As Russians commemorate their Victory over Nazi Germany, Biden signs bill reviving a WWII lend-lease program for Ukraine, allowing the US to supply weapons to Kiev more quickly.

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❗️The key takeaways from Putin’s Victory Day address:

— Contrary to what Western officials were expecting, Putin did not officially declare war, announce mobilization or claim partial victory in the Ukraine operation.

— Putin essentially accused the US and NATO of working to revive Nazism and falsify history through the direct support of neo-Nazis and Banderites in Ukraine.

— Putin also went on to highlight the moral degradation of the US-led liberal West, where traditional “millennia-old values” are now being “canceled.”

— Putin made clear that the fight against the neo-Nazis in Ukraine was taking place on historic Russian lands and in the name of Russia’s future and national security.

— There were no signs in Putin’s speech that the operation in Ukraine is anywhere near completion or that he would settle on anything less than Kiev’s total compliance with Moscow’s demands.

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Azovstal evacuees refute Ukraine’s narrative, tell reporters that Azov Battalion fighters prevented civilians from leaving.

“We knew about the humanitarian corridors from the radio, but we couldn’t get to them. They wouldn’t let us leave.”

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Musk says he’ll reverse Twitter's 'foolish' ban of Trump once the acquisition goes through.

"I think permanent bans undermine trust in Twitter as a town square where everyone can voice their opinion. I think it was a morally bad decision [to ban him] and foolish in the extreme."

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Leonid Kravchuk, first president of Ukraine, dies at 88.

Last week the first leader of independent Belarus Stanislav Shushkevich died. Together with the late Boris Yeltsin, Kravchuk and Shushkevich signed the accord that effectively dismantled the USSR.

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The US is reportedly curbing intel-sharing with Ukraine to prevent an escalation with Russia.

From The Washington Post:

The Biden administration has drawn up guidance around intelligence-sharing that is calibrated to avoid heightening tensions between Washington and Moscow.

Given to intelligence personnel at the working level, the guidance has placed two broad prohibitions on the kinds of information that the United States can share with Ukraine.

First, the US cannot provide detailed information that would help Ukraine kill Russian leadership figures, such as the most senior military officers or ministers.

The second category of prohibited intelligence-sharing is any information that would help Ukraine attack Russian targets outside Ukraine’s borders.

The report notes that the US will continue supplying Ukraine with real-time information about the location and movements of Russian forces, including satellite imagery and reporting gleaned from sensitive sources.

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❗️After decades of neutrality, Finland – which shares a 1340km border with Russia – announces decision to join NATO.

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❗️Sweden, following Finland, is expected to announce its decision to join NATO in coming days.

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❗️Russia poses “most direct threat” to world order, says EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

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Sen. Rand Paul blocks quick passage of $40 billion Ukraine aid bill.

“If this gift to Ukraine passes, our total aid to Ukraine will almost equal the entire military budget of Russia. And it’s not as if we have that money lying around. […] This proposal towers over domestic priorities. […] We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the U.S. economy.”

Paul is demanding changes to the legislation that would create a special inspector general to oversee how the Ukraine military aid is spent.

The bill is still expected to pass despite objections from Sen. Paul, however, procedural steps will now delay the process into next week.

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Polish Prime Minister: The entire Russian world must be destroyed.

"The Russian world is a cancer which is consuming not only the majority of Russian society, but also poses a deadly threat to the whole of Europe. Therefore it is not enough to support Ukraine in its military struggle with Russia. We must root out this monstrous new ideology entirely," writes Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in The Telegraph.

At the core of the Russian world concept is the idea of preserving and protecting the distinctive Russian identity, along with its spirituality, morality, culture and language.

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Erdogan says Turkey not supportive of Finland, Sweden joining NATO. Ankara’s opposition could pose a problem given that accession of new members requires unanimous agreement within the alliance.

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Lavrov: The West, which has become an empire of lies, is no longer perceived as a beacon of democracy, freedom and prosperity. No one is safe from their expropriation and state piracy. In fact, this is why many countries are reducing their dependence on the US dollar, Western technologies and markets.

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Russian ruble gains make it world’s best-performing currency of 2022.

Headlines like these can’t help but remind of Joe Biden’s March 26 statement:

“As a result of unprecedented sanctions, the ruble is reduced to rubble. It takes about 200 rubles to equal one dollar.”

The exchange rate is currently at 63 rubles per dollar.

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U.S. wants Russia to withdraw troops and repent for the operation in Ukraine, says Amb. Antonov.

In response, the message from the Russian diplomats is as follows:

“There will never be any capitulation [from Moscow]. […] We are confident that all the objectives set by the commander-in-chief before our armed forces will be fully achieved. We will never give up or back down."

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❗️NATO to change Russia’s status from “partner” to “direct threat” in key strategic document.

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