Russian party leader calls for closing all US extraterritorial biolabs

LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky

Leonid Slutsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), has called for shutting down all US extraterritorial bio laboratories, including in Ukraine, immediately.

"As far as biological weapons are concerned, we trust that many national parliaments, like the Philippines, and many public organizations, funds, universities, and individual politicians will share our position. There should be no more of this kind of thing on the planet either today or any time in the future. And the existing biolaboratories must be closed immediately," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel on Friday.

FSB publishes operational footage from the place of liquidation of terrorists in the Kaluga region

He stressed that experiments had been done on "thousands and thousands of people," including on the Ukrainian military.

Russia’s Federal Assembly, the country’s bicameral parliament, previously adopted an appeal to the parliament across the globe in connection with the United States military’s biological activities outside of US territory and called for a review of the legal and political aspects of the agreements between national public health services and the US Department of Defense.

According to preliminary estimates, around 400 Washington-controlled dual-use biolaboratories are operating in other countries, the Russian lawmakers pointed out.

Last March, both houses of Russia’s parliament passed a resolution on a parliamentary probe into the operation of biolaboratories in Ukraine and ruled to set up a joint commission to conduct such a probe.

The commission of 14 members of the Russian State Duma (lower parliament house) and 14 members of the Federation Council (upper house) is co-chaired by State Duma deputy speaker Irina Yarovaya and Federation Council deputy speaker Konstantin Kosachev. According to Yarivaya, the commission is expected to issue a dossier that will be referred to the Russian president and government, and to international organizations.

Meeting with LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky

LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky: Mr President, thank you very much for the meeting.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Slutsky, we are in touch in general – we meet regularly at different events, but separate meetings are always needed, partly because of the current situation in the country.

Leonid Slutsky: Thank you once again.

Pushilin and Turchak presented awards to tankers of the First Army Corps

Mr President, it was hard to see the New Year in without Vladimir Zhirinovsky. At the same time, the party is growing stronger and bigger – there are almost 350,000 of us, including 1,500 volunteers that actively worked in the new territories before they received this status.

Since the first days, we wholeheartedly supported the special military operation. Now we have taken under our wing the sewing battalions – the “Sewing for our people” movement. There are thousands of these devoted women sewing camouflage nets, balaclava helmets and jackets. These women are helping to save our men, their health and lives at the frontline just as they are helping to save us.

Of course, today I am grateful to you for this opportunity to report on some of the ideas of our parliamentary party. They are not revolutionary or breakthrough. Today, people do not need a breakthrough. They need common sense and a constructive position. If it is constructive, it should not remain an opposition view but be closer to people’s needs to resolve problems that we are really facing every day.

Our ideas sometimes sound modest. We believe it is necessary to introduce a uniform minimum package to support volunteers and mobilised fighters in various regions of the Federation. These should be uniform norms. We need to support the creation of nursery groups for toddlers from 2 months to 18 months to encourage women to feel more confident and fulfil their demographic-oriented tasks.

We also have other proposals – on support for the participants in the special military operation and those that are supporting it on the home front, which is no less important. The same applies to saving the number of population and demography. Some of these proposals were made by Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

Putin congratulated Gazprom on its 30th anniversary, joked about Miller's hat and invited him to the tatami

We are working with the Government closer and more effectively than ever before. We are being heard; our concepts are being translated into life and becoming effective laws – they are turning into mechanisms that works.

And, of course, since I retained my position of the Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, I am extremely grateful to you for the decision to confer on me the title of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador. This is a high responsibility, especially today, and therefore I will report to you on fulfilling your instructions on the African track and the very important direction – the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

Vladimir Putin: Very well, Mr Slutsky. I know that your proposals are always specific, practical.

A sniper working near Ugledar spoke about the difficulties of the profession: when shooting, you need to take into account the speed of the Earth’s rotation and not be scared when they throw mines and Grads at you

Leonid Slutsky: Absolutely.

Vladimir Putin: Let’s go over to them, discuss them.

Ukraine would have wiped out Donbass last year, if Russia hadn’t intervened — official

LPR ambassador to Moscow Rodion Miroshnik
©Maxim Grigoryev/TASS

Ukraine would have levelled the Donbass republics a year ago if Russia had not intervened in time by recognizing the Lugansk and the Donetsk People's Republics and launching its special military operation, Former LPR ambassador to Moscow Rodion Miroshnik said on Friday.

"Exactly one year ago, the Ukrainian regime began artillery preparations before attacking Donbass! A 150,000-soldier group, armed and trained by NATO, was preparing to sweep away the Donbass. And if it were not for Russia's decision to start a special military operation, we would have simply been levelled," he wrote on his Telegram channel on the anniversary of the beginning of the escalation of the situation in the Donbass, "And neither the UN nor the OSCE would have noticed it."

Miroshnik recalled that from February 17 to 24, when the Russian Federation began its special military operation, the Ukrainian armed forces fired 551 shells on the LPR territory. At that time, he recalled, "700-800 rounds of ammunition per day flew into the republic." There were attempts to break through the defense, as well as casualties among civilians.

Also on Friday, Miroshnik drew attention to the fact that a year ago, neither the guarantors (of the Minsk agreements) - France and Germany - nor the UN General Assembly had forced Kiev to fulfill its obligations. At that time, the republics understood that the clock was ticking as the Ukrainian military could wipe out the DPR and the LPR cities, so the emergency evacuation began.

"But the world prefers not to see this and starts counting from February 24," he pointed out.

Presidential envoy lashes out at US-led West’s ‘theft’ of Russia’s assets

The US-led West’s seizure of Russia’s gold and foreign exchange holdings is a clear example of theft, Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergey Ivanov told TASS.

"The seizure of our gold and foreign exchange assets is a clear example. This is theft. How can we be urged to speak trustingly with the West after this? If your house was robbed and the thieves were caught, would you talk to them? It’s the same thing here both in everyday life and in big politics. You simply cannot do business [with the West], you must adapt to this thought and live life in a new way," Ivanov said.

After the start of Russia’s special military operation, the United States, Canada, the EU and the United Kingdom froze around $300 bln of Russia’s assets, that is, half of the country’s gold and forex reserves.

Italian ambassador summoned to Russian foreign ministry

Italian Ambassador to Moscow Giorgio Starace has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry to talk about the slew of Russian entertainers whose shows have been canceled in the country, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.

"The Russian side expressed bewilderment that the performances of a number of Russian musicians have been canceled in Italy recently. It was pointed out that these decisions by the Italian authorities, regrettably, indicate a tendency toward discriminating against Russian artists and reducing cultural and humanitarian exchanges, which runs counter to the Italian leaders’ statements on the importance of preserving a common space of European and global culture, and the inadmissibility of barriers and fences on account of ethnic descent," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the Russian side stressed that it is ready for dialogue in the sphere of culture and doesn’t plan to impose any restrictions on Italian people of the arts. "Naturally, if the Italian side sticks to the principle of equality and reciprocity as far as relations in this sphere are concerned," the ministry noted.

While discussing certain international aspects, the Italian diplomat was informed about Russia’s views on the ongoing supplies of weapons and military hardware, including offensive, to the Kiev regime, on the training of the Ukrainian military, and on West’s course toward escalating the conflict.

Ex-CIA Analyst Says Mainstream Media Killed Nord Stream Bombing Story

Ray McGovern speaking at an event.
©Sputnik / Tilo Gräser

James Tweedie Write to author

The bombing of the Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines supplying Germany has directly benefitted business interests in the two countries now accused of the terrorist act: the US and Norway have both increased natural gas sales to Europe.

Western media suppressed the revelation that the White House ordered the bombing of two Russian gas pipelines, a former CIA expert has alleged.

Award-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published his bombshell exposé on his personal blog last week detailing how last September's attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 submarine pipelines to Germany was organized.

Russia has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council on February 22 to discuss Hersh's revelations, while China has called on the UN to investigate.

Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, told Sputnik the security council presidency, currently held by Malta, could block that request.

"It's hard for the Russians to depend on the UN now since it has been pretty much co-opted by the US, but they still play by that rule," McGovern said. "They prefer the old way to what the US calls the 'rules-based international order'."

He said the most interesting aspect of Hersh's exposé was "the fact that US media, German media have been silent on all these things."

"How long can the major media keep this quiet?" McGovern asked, pointing to the continued longevity of the 'Russiagate' hoax years after it was debunked. "It's been over five years since the US government knew that there was no Russian hacking of the DNC. Five years plus. Does the American people know that?"

The intelligence expert said the American people had been "inculcated with a deep hatred of Russia and Putin personally" to drum up support for the proxy conflict in Ukraine. But now the wheels were coming off the Pentagon-orchestrated military campaign, the media narrative was crumbling.

"Things are coming to a head in the next month or two and how the US reacts to what is likely to be the abject defeat of Ukrainian forces," McGovern said. "The people running our policy are naive. They're arrogant. They think the US is exceptional. And Putin himself has said, you know, they think they can be completely immune to the consequences of their activities. That is no longer the case."

Another who has been critical is former US marine and UN chemical weapons inspector Scott Ritter.

"There are lots of people that know how stupid and how unconstitutional this act of war was," McGovern said. "So what we have is not only a lack of courage."

The former CIA insider said government surveillance was now "so pervasive" that few sources would take the risk of tipping off reporters like Hersh.

"I imagine Sy Hersh, every stroke of his pen is recorded and they can trace back as they try to trace back to who the, quote, culprit, end quote, and reality, who the patriot was," McGovern said.

He compared Hersh to persecuted whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Wikileaks founder Jullian Assange.

"They'll double down on stupid for as long as they can," McGovern said. "Next thing you can expect is to find out that Sy Hersh slept with some Swedish women."

Nuland's Words on Crimea Confirm US Involvement in Ukraine Conflict, Moscow Says

©Sputnik / Vitaliy Belousov / Go to the mediabank

The statement of US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland about the strikes on Crime once again confirm the involvement of the United States in the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Nuland said that Ukraine will not be considered safe by the collective West unless Crimea is at a minimum demilitarized and that the US supports Kiev targeting massive Russian military installations in Crimea as it considers them to be legitimate targets.

"She (Nuland) allowed herself a whole series of mind-blowing and absurd statements... Once again, we see the involvement of the United States in the conflict in Ukraine — supplying with weapons in huge quantities, providing intelligence, and blatantly participating in combat operations planning," Zakharova told a briefing.

The US has a lot of internal problems to address apart from Ukraine, the spokeswoman added.

Earlier Thursday, Nuland called Russia's military installations in Crimea "legitimate targets" for Ukraine and added that Washington supports Kiev targeting the Russian military hubs in the peninsula, saying that "Ukraine is not going to be safe unless Crimea is at a minimum demilitarized."

The Unites States considers it important to provide Kiev with the military "of the future," which would be able to deter Russia after its special military operation in Ukraine is finished, Nuland added.

"Even if there is a just peace, there has to be a long-term plan and a building of the Ukrainian military of the future, so that they can be deterring of any future appetite [Russian President Vladimir] Putin might have," Nuland said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.

The official also said that Washington should help Kiev by building "a long-term integrated air defense, a long-term high-end border security force" and an ability to patrol the national maritime borders.

She said that the conflict might end because of either Kiev or Moscow's exhaustion or a diplomatic settlement, adding that the US wanted to see Putin's strategic defeat.

"I would like to give Victoria Nuland a piece of advice — take care of white balloons and UFOs that are flying above the a territory of the US. As we can see, you are not very successful in dealing with these unidentified objects quickly and efficiently. Your people are being mocked at, while you are dreaming of Russia's defeat and now even urging Kiev to attack Crimea. You have things to do back home," Zakharova said.

US authorities silent about major man-made disaster in Ohio, Russian diplomat says

The US authorities are silent about a major man-made disaster involving the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

"On February 3, 50 cars of a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near East Palestine, Ohio. What is happening in this state appears to be the largest man-made disaster in recent times in terms of threats to the environment, human life and health. Notably, its details are only beginning to emerge," the diplomat noted, adding that reporters had been initially denied access to the derailment site.

Zakharova recommended that US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States Victoria Nuland take personal control of the situation.

"Victoria, we know you for a person who was in charge of the information at the Department of State, but in general, you are a public figure. Could you take personal control of the situation around the derailment of 50 cars carrying toxic chemicals, which took place in your own country? Tell us what is happening there and bring some democracy to life in the United States. Your people miss it," Zakharova said.

Nuland made the remarks during a virtual discussion with the Carnegie Endowment, and added that she would give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Nobel Prize if he used his influence to help put an end to ongoing special military operation.

“If Bibi Netanyahu can get Putin out of Ukraine, I'm going to give him the Nobel Prize,” Nuland said in response to comments made by the Israeli official about providing additional military aid to Ukrainian forces.

Soon after the interview, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov confirmed that Israel vowed to provide Kiev with alert technology for such aerial threats as missiles and drones.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in mid-October that Israel could no longer supply military hardware to Ukraine due to "operational reasons." At the same time, he promised that Israel would help Ukrainians develop an air raid warning system and would provide relief aid. Western countries have increased their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a military operation there on February 24, 2022. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev.

The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that President Putin has always been and continues to remain open to negotiations on Ukraine, as is evident from his attempts to initiate dialogue with the US, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe even before the start of hostilities. Moscow has said it agrees with US statements that the resolution of the Ukraine crisis must be based on a fair and long-term peace, but at the same time, it sees no prospects for negotiations yet.

NATO involvement in Ukrainian conflict is maximal, says Russian diplomat

The involvement of NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine is maximal, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

"NATO countries are playing innocent, trying to prove that they are not a party to the conflict (in Ukraine).... The involvement [of NATO countries] is maximal, (they’ve been carrying out) provocative activity for many years. Now they directly control the leadership of the Kiev regime, they are all connected."

According to Zakharova, Moscow also drew attention to media reports that Ukraine might organize joint licensed production of shells and other weapons with the UK and create similar military enterprises with other NATO countries. "It is obvious that big Western capital is behind the pumping of the Ukrainian armed forces, the formation of combat operations," the diplomat noted.

Lawsuit claims Alabama man froze to death in police custody, was ‘likely’ placed in jail freezer

Anthony Mitchell died in police custody on January 26 (Image: ALABAMA SOUTHERN DISTRICT COURT

The mother of Anthony “Tony” Mitchell, a Walker County, Alabama man who died in police custody in January, has filed a federal lawsuit against multiple jail officials, including Sheriff Nick Smith, alleging that authorities deprived the man of his constitutional rights by leaving him in the jail’s walk-in freezer “or similar frigid environment” for hours.

“This is one of the most appalling cases of jail abuse the country has seen,” the 37-page federal lawsuit, seen at the bottom of this story, begins. “On the night of January 25 to January 26, 2023, Anthony Don Mitchell (“Tony”) froze to death while incarcerated at the Walker County Jail.”

The case, lawyers for the family wrote in the complaint, “raises an appalling question: how does a man literally freeze to death while incarcerated in a modern, climate-controlled jail, in the custody and care of corrections officers?”

The suit alleges that Mitchell was “likely… placed in a restraint chair in the jail kitchen’s walk-in freezer or similar frigid environment and left there for hours.”

Only with the release of an internal surveillance video recorded by a correctional officer did what happened to Mitchell begin to come to light, according to Jon Goldfarb, a lawyer representing Mitchell’s family. That correctional officer was later fired by the sheriff’s department, according to Goldfarb.

A surveillance video obtained and first reported by Nexstar’s WIAT shows what the family says appears to be their loved one being carried into the loading area of the Walker County Jail. In it, Mitchell is limp, his head and feet dangling as uniformed personnel — “Sheriff” emblazoned on one of their vests — lay his body just outside a marked police SUV. In total, four uniformed officials then work to put him into the police vehicle.

The video contradicts an earlier statement from the Walker County Sheriff’s Office claiming Mitchell was “alert and conscious” when he left the jail for transport to a local hospital.

The newly filed lawsuit also includes quotes from notes included in Mitchell’s medical records written by an ER doctor after the Walker County man was transported to a local hospital the day of his death.

“I am not sure what circumstances the patient was held in incarceration but it is difficult to understand a rectal temperature of 72° F 22° centigrade while someone is incarcerated in jail,” the doctor’s notes read, according the federal lawsuit. “The cause of his hypothermia is not clear. It is possible he had an underlying medical condition resulting in hypothermia. I do not know if he could have been exposed to a cold environment. I do believe that hypothermia was the ultimate cause of his death.”

At least five hours passed from the time Mitchell was removed from the “frigid environment” until he was transported to the hospital, according to the complaint.

Screenshots from additional surveillance video included in the lawsuit show that Mitchell was naked during his detention. He was placed in a concrete isolation cell for the duration of his two-week stint in the jail, the suit alleged.

“The cell lacked a bed or other furnishing,” the suit said. “There was only a drain in the floor that could be used as a toilet. The cell was bare cement, the equivalent of a dog kennel. But unlike a dog, Tony was not even given a mat to sleep on.”

T.J. Armstrong, the public information officer for the sheriff’s office, refused to comment on the video published by WIAT last week, instead referring all inquiries to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which is investigating the death. ALEA has not responded to questions about the video as of publication time.

Goldfarb said last week that the family believes that all video of their loved one captured by the Walker County Sheriff’s Office should be released to the public.

“If the Sheriff does not have anything to hide, then all the videos of Mr. Anthony Mitchell should be preserved and released to the public,” the lawyer said, in part. “He was obviously not ‘alert and conscious’ when he left the Walker County Jail.”

Mitchell, 33, died in police custody on Jan. 27, state and local officials later confirmed.

Tony Mitchell’s recent interactions with Walker County law enforcement began on Jan. 13, when family members asked police to conduct a welfare check on Mitchell, a statement from the Walker County Sheriff’s Office released following the incident explained.

Law enforcement claimed that when they arrived on scene, Mitchell “immediately brandished a handgun, and fire at least one shot at Deputies (sic) before retreating into a wooded area behind his home.”

After a search for Mitchell that included both air and K9 units, Mitchell was arrested and charged with attempted murder, according to police and court records.

“Thankfully,” the sheriff’s office post said, “the day ended with everyone safe.”

In addition to their initial written statement, the Jan. 13 post by the Walker County Sheriff’s Office included an unedited, full-body photo of Mitchell, whose face appeared to be spray-painted black.

One of Mitchell’s family members said that the photo shocked her.

“I hadn’t seen him in two years, and that was the first time I’d seen him — and the last,” she said.

The photo, which was shared hundreds of times across social media and in multiple news outlets, garnered significant public pushback by those criticizing the “sensationalism” of the post. According to Facebook records, the sheriff’s office edited the post later that day, cropping the photo to exclude Mitchell’s face.

Court records show that Mitchell was brought before a judge the day of his arrest but was listed as being “unable to sign” paperwork by court officials.

“We knew he was in jail, and we thought that was the safest place for him at the time,” his family member said. “But it turned out to be the worst place for him.”

Officials with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office did not initially respond to questions about Mitchell’s death, but after WIAT reported on his death in police custody, the sheriff’s office released a statement about the situation. As in most Alabama counties, the local jail is operated by the sheriff’s office.

“On Thursday, January 27th, an inmate in the Walker County Jail was provided a routine medical check by jail medical staff. Medical staff determined the inmate needed to be transported to the hospital for further evaluation,” the statement said. “The inmate was alert and conscious when he left the facility and arrived at the hospital. Shortly after arrival at the hospital, the inmate suffered a medical emergency and became unresponsive. Life saving efforts were performed by hospital staff and the inmate was ultimately revived. Unfortunately, a short time later, the inmate passed away.”

The statement went on to say that because Mitchell’s death occurred in police custody, the situation is being investigated by state police.

“It is unknown at this time what contributed to his death,” the statement concluded. “Even though the inmate’s death did not occur in the jail, he was still in police custody, so standard protocol was followed and ALEA was contacted. SBI agents began an immediate investigation into the incident.”

In a phone conversation, a representative of the sheriff’s office emphasized that the death did not occur in the Walker County Jail.

In a statement sent after WIAT’s initial report, officials with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said they are conducting an “in-custody death investigation” in Walker County. Once the investigation is completed, its findings will be handed over to the Walker County District Attorney’s Office, the agency said.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to a request for comment on the family’s lawsuit as of publication time.

Western military equipment sent to Ukraine to be ground down, says senior Russian diplomat

©AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru

All Western military equipment that is currently being delivered to Ukraine, will be ground down, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Channel One on Thursday.

"Everything that is being put on board of another vessel now will be ground down. All those Leopard (tanks)... will be plunged by our fire in Ukraine," he said.

Deputy Minister also criticized the West’s policy regarding arms supplies to Kiev, blasting it as "an absurd decision."

Banalizing the issue of using nuclear weapons has become another "sad aspect" of the current developments, he said, adding though that Moscow remains committed to the principle of unacceptability of nuclear war.

Seven Explosions Heard Over Russia's Belgorod, Air Defense Systems Presumably Activated

Air defense systems were presumably activated in the Russian city of Belgorod that borders Ukraine's Kharkov region on Thursday night as seven explosions sounded in the center of city, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

The explosions occurred at around 11:52 p.m. Moscow time (20:52 GMT) in the center of Belgorod and lasted for about 10 minutes with intervals.

Loud expositions made windows in residential buildings shake and car alarms go off.

Nuland outlines US goals in Ukraine

Unless the Crimean peninsula is at the very least “demilitarized” Ukraine won’t feel safe, while the ideal end to the current conflict is with a revolution in Moscow, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said on Thursday.

Ukrainians “have to get to a map that is more sustainable for them,” Nuland said in a video interview with the Washington think tank Carnegie Endowment. They have “significant chunks of territory they need to be a viable state, before you even get to the question of Crimea, and that’s what they’re focused on now.”

The US position is that Ukraine is “owed and due all of their territory within their international borders,” which means Crimea as well, Nuland added.

FILE PHOTO © AP / Susan Wals

Assigned to Ukraine by the Soviet Union in 1954, Crimea voted to rejoin Russia in March 2014, after the violent coup in Kiev that Nuland helped “midwife,” according to the infamous phone call intercept.

“Ukraine is not going to be safe unless Crimea is – at a minimum, at a minimum – demilitarized,” Nuland insisted on Thursday, claiming that Moscow had turned the peninsula into a military base, with command posts, logistics depots and airfields for “Iranian drones.”

“Those are legitimate targets, Ukraine is hitting them, and we are supporting that,” she said.

Earlier this week, Politico quoted two anonymous officials to imply that Nuland’s boss, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, had admitted the US was not “actively encouraging” Ukraine to seize Crimea and that any moves on the peninsula would be “Kiev’s decision alone.”

Nuland, however, told Carnegie that the battlefield objectives of Washington and Kiev overlap “in terms of what the Ukrainians want to do on the battlefield, and what we’re enabling them to plan to do.”

Asked how she saw the conflict ending, Nuland said the West “must never trust, as long as Vladimir Putin is in power, or somebody like him, that this is truly over.” Even if the fighting ends on Ukraine’s terms, there “has to be a long-term plan” to build up Ukraine’s military as a deterrent. She also expressed a preference for Russians overthrowing their government for a “better future” offered by the West.

The US has committed more than $100 billion in military aid to Ukraine just over the past year, but Washington officially insists it is not a party to the conflict.

Russia demands UN probe Nord Stream blasts

Lawmakers in the Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament, unanimously voted on Thursday to adopt an appeal to the UN demanding a probe into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September. MPs described the incident as a “crime committed by the US.”

The move comes after a bombshell exposé was published by veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh last week revealing how Washington and its NATO ally Norway cooperated to develop a plan to destroy the pipelines.

Russia’s appeal was prepared on behalf of State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who, during Thursday’s parliament meeting, called the blasts a terrorist attack.

“Just think about it: a terrorist act aimed against Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. The USA, shamelessly, brought it into motion, with President Biden publicly endorsing it,” Volodin said. He also noted how the countries involved in the incident were “working on instructions from both the CIA and the US.”

The appeal was initially introduced to the State Duma by the Parliament Committee for International Relations on Tuesday. The document states that “the Biden administration, which issued the unlawful order, bears full responsibility for causing multibillion-dollar damage to the owners of the most important energy infrastructure for the Eurasian Continent.”

The document insists that Washington must answer for the “long-term detrimental effect of this attack on the economic development of the countries of the region” and the “catastrophic damage to the environment.” According to the lawmakers, Washington’s “cynical desire” for geopolitical hegemony and the “physical elimination of natural competitors” puts US leaders “on par with ruthless terrorist and war criminals."

On September 26, a series of explosions heavily damaged both Nord Stream pipelines, which were built under the Baltic Sea to deliver Russian natural gas to Germany and other EU nations.

The blasts happened near the Danish island of Bornholm, in an area where the US Navy and its NATO allies conducted BALTOPS 22 drills several months prior. According to Hersh, American divers planted the explosives under the cover of the naval exercise, and later detonated the bombs using a Norwegian patrol plane.

Washington has repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack, denouncing Hersh’s revelations as “fiction.”