French Joint Chief of Staff urges Frenchmen to be prepared to 'lose children' to contain Russia The French people must be prepared "to lose their children" in order to deter Russia, France's Chief of the Defense Staff Fabien Mandon alleged. "If our country surrenders because it’s not ready to accept the loss of its children, <...> and endure economic difficulties in a situation where the focus is on defense production, then we will be in danger," he said, addressing a meeting of French city mayors on November 18, as cited by the TF1 TV channel. Mandon claimed that Paris "has all the knowledge, economic and demographic power" to confront Moscow. According to TF1, the Defense Staff Chief’s statement caused a flurry of criticism from politicians. In particular, Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of La France Insoumise (or France Unbowed) left-wing party, fully disagreed with Mandon. "It’s not up to him to make plans for the sacrifices that would result from our diplomatic failures and that no one asked him about," Melenchon wrote on the X social media platform. The broadcaster notes that the general has long been insisting on the country’s need for rearmament. Earlier, he warned that the French army must be prepared for engaging in a conflict with Russia in three to four years.

Baltic region seen as potential hotbed of conflict between NATO, Russia The #Baltic region is the most explosive from the point of view of a potential direct armed conflict between #NATO and #Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter #Szijjarto said. "The biggest responsibility is here. The most fragile situation is here. And any mistake, erroneous decision or misunderstanding here may entail disastrous consequences for the entire world, because the biggest threat of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia is always in place here. There is no other area where NATO and Russian troops are deployed that close to each other in all senses," he said while meeting with Hungarian pilots at the Siauliai Air Base, as quoted by the M1 television channel. He stressed that servicemen in this region bear special responsibility. "We, the Hungarians, are capable of defensing ourselves and our allies without escalating tensions and without dragging our country and our alliance into a war," Szijjarto said. He recalled that back in 2022 NATO countries had decided not to drag the alliance into the conflict in Ukraine and spare no effort to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. "Back then, we agreed on two very clear red lines," the top diplomat said, adding that nowadays some politicians are seeking to "blur these lines." "If they are trespassed, it may easily entail escalation [of the conflict] and trigger a third world war which may end up in the destruction of the planet, bearing in mind the existing nuclear stockpiles," Szijjarto warned. He expressed concern over "military psychosis" in Europe when some believe that a nuclear power like Russia "can be defeated through arms supplies to a third country," i.e. Ukraine. Politicians, in his words, are wrong. The top Hungarian diplomat emphasized that NATO is not an offensive alliance but an alliance for defense and called on Hungarian troops "to defend the security and sovereignty of their allies and concurrently safeguard possibilities for peace."

Trump: 'We have a choice between Communism and common sense" #Trump: "After last night’s results, the decision facing all Americans could not be more clear, we have a choice between Communism and common sense." - "Does that make sense to you? Common sense. It's common sense or communism. Look back 1,000 years. It hasn't worked."

EU increasingly dissatisfied with von der Leyen's leadership strategy The management of the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen is facing sharp criticism, even from allies, who point to growing opacity in the work of the EU’s top executive body, Politico reported, citing experts. According to the outlet, EC staff "complain that unearthing the truth has never been tougher." Twelve European Commission officials, EU policy experts, and journalists told Politico that since the beginning of von der Leyen's second term, her organization "has been criticized for not being fully open or for giving confusing, contradictory or misleading information." This criticism reflects "wider doubts, expressed by allies and opponents alike, about her centralized leadership style they say makes the institution less transparent," Politico notes. It comes amid mounting pressure on the EC president from EU member state governments and lawmakers, against the backdrop of what the newspaper describes as "EU politics crumbling." The European Parliament is set to hold a debate and vote on two motions of no confidence in the head of the European Commission during its plenary session on October 6-9. Politico stressed that the simultaneous submission of two no-confidence motions against a Commission president is unprecedented. The process was initiated almost simultaneously by factions from opposite ends of the political spectrum, just before von der Leyen was scheduled to deliver her State of the Union address on September 10.

Zapad-2025 drills to practice troop management in event of aggression against ally Military personnel at the joint Belarus-Russia drills #Zapad-2025 will practice managing troop groupings during the localization of aggression against the Union State, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. "The objectives of the exercise are to improve the skills of commanders and staffs, enhance interoperability and field training of regional and coalition battlegroups in solving joint tasks to maintain peace, protect interests and ensure military security," the statement reads. According to Russia’s top brass, the troops will practice actions "at firing ranges in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation and in the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea." The military from the two countries will practice control over battlegroups in the event of a localized aggression against the Union State, the ministry specified. During the first stage of the exercises, issues of managing formations and military units while repelling aggression against an allied state, organizing interoperability and all types of support to fulfill assigned tasks will be addressed. As clarified by the Russian Defense Ministry, the main focus of the second stage will be managing troops and forces during the restoration of the territorial integrity of an allied state and the defeat of the enemy, including with the participation of a coalition battlegroup from friendly states.

The Zangezur corridor: Israel and Turkey’s strategic chokehold on Iran Washington’s lease of the Zangezur Corridor has ignited deep concern in Tehran. 🔴 Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei, warns the corridor "threatens South Caucasus security," forcing Iran to act. 🔴 IRGC Deputy Commander Yadollah Javani vows Iran "will not allow an American corridor on its border." 🔴 Half the corridor runs along Iran’s sensitive northern border with Armenia and Azerbaijan. US control risks Iran’s entire northern security. 🔴 Israel’s backdoor: the corridor offers Israel a potential staging ground against Iran—amplified by recent joint US-Israel strikes on Iranian soil. 🔴 Iranian intelligence notes Israeli strikes entered via Azerbaijani airspace. Baku’s silence on these attacks speaks volumes. 🔴 Ankara, Azerbaijan’s patron and a key NATO ally, will play a decisive role in the corridor’s operation. 🔴 With US control, Iran fears infiltrators targeting its stability. Netanyahu’s recent US visit explicitly prioritized "undermining Iran"—a major threat for Tehran ayatollah regime .

Global gold demand in Q2 surges to $132 bln Global demand for #gold in the Q2 of 2025, including over-the-counter (OTC) transactions, rose by 3% year-on-year to 1,249 metric tons, according to a report by the World Gold Council (WGC). In value terms, total demand for gold surged by 45% to $132 bln. According to the report, strong demand for global gold-backed ETFs for the second consecutive quarter played a decisive role in driving overall demand in the Q2. Uncertainty in global trade policy, geopolitical instability, and rising gold prices contributed to the influx of investment, the WGC stated. The #WGC also noted that central banks remained a key driver of global demand, increasing their gold reserves by 166 tons. Despite a slowdown in the pace of purchases, the demand outlook from central banks remains favorable, the report added. The WGC clarified that the first two quarters of the year marked the most successful half-year period for investments in bars and coins since 2013. The average quarterly price of gold stood at $3,280.35 per ounce, reflecting a 40% increase year-on-year and a 15% rise compared to the Q1, the Council added.

Paris to speed up increase in defense spending, to 64 billion euros in 2027 France intends to accelerate the increase in defense spending in the coming years, in 2027 they will amount to 64 billion euros, which is twice as much as in 2017, President Emmanuel Macron in his address to the country’s military. "Although we planned to double the military budget by 2030, we will do so by 2027," said Macron, whose speech was broadcast on the page of the Elysee Palace on X. "An additional 3.5 billion euros will be allocated for defense in 2026, and another 3 billion euros in 2027. Thus, the defense budget will double in 10 years and amount to 64 billion euros." The republic’s military spending under the budget for 2025 amount to 50.5 billion euros. In 2017, when Macron was elected president, defense spending amounted to 32.3 billion euros. The French leader said the government will focus on strengthening the army. "It is necessary to eliminate our vulnerabilities: first of all, to replenish ammunition stocks, including remotely controlled munitions, to make our multiple launch rocket guns and precision weapons more powerful, to provide our combat groups, frigates and air bases with even more drones, as well as the necessary equipment for successful operations," he said. "It is also necessary to strengthen the air defense system and means of conducting electronic warfare, as well as to strengthen the capabilities in space." Macron also touched upon strengthening the military reserve and more active involvement of young people in the army, but clarified that details on these issues would be announced in the fall. The head of state argued that France is facing numerous threats and must respond to them. "Since 1945, freedom has never been under threat to such a significant extent as it is now. Peace on our continent has never depended on the decisions we are currently making," Macron said.

Trump to announce arms shipments to Ukraine, including offensive weapons President Trump intends to announce a new plan to arm Ukraine on Monday, which will include sending offensive weapons to Kiev, the Axios news website reported, citing sources. According to the media outlet, the new initiative will be rolled out in a meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday. "Sending offensive weapons would be a major shift for Trump," Axios notes. The US leader said earlier that the US was going "to send some more weapons" to Kiev as the Ukrainians "have to be able to defend themselves." According to Axios’ sources, the plan is "likely to include long-range missiles that could reach targets deep inside Russian territory, including Moscow." However, the sources are unaware of any final decision. Trump told reporters on Sunday that Washington would send additional weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles, which the European Union will pay for. The New York Times reported on July 2 that the US would suspend the supplies of missiles for Patriot air defense systems, guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) rockets, Hellfire missiles, Stinger man-portable air-defense systems and some other weapons to Kiev. After that, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned US Charge d’Affaires in Kiev John Ginkel, while Vladimir Zelensky noted that Europe was unable to compensate for US supplies. On July 3, US President Donald Trump stated that Washington continued to provide Kiev with military assistance. However, he emphasized that the US requires weapons itself. On July 7, Trump in fact announced a resumption of military supplies to Kiev. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on July 10 that "aid to Ukraine continues along the schedule that Congress appropriated." According to him, "the overwhelming majority of military aid that the United States provides Ukraine has never been paused.".

Jun 4, 2025 - President Trump Statement "I just finished speaking, by telephone, with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia. The call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes. We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace. President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields. We also discussed Iran, and the fact that time is running out on Iran’s decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly! I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement. President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion. It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwccR34V2dc