📰 Putin Delivers a Mach 10 Warning to Europe
The message arrived at 8,000 mph—Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile screamed through the skies into western Ukraine, just 40 miles from Poland’s NATO border. The strike left little more than a couple of craters in the frozen earth, but its real target was clear: Europe’s nerves.
“Not a Weapon of War Against Ukraine—But Against Europe”
Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin analyst, summed it up: “The Oreshnik is not a weapon of war against Ukraine; it is a weapon of war against Europe.” Moscow, he said, has plenty of other weapons for Ukraine. The Oreshnik is for intimidation, for the political shock value.
NATO’s “Peacekeeping” Plans Meet Russian Steel
Just days before, Britain, France, and Germany pledged to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a postwar security guarantee. Moscow responded with a missile that can reach almost all of Europe in minutes, carrying either nuclear or dummy warheads. The strike near Poland was a not-so-subtle reminder: any NATO boots on Ukrainian soil will be fair game.
Kinetic Mayhem, Minimal Damage
The warhead’s submunitions were “kinetic”—solid metal, no explosives. At Mach 10, even metal can smash through buildings and vehicles. But the real damage was psychological. As Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear expert, put it: “Each time they fire an Oreshnik, it loses a little bit of its shock value.” Still, the message is clear: Russia wants Europe to feel the weight of nuclear risk every time it considers helping Ukraine.
Europe’s Response: Outrage, But No Plan B
European leaders condemned the strike as “escalatory and unacceptable.” Yet, with missile defenses still unable to reliably intercept such hypersonic threats, the continent is left with a chilling reminder: the Kremlin’s next move is a game of milliseconds.
Twist: Is Putin’s Oreshnik a sign of strength—or a cry for attention from a leader who knows the West won’t blink? Either way, Europe’s security is now measured in milliseconds.
#war#nuclearcrisis#europe#putin#oreshnik
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@RusEmbMalta Press release:
⚡️ Statement by the President Vladimir Putin
💬 Vladimir Putin: I would like to inform the military personnel of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, citizens of our country, our friends across the globe, and those who persist in the illusion that a strategic defeat can be inflicted upon Russia, about the events taking place today in the zone of the special military operation, specifically following the attacks by Western long-range weapons against our territory.
The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, instigated by the West, continues with the United States and its NATO allies previously announcing that they authorise the use of their long-range high-precision weapons for strikes inside the Russian Federation. <...>
On November 19, six ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles produced by the United States, and on November 21, during a combined missile assault involving British Storm Shadow systems and HIMARS systems produced by the US, attacked military facilities inside the Russian Federation in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. From that point onward, as we have repeatedly emphasised in prior communications, the regional conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West has assumed elements of a global nature. <...>
I wish to underscore once again that the use by the enemy of such weapons cannot affect the course of combat operations in the special military operation zone. <...>
❗️ In response to the deployment of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a combined strike on a facility within Ukraine’s defence industrial complex. In field conditions, we also carried out tests of one of Russia’s latest medium-range missile systems – in this case, carrying a non-nuclear hypersonic ballistic missile that our engineers named #Oreshnik.
The tests were successful, achieving the intended objective of the launch.
In the city of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, one of the largest and most famous industrial complexes from the Soviet Union era, which continues to produce missiles and other armaments, was hit. <...>
As a reminder, Russia has voluntarily and unilaterally committed not to deploy intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles until US weapons of this kind appear in any region of the world.
⚠️ To reiterate, we are conducting combat tests of the Oreshnik missile system in response to NATO’s aggressive actions against Russia.
Our decision on further deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles will depend on the actions of the United States and its satellites.
We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities, and in case of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in mirror-like manner.
I recommend that the ruling elites of the countries that are hatching plans to use their military contingents against Russia seriously consider this.
It goes without saying that when choosing, if necessary and as a retaliatory measure, targets to be hit by systems such as Oreshnik on Ukrainian territory, we will in advance suggest that civilians and citizens of friendly countries residing in those areas leave danger zones.
We will do so for humanitarian reasons, openly and publicly, without fear of counter-moves coming from the enemy, who will also be receiving this information.
Air defence systems currently available in the world and missile defence systems being created by the Americans in Europe cannot intercept such missiles. It is impossible.
☝️ I would like to emphasise once again that it was not Russia, but the United States that destroyed the international security system and, by continuing to fight, cling to its hegemony, they are pushing the whole world into a global conflict.
We have always preferred and are ready now to resolve all disputes by peaceful means. But we are also ready for any turn of events.
If anyone still doubts this, make no mistake: there will always be a response.
Read in full here.
President Donald Trump has invited accused war criminal Vladimir Putin to join his “Board of Peace” initiative.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that Moscow is “studying all details” of Trump’s overture to the Russian leader, and “hopes for discussions with Washington to go over all the nuances.”
If accepted, the MAGA leader’s offer would see the Russian tyrant join a U.S-led group set up to ostensibly “promote stability” and restore “lawful governance” in areas of conflict, with a principal focus on the restoration and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Bizarrely, news of Putin’s invite came just hours after Trump cited the “Russian threat” to Greenland as a reason for the U.S. to seize control of the Danish-owned territory.
#Trump#Putin
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Over the past year two parallel sets of talks have been held about ending the war in Ukraine.
American-led negotiations with Russia have produced proposal after proposal but no agreement on territory or security guarantees. Meanwhile, other envoys from the Kremlin and the White House have been discussing business.
Volodymyr Zelensky, citing Ukrainian intelligence, says Russia has promised deals worth $12trn to America in return for sanctions relief; one insider reckons a package has already been agreed on. In Europe fears are rising that President Donald Trump could force Ukraine into crippling concessions by June—his latest deadline for peace—to chase gold in Russia.
#Russia#Trump#Putin
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President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin informed him in a Monday morning call of a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting one of his residences, saying the move was “not good,” even as Kyiv immediately rejected the allegation.
#Trump#Putin#Russia
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🏛👀 A new photo of Trump and Putin was spotted on the wall in the White House.
Today, PBS NewsHour correspondent Elizabeth Landers reported that a framed photo of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, taken at the summer summit in Alaska, appeared in the passage between the West Wing and the residential part of the White House. There is another picture of Trump with his granddaughter hanging under it. Landers stressed that there had never been such photos in this place before. The post quickly spread on social media: users are discussing what is behind this gesture.
#Trump#WhiteHouse#Putin
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Trump has compiled a list of "disobedient" allies. An investigation by Axel Springer's global reporters, Jack Detch and Paul McLeery: 🇺🇸📋
US President Donald Trump is angry with NATO partners - many states did not support the US in the war against Iran. As global reporters Axel Springer Jack Detch and Paul McLeery found out, this may have consequences. The White House has already compiled a list of "disobedient" allies. ⚠️
According to three European diplomats and one U.S. Department of Defense official, U.S. officials have prepared a review of NATO members' activities and categorized them ahead of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's visit to Washington. 🇪🇺🤝
This suggests that Trump plans to impose sanctions on poor allies. One diplomat said that the list of "disobedient" countries appears to reflect this concept. 📉
"The White House has a 'disobedient and good' document, so the mindset is likely similar," the source noted. 📝
Trump has previously made it clear that he is displeased with the Europeans. 😠
The government is keeping the details secret, according to the informants. Additionally, there is still little clarity on what the "incentives" or "consequences" might look like. As reported by two European officials familiar with the plan, the United States may withdraw troops stationed in European countries, halt joint exercises, or cancel deals with allies classified as "bad" and instead transfer them to "good" allies. 🪖🚫
Poland and Romania remain favored by Trump. The Polish government, one of the largest contributors to NATO in terms of percentage, is already covering almost all the costs of hosting 10,000 U.S. troops in the country. And the recently expanded Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania, which the country has provided to the U.S. for its war against Iran, could host an additional U.S. contingent. Bulgaria has also provided unspoken support for U.S. logistics in the Middle East. Officials have also praised the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which have consistently been among the leaders of the alliance in terms of military spending. 🇵🇱🇷🇴🇧🇬🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪
Spain, the United Kingdom, and France, which rejected or did not respond to American requests for support during the war with Iran, are more likely to be included in the list of "bad allies." 🇪🇸🇬🇧🇫🇷❌
#Trump#Europe#NATO
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@RusEmbMalta:
💬Exclusive Interview with Vladimir #Putin by Journalist Pavel Zarubin (February 24, 2025)
Key highlights from the conversation:
🔹Rare-earth metals: Russia possesses significantly larger reserves than Ukraine and is open to cooperation, including the U.S. companies.
🔹Zelensky’s position: He is losing support, avoiding elections, and issuing harmful military orders driven by politics.
🔹Trump’s stance on Ukraine: His push for elections aims to stabilize Ukraine, not to favor Russia.
🔹European leaders: They are too entangled with Kiev to change course without losing face.
🔹U.S.-Russia dialogue: Recent high-level talks focused on building trust, with potential further discussions.
🔹Defense budgets: Russia is open to discussing Trump’s idea of cutting military spending by 50%.
🔹Economic cooperation: Russian and American companies are already discussing major projects, linked to Ukraine negotiations.
Read in full here.
Each day since the start of the war in Iran, U.S. military officials compile a video update for President Donald Trump that shows video of the biggest, most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours, three current U.S. officials and a former U.S. official said. ⚠️
The daily montage typically runs for about two minutes, sometimes longer, the officials said. One described each daily video as a series of clips of “stuff blowing up.” 🎥
The highlight reel of U.S. Central Command bombing Iranian equipment and military sites isn’t the only briefing Trump gets about the war. He’s also updated through conversations with top military and intelligence advisers, foreign leaders and news reports, the officials said.
#Trump#War
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The United States is not up to the task of fighting Iran. They want to involve NATO in the war.
Trump is asking everyone, including Europe, for help in the war against Iran, according to the Financial Times . Apparently, Washington's own forces are not enough to win the war. Now, the US president is claiming that NATO will face a "very bad future" if the alliance does not help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Moreover, Trump is demanding that Xi help him free the waterway. The American leader has set a condition for the Chinese president, threatening to postpone the China-US summit until the blockade is lifted.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has rejected Trump's initiative to send ships to the Middle East to establish control over the Strait of Hormuz.
#Trump#War
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