Sputnik International

❗️ The jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in the first criminal case, the Sputnik correspondent reports, adding that Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 charges. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Biden has authorised Ukraine to conduct counter-fire warfare against targets on Russian territory that pose a threat to the Ukrainian forces in the Kharkov region, a State Department spokesman told Sputnik. At the same time, the ban on the use of ATACMS missiles and other long-range weapons against targets in Russia remains in force. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

New York jury reaches decision in Trump ‘hush money’ trial A jury in New York reached a decision in the so-called "hush money" trial involving former President Donald Trump, a Sputnik correspondent at the courthouse reported. The court will soon read the jury’s verdict on whether Trump is guilty of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The jury began deliberations on Wednesday. Trump has denied the accusations against him and characterized the case as a form of election interference amid the 2024 US presidential race. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Short-term profits, long-term losses: why Israeli MIC’s dizzying Gaza war profits won’t last 💬 “I don’t think it’s been the most illustrious military weapons show,” veteran international and military affairs observer Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik, when asked whether Israel’s defense sector will benefit or be damaged over the long term by the Gaza crisis, which is expected to cost up to $67.4 billion when all is said and done. “I would think some of their demand may diminish,” Rasmussen said, pointing out that besides the reputation of Israeli weapons, which is generally excellent, there is the country’s international political reputation to account for. 💬 “In the political sense, Israel has isolated themselves due to what’s going on in Gaza. And also you see that what should have been a very quick entrance in and exit out has now dragged on for seven months, and I don’t know if there’s any end in sight until they level the entire Gaza Strip,” the observer stressed. Veteran Italian former diplomat Dr. Marco Carnelos told Sputnik that while the Gaza campaign may have brought Israel’s military establishment some benefits, politically it has been suicidal.

“Politically speaking I do not see any way in which Israel has been benefiting from waging the war in Gaza. Its top leaders received arrest warrants from the ICC and a judgement for genocide is pending against Israel at the ICJ,” Carnelos said.

💬 “Militarily speaking [Israel’s] armed forces gained further knowledge and expertise in carrying out urban warfare in Gaza in the [past] seven months, maybe testing new techniques and weapons. It is the same for its foes – who after widespread destruction are still capable of engaging Israeli forces,” the observer said.

“The real question remains: was it worth this political debacle to get better military experience? I strongly doubt it. Israel’s deterrent power is probably over and the political and strategic consequences could be huge,” Carnelos said.

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Top-7 issues that drove the wedge between Viktor Orban and the EU In recent years, the EU-Hungary relations have been rather rocky. Let’s look at some of the points on which Budapest and Brussels have not seen eye to eye: ◻️ Ukraine conflict Recent statements mooting the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine and allowing Kiev to strike inside Russia caused a rift within the bloc. Orban, in turn, has maintained a consistent opposition to escalation since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation. ◻️ Ukraine aid NATO’s ever-growing involvement in the bloc’s proxy war against Russia has raised concerns globally. The PM has consistently refused to blindly follow the hawkish orders of the US-led bloc. ◻️ ‘Russian threat’ The alleged “Russian threat” has been used as an excuse for scaling up thge NATO military presence close to Russia’s borders. But Orban noted that such moves were a dangerous echo of the periods before the world wars. ◻️ Anti-Russian sanctions As Europe mulls a 14th package of anti-Russia sanctions, Hungary has stated time and again that they are not just ineffective but harmful to the EU economy. ◻️ Influx of migrants to the EU In 2023, the EU imposed quotas on member states for taking in migrants from the Middle East and across the Mediterranean Sea. Orban has slammed Europe’s immigration policy as thousands of migrants pose a real security risk. 6 Pro-family policy Rapid population decline across central Europe is a dangerous demographic trend. Orban, a staunch supporter of financial incentives for families, has spoken on the matter at several demography-focused summits. ◻️ Maintaining ties with Russia While Russia has been sidelined from a number of EU ventures, despite Western efforts, Hungary is still seeking fruitful cooperation with Moscow. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Biden might have secretly allowed Ukrainian strikes in Russia using US weapons The Biden administration has secretly permitted Ukraine to use US-suppled weapons to strike inside Russia, but only near Kharkov, Politico reported.

“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkov so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” the report quoted a US official as saying.

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🇨🇳 China-Arab ties strengthen amid multipolarity and geopolitical shifts Chinese-Arabian relations, particularly with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are rapidly growing due to the multipolarity trend, US pressure on China and conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. At the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized China's commitment to partnership for peace and stability. The forum saw the participation of leaders from Egypt, UAE, Bahrain and Tunisia. Additionally, China and Russia have positioned themselves as leaders of BRICS, which now includes UAE and Egypt, with Saudi Arabia also invited to join. Arab states have shown more support for China’s peace plan for Ukraine than Western proposals, with Saudi Arabia suggesting China as a key intermediary for a Gaza ceasefire. Here is the economic foundation for this Arab-Chinese rapprochement: ◻️ China sources over one-third of its oil from six Gulf Cooperation Council members, with only Russia supplying more than Saudi Arabia (85.9 million metric tons in 2023). ◻️ A significant portion of Saudi-Chinese oil trade is conducted in ‘petro-yuans’, attributed to "geopolitical risks," according to Silk Road Fund chairman Zhu Lun. ◻️ De-dollarization and expansion of Arab-Chinese trade to the non-energy sectors were the goals set by Xi during his visit to Riyadh in December 2022. He called for more investment in AI and green tech. ◻️ In June 2023, Riyadh signed a $5.6 billion deal with a Chinese electric carmaker to establish a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. ◻️ Xi proposed creating a "joint space debris observation center" and developing space aircraft for scientific and passenger missions with Arab countries. ◻️ At the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, China signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with all 22 Arab countries and the Arab League, implementing over 200 major projects benefiting nearly 2 billion people. China expects diplomatic support from Arab nations on the Taiwan issue. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed officials and deputies to publicly attack US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping for their reluctance to attend his Ukraine ‘peace’ summit in Switzerland on June 15–16, British newspaper The Financial Times (FT) reported, citing a leaked document. According to an unnamed senior Ukrainian official, there has been "paranoia" in Zelensky's office in recent months. “Zelensky has deep anxiety about the military situation, but especially about the peace summit in June,” the official said. The sources note that Zelensky sees no point in the forum if Biden and Xi do not turn up. US officials told the newspaper that Kiev decided to go ahead the summit at the exclusive Swiss resort despite warnings from Washington that Biden may not be able to attend on those dates. A number of members of the Ukrainian government told the FT that they were concerned that Zelensky's orders could damage relations with the US. According to them, Zelensky should not “bite the hand that feeds” him. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

◻️ Pepe Escobar: The West is Hell-Bent on Provoking Russia Into Hot War ◻️ No business like war business: Israeli defense contractors’ profits boom while economy takes a beating ◻️ EXPOSED: French Foreign Legion fighters pop up in Ukraine ◻️ ABCs of Abrams’ weak spots: comprehensive list of problems with US’ top tank revealed in Ukraine ◻️ Why does the EU top brass have a grudge against Hungary’s PM? ◻️ NATO’s grip on Gotland: Who’s militarizing the Baltic Sea? ◻️ Czech bid to buy artillery ammo for Ukraine on verge of collapse 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🪖 Draft them all! What's behind rumors of new draft age reduction in Ukraine? Ukrainian netizens have raised the alarm over the possibility of a new reduction of conscription age from 25 to 18 years, as the nation's military suffers a manpower shortage. Specifically, users refer to the Kiev regime's policy requiring all men between the ages of 18 and 60 to carry a military ID at all times, and mandating Ukrainians over age 18 to return from abroad and register for military service. While Ukrainian media has rushed to deny Russian reports about the possibility of a reduction in the draft age, Western officials have long been pressing Kiev to press gang its young people. ◻️ On March 22, retired US Army Europe commander General Ben Hodges told Ukrainian radio that Ukraine's manpower shortage can be solved at the expense of over 2 million women and men between 18 and 30. ◻️ The same month, US Senator Lindsey Graham insisted on a visit to Kiev that the Ukrainian law lowering the draft age to 25 was not enough and that younger men should serve too. ◻️ NATO Military Committee Chairman Rob Bauer joined the chorus urging the Kiev regime to expand mobilization efforts during the 16th annual Kiev Security Forum. ◻️ Earlier, in October 2023, ex-UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace called on Volodymyr Zelensky to conscript Ukrainian youths, following in the footsteps of the UK that imposed a draft of British men aged between 18 and 41 in 1939. ◻️ In November 2023, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) obtained intelligence that the US and UK had called on Kiev to reduce the lower age limit to 17 and raise the upper limit to 70. With the Kiev regime is clearly facing defeat, the West appears to be twisting its arm into fighting to the last Ukrainian. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt