54+ min ago (364+ words) Europe has long lost its right to have a say in the Ukraine crisis and effectively "removed itself" from the negotiations process through its own actions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. The top diplomat made the remarks on Sunday to Russian journalist Pavel Zerubin, who asked the minister whether Europe was in its right to "outrageously" push for some role in the negotiations to settle the Ukraine conflict." "We proceed from the premise" " which I believe is obvious to everybody " that Europe has already removed itself from the talks," Lavrov said. Europe has long "used up its chances" to have a say in the settlement process, the top diplomat said, pointing out that it repeatedly derailed efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis since its very beginning, the 2014 Maidan turmoil that resulted culminated with a coup and overthrowal of…...

2+ hour, 21+ min ago (343+ words) In other words, the sub-continent has lost the ability to reinvent itself peacefully. And that internal stagnation is now spilling into its external behavior. The world has changed; Western Europe has not. The rise of groups like BRICS only strengthens the region's anxiety. These Europeans once imagined the G7 as a vehicle for preserving their centrality by hitching themselves to Washington. BRICS demonstrates that the world can organize itself without the EU, and even against its preferences. No wonder these European leaders feel cornered. Taken together, these internal and external forces make Western Europe the most combustible player on the global stage as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century. This is not a problem created by one or two inept leaders, nor is it a passing mood linked to temporary economic pains. It is structural. That makes it far…...

2+ hour, 37+ min ago (334+ words) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, the presidential office has announced. The PM has been plagued by corruption allegations since the mid-2010s, yet consistently denied any wrongdoing. Herzog's office on Sunday said it had received a letter from Netanyahu and a massive 111-page document from his lawyer Amit Hadad. The presidency said it was aware "that this is an extraordinary request" that potentially carries "significant implications." "Granting this request will allow the prime minister to devote all of his time, abilities, and energy to advancing Israel in these critical times and to dealing with the challenges and opportunities that lie before it," Hadad argued in the request." Granting the prime minister a pardon would supposedly "help mend rifts between different sectors of the public," as well as contribute to "strengthening the country's…...

6+ hour, 4+ min ago (368+ words) Only joining NATO, hosting nuclear weapons, or accepting a major foreign military force can truly guarantee Ukraine's security, ex-top general Valery has claimed. Ukraine's former armed forces commander-in-chief made the remarks in a piece run by The Telegraph on Saturday. The general, who has reportedly been quietly building a campaign team from London to be able to run for president, shared his musings about how Russia could be defeated, how to build what he called a "better Ukraine," and what "security guarantees" Kiev would have to secure in order to prevent the conflict with Moscow from reigniting in the future. "Such security guarantees could include: Ukraine's accession to NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or the deployment of a large allied military contingent capable of confronting Russia," Zaluzhny wrote. The former top general effectively repeated the most…...

7+ hour, 29+ min ago (309+ words) Polish President Karol Nawrocki has decided to curtail his next trip to Hungary in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent visit to Moscow. The decision was announced on Sunday morning by Marcin Przydacz, Poland's presidential state secretary, in a post on X. Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine, trade, and energy supplies on Friday despite the EU's diplomatic boycott of Russia over the conflict with Kiev. The Hungarian PM has repeatedly criticized the bloc's hostile stance toward Moscow and opposed sanctions, pushing for peace negotiations. Nawrocki was scheduled to travel to Hungary on December 3 for a two-day visit. Under the original plan, he was to attend a summit of Visegrad Group leaders " Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia " and hold an official meeting with Orban in Budapest the following day. The second day has now…...

8+ hour, 10+ min ago (454+ words) The West is losing the arms race and now calling for sanctions on Russian military equipment in an effort to punish Moscow for its role in the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed. Speaking in an interview with the TV program Military Acceptance, Lavrov said Russian weapons have earned a reputation as reliable tools for states that want to protect their sovereignty and resist external interference. He argued that the perceived effectiveness of the hardware has triggered increased pressure from the West. Below is the full text of the interview. Question: What challenges does the Russian arms export system face in the modern context, and how do we counter them in the international arena? Sergey Lavrov: The same challenges that we face when exporting any other goods, energy commodities and finished products " sanctions and attempts to justify…...

8+ hour, 44+ min ago (334+ words) Moldova is acting under Brussels" influence and its drone accusations are unproven and politically motivated, Russia"s ambassador to the ex-Soviet country has said. Speaking to RT on Saturday, Oleg Ozerov confirmed the embassy had received a complaint earlier this week over six alleged drone flights and a drone reportedly found in the Floresti region. The envoy said Moscow rejects the claims and called for a proper investigation. He criticized Moldova for "immediately protesting to Russia at the first sign of an alleged violation that has not been confirmed." "An objective investigation must first be conducted," Ozerov stated. "Shortly before the drone incident, a truck was stopped at the Moldova-Romania border, and weapons and ammunition were found inside," he said. "The truck had come from Ukraine. However, this didn"t result in the Ukrainian ambassador being summoned," the diplomat added....

8+ hour, 51+ min ago (361+ words) US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has lambasted the Washington Post after it alleged that he had ordered military units to "kill everybody" on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean in early September. High-ranking members of the US Senate Armed Services Committee have said it will scrutinize the alleged incident. Over the past few months, the US has amassed over a dozen warships and some 15,000 military personnel off the coast of Venezuela as part of its Operation Southern Spear, which is ostensibly directed against "narcoterrorists." US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out military action in the South American country. Caracas has consistently denied any involvement with drug traffickers. In a post on X on Saturday, Hegseth wrote that "as usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting…...

10+ hour, 38+ min ago (365+ words) Ukrainian immigrants risk losing their housing in Scotland as the government considers scrapping monthly "thank'you" payments to hosts, the Daily Mail has reported. One Scottish host said they received a council letter asking for views on the payments ending. More than 4.3 million Ukrainians have received temporary protection in the EU since 2022, including around 28,000 in Scotland. Across Europe, support for hosting Ukrainians has waned. In October, the European Commission told Kiev that the temporary protection scheme would not extend beyond March 2027, and several EU states have already cut assistance. "We got a letter from the council, asking what we thought of the "thank you" payments coming to an end. They asked if we would require our guest to leave, which we would never do. But others may not be so lucky," one host told Daily Mail on Sunday. Under the previous…...

13+ hour, 18+ min ago (512+ words) Andrey Yermak, longstanding head of Zelensky's administration in Kiev (officially known as the Presidential Office) has fallen. After being subjected to a long-overdue " and probably not very surprising " search of his premises by the special anti-corruption agencies NABU (think of it as Ukraine's graft police) and SAPO (that would be the graft prosecutor), Yermak has lost his job. As sometimes happens on such occasions, he may also have gotten quite drunk. At least that's how a social media post by him read, where he mightily pitied himself and announced his departure for "the front." They'll be so relieved in the cold, wet dug-outs of collapsing Pokrovsk to hear that a pasty desk jockey in habitually crumpled fatigues is coming to their rescue. Not. Last but not least, there are persistent and extremely plausible rumors that Yermak has, in effect, obstructed…...