🗣 The leaders of Western countries planning to visit Russia on May 9th have much more courage than those who are threatening them, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇪🇺💣EU rearmament plan could bring BLOC’S COLLAPSE, ex-Italian PM warns

Rearming the EU may only create an “ILLUSION OF SECURITY”, Giuseppe Conte has pointed out.

He underlined that for effective security measures, it’s necessary to build a "horizon of peace" between states through negotiations.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier proposed a plan for the rearmament of the EU worth a whopping €800 billion ($909 billion).

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️There is no talk of Donald Trump coming to Moscow on May 9 for Victory Day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🌐🛡Russia maintains DIGITAL DOMINANCE despite sanctions, cyberattacks, and tech restrictions — Russian Foreign Ministry

"Russia has not only ensured the integrity and security of critical information infrastructure but also confidently maintains its leading global position in digitalization," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told Sputnik.

He added that programs launched by the government to replace foreign information and communication technologies are already yielding results.

Russia is ready to share with its partners the experience of protecting sovereignty in the information space, the deputy foreign minister said.

"[Russia], perhaps like no other in the world, has faced in recent years an unprecedented malicious campaign, pressure on domestic computer networks, and externally supervised computer crime," Vershinin said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇬🇧🏃‍♂️British troops are SIGNING OFF EN MASSE as they don't want to fight for 'prick' Starmer in Ukraine — British influencer

"[The Ukraine conflict] is clearly a proxy war used to funnel billions into very, very wealthy men and women's pockets... If conscription comes in, do not fight for this regime. They're dictators," he said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇪🇬✈️🇨🇳 Egypt and China make history with first joint air drills

In a groundbreaking move, Egypt and China are holding their first-ever joint air exercises coined "Civilization Eagles 2025", signaling a new chapter of closer ties on the global stage.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 Iran could ‘FLATTEN ISRAEL IN A DAY’ – Former US colonel

“Iran’s arsenal of missiles is ENORMOUS. They have the power to go to war,” Douglas Macgregor emphasized.

But Tehran has repeatedly chosen TO AVOID WAR, he reminded, and no one in the Middle East is interested in a war except Israel and the United States.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣 No one doubts that Russia will win, Vladimir Putin has said.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 Military recruiters THREATEN father with loss of child custody unless he enters meat grinder

“You’ve come to a gym to take me away from my kid,” the man complains, only to hear the recruiters saying sarcastically, “No problem,” in return.

Forceful recruitment of men in broad daylight in the streets, cafes, shopping malls, or gyms is not uncommon across Ukraine as its army continues to suffer defeat on all front lines.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔎 Why is Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant's NEUTRALITY a NO-GO?

The Trump administration reportedly mulls 'neutral status' for the Zaporozhye nuclear facility. Experts argue it's "entirely unrealistic."

🔸Security vulnerability: "In addition to being a key infrastructure facility, it represents a vulnerability [for Russia] - one that the Americans and the Ukrainians want to create on the left bank of the Dnepr," nuclear expert Alexey Anpilogov tells Sputnik.

🔸Potential US-Ukraine foothold: Apparently, the US could turn the nuclear plant into a "foothold that can later be used not only for the power station to generate electricity, but also as a place for troop accumulation."

🔸It belongs to Russia. Period: The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Zaporozhye region, which joined Russia in 2022 after a referendum. From a legal standpoint and Russia's interests, the neutrality of the facility is "unacceptable," Anpilogov stresses.

🔸Not up for discussion: In talks with the US, it was repeatedly emphasized by Russia that the nuclear plant's territorial status or transfer to Ukraine is not up for discussion, the expert says.

🔸Trump's maneuvers? "US control over the Zaporozhye power plant is highly unlikely because Russia controls it. I think these all are only tactical maneuvers by the US," professor Stevan Gajic from the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade tells Sputnik.

🔸Will the US leave Ukraine and EU in the lurch? The US wants out, while the Kiev regime, backed by the EU, pushes for NATO membership - despite the US urging it to drop the bid - and prolongs the conflict. In the end, the EU and Ukraine are bound for defeat, the academic says.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣Putin said that Ukraine is fighting for the capital that it stole from the Ukrainian people - hence the desire to cooperate with sponsors.

Kiev continues to steal money from the Ukrainian people, we are talking about billion-dollar accounts that are located abroad, the Russian president emphasized.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇺🇸 TRUMP FED UP WITH ZELENSKY?

The US is ready to EXIT the Ukraine conflict unilaterally; Trump & his team know you can't force both sides to the table, says 🇷🇺philosopher Alexander Dugin.

Despite goodwill, Russia will defend its interests.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🤔Musk out, Vought in?

Russell Vought might replace Elon Musk as the new head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Bloomberg reports.

A long-time Trump ally, Vought is most famous for co-authoring the "Project 2025" manifesto to clean up the swamp.

Looks like Musk’s exit from DOGE won't slow things down.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 Fiery trouble for Delta

Delta flight 1213, carrying 282 passengers, had to evacuate after an engine fire erupted right after pushing back from the gate at Orlando International Airport in Florida.

No injuries were reported, but passengers sure got an unforgettable slide exit. ✈️🔥

The FAA’s on the case, but it’s just the latest in a string of high-profile aviation incidents in US aviation safety.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔎 Who needs NATO? Northern Europe trying to play it solo

Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway are joining forces to create a regional security bloc, offering an alternative to NATO by combining their military resources, according to the WSJ.

What do they bring to the table?

🇸🇪 Sweden: Submarines, tanks, and supersonic fighter jets

🇳🇴 Norway: Maritime surveillance and Arctic combat capabilities

🇫🇮 Finland: The largest standing army and artillery in Europe

🇩🇰 Denmark: Special forces with experience in Afghanistan and Iraq

"You have a regional grouping with the economic and resource potential to develop a fully integrated defense-industrial base like Germany has," says former senior US intelligence analyst Eric Ciaramella.

Matti Pesu, senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, points out that this Nordic bloc could serve as a model for other countries. "It’s a potential plan B if NATO doesn’t work," he adds, referencing US President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw from NATO.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

💸📉 US dollar hits NEW LOWS amid Trump’s strife with the Federal Reserve

The US dollar index slid to a 15-month low, falling against the euro, British pound, Japanese yen, and Swiss franc, according to Bloomberg.

US stocks have also trended downward, with the S&P 500 dropping more than 2.5%. The Nasdaq took the biggest hit, plummeting over 3%, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, gold is performing strongly, soaring above $3,400 an ounce.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt