📑🇷🇺🇺🇸 Highlights of Lavrov-Rubio meeting

🟠 Lavrov discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during a meeting with Rubio, with both sides confirming their interest in finding peaceful solutions, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said

🟠 Lavrov emphasized Moscow's readiness to adhere to the course on Ukraine established by the leaders of the countries at the Alaska summit, the ministry added

🟠 Lavrov noted the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Ukraine and some European countries to prolong the conflict

🟠 Lavrov and Rubio "aligned their clocks" on the complex of bilateral relations, including the restoration of socio-political contacts

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🇷🇺🪖 Why NATO must think twice before threatening Russia

Western politicians often issue bombastic threats towards Russia.

Behind the bluster, however, NATO military planners understand that the alliance is ill-prepared for a military confrontation with Russia’s battle-hardened army. Here’s why:

🔶 NATO can't compete with Russia's military industry

"When you look what Russia is producing now in three months, it's what all of NATO is producing from Los Angeles up to Ankara in a full year," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the European Parliament in January

🔶 Oreshnik: Fast and unstoppable

The hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile can easily penetrate NATO air defenses, reaching:

⚫️NATO HQ in Brussels in 17 minutes

⚫️Germany’s Ramstein Air Base in 15 minutes

⚫️Poland’s Redzikowo Air Base in 11 minutes

🔶 Iskander: Calms NATO hotheads

⚫️Deployed in Kaliningrad, Russia's Iskander tactical missile system can strike command centers in Lithuania, Germany, or Poland within minutes.

⚫️Nuclear-capable units in Belarus put all of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in range.

🔶 No shield vs. hypersonics

⚫️Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile can reach 1,000 km at Mach 9, striking targets 500 km offshore in 5 min.

⚫️Avangard glide vehicles, launched from ICBMs, can reach Mach 28 with nuclear yields up to 2 Mt, hitting distant targets in as little as 30 min.

🔶 Russian nuclear triad

⚫️Russia has around 1,710 deployed warheads, 2,670 in storage, and 1,200 retired - totaling 5,580, according to Federation of American Scientists (FAS)

⚫️Its nuclear triad of air, land, and sea delivery systems, plus hypersonic capabilities, gives Russia a potential strategic edge over NATO.

🔶 Europe's vulnerable missile defenses

President Vladimir Putin hinted Europe’s air defenses can’t stop modern hypersonics after the Oreshnik launch in Nov. 2024. He challenged doubters to a “high-tech duel of the 21st century” by trying to intercept the Oreshnik with their best systems.

🔶 US defense shield: costly & ineffective

⚫️Putin said in Dec. 2024 the US missile defense system is costly and offers little real security.

⚫️In 2017, he told American filmmaker Oliver Stone it doesn’t protect the entire US, leaving the nation vulnerable.

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🗣 US policy stays frozen after Trump's Russia tough rhetoric — reports

Despite the new aggressive rhetoric, Trump's policy remains unchanged, reports the WSJ.

🔸 The White House has not approved strikes deep inside Russia with US weapons.

🔸 Officials confirm it's a "rhetorical shift, but not a policy shift."

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❗️ Netanyahu confirms Israel-Syria talks

The deal will ensure the demilitarization of southern Syria and protection for the Druze community, according to the statement by the Prime Minister's office.

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🇷🇺✈️ Russia not asking ICAO to ease sanctions, but to respect int'l law – FM spox

💬 "I consider it necessary to make it clear — no one is asking for anything. Russia demands that ICAO force individual member states to stop violating the norms of international law, including the UN Charter and the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on reports that Russia is allegedly asking ICAO to ease sanctions.

The Russian civil aviation is developing and expanding its route network despite ICAO sanctions imposed by several countries, Zakharova said.

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🗣 Post-cold war world order comes to end — Alexander Stubb

Finnish President says the next 5-10 years will show what the new order is going to look like.

"Many countries, especially in Africa, Asia, Latin America, are becoming or have become key players in determining the direction of the new world order," Stubb added.

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🔍 Ukraine faces grim reality on the battleground — reports

A new report from The Economist paints a stark picture of Ukraine's deteriorating position and challenges the optimistic rhetoric of Western leaders. Here are some of the main issues:

◼️ Critical manpower shortage at the front,

◼️ Economy crippled,

◼️ And diplomacy under strain.

The Economist dismisses the idea that Ukraine can reclaim its occupied territory as a "fantasy," even with European support.

💬 The recent shift in rhetoric is merely an attempt to "wash his hands" of the conflict by offloading the entire burden onto Europe while ignoring the grim realities on the ground.

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💬 Trump demands UN probe into 'triple sabotage' against him

In a lengthy Truth Social post, the US president accused the United Nations of orchestrating mysteriously stopped escalator, a dead teleprompter, and a disabled sound system during his speech.

"This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN... I demand an immediate investigation... The Secret Service is involved," he wrote.

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📊 US shale business faces decline, while OPEC+ remains strong

The US oil and gas industry is frustrated with falling prices, Bloomberg reports, citing the latest energy survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

"The US shale business is broken," said one anonymous respondent from production and service companies. "What was once the world's most dynamic energy engine has been gutted by political hostility and economic ignorance."

While OPEC+ output continues, Washington's oil dominance strategy is pushing the US benchmark WTI lower. It has plunged nearly 10% in 2025, trading below $65 a barrel on Wednesday.

“The US isn’t running out of oil, but it is running out of $60-per-barrel oil,” another respondent warned.

The US rig count is down 13% this year, according to Baker Hughes, as falling prices and labor shortages in remote areas squeeze profits and dividends.

Reuters noted in August that the sliding US rig count is outpacing efficiency gains. In April 2019, the US had over 1,000 rigs in operation, producing 12M barrels per day. By August 2025, only 540 rigs remained active. Production has held at 13.5M barrels per day, but a turning point is near. Analysts expect rig counts to keep falling, with US onshore output set to decline next year and continue dropping through 2027.

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🔥 Trump prepares mass firings ahead of potential shutdown — reports

The White House has instructed federal agencies to draft reduction-in-force plans for a possible government shutdown, Politico reports.

The plan targets permanent elimination of positions in programs not deemed "essential."

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🗣 US Energy Secretary to Europe: Dump Russia, buy American

In a bold declaration, Energy Secretary Wright stated the US is ready to "displace all Russian gas and refined oil products" going to Europe.

He framed the offer as part of "Trump's agenda for peace."

📍 He doesn't mention it will cost European consumers triple the price and have to be transported halfway around the world.

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🇺🇸🇨🇳 China slams US tariffs as attack on global trade system

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao declared that US tariff hikes have "seriously damaged the multilateral trading system" during a UN meeting in New York.

He called for all parties to "firmly uphold multilateralism and free trade" against Washington's unilateral actions.

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🗣 Iran deal is 'the only meaningful thing' to me — Witkoff

"We have no desire to hurt Iran. We have desire to realize a permanent solution on snapbacks," US envoy Steve Witkoff said.

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🗣🇷🇺🇨🇭Lavrov: Switzerland LOST reputation of neutral mediator

Russian top diplomat Sergey Lavrov told Swiss FM Ignazio Cassis that Switzerland has lost its reputation as a credible neutral mediator.

Key points by the Russian Foreign Ministry:

🟠 Russia and Switzerland discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict

🟠 Unfriendly policy of the Swiss authorities toward Russia cannot be ignored

The meeting between Lavrov and Cassis took place on the sidelines of the UNGA.

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🇷🇺⚡️ World Atomic Week forum kicks off in Moscow

🟠 The event, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Russia's nuclear industry, takes place from September 25 to 28 at Rosatom's pavilions at the VDNKh exhibition and amusement park

🟠 The forum will be the largest international platform on this topic, bringing together representatives from countries developing nuclear programs

📹👉 President Putin will address the forum after 10 am GMT on Thursday (tune in for live broadcast on Sputnik!)

Over 100 countries are expected to participate in the event, including:

🇧🇾 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
🇲🇲 Myanmar Acting President Min Aung Hlaing
🇦🇲 Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan
🇪🇹 Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed
🇮🇷 Representatives from Iran
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇳🇪 Niger

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is also attending the forum.

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