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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump Tower Damascus? Syria seeks to charm US president for sanctions relief
2025-05-13
Very pragmatic, and clearly determined to ensure that his caliphate will be permanent, unlike those feckless ISIS losers.
[IsraelTimes] With Gulf help, Sharaa launches bid to get face time with Trump during his Mideast visit, with a pitch that includes a detente with Israel and US access to Syria’s oil and gas

A Trump Tower in Damascus, a detente with Israel and US access to Syria’s oil and gas are part of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s strategic pitch to try to get face time with US President Donald Trump
...The man who was so stupid he beat fourteen professional politicians, a former tech CEO, and a brain surgeon for the Republican nomination in 2016, then beat The Smartest Woman in the World in the general election. Then he beat Kamala while dodging bullets...
 during his trip to the Middle East, according to several sources familiar with the push to woo Washington.

Jonathan Bass, an American pro-Trump activist who on April 30 met Sharaa for four hours in Damascus, along with Syrian activists and Gulf Arab states has been trying to arrange a landmark — if highly unlikely — meeting between the two leaders this week on the sidelines of Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
, Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 and the United Arab Emirates.

Syria has struggled to implement conditions set out by Washington for relief from US sanctions, which keep the country cut off from the global financial system and make economic recovery extremely challenging after 14 years of grinding war.

Bass hopes that getting Trump into a room with Sharaa, who still remains a US-designated terrorist over his al-Qaeda past, could help soften the Republican president and his administration’s thinking on Damascus and cool an increasingly tense relationship between Syria and Israel.

Part of the bet for the effort is based on Trump’s history of breaking with longstanding US foreign policy taboos, such as when he met with North Korea
...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...
n leader Kim Pudge Jong-un
...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished...
 in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea in 2019.

"Sharaa wants a business deal for the future of his country," Bass said, noting it could cover energy exploitation, cooperation against Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and engagement with Israel.

"He told me he wants a Trump Tower in Damascus. He wants peace with his neighbors. What he told me is good for the region, good for Israel," said Bass.

Sharaa also shared what he saw as a personal connection with Trump: both have been shot at, narrowly surviving attempts on their lives, Bass said.

Syrian officials and a presidency media official did not respond to a request for comment.

Sharaa spoke with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

...Crown Prince and modernizer of Saudi Arabia as of 2016. The Turks hate him, so he must be all right, despite the occasional brutal murder of Qatar-owned journalists...
 on Sunday, according to the Syrian presidency.

A person close to Sharaa said afterwards a Trump-Sharaa meeting remained possible in Saudi Arabia, but would not confirm whether Sharaa had received an invitation.

"Whether or not the meeting takes place won’t be known until the last moment," the person said.

’PUSH UNDERWAY’
To be clear, a Trump-Sharaa meeting during the US president’s visit to the region is widely seen as unlikely, given Trump’s packed schedule, his priorities and lack of consensus within Trump’s team on how to tackle Syria.

A source familiar with ongoing efforts said a high-level Syria-US meeting was set to take place in the region during the week of Trump’s visit, but that it would not be between Trump and Sharaa.

"There is definitely a push underway," said Charles Lister, head of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute.

"The idea is that getting to Trump directly is the best avenue because there are just too many ideologues within the administration to get past."

Washington is yet to formulate and articulate a coherent Syria policy, but the administration has increasingly been viewing relations with Damascus from a perspective of counterterrorism, three sources including a US official familiar with the policy-making said.

That approach was illustrated by the make-up of the US delegation in a meeting last month between Washington and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in New York, which included a senior counterterrorism official from the State Department, two of the sources said.

US officials conveyed to Shibani that Washington found steps taken by Damascus to be insufficient, particularly on the US demand to remove imported muscle from senior posts in the army and expel as many of them as possible, the sources said.

The US Treasury has since conveyed its own demands on the Syrian government, bringing the number of conditions to more than a dozen, one of the sources said.

The US State Department declined to disclose who attended the meeting from the US side and said it does not comment on private diplomatic discussions.

White House National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt said the actions of Syria’s interim authorities would determine the future US support or possible sanctions relief.

’OLIVE BRANCH’
A key aim of Syria’s overtures to Washington is communicating that it poses no threat to Israel, which has escalated Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s in Syria since the country’s rebels-turned rulers ousted former strongman Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
 last year.

Israel says the strikes were largely aimed at destroying Syria’s military and chemical arsenal to stop them falling into the hands of the new regime.

Israel’s ground forces have also occupied a buffer zone in southwestern Syria along the border, while the government has lobbied the US to keep Syria decentralized and isolated.

The IDF described its presence in southern Syria’s buffer zone as a temporary and defensive measure, though Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that troops will remain deployed to nine army posts in the area "indefinitely."

Israel has also said it aims to protect Syrian minority groups. Sectarian violence in Syria has escalated in recent weeks, as Islamist supporters of the country’s new regime have targeted Druze communities in festivities in southern Syria. Reports have put the corpse count from the fighting at around 100.

Israel has vowed to protect the Syrian Druze community from threats, and the IDF has struck targets in the country as a "warning" to the new regime.

Syria’s government has condemned Israel’s strikes as escalatory and as foreign interference, and says the new government in Damascus is working to unify the country after 14 years of civil war.

Sharaa last week confirmed indirect negotiations with Israel aimed at calming tensions, after Rooters reported that such talks had occurred via the UAE.

In a separate effort, Bass said Sharaa told him to pass messages between Syria and Israel that may have led to a direct meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials.

But Israel soon resumed strikes, including one near the presidential palace, which it framed as a message to Syria’s rulers to protect the country’s Druze minority amid festivities with Sunni holy warriors.

"Sharaa sent the Israelis an olive branch. Israel sent missiles," Bass said.

"We need Trump to help sort this relationship out."

Trump says US ‘may very well’ lift sanctions on Syria, give them a ‘fresh start’
But what must HTS agree to, to get such a thing? President Trump is transactional…
[IsraelTimes] US President Donald Trump hails Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and thanks him for hosting direct talks between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday.

He tells reporters during a White House press conference that he may even fly to Turkey to join those talks. He is flying to Saudi Arabia later today, and will be in Qatar and the UAE on Thursday.

Trump says Erdogan and others have asked him to lift US sanctions on Syria.

“We have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve. We may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start,” Trump says.

Turkey is the largest foreign backer of the new Islamist regime in Syria led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the overthrow of dictator Bashar Assad.

Israel has cautioned the US against warming up to Erdogan and the new regime in Syria.

Related:
Ahmed al-Sharaa 05/09/2025 On the brink of a collision: Erdogan and Netanyahu are waiting for Trump to reconcile them
Ahmed al-Sharaa 05/08/2025 Syria confirms backchannel dialogue with Israel on security matters
Ahmed al-Sharaa 05/07/2025 Syria says Israeli strikes to be a key focus of Sharaa’s meeting in Paris with Macron


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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
North Korea Will Send Troops to Russia If Necessary
2025-05-11
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Comrade Kim Jong-un said that he will not hesitate to send troops to Russia again to help the Russian army if Western countries dare to attack Russia.

The DPRK has the right to do so under the defensive treaty between the DPRK and Russia, which gives the parties the right to send troops to each other's territory to help in defensive wars against external aggressors. So Russia can also send its contingents to the DPRK to protect Pyongyang from the US, South Korea and Japan. This treaty clearly shows what a direct military alliance is, unlike, say, our complex of relations with China and Iran, which is not so mandatory in military terms. The DPRK is certainly our direct military ally.

Of course, Comrade Kim Jong-un's statements concern not only the war with the US and NATO. This warning also concerns Ukraine - if Ukraine tries to invade the territory of the Russian Federation in the old regions, the DPRK will again participate in these operations, as a result of which the Russian Armed Forces have the option of using 10-20 thousand North Koreans in border battles. There is no talk yet about using North Korean troops in the Donbass or in the southern direction. But in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions, their participation in battles on the border is more than possible.

The go-ahead has already been given to perpetuate the memory of the fallen DPRK soldiers in the Kursk region. Monuments and memorials will be created, plus several streets in the Kursk region will be named in honor of the North Koreans who helped us beat the enemy. Of course, North Korea has already received various bonuses for its assistance, in addition to the most valuable combat experience in the war against the NATO proxy army. We can expect serious progress from the DPRK army in the field of drones, electronic warfare, and air defense systems.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
About fighters from the DPRK in the Kursk region
2025-04-30
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Text taken from the Telegram channel of avcgroup
[ColonelCassad] Opinion from the Kursk direction on the participation of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk operation of the Russian Armed Forces.

About fighters from the DPRK

After the President and the Chief of General Staff officially acknowledged the participation of the KPA SSN in the CTO in the Kursk region, we will make our contribution: Yes, we knew, yes, there were nuances in the interaction, but we did not advertise it to the entire district, while the package openers with foam at the mouth proved the opposite, playing into the hands of the enemy, because everything has its time.

The Korean fighters had two features: high physical training and high marksmanship training. It is no secret that the North Koreans, due to the peculiarities of life in their country, are physically developed and accustomed to living in harsh conditions, which cannot be said about their southern counterparts. As for marksmanship training, in the KPA a huge amount of time is devoted to it and for almost any private Kim, the "Kalash" is almost native. So, the Korean comrades, having understood what was going on, began to shoot down almost all the drones in the area - both the Ukrainian Armed Forces and, let's face it, ours were also getting it. At one point, the guys even tried to change their flight routes in order not to fall under the watchful eye of the Korean soldier, because the number of drones shot down had already begun to go off the scale.

As for the participation of the KPA SSN fighters in the attacks - no one immediately sent them to assault work. At first, the guys sat on the third line, delved into the situation, then, having gotten used to what was happening, began to pull up to the supplies and fortifications. And only after that, the Korean comrades asked for assault work - by trial and error, they determined the tactics of action taking into account what was happening "on the ground". Yes, the acquired skills of the KPA turned out to be not quite in demand in the conditions of the counter-terrorist operation in the Kursk region, but the Korean friends quickly reorganized and managed to carry out a number of operations, inflicting good damage on the Ukrainian terrorists.

To sum it up, we can say the following: The guys from the Korean special forces are certainly heroes who decided to support the Russian army in the fight against the Ukrainian Nazis in the Kursk region. With their fortitude, bravery and dedication, high level of training and ruthlessness towards the enemy, the KPA SSN wrote their name into military history, gained invaluable combat experience, which will certainly be useful in training the DPRK army, taking into account the changed nature of military operations in general. We thank the Korean people and personally comrade Kim Jong-un for the assistance provided. Our cause is just, the enemy will be defeated, victory will be ours!

P.S. In Pyongyang, they announced that a memorial dedicated to the heroes of the battles in the Kursk region will be opened there.

We should open one here too. In Moscow, Kursk or Sudzha. Well, and open a Kim Jong-un Street somewhere.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 28, 2025
2025-04-29
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:18 Most of the Akhmat special forces fighters from the Aida group, who crawled through a gas pipe into the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region to force the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of there, are now in hospitals due to lung problems. This was reported by the deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces and the commander of the Akhmat special forces, Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov, as reported by RosSMI.

20.31 Since the beginning of the day, 92 combat clashes have occurred at the front. The Russian occupiers are most actively advancing in the Pokrovsky direction. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the evening of April 28.

19.49 In Kiev, rescuers found the remains of a rocket in the Camel Bay in the Obolonsky district. This was reported by the press service of the State Emergency Service.

"In Kyiv, in the Obolonsky district, near the Camel Bay, local residents noticed debris and, suspecting that these could be fragments of a rocket, reported the discovery to the relevant services," the statement said.

Specialists arrived at the scene and identified the remains of a Tochka-U missile.

"They do not pose an immediate mortal threat to the population, but remain potentially dangerous," the State Emergency Service explained.

19.17 Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov stated that the ceasefire declared by Russia from May 8 to 11 is a "manifestation of goodwill" of the Russian head of state and allegedly demonstrates Moscow's readiness for a peaceful settlement of the war. This is reported by Russian media.

Commenting on media reports about possible initiatives from Washington and Kyiv to resolve the war, Peskov stressed that public discussion of such proposals is impossible.

18:58 The head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and future Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz will not accept the peace imposed on Ukraine, based on Russia's military force. He said this at a party congress in Berlin, Bild reports .

18:40 The Darknode unit of the 412th Nemesis Regiment has recently intercepted 52 Shahed-136 attack UAVs using the latest means, the Unmanned Systems Force reports.

15:56 Head of the Kherson OVA Oleksandr Prokudin reported on the rescue of four children and teenagers from the temporarily occupied Kherson region.

In total, three boys and a girl were returned. The youngest child is 10 years old, the oldest is 17.

Among those rescued was a young man whom the occupiers forcibly took to the military registration and enlistment office, where they entered his data into the database as a Russian conscript and even determined his military specialty.

15.48 In Cherkassy, ​​an infrastructure facility was damaged as a result of drone strikes. This was reported on April 28 by the city's mayor, Anatoly Bondarenko.

15.23 The chairman of the military medical commission of the regional mobilization center of Bukovina and his accomplice were exposed in a scheme to produce fictitious medical documents to evade military service. This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.

14:59 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Ukraine is actively working to achieve peace together with international partners, but this path must be based on accurate information and assessments of the situation. The head of the MFA reported this on Platform X.

Sybiga emphasized that Ukraine wants peace more than anyone else in the world, and noted that this path must be based on facts.

"Ukraine wants peace more than anyone else in the world. We never wanted this war, and we want it to end as soon as possible. We are working hard together with the United States, European and other partners to achieve peace. And this path must be based on accurate information, assumptions and assessments," Sybiga wrote on social media.

He also noted that the widespread assumption that Russia could win the war is wrong, as it is based on underestimating Ukraine and overestimating Russia.

"This pattern has proven itself wrong many times, but people continue to fall into the same trap," the minister stressed.

According to Sibiga, the situation on the front remains tense, but Russia has not been able to break through the front line.

14. 57 The recognition by North Korea and Russia of the participation of the DPRK troops in the aggressive war against Ukraine is evidence that the Russian Federation does not seek peace. Moreover, the involvement of Pyongyang shows the desperate situation of Russia itself, which forces it to seek allies among the most depressive regimes in the world. This was stated by the press secretary of the European Commission Anita Hipper in Brussels during a briefing.

14:34 Russian invaders continue to kidnap Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine under the guise of cultural trips. This was reported by the Center for National Resistance on Telegram.

14.30 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has announced a three-day "truce" in May, the Kremlin press service reported . Putin is keen for the military parade and May 9 celebrations in Moscow to proceed calmly.

14.16 In Zakarpattia, law enforcement officers have exposed a criminal group that organized the illegal transfer of military-liable men across the state border of Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

14.00 In Kiev, a 45-year man died injured due to a masquerading Russian missile strike on the 24th quarter. With this, the number of victims of the Russian attack has increased to 13 people.

13.59 The SBU detained a Russian intelligence agent in Kramatorsk who was transmitting the coordinates of minefields to the enemy and was planning to form a punitive detachment in the event of the occupation of the region. This was reported by the SBU press service.

13.58 Russian war criminals launched several groups of "shahids" into Ukrainian territory on Monday morning, April 28. The city of Cherkassy and the Cherkassy region were under attack. This was reported by the Air Force.

13:38 The final settlement of the "Ukrainian crisis" should be based on two principles - Ukraine's non-entry into NATO and the consolidation of its non-aligned status, as well as the recognition of "territorial realities." This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Interfax reports .

13.17 Prosecutors of the Berestinsky District Prosecutor's Office of the Kharkiv Region have sent to court an indictment against four minors accused of sabotage, arson and obstruction of the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

13.01 A Su-27 fighter jet was lost on Monday morning. The pilot ejected and survived, the Ukrainian Air Force reported . The plane was lost while performing a combat mission to provide air support to troops and repel an attack by "shahideen".

12.57 Kremlin propagandists will soon step up their efforts to discredit the ceasefire negotiations. Their traditional ideologies will be to impose the world community's opinion on Ukraine's "lack of independence" in peace issues. This was reported by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

12.37 Three civilians were killed in the village of Novoekonomicheskoe in the Grodovsk community of the Pokrovsky district as a result of Russian shelling. This was reported by the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office. The victims of the aggressors were a married couple aged 76 and 78. A 47-year-old local resident also received injuries incompatible with life.

12.09 Russian troops attacked Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast at night, industrial facilities and the private sector were under enemy fire. This was reported by the head of the Kramatorsk GVA, Alexander Goncharenko.

12.02 Russia is allegedly waiting for a "signal" from Ukraine to resume direct negotiations. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a commentary to Russian propagandists. According to him, there is still a legal ban on the path to negotiations.

11.56 Border guards operating reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have removed three Ukrainian soldiers from a Russian log. This was reported by the State Border Service of Ukraine (GBSU) on its Telegram channel.

11.16 Russia is ready to provide assistance to North Korea if necessary. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a commentary to Russian propagandists.

10.48 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has released information about key enterprises supplying missiles and ammunition to Russia. These companies play a significant role in the aggressor's military production.

10.18 The Security Service counterintelligence has thwarted new attempts by Russian special services to destabilize the internal situation in Dnepr. A married couple who were preparing terrorist attacks in the city on orders from the Russian Federation have been detained.

The defendants arranged six caches with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and F-1 grenades in the territory of Dnepr and its environs. The Russians planned to recruit a new group of agents later, who were to obtain explosives from the caches and use them for detonations in crowded places.

The traitors turned out to be a 42-year-old contract soldier of one of the military units, who was engaged in subversive activities during home leave, as well as his 24-year-old wife, whom the enemy recruited on one of the Telegram channels.

10.02 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the soldiers who took part in the Russian-Ukrainian war "heroes" and promised to build a monument to "military exploits" in the capital of the DPRK.

Pyongyang also repeated Moscow's statement about the alleged "complete liberation" of the Kursk region of Russia from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

9:20 On the night of April 28, Russian troops attacked Kharkiv region with drones. As a result of ten "Shahed" drones hitting the village of Mokraya Rakitna, a calf barn, an administrative building, three cowsheds, two warehouses and a car were damaged. 22 heads of cattle were killed and 30 cows were injured.

8.56 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the key topic of which was the Russian war against Ukraine.

"Following up on the April 25 conversation between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Envoy Witkoff, the Minister and Secretary of State noted the importance of consolidating the emerging preconditions for starting negotiations with the aim of agreeing on a reliable path to long-term sustainable peace," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

8.37 Over the past 24 hours, 168 combat contacts were recorded at the front. In particular, the Russians attacked the Pokrovsk direction 64 times, and 23 enemy assaults took place in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.

8.15 On the night of April 28, explosions were heard near the Russian city of Bryansk. The Silicon El plant, which produces electronics for military needs, was hit by drones.

Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz said that a person was allegedly killed as a result of the drone attack. According to him, damage was caused to civilian infrastructure. Eyewitnesses in local public groups write that the drones' target was the Silicon El military microelectronics plant, in the area of ​​which several hits were recorded.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the destruction of 115 drones, 102 of which were over the Bryansk region.

07.32 As of April 28, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 949,800 people (1,160 per day).

05.13 Ukraine should not agree to the proposal of US President Donald Trump to cede its territories. This was stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in an interview with the German TV channel ARD. The Minister emphasized that Ukraine could have received such conditions on its own a year ago.

"It's akin to capitulation. I don't see any added value," Pistorius said.

04.02 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un confirmed the sending of troops to Russia for the war against Ukraine, stating that this is in line with the provisions of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.

"After it was determined that the situation met the conditions for applying the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with Russia, Comrade Kim Jong-un made a decision on the fate of our armed forces in the war and informed the Russian side about it," the North Korean KCNA said in a statement.

03.26 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to cede Crimea in exchange for an end to hostilities and the onset of long-awaited peace, according to US President Donald Trump.

02.04 US President Donald Trump said Russian dictator Vladimir Putin needs to demonstrate a commitment to ending the war in Ukraine.

"I want him to stop shooting and sit down and sign a deal. I think we have the terms of a deal and I want him to sign it and get it over with and just get his life back," Trump told reporters as he left New Jersey.

He also said he was disappointed by Russia's recent missile strikes on Kyiv and could not say for sure whether Putin was serious about ending the war.

01.12 Ukraine has received another 400,000 large-caliber shells this year as part of the Czech initiative to supply ammunition. This was reported by Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová. In 2024, Ukraine received about 1.5 million rounds of ammunition of various calibers through the mediation of the Czech Republic. According to the Czech Defense Minister, in 2025, funds for the initiative will be provided by autumn.

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China-Japan-Koreas
DPRK officially confirms Korean forces are fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine
2025-04-29
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] North Korea
...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...
 officially confirmed for the first time that it had deployed troops to Russia, two days after Moscow's top military leadership acknowledged the move.

State news agency KCNA reported that the ruling Workers' Party Central Military Commission had sent a written statement to state media, including the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, affirming the deployment.

It said the decision was ''fully in line with the provisions and spirit'' of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed between Pyongyang and Moscow, calling the dispatch ''the most faithful practical expression'' of the agreement's implementation.

In the statement, the Central Military Commission said North Korean forces participated in operations in Russia's Kursk region ''under the order of the Supreme Commander'' and declared that the campaign to repel Ukraine's ''adventurous armed invasion'' had ended in victory.

The commission said North Korean leader Kim Pudge Jong-un
...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished...
 had determined that the situation triggered Article 4 of the treaty, which obligates both countries to provide military and other assistance if either comes under armed attack, in line with the UN Charter and their respective domestic laws. Kim ordered the deployment and notified Russia, it said.

North Korea's statement follows Russia's chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, on Saturday hailing the ''heroism'' of the North Korean soldiers, who he said ''provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces'', while reporting to Putin that Kursk had been regained from Ukrainian forces.
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russian Ministry of Defense shows footage of the participation of DPRK special forces in battles in the Kursk region
2025-04-29
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Footage has emerged of joint combat operations by the Russian Armed Forces and North Korean special forces in the Sudzhansky District of the Kursk Region. The corresponding video was published on April 28 by the Russian Defense Ministry.



The footage shows fighters from both countries bringing flags to a church building liberated from Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) forces, hugging, and laying flowers at a memorial.

Earlier that day, the agency published footage of North Korean soldiers being trained by Russian instructors. The footage shows the Korean soldiers learning to fight in various situations, firing various weapons, throwing grenades, and marching. They were wearing St. George ribbons on their helmets.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that the Russian people will never forget the feat of the Korean special forces and the fighters who gave their lives for Russia. The head of the DPRK Kim Jong-un also noted that his soldiers fought "for justice and the honor of the Motherland."

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Kursk region liberated
2025-04-27
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Chief of General Staff Gerasimov reported to Putin about the liberation of the Kursk region.

Gornal was liberated today. Thus, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been driven out of all settlements in the Kursk region.

Irrecoverable losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from August 6, 2024 to April 26, 2025 in the Kursk region exceeded 76,000 people.

Operation Potok played a decisive role in the success of the Russian troops, which led to the collapse of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense in the Kursk region.

The plans of the Zelensky regime to exchange the occupied territories of the Kursk region for at least something were successfully thwarted.

Gerasimov also confirmed that North Korean troops participated in operations in the Kursk region and showed great heroism in these battles shoulder to shoulder with our troops. Thanks to Comrade Kim Jong-un and the North Koreans. True brothers in arms.

It is just a fact - Russia's closest military ally at the moment is communist North Korea.

Gerasimov's statement about DPRK troops.

About North Koreans.
1. Things have already arrived, including with their own equipment - self-propelled guns, multiple launch rocket systems, and operational missile systems.

2. They took an active part in the assault operations in a number of areas of the Kursk salient.

3. Thanks to the courage of their infantry and special forces, a number of settlements in the Kursk region were liberated. It is especially worth noting the North Korean "SSOshniks", who demonstrated a high level of training.

4. As our fighters also suffered losses. For the Koreans, this war was an opportunity to gain unique experience of modern warfare, which will certainly be used in the modernization of the armed forces of the DPRK.

5. Just as during the operation of the "polite people" in Crimea, their presence was not officially acknowledged. When the time came, they officially acknowledged it. In the West, this approach is called part of the "Gerasimov doctrine" reflecting the Russian view of the concept of hybrid warfare.

Peace to the ashes of the fallen North Korean fighters and thank you to those who stood shoulder to shoulder with us in the battles in the Kursk region. Just as our military advisers once fought together with the North Koreans against the USA during the Korean War.

Liberation of Gornal.



Link


China-Japan-Koreas
South Korea says North Korea fired multiple short-range missiles
2025-01-15
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] South Korea has recorded the launch of several short-range missiles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). This was reported on January 14 by the Yonhap news agency, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The launch took place at around 09:30 local time (03:30 Moscow time) from the area of ​​the city of Kange in the province of Chagando towards the Sea of ​​Japan, the authors specified.

The South Korean military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, maintaining full readiness and closely exchanging information with the United States and Japan on North Korea's ballistic missile capabilities.

As reported by Regnum News Agency, on January 6, the DPRK launched a ballistic missile towards the Sea of ​​Japan for the first time in 2025. DPRK leader Kim Jong-un stated that the new hypersonic missile developed by Pyongyang can overcome any missile defense system (MDS) in the world.

The DPRK may deploy around 250 launchers for short-range operational-tactical missiles around Pyongyang, South Korean television channel KBS claimed on January 8.
Related:
Kange: 2024-09-24 15 members of extremist community detained in Kabardino-Balkaria
Kange: 2024-02-05 WWII Latvia, Salaspils: 'Those who helped the children were shot. They didn't survive'7
Kange: 2023-07-14 Hundreds arrested, nine dead following Kenya protests
Related:
DPRK: 2025-01-12 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: January 11, 2024
DPRK: 2025-01-05 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: January 4, 2024
DPRK: 2024-12-28 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: December 27, 2024
Link


China-Japan-Koreas
Falun Gong: Video of NKor dead from Ukraine War being flown back to NKor.
2024-12-08
[X]
Link


China-Japan-Koreas
Trump team considering direct talks with North Korean leader
2024-11-28
…which should be enough to have him reconsider his choices…
[KhaamaPress] Rooters reported that Donald Trump
...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried....
’s team, the elected president of the United States, is discussing the possibility of reviving direct negotiations with Kim Jong-un'>Kim Pudge Jong-un
...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished...
, the leader of North Korea
...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...
On Tuesday, November 26, Rooters reported that many people in Trump’s team believe direct talks with Kim Jong-un are the best way to improve relations.

According to the report, discussions among Trump’s close circle on this issue are ongoing, but Trump has not yet made a final decision.

During his first term as president, Trump initiated direct negotiations with Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. He met with Kim several times, including a historic handshake and dialogue at the border between North and South Korea.

After Trump’s defeat to Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant....
 in the 2020 election, direct talks with North Korea were halted, and North Korea signed a strategic pact with Russia.

Earlier, Trump appointed Alex Wong, one of the key figures in advancing direct talks with North Korea during his first term, as his deputy national security advisor.

The potential revival of talks with North Korea reflects Trump’s ongoing interest in engaging with Kim Jong-un despite the challenges faced during his previous term. Direct diplomacy, which was a hallmark of Trump’s approach to North Korea, had gained some attention and support for its potential to ease tensions.

As the situation develops, it remains to be seen whether Trump will proceed with this initiative or whether his administration will focus on other diplomatic strategies. Regardless of the outcome, the implications for U.S. foreign policy and relations with North Korea will be significant in the coming years.
Related:
North Korea: 2024-11-25 Ukrainian General Staff: There were almost 200 clashes on the front
North Korea: 2024-11-24 Gazprombank Sanctioned Effective Tomorrow - SWIFT System Severed
North Korea: 2024-11-24 At least Six Russian Wagner Group Mercenaries Killed in Islamist Attack in Mali
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Senior North Korean General Wounded in Recent Ukrainian Strike, Western Officials Say
2024-11-23
[WSJ] A senior North Korean general was wounded in a recent Ukrainian strike in Russia’s Kursk region, Western officials said Thursday.

It is the first time Western officials have said that a high-ranking North Korean military officer has become a casualty in the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Also at the link is a video report:
Ukraine, South Korea and the U.S. all confirm that North Korean troops are in Russia, training to possibly fight for Moscow. The Wall Street Journal unpacks the evidence.
Courtesy of 3dc, a whole bunch of tweets about those North Koreans:
[X]

Alternate spelling:

A third spelling option, with extra dissatisfaction:

Another name variant plus more background:



I’m not sure what this tweet from 2023 has to do with the current situation, but consider it a bonus, dear Reader:
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: November 1, 2024
2024-11-02
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:03 Ukraine is capable of producing even more shells, but it lacks explosives, Minister for Strategic Industries German Smetanin told Reuters: "The main problem we have now is gunpowder and explosives. We will have as many shells as the explosives that come to Ukraine." According to him, this shortage is global.

21:57 Poland is offering to sell weapons to Ukraine on credit, said the country's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski: "This could have been done from the very beginning: here you go, buy from Polish factories on credit, and when you recover, you will pay back."

21:34 Hungarian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mate Paczolai stated that Budapest will not include its NATO membership in the agreement with Kiev: "We have made it clear to the Ukrainian side that Ukraine's intention to join NATO cannot be part of this agreement."

21:28 Russian troops attacked a residential area in Sumy with a drone: a nine-story building was damaged, five people were injured, the prosecutor's office reported.

19:35 The White House announced a new $425 million military aid package for Ukraine. It included, in particular:

  • BC for NASAMS air defense missile system;

  • Stinger MANPADS;

  • counter-UAV equipment;

  • air-to-ground munitions;

  • BC for HIMARS;

  • 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;

  • TOW ATGM;

  • Javelin and AT-4 ATGMs;

  • Stryker APC;

  • small arms and ammunition, etc.

19:24 Russians have launched two missile strikes on a police station in Kharkiv: one policeman was killed and 26 others were wounded , said Ivan Vyhovsky, head of the National Police. Four civilians were also wounded. OVA head Oleh Sinegubov specified that the enemy used S-300 missiles, damaging 20 private and apartment buildings.

17:20 Russians hit Kharkov with ballistics, one hit a residential building. Two people suffered an acute stress reaction, said OVA chief Oleg Sinegubov.

15:07 The Russian army has captured the largest territory since the beginning of the year in a week - more than 200 sq. km, Bloomberg writes. The agency added that this entailed huge losses of Russian troops and equipment.

13:29 The DPRK promises to "stand firmly next to" Russia in the war against Ukraine, said the country's Foreign Minister Choi Son Hee. According to her, Kim Jong-un gave instructions "without looking back at anyone" to consistently support and assist the Russian army in the "holy war."

12:18 A water leak occurred from an impulse line at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, repair work is currently underway, the IAEA reported. "The Agency will continue to closely monitor this issue. Although we do not see any immediate problems for nuclear safety," said Director General Rafael Grossi.

10:46 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit the European Union in December for the first time since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the minister will take part in a meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Malta on December 5-6.

09:50 In October 2024, Russia attacked Ukraine with 2,023 Shahed-type attack UAVs and other unmanned aerial vehicles of an unknown type, the General Staff reported. Of these, 1,185 were destroyed or suppressed, 738 were lost, and another 29 UAVs left Ukrainian airspace. Since the beginning of the year, the enemy has launched 6,987 attack UAVs at Ukraine. The strikes primarily targeted civilian and critical infrastructure.

09:41 Canada is trying to convince other countries to allow Ukraine to carry out long-range strikes on Russian territory, said the country's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly: "We approve of Ukraine's use of long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory, since Ukraine needs this for self-defense. We are also trying to convince other countries to take this position."

09:36 In Svetlograd, Stavropol Krai, a drone fell on an oil depot; there were no casualties, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said. In Bryansk, one person was injured as a result of a drone attack on a multi-story building, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said. The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense intercepted and destroyed 83 drones overnight: 36 over Kursk Oblast, 20 over Bryansk, 12 over Crimea, eight over Voronezh, four over Oryol, and three over Belgorod.

08:59 In the evening, Russians attacked the Kievsky district of Kharkov, two people were injured, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. Three more people were wounded as a result of enemy shelling in the city of Dergachi. In Kupyansk, as a result of shelling, one person was killed, in the village of Kucherivka in the Kupyansky district, one person was wounded.

08:47 In the Kherson region, over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed and 13 were injured, reported the head of the OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin.

08:35 Air defense destroyed 31 of 48 Russian drones (Shahed attack type and unspecified type) in Kirovograd, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odessa and Poltava regions at night, the Air Force reported. Another 14 drones were lost, three flew off in the direction of Belarus.

In addition, during the night attack, the enemy used three Kh-59/69 guided air missiles. One of them was shot down, the rest did not reach their targets due to active counteraction. Russian tactical aviation also struck Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhia regions with guided air bombs. As a result of falling debris, several civilian enterprises were damaged, as well as apartment buildings and private houses in Poltava, Cherkasy, Kyiv and Odessa regions.

08:23 In Donetsk region on October 31 as a result of Russian shelling two people were wounded - in Kurakhovo and Dronovka, reported the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.

07:56 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of November 1:

  • personnel - about 696,410 (+1,460) people,

  • tanks - 9162 (+6),

  • combat armored vehicles - 18,470 (+20),

  • artillery systems - 20,039 (+26),

  • MLRS - 1244 (+1),

  • air defense systems - 994 (+0),

  • aircraft - 369 (+0),

  • helicopters - 329 (+0),

  • Operational-tactical level UAVs - 18,088 (+25),

  • cruise missiles - 2628 (+1),

  • ships/boats - 28 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 28,038 (+77),

  • special equipment - 3579 (+9).

06:18 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes in its report that the Russians have begun using "shaheds" with thermobaric warheads. Analysts cite a study by the Kiev Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, which examined the wreckage of Shahed-136 drones used in Russian attacks from October 26 to 29. The results of the study indicate that Russian troops have modified the attack drones to install thermobaric warheads on them.

00:52 Seoul's decision to provide weapons to Kiev will depend on the level of involvement of North Korean forces in Russia's war against Ukraine, said South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. "We need to see the level of involvement of North Korean forces in Russia, and what North Korea will get from Russia... So we will have to look at this before making a decision on providing weapons to Ukraine," he explained.

00:13 A ministerial conference on the human dimension of the Formula for Peace was held in Montreal, Canada, where participants adopted a joint communiqué on the return of all captured and deported Ukrainians, the Office of the President reported. "The communiqué reflects a common set of principles that the conference participants will be guided by in the future, demonstrates unwavering support for Ukraine's victory, and condemns any country that helps Russia carry out its aggression," the statement said.

In particular, the conference participants agreed to strengthen Ukraine's cooperation with partners and international organizations to resolve humanitarian issues and ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions. One of the points is to find trusted mediator countries for negotiations with the Russian Federation on the return home of Ukrainian military personnel, civilians, and children.

Link



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