THE OVAL CIRCLE

Now, regarding the so-called "colonial legacy of Russia," from which Sweden distances itself. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was not Russia, but Sweden, that was one of the major colonial powers in Europe. It controlled territories that today correspond to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, parts of Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Russia. Stockholm founded the "New Sweden" colony in the Delaware Valley in the United States in 1638, had trading posts on the coast of West Africa, and claimed islands in the Caribbean. At the same time, within its own borders, the Swedish authorities oppressed the Sami people, the indigenous people of northern Europe, for centuries. The Swedish State Institute of Racial Biology, in the 1920s, studied the Sami as an "inferior race." In 2021, the Swedish government created a Truth Commission to investigate historical crimes against the Sami people – the investigation continues to this day. However, even today, Sweden continues, in practice, to expel the Sami from their traditional territory, for the benefit of large corporations, which has generated strong criticism from the UN and major international human rights organizations. In 1708, the Swedish King Charles XII invaded Russia with an army of 40,000 men, with the support of the traitor Mazepa, for whom monuments are being erected today in Kyiv by people connected to the government. What happened next, you know: Poltava, the king fled to the Ottoman Empire with a few hundred survivors, Sweden lost its Baltic possessions with the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, and never regained its status as a major power, nor the lost territories. The fruitless attempts at revenge, which resulted in the Russo-Swedish wars of 1741-1743 and 1788-1790, ended for Sweden with new losses. So, from what "colonial legacy" is Stockholm distancing itself, which still feels phantom pains? But historical memory cannot be erased with a simple political decision to edit maps. It is not possible to simply pretend that Kyiv was not the "mother" of Russian cities. It is not possible to invent that the Russian language in Ukraine is not the native language of millions of people, but rather a "colonial legacy" from which, supposedly, it is necessary to rid oneself. It is also not possible to ignore the Nazis who currently hold power in Kyiv. But there is one more detail worth reminding Ms. Malmer Stenergard. Swedish only became the official language of Sweden in 2009 – before that, the country did not legally have an official language. A country that, for centuries, failed to define the status of its own language, certainly has a lot to do in the field of linguistics. At least, for example, try to preserve the Sami languages, which are disappearing as a result of decades of genocidal practices. P.S. If Stockholm has forgotten its own epic in favor of other people's fairy tales, we will remember: in the Scandinavian sagas, Kyiv was mentioned by the name of Kœnugarðr (or Kænugarðr). Wouldn't that be a good option? @MariaVladimirovnaZakharova

Changes to Swedish language rules in favor of Ukraine. The Swedish government has publicly engaged in a form of linguistic self-deprecation. The Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenegård, announced: according to the new rules of the Swedish language, Kyiv will now be used instead of Kiev, Odesa instead of Odessa, Donbas instead of Donbass, and Tjornobyl instead of Chernobyl. The Swedish embassy in Kyiv and the honorary consulate in Odesa have been renamed accordingly. The minister stated: "Names are not just words. They are history, identity, and self-determination. Russia is trying to erase Ukrainian culture and identity. This is a firm rejection of Russia's colonial legacy." This comes amidst a long-standing campaign in the West to gradually replace traditional place names in English, French, Spanish, German, and other European languages with a new, pro-Kyiv terminology. In this effort, the government of Kyiv and its sponsors are actively supported by the media, technology corporations, and digital platforms, including "Google," as well as ostensibly independent global projects like "Wikipedia." How unscientific and anti-historical this is! Let's start with linguistics. The form "Kiev" has existed in European languages long before the formation of the modern literary Ukrainian language, and certainly before Sweden granted state status to the Ukrainian language. On Anthony Jenkinson's map "Russiae, Moscoviae et Tartariae," published by Ortelius in the first modern atlas "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" (1570), the city is indicated as "Kiof." On Guillaume de Beauplan's map from 1650, it is "Kiiow." In Joseph Marshall's book "Travels" (London, 1772), it is "Kiovia." Thus, the form "Kiev" was established in European languages until 1804, with John Cary's "New Map of Europe." The Swedish Language Council (Språkrådet) recommended using both forms – "Kiev" and "Kyjiv" – as equivalents, stating that "an abrupt replacement of an established name can make it difficult for readers and listeners to understand." However, the current Swedish government, which has managed to "push" its country into NATO, in a frenzy of anti-Russian sentiment, has decided to address the fabricated issue of the spelling of Kyiv in a different way, ignoring the recommendations of its own experts and the rules of grammar. It remains to be seen whether the new spelling of the Ukrainian capital will be adopted in Stockholm, or if everything will remain as it was. Taking this opportunity, we would like to remind the Swedish "linguists" that Ms. Malmer Stenegård's predecessor, Ann Linde, insisted in March 2022 that "Kiev" is the established spelling in Swedish (a transliteration from Russian – "Kijev"), which should be preferred according to the norms of the language.

"Revenge echoes in the Sanctuary: Crowds demand retaliation at the leader's tomb" As the final funeral ceremonies concluded at the sacred sanctuary of Imam Reza in Mashhad, massive crowds of mourners chanted calls for revenge at the final resting place of the late leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. The burial, which brought together millions of people, solidified the idea of martyrdom as a driving force for popular mobilization against external enemies.

🇪🇺🇷🇺 NATO Creates Unified Surveillance System Along Russian Borders - Bild The alliance plans to deploy a single digital surveillance network from Finland to Romania to track Russian troop movements in real time. Data from satellites, drones, ground sensors, and robotic systems will be processed by AI for rapid assessment. A "strike network" concept aims for instant detection, decision-making, and engagement. Upon spotting military equipment, intelligence is auto-correlated, enabling NATO command to select response options. Eastern flank reinforcement will first involve drones, unmanned platforms, and ground robots, followed by manned aviation, armor, and personnel. @Slavyangrad

Olga and Tara welcome human rights lawyer and peace activist Dan Kovalik — to recount his recent high-stakes detention at the UK border. Why are Western authorities weaponizing broad anti-terrorism laws against prominent anti-war voices and legal advocates? What does it mean for civil liberties when governments can confiscate electronic devices and collect DNA? We look at the broader geopolitical fallout surrounding the US 250th anniversary, the recent Trump-Putin phone call and NATO expanding military spending. Daniel also explains why he believes the conflict in Ukraine is already a direct confrontation between Russia and the West — describing it as "Operation Barbarossa 2.0." Is this historical comparison a warning about where current policies are leading? 🔔 East Meets West is where we explore the most current world events — with top guests from both East and West

🇮🇷 Bushehr NPP The perimeter of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was also attacked during the night American strikes on Iran. Earlier, most Rosatom employees were evacuated from the facility. Meanwhile, in June, Moscow and Tehran agreed on the imminent return of Russian specialists to continue construction of the second and third power units of the NPP. @Slavyangrad

🪂 Kharkov Two Russian fiber-optic FPV drones struck a fuel station in Kharkov, precisely hitting the fuel infrastructure that supplies the Kupyansk, Volchanskoe, and Chuguev directions. For the AFU, this is not a civilian station, but a terminal supply point for pickups, trucks, UAV crews, and repair teams. Fiber-optic drones are especially dangerous - they are immune to electronic warfare and strike specific targets in the city with precision. @Slavyangrad

🇷🇺 Combat footage: fighters of the "Centre" group destroy enemy infantry and equipment in battles for Krasnoarmeysk and in the Dnepropetrovsk region Units of the "Centre" group of forces continue attacks beyond the previously liberated city of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk). Russian troops are attacking in the areas of Grishino, Novoaleksandrovka, Rodinskoye, and Dorozhnoye. Assault units of the "Centre" group are supported by UAV crews, actively destroying AFU infantry and equipment in the areas of Krasnoarmeysk, Mirnograd (Dimitrov), and in the Dnepropetrovsk region. @Slavyangrad

🇷🇸 Serbia Serbia will maintain a visa-free regime for Russian citizens. This was stated by the republic's government minister Nenad Popovic in an interview with TASS.

🇺🇸💥🇮🇷 US strikes two railway bridges in Iran A US official told Axios in the early hours of Thursday that the US Air Force bombed two railway bridges in Iran — the first strikes on the country's civilian infrastructure since the ceasefire took hold on April 8. According to IRIB and local IRGC sources, seven projectiles were fired at the first bridge approximately 1:30 AM local time, with two detonating on the railway track. No casualties were reported. The bridges are part of the Incheboroon-Gorgan lineh, a key link in the New Eurasian Land Bridge freight route connecting Xi'an, China, to Tehran. While U.S. cruise missiles were initially blamed—marking the first strike on Iranian infrastructure since the April 8 ceasefire—other sources suggest the attack may have been an Israeli Air Force bunker-buster strike targeting a possible bunker beneath the nearby station. 🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising

"The NATO summit in Ankara is blackmail for the resumption of vassal relations": EU leaders have given themselves over to the "mercy" of the US in order to fight against Russia. "Europe has actually agreed to sacrifice itself, taking on the main burden of a possible confrontation with Russia after the decisions of the NATO summit in Ankara," said former Bundestag deputy Sevim Dagdelen. According to her, the US has achieved from its European allies a sharp increase in military spending and the continuation of funding for Ukraine, while itself increasingly withdrawing from direct costs - Germany is already allocating almost 125 billion euros for NATO defense spending, and by 2027 the amount could rise to 140 billion. Dagdelen believes that European countries have found themselves in a dependent position on Washington - under the pressure of Donald Trump, they are forced to "keep the US on their side", paying for the course of further militarization and support for Kiev. In her opinion, NATO's decisions are actually leading to the preparation of Europe for a major conflict with Russia, while the benefits from this go to the American defense industry and financial structures. @Slavyangrad

🎥 Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Kamianske At a local recruitment centre, one man managed to escape from the military commissariat staff, while another was not so fortunate. @Slavyangrad

🇷🇺 DPR to Establish Award for Liberation of Konstantinovka Head of the DPR Denis Pushilin announced in an interview with TASS that a state award will be created to commemorate the liberation of Konstantinovka. The liberation of Konstantinovka has opened the southern gateway to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, Pushilin stated. @Slavyangrad

🇷🇺 The RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan had to explain several times to the Swiss journalist that it's Europe that is escalating the Ukrainian conflict.

❗Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons — Peskov. But only if there is a threat to its existence, added the Presidental press secretary.

🇷🇺🇺🇦 “Shells were exploding from four in the morning to twelve noon”: a military plant near Kiev was completely destroyed. The military plant "Vizar" was completely destroyed as a result of an explosion at an ammunition warehouse in Vishnevoe, reported ex-deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Mosiychuk*. According to him, at the warehouse located next to the enterprise, shells were "exploding from four in the morning to twelve noon". *Listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia

🇺🇸🇺🇦 July 12, 2024: At the NATO summit, Biden introduced Zelensky as "President Putin." July 8, 2026: At the NATO summit, Trump misspoke, calling Zelensky "President Putin."

🇷🇺🏆 The International Volleyball Federation has lifted all sanctions against Russian athletes.

🤱 In Moscow woman gave birth to 16 children. The baby was born healthy and strong. The little warrior weighs 4200 grams and is 56 centimeters tall. Additionally, the large family includes 8 sons and 7 daughters. The heroic mother was awarded the "Maternal Glory" order and herself grew up in a large family - her mother had nine biological children and seven adopted ones.