‘It is impossible to bring us to our knees’: Russia reacts to Putin-Trump phone call

©RT/КЕ

The phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump which took place yesterday and lasted for an hour and a half, has become this week’s – and perhaps this month’s – top story. During their conversation, the two leaders discussed the exchange of prisoners on both sides, the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, and the possibility of a face-to-face meeting. Here’s what Russian politicians and experts are saying about the conversation between the two leaders.

Third President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev:

The presidents of Russia and the US have talked at last. This is very important in and of itself. The previous US administration cut off all high-level contacts in an attempt to punish and humiliate Russia. As a result, the world was balancing on the brink of the Apocalypse. How did we get there?

It just so happened at some point that the US appointed itself the country-in-chief on our planet with the exclusive right to wage a hybrid war against our people, to mete out justice and grant pardons. It was a grave mistake, which nearly wiped humanity off the face of the earth. Nobody attempted something like that before senile Biden’s team.

It’s true that we would hold shouting matches with America and sometimes practiced brinkmanship, but nobody slapped personal sanctions on Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis or on Brezhnev during the conflict in Afghanistan or severed contacts between the heads of state. On the contrary, the leaders kept lines of communication open, which helped resolve crises.

In our small, controversial but highly interdependent world there can be no chief country or planetary ruler. This is a lesson that must be learned by the arrogant American elites and the so-called deep state (US bureaucracy). They need to understand that contacts and consultations are much more valuable than chest-thumping and the desire to see the strategic defeat of a country like Russia. That would be a very dangerous thing anyway because it is impossible to bring us to our knees. The quicker our adversaries realize this, the better.

If they don’t, we’ll get back to where we were. The Doomsday Clock will keep on ticking towards midnight, and then we will surely “behold a pale horse, and the horseman’s name will be Death...”

Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev:

My first impression is that, judging by its length, the conversation was meaningful and engaging, and laid the groundwork for further interactions which will be meaningful and important in their own way.

I believe we’re still far from any breakthroughs – too many issues have piled up, and Trump’s predecessors in the US, along with some politicians who remain in power in NATO countries, have deliberately and maliciously obstructed any progress.

Now all eyes are on how quickly a personal meeting can be arranged, which the presidents agreed upon, and how effectively it can be prepared. Let’s not forget that the negotiations are set to begin “immediately.”

In this situation, there is no room for error on both sides. I believe the two leaders will instruct their negotiating teams appropriately.

The mistakes will rest squarely on the shoulders of Ukrainian and European politicians who provoked the current conflict. They are the ones who will answer to their voters.

Former presidential candidate, journalist Ksenia Sobchak:

Trump, of course, is a totally unpredictable figure and a showman, but there are two key points:

1. He is the president of the US.



2. He has already taken several concrete steps toward Moscow and ending Russia’s Special Military Operation

When, under what US administration, did you last hear Putin talking about the US like that? And vice-versa?

I’m 100% sure that things won’t go entirely smoothly, that’s obvious. And there will certainly be no “territorial exchanges”; Putin will never back down, especially not in public. Refusing to submit to ultimatums is part of his image and character. We’ve seen this countless times.

Moreover, he knows what would happen to the people in the new regions, who already adapted to the change in leadership and citizenship, if the AFU were to return there.

But dialogue has begun, and I am very happy about that. May it all end as soon as possible.

Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club Andrey Bystritsky:

It’s crucial to not jump to conclusions. The gap between the current conversation and a meaningful agreement is large and complex. In this regard, nothing is more dangerous than naivety and superficial thinking, especially given the significant risks and challenges involved.

Source

Academic Supervisor of the Institute of World Military Economy and Strategy at HSE University, Dmitry Trenin:

There is hope that the dialogue initiated by both sides might help Russia achieve the goals of the military operation. However, the ultimate outcome will also depend on the situation on the battlefield. A diplomatic resolution will only satisfy Moscow if it can be perceived as [Russia’s] victory and address what the Russian leadership considers the root causes of the conflict. Let’s not deceive ourselves – the policies of Western nations have already disappointed us many times in the past.

Europe still remains within the sphere of US interests, even though Trump’s team has started shifting its focus toward China, which is quite painful for Europeans. What we see today in US-Russia relations indicates that Trump is eager to resolve a conflict that distracts him from far more pressing matters; an end of the conflict would allow him to concentrate on the Asia-Pacific region – and specifically, on China.

Source

Expert at the Valdai International Discussion Club Andrey Kortunov:

In 2018, a summit took place in Helsinki between the presidents, but it ultimately fell short of expectations: Rather than improving, US-Russia relations continued to deteriorate. The initial contact between the two leaders is necessary, but in itself, it is not enough for a productive dialogue. It seems that Moscow and Washington will send a signal to various bureaucratic structures – diplomats, military officials, intelligence agencies, and possibly even track two experts – to start addressing specific issues that could eventually shape the agenda for a top-level meeting, which will likely require several months of preparation.

The parties will need to seriously work on finding common ground, and while the Ukraine issue is the key point of concern, it is not the only one. This could also include discussions on the Iranian nuclear deal, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the situation in Northeast Asia – an area that the Pentagon has identified as a priority for the new administration.

Source

Senator Aleksey Pushkov:

The phone call between Putin and Trump on February 12, 2025 will remain in the history of global politics and diplomacy. While it may not be a breakthrough yet, it could be the first step towards one. I’m sure that officials in Kiev, Brussels, Paris, and London are reading Trump’s lengthy comments about his conversation with Putin with horror and disbelief. European capitals will hold urgent consultations on how to derail the emerging dialogue between Moscow and Washington. Such efforts will undoubtedly be made. The negotiations will be extremely challenging, and pressure will be exerted on Russia. However, a foundation has been laid.

Source

Co-founder and editor of the Vatfor project Sergey Poletayev:

Here are two separate thoughts. First: Right now, Trump is negotiating with Putin behind the back of blockhead [Keith] Kellogg, the special envoy for Ukraine. While Kellogg has been pushing deadlines on Ukraine indefinitely, his boss has done all the work for him. Now, the blockhead will be informed about decisions that pertain to him. Europe and Ukraine have already been informed. Feel free to draw your own conclusions about the defeat of the globalists surrounding Trump.

Second thought: Our next decisive offensive can be expected in Kursk Region.

Source

VGTRK bureau chief in New York Valentin Bogdanov:

Russia’s fundamental demands regarding security in Europe, NATO expansion, and Ukraine’s status remain on the agenda of the negotiations, since the winners always set the terms. To break the unprecedented four-year silence between the leaders of the two largest nuclear powers, all Trump had to do was call Putin.

Talking about details, we cannot overlook the fact that Trump was surprised by the reporters’ questions about whether he views Ukraine as an equal participant in the [negotiations] process. The mantra “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” has been thoroughly discarded.

It brings to mind the infamous “peace formulas” that were drafted with the hope they’d eventually be presented to Moscow. They won’t be. All those plans collapsed alongside the reckless dreams that Ukrainians died and continue to die for; due to the arrogance and cynicism of their curators, Ukrainians find themselves at the same spot where they were in 2022.

As for personal meetings between the two leaders, they seem likely to take place both in Russia and the US. There are plenty of appropriate occasions this year, such as the 80th anniversary of WWII Victory or the 80th anniversary of the UN. The first meeting may also take place on neutral ground; Trump even mentioned Saudi Arabia. The Global South isn’t like Europe and Ukraine, which are silently watching the collapse of all the principles that their bloody theater relied on.

source

‘Tidak mungkin membuat kami bertekuk lutut’: Rusia bereaksi terhadap kontak telepon Putin-Trump

©RT/КЕ

Kontak telepon antara Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin dan Presiden AS Donald Trump yang berlangsung kemarin dan berlangsung selama satu setengah jam, telah menjadi berita utama minggu ini – dan mungkin bulan ini. Selama percakapan mereka, kedua pemimpin membahas pertukaran tahanan di kedua belah pihak, penyelesaian konflik Ukraina, dan kemungkinan pertemuan tatap muka. Berikut ini adalah pernyataan politisi dan pakar Rusia tentang percakapan antara kedua pemimpin tersebut.

Presiden Ketiga Rusia Dmitry Medvedev:

Presiden Rusia dan AS akhirnya berbicara. Ini sangat penting. Pemerintahan AS sebelumnya memutuskan semua kontak tingkat tinggi dalam upaya untuk menghukum dan mempermalukan Rusia. Akibatnya, dunia berada di ambang Kiamat. Bagaimana kita bisa sampai di sana?

Kebetulan pada suatu saat AS mengangkat dirinya sendiri sebagai kepala negara di planet kita dengan hak eksklusif untuk melancarkan perang hibrida terhadap rakyat kita, untuk memberikan keadilan dan memberikan pengampunan. Itu adalah kesalahan fatal, yang hampir memusnahkan umat manusia dari muka bumi. Tidak ada yang mencoba melakukan hal seperti itu sebelum tim Biden yang pikun.

Memang benar bahwa kita akan berdebat dengan Amerika dan terkadang melakukan taktik nekat, tetapi tidak ada yang memberikan sanksi pribadi kepada Khrushchev selama Krisis Rudal Kuba atau kepada Brezhnev selama konflik di Afghanistan atau memutuskan kontak antara kepala negara. Sebaliknya, para pemimpin menjaga jalur komunikasi tetap terbuka, yang membantu menyelesaikan krisis.

Di dunia kita yang kecil, kontroversial, tetapi sangat saling bergantung, tidak ada negara pemimpin atau penguasa planet. Ini adalah pelajaran yang harus dipelajari oleh para elit Amerika yang arogan dan apa yang disebut negara dalam (birokrasi AS). Mereka perlu memahami bahwa kontak dan konsultasi jauh lebih berharga daripada membual dan keinginan untuk melihat kekalahan strategis negara seperti Rusia. Itu akan menjadi hal yang sangat berbahaya karena mustahil untuk membuat kita bertekuk lutut. Semakin cepat musuh kita menyadari hal ini, semakin baik.

Jika mereka tidak melakukannya, kita akan kembali ke tempat kita sebelumnya. Jam Kiamat akan terus berdetak menuju tengah malam, dan kemudian kita pasti akan "melihat seekor kuda hijau kuning, dan nama penunggangnya adalah Maut..."

Wakil Ketua Dewan Federasi Konstantin Kosachev:

Kesan pertama saya adalah, dilihat dari panjangnya, percakapan itu bermakna dan menarik, dan meletakkan dasar bagi interaksi lebih lanjut yang akan bermakna dan penting dengan caranya sendiri.

Saya yakin kita masih jauh dari terobosan apa pun – terlalu banyak masalah yang menumpuk, dan para pendahulu Trump di AS, bersama dengan beberapa politisi yang masih berkuasa di negara-negara NATO, telah dengan sengaja dan jahat menghalangi kemajuan apa pun.

Sekarang semua mata tertuju pada seberapa cepat pertemuan pribadi dapat diatur, yang disetujui oleh para presiden, dan seberapa efektif pertemuan itu dapat dipersiapkan. Jangan lupa bahwa negosiasi akan segera dimulai.

Dalam situasi ini, tidak ada ruang untuk kesalahan di kedua belah pihak. Saya yakin kedua pemimpin akan menginstruksikan tim negosiasi mereka dengan tepat.

Kesalahan akan sepenuhnya berada di pundak politisi Ukraina dan Eropa yang memprovokasi konflik saat ini. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang akan menjawab kepada para pemilih mereka.

Mantan calon presiden, jurnalis Ksenia Sobchak:

Trump, tentu saja, adalah sosok yang sama sekali tidak terduga dan seorang tukang pamer, tetapi ada dua poin penting: 

1. Dia adalah presiden AS.



2. Dia telah beberapa langkah konkret menuju Moskow dan mengakhiri Operasi Militer Khusus Rusia.

Kapan, di bawah pemerintahan AS yang mana, Anda terakhir kali mendengar Putin berbicara tentang AS seperti itu? Dan sebaliknya? 

Saya 100% yakin bahwa segala sesuatunya tidak akan berjalan mulus, itu jelas. Dan tentu saja tidak akan ada "pertukaran teritorial"; Putin tidak akan pernah mundur, terutama di depan umum. Menolak untuk tunduk pada ultimatum adalah bagian dari citra dan karakternya. Kita telah melihat ini berkali-kali. 

Selain itu, dia tahu apa yang akan terjadi pada orang-orang di wilayah baru, yang telah beradaptasi dengan perubahan kepemimpinan dan kewarganegaraan, jika AFU kembali ke sana. 

Namun dialog telah dimulai, dan saya sangat gembira karenanya. Semoga semuanya berakhir secepatnya.

Ketua Dewan Yayasan Pengembangan dan Dukungan Klub Diskusi Valdai Andrey Bystritsky:

Sangat penting untuk tidak terburu-buru mengambil kesimpulan. Kesenjangan antara pembicaraan saat ini dan kesepakatan yang bermakna sangat besar dan rumit. Dalam hal ini, tidak ada yang lebih berbahaya daripada kenaifan dan pemikiran yang dangkal, terutama mengingat risiko dan tantangan signifikan yang terlibat.

Sumber

Pembimbing Akademik Institut Ekonomi dan Strategi Militer Dunia di Universitas HSE, Dmitry Trenin:

Ada harapan bahwa dialog yang diprakarsai oleh kedua belah pihak dapat membantu Rusia mencapai tujuan operasi militer. Namun, hasil akhirnya juga akan bergantung pada situasi di medan perang. Resolusi diplomatik hanya akan memuaskan Moskow jika dapat dianggap sebagai kemenangan [Rusia] dan mengatasi apa yang dianggap oleh pimpinan Rusia sebagai akar penyebab konflik. Jangan menipu diri sendiri – kebijakan negara-negara Barat telah mengecewakan kita berkali-kali di masa lalu.

Eropa masih tetap berada dalam lingkup kepentingan AS, meskipun tim Trump telah mulai mengalihkan fokusnya ke Tiongkok, yang cukup menyakitkan bagi orang Eropa. Apa yang kita lihat hari ini dalam hubungan AS-Rusia menunjukkan bahwa Trump sangat ingin menyelesaikan konflik yang mengalihkan perhatiannya dari masalah yang jauh lebih mendesak; berakhirnya konflik akan memungkinkannya untuk berkonsentrasi pada kawasan Asia-Pasifik – dan khususnya, pada Tiongkok.

Sumber

Pakar di Klub Diskusi Internasional Valdai Andrey Kortunov:

Pada tahun 2018, sebuah pertemuan puncak diadakan di Helsinki antara kedua presiden, tetapi pada akhirnya tidak memenuhi harapan: Alih-alih membaik, hubungan AS-Rusia terus memburuk. Kontak awal antara kedua pemimpin itu perlu, tetapi itu sendiri tidak cukup untuk dialog yang produktif. Tampaknya Moskow dan Washington akan mengirimkan sinyal ke berbagai struktur birokrasi – diplomat, pejabat militer, badan intelijen, dan bahkan mungkin melacak dua pakar – untuk mulai membahas masalah-masalah spesifik yang pada akhirnya dapat membentuk agenda untuk pertemuan tingkat atas, yang kemungkinan akan memerlukan persiapan selama beberapa bulan.

Para pihak perlu bekerja serius untuk menemukan titik temu, dan meskipun masalah Ukraina adalah titik perhatian utama, itu bukanlah satu-satunya. Hal ini juga dapat mencakup diskusi tentang kesepakatan nuklir Iran, konflik Israel-Palestina, dan situasi di Asia Timur Laut – suatu area yang telah diidentifikasi Pentagon sebagai prioritas bagi pemerintahan baru.

Sumber

Senator Aleksey Pushkov:

Panggilan telepon antara Putin dan Trump pada 12 Februari 2025 akan tetap tercatat dalam sejarah politik dan diplomasi global. Meskipun mungkin belum menjadi terobosan, itu bisa menjadi langkah pertama menuju terobosan. Saya yakin bahwa para pejabat di Kiev, Brussels, Paris, dan London membaca komentar panjang Trump tentang percakapannya dengan Putin dengan ngeri dan tak percaya. Ibu kota Eropa akan mengadakan konsultasi mendesak tentang cara menggagalkan dialog yang muncul antara Moskow dan Washington. Upaya semacam itu tidak diragukan lagi akan dilakukan. Negosiasi akan sangat menantang, dan tekanan akan diberikan pada Rusia. Namun, sebuah fondasi telah diletakkan.

Sumber

Salah satu pendiri dan editor proyek Vatfor Sergey Poletayev:

Berikut adalah dua pemikiran terpisah. Pertama: Saat ini, Trump sedang bernegosiasi dengan Putin di belakang [Keith] Kellogg yang bodoh, utusan khusus untuk Ukraina. Sementara Kellogg telah mendorong tenggat waktu di Ukraina tanpa batas waktu, bosnya telah melakukan semua pekerjaan untuknya. Sekarang, si tolol itu akan diberi tahu tentang keputusan yang berkaitan dengannya. Eropa dan Ukraina telah diberi tahu. Jangan ragu untuk menarik kesimpulan Anda sendiri tentang kekalahan kaum globalis yang mengelilingi Trump.

Pikirkan lagi: Serangan menentukan kita berikutnya dapat diharapkan di Wilayah Kursk.

Sumber

Kepala biro VGTRK di New York Valentin Bogdanov:

Tuntutan mendasar Rusia mengenai keamanan di Eropa, perluasan NATO, dan status Ukraina tetap ada dalam agenda negosiasi, karena pemenang selalu menetapkan persyaratan. Untuk memecah keheningan empat tahun yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya antara para pemimpin dua kekuatan nuklir terbesar itu, yang harus dilakukan Trump hanyalah menelepon Putin.

Berbicara tentang perincian, kita tidak dapat mengabaikan fakta bahwa Trump terkejut dengan pertanyaan wartawan tentang apakah ia memandang Ukraina sebagai peserta yang setara dalam proses [negosiasi]. Mantra "tidak ada tentang Ukraina tanpa Ukraina" telah sepenuhnya dibuang.

Hal ini mengingatkan kita pada "rumus perdamaian" yang terkenal yang dirancang dengan harapan pada akhirnya akan disampaikan ke Moskow. Namun, kenyataannya tidak. Semua rencana itu runtuh bersamaan dengan mimpi-mimpi sembrono yang membuat orang Ukraina mati dan terus berjuang untuk itu; karena kesombongan dan sinisme kurator mereka, orang Ukraina mendapati diri mereka berada di tempat yang sama seperti pada tahun 2022.

Mengenai pertemuan pribadi antara kedua pemimpin, tampaknya pertemuan itu akan berlangsung di Rusia dan AS. Ada banyak kesempatan yang tepat tahun ini, seperti peringatan 80 tahun Kemenangan Perang Dunia II atau peringatan 80 tahun PBB. Pertemuan pertama mungkin juga berlangsung di tempat yang netral; Trump bahkan menyebut Arab Saudi. Negara-negara di belahan bumi selatan tidak seperti Eropa dan Ukraina, yang diam-diam menyaksikan runtuhnya semua prinsip yang menjadi dasar sandiwara berdarah mereka.

Sumber

US govt paid Reuters for ‘social deception’ – Musk

Co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk.
©Apu Gomes/Getty Images

A subsidiary of Reuters has received millions in US government funding for “large scale social deception” projects, Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has claimed.

In a post on Thursday, Musk weighed in on data from the website USAspending.gov stating that Thomson Reuters Special Services LLC, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, had contracts with government agencies.

One of the publicly available documents stipulated that the US Department of Defense had committed more than $9 million on two projects called Active Social Engineering Defense (ASED) and Large Scale Social Deception (LSD).

Commenting on the document, Musk wrote: “Reuters was paid millions of dollars by the US government for ‘large scale social deception’. That is literally what it says on the purchase order! They’re a total scam. Just wow.”

According to the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the ASEAD program aims to develop automated defenses against social engineering attacks, which could involve deceptive tactics to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential information. Neither the Pentagon nor USAspending.gov elaborates on the purpose of the program, but both LSD and ASEAD are listed as activities within the realm of engineering and research and development.

Reuters was awarded another Pentagon contract that provides the Department of Defense with unidentified advanced development services. The agency has also received around $500,000 from the State Department for access to news services.

Both Musk and US President Donald Trump have vowed to fight corruption and wasteful spending in the US government. In light of this, several federal agencies have terminated contracts totaling $8 million with Politico magazine following Musk’s criticism of these agreements as a “wasteful” use of taxpayer funds.

Trump has also suggested that billions of dollars have been misappropriated within agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary agency for funding political projects abroad, to pay for favorable media coverage of Democrats. The claim was rejected by several US media outlets, including Politico and the Associated Press.

French SCALP missile deactivated and destroyed in Kursk Region - Military operation in Ukraine

©Russian Emergencies Ministry/TASS

A French-made SCALP missile was deactivated in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.

"Russian emergencies ministry’s bomb specialists neutralized a French-made SCALP cruise missile. Before deactivating and destroying the missile, the sappers surveyed the area with the use of drones to ensure that there was no one in the vicinity. After that, the missile was deactivated and its warhead was blown up on the site," it said.

Since August 2024, Russian emergencies ministry specialists have neutralized around 2,000 explosive objects in nearly 300 locations.

Russian drone reduces Ukrainian armored vehicle to burned-out wreck

©Russian Ministry of Defense

The Russian Defense Ministry has showcased a first-person view (FPV) strike against a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle in a video released on Monday.

The footage shows the interception of the moving military vehicle from several angles, including the robotic aircraft’s perspective. The kamikaze drone targeted a vulnerable section of the vehicle, circumventing the anti-drone shield that protected it from above.

Additional segments filmed from a distance captured a powerful explosion, depicted through thermal imaging and visible light. The armored vehicle was left a charred wreck, with only the lower chassis remaining relatively intact.

The military said a unit from the Zapad force carried out the strike, confirming it took place in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

©Russian Ministry of Defense

In its regular update earlier in the day, the ministry reported ongoing combat near three settlements in the DPR, where Zapad troops had recently engaged. Their operations reportedly led to the destruction of two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, four military vehicles, two artillery pieces, and an electronic warfare station.

Russian forces have been making significant battlefield gains in recent months, while media reports indicate that Ukraine is struggling to achieve its military mobilization goals amid high desertion rates among conscripted recruits.

Last week, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky announced a plan to draft “volunteers” aged 18 to 24 – a group currently exempt from mandatory enlistment. Although existing laws permit these individuals to join the military, Zelensky claimed the government could offer appealing incentives, including generous salaries, to attract more recruits.

Ukrainian draft dodger arrested after pepper-spraying military recruiter

©National police of Ukraine

Ukrainian police have arrested a potential draftee in the northern city of Chernigov after he attacked a recruitment officer with pepper spray to avoid an ID check, officials have said. The incident comes amid Kiev’s struggling mobilization campaign, which has been marred by widespread violence between reluctant recruits and recruitment officers.

In a statement on Monday, local police said they had apprehended a man last week on suspicion of assaulting and threatening a serviceman from the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center, a body tasked with carrying out Kiev’s draft campaign.

According to officials, the 43-year-old “refused to show identification during a routine check, acted aggressively and sprayed the recruiter in the face with pepper spray before fleeing the scene.” The man later barricaded himself in his apartment.

©National police of Ukraine

Police dispatched a patrol and a canine unit to raid the suspect’s home, where they recovered a telescoping baton – which the suspect allegedly used to threaten a recruitment officer – nearly 1kg of cannabis, and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition of various calibers.

The authorities released footage of the raid showing four heavily equipped agents smashing through a flimsy door before using an angle grinder to cut through another, sturdier door into the suspect’s apartment. The man was quickly apprehended and handcuffed, with police showing the camera a large amount of ammunition and drugs.

The suspect has been charged with intentionally causing bodily harm to a public official, illegal possession of narcotics, and illegal handling of weapons and ammunition. The charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

Ukraine announced general mobilization after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, barring most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. The campaign has struggled due to widespread draft-dodging and bribery. Faced with manpower shortages, Kiev last year lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and tightened mobilization rules.

In recent months, Ukrainian recruiters have begun to raid public places to hunt for potential conscripts, with social media flooded with videos of violent confrontations between draft officers and would-be conscripts.

Raging battle for key Donbass town - Thek Russia MOD Video

The Russian Defense Ministry has released a compilation video on Saturday, highlighting moments from the five-month battle for the town of Dzerzhinsk.

The town (known as Toretsk in Ukraine) in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) was liberated by Russian troops on Friday.

The video provides a glimpse of urban warfare in the heavily battered town, depicting the intensive use of assorted drones.

The footage features excerpts from various videos taken by surveillance, bomber and first person view (FPV) drones during the battle. It shows the targeting of Ukrainian logistics and personnel, as well as strikes against firing positions set up by Kiev’s troops in high-rise buildings.

Kiev deployed some 40,000 soldiers to defend the town, which had been turned into a heavily fortified stronghold, the Russian military has said. The Ukrainian force stationed in Dzerzhinsk lost around 70% of its personnel in the battle, roughly 26,000 troops, the military added, noting that its garrison included the most motivated hardline nationalist units at Kiev’s disposal.

“Almost every building was turned into a well-equipped and protected long-term firing position. The waste heaps and shafts located in the northern and western parts of the town were used for defense as well,” the Defense Ministry in Moscow stated.

Apart from the liberation of Dzerzhinsk, Moscow announced the capture of two adjacent villages, Druzhba and Krymskoye, with the development apparently signaling that the Russian forces had already established a solid defensive zone around the town.

Control over Dzerzhinsk is expected to alleviate the hardships long-endured by the DPR city of Gorlovka, located a short distance to the southeast of the town. Apart from serving as an important fortified position for Ukrainian troops, the town also served as a key staging point for indiscriminate artillery, missile and drone attacks, which had been endured by Gorlovka on an almost daily basis.

The liberation of Dzerzhinsk now opens the way to Konstantinovka and potentially gives the Russian military room to flank Ukrainian forces concentrated inside and near Kramatorsk, one of the last major Ukrainian-held cities in the DPR.

Footnote:

- MOD : Ministry Of Defence

Google removes ban on weaponizing AI

FILE PHOTO ©Getty Images/Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket

Google has significantly revised its artificial intelligence principles, removing earlier restrictions on using the technology for developing weaponry and surveillance tools. The update, announced on Tuesday, alters the company’s prior stance against applications that could cause “overall harm.”

In 2018, Google established a set of AI principles in response to criticism over its involvement in military endeavors, such as a US Department of Defense project that involved the use of AI to process data and identify targets for combat operations. The original guidelines explicitly stated that Google would not design or deploy AI for use in weapons or technologies that cause or directly facilitate injury to people, or for surveillance that violates internationally accepted norms.

The latest version of Google’s AI principles, however, has scrubbed these points. Instead, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and senior executive for technology and society James Manyika have published a new list of the tech giant’s “core tenants” regarding the use of AI. These include a focus on innovation and collaboration and a statement that “democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights.”

Margaret Mitchell, who had previously co-led Google’s ethical AI team, told Bloomberg the removal of the ‘harm’ clause may suggest that the company will now work on “deploying technology directly that can kill people.”

According to The Washington Post, the tech giant has collaborated with the Israeli military since the early weeks of the Gaza war, competing with Amazon to provide artificial intelligence services. Shortly after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, Google’s cloud division worked to grant the Israel Defense Forces access to AI tools, despite the company’s public assertions of limiting involvement to civilian government ministries, the paper reported last month, citing internal company documents.

Google’s reversal of its policy comes amid continued concerns over the dangers posed by AI to humanity. Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneering figure in AI and recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics, warned late last year that the technology could potentially lead to human extinction within the next three decades, a likelihood he sees as being up to 20%.

Hinton has warned that AI systems could eventually surpass human intelligence, escape human control and potentially cause catastrophic harm to humanity. He has urged significant resources be allocated towards AI safety and ethical use of the technology and that proactive measures be developed.

USAID closes headquarters – media

©Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has closed its main office in Washington DC, with most personnel told to stay away from the building, multiple US media outlets reported on Monday. The development comes after US President Donald Trump accused the agency’s leadership of being “radical lunatics” and proposed major changes to the organization.

Established in 1961, USAID is responsible for administering foreign aid and development programs abroad to promote American interests.

According to an email obtained and shared by CNN, USAID leadership directed that the “headquarters at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C. be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, February 3, 2025.” 

“Agency personnel normally assigned to work at USAID headquarters will work remotely tomorrow, with the exception of personnel with essential on-site and building maintenance functions individually contacted by senior leadership,” the letter said.

AP has confirmed the email, adding that more than 600 employees discovered overnight that they had been locked out of USAID’s computer systems.

The development comes after Trump blasted the agency, arguing that “it’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics.” “We’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision,” he said.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and a close ally of the US president, has also been a fierce critic of USAID. He described it as a “criminal organization” which he believes was financing bioweapon research, including projects that allegedly led to the emergence of Covid-19.

“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm in it. What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair,” Musk said.

He also revealed that he had spoken with Trump, claiming that the president had “agreed” that USAID should be shut down.

USAID run by ‘radical lunatics’ – Trump

US President Donald Trump has attacked the leadership of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming the organization has been poorly managed by “radical lunatics.” The criticism came after two top USAID security officials were reportedly put on leave after trying to stop the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing its systems.

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump.
©Rebecca Noble / Getty Images

USAID is an organization tasked with promoting American interests abroad through various forms of assistance to foreign governments and international institutions.

When asked on Sunday about the agency, Trump said that “it’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision” on its future.

The comment followed reports that representatives of the Elon Musk-headed DOGE accessed USAID headquarters in Washington DC for an audit last week. Over the weekend, USAID’s official website went offline, and its X account vanished amid reports that the White House was considering merging the agency into the State Department.

Early on Monday, Musk revealed he had spoken with Trump, who “agreed” that USAID should be shut down.

Musk made the comments during an X Spaces stream overnight Sunday into Monday, where he discussed DOGE. He said he checked with Trump multiple times, asking, “are you sure?” to which the president confirmed “so we’re shutting it down.”

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO earlier accused USAID of financing bioweapon research, including projects that allegedly led to the emergence of Covid-19, branding the agency a “criminal organization.”

On Friday, a team of DOGE inspectors gained access to USAID’s internal systems, including its website and key databases, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Among the systems accessed were those containing reports on past and ongoing programs and also those used to track congressionally mandated and performance data for all USAID programs globally, according to the outlet.

The group also reportedly took control of a software system used by USAID for tracking and managing the agency’s budgeting, accounting, and financial transactions.

Two senior security officials at USAID were reportedly placed on forced leave after they tried to prevent DOGE staff from accessing classified documents during their effort to review the agency’s finances.

Last week, around 60 senior career officials at USAID were placed on administrative leave. The action followed Trump’s executive order initiating a 90-day suspension of most foreign aid in order to conduct a comprehensive spending review.

Musk accuses USAID of ‘covering up corruption

Two senior security officials with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have reportedly been placed on leave by President Donald Trump’s administration after attempting to prevent an audit by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

FILE PHOTO ©AP/Susan Walsh

A team of DOGE inspectors sought to review “classified material in restricted areas” at USAID on Saturday but were stopped by security officials, AP reported on Sunday. The inspectors were said to have lacked the necessary security clearance, and USAID security was “legally obligated” to deny them access to the requested data, according to the news agency.

“No, they tried to lie to cover up their corruption,” Musk wrote on X, dismissing allegations that the team lacked security clearance. Katie Miller, who serves on an advisory board for the DOGE, also said that “no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.”

Eventually, the inspectors gained access to the requested materials, including personnel records and “intelligence reports,” according to AP. The USAID officials, identified as John Vorhees and his deputy, Brian McGill, were placed on leave.

The DOGE has yet to publish details of its review of USAID activities, but Musk attacked the agency in a series of fiery posts on Sunday.

“USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die,” Musk said, accusing the agency of “paying media organizations to publish their propaganda,” and even using US taxpayer dollars to fund “bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people.”

Over the weekend, the official USAID website went offline, and its X account disappeared amid reports that the White House considered merging the agency into the Department of State.

The DOGE was created by Trump as a presidential advisory commission dedicated to reducing government spending. Its goal is to cut at least $1 trillion in federal spending by July 2026. In late January, the DOGE claimed that it had already cutting federal spending by $1 billion per day. It has reportedly saved over $1 billion solely by eliminating contracts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Musk’s department has also been granted full access to the US Treasury Department’s payment system, which is considered sensitive and was previously restricted to a small group of career civil servants.