Eurasia

Spain: PM Sánchez Announces Reform Of National Intelligence Center Following Pegasus Revelations

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in the Lower House of Parliament that the actions of the Executive in relation to espionage through ‘Pegasus’ are guided by transparency, collaboration with justice and the strengthening of public security. In his appearance before the plenary session of the legislative chamber to report …

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Pentagon Says Ukraine’s Military Needs Change As War With Russia Continues

The United States is supporting Ukraine’s fight against Vladimir Putin’s unjust war for the long run and is laser-focused on getting Ukrainian service members the equipment and supplies they need, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said Friday. U.S. officials are in constant touch with Ukrainian leaders and continue to …

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Who Are The Neo-Nazis Fighting For Russia In Ukraine?

The video, published in December 2020, showed two nattily dressed Russian men — waistcoats, pocket squares, silk ties – sipping American whiskey in brandy snifters and discussing killing Ukrainians. “I’m a Nazi. I’m a Nazi,” said one of the men, Aleksei Milchakov, who was the main focus of the video …

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Putin Places Brutal GRU Officer In Charge Of Russian Intelligence In Ukraine

Furious at the FSB for its optimistic assessments of Ukraine in advance of his invasion, Vladimir Putin has briefly arrested the head of the FSB’s fifth directorate that had been responsible and has now put a GRU officer notorious for brutality in charge of intelligence on the war, Andrey Soldatov …

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Ukraine Dismisses Kissinger Suggestion to Surrender Territory to Russia in Exchange for Peace

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said that Ukraine should give up territory to seal an end to the Russo-Ukrainian war in an address to Western leaders. Ukrainian leader then gave a “polite” response to the former secretary, declining his suggestion. Speaking through video link, the 98-year-old Kissinger cautioned …

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Iran Expands its Diplomatic Options

Iranian leaders are exchanging a wide range of visits with regional leaders to break Tehran out of its isolation. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s visit to Iran represents his attempt to consolidate outside support amid Russia’s distraction with its war against Ukraine. Gulf state leaders are pressing Tehran to compromise …

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French Cement Company Facing Charges of Financing Terrorism in Syria

A French judicial investigation found that Lafarge Cement Syria, a subsidiary of Lafarge, paid as much as 13 million euros to a range of armed groups operating in Syria, including Islamic State. Numerous former high-ranking executives, including two former chief executives, were indicted on charges of financing terrorism in 2018. …

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Tajikistan Seeks Security Partners against Afghanistan-based Threats

Leaders in Tajikistan are wrestling with increasingly complex threats posed by the Taliban regime and cross border attacks by Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) fighters. The hostile relationship with the Taliban is a function, in part, of Tajikistan’s longstanding support for Afghan Tajiks and other opponents of the Taliban regime. …

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New Opportunities for Mediation in Nagorno-Karabakh

In the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine, a series of clashes and a subsequent period of quiet have raised both fears about renewed fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and hopes that diplomacy might still bring the parties closer to peace. In March, Azerbaijani forces seized territory around Farukh, an ethnic Armenian-populated …

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Iranian Protesters Are Angry About More Than Just Food Prices

Since early May, Iran has been rocked by protests over a precipitous rise in food prices, triggered by the government’s decision to cut existing subsidies on food products. Since then, prices have gone up dramatically, with staples such as imported wheat increasing by up to 300 percent and cooking oil …

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