arrest of Laatsch adds to a series of high-profile cases involving US intelligence personnel leaking classified information.
In August last year, Pentagon employee Gokhan Gun was arrested while trying to travel to Mexico with ‘Top Secret’ documents. Gun, 50, was charged with unauthorized retention of classified materials.
In 2023, Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, 21, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to leaking hundreds of classified Pentagon documents on Discord. The files included intelligence on the Ukraine conflict and other sensitive matters.]]>
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<title>Ukraine trying to trick Trump – Moscow</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618342-ukraine-trump-un-nebenzia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618342-ukraine-trump-un-nebenzia/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68395c112030273f5b47d979.jpg" /> Kiev is unable to conceal its desire to pursue the ongoing conflict, Moscow’s UN envoy has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618342-ukraine-trump-un-nebenzia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Promoting lies about Russia is becoming more difficult due to Kiev’s clear choice in favor of war, Russia’s UN envoy has said
Ukraine is trying to trick US President Donald Trump, who wants to achieve peace in the ongoing conflict, into returning Washington to an anti-Russian stance, Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s envoy to the UN, has said.
During his speech at a UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine on Thursday, Ambassador Nebenzia reminded of the intensification of Ukrainian drone incursions into Russia over the past week. A total of 1,465 drones had been shot down by air defenses, but nonetheless led to civilian casualties and deaths, including among children, he said.
Kiev and its NATO backers “are trying to make us believe that Russia is deliberately shelling residential areas of Ukrainian cities” during its retaliatory strikes, the envoy stressed.
Moscow’s attacks “target exclusively objects related to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, and we are successfully destroying them or rendering them inoperable,” Nebenzia said, reiterating the stance consistency voiced by the Russian Defense Ministry throughout the conflict.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618334-zakharova-ukraine-talks-delegation-makeup/">Russia reveals team for next round of Ukraine peace talks</a></figcaption>
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“The plans concocted by [Vladimir] Zelensky and his posse are way too plain and clear. Their task is to trick and mislead American President Donald Trump, who is taking decisive steps toward peace; they are ready to go to any lengths only to return the US – which has already wasted hundreds of billions of dollars helping Ukraine – to an anti-Russian and Russophobic course,” he insisted.
However, the envoy stressed that “promoting Ukrainian and Western lies about Russia is becoming increasingly difficult, since the actual steps of the Kiev regime, its deliberate choice in favor of war and the further suffering of its citizens speak volumes.”
Moscow is eager to continue “serious direct negotiations” with Kiev in order to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict that would address its root causes, he said.
He reminded that Russia has invited the Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul on Monday to discuss the memorandums on approaches to negotiating peace prepared by the sides. 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618308-kremlin-ukraine-memorandum-demand/">
READ MORE: Kremlin responds to Ukraine’s criticism of peace proposal
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“The ball is in Ukraine’s court: either talks followed by peace or imminent defeat on the battlefield with different conditions for ending the conflict,” the envoy insisted.]]>
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<title>Russia boosts wheat exports to Africa as France loses ground</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618345-russia-boosts-africa-wheat-exports/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618345-russia-boosts-africa-wheat-exports/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68396de785f5404c8518d2bc.jpg" /> French food supplies to sub-Saharan Africa have dropped, while Russian deliveries have increased, according to official data <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618345-russia-boosts-africa-wheat-exports/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Official figures highlight declining French agricultural shipments to the continent amid rising competition
Russian grain shipments to Africa have surged in the current agricultural season, with exports to North Africa up 10%, a top Russian trade official said on Thursday. The increase comes as Moscow gains ground in a wheat market previously dominated by European suppliers.
Since July 2024, grain deliveries to North Africa have reached nearly 15 million tons, while supplies to Sub-Saharan Africa surged by 43% to 6 million tons, Ilya Ilyushin, head of Russia’s Federal Center Agroexport, said at the All-Russian Grain Forum, TASS reported. 
“We reached 80% of Egypt’s wheat imports, 40% of Morocco’s, and 35% of Algeria’s,” Ilyushin said. He noted that European grain deliveries dropped by 30% during the same period due to harvest issues.
The boost follows Algeria’s <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/605559-algeria-excludes-france-wheat-import-tender/">reported</a> move last October to block French companies from bidding in a major wheat import tender. The state-run Algerian Inter-professional Office of Cereals reportedly instructed bidders not to offer grain of French origin, awarding the over 500,000-ton contract primarily to Russian suppliers.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/615585-russia-boosts-africa-wheat-exports/">
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The move came amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France over several issues, including the French government’s support for Morocco’s sovereignty claim over the disputed Western Sahara. In mid-January, Reuters cited French officials as saying that Algeria is adopting a policy that aims to wipe its former colonial power’s economic presence from the country. According to the news agency, trade between them has fallen by up to 30% since the summer.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/611769-russia-africa-push-new-global-order/">Why Russia keeps winning friends in Africa</a></figcaption>
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Data released by FranceAgriMer last week show France’s agricultural exports to Africa fell by about €100 million ($114 million) in 2024, dropping from €5.2 billion ($5.9 billion) the previous year to €5.1 billion ($5.7 billion). Wheat shipments to Sub-Saharan Africa slumped by 16%, contributing to a 3.4% decline in regional exports, the French agency for agricultural and seafood product statistics and trade policy reported. Imports of French dairy products dropped by 33% in both value and volume, with Polish and Belgian suppliers reportedly filling the gap.
Despite Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) increasing its purchases from France by 3%, countries including Senegal, South Africa, and Cameroon recorded slight year-on-year declines, according to the May 23 report.]]>
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<title>Russia has ‘fair concern’ about NATO expansion – Trump envoy</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618343-kellogg-nato-expansion-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618343-kellogg-nato-expansion-ukraine/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68395fcc85f5404cbb2ea449.jpg" /> Keith Kellogg insists Ukraine’s bid to join NATO remains off the table <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618343-kellogg-nato-expansion-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Keith Kellogg insists Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc is off the table
Russia’s long-standing security concerns regarding NATO expansion are reasonable, US presidential envoy Keith Kellogg said Thursday in an interview with ABC News
He was responding to a question about reports that Moscow wants NATO leaders to issue a written commitment halting further enlargement – particularly the inclusion of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia into the US-led military bloc.
“It’s a fair concern and we’ve said that repeatedly … that to us Ukraine coming into NATO is not on the table,” he said.
“We’re saying: okay, comprehensively we can stop the expansion of NATO coming close to your border,” Kellogg added, noting that such a move would ultimately require a presidential-level decision.
Towards the end of the Cold War, senior US officials gave assurances to the Soviet Union that NATO would not expand eastward, in exchange for support for German reunification. Since the 1990s, Moscow has cited the alliance’s expansion to Russia’s borders as evidence of Western duplicity.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618308-kremlin-ukraine-memorandum-demand/">Kremlin responds to Ukraine’s criticism of peace proposal</a></figcaption>
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NATO’s insistence on admitting Ukraine to the bloc is a key factor which led to the current conflict with Russia. In 2021, Moscow offered a diplomatic proposal to ease tensions, but the US and other bloc members insisted its open-door policy was non-negotiable, describing Ukraine’s path to membership as “irreversible.”
Moscow hopes to hold a new round of negotiations with Kiev on Monday in Istanbul, where both parties would exchange draft memorandums on the next steps in the peace process, including a conditional cease-fire. Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration at not receiving the Russian draft in advance and said they might boycott the meeting.
“I always caution [Kiev’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov]: don’t say things like that,” Kellogg said. “Part of life is showing up, and you need to show you’re serious.”
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/">
READ MORE: Berlin offers Kiev another €5 billion
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Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary peace agreement in Istanbul in 2022, but Kiev later withdrew from talks, aiming for a military breakthrough with support from Western nations. Moscow sees the renewed talks launched earlier this month as a chance to revisit the proposal, which involves Ukraine adopting a stance of neutrality and limiting its military.
The interviewer pressed Kellogg on whether those terms were “pretty extreme,” suggesting they were proof that Russia does not seek peace. Kellogg responded that ending the conflict was in Moscow’s interest.]]>
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<title>Lenin’s tomb to get $250k makeover</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618344-lenin-mausoleum-moscow-renovation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618344-lenin-mausoleum-moscow-renovation/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683962902030273f9b513826.jpg" /> Russia will renovate Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow, citing structural damage and age-related decay <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618344-lenin-mausoleum-moscow-renovation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The Russian Culture Ministry has signed a contract to restore the mausoleum due to structural issues and aging materials
Russia’s Ministry of Culture has signed a contract to restore Lenin’s Mausoleum on Red Square for nearly 20 million rubles (about $250,000), according to official tender records.
The restoration will address structural damage and update the site for modern use, project documents show. Work is expected to be completed by mid-2027.
The mausoleum, which houses the embalmed body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Russia. It has undergone regular maintenance and has been closed on several occasions in recent years, including for public events.
An inspection found several parts of the building to be in poor condition, with some areas requiring urgent repairs. The report also cited crumbling surfaces and mold caused by inadequate ventilation.
Lenin remains a divisive figure in Russian history. While some view him as a visionary who led the 1917 October Revolution to establish a fairer society, others regard him as a tyrant responsible for mass repression and death.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/616100-russian-greatness-american-grief/">Russian greatness, American grief, endless love: Honoring the legacy of Russia’s most famous sculptor (PHOTOS)</a></figcaption>
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The revolution sparked a civil war, after which the Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former Russian Empire. These territories were united in 1922 to form the Soviet Union. Lenin died two years later, in 1924.
The mausoleum’s red granite and black labradorite structure was constructed between 1929 and 1930. Lenin’s body has remained on public display since shortly after his death.
According to a 2024 poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM), one-third of respondents support keeping Lenin in the mausoleum. Thirty percent favor immediate burial, while 27% believe reburial should occur only if it would not cause controversy.
Debate over Lenin’s interment resurfaces periodically. While some public figures have called for burial and alternative uses of the site, officials have consistently stated there are no current plans to rebury him.
In 2021, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no intention of relocating Lenin’s remains, citing other national priorities.]]>
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<title>Eurasian Economic Union will never bully its members – Moscow</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618339-eurasian-union-mutual-respect/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618339-eurasian-union-mutual-respect/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68392b3685f5404ca70e5cc0.jpg" /> The Eurasian Economic Union will always treat its members fairly, a senior Russian diplomat has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618339-eurasian-union-mutual-respect/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The trade bloc of five post-Soviet states is built on mutual respect, a Russian deputy foreign minister has said
Fair and equitable treatment of all members is the cornerstone of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin has said.
The bloc, which comprises Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, was founded in 2014. Speaking to the Eurasian Dialogue podcast on Thursday, Pankin said the EAEU remains focused on raising living standards and fostering business ties.
“Conflicts are being resolved through genuinely equal dialogue. The EAEU operates on the principle of consensus, meaning that members reach compromises which reflect and serve the interests of all parties. No one benefits at the expense of another,” the diplomat stated.
“Nobody is being forced to stay. Everyone understands that within the EAEU, the interests of nations with smaller economies are taken into account more than they would be in any other framework,” he added.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618322-ruble-hits-two-year-high/">US dollar hits two-year low against ruble</a></figcaption>
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“The EAEU is neither a burden nor a shackle – this is evident from the fact that all members are fully free to trade with other regions. No one is required to limit themselves to autarkic trade within the bloc or to invest only inside it. We do not operate a planned economy with quotas and regional specializations like in the Soviet era. Instead, all members compete with one another in a shared common market,” Pankin explained.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the combined GDP of all EAEU members has reached $2.6 trillion over the past decade. The organization has trade agreements with Serbia, Vietnam, and Iran, and is currently negotiating with Mongolia and the UAE.
In an interview published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk said more countries are likely to see the EAEU as “a safe haven” amid trade wars and rising international tensions.]]>
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<title>US-China trade talks ‘stalled’ – Treasury Secretary</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/business/618338-us-china-trade-talks-stalled/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/business/618338-us-china-trade-talks-stalled/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6839154785f5404b8d76122d.jpg" /> Presidents Trump and Xi may need to get personally involved to accelerate US-Chinese trade talks, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618338-us-china-trade-talks-stalled/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Negotiations over tariffs are progressing more slowly than expected, Scott Bessent says
The trade negotiations between the US and China have “stalled” and may necessitate the intervention of the countries’ leaders, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
In April, US President Donald Trump raised duties on Chinese goods to as high as 145%, citing what he described as an unfair trade imbalance. Beijing responded by hiking its own tariffs to 125%. Earlier this month, the two countries agreed to roll back or suspend most of the new duties for 90 days, pending further negotiations.
Asked by Fox News’ Bret Baier on Thursday to describe the current state of the talks, Bessent said, “I would say that they are a bit stalled.”
The treasury secretary added that more negotiations were scheduled for the coming weeks and that Trump could possibly speak by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the near future.
“Given the magnitude and complexity of the talks, this is going to require both leaders to weigh in with each other. They have a very good relationship. I am confident that the Chinese will come to the table,” Bessent said.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68342df920302765df225f9c.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618149-trump-delay-eu-tariffs/">Trump agrees to delay EU tariffs</a></figcaption>
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On Thursday, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overruled the suspension of tariffs ordered a day earlier by the Court of International Trade. The tariffs will remain in place until at least June 9.
Bessent argued that it was “highly inappropriate” for the courts to interfere with the tariffs, given that the US Senate had declined to block Trump’s trade policies. “The president absolutely has the right to set the trade agenda for the US,” Bessent said. “Anything that the courts do to get in the way harms the American people – both in terms of trade and lost tariff revenue.”
China has condemned Trump’s tariffs as a tool to “advance US hegemonic ambitions at the cost of the legitimate interests of all countries.”
“Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners. Protectionism harms the interests of all parties and is ultimately unpopular,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday.]]>
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<title>Serbian firms secretly delivering ammunition to Ukraine – Russian spy agency</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618337-russia-serbia-weapons-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618337-russia-serbia-weapons-ukraine/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838e95a203027107c0a96c2.jpg" /> Serbian weapons companies are supplying Ukraine with ammunition, the Russian spy agency has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618337-russia-serbia-weapons-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The weapons manufacturers are undermining Belgrade’s neutrality stance, the SVR said
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Serbian defense companies of using false documentation and third parties to covertly ship artillery shells, rockets, and small arms ammunition to Ukraine.
The agency made the allegation in a statement published on its website on Wednesday, titled “The Serbian Defense Industry Is Trying to Shoot Russia in the Back.”
“According to information received by the SVR, Serbian defense firms continue to supply ammunition to Kiev, in violation of the ‘neutrality’ declared by Belgrade,” the statement read.
The SVR claimed that Serbian companies have used “fake end-user certificates” to route weapons through Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and other NATO countries, as well as unspecified African states. These arms, the agency said, later surfaced in Ukraine. According to the SVR, 100,000 rockets and howitzer shells, along with one million small arms rounds, have been transferred in this manner. Major Serbian weapons manufacturers, including the state-owned Yugoimport-SDPR, were allegedly complicit in the scheme.
“It seems that the desire of Serbian defense firms and their backers to profit from the bloodshed between brotherly Slavic nations has made them forget who their true friends are – and who their enemies are,” the SVR stated.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/681f57e42030277d415445f0.jpg" alt="President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic during their meeting, Moscow, May 9, 2025." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/617312-serbia-russia-energy-vucic-putin/">Serbia reaffirms commitment to energy cooperation with Russia</a></figcaption>
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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that he had discussed ammunition exports during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in May. “We have formed a working group with our Russian partners to establish the facts,” he told the broadcaster RTS.
Commenting on the SVR’s claims, Vucic maintained that “some of the statements that have been made are not true.”
“For example, they claim there is a contract with the Czech Republic. However, no permit has been issued, and no missiles have been delivered,” he said. “I will certainly issue an order and a warning that if there is any suspicion of abuse of the so-called end-user policies – namely, the sending of ammunition to warzones – we should be informed immediately.” Vucic emphasized that Serbia maintains “good relations” with both Russia and Ukraine.
Russia and Serbia have enjoyed close historical and cultural ties since the 19th century.  Vucic has said he has resisted Western efforts to compel Belgrade to impose sanctions on Moscow and draw his country into the confrontation.]]>
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<title>Trump’s tariffs reinstated</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/business/618336-trump-global-tariffs-reinstated/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/business/618336-trump-global-tariffs-reinstated/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838ca1585f5403b7f2efca0.jpg" /> A US appeals court has temporarily revived Trump’s global import duties, overriding an earlier trade court ruling <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618336-trump-global-tariffs-reinstated/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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A federal appeals court has suspended an earlier ruling by the US Court of International Trade
A US federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated President Donald Trump's global tariffs, halting an earlier ruling that had blocked the import duties and found that the White House had exceeded its authority.
On Thursday, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted an immediate administrative stay, suspending the permanent injunctions issued a day earlier by the US Court of International Trade. The tariffs will remain in place at least until June 9.
”The plaintiffs-appellees are directed to respond to the United States's motions for a stay no later than June 5, 2025,” the appellate court said. “The United States may file a single, consolidated reply in support no later than June 9, 2025.”
The trade court ruled on Wednesday that Trump had overreached in its interpretation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), saying the administration had sidestepped Congress by invoking such powers to impose the tariffs.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618325-court-blocks-trump-tariffs-imports/">
READ MORE: US court blocks Trump’s tariffs
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In April, Trump imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods, with higher rates for China, Mexico, Canada, and the EU member states, citing trade imbalances. Some of those duties have since been paused amid ongoing negotiations.
The White House swiftly appealed Wednesday’s ruling. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was confident of a legal victory and determined to “tackle rogue judges.”
Peter Navarro, one of Trump's top advisers, told reporters on Thursday that the White House was prepared to escalate the fight to the Supreme Court if needed.
”You can assume that even if we lose, we will do it another way,” he said. “And I can assure the American people that the Trump tariff agenda is alive, well, and healthy and will be implemented to protect you.”
Wednesday’s ruling does not affect tariffs that Trump has imposed under other laws, including Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which underpins his 25% duties on foreign autos, steel, and aluminum.
The president also retains the authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days on nations with which the US runs a large trade deficit.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>From psychiatric ward to Nobel prize: How a Jewish outcast became a great Russian poet</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/618333-joseph-brodsky-nobel-exile/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/618333-joseph-brodsky-nobel-exile/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68388c3f85f5404b8d761208.jpg" /> On the 85th anniversary of Joseph Brodsky’s birth, we revisit the exiled Nobel laureate who never stopped writing in Russian <a href="https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/618333-joseph-brodsky-nobel-exile/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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On the 85th anniversary of Joseph Brodsky’s birth, we revisit the exiled Nobel laureate who never stopped writing in Russian
A Russian Jew who found spiritual kinship in Christianity and made it a tradition to write a Christmas poem each year. A man with an imperial imagination, shaped by the worldview of ancient Rome. Someone who defended the conquistadors and denounced Ukrainian independence. All of this – and more – describes Joseph Brodsky.
Few writers achieve the status of a classic while still alive. Brodsky, deeply grounded in literary tradition and animated by a consciousness forged in antiquity, didn’t just challenge conventions – he shattered them. Decades later, some of his choices still provoke. 
In the month he would have turned 85, RT revisits the life and legacy of Joseph Brodsky.
<h3 data-start="150" data-end="176">The poet’s early years</h3>
They say childhood shapes who we are – and in Joseph Brodsky’s case, that couldn’t be more true. Within his first two years of life, he witnessed events that would leave an indelible mark on his future.
Brodsky was born into a Jewish family in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) on May 24, 1940. His father, a naval officer, was sent to the front when Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarosa. During the brutal winter of 1941–1942, young Joseph endured the siege of Leningrad and was later evacuated with his mother to the city of Cherepovets. It was there that a Russian nanny quietly baptized him.
After the war, the family was reunited in Leningrad. Brodsky would later recall those early years:
<blockquote>
“My father wore his naval uniform for about two more years. He was an officer in charge of the photo lab at the Naval Museum, located in the most beautiful building in the entire city. And thus, in the whole empire. It was the former stock exchange – a structure far more Greek than any Parthenon.”
</blockquote>
This sense of imperial grandeur – part reverence, part irony – would stay with Brodsky for life.
His youthful ambitions didn’t yield immediate success. He failed to get into naval school, and after finishing eighth grade, took a job at a factory. Over the next few years, he worked as a stoker, a photographer, and even joined geological expeditions to the Russian Far East. Throughout it all, he pursued a rigorous self-education.
Despite never receiving a formal literary degree, Brodsky emerged as a strikingly erudite voice. By the early 1960s, in his early twenties, he was reading poetry publicly in Leningrad. It was there that he met some of the era’s most important poets – including Anna Akhmatova.
A famous story survives from their first meeting. The aging Akhmatova asked the young Brodsky what a poet should do once they’ve mastered all the rhymes and rhythms of the language. Without hesitation, he answered, “But there remains the grandeur of vision.”
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Joseph Brodsky and Anna Akhmatova


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<h3 data-start="148" data-end="165">A thorny path</h3>
Brodsky was just 23 when Soviet reality collided with his rising career and brought it to an abrupt halt. In 1963, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev launched a public campaign to root out “layabouts, moral degenerates, and whiners” who, in his words, wrote in “the bird language of idlers and dropouts.” In the eyes of the government, poets fit squarely into that category.
That November, the newspaper Vecherniy Leningrad published a hit piece titled “The Near-Literary Drone,” targeting Brodsky by name. The poems cited were falsely attributed to him, and the article was riddled with fabrications – but none of that stopped the authorities. A few months later, Brodsky was arrested and charged with “social parasitism.”
By then, he had already earned recognition in literary circles. His poems had appeared in respected magazines, and he was receiving commissions to translate poetry. But none of this mattered to the court, which refused to acknowledge him as a legitimate writer. During the trial, a now-legendary exchange unfolded between Brodsky and the judge:
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Judge: And what is your profession, in general? Brodsky: Poet. Poet and translator. Judge: And who said you’re a poet? Who enrolled you in the ranks of poets? Brodsky: No one. Who enrolled me in the ranks of the human race? Judge: Did you study for this? Brodsky: Study for what? Judge: To become a poet. Did you attend a university where people are trained – where they’re taught...? Brodsky: I didn’t think it was a matter of education. Judge: Then what is it a matter of? Brodsky: I believe it comes from God.
</blockquote>
He was first sent for compulsory psychiatric evaluation, then sentenced to five years of hard labor – the maximum term – for doing what the state deemed “nothing.” In practice, this meant exile to the Arkhangelsk region, deep in Russia’s far north.
Brodsky worked on a collective farm, spending his free time reading, translating, and teaching himself English. His sentence was eventually cut short, thanks to the intervention of prominent cultural figures, including composer Dmitri Shostakovich, poet Korney Chukovsky, writer Konstantin Paustovsky, and even French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
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Joseph Brodsky in exile in a settlement in the Arkhangelsk region, 1965


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After returning from exile in 1965, Brodsky was granted formal membership in a “professional group” within the Writers’ Union – a bureaucratic maneuver that shielded him from future charges of parasitism. He worked prolifically; his poetry was widely published abroad, and he built relationships with scholars, editors, and journalists. Still, in the Soviet Union, only his children’s verses saw print. He remained fundamentally out of step with the system.
In May 1972, he was summoned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and given a choice: emigrate immediately or face “difficult days” ahead. Recalling his interrogations and forced hospitalization, Brodsky chose exile.
Obtaining an exit visa from the USSR usually took months. Brodsky’s was ready in just 12 days. In June 1972, he left the country – this time, for good.
<h3 data-start="166" data-end="191">From exile to triumph</h3>
When Joseph Brodsky left the Soviet Union, he left behind nearly everything – his parents, his friends, the woman he loved, and his son. “It is very painful for me to leave Russia,” he wrote in a candid letter to Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. “I was born, grew up, and lived my life here, and everything I have, I owe to this country.” The Soviet authorities never allowed him to return. He would never see his parents again, nor attend their funerals.
Upon arriving in Vienna, Brodsky was met by Karl Proffer, an American publisher and Slavist who offered him a post as a “visiting poet” at the University of Michigan. It was a surreal twist of fate: Brodsky had only completed eight years of formal schooling, yet he would go on to teach Russian literature, poetry, and comparative literature at some of the most prestigious universities in the United States and the United Kingdom for the next 24 years.
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Joseph Brodsky taught at several universities in the United States and, later, in Great Britain


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In truth, Brodsky didn’t really know how to teach – at least not in any conventional academic sense. But he spoke to students about what mattered most to him: poetry. After winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987, a student once asked why he still taught when he clearly no longer needed to. His answer was simple:
<blockquote data-start="1435" data-end="1475">
“I just want you to love what I love.”
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Still, to imagine Brodsky as a remote, ivory-tower intellectual would be misleading. He was not just a man of letters – he was also a man of appetite and mischief. His friend, the poet and writer Glyn Maxwell, recalled Brodsky and his circle as loud, unfiltered, and often crude:
<blockquote data-start="1757" data-end="1948">
“They behaved like alpha males. Sometimes it was even annoying, but that was the male culture of the time.”
</blockquote>
They drank heavily, told off-color jokes, and filled rooms with their presence.
But when it came to poetry, Brodsky was exacting and unwavering. After becoming an American citizen, he turned his focus toward essay writing, translating Russian poetry into English, and even composing poems in English himself. He revered the English language and deeply loved its poetic tradition, though he recognized that as a non-native speaker, he would always be writing from the outside in.
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Joseph Brodsky with his cat


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His biographer, Valentina Polukhina, observed that for all his success abroad, Brodsky remained, at heart, a Russian poet. Poetry, for him, was the highest form of linguistic expression, and Russian was the language in which his soul most fluently spoke.
“Sometimes I feel that for Brodsky, the choice of the Russian language was conscious,” she reflected.
Poet Bella Akhmadulina echoed this sentiment. She described how Brodsky didn’t merely use the Russian language – he nourished it from within:
<blockquote data-start="2854" data-end="3006">
“He didn’t need to hear how people around him spoke... Cut off from everyday conversation, he himself became fertile ground for the Russian language.”
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<h3 data-start="187" data-end="212">A keeper of tradition</h3>
Brodsky’s complexity often revealed itself in quiet, personal rituals. “I had this idea, back when I was 24 or 25, to write a poem every Christmas,” he once said. And he kept that promise – for the rest of his life.
In fact, he began even earlier. At 22, he wrote A Christmas Romance, and from then on, continued to write Christmas poems every year until his forced emigration in 1972. After a long break, he returned to the tradition in 1987 and maintained it annually until his death in 1996.
Though not affiliated with any particular denomination, Brodsky was deeply drawn to Christianity. He read the Bible attentively and spoke of Jesus Christ with profound reverence.
<blockquote data-start="899" data-end="1088">
“After all, what is Christmas? The birthday of God who became Man. It’s as natural for a person to celebrate it as their own birthday... It’s the oldest birthday celebrated in our world.”
</blockquote>
His spiritual reflections extended beyond religious ritual. In a 1972 letter to The New York Times, Brodsky challenged the utopian promises often made in Soviet political discourse: “In my opinion, there is something offensive to the human soul about preaching Paradise on Earth,” he wrote.
“Life the way it really is – is a battle not between Bad and Good, but between Bad and Worse. And today humanity’s choice lies not between Good and Evil, but rather between Evil and Worse. Today humanity’s task comes down to remaining good in the Kingdom of Evil, and not becoming an agent of Evil.”
Such sentiments may seem stark, but they were consistent with his moral seriousness and existential clarity.
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Despite being born into a Jewish family, Brodsky repeatedly described himself as a Russian poet, and always saw Russia as inseparable from the Christian cultural world. Even in exile, he refused to speak ill of his homeland.
“I did not leave Russia of my own free will... No matter under what circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there – well or poorly. And I simply cannot understand why some people expect, and others even demand, that I smear its gates with tar. 
<blockquote>
Russia is my home; I lived there all my life, and for everything I have in my soul I am indebted to Russia and its people. 
</blockquote>
And – this is the main thing – indebted to its language.”
Politically speaking, Brodsky was more of a “Westerner” than a “Slavophile,” at least in the traditional Russian sense. But he was unmistakably a Russian Westerner. Living in the West after his exile, he often encountered anti-Russian sentiment and cultural disdain. And yet, again and again, he chose to defend the Russian people—not out of nationalism, but from a sense of fairness.
As the poet and scholar Lev Losev put it: “Just like the ‘Slavophile’ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, ‘Westerner’ Joseph Brodsky stood ready to defend Russia – its people and its culture – against unfounded accusations of inherent aggressiveness, servile psychology, and national masochism.”
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A woman takes a picture of a mural of Nobel-Prize-winning poet Joseph Brodsky in Moscow, Russia

© Sputnik / Sputnik 
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<h3 data-start="250" data-end="276">The Bard of the Empire</h3>
Joseph Brodsky was, unmistakably, a poet of the Empire. Born in Leningrad – once imperial St. Petersburg – he could never imagine himself, or the world around him, outside the gravitational pull of imperial culture, history, and aesthetics. Raised among the colonnades and neoclassical façades of Russia’s most imperial city, Brodsky found in ancient Rome the ultimate model of grandeur.
In his poem Letters to a Roman Friend, he writes:
<blockquote data-start="716" data-end="1007">
“If you were destined to be born in the Empire, it’s best to find some province by the ocean. Away from Caesar and the blizzard, in your nook. No flattery, no rushing, constant fearing. You’re telling me the governors are crooks? But murderers are even less endearing.”
</blockquote>
The lines recall Ovid’s Letters from Pontus, written during exile by the Black Sea. For Brodsky, his own symbolic “imperial space” was Crimea – a peninsula he always considered Russian and which inspired some of his most evocative poetry. There he found his cherished trinity: antiquity, the sea, and empire.
Brodsky’s imperial sensibility revealed itself in more than just geography. His biographer, Vladimir Bondarenko, remarked that the poet could easily be mistaken for a staunch conservative – a man with a worldview shaped by colonial assumptions. A striking example can be found in his 1975 poem To Yevgeny, written after a visit to Mexico. Contemplating the ruins of Aztec civilization, Brodsky reflects:
<blockquote data-start="1724" data-end="1961">
“What would they tell us, if they could speak? Nothing. At best, of victories over neighboring tribes, of shattered skulls. Of human blood that, spilled into a bowl for the Sun god, strengthens the latter’s muscle.”
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And further:
<blockquote data-start="1977" data-end="2244">
“Even syphilis or the jaws of Cortés’ unicorns are preferable to such sacrifice; If crows must feast on your brows, Let the killer be a killer, not an astronomer. Moreover, without the Spaniards, they’d hardly have learned what really happened.”
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Brodsky never shied away from uncomfortable truths—or from voicing them bluntly. His worldview was neither romantic nor utopian. He rejected simplistic dichotomies of good versus evil. For him, paradise on earth was a dangerous illusion; reality was a constant struggle between “bad” and “worse.”
Among his most controversial works is On Ukraine’s Independence, a poem brimming with fury and sarcasm. In Brodsky’s eyes, the move to break historical ties with Russia was a rejection not just of political union, but of shared culture, language, and literary heritage. In a caustic farewell, he wrote:
<blockquote data-start="2850" data-end="3069">
“Go away in your zhupans, your uniforms, To all four points of the compass, to destinations composed of four-letter words And let the Krauts and Pollacks in your huts Put you on all fours, you scoundrels.”
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He closed the poem with a grim vision of cultural amnesia:
<blockquote data-start="3131" data-end="3357">
“God rest ye, eagles and Cossacks, hetmans and guards, Just know this – when it’s time to be dragged into the graveyards, You’ll wheeze, clawing the edge of your mattress, Alexander’s lines, not the lies of Taras.”
</blockquote>
For Brodsky, Ukraine’s departure from the Russian cultural orbit was not simply political; it was a loss of literary and civilizational continuity. He believed that when the time came to confront death, it would not be the folk verse of Shevchenko people would recall, but the classical cadence of Pushkin.
As the post-Soviet world fractured, and vast parts of the “Russian world” renounced their imperial inheritance, Brodsky watched with a mixture of dismay and resignation.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, many within Russia’s liberal intelligentsia held up Brodsky as a dissident icon – the embodiment of intellectual resistance to authority. And indeed, traces of dissent run through his work in subtle and powerful ways.
But as his legacy has come under closer scrutiny, a more complex portrait emerges: that of a Russian poet with a profoundly imperial imagination and a strong, unapologetic view of Russia’s role in history. He was, above all, a defender of Russian language and culture – often in defiance of popular sentiment in the West or among émigrés.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, some opposition figures who fled Russia called for Brodsky to be “canceled,” citing his imperially inflected worldview and what they described as the cultural colonialism embedded in his poetry.
But Brodsky cannot be canceled. He remains what he always was: a witness to his time, a singer of antiquity, a thinker of vast moral scale, and – despite exile – a quintessentially Russian poet.
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>France approves right-to-die law</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618332-france-assisted-dying-law/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618332-france-assisted-dying-law/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838b64685f5404b8d761213.jpg" /> France’s lower house of parliament has passed a bill to legalize assisted dying for adults with terminal illnesses <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618332-france-assisted-dying-law/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Critics warn that vulnerable people may feel pressured to end their lives
France’s lower house of parliament has approved a controversial bill to legalize assisted dying for adults with terminal illnesses, amid deep divisions in a country with strong Catholic traditions.
The National Assembly voted 305 to 199 in favor of the measure, which is backed by President Emmanuel Macron. The bill now moves to the Senate and will return to the lower house for a second reading. Supporters hope it will become law by 2027.
France currently allows what is called passive euthanasia – such as withdrawing life support – and deep sedation before death.
Under the bill, patients could request lethal medication, which they would take themselves, or if physically unable, have administered by a doctor or nurse. They must be over 18, hold French citizenship or residency, and be suffering from an irreversible, advanced, or terminal illness causing constant, untreatable pain. People with severe psychiatric conditions or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s would not qualify.
A medical team would assess each case. After a period of reflection, the patient could receive the drug at home, in a care home, or medical facility.
The government described the bill as “an ethical response to the need to support the sick and the suffering,” calling it “neither a new right nor a freedom… but a balance between respect and personal autonomy.” Macron hailed the vote as “an important step” toward a more humane approach to end-of-life care.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6834539185f54046d957741c.png" alt="RT" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/shows/documentary/618160-euthanasia-choice-life-death/">Euthanasia. Catch 22</a></figcaption>
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A separate bill establishing a right to palliative care passed unopposed.
France’s proposal would be more restrictive than laws in countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands, where euthanasia – in which doctors give a lethal injection at the patient’s request – has been legal since 2002 and extended to minors. Similar laws exist in Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Canada, Australia, and Colombia. Medically assisted suicide, where patients take prescribed lethal medication themselves, is legal in Switzerland and several US states.
Right-to-die campaigners have welcomed the law, though describing it as relatively modest in scope. “We’ve been waiting for this for decades,” said Stephane Gemmani of the ADMD association.
Critics warn the definitions are too broad, potentially allowing assisted dying for patients who could live for years. Some fear the bill could undermine medical ethics, erode care standards, and expose vulnerable people to subtle pressure to die. 
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/609331-canada-euthanasia-surges/">
READ MORE: More Canadians choosing medically assisted death
</a>

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“It would be like a loaded pistol left on my bedside table,” a 44-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease told a protest outside parliament, according to the BBC.
This month, France’s religious leaders issued a joint statement denouncing the “dangers” of an “anthropological rupture.” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau wrote on X this week that it is “not a bill of fraternity but a bill of abandonment.”

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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>UK to step up cyberattacks on Russia and China – minister</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618330-uk-cyberattacks-russia-china/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618330-uk-cyberattacks-russia-china/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683882c785f5404c8518d284.jpg" /> Defense Secretary John Healey has said London will increase hacking operations as part of a new military command <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618330-uk-cyberattacks-russia-china/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Defense Secretary John Healey has said London will increase hacking operations as part of a new military command
London will significantly step up offensive cyber operations against Russia and China, UK Defense Secretary John Healey announced on Thursday following the inauguration of the country’s new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command.
In a statement quoted by The Times, Healey claimed that “the keyboard is now a weapon of war” and said the UK’s new cyber command would coordinate both defensive and offensive operations, including hacking into enemy systems to disrupt attacks and spread of propaganda.
Asked whether this would include Russia and China, Healey responded: “Yes.”
Healey’s statement marks the first time a British minister has explicitly confirmed cyberattacks on other states. While UK ministers had previously confirmed cyber operations against non-state actors like Islamic State, they have not until now acknowledged attacks against other countries.
The defense secretary added that more than £1 billion ($1.35 billion) has been allocated by the UK government for a “digital targeting web” to enable real-time battlefield intelligence-sharing between troops, spy planes and satellites.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.03/thumbnail/67dac8b4203027028018abde.jpg" alt="RT" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/614495-us-scraps-monitoring-russia-sabotage/">US scraps monitoring of alleged ‘Russian sabotage’ – Reuters</a></figcaption>
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Healey’s comments come ahead of the publication of a strategic defense review on Monday. According to The Times, the review will stress that cyberattacks on Britain, allegedly being carried out by Russia and China, are “threatening the foundations of the economy and daily life.”
Both Moscow and Beijing have consistently denied accusations of carrying out cyberattacks against Western nations, characterizing the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
Additionally, Russian officials have in recent months repeatedly raised concerns over what they describe as Western Europe’s continued militarization and aggressive anti-Russian rhetoric, said to be in response to the alleged threat posed by Moscow.
The Kremlin has vehemently denied having any hostile intent towards any western country, and has accused European politicians of “irresponsibly stoking fears” to justify increased military expenditures, which Moscow had labeled an “incitement of war on the European continent.”]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Russia reveals team for next round of Ukraine peace talks</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618334-zakharova-ukraine-talks-delegation-makeup/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618334-zakharova-ukraine-talks-delegation-makeup/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68389f672030270bb12bbc32.jpg" /> The delegation will not change and will again be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618334-zakharova-ukraine-talks-delegation-makeup/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, will be the same as during the opening session, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said
Russia’s negotiating team for the next round of direct peace talks with Ukraine will remain unchanged, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will once again lead the delegation.
Moscow and Kiev last met for direct talks in Istanbul on May 16, marking the first formal negotiations since 2022. That round resulted in the largest prisoner exchange to date, with 1,000 individuals released by each side. The parties also agreed to prepare written proposals – a pair of memorandums – outlining their positions on a potential ceasefire ahead of the next meeting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has proposed holding the follow-up talks on Monday, June 2, again in Istanbul. Zakharova later confirmed that the same Russian delegation will attend.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837de682030274c5172b0c4.jpg" alt="US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618293-lavrov-rubio-phone-call/">Lavrov briefs Rubio on Ukraine negotiations</a></figcaption>
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Her comments came after Medinsky, denied Ukrainian claims that Moscow is stalling the peace process. In a post on Telegram on Wednesday, he said he had called Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who leads Kiev’s negotiation team, and proposed “a date and location for the exchange of memorandums.”
“We are ready to begin substantive discussions on a framework agreement for a potential ceasefire,” the Russian official stated.
On Wednesday evening, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov confirmed that Moscow’s memorandum is ready, triggering a demand from Kiev that the document be released.
In a post on X, Umerov stated that he had “handed over our document to the head of the Russian delegation, which reflects the Ukrainian position.” 
“We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their ‘memorandum,’ so that the next meeting won’t be empty and can truly move us closer to ending the war,” Kiev’s top negotiator added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday dismissed Umerov’s demands to see the Russian memorandum prior to any forthcoming talks as “unconstructive.”
“They should either confirm they are prepared for talks or say otherwise,” Peskov said.
The Ukrainian leadership had previously insisted on a 30-day pause in hostilities as a precondition for negotiations. Russia rejected the proposal, arguing that Kiev would use it to regroup its military. Ukraine later revised its position under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt its mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from the territory Moscow claims.
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Russia prepared to strike Germany if Taurus missiles are used – senior MP</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618324-germany-ukraine-taurus-kartapolov/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618324-germany-ukraine-taurus-kartapolov/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683871b685f5404ca03ccc56.jpg" /> If provided to Kiev, the long-range missiles cannot be operated without German assistance, Andrey Kartapolov has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618324-germany-ukraine-taurus-kartapolov/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Ukraine cannot operate the long-range missile without German assistance, Andrey Kartapolov has said
Russia could authorize strikes on German territory if Ukraine uses German-supplied Taurus cruise missiles to attack Russian targets, a senior Russian lawmaker has warned.
Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee and a former deputy defense minister, said the long-range missiles require direct German military involvement to operate—making Berlin a potential participant in any such attack.
Speculation about a potential transfer of Taurus missiles to Kiev resurfaced this week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine would be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons without range limitations. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Merz confirmed that delivering the Taurus system was “possible,” though he added that Ukrainian forces would require “several months of training” to use them effectively.
In an interview with Life.ru on Wednesday, Kartapolov said Moscow is “ready for everything” if Germany proceeds with such a transfer.
”We are prepared to intercept the Taurus missiles, strike the launch sites, the operators, and, if necessary, the locations from which they are delivered,” he warned.
The Taurus KEPD 350 missile has a range of over 500 kilometers and is capable of reaching targets deep within Russian territory, including Moscow.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838431685f5404cac0ada38.jpg" alt="German and Ukrainin defense minsiters signing deal on joint production of long-range weapons." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/">Berlin offers Kiev another €5 billion</a></figcaption>
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Kartapolov emphasized that Ukraine lacks the technical expertise to operate such weapons independently. He claimed that earlier deliveries of long-range systems—including the U.S.-made ATACMS, Britain’s Storm Shadow, and France’s SCALP—have only been deployed with the assistance of Western military specialists.
”Ukrainian troops can press the launch button—that’s not the problem,” he said. “But they cannot program the targets. That data comes from American and European satellites. If Germany supplies these missiles, German personnel will inevitably be involved on the ground.”
The German Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it would provide Kiev with an additional €5.2 billion ($5.6 billion) in military aid. Much of the funding, according to the ministry, will support the production of long-range weaponry inside Ukraine.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618307-germany-russia-taurus-war/">
READ MORE: How to start a war with Russia in these easy steps: Just ask Merz’s Germany
</a>

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Responding to the development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Berlin of crossing a dangerous line. “Germany’s direct involvement in the war is now obvious,” he said, adding that the country “is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century—toward its own collapse.”]]>
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<title>Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza ceasefire proposal – media</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618331-netanyahu-accepts-witkoff-gaza-ceasefire-proposal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618331-netanyahu-accepts-witkoff-gaza-ceasefire-proposal/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683886a485f5404ca70e5ca5.jpg" /> A 60-day truce for the release of hostages has been proposed by US special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618331-netanyahu-accepts-witkoff-gaza-ceasefire-proposal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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A 60-day truce for the release of hostages has been proposed by US special envoy Steve Witkoff
Israel and Hamas have agreed to accept the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by the US, several media outlets reported on Thursday
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled his readiness to accept a roadmap presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting with the relatives of hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
Arab media later reported that Hamas had also accepted the deal to release the remaining Israeli hostages held in the enclave in exchange for a temporary truce.
Haaretz newspaper quoted an anonymous Israeli official as saying that Washington’s proposal envisages the release of the remaining 10 living hostages and the return of 18 bodies held in Gaza by Hamas over the course of a week. In exchange, Netanyahu’s government would reportedly agree to a 60-day cease-fire.
The Jerusalem Post cited an unnamed source as saying that Hamas has reservations regarding Washington’s plan, and sees it as favoring Israel. The Islamist militant group is reportedly wary of the fact that the US would not provide a guarantee that the temporary 60-day ceasefire would be extended to become permanent.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/682b46b120302725f05b019f.jpg" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617834-israel-gaza-offensive-control/">Israel to ‘take over all of Gaza’ – Netanyahu</a></figcaption>
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The latest developments have come amid an intensified Israeli assault on Gaza in recent days, including a fresh wave of airstrikes and a major ground offensive codenamed ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots.’
Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that the military action will not cease until Hamas has been totally vanquished.
Mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, negotiations between the two belligerents have been going on for some time in Doha, albeit producing little progress so far.
The current escalation began in October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 250 more. According to Palestinian authorities, the ensuing IDF military campaign has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 residents of the densely populated enclave.
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683886a485f5404ca70e5ca5.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 16:28:25 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>Immigrant arrested after threatening to kill Trump</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618317-mexican-immigrant-trump-assassination-threat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618317-mexican-immigrant-trump-assassination-threat/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683883e985f5404b8d761205.jpg" /> The undocumented Mexican man has vowed to shoot US President Donald Trump at a rally, according to the DHS <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618317-mexican-immigrant-trump-assassination-threat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The undocumented Mexican man threatened to shoot the US president, according to the US Department of Homeland Security
US immigration authorities have arrested a Mexican man who allegedly threatened to shoot President Donald Trump, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a press release <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/28/secretary-noem-releases-statement-after-ice-arrests-illegal-alien-who-threatened" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> on Wednesday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem thanked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, saying the “illegal alien … is behind bars.”
Earlier this month, ICE received a handwritten letter from 54-year-old Ramon Morales Reyes in which he vowed to “shoot your precious president in (his) head” at one of Trump’s rallies. The DHS published an image of the letter, in which Morales blamed ICE for deporting his family and, after threatening to kill Trump, promised to self-deport. 
“We are tired of this president messing with us Mexicans – we have done more for this country than you, white people,” the letter read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars. This threat comes not even a year after President Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania and less than two weeks after former FBI Director Comey called for the… <a href="https://t.co/Sr2pI08NuQ">pic.twitter.com/Sr2pI08NuQ</a>— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1927803898611290540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Morales, who, according to DHS, entered the US illegally at least nine times between 1998 and 2005 and has a criminal record that includes a felony hit-and-run, was arrested the next day and is now awaiting deportation.
Trump survived an assassination attempt when a gunman took shots at him during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The would-be assassin grazed Trump’s ear with a bullet, killed a spectator in the crowd behind him, and injured several others. 
“This threat comes not even a year after Butler and less than two weeks after former FBI Director (James) Comey called for the President’s assassination,” Noem said, urging politicians and the media to “tone down their rhetoric.”

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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/617741-trump-assassination-comey-fbi/">
READ MORE: Trump says ex-FBI director called for his ‘assassination’
</a>

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Earlier this month, Trump accused Comey – a longtime critic – of calling for his assassination in a now-deleted Instagram post. The image showed seashells spelling out “86 47,” captioned “cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
White House officials and Republicans said the numbers were a coded threat to the 47th US president, with “86” interpreted as slang for “get rid of” or “kill.” An investigation is underway. Comey has denied endorsing violence.]]>
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<title>US court blocks Trump’s tariffs</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618325-court-blocks-trump-tariffs-imports/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618325-court-blocks-trump-tariffs-imports/</guid>
<description>
<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838778685f5404cbb2ea41a.jpg" /> The US Court of International Trade has ruled that Trump lacked the authority to launch massive tariffs under the Emergency Powers Act <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618325-court-blocks-trump-tariffs-imports/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Judges have ruled the US president overstepped his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency powers law
The US Court of International Trade has ruled that President Donald Trump has no right to impose sweeping tariffs on imports under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). By invoking the legislation, the White House bypassed the need for congressional approval that would otherwise have been required to take such steps.
In early April, the US president slapped a baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods, with higher rates for China, Mexico, Canada and the EU member states, citing trade imbalances. Trump has since suspended some of those measures amid ongoing negotiations.
On Wednesday, the New York-based court sided with a number of small businesses that had filed lawsuits against Trump, arguing that he had overstepped his authority.
According to a statement issued by the court and quoted by US media, “the Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68342df920302765df225f9c.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618149-trump-delay-eu-tariffs/">Trump agrees to delay EU tariffs</a></figcaption>
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However, the ruling does not affect any tariffs that Trump has imposed under different legislation, namely, Section 232 powers from the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. This means that his 25% tariff on imported autos and parts as well as on all foreign-made steel and aluminum will remain in place.
The court ruling has noted that the US president could still slap a 15% tariff on countries with which Washington has a substantial trade deficit for 150 days, with Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 granting Trump the right to do so.
The White House has filed an appeal, with US media suggesting that the US Supreme Court will likely be asked to settle the matter.
In a post on X on Thursday, Stephen Miller, who serves as the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and as homeland security advisor, described the court’s decision as a “judicial coup” that has gotten “out of control.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The judicial coup is out of control. <a href="https://t.co/PRRZ1zU6lI">https://t.co/PRRZ1zU6lI</a>— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1927874604531409314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
There is a total of at least seven lawsuits, which argue that the IEEPA legislation does not authorize the use of tariffs, and that the trade deficit cited by Trump does not constitute an emergency as the US has run it for 49 consecutive years.
Multiple states led by Oregon have filed similar lawsuits.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the global trade system in its current form has left the US “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered” by other nations. The Republican has also insisted that sweeping tariffs will help to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US.]]>
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<title>Kremlin responds to Ukraine’s criticism of peace proposal</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618308-kremlin-ukraine-memorandum-demand/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618308-kremlin-ukraine-memorandum-demand/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838421720302759da0cfad6.jpg" /> Kiev’s demands for early access to Russian draft memorandum “unconstructive,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618308-kremlin-ukraine-memorandum-demand/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Kiev’s demands for early access to a Russian draft memorandum are “unconstructive,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Ukraine’s demands that Russia “immediately” delivers its draft roadmap for ceasefire talks are undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Delegations from both countries are expected to meet soon to discuss their respective proposals for a truce. Moscow yesterday proposed a meeting in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the drafts.
In response, Ukrainian officials criticized Moscow for not sharing its document ahead of time, accusing Russia of stalling the talks process.
”Demanding [to see the Russian document] immediately is just unconstructive. They should either confirm they are prepared for talks or say otherwise,” Peskov told reporters on Thursday during a regular briefing.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Kiev’s lead negotiator, <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618289-ukraine-relays-memorandum-talks-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> on Wednesday that he had already sent Ukraine’s draft to Moscow and claimed Russia was delaying its response. Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga echoed the sentiment, insisting Russia should “immediately submit their proposals for our consideration.” Umerov also repeated Ukraine’s call for “a full and unconditional ceasefire.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68372d5920302719e86fac99.jpg" alt="German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618274-merz-ukraine-long-range-weapons/">Germany to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons – Merz</a></figcaption>
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Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said on Wednesday that he had contacted Umerov to finalize the date and venue for an exchange of memorandums. The next round of talks would also involve “substantive discussion of each point of the package agreement on a future ceasefire,” he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later confirmed that Moscow’s document is ready, ahead of a proposed resumption of talks, sparking the complaints from Kiev.
Peskov said that Kiev had yet to formally confirm participation in the meeting.
Ukrainian officials previously insisted upon a 30-day pause in hostilities as a precondition for negotiations. Russia rejected the proposal, arguing it would give Kiev time to regroup militarily. Ukraine later revised its position after the administration of US President Donald Trump stated that it saw direct Russia-Ukraine talks as the next logical step toward a peace settlement.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618290-ukrainian-drone-hits-moscow-apartment/">
READ MORE: Ukrainian drone strikes apartment block in Moscow (VIDEOS)
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While pursuing diplomacy, Ukraine has also urged its Western backers to impose additional sanctions over Russia’s refusal to accept an immediate ceasefire and has also intensified long-range strikes inside Russian territory.]]>
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<title>UK unveils bill to stop capital outflow</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618309-uk-pensions-reform-capital-flight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618309-uk-pensions-reform-capital-flight/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683841b8203027528f7b3389.jpg" /> Labour wants to redirect pension investment into the British economy amid waning political support and global tensions <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618309-uk-pensions-reform-capital-flight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Labour wants to redirect pension investment into the British economy amid waning political support and global tensions
The UK has unveiled a sweeping and controversial plan to force pension funds to invest more heavily in domestic assets in the face of fiscal strain and ratcheting geopolitical pressure.
Legislation to consolidate local pension schemes into “megafunds” of at least £25 billion by 2030 is being framed by the government as a strategy to boost infrastructure, energy projects, and job creation.
Since 2012, UK pension fund investments in British companies have plummeted from over 50% to just 20% in 2023, with fund managers seeking higher returns abroad.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves insists the reforms will ensure “better returns for workers” while strengthening strategic sectors like clean energy. However, industry figures have pushed back. Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc described the plan as “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut,” warning it could clash with pension trustees’ fiduciary duty to maximize returns.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6822061485f5400ff917b78f.jpg" alt="Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer pictured speaking ahead of the release of the Immigration White Paper in London on May 12, 2025." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617429-uk-stricter-immigration-rules/">UK proposes stricter immigration rules</a></figcaption>
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The initiative comes as the Labour government faces deepening political and economic challenges, including declining support, soaring public debt, and a widening rift with long-time ally the US.
Labour’s support has dropped by more than 12 points since the July 2024 election – the steepest post-election fall in four decades. The rise of Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has further disrupted the traditional political landscape dominated by two parties.
The national debt now exceeds 95% of GDP, among the highest levels since the early 1960s. Economists attribute the surge to pandemic-era spending, energy price shocks, and a sustained rise in borrowing.
London also recently announced plans to increase defense expenditure to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, in line with NATO targets and renewed US pressure for greater European contributions amid the Ukraine conflict. The UK has been one of the staunchest backers of Kiev, giving it billions in military and financial support.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618240-nato-troops-ukraine-dead/">
READ MORE: Plans for European NATO troops in Ukraine seen as ‘dead’ – FT
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British pension funds have also historically invested heavily in the US, particularly in large-cap technology stocks such as Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. But recent shifts, including new US tariffs under President Donald Trump and diverging approaches to Ukraine, have prompted many UK pension managers to reassess their exposure to American markets.
The pension reform bill is expected to reach Parliament before the summer recess.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>AI CEO issues stark warning</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618323-ai-unemployment-crisis-threat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618323-ai-unemployment-crisis-threat/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68386dad203027040366f2e2.jpg" /> Up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs may be lost in the next five years, according to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618323-ai-unemployment-crisis-threat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs may be lost in the next five years, according to Anthropic’s Dario Amodei
Artificial intelligence could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years, the CEO of American AI research company Anthropic, Dario Amodei has warned. 
In a statement to Axios published on Wednesday, Amodei, who co-founded Anthropic and is a former OpenAI executive, said he hopes to jolt the US government and fellow developers into preparing for the consequences of rapid automation. AI could spike unemployment in the US to 10-20% in the next one to five years, he warned.
AI development companies are already working on systems that could soon replace workers in technology, finance, law, consulting and other white-collar professions, particularly entry-level positions, Amodei claimed.
The public and politicians are still “unaware” that a major shift is about to happen and insisted that companies and officials needed to stop “sugar-coating” what lies ahead, particularly for younger workers. 
Earlier this month, a report by the Linux Foundation, commissioned by Meta, found that open source AI is already transforming the economy by boosting efficiency, innovation, cost savings, and revenue gains.
However, Amodei has expressed concern that people could continue to stay ignorant of the threat of being replaced by AI, especially if the US government chooses to stay silent on the issue out of fear of spooking workers or falling behind China.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68190774203027789651280c.jpg" alt="University of Zurich, Switzerland" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/616816-switzerland-university-ai-chatbots-reddit/">Swiss university secretly ran AI experiment to manipulate minds</a></figcaption>
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Soon, “almost overnight,” business leaders will see savings in replacing humans with AI and implement a change “en masse.” They will stop opening new jobs or backfilling existing ones, and replace human workers with automated alternatives, Amodei claimed.
He has proposed several mitigation strategies, including a special index to track AI’s impact across occupations, and briefings for lawmakers to raise awareness. He also suggested a “token tax” — a system where a percentage of AI-generated revenue would be redistributed by the government. 
Amodei’s warning comes as a number of major companies have recently started laying off a considerable amount of workers, which some believe is being done in anticipation of major shifts due to AI. 
Earlier this month, Microsoft fired some 6,000 workers, mostly engineers, despite reporting strong sales and profits. Walmart has cut 1,500 corporate jobs to “simplify operations” while Crowdstrike - a Texas based cybersecurity company - has slashed 500 positions citing “a market and technology inflection point, with AI reshaping every industry.”]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>US dollar hits two-year low against ruble</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/business/618322-ruble-hits-two-year-high/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/business/618322-ruble-hits-two-year-high/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68386a8f20302752d41327e5.jpg" /> The Russian currency’s rally has been fueled by rising oil prices and optimism regarding the Ukraine peace talks, analysts say <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618322-ruble-hits-two-year-high/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The Russian currency’s rally has been fueled by rising oil prices and optimism regarding the Ukraine peace talks, analysts say
The Russian ruble soared to a two-year high against the US dollar in forex trading on Thursday, supported by positive geopolitical developments and favorable conditions in global oil markets, according to analysts.
The Russian currency, which has been strengthening for several months, traded below 78 rubles against the dollar on Thursday afternoon, its strongest level since mid-May 2023.
Russia’s announcement that it has drafted a peace memorandum and rising oil prices have contributed to the ruble’s strength, Yevgeny Loktyukhov of Promsvyazbank told the business daily RBK.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed holding the next round of Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul on June 2. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated that he would not impose anti-Russian sanctions, expressing hope for a resolution to the conflict.
Brent crude, the global benchmark for Russia’s main export, rose 1.2% to $65.68 per barrel.
The improved geopolitical backdrop and favorable oil market conditions should offset the typical month-end dip in foreign currency supplies following tax payments, Loktyukhov said.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838532f85f5404ca03ccc48.jpg" alt="RT" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618315-russia-not-abandon-cash/">Ex-central bank chief predicts Russia will never abandon cash</a></figcaption>
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Oil exporters typically convert foreign currency earnings into rubles at the end of each month in order to settle local obligations, providing support to the Russian currency.
Additional support for the ruble comes from ample foreign exchange liquidity in the market and weak demand for foreign currency, according to Natalia Pyryeva, lead analyst at investment firm Tsifra Broker.
Some analysts see potential for further gains, projecting the ruble could strengthen to 75 per dollar this month if geopolitical momentum persists. However, they have warned that the rally may be short-lived without tangible progress.   
Moscow and Washington have resumed high-level diplomatic engagement following US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. He has repeatedly called for a swift resolution to the conflict and a reset in bilateral relations. Last week, he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a two-and-a-half-hour phone call, which both leaders described as productive.
Earlier this month, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for their first direct talks since Kiev unilaterally withdrew from the peace process in 2022. As a result of the talks, the two sides conducted the largest prisoner swap to date, with each country releasing 1,000 individuals.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Berlin offers Kiev another €5 billion</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838431685f5404cac0ada38.jpg" /> Funding the production of long-range arms makes German involvement in the Ukraine conflict “obvious,” according to Moscow <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618310-ukraine-germany-military-aid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Funding the production of long-range arms makes German involvement in the Ukraine conflict “obvious,” according to Moscow
Berlin will provide Kiev with another €5 billion ($5.6 billion) in military aid on top of the €28 billion it has given since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in early 2022, the German Defense Ministry has announced. Moscow has stated in response that further assistance to Ukraine could precipitate the “collapse” of Germany.
The funds promised by Berlin would principally be used to “finance the production of long-range weapon systems in Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov, who arrived in Berlin together with Vladimir Zelensky, signed a defense cooperation deal between the two countries.
“A significant number” of long-range weapon systems can be manufactured inside Ukraine this year, the statement read without specifying the types of arms.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837182020302719eb237614.jpg" alt="Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618268-merz-vow-block-nord-stream/">Merz vows to block Nord Stream 2</a></figcaption>
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The first of those weapons could be deployed by Kiev against Russian forces “in just a few weeks” as Ukrainian troops are already familiar with them and will not require additional training, it added.
The €5 billion would also cover German deliveries of ammunition, including for air defense systems, small arms and medical equipment, the ministry said.
During a joint press conference with Zelensky on Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin and Kiev “want to ensure joint production” of long-range armaments, but declined to reveal any details. There will be no range restrictions on the weapons and Kiev will be allowed to attack targets outside its own territory, he stressed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reacted to Merz’s statement by saying that Berlin’s “direct involvement in the war is now obvious.”
“Germany is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – down toward its own collapse,” Lavrov stressed, referring to the defeats suffered by the country in the First and Second World wars.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618279-germany-collapse-ukraine-conflict-lavrov/">
READ MORE: Germany ‘sliding down to collapse’ – Lavrov
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Moscow has repeatedly insisted that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine will not stop it from reaching its military objectives, but will only prolong the conflict and raise the risk of a confrontation with NATO. The Kremlin warned that the latest “provocative actions” by EU states could derail the US-brokered diplomatic process between Russia and Ukraine, which restarted last month after a three-year break.]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>South African woman gets life in prison for selling six-year-old daughter</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618316-south-african-woman-accused-selling-daughter-jailed-life/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618316-south-african-woman-accused-selling-daughter-jailed-life/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68385b262030275a144ad564.jpg" /> Western Cape High Court records show Racquel Kelly Smith trafficked her missing daughter, Joshlin Smith, for about $1,122 <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618316-south-african-woman-accused-selling-daughter-jailed-life/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The missing child, identified as Joshlin Smith, was trafficked for about $1,122, according to court documents
While the three individuals convicted of kidnapping and trafficking six-year-old Joshlin Smith were sentenced to life imprisonment for the crimes on Thursday, the police said the search for the little girl would go on.
There has been no trace of Joshlin since her disappearance from her Middelpos, Saldanha Bay home on 19 February 2024. Evidence in the trial was that she was sold for R20,000.
Joshlin’s mother, Racquel ‘Kelly’ Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis, and family acquaintance Steveno ‘Steffie’ van Rhyn were found guilty in the Western Cape High Court earlier this month. On Thursday, they were sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for kidnapping.
They have indicated that they will be appealing. The three did not testify in their defence.
In a statement, Western Cape provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, commended all the officers, detectives, and specialists involved in the case. “Your dedication reflects the very best of our nation’s law enforcement and brings hope to families still waiting for justice,” he said in Saldanha, where the case was heard.
”Our thoughts remain with the family of Joshlin Smith. May they find some comfort in knowing that justice has prevailed,” he said.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618263-south-africans-rely-social-grant/">
READ MORE: Over 25 million South Africans rely on social grants – report
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The statement added that the search for Joshlin has not been called off.
”SAPS remains fully committed to exploring every possible lead in the pursuit of real closure in this tragic matter.”
Joshlin’s godmother, Natasha Andrews, said the silence from the trio during sentencing deepened the family’s pain.
”She was our baby daughter. She lived with us, ate, and went on holidays with us, we did everything for her.
”They were given a chance to say something, anything that could have helped us find her, but they said nothing. Kelly didn’t even shed a tear. If they wanted to help, they would have. That chance is gone, and now we just hope one day we will find her.”
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/616795-eu-trying-solve-migration-problems/">Gaddafi warned them. Now the EU is living out his grim prophecy</a></figcaption>
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Andrews said she visited Kelly after sentencing.
”She was sobbing, but at the end of the day, we still don’t have answers. I remain hopeful that Joshlin will be found. We are not going to give up. Kelly accepted me into her life and into Joshlin’s life. I’ll never stop visiting her until we have an answer.”
Joshlin’s paternal grandmother, Louretta Yon, said: “What Kelly did was harsh. Maybe one day she will tell the truth about what happened to Joshlin. I don’t want to say anything to Kelly now.”
Kelly’s mother, Amanda Smith-Daniels, said: “She did the crime, and the law must take its course. It’s not nice that my child has to spend her life in jail, but she did something wrong and must deal with the consequences.”
First published by <a href="https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2025-05-29-trio-jailed-for-life-police-vow-search-for-joshlin-smith-will-continue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IOL</a>]]>
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<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Russian military hits Ukrainian commando HQ – MOD (VIDEO)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618311-hq-strike-nikolaev-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618311-hq-strike-nikolaev-video/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838487885f5404a476f8cc1.png" /> The Russian Defense Ministry has highlighted a recent long-range strike on a reported Ukrainian special operations base <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618311-hq-strike-nikolaev-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The targeted site may have housed foreign fighters, according to Moscow
Russian forces have carried out precision strikes on a facility used by Ukrainian special operations forces, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced Thursday.
The targeted site, located in Ukraine’s Nikolaev Region, reportedly included a munitions depot, a vehicle hangar, a command post, and a dormitory for commandos. The strike was carried out using Geran-2 long-range drones and Iskander-M missiles, according to the ministry. Officials suggested that foreign nationals fighting for Kiev may have been killed in the attack.
Footage released by the ministry and mapping details of the strike point to the location as Ochakov, a key port city near the junction of the Black Sea and the Dnieper–Bug estuary. The Dnieper River forms a natural dividing line between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the south.

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Ochakov is reported to serve as a base for British-assisted naval drone operations, from which Ukraine has launched attacks using unmanned surface vessels against Russian targets in Crimea.
Just south of the city lies the Kinburn Spit, a narrow strip of land connected to Russia’s Kherson Region. Ukrainian forces have attempted to seize the position several times, while Russian troops have used it to launch strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618284-what-russian-generals-are-reading/">
READ MORE: What the Russian generals are reading: Inside Moscow’s closed-door military thinking
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In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have ramped up long-range drone attacks inside Russian territory, amid pressure from Washington for Kiev to engage in direct peace negotiations with Moscow. The Russian military has responded by targeting suspected drone assembly sites and other strategic installations. The strike on Ochakov appeared to be part of such nighttime operations.]]>
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<title>Ex-central bank chief predicts Russia will never abandon cash</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/business/618315-russia-not-abandon-cash/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838532f85f5404ca03ccc48.jpg" /> Certain groups will always choose paper over digital money in order to avoid taxation, according to Sergey Dubinin <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618315-russia-not-abandon-cash/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Certain groups will always choose paper over digital money in order to avoid taxation, according to Sergey Dubinin
Russia is unlikely to ever give up cash, according to the former head of the country’s central bank, who believes there will always be people who benefit from using it.
In an interview with RTVI on Wednesday, Sergey Dubinin said that even as digital currencies develop, some market participants will always prefer cash transactions in order to avoid taxation.
“I don’t think that in Russia, as in any other market economy country, all participants in transactions will prefer non-cash payments,” Dubinin said. “There will always remain some percentage, possibly within 5-10%, who will prefer cash payments, including due to the ingrained habit of avoiding taxation.”
He noted that large transactions will still be carried out using non-cash methods, adding that digital currencies are likely to be equated with electronic money, which will make them more convenient to use.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/595032-cash-disappear-years-russians-poll/">Most Russians believe cash will disappear in 20 years – poll</a></figcaption>
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Dubinin also highlighted the role of cash in providing banks with a source of funds. He explained that balances on current accounts, including credit cards, constitute 12-15% of total household deposits. These funds are available to banks at no cost, allowing them to be used for lending or investment purposes.
Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said in April that non-cash payments in Russia had already reached 86% and predicted that the share of such payments could grow to 90% over the next three to five years.
The Central Bank of Russia reported that cash circulation had increased by 5.1% last year, totaling ₽130.1 trillion (around $1.45 trillion). Deposits and withdrawals at banks’ cash offices and ATMs amounted to ₽63.6 trillion (about $710 billion) and ₽66.5 trillion (around $740 billion), respectively.
A poll conducted by the country’s Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) last year found that more than half of Russians, especially young people and those who live in major urban areas, believe cash will no longer be used for daily transactions in 20 years. Almost 80% of respondents said plastic cards are simply easier and more convenient than cash. Only about 18% of Russians said they trust cards less than cash, citing reasons such as fear of losing them and a general distrust of banking services.
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<title>Ukraine training terror groups in Africa – Moscow</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618314-ukraine-training-terror-sahel-region-terror-groups/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838506a20302752c5706b25.jpg" /> An official from Russia’s Foreign Ministry has accused Kiev of arming rebels in the Sahel with weapons it received from Western allies <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618314-ukraine-training-terror-sahel-region-terror-groups/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Arms provided to Kiev by Western allies are being transferred to groups destabilizing the Sahel region, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry official
Ukraine is training jihadist fighters and supporting terrorist groups in Africa’s Sahel region, a Russian Foreign Ministry official has said, accusing Kiev of funneling Western-supplied weapons to militants operating across the continent.
Tatyana Dovgalenko, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Partnership with Africa, made the remarks on Thursday at the 13th International <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617911-russia-global-security-forum/">Meeting</a> of High Representatives for Security Issues in Moscow. Representatives of 104 countries, including African delegations, have gathered at the event to discuss a new global security architecture. 
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“The Kiev regime continues systematic efforts to destabilize the continent, collaborating with terrorist networks in the Sahel, particularly by training and organizing militants,” Dovgalenko said, according to TASS. 
“There is evidence that the arms delivered to Ukraine by Western states are being transferred to terrorist factions operating in various global regions, including Africa,” she added.
Moscow has made terrorism and counter-extremism a central focus of its security cooperation with African states, particularly those in the Sahel, which have been embroiled in a decade-long jihadist insurgency.
Dovgalenko noted that terrorist groups have adapted to modern technologies and shifting counterterrorism strategies, warning that nearly 60% of global terrorism deaths in 2024 occurred in Africa, with the Sahel accounting for 20% of the continent’s attacks.
Ukraine has been at the center of a growing diplomatic storm in the Sahel region since an <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/602381-ukraine-mali-terror-attack-involvement-recap/">ambush</a> by Tuareg rebels in July 2024 left dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner Group contractors dead. Reports have claimed that Ukrainian military intelligence supplied information used in the deadly attack.
Moscow and the <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/602891-ukraine-mali-terror-attack-sahel-alliance-demand-un-action/">Alliance of Sahel States</a> made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have jointly denounced Kiev’s “criminal alliance” with extremist groups. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier accused Ukraine of openly abetting terrorists in the region.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.08/thumbnail/66b3973285f54048ea066f2f.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/602274-ukraine-mali-terrorists-global-south/">Terror lovers: Here’s how Ukraine is gaslighting the Global South</a></figcaption>
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Mali cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine in August. Niger followed suit shortly afterwards, with Burkina Faso later confirming its relations with Kiev were effectively frozen. Ukraine has denied the allegations.
Last month, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said Kiev must be held accountable for fueling instability in Africa, which has resulted not only in the deaths of Malian soldiers but also in civilian casualties.
The West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso officially quit in January, also warned against “foreign interference” that threatens the region’s peace and security.
In a <a href="https://x.com/ecowas_cedeao/status/1927607097568481490" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">speech</a> on Wednesday marking 50 years since the group’s formation, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray identified terrorism as one of the “formidable” challenges facing the community and called for collective efforts to address the crisis.]]>
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<title>Alleged threats to chief Russian negotiator’s family ‘outrageous’ – Kremlin</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838479485f5404683638781.jpg" /> Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said investigators are working to find out where the messages to Vladimir Medinsky are coming from <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618312-kremlin-threats-ukraine-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said investigators are working to find out where the messages to Vladimir Medinsky are coming from
Alleged threats being made against Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky and his family are “outrageous,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, noting that authorities are already working to determine their source.
His remarks come after TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov recently stated that Medinsky – who led Russia’s delegation at the peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul earlier this month – was receiving death threats from the Ukrainian side. His family was also allegedly targeted.
Peskov called the situation “unprecedented” and said that if investigators find that threats are coming from Ukraine, it would be “utterly outrageous,” particularly as Moscow has offered to hold another round of negotiations next Monday.
According to Solovyov, the threats are coming from Ukrainian nationalists, who have even targeted Medinsky’s children. He claimed that the negotiator’s family has received messages such as “we know where your children are and we have a lot of explosive-packed scooters.”
Several terrorist attacks involving electric scooters have taken place in the past, including the December 2024 murder of Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces.
Solovyov also recalled that “there were cases when negotiators were threatened, and there were tragic cases, and they are well known.” One such case could involve Ukrainian banker Denys Kireyev, who was killed in March 2022 shortly after participating in early peace talks with Russia.
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Solovyov said that Medinsky had personally discussed the issue with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who was the head of Kiev’s delegation in Istanbul. He reportedly insisted to Medinsky that the alleged threats were not coming from Ukrainian authorities.
Following Solovyov’s claims, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin ordered the opening of a criminal case to identify the persons involved in threatening Medinsky’s family.
Moscow and Kiev have been working on their own draft memorandums outlining a path towards a peaceful settlement. Earlier this month, the two sides met for the first time since peace negotiations collapsed in 2022.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov proposed holding the next round of talks on Monday, June 2, in Istanbul. Umerov has responded by stating that Kiev first expects to receive Moscow’s draft memorandum so that the meeting is not “empty.”]]>
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<title>Trump’s trade offer led to India-Pakistan ceasefire – White House</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/india/618294-trumps-trade-offer-pakistan-ceasefire/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683845ad85f5404cac0ada42.jpg" /> The White House has said the truce between the two South Asian nations happened after US president’s intervention <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618294-trumps-trade-offer-pakistan-ceasefire/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The US commerce secretary has said the truce between the two South Asian nations happened due to the president’s intervention
The US government has claimed in an official court submission that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was agreed after President Donald Trump intervened and offered both countries “access to the American market.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69940555/princess-awesome-llc-v-united-states-customs-and-border-protection/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> the US Court of International Trade last week that the ceasefire “was only achieved after President Trump interceded and offered both nations trading access with the United States to avert a full-scale war.” Lutnick also argued that narrowing the president’s emergency tariff powers would weaken US global influence and threaten the fragile India-Pakistan truce.
Lutnick was referring to the ceasefire announced by New Delhi and Islamabad on May 10, after a four-day military standoff between the two nuclear powers. India launched a military operation, codenamed Sindoor, on May 7, targeting nine cites in Pakistan which it referred to as “terrorist camps.” The move was in response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in India’s Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory in late April that killed 26 tourists, New Delhi maintained. Islamabad has denied any involvement in the Pahalgam attack.
Trump was the first to announce the ceasefire in a social media post. He later claimed on several occasions that he had intervened at a critical moment in the standoff and had told both countries: “I was 'gonna do a lot of trade with you, let's stop it.”
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/617848-from-ceasefire-to-misfire-trumps/">From ceasefire to misfire: Trump’s claims stir concerns in India</a></figcaption>
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Immediately after Trump’s comments, Indian Foreign Ministry sources <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/617451-india-rebuts-trumps-claims-of/">dismissed</a> claims that the US had threatened to reduce trade as a means of brokering a ceasefire. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri recently told a parliamentary committee that the US was “neither involved nor informed” about the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in a series of interviews with European media outlets this week <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618214-india-slam-western-narrative/">rejected</a> the role of Trump in reaching ceasefire. “The cessation of firing was agreed between the military commanders of both sides through direct contact,” he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Lutnick’s court statement came amid efforts to negotiate a bilateral trade deal between India and the US. Indian Foreign Secretary Misri is currently in Washington for high-level talks on finalizing the trade pact before the deadline announced by Trump. The US in April imposed an additional 26% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, but suspended it for 90 days until July 9, keeping the baseline 10% tariff in place.]]>
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<title>How to start a war with Russia in these easy steps: Just ask Merz’s Germany</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618307-germany-russia-taurus-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618307-germany-russia-taurus-war/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68383a522030275f1e457c46.jpg" /> Berlin would do well to heed Moscow’s warnings not to supply long-range weapons to Kiev <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618307-germany-russia-taurus-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Berlin would do well to heed Moscow’s warnings not to supply long-range weapons to Kiev
If in a dark hole, dig deeper, especially even deeper than feckless German ex-chancellor Olaf Scholz. That seems to be Berlin’s new motto. Under Friedrich Merz’s new mis-management, the German government is clearly setting out to worsen its current abysmal non-relationship with Russia. That is a sadly ambitious aim, because things are already more dire than they’ve been at any point since 1945.
But Merz and his team, it seems, are not satisfied with playing a key role in fighting a proxy war against Russia that has been a ruinous fiasco; not for the Russian economy, but for Germany’s. Even by February 2023, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-war-costs-germanys-economy-100-billion/a-64768176" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">German mainstream media reported that the war had sliced 2.5 percent off GDP</a>.
That, by the way, is a large figure in and of itself, but consider that between 2022 and 2024 Germany’s annual GDP growth (or, really, reduction) rate has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/15/german-gross-domestic-product-full-year-2024.html?msockid=14ee70ec34386f2036a3646535fe6e0d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">varied</a> between <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=DE&most_recent_value_desc=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">-0.3 percent (2023) and +1.4 percent</a>, and it looks even worse.
And yet, instead of sincerely – and finally – trying to use diplomacy to end this war against Russia via Ukraine, Merz’s Berlin is now taking the risk of escalating the current mess into the nightmare of a direct military clash between Russia and Germany (and, hence, presumably NATO – though not necessarily including the US any longer). Such a confrontation would be devastating in a manner that Germans have not experienced for a long time, <a href="https://www.zdf.de/play/reportagen/die-spur-224/verteidigung-bundeswehr-aufruesten-militaer-soldaten-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">as even a recent German TV documentary had to admit</a>, despite its obvious purpose to boost the country’s current re-militarization-on-steroids.
The single most obvious symbol of Berlin’s new, industrial-strength recklessness is the Taurus cruise missile, a sophisticated, very expensive weapon (at €1-3 million each) with a full name you will want to forget (<a href="https://www.edrmagazine.eu/germany-taurus-cruise-missile-is-being-modernized" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Target Adaptive Unitary and Dispenser Robotic Ubiquity System</a>) and, crucially, a maximum range of about 500 kilometers.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6835d5e820302722894c8db2.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Friedrich Merz." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618224-germany-merz-ukraine-taurus/">Germany risks becoming a target for Russia – for the first time since Hitler</a></figcaption>
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The government under Scholz, breathtakingly incompetent and shamelessly submissive to the US as it was, never agreed to let Ukraine have this weapon. For, in essence, two reasons: The Taurus, once in Ukraine, could fire deep into Russia, even as far as Moscow, and it is undeniable that it can only be operated with direct German help, which would bring about a state of war between Moscow and Berlin. Merz, however, has created a <a href="https://iz.ru/1893718/2025-05-28/merc-zaavil-o-snatii-ogranicenii-po-udaram-zapadnym-oruziem-dla-vsu-cto-eto-oznacaet">vague</a> yet substantial impression <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618224-germany-merz-ukraine-taurus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">that delivering the Taurus to Kiev is an option again</a>.
Throughout this war – and its prehistory, too – Russia has been sending clear warnings about what such a war might entail: <a href="https://tass.com/politics/1965079" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov</a>, for instance, Germany is “already directly engaging” in the Ukraine War. But clearly, he, too, sees room for things to get much worse again, with, in his words, Germany “sliding down the same slippery slope it has already treaded a couple of times just this past century – down to its collapse.”
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman of President Vladimir Putin, has underlined that Merz’s statements, muddled as they were, pointed to a “<a href="https://iz.ru/1893718/2025-05-28/merc-zaavil-o-snatii-ogranicenii-po-udaram-zapadnym-oruziem-dla-vsu-cto-eto-oznacaet" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">serious escalation</a>.” Less diplomatically, the head of Russia’s RT, <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618262-russia-berlin-german-missiles-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Margarita Simonyan, has explained</a> that German-Ukrainian Taurus strikes on Russian cities could provoke a Russian missile strike on Berlin. An important Russian military expert, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618224-germany-merz-ukraine-taurus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has mentioned the possibility of a strike against Taurus production facilities in Germany</a>.
Are these warnings any help? Of course, German politicians would not openly admit to being successfully deterred by Moscow, but it is a fact that Merz has abstained from following through on his implied threat of transferring the Taurus to Ukraine.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68370cd02030275d6b4eec82.jpg" alt="RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618262-russia-berlin-german-missiles-moscow/">Russia could target Berlin if German missiles hit Moscow – RT editor-in-chief</a></figcaption>
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If he had wanted to do so, the visit of Ukraine’s leader Vladimir Zelensky in Berlin would have provided an excellent opportunity to close the deal. Yet, instead of the hotly desired cruise missiles, <a href="https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ukraine/selenskyj-und-merz-in-berlin-demonstrativ-per-du-110504648.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zelensky has received something else</a>: a demonstrative use of the German informal you (“du”), plenty of money (again), and a promise that Germany will help build long-range weapons in Ukraine. Considering that Moscow has just demonstrated its ability to strike such production facilities anywhere in Ukraine, that promise is the equivalent of a cop-out. For now at least.
That is a good thing. It avoids an immediate, extremely dangerous escalation. Yet Merz and his experts are naïve if they believe that there will be no Russian response to their declared intention to transfer German know-how to Ukraine so that long-range weapons can be made there.
For one thing, <a href="https://tass.com/pressreview/1964513" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moscow has just demonstrated its ability to strike Ukraine’s military industry</a>. At the same time, even the Taurus is by no means off the table. Neither are Russian warnings about the catastrophic consequences of its use. <a href="https://tass.com/pressreview/1964513" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Russian Defense Ministry</a> is confident that its air defenses could stop Taurus strikes, but also emphasizes that its special ability to fly far into Russia constitutes a problem in a class all by itself.
What is the new Berlin even trying to do here? Negotiations to end the war are ongoing, even if Merz claims the opposite. Russia is not, as he repeats, merely “playing for time.” In reality, the second round of the Istanbul 2.0 talks is now scheduled to go ahead, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-proposes-to-hold-next-talks-with-ukraine-in-istanbul-on-june-2/ar-AA1FEqMS?ocid=BingNewsSerp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">at least as far as Moscow is concerned</a>.
The real problem for Western politicians like Merz is that Moscow is not willing to abandon its own interests or comply with unilateral demands backed up by threats.
Indeed, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/exclusive-putin-for-ukraine-peace-wants-a-pledge-to-halt-nato-enlargement-sources-say/ar-AA1FCTCb?ocid=BingNewsSerp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">if a plausible Reuters report based on leaks</a> is correct, Putin has outlined Russia’s conditions for a realistic settlement once again: unsurprisingly, they include a complete stop to NATO expansion, an at least partial end to sanctions against Russia and to attempts to fully seize frozen Russian sovereign assets, the genuine neutrality of Ukraine, and protection for its Russian-speakers.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68372d5920302719e86fac99.jpg" alt="German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618274-merz-ukraine-long-range-weapons/">Germany to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons – Merz</a></figcaption>
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Against this background, Merz’s recent sallies are only more puzzling: Russia is not weak but winning this war. A summer offensive may be close and make Ukraine’s situation even more untenable. But there also is a genuine opportunity to exploit negotiations that have been restarted so as to finally limit the losses to both Ukraine and the West.
Meanwhile, the reluctance of the US to reliably back up a hard course against Russia could permit the NATO-EU Europeans to explore constructive alternatives to the ongoing proxy war. Indeed, it should be their worst nightmare to be left alone with this conflict if Moscow and Washington should break through to a full détente.
The German economy will not thrive – even with a hail-Mary boost of debt-based military Keynesianism, as now launched by Merz – unless its relationship with Russia is reframed. Last but not least, Ukraine will not be rebuilt before there is a durable peace.
And Berlin’s response to all of the above? More of the same, but worse. Now, with the Taurus back on the options menu and open announcements to help Ukraine build, in essence, its own version of it, presumably under intense German coaching and packed with German technology, Kiev’s chances are not better and Germany’s position is more precarious. The probability of an escalation into a direct Russian-German war remains even higher than before Merz’s new initiative, and the probability of peace has been reduced. Call it a lose-lose.]]>
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<title>CIA running out of international informants and spies – WaPo</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618306-cia-recruitment-problems-wapo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618306-cia-recruitment-problems-wapo/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838353c85f5403b7f2efc58.jpg" /> The CIA is facing challenges in recruiting foreign assets and agents, The Washington Post has reported <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618306-cia-recruitment-problems-wapo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The agency is reportedly struggling to recruit assets and agents, intelligence sources have told the newspaper
The CIA is grappling with difficulties in recruiting foreign informants and “needs more spies,” The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing current and former intelligence officials.
Chief among the problems the sources listed is the global proliferation of public surveillance systems and advances in facial recognition, which make it harder for operatives to avoid detection.
CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis acknowledged the issue in a recent public <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617994-china-existential-threat-cia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interview</a>, saying that although “some of the tools and techniques from the 1960s or ‘70s might still work today, a lot of them need to be updated and refreshed.”
Other officials pointed to past setbacks, according to the WaPo, including the agency’s aggressive recruitment of Chinese officials in the early 2000s. Beijing’s security forces later dismantled that network, reportedly imprisoning and executing up to two dozen CIA assets.
The COVID-19 pandemic also hindered operations, the report said, by disrupting face-to-face meetings with informants due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. US President Donald Trump’s current plan to close 10 embassies and 17 consulates as part of budget cuts threatens to further reduce the CIA’s footprint globally.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618021-cia-gate-shooting-incident/">
READ MORE: Woman shot and detained outside CIA headquarters – media
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In an effort to attract defectors, the CIA has produced what the reports described as “Hollywood-quality” videos targeting Russian and Chinese audiences, which have been distributed via social media. While officials told the Post that some Russians have responded, they declined to provide specifics.
The ads sparked incredulity in both countries and <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/612328-svr-cia-ads-duel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">parodies</a> that reversed the agency’s message by highlighting American problems.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Chinese netizens are having fun with the CIA's recruitment ad for Chinese spies! They've turned it around and made it even more convincing than the original! 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/XTZroUlXUZ">pic.twitter.com/XTZroUlXUZ</a>— Dominic Lee 李梓敬 (@dominictsz) <a href="https://twitter.com/dominictsz/status/1919271339602706787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Domestically, the CIA’s recruitment of new agents has declined by double-digit percentages since 2019, a former official told the Post. The newspaper noted that a recent directive from the White House that led to the circulation of an unclassified list of new hires — including first names and initials — could impact morale and security.
In 2021, the agency was <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/455117-cia-recruitment-poster-error/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ridiculed</a> for a recruitment video featuring a “cisgender Millennial who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.” Ellis said the current leadership is focused on building “the ultimate meritocracy at the CIA.”]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838353c85f5403b7f2efc58.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 10:40:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RT</dc:creator>
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<title>Namibian descendant calls for justice over colonial-era genocide</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618305-namibian-descendant-german-colonial-era-genocide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618305-namibian-descendant-german-colonial-era-genocide/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683828ce85f5404ca70e5c73.jpg" /> Thrive Mahua has shared the personal legacy of the Namibian genocide by the German Empire <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618305-namibian-descendant-german-colonial-era-genocide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Thrive Mahua has said Berlin’s response to the OvaHerero-Nama genocide lags behind Holocaust accountability
A descendant of Namibia’s OvaHerero and Nama peoples, Thrive Vinomaandero Mahua, has called for greater accountability and reparations from Germany over its colonial-era atrocities in Namibia.
The OvaHerero and Nama genocide, carried out by the German Empire in present-day Namibia between 1904 and 1908, was the first genocide of the 20th century. It targeted the two groups through a campaign of ethnic extermination and collective punishment in what was then German South West Africa.
Speaking to RT, Mahua recounted the personal toll the genocide had taken and expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in reaching a just resolution. She said the events tore families apart, and it was only after Namibia’s independence that many displaced individuals were able to reconnect with their relatives.
Although Berlin officially recognized the genocide of the OvaHerero and Nama peoples in 2021, more than a century after the atrocities, negotiations over reparations have remained deadlocked. The transition to a new German government, she added, has only introduced further uncertainty about whether these talks will resume.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/682f11f885f54050d11e4b36.jpg" alt="The Chagos Islands" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/617999-uk-not-return-chagos-archipelago-mauritius/">Military base in paradise: Why decolonization by the UK turns out to be fake again</a></figcaption>
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Mahua noted that a proposed €1.1 billion aid package was rejected by traditional leaders from both affected communities, who argued that the funds should be allocated directly to survivors and their descendants, rather than to national development projects. 
Mahua stated that no monetary figure could ever truly compensate for the suffering inflicted. “What is the price for a life?” she asked.
She further argued that the Namibian genocide deserves the same level of recognition and accountability as the Holocaust, pointing out that many practices later associated with the Nazis, such as concentration camps, had earlier precedents in her country during the German colonial occupation. According to Mahua, it is inconsistent for Berlin to take full responsibility for one atrocity while treating another with markedly less seriousness.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618301-namibia-remembers-german-colonial-era-genocide/">
READ MORE: African state remembers first genocide of 20th century
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“As the descendants of those that have been affected, we should not allow them to forget days such as the Genocide Remembrance Day,” Mahua stressed. She emphasized the need for continuous public engagement, remembrance days, and open discussion.
“We need to make it uncomfortable,” she said, urging activists to keep speaking out until there is a meaningful response.
<iframe id="odysee-iframe" style="width:100%; aspect-ratio:16 / 9;" src="https://odysee.com/%24/embed/%40RT%3Afd%2FThrive-Vinomaandero-Mahua-interview-May-28-2025%3Ad?r=8beiUBMsqfbMpzz5PJF4f5SYE57w8vEf" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<title>Ukraine needed Western help to target Putin’s helicopter – Scott Ritter</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618302-putin-helicopter-ukraine-ritter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618302-putin-helicopter-ukraine-ritter/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68381c7385f5404cac0ada20.jpg" /> Kiev and its foreign backers are “playing with fire,” the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer has told RT <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618302-putin-helicopter-ukraine-ritter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Kiev and its foreign backers are “playing with fire,” the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer has told RT
Ukraine must have relied on assistance from the West if it did in fact target a helicopter carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter has told RT.
Russian air defense division commander Yury Dashkin told the Russia 1 channel last week that Putin’s helicopter had been caught in the “epicenter” of a massive Ukrainian drone attack during a visit to Kursk Region on May 20. The intensity of aerial incursions “increased significantly” when the president was in the air, with 46 incoming fixed-wing UAVs being shot down in the area, he said.
In an interview with RT on Wednesday, Ritter stressed that “if the Ukrainians drones actually targeted the Russian president, they did not do so in a vacuum... there would have been assistance provided by the West, which means that the West is targeting the Russian president.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6833070185f5403ee36a75ef.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin aboard a helicopter." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618120-putin-helicopter-drone-ukraine/">Putin’s helicopter was caught in Ukrainian drone swarm – commander</a></figcaption>
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“If you read the Russian nuclear doctrine, this is a trigger for Russian nuclear retaliation or preemptive strikes. So, who is playing with fire here? It is not Vladimir Putin who is playing with fire. It is Ukraine and the West that are playing with fire,” he added.
The former US Marine Corps major was referring to a comment by US President Donald Trump, who claimed earlier this week that Putin was “playing with fire.”
The statement by Trump followed large-scale Russian strikes against Ukrainian military infrastructure, which Moscow said were retaliation for the intensification of drone attacks by Kiev on civilian targets inside Russia. According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, more than 2,300 Ukrainian UAVs have been intercepted over the past week above Russian territory, mostly away from the front line.
Ritter expressed concern that there is a split in the US administration between opponents of Russia and those who are in favor of improving ties with Moscow. But at the same time, representatives of both camps and Trump himself are no experts on Russia, he added.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/news/618293-lavrov-rubio-phone-call/">
READ MORE: Lavrov briefs Rubio on Ukraine negotiations
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The US president “is a victim of basically the last words whispered into his ear before he goes to bed at night or the first words whispered into his ear when he wakes up in the morning… Trump is not well briefed [on Russia]. Look, this is a very dangerous situation,” Ritter warned.
<iframe id="odysee-iframe" style="width:100%; aspect-ratio:16 / 9;" src="https://odysee.com/%24/embed/%40RT%3Afd%2FScott-Ritter-interview-May-28-2025%3A5?r=677Zncq6Sz7w3rY6et7mtuByhQM4ibVG" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<title>Telegram announces partnership with Musk</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/business/618304-telegram-musk-partnership/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/business/618304-telegram-musk-partnership/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683827a585f5404a476f8cb1.jpg" /> Telegram is set to bring Grok AI to over a billion users, its CEO Pavel Durov has announced <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/618304-telegram-musk-partnership/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The popular messaging platform is set to bring Grok AI to over a billion users, CEO Pavel Durov has announced

Elon Musk’s startup xAI will invest $300 million and deploy its Grok AI chatbot in partnership with the messaging app Telegram, according to a statement by the app’s CEO Pavel Durov published on Wednesday. 
In announcing the deal, Durov said that he and Musk had agreed to a one-year partnership designed to strengthen Telegram’s financial position.
“We will receive $300M in cash and equity from xAI, plus 50% of the revenue from xAI subscriptions sold via Telegram,” he said.
Musk later stated on X that “no deal has been signed,” without providing any additional details, prompting Durov to clarify that the parties had reached an agreement in principle, with formalities still to be finalized.
Telegram said Grok AI is set to be integrated into Telegram, with users expected to begin accessing the AI-powered features starting this summer. Users will be able to interact with Grok directly within the app, using a built-in chatbot to generate content or engage in open-ended conversations on a wide range of topics.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6833b1922030276bd7350d35.jpg" alt="File photo: Pavel Durov." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618138-durov-better-leave-france/">Top Russian MP advises Telegram’s Durov to leave France</a></figcaption>
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The partnership with xAI comes amid an effort by Telegram to raise at least $1.5 billion through a new bond issuance, including from existing backers such as BlackRock and Abu Dhabi investment firm Mubadala. Telegram is reportedly expected to use the funds to buy back debt issued through an earlier bond sale.
The deal signals that investors continue to support Telegram, even as its CEO faces charges in France.
Durov, whose company is based in Dubai, was arrested in France in August 2024 and accused of complicity in crimes allegedly committed by Telegram users, including extremism and child abuse. He was later released on €5 million ($5.46 million) bail. Although he was allowed to travel to the UAE in March, his recent request to visit the US was denied, and he remains under restricted supervision.
Telegram’s popularity continues to grow as the app maintains free services for users. In 2025, the messenger surpassed one billion monthly users and last year the app achieved over $1 billion in revenue, marking its first profitable year since introducing monetization. The company’s financial growth has reportedly been driven by a surge in Telegram Premium subscribers and strong advertising performance.


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<title>African state remembers first genocide of 20th century</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/africa/618301-namibia-remembers-german-colonial-era-genocide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/africa/618301-namibia-remembers-german-colonial-era-genocide/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683822e2203027529865e48e.jpg" /> Namibia’s president has vowed to keep pushing for justice amid “complex” reparation negotiations with Berlin <a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/618301-namibia-remembers-german-colonial-era-genocide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Colonial Germany murdered an estimated 100,000 men, women and children between 1904 and 1908
Namibia will never forget the brutal massacre of thousands of its people by German soldiers during colonial rule, the Southern African country’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has declared.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks in an emotional <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GqZxuVP7B/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">speech</a> on Wednesday, the country’s first Genocide Remembrance Day.
German colonial forces massacred an estimated 100,000 OvaHerero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 in what was then known as German South West Africa. Launched in response to a series of uprisings against German rule, the killings are recognized by the UN as the first genocide of the 20th century. 
“Many people from the two communities were forced into concentration camps where they were starved to death and their skulls were taken to Germany for so-called scientific research,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the commemoration event held at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek, the capital.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/africa/590628-namibia-germany-israel-genocide/">
READ MORE: Namibia condemns former colonial master for defending Israel
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She said while Namibia is now free and focused on building the nation, it “shall never forget the emotional, psychological, economic, and cultural scars” left by the colonial-era atrocities.
In 2021, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier apologized for the colonial-era crime and pledged €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in development aid to Namibia. This offer, however, fell short of the reparations demanded by leaders of the affected communities.
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© Facebook / Namibian Presidency 
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President Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that while Berlin’s response may not fully satisfy the demands for justice, its formal admission of having perpetrated the genocide is a meaningful and necessary step forward. 
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/682f11f885f54050d11e4b36.jpg" alt="The Chagos Islands" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/africa/617999-uk-not-return-chagos-archipelago-mauritius/">Military base in paradise: Why decolonization by the UK turns out to be fake again</a></figcaption>
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“We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German Government since 2013. We must remain committed that as a nation, we shall soldier until the ultimate conclusion is reached,” she said.
In a <a href="https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/gedenken-herero-und-nama-2350348" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement</a> released ahead of the Windhoek event, Berlin described the “crimes of German colonial rule” as the “darkest chapter” in German–Namibian relations. 
“The German government acknowledges Germany’s moral and political responsibility and emphasizes the importance of reconciliation,” it stated on Wednesday.]]>
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<title>Major Russian сity to ban migrants from driving cabs</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618296-major-russian-city-to-ban-migrants-in-taxi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618296-major-russian-city-to-ban-migrants-in-taxi/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838084a85f54044e47450a6.jpg" /> St Petersburg to ban migrants with work permits from taxi and courier jobs <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618296-major-russian-city-to-ban-migrants-in-taxi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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St Petersburg is set to bar many foreign nationals from courier and taxi work until 2026
St Petersburg plans to ban foreign workers from driving taxis as well as from courier jobs through the end of 2025, according to a proposal that was published on the city administration’s website on Wednesday.
The measure would specifically target foreign nationals working under ‘labor patents’, a type of work authorization required for citizens of countries outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), such as Uzbekistan or Tajikistan. Citizens of EAEU members Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan would be exempt.
The proposed ban would apply to taxi and rental car drivers, as well as couriers and food deliverers. The decree is slated to take effect in July, and businesses will have three months to comply.
The move follows several measures taken by the Russian Interior Ministry in April, including raids in which 2,400 electric bicycles were seized and over 1,200 foreign citizens were detained for working illegally.
The city’s Labor and Employment Committee is also expected to recommend extending the restrictions into 2026.
If adopted, the new rules would require delivery firms to keep a register of deliveries and equip all couriers with geolocation devices. Those using vehicles would be limited to a maximum speed of 15 km/h, and ‘movement zones’ would be established. The deliverers and their equipment would be required to carry a single identification number, with appearance standards set by the city’s transport committee.
In February, State Duma Deputy Mikhail Romanov raised concerns about couriers, citing repeated traffic violations on narrow sidewalks. However, the policy’s rollout came as a surprise to many among the city’s lawmakers and industry.
According to Legislative Assembly deputy Alexey Tsivilev, quoted by Fontanka, a working group of lawmakers and delivery firms had been meeting regularly to draft rules on training, uniforms and traffic conduct, but the proposed ban had not been discussed.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/617752-migrants-us-reality-show/">US considering migrant reality TV show</a></figcaption>
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Tsivilev estimates that about 25,000 people are employed in the city’s taxi sector, and that up to 70% are foreign-born. He believes as many as 15,000 people work as couriers, around half of whom are migrants.
Other Russian regions have introduced similar restrictions. In the Nizhny Novgorod region, migrants with labor patents are barred from working in courier and food service roles as well as in medicine. The Yamal region prohibits migrant labor in the transport sector. From September 1, the Krasnoyarsk region will expand the ban to include timber processing, catering, education, and jobs in hairdressing and beauty salons.
St Petersburg Vice Governor Igor Potapenko said in March that the number of registered migrants in the city had dropped by 60% in 2024 to about 210,000 people. He attributed the decline to increased oversight by law enforcement.]]>
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<title>Russian official killed in suspected Ukrainian assassination (VIDEO)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618300-stavropol-blast-suspected-assassination/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618300-stavropol-blast-suspected-assassination/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6838058785f5404a476f8c9c.jpg" /> The governor of Stavropol Region has called the incident a possible targeted assassination <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618300-stavropol-blast-suspected-assassination/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The governor of Russia’s Stavropol Region has said Kiev’s operatives were potentially behind the blast on Wednesday
A Russian government official who previously fought in the Ukraine conflict has been killed in a suspected assassination by Ukrainian operatives in the southern city of Stavropol, local authorities have said.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud blast on Wednesday evening before discovering the bodies of two men in a residential neighborhood of the Russian city. On Thursday morning, Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov identified one of the deceased as Zaur Gurtsiev, a regional government employee. He said investigators were considering all possible scenarios, “including a terrorist attack organized by Nazis from Ukraine.”
Gurtsiev had entered public service through a special program aimed at training and employing veterans who served in Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine and had demonstrated leadership qualities. According to his government profile, he had served as deputy head of Stavropol, overseeing security and counterterrorism.
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Investigators have told RT that the second victim was identified as a 29-year-old acquaintance of Gurtsiev and that an improvised explosive device most likely caused the deadly blast.
Earlier media reports based on purported CCTV footage showing the incident had claimed that the second victim may have been a suicide bomber.
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Kiev maintains a state-run program for targeted assassinations, reportedly operated by CIA-trained special services. Originally directed at people in Donbass suspected of treason, the program was evidently expanded in 2022 as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalated.
Apparent victims of Ukrainian agents have included civilians, such as journalist Darya Dugina, who was killed by a car bomb in August 2022, and former Ukrainian lawmaker Ilya Kiva, who was fatally shot in December 2023.]]>
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<title>Lavrov briefs Rubio on Ukraine negotiations</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618293-lavrov-rubio-phone-call/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618293-lavrov-rubio-phone-call/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837de682030274c5172b0c4.jpg" /> Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has discussed Ukraine with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618293-lavrov-rubio-phone-call/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The Russian foreign minister and the US secretary of state spoke by phone on Wednesday
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed Ukraine peace negotiations in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov briefed Rubio on “concrete proposals for the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.”
“Both sides affirmed their intent to maintain constructive and respectful dialogue,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that Rubio “welcomed Russia and Ukraine’s exchange of ‘1,000-for-1,000’ prisoners over the weekend.”
“The secretary reiterated President Trump’s calls for constructive, good-faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only path to ending this war,” Bruce added.
The conversation took place as US President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric toward Russia, accusing his counterpart Vladimir Putin of “playing with fire.”
He stopped short, however, of imposing new sanctions – something he suggested could still happen if peace talks stall. “We’re going to find out whether or not [Putin is] tapping us along, and if he is, we’ll respond a little differently,” Trump said on Wednesday.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68375a7320302719e86facae.jpg" alt="State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during a briefing at the State Department, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618285-us-russia-maximum-pressure/">US ready to apply ‘maximum pressure’ on Russia – State Dept</a></figcaption>
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Russia and Ukraine held their first direct negotiations in three years on May 16 in Istanbul, agreeing to carry out a major prisoner swap and to each draft a memorandum outlining their terms for a potential ceasefire. The exchange was conducted in several phases and concluded last week.
While Kiev has said it shared its memorandum with both Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin stated on Wednesday that it is “finalizing” its version of the document.
Lavrov proposed holding the next round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has rejected Ukraine’s claims that Moscow is stalling the process.
Kiev has backed Trump’s proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. However, Russia has stated that for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from Russian territory.
Moscow also insists that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia. The Kremlin has described NATO’s expansion as one of the “root causes” of the conflict – an issue it says must be addressed in the ongoing talks.]]>
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<title>Musk stepping down as special government employee</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618291-musk-leavinmg-trump-admin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618291-musk-leavinmg-trump-admin/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837bf9920302719eb237664.jpg" /> Elon Musk says he is formally leaving the Trump administration <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618291-musk-leavinmg-trump-admin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The tech mogul has led the cost-cutting DOGE task force
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has announced that he will no longer serve as a government employee. The statement comes amid reports of a growing rift between Musk and President Donald Trump.
Trump established DOGE to identify and eliminate wasteful spending as part of his effort to make the federal government more responsive to everyday Americans. Musk’s organization, which is not a federal agency in the traditional sense, has overseen the elimination of grants and programs, as well as the termination of government jobs. Trump has also used DOGE to dismantle the Department of Education and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote on his X platform on Wednesday evening.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6836e1a62030275df40aa716.jpg" alt="Tesla and X owner Elon Musk at a symposium on antisemitism titled ‘Never Again: Lip Service or Deep Conversation’, Krakow, Poland, January 22, 2024." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618250-musk-tax-bill-criticism/">Musk ‘disappointed’ by Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’</a></figcaption>
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“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he added. According to the New York Times, special government employees are appointed to “perform important, but limited, services to the government, with or without compensation, for a period not to exceed 130 days.”
An unnamed White House official confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that Musk is leaving the administration and that his “off-boarding will begin tonight.”
Musk recently voiced disappointment over Trump’s tax and spending bill, which he said would increase the deficit and undermine DOGE’s mission. He also said last week that he would like to wind down his involvement in politics because he has “done enough.”
Trump defended the bill passed by the House last week, though he admitted on Wednesday that he was “not happy about certain aspects.”
According to DOGE’s website, the task force has helped save an estimated $175 billion in taxpayer funds. Democrats have criticized the initiative, and courts have blocked some of its actions.]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837bf9920302719eb237664.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 02:01:30 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>Ukrainian drone strikes apartment block in Moscow (VIDEOS)</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618290-ukrainian-drone-hits-moscow-apartment/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618290-ukrainian-drone-hits-moscow-apartment/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837ac922030271a3a6b2007.png" /> Ukraine has launched another drone attack on Moscow, striking an apartment building <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618290-ukrainian-drone-hits-moscow-apartment/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Kiev has stepped up attacks on the Russian capital in recent weeks
A Ukrainian drone struck an apartment block in southwestern Moscow early Thursday morning, as Kiev ramps up attacks on the Russian capital following the first direct talks between the two countries in three years.
The UAV hit the Mirax Park residential complex on Vernadsky Avenue, damaging the building’s facade and shattering windows. Many residents fled into the street after the blast.
Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that there were no casualties or “serious damage.” He added that three drones had been shot down over Moscow. Residents reported hearing loud explosions in several neighborhoods.
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Another kamikaze drone struck the roof of a residential complex in Odintsovo, a town just outside Moscow.
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On May 16, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul for the first time since 2022, agreeing to carry out a large prisoner exchange and for each to submit detailed ceasefire proposals.
Kiev has since intensified its drone strikes deep inside Russia. On Wednesday, at least 12 UAVs were intercepted over the city, according to Russian officials. The drones damaged three buildings and an industrial facility.]]>
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<title>Ukraine has sent ceasefire terms to Russia – talks envoy</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618289-ukraine-relays-memorandum-talks-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618289-ukraine-relays-memorandum-talks-russia/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837d96285f5404cac0ada11.jpg" /> Ukraine has submitted a ceasefire roadmap to Russia, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirms <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618289-ukraine-relays-memorandum-talks-russia/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Rustem Umerov says Kiev expects a response from Moscow
Ukraine has formally submitted its ceasefire terms to Russia, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has announced.
Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in three years in Istanbul on May 16, agreeing that each side would draft a document outlining its vision for a ceasefire.
“I handed over our document to the head of the Russian delegation, which reflects the Ukrainian position. They received this document,” Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, wrote on X on Wednesday.
“We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their ‘memorandum,’ so that the next meeting won’t be empty and can truly move us closer to ending the war,” the minister added.
Umerov reiterated that Kiev is ready for an unconditional ceasefire. He added that Ukraine has not yet received Russia’s memorandum and accused Moscow of trying to delay the negotiations.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68375a7320302719e86facae.jpg" alt="State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during a briefing at the State Department, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618285-us-russia-maximum-pressure/">US ready to apply ‘maximum pressure’ on Russia – State Dept</a></figcaption>
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Russia’s top negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has denied that Moscow is stalling the peace process. Writing on Telegram, he said he had called Umerov on Wednesday and proposed “a date and location for the exchange of memorandums.”
“We are ready to begin substantive discussions on a framework agreement for a potential ceasefire,” he stated.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has proposed holding the next round of talks on June 2 in Istanbul. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Wednesday that Russia is “finalizing” its version of the memorandum but will not discuss its contents publicly. “It would be highly inappropriate to discuss this matter through the media,” Peskov said.
President Vladimir Putin has stated that for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt its mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from Russian territory. He also insists that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia.]]>
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<enclosure url="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837d96285f5404cac0ada11.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="123"/> <pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 23:06:05 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>What the Russian generals are reading: Inside Moscow’s closed-door military thinking</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618284-what-russian-generals-are-reading/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618284-what-russian-generals-are-reading/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68373d8885f5404ca03ccc03.jpg" /> What the Russian Military Yearbook 2025 reveals about Moscow’s war plans, defense priorities, and global outlook <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618284-what-russian-generals-are-reading/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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What the Russian Military Yearbook 2025 reveals about Moscow’s war plans, defense priorities, and global outlook
Each year, deep inside Russia’s opaque defense establishment, a select group of generals, security officials, and defense industry executives receive a publication not meant for prying eyes. The 'Russian Military Yearbook 2025' is not a glossy annual or a public defense white paper – it is a strategic internal digest intended for those who shape and execute Russia’s war plans. Circulated among senior commanders, security agencies, and defense-industrial directors, it provides rare insight into the mindset and priorities of a country at war.
RT offers an in-depth review of the Yearbook’s latest edition – a document meant to inform Russian decision-makers, now brought into analytical focus for an international audience. Whether you’re a defense analyst, a policy strategist, or a close observer of Russia’s evolving military doctrine, this review offers a rare opportunity: a look behind the curtain of the Russian state’s warfighting logic.
<h2 data-start="156" data-end="231">New minister’s vision for a modernized military</h2>
The 'Russian Military Yearbook 2025' opens with highlights from Defense Minister Andrey Belousov’s keynote address at the expanded meeting of the Ministry of Defense Collegium, delivered on December 14, 2024. At that point, Belousov had been in office for six months, following his unexpected appointment in May 2024, when longtime defense chief Sergey Shoigu stepped down after a 12-year tenure.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/russia/597586-new-russian-defense-minister/">
READ MORE: ‘Making mistakes is acceptable; lying is not’ – new Russian defense minister in quotes
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A civilian with a background in economic planning and government advisory roles, he brought with him no military credentials – but a clear mandate to modernize. In his address, Belousov framed his early tenure as a response to mounting wartime challenges, outlining a managerial approach focused on efficiency, innovation, and human capital reform.
As some analysts had forecast, Belousov emerged as a technocratic reformer – one focused on importing modern management systems and private-sector technologies into the armed forces. Central to his message was the urgent need to streamline existing military processes and foster a culture of innovation, especially in cooperation with the civilian scientific community.
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“In this context, the Russian Armed Forces must become more agile and open to innovation, including innovations from the civilian sector.” — Andrey Belousov, Minister of Defense of Russia
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But Belousov’s ambitions go beyond technology and workflow. He also seeks to overhaul how the military attracts, develops, and retains talent. His agenda includes new educational initiatives designed to incorporate battlefield lessons from Ukraine, as well as efforts to enhance the social prestige of military service – with improved benefits and professional development opportunities for servicemen and women.
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<h2 data-start="229" data-end="312">How the US strategizes against Russia</h2>
The second major contribution in the Yearbook comes from Dr. Alexei Podberezkin, a historian and the director of the Center for Military-Political Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). His article examines longstanding US strategic approaches to Russia, arguing that Washington has consistently favored internal destabilization over direct military confrontation.
Podberezkin contends that this tactic – first honed during the Cold War – has been embraced by successive generations of American policymakers. From their perspective, undermining Russia from within has proven more reliable, less risky, and far more cost-effective than attempting to challenge it head-on in a conventional military conflict.
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“The current international environment is marked by a sharp escalation of tensions between nearly all its actors. Almost every nation has taken sides in the conflict between the ‘collective West’ and the emerging centers of power.” — Alexei Podberezkin, MGIMO
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He traces this strategic preference back to the final decades of the Soviet Union, when information warfare, economic pressure, and financial instruments were increasingly deployed as tools of confrontation. In Podberezkin’s view, these methods not only accelerated the USSR’s internal collapse but also triggered a broader erosion of global institutions. What the West once presented as neutral frameworks for cooperation, he argues, gradually morphed into mechanisms for promoting US dominance – while norms and structures that limited American power were systematically dismantled.
Looking ahead, Podberezkin sees a growing ideological divide within the United States itself – between advocates of globalization and champions of national sovereignty. He identifies President Donald Trump as a central figure in the latter camp. Yet even a more inward-looking, interest-driven US foreign policy, he argues, would likely pursue the same overarching goal: weakening rival powers like Russia and China by amplifying their internal divisions.
<h2 data-start="278" data-end="359">The CSTO’s expanding security toolkit</h2>
Imangali Tasmagambetov, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), uses his contribution to review the alliance’s efforts in 2024 in an increasingly volatile Eurasian security environment. He emphasizes the need for institutional adaptability and closer coordination with regional partners, especially the CIS and SCO – a priority reflected in the 2024 International Conference on Eurasian Security held in Minsk.
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“The organization continues to enhance its effective response tools and successfully addresses the challenges and threats to collective security.” — Imangali Tasmagambetov, CSTO
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The CSTO carried out seven joint military exercises in 2024, including operations with troops from the Central African Republic, while also accelerating the modernization of its Collective Rapid Reaction Forces.
Beyond military preparedness, the CSTO has expanded its role in countering transnational threats. Member states finalized agreements to coordinate actions against terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and cybercrime. Key initiatives include:
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Operation Mercenary, targeting terrorist networks’ resource bases (six operations conducted so far);
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Operation Channel, a UN-recognized effort against drug trafficking, with expanded interagency and international cooperation;
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Operation Illegal, addressing illegal immigration;
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Operation PROXY, focused on cybercrime.
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These operations highlight the CSTO’s shift toward a broader security mandate that spans both hard power and internal threat management.
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Special task force members march during a closing ceremony of the CSTO military exercises Cobalt-2024 led by the Russia's National Guard Troops at the Gorny firing range in Novosibirsk region, Russia.

© Sputnik / Sputnik 
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<h2 data-start="226" data-end="309">From neutrality to nuclear host: Belarus recalibrates its security doctrine</h2>
In his article, Alexander Shpakovsky – a member of the Belarusian House of Representatives – outlines a dramatic transformation in Belarus’s defense and security posture. At the core of this shift is the government’s response to a Western-backed attempt to topple President Alexander Lukashenko during the mass protests of 2020.
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“The systematic advance of NATO’s offensive infrastructure eastward, the dismantling of post-Soviet unity through color revolutions, the embedding of anti-Russia narratives into public consciousness, and the unleashing of armed conflicts – this is the reality we have faced over the past 32 years.” — Alexander Shpakovsky, National Assembly of Belarus
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Shpakovsky highlights Poland as a primary source of concern. He notes that Warsaw has emerged as NATO’s top military spender, rapidly expanding its armed forces and acquiring advanced weapons systems from the US and South Korea. Since 2015, Poland’s defense budget has reportedly quadrupled, with plans to grow its army to 300,000 – not counting the 10,000 US troops already stationed on its soil.
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“Speculations about any threats to Poland from the side of Belarus are absurd. It is Warsaw that has shamelessly intervened in Belarusian politics over the past decades, not the other way around.” — Alexander Shpakovsky
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From Minsk’s perspective, this buildup signals a growing risk of military intervention – prompting a reassessment of national defense priorities. Belarus has begun modernizing its armed forces with lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine. But given the asymmetry in capabilities between Belarus and NATO, Shpakovsky frames the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory as a form of preventive deterrence.
He argues that the combined pressure of Western sanctions and NATO’s expanding military presence has triggered a “forced transition” in Belarus’s self-conception: from a nominally neutral actor to a frontline state embedded in Moscow’s strategic architecture. While Belarus still officially pursues a peaceful foreign policy, it now positions itself as ready to confront the threats it sees emerging along its borders.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618225-natos-wild-card-poland/">This nation is looking to become NATO’s war machine. What will Russia do?</a></figcaption>
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<h2 data-start="187" data-end="274">NATO after Ukraine: Expansion, hybridization, and a return to Cold War postures</h2>
In his analysis of NATO’s strategic direction, Anatoly Letiago, a professor and member of Russia’s Academy of Military Sciences, explores how the alliance may evolve in the context of potential peace talks over Ukraine. Rather than anticipating demilitarization, Letiago sees NATO entering a new phase of assertiveness, defined by expansion, restructuring, and intensified military-technological development.
According to Letiago, NATO’s priorities over the coming years will likely include not only formal enlargement, but also what he describes as hybridization – the strengthening of informal ties with countries in Southeast Asia. This approach, he argues, dovetails with the strategic orientation of the current US administration, which seeks to extend NATO’s functional reach into the Indo-Pacific.
A critical driver of NATO’s internal evolution is the integration of lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. These experiences are accelerating the shift toward multi-domain operations – synchronizing capabilities across land, sea, air, and cyberspace. Letiago notes particular emphasis on establishing a so-called “military Schengen zone,” designed to allow for rapid cross-border troop deployments across Europe, especially toward NATO’s eastern flank. Enhancing joint air and missile defense is also cited as a key initiative.
The article further suggests that NATO’s future growth may not always follow formal accession protocols. Instead, the alliance could pursue tailored security agreements with non-member states – in the mold of its recent partnerships with Australia, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, and Switzerland – effectively broadening its strategic network without official enlargement.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/616668-from-mongols-to-nato/">From the Mongols to NATO: Here’s the real Russian doctrine</a></figcaption>
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Letiago underscores that NATO’s shift is not merely rhetorical. The 'Steadfast Defender 2024' exercises – involving 90,000 troops from 31 countries – marked NATO's largest military maneuvers since the Cold War. For the authors, such displays of force leave little doubt: NATO is preparing for a high-intensity confrontation with Russia and has decisively returned to a Cold War footing.
<h2 data-start="185" data-end="256">The Arctic front: Rising tensions in a strategic frozen theater</h2>
The first chapter of the 'Russian Military Yearbook 2025', which surveys the global military-political landscape, concludes with an article by Dr. Alexei Fenenko, a professor of world politics at Moscow State University. His focus is the Arctic – a region he describes as a growing flashpoint in US-Russia strategic competition.
Fenenko traces the roots of Washington’s interest in the Arctic back to the late 19th century, when President William McKinley’s administration laid out a Grand Arctic Strategy. Since then, he argues, the US has consistently viewed the region as a critical military theater for potential operations against Russia.
The article details ongoing points of friction, including the US refusal to recognize Russia’s claims to exclusive control over the Northern Sea Route, and unresolved territorial issues near the Bering Strait. Fenenko warns that these disputes could escalate, with the US potentially backing provocations to challenge Russian sovereignty along key Arctic maritime corridors.
<blockquote data-start="1290" data-end="1598">
“Washington has never lost sight of the possibility of redrawing borders in this area. It’s crucial to remain vigilant about any unfavorable actions taken by the United States against Russia and to be prepared to respond firmly and appropriately if necessary.” — Alexei Fenenko, Moscow State University
</blockquote>
Fenenko concludes that the Arctic, once seen as a remote frontier, is now firmly embedded in great-power rivalry. For Moscow, the region is not only a matter of natural resources and transit routes but also a line of defense – and any shift in its status quo could carry strategic consequences.
<h2 data-start="276" data-end="348">The Russian defense industry: Scaling, adapting, and integrating</h2>
The Yearbook’s chapter on the Russian defense industry opens with an analysis by Nikita Kirillov, an expert at the Center for the Analysis of World Arms Trade. Kirillov assesses the sector’s rapid transformation under the twin pressures of the war in Ukraine and sustained Western sanctions. Despite these constraints, he argues, the defense industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability.
Production volumes have surged across key categories: tank output has increased 5.6-fold, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) by 3.6 times, artillery shells by 17.5 times, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by an extraordinary 16.8 times.
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Kirillov notes that such growth would have been unthinkable for the Russian military-industrial complex at any point in the last three and a half decades.
More than just scale, the industry has shown an ability to rapidly modernize. New weapons systems are reportedly being greenlit for mass production within four to seven months – a timeline driven by direct feedback from the battlefield. Alongside upgrades to legacy platforms such as tanks, APCs, and artillery, new systems like UAVs and naval drones are entering service.
Importantly, defense manufacturers are also pivoting toward civilian production. Factories are increasingly producing dual-use technologies, including machinery for industrial use and 3D printers, in a move designed to embed the defense sector more deeply into Russia’s broader economic ecosystem.
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“It’s not Western sanctions but rather domestic government decisions that determine the production dynamics of Russia’s defense industry. Today, it not only bears the increased burden with confidence but also supports other economic sectors. And in the future, it will fulfill the tasks set by the country.” — Nikita Kirillov, Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade
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In a follow-up piece, Kirillov turns to the Russian shipbuilding industry – another pillar of defense sector modernization. The Russian navy, he notes, added 100 new vessels in the past year alone, including specialized platforms such as the 'Ivan Papanin' patrol icebreaker. Civil shipbuilding is expanding as well, with a focus on passenger vessels, icebreakers, LNG storage ships, and support craft for Arctic operations.
One of the central challenges remains import substitution, especially replacing components previously sourced from Ukrainian factories dating back to the Soviet era. Substantial state subsidies have been directed toward upgrading shipyards, and some results are already visible. In the case of the new Project 21900M2 icebreaker, Kirillov notes, import substitution has reached 100%.
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<h2>Belousov’s Mission: Turning defense into a driver of national growth</h2>
Andrey Karavaev, an expert at the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies, outlines the challenges facing new Defense Minister Andrey Belousov – with a focus on integrating military innovation into Russia’s broader economic strategy.
Karavaev emphasizes that Russia’s defense sector is becoming a core engine of industrial development, employing nearly 500,000 engineers and skilled professionals. Despite Western sanctions, it continues to meet domestic defense needs and sustain arms exports.
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“The defense sector is becoming the vanguard of the Russian industrial economy” — Andrey Karavaev, Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies
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Belousov’s prior experience managing innovation in the civilian economy positions him well for establishing a technological command center within the Ministry of Defense, aimed at accelerating next-gen weapons development and integrating lessons from the battlefield.
Defense spending currently reaches 6.7% of Russia’s GDP, and military orders span the entire economy – from state corporations to small businesses. Karavaev believes this stimulus could help Russia climb to fourth place globally in GDP (PPP) by 2030, driven by improved productivity and innovation exchange between military and civilian sectors.
A further objective is to expand cooperation with allies by establishing overseas production hubs – starting with civilian goods and later expanding into dual-use technologies – as part of Russia’s broader push for “alternative globalization.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/original/68377c0e85f5404b8d7611a4.jpg" />
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Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attends a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Defence Ministers Council in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

© Sputnik / Sputnik 
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<h2>Technological sovereignty through military innovation</h2>
Reports from the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade spotlight the growing role of Russia’s defense sector in securing the country’s technological sovereignty. By preserving and modernizing key Soviet-era technologies – and reinvesting arms export revenues into R&D – the defense industry has become a primary engine of innovation.
Currently, Russia is implementing 10 major industrial projects focused on import substitution and tech self-reliance, with over 100 billion rubles in investment. These efforts span both defense and civilian sectors, aiming to restore disrupted supply chains and boost non-resource exports by up to 1.5 times in the long term.
<blockquote>
“Today, defense enterprises not only ensure the country’s sovereignty in arms production but also actively develop critical and cross-cutting technologies.” — Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade
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Having been the first targets of Western sanctions, defense factories led early localization efforts. Their success has since informed civilian industries – including mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, and especially aviation. Russia has localized production of helicopters and is rapidly doing the same for civilian aircraft. By 2030, domestic models are projected to account for 50% of all Russian planes and 90% of helicopters, complete with locally produced engines and avionics.
<h2>Strengthening defense capabilities and advancing technological potential</h2>
The third chapter offers a detailed look at several next-generation Russian weapons systems, with a particular focus on innovations in air defense – both land-based and naval – and comparative analysis of international platforms.
Naval Tor-M2: Extending SAM capabilities to the sea
The Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile system, originally designed for combined land and sea use, is now being fielded in a dedicated naval configuration. Development began in 2015 at Izhevsk-based facilities, with the goal of countering low-flying threats such as sea-skimming missiles and maritime drones. Deployed aboard Black Sea Fleet ships, the system represents a significant upgrade in close-range naval air defense.
Pantsir-ME: Closing the gap in shipborne air defense
Also featured is the Pantsir-ME system – a maritime adaptation of Russia’s most sophisticated short-range air defense platform. By integrating missiles and rapid-fire artillery into a single unit, Pantsir-ME addresses the “dead zone” limitations of missile-only systems. This hybrid capability has been tested in real combat scenarios aboard Russian vessels involved in current military operation.
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Pantsir ME missile system at the "Russian Army: Tomorrow" exhibition as part of the 4th international military technical forum Army 2018, Kubinka.

© Sputnik / Sputnik 
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The Viking vs. the West: Comparative Analysis of Medium-Range SAMs
The chapter concludes with a comparative study by the Analytical Center for Aerospace Defense, evaluating the Russian Buk-M3 system (export name: Viking) against several NATO platforms: Germany’s IRIS-T SLM, the NASAMS system jointly developed by Norway and the US, and France’s SAMP/T.
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A Buk-M3 missile system of Russian Air Defence troops of the Southern Military District is seen at a position in the course of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region territory, that has accessed Russia.

© Sputnik / Sputnik 
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The authors highlight a key methodological gap: Russian specifications are based on guaranteed operational performance, while Western figures often cite maximum test results – which may overstate real-world capabilities. Moreover, Western SAM systems are often built from heterogeneous, mix-and-match components. By contrast, the Viking is presented as an integrated and internally synchronized system, tailored for high-intensity, full-spectrum combat.
The report argues that Western systems are better suited for limited-scale operations, while the Viking is purpose-built for modern combined-arms warfare and decisive battlefield outcomes.
<h2>Military-technical cooperation: Export strategy and strategic partnerships</h2>
The final chapter of the 'Russian Military Yearbook 2025' opens with an analysis by Nikita Kirillov of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade, focusing on the role of Rosoboronexport – Russia’s state intermediary for the export of military, special-purpose, and dual-use products. According to Kirillov, the company not only supplies hardware, but also delivers integrated defense solutions that help foreign partners develop their national defense infrastructures.
Beyond arms sales, Rosoboronexport actively engages in technology transfers and joint production projects. India, for instance, holds a license to manufacture the Su-30MKI fighter jet domestically, and the two countries co-produce artillery shells and AK-203 rifles. These efforts, along with collaborative R&D initiatives, are portrayed as key tools in reinforcing Russia’s geopolitical influence across multiple regions.
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A visitor explores the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) stand during the 10th International Military-Technical Forum Army-2024 at Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre in Moscow region, Russia.

© Sputnik / Sputnik 
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Kirillov also reflects on the Army-2024 Forum, traditionally a showcase for Russia’s defense industry. The 10th anniversary event, held under the conditions of the ongoing Special Military Operation in Ukraine, was more restricted in scope – open only to professionals – yet it drew representatives from over 80 countries. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov held bilateral meetings with counterparts from eight nations, and countries including Belarus, China, India, and Iran mounted national displays.
More than 20,000 military and dual-use products were on display, with 250+ exhibits drawn from what Kirillov describes as Russia’s “people’s defense industry” — a term denoting grassroots military innovation sparked by the conflict in Ukraine. Some of these systems, including advanced drones, had already seen combat. Contracts signed at the forum totaled over 500 billion rubles ($5 billion).
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“The demonstrated effectiveness of weapons in combat is a far more compelling argument than their specifications or promotional videos shot on a test range.” – Nikita Kirillov, Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade
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The following two articles delve into Russia’s military-technical cooperation with India, highlighting flagship projects such as the Su-57E export fighter and the Tushil-class frigate.
The Su-57 is Russia’s fifth-generation multirole fighter. Its export variant (Su-57E) was unveiled at a defense exhibition in China in late 2024. The aircraft, tested in Ukrainian combat zones, is presented as the only fifth-gen platform with proven effectiveness against modern Western air defense systems. Kirillov emphasizes that unlike the United States, Russia is willing to transfer key technologies — aligning with India’s “Made in India” initiative and deepening strategic trust.
<blockquote>
“Given the new geopolitical realities and India’s desire to enhance its military-political status, it is now possible to revisit the project for an Indian fifth-generation fighter based on the Russian Su-57 model.” — Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade report
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The Tushil-class frigate, meanwhile, was built for the Indian Navy at Russia’s Yantar Baltic Shipyard – the seventh of its kind to be constructed in Russia for India. Designed in St. Petersburg, the ship has been hailed in Indian media as a “technological marvel” and has demonstrated high performance in combat conditions during the Ukraine conflict. Plans are underway to launch licensed production of these frigates in India, marking another step toward localized capability and joint force projection.
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“There’s no doubt that supplying the Indian Navy with the latest frigate will significantly bolster India’s maritime defense and further illustrate the privileged strategic partnership between Moscow and New Delhi.” — Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade report
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***
Despite its breadth – from weapons systems and battlefield technologies to strategic doctrine and foreign partnerships – the 'Russian Military Yearbook 2025' revolves around a unifying narrative: Russia believes it has a sharper focus about its role in the world.
Over the past three years, faced with war, sanctions, and escalating confrontation with the West, Moscow has recalibrated its understanding of global threats — and its place within a rapidly changing international order. The Yearbook reflects a state that no longer sees itself as adapting to someone else’s rules, but as asserting its own.
Where others may see instability, Russian strategists see opportunity. The tone of the document suggests not fear of global disruption, but confidence in navigating it — rooted in a belief that Russia has the strategic clarity, institutional tools, and industrial base to act decisively in a multipolar world.]]>
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<title>UK charges Tate brothers with human trafficking and rape</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837750520302719d0638b9b.jpg" /> The Crown Prosecution Service has reportedly authorized a total of 21 charges against influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618288-tate-brothers-rape-charges-uk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate have denied any wrongdoing
British prosecutors have approved multiple charges against social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, including rape and human trafficking. The brothers, who face similar charges in Romania, have denied any wrongdoing.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Wednesday that it had authorized 21 charges related to offences allegedly committed between 2012 and 2015, according to multiple media outlets. British authorities issued a warrant in 2024, but full details were released only on Wednesday.
Andrew Tate, 38, is accused of ten offences involving three alleged victims, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain. His brother Tristan, 36, faces 11 charges, including rape and human trafficking, related to one alleged victim. 
“It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings,” the CPS was quoted as saying.
The Tate brothers, dual US-UK citizens, were first arrested in Romania in 2022 on charges including human trafficking, sexual misconduct, and forming an organized crime group. They spent three months in custody and have since been under house arrest with restricted movement.
That case stalled in December 2024 when a Bucharest appeals court returned the indictment to prosecutors, citing procedural issues.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.02/thumbnail/67c031e62030270f17216bd3.jpg" alt="Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate at the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania, October 15, 2024." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/613381-andrew-tate-leaves-romania/">Andrew Tate and his brother leave Romania for US</a></figcaption>
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The brothers are also under investigation in the US, though the nature of that probe remains unclear. It was opened in March after the Tates briefly stayed in Florida following the lifting of their Romanian travel ban.
In February, the Financial Times reported that US President Donald Trump’s administration had helped the brothers – vocal supporters of the president – enter the country. Trump told reporters he knew “nothing about that.” The two men returned to Romania in March for a court proceeding. After the Romanian investigation concludes, they are set to be extradited to the UK.
The Tates are the sons of an American chess master and a British catering assistant. Andrew, a former professional kickboxer, has amassed over 10 million followers on X by promoting a lifestyle of luxury cars, watches, and private jets. He also runs an online academy offering courses to young men on wealth and relationships.]]>
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<title>UK eyeing permanent Arctic military presence – Telegraph</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618286-uk-permanent-military-presence-arctic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618286-uk-permanent-military-presence-arctic/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683758ce20302719d0638b83.jpg" /> London has teamed up with Nordic NATO member states in what Russia views as dangerous militarization of the region <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618286-uk-permanent-military-presence-arctic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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London has teamed up with Nordic NATO member states in what Russia views as a dangerous militarization of the region
The British government may be considering establishing a permanent military presence in the Arctic due to the perceived threat from Russia, The Telegraph has reported, citing “speculation” around the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review.
While NATO has been actively ramping up its military capabilities in the region, London has made a point of strengthening individual partnerships with Norway and Iceland.
Russia has repeatedly insisted that NATO’s continuing militarization of the Arctic is unwarranted, and that Moscow will have to mirror its moves to maintain the balance.
In an article on Wednesday, The Telegraph claimed that “there is speculation that Labour’s forthcoming Strategic Defence Review will result in British forces being permanently stationed in the Arctic.” The newspaper referred to a broad review that was commissioned by the Labour government last year.
On Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy began a visit to Norway and Iceland, where the further military buildup of the Arctic is topping his agenda.
In a post on X the following day, he wrote that the “Arctic is NATO’s northern flank.”
Speaking to The Telegraph, Lammy stated that the region is “fast becoming an area of intense focus for geopolitical competition,” and further claimed that “Russia has been building up its military presence here for years.”
The British newspaper quoted Ed Arnold from the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, as saying that with the Russian military currently busy in Ukraine, NATO should seize the opportunity now to “ensure supremacy in the Arctic.”
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/615149-no-one-has-comparable-fleet/">Breaking the ice: How Russia’s nuclear fleet outpaces rivals</a></figcaption>
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In April, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte revealed that member states were “working together” in the Arctic to “defend this part of NATO territory.”
The same month, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the French weekly Le Point that Russia was taking measures to address the buildup of NATO forces in Northern Europe.
Finland abandoned its longstanding policy of neutrality and became a NATO member in April 2023, citing security concerns over the Ukraine conflict. Sweden followed suit in 2024.
In late March, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Moscow is “concerned by the fact that NATO countries as a whole are more frequently designating the far north as a bridgehead for possible conflicts.”
“I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic,” the Russian president clarified. He stressed, however, that Moscow would “reliably protect” its interests in the region.]]>
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<title>Germany ‘sliding down to collapse’ – Lavrov</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618279-germany-collapse-ukraine-conflict-lavrov/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68375037203027270a39a44e.jpg" /> Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Berlin’s direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict would lead Germany to disaster <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618279-germany-collapse-ukraine-conflict-lavrov/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Berlin is becoming directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, the Russian foreign minister has said
Germany is repeating historic mistakes by becoming involved in the Ukraine conflict, a trajectory that could lead to its collapse, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned.
Lavrov made the remarks on Wednesday in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin, responding to recent comments by Berlin. Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons that Kiev could use to strike targets beyond the territory it claims.
Berlin’s “direct involvement in the war is now obvious,” Lavrov said. “Germany is sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – down toward its own collapse,” he added.
The Russian diplomat expressed hope that “responsible politicians” in Germany would “ultimately draw the right conclusions and put a stop to this madness.” 
Speaking alongside Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Berlin, Merz announced what he described as “a new form of military-industrial cooperation” with Kiev, saying the two sides “want to ensure joint production” of long-range weapons, though he declined to share details.
Earlier this week, Merz said there are “no longer any range restrictions” on weapons supplied to Ukraine by the UK, France, Germany, and the US, noting later that the limits were lifted “several months ago.” 
Moscow has repeatedly warned that supplying long-range arms would make Germany a direct party to the conflict.
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READ MORE: Germany to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons – Merz
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German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil claimed no new decisions had been made on the permissible range of Ukrainian strikes using German weapons beyond what was set by the previous government.
Ralf Stegner, a member of the the SPD, Merz’s coalition partner, called the comments “unhelpful” and called for a stronger focus on diplomacy.
Moscow has consistently condemned Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, arguing they fuel more bloodshed and obstruct peace efforts. The Kremlin warned that the latest “provocative actions” by EU states could further hinder diplomacy.]]>
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<title>US ready to apply ‘maximum pressure’ on Russia – State Dept</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618285-us-russia-maximum-pressure/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68375a7320302719e86facae.jpg" /> Trump has previously expressed frustration with the lack of progress on Ukraine peace talks and warned Putin against “playing with fire” <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618285-us-russia-maximum-pressure/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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President Donald Trump has already warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin against “playing with fire”
US President Donald Trump is prepared to apply “maximum pressure” on Russia if Ukraine peace talks fail to produce results, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has told Fox News.
The US president’s patience has “worn thin” and that he has expressed his frustration in his recent posts on Truth Social, Bruce told the network in a clip posted by Fox and Friends on Monday.
Earlier this week, Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had gone “crazy” following a series of retaliatory strikes carried out by Moscow in Ukraine, adding that the Russian president is “playing with fire.” Moscow, in turn, suggested that Trump might be not well-informed about mass Ukrainian attacks against Russian civilians.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618151-russian-strikes-ukraine-retaliatory/">Russian strikes on Ukraine are retaliatory – Kremlin</a></figcaption>
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Over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported intercepting more than 2,300 Ukrainian drones targeting Russian cities, including several hundred that were headed towards the Russian capital.
Bruce stated that Trump could resort to using all the tools at his disposal, including additional sanctions on Moscow. The restrictions are part of a draft bill being pushed by Republican Senator, and prominent Russia hawk, Lindsey Graham. It includes sanctions of up to 500% on all countries that continue to purchase Russian oil, gas and other goods.
”America is ready to do a maximum pressure framework on Russia,” Bruce said, warning that Moscow will “soon understand” Trump’s commitment to achieving a settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Following Trump’s outburst on social media, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that Western media outlets were pressuring the US president and were “effectively engaged in a campaign aimed at derailing the peace process and provoking the United States into imposing new sanctions.”
Peskov, however, applauded Trump for maintaining “a balanced approach” towards Ukraine peace negotiations, noting that the talks must address the root causes of the conflict and will likely “require some time” to resolve.
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READ MORE: Trump getting ‘filtered’ information on Ukraine conflict – Moscow
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Top Putin aide Yury Ushakov has suggested that Trump is “not sufficiently informed” about ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian cities. “Trump knows only about the retaliatory measures we are taking,” he said, adding that Russia strikes only target military infrastructure or defense industry facilities.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has similarly noted that Trump is only getting “filtered” information on the conflict which is “prepared by those who want to draw America into more aggressive action against Russia, in support of the Kiev regime.”]]>
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<title>Top Russian senator congratulates Iranian counterpart on re-election</title>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683757c020302719d0638b7e.jpg" /> Moscow is ready to deepen mutually beneficial bilateral ties with Tehran, Valentina Matvienko has said <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618287-top-russian-senator-speaker-iran/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Moscow is ready to deepen mutually beneficial bilateral ties with Tehran, Valentina Matvienko has said
Valentina Matvienko, chairwoman of Russia’s Federation Council, has congratulated Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on his re-election as speaker of the Iran’s parliament. In her message, she emphasized the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
Ghalibaf was re-elected on Tuesday, securing 219 out of 272 votes. He has held the position since 2020 and previously served as the mayor of Tehran and as a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In her congratulatory letter on Wednesday, Matvienko said that Russian officials “highly value” Ghalibaf’s warm attitude toward Russia “and are ready to promote the deepening of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of our countries, the development of constructive inter-parliamentary dialogue aimed at strengthening mutual respect, trust, and consideration of each other’s interests.”
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.04/thumbnail/680642dc20302705b948dc86.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, sign the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, January 2025." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/616059-russia-iran-treaty-nuclear/">Putin enacts key treaty with Iran</a></figcaption>
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“We look forward to continuing fruitful work both on the international stage in order to effectively seek solutions to key regional and global issues,” Matvienko added.
Russia and Iran have significantly strengthened their bilateral relations. In January, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in Moscow. The landmark deal formalizes a commitment to building stronger relations across multiple areas, from national security, to peaceful nuclear energy to joint resistance against unilateral sanctions.
In 2024, Iran officially became a member of BRICS. The group was initially founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates also became members last year. Current members account for about 46% of the world’s population and over 36% of global GDP, according to estimates by various international institutions. Over 30 more nations have applied to join the group.]]>
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<title>Bangladesh’s interim leader accuses Indian media of spreading ‘disinformation’</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/india/618277-yunus-accuse-india-misinformation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/india/618277-yunus-accuse-india-misinformation/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68373813203027681b1de13f.jpg" /> Mohammad Yunus has dismissed reports of a rift between his administration and the military over a delay in holding elections <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618277-yunus-accuse-india-misinformation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Mohammad Yunus has dismissed reports of a rift between his administration and the military over a delay in holding elections

The chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has accused Indian media of “spreading false and misleading propaganda” regarding an alleged rift between his administration and the military.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Yunus called the media reports “wholly inaccurate and irresponsible.”
“These articles are part of a coordinated disinformation campaign propagated by segments of the Indian right-wing media aiming to delegitimize Bangladesh’s transitional leadership,” he wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Recently, several Indian mainstream media outlets have been persistently spreading false and misleading propaganda involving the Bangladesh Army and the Chief Advisor of the interim government. This disinformation campaign has also proliferated widely on social media platforms,… <a href="https://t.co/IpTkVrQ2kW">pic.twitter.com/IpTkVrQ2kW</a>— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefAdviserGoB/status/1927297653538271410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The interim government headed by Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, came to power in August last year after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign following weeks of violent protests. Hasina has resided in India since then.
While Yunus accused Indian media of spreading “disinformation,” speculation about a growing rift between him and the military, as well as political parties in the country, was initially published by Bangladeshi media and international outlets. The reports suggest there is discontent over a delay in holding elections. Yunus has repeatedly said that elections will be held in 2026, as the country needs reforms first.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/india/618214-india-slam-western-narrative/">New Delhi slams Western narrative on India-Pakistan conflict</a></figcaption>
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Tensions between the interim administration reportedly intensified last week. According to a report by the Daily Star, General Waker told a high-level gathering at Dhaka Cantonment that “Bangladesh needs political stability. This is only possible through an elected government, not by unelected decision-makers.”
The military also reportedly opposes the interim government’s pursuit of a UN-backed initiative to facilitate a humanitarian corridor into Myanmar’s Rakhine State before holding elections. “There will be no corridor. The sovereignty of Bangladesh is not negotiable,” Waker was quoted by the newspaper as saying. “Only a political government elected by the people can make such decisions,” he said.
The project, according to Bangladeshi commentators, could undermine Bangladesh’s security and sovereignty, and has been questioned by residents of regions bordering Myanmar.
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<a target="_blank" href="https://www.rt.com/india/618228-india-fifth-generation-fighter-jet/">
READ MORE: India clears way for own fifth-generation fighter jet
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On April 27, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain announced that Bangladesh had agreed in principle to support the corridor, contingent on certain conditions being met. The project was reportedly discussed by Yunus and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March, when Guterres visited Dhaka.
This week, however, Yunus and the military leadership issued a series of statements refuting any “conflict” between them. “The government and the Bangladesh Army are working in close coordination and complementing each other. We follow the government’s directives. There is no reason to interpret it otherwise,” the director of the Military Operations Directorate, Brig. Gen. Md Nazim-ud-Daula said on Monday, according to the Daily Star.]]>
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<title>Merz vows to block Nord Stream 2</title>
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<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618268-merz-vow-block-nord-stream/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837182020302719eb237614.jpg" /> German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to prevent Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from operating <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618268-merz-vow-block-nord-stream/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The German chancellor has claimed that Moscow is obstructing the Ukraine peace process and vowed to “increase pressure”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to do “everything” to prevent the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from being launched. The gas inter-connector from Russia through the Baltic sea to Germany was destroyed by a series of underwater explosions in September 2022 in an act of sabotage that Russia believes was orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies.
Merz’s declaration comes as Moscow and Kiev draft respective proposals for bringing about a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, following their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul.
The talks marked a shift for Kiev, which abandoned diplomatic efforts in 2022 in favor of seeking a military victory on orders from the West. While Moscow has reported progress on its proposal, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and his EU backers have accused Russia of stalling.
During a joint press conference with Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday, Merz vowed to “further increase pressure on Russia” and “weaken Moscow’s war machine” through sanctions, including on Nord Stream 2.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6819afaf20302729f31026a8.jpg" alt="The release of gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/616829-trump-nord-stream-us/">‘A lot of people know’ who blew up Nord Stream – Trump</a></figcaption>
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“I say on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, we will do everything in this context to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation,” he stated. He claimed that the measures aim to “pave the way for negotiations,” despite Moscow’s repeated criticism of Western sanctions policy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month that Brussels had planned an 18th sanctions package to include measures aimed at Nord Stream 2 AG, the Swiss-based entity that owns the pipelines, and any other companies necessary for their restart and operation.
Media reports have claimed that Merz has <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618053-merz-backs-ban-nord-stream/">supported</a> the move and that he has opened talks in Berlin and Brussels to prevent any revival of energy trade with Russia.
A number of European officials have opposed targeting the pipelines. Florian Philippot, a prominent French Euroskeptic, has warned that such a move would amount to a “death sentence” for European industry. Michael Kretschmer, the prime minister of the German state of Saxony, has argued that “Nord Stream is a possible opening for a conversation with Russia,” adding that such talks would benefit Germany as its economy needs Russian gas supplies to function normally.
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Earlier reports have also claimed that Russia and the US were exploring ways to resume shipments through the still-intact line of Nord Stream 2.]]>
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<title>Russia proposes date for next talks with Ukraine</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618276-lavrov-russia-ukraine-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618276-lavrov-russia-ukraine-talks/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837393420302719d0638b6f.jpg" /> Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested that talks resume on June 2 in Istanbul, following the first meeting on May 16 <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618276-lavrov-russia-ukraine-talks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested that talks resume on June 2 in Istanbul, following the first meeting on May 16
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has proposed holding the next round of negotiations with Ukraine next Monday, June 2, in Istanbul. Kiev is reportedly discussing the offer.
Representatives of the two sides met in the same city on May 16, for the first time since 2022.
In a statement on Wednesday, Lavrov said that the Russian delegation has since prepared a memorandum outlining its terms for achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict.
“Our delegation headed by [Russia’s top negotiator Vladimir] Medinsky is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide necessary clarifications during a second round of resumed direct negotiations in Istanbul next Monday, June 2,” the minister detailed.
Lavrov expressed hope that “all those who are sincerely interested in the success of the peace process, and not merely paying lip service to it, will support the new round of Istanbul direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations.”
The foreign minister thanked Türkiye, the US and Saudi Arabia for facilitating the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev. He added that as a result of the talks earlier this month, the two sides conducted the largest prisoner swap to date, with Russia and Ukraine each releasing 1,000 individuals.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618264-russia-ukraine-peace-memorandum/">Work on Russian peace proposal to Ukraine ‘in final stage’ – Kremlin</a></figcaption>
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Earlier on Wednesday, Medinsky, who is also a Russian presidential aide, revealed that he had phoned the head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and offered a concrete date for the next meeting, where the two delegations are expected to exchange their respective memorandums.
“The Ukrainians adjourned to discuss [the offer],” the Russian official said, conjecturing that the “discussions are apparently still continuing.”
“We are waiting for their confirmation as soon as possible and are ready to meet them in person and start working on the date specified – in the coming days,” Medinsky added, as quoted by the Russian media.
Medinsky also refuted reports by multiple Western media outlets that it was Umerov who had called him regarding the memorandum. The publications in questions suggested that Moscow was dragging its feet and had not prepared the memorandum yet.
Russia has consistently made it clear that it views the ongoing negotiations as a way to achieve a lasting peace that would address the root causes of the conflict. On Monday, Lavrov stated that Moscow continues to insist on permanent neutrality for Ukraine and non-nuclear status, meaning that it will not be able to join NATO.
Initially, Kiev and its European supporters had demanded that any peace talks with Moscow be preceded by an unconditional 30-day cessation of hostilities. The Kremlin rejected such a scenario, arguing that it would be used by Ukraine to regroup its forces. Kiev revised its stance following pressure from the US and agreed to direct negotiations with Moscow.]]>
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<title>Trump getting ‘filtered’ information on Ukraine conflict – Moscow</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618275-trump-getting-filtered-information-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618275-trump-getting-filtered-information-ukraine/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683732f120302719eb237632.jpg" /> Key information is being “filtered” before reaching the US president, according to Russia’s top diplomat <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618275-trump-getting-filtered-information-ukraine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The US president is not being briefed properly about the ongoing situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said
US President Donald Trump is being misled about the Ukraine conflict by those pushing Washington toward supporting the Kiev regime and taking a more aggressive stance on Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Lavrov’s remark on Wednesday followed in response to Trump’s latest criticism of Moscow. The US president rebuked Russia twice this week over strikes on Ukraine, claiming that President Vladimir Putin had “gone absolutely crazy” and was launching “missiles and drones into cities in Ukraine for no reason whatsoever.” Trump later <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618230-trump-putin-playing-with-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned</a> that the Russian leader was “playing with fire.”
Responding to a question from journalist Pavel Zarubin, Lavrov said: “One thing is clear – Donald Trump and those who actually make decisions regarding the Ukraine conflict in particular, are not being told everything.” 
“The information he [Trump] is given is filtered through a sieve, which is prepared by those who want to draw America into more aggressive action against Russia, in support of the Kiev regime,” Lavrov added.
According to Russia's top diplomat, Moscow will try “to correct” the problem of information not reaching Trump.
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<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618239-moscow-targeted-by-major-ukrainian/">Moscow targeted by major Ukrainian drone assault (VIDEOS)</a></figcaption>
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Ukraine has drastically ramped up drone strikes deep into Russia in recent weeks in what Moscow says is an effort to derail the ongoing peace process. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, more than 2,300 Ukrainian drones have been intercepted over the past week, mostly away from the front line. On Wednesday, Ukraine also launched a drone raid on Moscow and its suburbs, with a total of 42 UAVs taken down. The assault resulted in damage to residential buildings but no casualties were reported.
In retaliation, Moscow carried out a series of high-precision strikes across Ukraine, targeting drone production sites, warehouses, airfields, radar stations and ammunition depots. Russian officials have consistently stated that such attacks never target civilians.
In recent days, Trump has increasingly criticized the Kremlin over what he perceives as a lack of progress in peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
Last week, Trump and Putin held a telephone conversation during which they discussed the prospects of a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Both leaders characterized the call as productive.]]>
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<title>Kremlin responds to Germany’s long-range missile pledge to Ukraine</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618265-russia-germany-ukraine-weaponry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618265-russia-germany-ukraine-weaponry/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/6837305020302719eb237627.jpg" /> The Kremlin has warned that Berlin’s new military commitments to Kiev are undermining peace efforts <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618265-russia-germany-ukraine-weaponry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Berlin’s provocative actions are obstructing the peace process, Moscow has said
The latest statements and “provocative actions” by some EU member states are obstructing the ongoing efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
His comments came in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remarks in recent days regarding Berlin’s potential shift on Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range weapons. Merz announced at a joint press conference with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday that Germany would help the country produce long-range missiles. 
“All these actions, of course, hinder peaceful efforts,” Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin, adding that “Germany is competing with France” for supremacy in further provoking the conflict.
The Kremlin spokesman expressed hope that despite “all the obstacles,” it would still be possible to continue the process toward a diplomatic settlement, including holding the second round of negotiations.
Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks since 2022. The sides agreed to present a memorandum with detailed proposals on how to end the conflict, carry out a record 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap, which was completed on Sunday, and continue negotiations.
Merz declined on Wednesday to discuss any further details while announcing the “new form of military-industrial cooperation,” but said, “We want to enable joint production.” He added that a “memorandum of understanding” on long-range missiles would be signed by the German and Ukrainian defense ministers later in the day.
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68372d5920302719e86fac99.jpg" alt="German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky" />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618274-merz-ukraine-long-range-weapons/">Germany to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons – Merz</a></figcaption>
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Merz said earlier this week that missiles from the US, UK, France, and Germany, could now be used without range limits against Russian military targets. His remarks sparked confusion over whether he was announcing a new policy and drew concern from within his own coalition. German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said no new decisions have been made on the range of Ukrainian strikes using German weapons, beyond those set by the previous government.
Ralf Stegner, a member of Merz’s coalition partner, the SPD, called the comments “unhelpful” and called for a stronger focus on diplomacy.
Merz later clarified that the decision to lift restrictions on Western arms used by Ukraine had been made months ago, further confusing the public and reigniting debate over the possible delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev. With a range of up to 500 kilometers, the missiles can be used to strike deep inside Russian territory, including the Russian capital.
Moscow has warned that supplying these weapons would make Germany a direct party to the conflict. Russia has consistently condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only serve to prolong the conflict and hinder efforts toward a peaceful resolution.







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<title>Germany to help Ukraine produce long-range weapons – Merz</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/russia/618274-merz-ukraine-long-range-weapons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/russia/618274-merz-ukraine-long-range-weapons/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/68372d5920302719e86fac99.jpg" /> Russia views the German chancellor’s claim that there are no longer range limits on Western arms sent to Kiev as a serious escalation <a href="https://www.rt.com/russia/618274-merz-ukraine-long-range-weapons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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Russia views the chancellor’s claim that there are no longer range limits on Western arms sent to Kiev as a serious escalation
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to help Ukraine produce its own long-range weapons that it can use to attack targets outside the territory it claims. Moscow has criticized the move, saying it further escalates the conflict and undermines peace efforts.
Earlier this week, Merz stated that there are “no longer any range restrictions” on weapons supplied to Ukraine by the UK, France, Germany, and the US, claiming that the limits were lifted “several months ago.”
On Wednesday, the chancellor said he also informed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky that Berlin would support Ukraine in developing its own missile capabilities. “Our defense ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,” Merz told reporters in Berlin.
“We also want to ensure joint production, but we will not disclose details publicly,” he said, adding that there will be no range restrictions on these weapons and that Kiev will be allowed to attack targets outside its own territory.
Merz dodged a question from reporters about whether Berlin would also provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, which are capable of reaching the Russian capital. 
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<img src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683717552030275d2d5562e2.jpg" alt="FILE PHOTO. An inert Taurus cruise missile of MBDA lies on display at the 2024 ILA Berlin Air Show on June 05, 2024 in Schoenefeld, Germany." />
<figcaption><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618269-germany-ukraine-taurus-missiles/">Germany to deny Ukraine’s request for Taurus missiles – Bild</a></figcaption>
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Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing sources, that Germany is unlikely to supply Taurus missiles, given that officials in Berlin view the issue as “taboo,” fearing it could lead to a major escalation.
Moscow has condemned Merz’s initiative, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that Germany is “competing with France for primacy in further provoking war.”
Following Merz’s earlier claim about the lifting of restrictions on the use of Western long-range weapons, Peskov warned that this could lead to a “serious escalation” of the Ukraine conflict. He added that it “severely undermines attempts for a peaceful settlement that have been made,” referring to the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years earlier this month.
Peskov also pointed out that Kiev lacks the necessary targeting systems to conduct long-range strikes independently and argued that enabling these attacks would make Western countries direct participants in the conflict.
“These statements are further proof that the European Union is not striving for peace and does not want to resolve the Ukraine conflict through diplomacy,” Peskov said, according to Russian media.]]>
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<title>Germany to deny Ukraine’s request for Taurus missiles – Bild</title>
<link><![CDATA[https://www.rt.com/news/618269-germany-ukraine-taurus-missiles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS]]></link>
<guid>https://www.rt.com/news/618269-germany-ukraine-taurus-missiles/</guid>
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<![CDATA[<img alt="Preview" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px;" src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2025.05/thumbnail/683717552030275d2d5562e2.jpg" /> The long-range missiles are a “taboo,” but Berlin would likely provide Kiev with other weapons, the report says <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/618269-germany-ukraine-taurus-missiles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS">Read Full Article at RT.com</a>]]>
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The long-range weapons are a “taboo,” but Berlin would likely provide Kiev with other arms, the report says
Germany will not supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range cruise missiles, Bild reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Officials in Berlin have for months been reluctant to greenlight the shipment over concerns that it could lead to a major escalation.
While Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is expected to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss continued Western military assistance, a “big breakthrough is unlikely to happen,” according to Bild.
Merz is not expected to approve the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 500km, the newspaper claimed, adding that officials in Berlin are still avoiding discussing the so-called “T-question” which is seen as “taboo.”
While Taurus deliveries reportedly remain off the table, the German government is expected to offer Kiev alternative systems. According to Bild, these could include more Mars-2 multiple rocket launchers, a system already supplied in 2022 and which have a maximum range of 85km.
The German newspaper noted, however, that M30 and M31 missile that accompany the system are GPS-guided munitions and hence have limited utility, given that Russian forces have been able to counteract such technology.
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Germany is also reportedly planning to support Ukraine’s domestic weapons production by allocating millions of euros to assist Kiev in developing and manufacturing its own long-range cruise missiles, some with ranges up to 2,500km.
Earlier this week, Merz said that Ukraine was no longer limited in range to use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia, claiming the decision had been made months ago. In contrast, Ukrainian leader Zelensky said he had not yet received formal approval from his European backers, although he suggested that the green light could come soon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday that the lifting of range restrictions for strikes inside Russia would mark a “serious escalation” and would “most severely undermine attempts for a peaceful settlement.”
The previous German government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz long resisted calls to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine, arguing that doing so would risk drawing Berlin into the conflict. In the spring of 2024, Scholz stressed that deliveries of German-made long-range weapons to Ukraine would “only be sensibly supplied if they would involve the deployment of German soldiers.”
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