– Lithuanian President, Gitanas:

"We call on Iran to halt its nuclear and missile programs, as well as its collaboration with armed groups across the Middle East."

- 12hrs ago, the Lithuanian Parliament approved a proposal to lift the ban on the deployment of nukes in Lithuania.

Via Alex_Oloyede2 (X)

Lavrov:

We are NOT going to have a pause in our special military operation.
Europe just wants a pause to pump the Kiev regime with weapons.

Zelensky during his UN address:

"In North Korea, they take away people's freedom... they drill into them that they must die, no matter what."

Ironic, considering the way forced conscription works in Ukraine...

Via @ JnglJourney (X)

The old saying needs updating: if you want to keep a secret, don’t tell a Rutte.

🇪🇺🇺🇸🇮🇷 NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has rather inconveniently lifted the curtain on Europe’s role in the war on Iran.

Rutte says between 4,000 and 5,000 US flight missions operated from bases across Europe during Operation Epic Fury, including around 500 US aircraft movements from bases in Italy. He also said “country after country, ally after ally” made bases available to support the operation.

That sits rather awkwardly beside the public insistence from some European governments that they weren’t participating in the war. Italy, for example, disputes the suggestion that it authorised combat operations, saying its support was limited to technical and logistical activity.

Apparently Europe wasn’t involved. It merely supplied the runways, bases, logistics and thousands of flight missions.

- HeartlandsTrib (X)

Dmitry Peskov:

Providing Starlink data for strikes deep inside Russia "would be a very detrimental, potentially dangerous, and reckless step."

Other statements from the President's press secretary:

🟥 The Russian equivalent of Starlink, the "Rassvet" system, will soon become more effective.

🟥 The Kremlin is operating under the assumption that Putin will attend the APEC summit in China.

🟥 The APEC summit is a good opportunity for Vladimir Putin to meet with the leaders of the United States and China.

🟥 The victory of "United Russia" indicates consolidation of Russian citizens around the President and support for his policies.

🟥 Decisions regarding Putin's trip to the G20 summit in Miami have not yet been made, and all circumstances will be taken into account.

🟥 The Kremlin appreciates the way the President was invited to the summit.

Mexico's Defense Minister says 80% of the weapons seized from drug cartels are of the US origin, while the remaining 20% are from Israel.

🇳🇪 Niger at the UN:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as I speak to you, at our northeast borders stand the proxies led by France, backed by Ukraine and 2 other countries."

"And you know full well which countries I mean."

"These proxies are armed, guided, directed, about to attack our military positions and our oil installations. But they will get what they deserve, inshallah."

"Our Sahel is at war. A war of liberation against a conspiracy aimed at its recolonization."

"What some call terrorism in our region is a cynical scheme of recolonization dressed in extremist rags."

"Niger's uranium, the gold of Mali and Burkina, lithium, gas, oil and so many other riches keep the old powers salivating."

"This perfidious destabilization of the central Sahel, led by France with Ukraine's active complicity -- documented, very documented."

"Niger's uranium lit up Europe's cities while ours stayed in darkness. This injustice has now ended. It is over."