In a display of defiance, hundreds of Russians gathered in St. Petersburg on Tuesday to sing a song critical of President Putin and the war in Ukraine. The song, “Cooperative Swan Lake,” originally written by exiled pro-Ukrainian rapper Noize MC (Ivan Alexeyev), had been outlawed in May 2025 after a St. Petersburg court deemed it “extremist.” Viral social media videos captured the crowd and street musicians performing the song, which calls for Putin’s removal.
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Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is ridiculing Donald Trump and has no intention of ceasing the war in Ukraine. Sikorski stated that Putin has escalated aggression by sending drones towards NATO, and he hopes Trump will recognize this. This statement was made in response to a Russian drone attack on Poland, where wreckage was found in multiple locations, leading to NATO invoking Article 4. Analysts suggest the drones’ range had been extended, potentially targeting a NATO base.
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Despite Donald Trump’s attempts to broker peace with Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader has shown little interest in direct negotiations with Ukraine. Russia has escalated its aggression by attacking American-owned businesses, bombing civilians, and violating Poland’s airspace, leading to concerns within NATO. Even Republican lawmakers, including Senators Joni Ernst and Thom Tillis, are suggesting Putin is exploiting Trump, with some perceiving a lack of decisive action from the former president. This situation reflects a growing consensus that Putin is not cooperating and that the United States’ approach has been perceived as weak by the Russian leader.
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Polish foreign minister says Putin ‘laughs’ at Trump’s peace efforts, and honestly, that’s not surprising. The core sentiment here, repeated almost ad nauseam, is that the world, or at least a significant portion of it, finds Trump’s approach to diplomacy and, specifically, his efforts regarding Putin, to be a source of amusement. It’s a prevailing view, a shared experience of witnessing what many perceive as ineffective posturing.
It seems that the general consensus views Trump’s supposed “peace efforts” as largely performative, lacking substance. The complete absence of any actual listed actions speaks volumes. The overwhelming impression is that these so-called efforts are seen as hollow gestures, generating more laughter than results.… Continue reading
NATO does not treat the drone incident over Poland as a Russian attack, source says, and that’s pretty much what we’d expect, isn’t it? It seems like everyone saw this coming. The general consensus is that Putin’s testing the waters, seeing how far he can go, and right now, the answer seems to be quite far. It’s a careful balancing act, and many worry about the consequences of inaction. It feels like we’re watching another piece of the puzzle fall away.
Where do we draw the line? We’ve seen spies, saboteurs, and now even drones hitting European territory, yet there doesn’t seem to be a clear escalation strategy.… Continue reading
President Zelensky reported a brutal Russian airstrike in Yarova, Donetsk, resulting in over 20 civilian deaths at a location where pensions were being distributed, prompting a global response. In response, President Trump is considering additional sanctions against Russia and its trading partners due to Moscow’s intensified war efforts. However, Russia dismisses sanctions as ineffective and maintains its commitment to its goals, with President Putin stating a peace deal is “practically impossible.” The central challenges to peace negotiations are the division of territory and the future of Ukrainian security, both of which face significant legal and political obstacles.
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Following a massive Russian air attack on Kyiv, President Trump announced his readiness to impose sanctions on Russia. The attack, which included drones and missiles, targeted residential areas and the government headquarters, resulting in casualties. This attack occurred shortly after failed peace talks between Trump and Putin, and Ukrainian President Zelensky called for sanctions. Despite the ongoing attacks and stalled peace negotiations, Trump maintained that he could still arrange talks between Putin and Zelensky.
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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has rejected Russian President Putin’s offer to meet in Moscow, viewing the location as a sign of insincere negotiation tactics. Zelenskyy proposed Putin come to Kyiv instead, citing ongoing attacks on Ukraine as a reason for his refusal. While the US has been advocating for face-to-face talks, Moscow has presented additional conditions and escalated shelling, further complicating the prospect of a meeting. Zelenskyy stated Russia is attempting to prolong the war and turn diplomacy into a farce, calling for strengthened sanctions, increased arms supplies, and restrictions on Russian oil and gas.
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Reuters has removed a four-minute video of a private conversation between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping after Chinese state television withdrew its legal permission for the footage. The video, which captured the leaders discussing the possibility of a person living to 150 years of age, was distributed to over a thousand media outlets before the takedown request. Reuters complied with CCTV’s demand to remove the video from its website and notified its customers, citing exceeded license terms and the “editorial treatment applied to this material.” Despite the removal, Reuters maintains the accuracy of the published content and sees no violation of its journalistic standards.
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President Trump announced plans to host the G20 summit in 2026 at his Florida golf course, expressing interest in inviting both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. While Russia and China are already full members, Trump suggested they could attend as observers. Trump’s invitation comes after hosting Putin in Alaska and reflects his efforts to improve relations with Russia. However, Russia and China’s ties have strengthened despite these efforts.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood