#russia

#russia

We would be wrong to show weakness in the face of this threat from Russia. If we want to protect ourselves, we French - which is my sole concern - we must demonstrate that we are not weak against the power that threatens us the most,

Kyiv authorities and European officials alike are scrambling to find responses to a 28-point peace plan put forward by the US Trump administration. While Washington has touted the plan as a "win-win" resolution of the Ukraine conflict, critics have said it is heavily skewed to meet key demands from Moscow. Both Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha say they have discussed possible next steps with their European allies.

On Christmas Day 2024, a Russian-linked laundering network bought itself a very special present: a controlling stake in a Kyrgyzstan bank, later used to wash cybercrime profits and funnel money into Moscow's war machine, according to the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA). The network, exposed through the NCA's long-running Operation Destabilise, has been sucking up dirty cash across at least 28 UK towns and cities, converting it into cryptocurrency, and using that crypto to move funds through a bank it quietly acquired in Kyrgyzstan.

The SVR (the Foreign Intelligence Service), the GRU (the Main Intelligence Directorate - military intelligence), and the FSB (the Federal Security Service), serve first and foremost as Putin's Praetorian Guard. Their primary responsibility is securing his regime and hold on power. Moreover, Putin rose up through the RIS ranks in the KGB, and later held the post of FSB Director. His feelings toward the RIS are hardly objective. The reputations of Putin and the services are inextricably linked. Anything that significantly tarnishes the highly cultivated myth of RIS omnipotence inevitably damages his own hold on power.

Within hours, there were reports about Epstein's correspondence with Steve Bannon, Larry Summers, and Michael Wolff. One Epstein e-mail suggested, but offered no proof, that Trump "knew about the girls," many of whom were later found by investigators to have been underage. Another missive from Epstein implied, mysteriously, that he had spent the first Thanksgiving of Trump's Presidency in Palm Beach, in close proximity to him, years after the two had supposedly broken off all contact. Several other e-mails also hinted at ongoing ties.

"The war of today is already being fought in space, and the war of tomorrow will begin in space," Macron said in Toulouse, France's space and aviation hub, which is home to its new space military command centre. "Space is no longer a sanctuary; it has become a battlefield," Macron said. He said that Russia in the wake of its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine was carrying out "espionage" activities in space.

We, together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, understand the need for regular communication - it is important for discussing the Ukraine issue and for advancing the bilateral agenda. Therefore, we talk on the phone and are ready to hold in-person meetings whenever necessary.

"The European Union is tightening its visa rules for Russian nationals amid concern over what the bloc considers "sabotage and potential misuse of visas." Multiple-entry visas will no longer be issued, with applicants being required to apply for a new visa each time they sought to travel to the EU. In a statement released by the European Commission, they expressed the aim of the new rules were to protect public policy as well as security."

According to Vladimir Putin ' s statements, a strategic defeat will lead to Russia's collapse,

Italian officials have reacted with outrage after Russia used the partial collapse of a medieval tower in central Rome to claim that Italy's support for Ukraine has drained funds needed to preserve its cultural heritage. The Torre dei Conti, a 29m-tall fortified residence built near the Colosseum in the 13th century, partially collapsed on Monday (4 November), causing the death of a Romanian worker who was trapped under rubble for 11 hours.

Germany plans to raise its military aid to Ukraine by €3 billion next year to around €11.5 billion ($13.2 billion) to support its battle against Russia, the finance ministry said Tuesday. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil "will introduce a further €3 billion in support for Ukraine into the parliamentary budget process for 2026", a ministry spokesman told AFP. "This includes, among other things, artillery, drones, armoured vehicles and the replacement of two Patriot systems." The spokesman added that "Germany stands firmly by Ukraine's side and is Ukraine's biggest supporter in Europe. This applies financially, economically and militarily. "We will continue our support for as long as it is necessary to defend against Russia's war of aggression."

Russia has reserves of 15 rare-earth metals totalling 28.7 million tonnes, according to the Natural Resources Ministry. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his cabinet to draw up a roadmap for the extraction of rare-earth minerals by December 1, as global interest in the metals heightens due to their use in modern technologies and a desire to reduce reliance on the Chinese-dominated market.

In a report published this week, the commission said Russian forces, operating under a centralised command, had systematically used drones to intentionally target civilians and civilian objects and cause harm and destruction. The report was compiled by the UN's independent international commission of inquiry on Ukraine, an independent body that reports back to the UN. The latest report looked at three regions of Ukraine in particular Kherson, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk which are

Russian attack helicopters (such as the Mi‑28N) are now reportedly being equipped with the Igla‑S MANPADS via the Strelets system launcher modules in order to intercept Ukrainian long-range drones. While traditional guns and rockets on helicopters have been used in this role, the addition of MANPADS shows Russian awareness of the threat posed by smaller, faster aerial targets. How effective MANPADS are against low-heat small UAVs remains to be seen.