Russian Hardliners Demand Putin Escalate War After Ukraine Strikes Moscow

Following deep Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian nationalist voices are demanding extreme retaliatory measures, including tactical nuclear weapons.

READ MORE

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski:

Ukraine has certainly won in the Black Sea. Russia certainly doesn't have air domination over Ukraine. It can send missiles and drones, but it cannot fly freely over Ukraine.

The ground war is stuck, and Ukraine seems to have gained fire control over a strategic highway from Donbas to Crimea, also over Crimea, and is conducting successful deep strikes against Russian refineries, which is affecting the Russian army's capacity to operate.

So, you know, wars are never linear. They go through phases, but it looks like the phase of Russia having the initiative has ended.

Source: CBS News

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski:

The US is not helping Ukraine financially. We are buying, with European money, US equipment for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian defense industry are run thanks to financing from the European Union.

Literally today, the President of the Commission said roughly €3 billion has been sent from Brussels to Kyiv, and there will be more for drone production—another €7 billion—which should make Putin recalculate.

Source: CBS News

DETAILS: Israel and Lebanon signed a US-mediated framework deal.

— Israel to hand over some occupied southern Lebanese territory to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

— Described as "performance-based" — a roadmap, not a full peace treaty.

— Two pilot zones (one north, one south of the Litani River) to come under exclusive LAF control — barring Hezbollah and all non-state actors.

— Israel keeps a ~10 km security buffer inside southern Lebanon for now.

Hezbollah was not a party to the talks and has dismissed the initiative.

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski:

Putin should be asking himself, "Can I sustain this level of losses to the Russian economy and, obviously, to the Russian army for another two years?"

And if I were him, I would call it quits. But the trouble with dictators is that they always want a deal when it's past time, when it's too late.

Source: CBS News

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski:

We have F-16s, we have F-35s, we have Abrams, we have HIMARS, and, you know, we have an army that will fight.

If Putin wants a fight, if Ukraine is not good enough for him, we'll do what we've always done.

Source: CBS News

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski:

As long as Ukraine is successfully resisting, Russia doesn't have the forces to attack NATO successfully.

But Putin said something a couple of days ago, saying Russia will respond if she herself is attacked from other countries.

We, of course, have no such plans. So I wouldn't exclude the Russians doing some kind of false flag operation against Russian territory in order to have a pretext for hitting one of the NATO countries.

We need to communicate to Putin that we know what he's up to, that we will not be taken in, and that this would be completely unacceptable. We would defend every inch of NATO territory.

Source: CBS News

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski on Poland-Ukraine tensions:

This was an ethnic cleansing with elements of genocide. 100,000 people were killed, but we think that reconciliation first of all has to be based on truth about the past.

But reconciliation is not necessarily between friends. You know, reconciliation's aim is not to repeat the horrible events of the past. That is, in fact, the basic deal of the European Union.

The European Union started as a community of coal and steel between Germany and France only a few years after the bloodiest war in history.

So it's not about people falling into each other's arms. It's about deciding not to repeat the bad stuff and to find a better common future.

And it's in that spirit that I hope we'll be able to handle the relationship with Ukraine.

Source: CBS News

Trump:

We remain "one nation under God."

We will never let that phrase be stolen from us. People are trying to steal it.

That phrase will never be stolen.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick:

No president in our history has stood more for God than this President.

He has been unashamed to speak the word of Jesus.

Dr. Phil:

What stuck out for me is how many Americans showed up saying that they were persecuted in health care, military, education — different walks of life — for living their faith and standing up for their faith.

Reporter: You said that Iran violated the ceasefire. Will they face any consequences?

Trump: You'll find out.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter to her Lebanese counterpart:

I also want to thank Her Excellency, Ambassador Hamadeh, for being a very tough negotiator.

You and your team set an example for patriotism to your country.

You fight like a lioness, Ms. Ambassador.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter:

In this performance-based trilateral framework agreement, Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.

Iran's IRIB:

Explosion heard near Taheruyeh, Sirik. Cause remains unknown.

BREAKING: The U.S. military conducted strikes in the area of the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Barak Ravid

NEW: CENTCOM says it launched strikes on Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar facilities today, retaliating for Iran's June 25 drone attack on the Singapore-flagged cargo ship M/V Ever Lovely as it exited the Strait of Hormuz along the Omani coast.

CENTCOM called the attack a clear violation of the ceasefire and a threat to freedom of navigation.

U.S. forces are continuing safe-passage coordination for commercial vessels and say they remain vigilant to ensure full compliance with the agreement.

Denmark to deny protection to Ukrainian men of conscription age.

Denmark will amend its Special Act on Ukraine to bar men aged 23–60 who are not exempt from military service from obtaining residence permits.

Roughly 47,600 displaced Ukrainians currently live in Denmark under the act.

FIFA confirmed rainbow flags will be allowed inside the stadium for Egypt vs Iran in Seattle, despite objections from both teams over LGBT Pride events taking place around the match.

FIFA stressed the celebrations are organized by Seattle's local committee and are not part of the World Cup.

Trump:

The new Donald Trump Avenue in Hyderabad, India — The first U.S. President to ever be honored in this way. Thank you!

EU’s von der Leyen:

If you invest in Ukraine, you invest in Europe.

Not only in an economy of around €200 billion, but in a future member of a single market worth €20 trillion. A market 100 times larger.