🎉 49 Days to Victory

Sputnik continues to delve into the pivotal moments of the Great Patriotic War.

On this day, 80 years ago, the Red Army relentlessly advanced, tightening the encirclement around Danzig while bracing for the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation in the Altdamm area.

In a desperate bid to stave off the impending collapse of the Nazi regime, Hitler attempted to reshuffle his senior military brass.

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🔎 Blowing open Zelensky's lies: Ukrainie GUILTY for gas pumping station attack

▪️The Ukrainian military deliberately destroyed Sudzha's gas metering station in the Kursk Region, Russia’s Investigative Committee reported.

▪️On the night of March 21, the Ukrainian forces attacked the Sudzha gas metering station, triggering an explosion and an ensuing blaze.

▪️The Druzhba pipeline branch, once a key route for Russian gas to Europe, passes through Sudzha. It supplied gas until December 31, 2024 after which Zelensky halted its operation on January 1, 2025.

▪️Several hours after the attack, even before Russia's official reaction, the Ukrainian General Staff falsely trotted out a bold faced lie, claiming: "The Russians blew up the station themselves."

▪️After Putin-Trump talks, Russia agreed to halt attacks on energy facilities, and Zelensky followed suit. However, the next day, Ukrainian troops targeted an oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar Region. The Sudzha attack marks the second violation.

The image is AI-generated

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🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺 Eight US Secretaries of State, one Lavrov: A legacy of diplomacy

Russia’s diplomacy chief, Sergey Lavrov has had to deal with eight US secretaries of state, impressing almost all of them:

🔸Lavrov and Colin Powell (2004-2005)

Lavrov’s encounters with US foreign policy began with George W. Bush's trusted lieutenant, Colin Powell. Lavrov and Powell discussed global security, focusing on NATO's eastward expansion and the US invasion of Iraq, which Russia opposed.

🔸Lavrov and Condoleezza Rice (2005-2009)

Working with Condoleezza Rice, Lavrov continued to address Russia's concerns, frequently clashing with his counterpart over NATO expansion. Nevertheless, Rice respected Lavrov's negotiation skills, and Russia's top diplomat always conducted himself as a true gentleman.

🔸Lavrov and Hillary Clinton (2009-2013)

Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state was marked by an attempt to revive Russia-US relations, highlighted by the famous "reset button" episode. However, the US's involvement in ousting Muamar Gaddafi was a move that Russia strongly criticized.

🔸Lavrov and John Kerry (2013-2017)

Lavrov and Kerry often had prolonged talks and exchanged jokes. Despite tensions between Russia and the US, they frequently cooperated on Syria, with Kerry even calling Lavrov "my friend Sergey Lavrov."

🔸Lavrov and Rex Tillerson (2017-2018)

Lavrov worked with Tillerson when Russia-US relations were "at a low point," worsened by Tillerson's lack of foreign policy experience. Lavrov recalled Tillerson's desire to quickly resolve Middle East conflicts and his talk of a "deal of the century" for the region.

🔸Lavrov and Make Pompeo (2018-2021)

Lavrov and Pompeo often clashed over the Ukrainian issue; nevertheless, the US secretary of state valued Russia's diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula. "We should have a better relationship," he said in 2019.

🔸Lavrov and Antony Blinken (2021-2025)

Lavrov and Blinken rarely communicated directly. However, despite disagreements on various issues, Blinken attended Lavrov's speech at the G20, despite open opposition from the US.

🔸Lavrov and Marco Rubio (2025- )

Lavrov met with the newly appointed secretary of state this February in Saudi Arabia, where they discussed a possible settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. It remains to be seen how effective their partnership will be.

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