News From Sputnik, Page 1039

Stoltenberg: All NATO Members Agree Ukraine Can’t Join Alliance Until End of Hostilities

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Ukraine will be invited to NATO when all member states agree on it and if Kiev meets all the conditions, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

Ukraine Lost 26,000 Troops and 3,000 Arms Since Start of Counteroffensive – Shoigu

Trump Asks to Delay Classified Docs Trial Until After 2024 Election

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Former US President Donald Trump’s legal team asked the court to delay his trial over alleged mishandling of classified documents until after the 2024 presidential election.

‘Oh, West, Majority Rules in a Democracy!’: Moscow Slams Toxic Minority Bias in Olympics

Since the start of Russia’s special op in Ukraine, sports watchdogs across the West have been discriminating against Russian and Belarusian athletes, preventing them from performing under their national flags or even banning them outright. PACE is pushing to totally exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Russian Military to Receive Two New, Two Upgraded Tu-160s in 2023

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian armed forces will receive two new and two upgraded Tu-160 strategic missile carriers in 2023, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Canada: Cluster Bomb Deliveries to Ukraine Related to Lack of Industrial Defense Capacity

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions is related to NATO’s lack of industrial defense capacity and the alliance’s focus should be on expanding it, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly said on Tuesday.

China Warns Citizens of US Legal Entrapment After Drug Firms Charged in Fentanyl ‘Sting’

Beijing has played an active part in the international fight against drug trafficking, recalling its own history of Western colonisation via the opium trade. But now the US claims China is behind the flood of fentanyl from Mexico.

WATCH Russian Troops Discover Alleged Foreign Mercenaries’ Bodies

Many of the foreign mercenaries who flocked to fight for Kiev have met an inglorious end on the battlefields of the Ukrainian conflict.

NATO Summit Final Statement Draft Not Mentioning Steps for Ukraine’s Accession – Reports

BERLIN (Sputnik) – The draft of the NATO final statement that will be published following the summit in Vilnius contains requirements for Ukraine, but does not indicate the timeframe and specific details on the possible admission of Ukraine to NATO membership, German news outlet reported on Tuesday, citing the document.

Kiev Loses Up to 250 Military in Donetsk Direction in Past Day

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Ukraine has lost up to 250 military and 13 pieces of military equipment in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Germany to Provide Kiev With $770Mln Aid Package, Including Patriot Systems

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Germany will provide a 700 million euro ($770 million) military aid package to Ukraine, that will include providing two patriot systems to Kiev, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday.

NATO Perceives Russia as Enemy, Adversary, Moscow to Follow Vilnius Summit – Kremlin

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – NATO countries perceive Russia as an enemy and adversary, it is in this vein that discussions will be held at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, adding that Moscow will closely monitor events at the summit.

Annual Inflation in Germany in June Accelerates to 6.4% From 6.1% – Statistical Office

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Annual inflation in Germany accelerated from 6.1% in May to 6.4% in June, following a three-month slowdown, the German Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Tuesday.

‘Rocky Solid’: US-UK Relations Seem Uneasy Despite Biden Claiming Otherwise

Although US President Joe Biden hailed the relations between the United States and Britain as “rock solid” during his trip to the UK this week, recent developments suggest that the real state of affairs may not be as good as POTUS advertised.

Damage Wrought by Riots in France to Cost Insurers $715Mln

PARIS (Sputnik) – The immense damage wrought by the riots in France, sparked by the killing of a teenager by a police officer in late June, will cost insurance companies 650 million euros ($715 million), the French federation of insurance companies France Assureurs said on Tuesday.

Germany’s Rheinmetall Says Will Supply 3,058 Caracal Vehicles to Germany, Netherlands

BERLIN (Sputnik) – German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall said on Monday that it has agreed with Germany’s Bundeswehr and the Dutch armed forces on the supply of up to 3,058 Caracal air assault vehicles.

US Secret Service to Brief Congress About Cocaine Found at White House

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – US Secret Service will provide the Congress with information regarding cocaine found at the White House, the US news website reported on Tuesday, citing two Republican advisers in the know.

NATO to Establish Post of Special Coordinator to Fight Terrorism

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday following a meeting with the Turkish president and the Swedish prime minister that he would appoint a special representative to combat terrorism.

BAE Systems, UK Gov’t Sign $360Mln Agreement on Production of Ammunition

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – UK defense company BAE Systems has signed with the UK government an agreement worth 280 million pounds ($360 million) to increase the production of 155mm artillery shells in order to reduce the global shortage of ammunition and help Ukraine, the British newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Ukraine Joining NATO Increases Risks For Europe

The NATO summit is due to kick off July 11 in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a focus on Ukraine. Kiev is striving to join the bloc and receive a new portion of military aid from its Western patrons. How will NATO member states respond to Ukraine pleas?

North Korea Says Violation of Country’s Airspace Could Be ‘Critical Flight’ for US Planes

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kim Yo Jong, deputy department director of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of the country’s leader, said on Tuesday that another attempt by US aircraft to violate the country’s airspace could become a “critical flight” for them.

Vaudevillian Visitors in Vilnius: Preview of NATO Summit as Ukraine Tops Agenda

The crisis in Ukraine has consumed most of NATO’s attention (and well over $100 billion in taxpayer money) over the past 16 months. As members gather for the bloc’s 36th summit, the issue of Ukraine’s relationship vis-a-vis the alliance is at center stage. Sputnik outlines the issues on the table, and the decisions which may […]

Russia, NATO Confrontation Slipping Into Worst-Case Scenario – Ambassador

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – NATO leaders will gather in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023, to discuss a wide range of topics ranging from Sweden’s accession to the alliance to military assistance to Ukraine. It is expected that NATO leaders will also address Ukraine’s membership aspirations.

Zelensky Can Expect Military Aid Guarantees From NATO Summit at Best – Russian Diplomat

VIENNA, (Sputnik) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can expect from the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius on Ukraine’s admission to the alliance is guarantees of further military aid at best, Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian delegation at the military security and arms control talks in Vienna, said in an interview with Sputnik.

Astronomers Discover Shiniest Exoplanet With Reflective Metal Clouds

The newly found scorching world, which is situated 262 light-years from Earth, orbits its host star every 19 hours and possesses reflective metallic clouds composed of silicates and metals like titanium.