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Russia and Belarus announced plans to hold a joint military exercise in September, officials confirmed Thursday. This exercise is part of ongoing efforts by the two neighboring allies to strengthen their military cooperation amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

The Zapad, or West, 2025 drill will involve over 13,000 troops, said Valery Revenko, a Belarusian defense official. He added that observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a top trans-Atlantic security and rights group, will be invited to monitor the drills, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for over 30 years and has relied on Kremlin subsidies and support, allowed Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into neighboring Ukraine in 2022 and to host some of its tactical nuclear weapons.

Russian troops rolled into Ukraine from Belarus on Feb. 24, 2022, after a joint drill with the Belarusian army. Ukraine and Belarus share a 1,084-kilometer (672-mile) border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that a Russian military buildup in Belarus, which borders NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, could set the stage for a potential attack. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations that it could attack NATO members.

Revenko said that Belarus is open for mutual military inspections with Poland 80 kilometers (50 miles) deep into each other’s territory – something he said would signal Poland’s intention to pursue “good neighborly ties.”

“If Poland rejects or ignores such action, we will have a different opinion,” Revenko said.

Update: German military expert warns of possible “last summer of peace”.source Bild.

🇷🇺Russia and Belarus will hold a joint military exercise in September.

The Zapad, or West, 2025 drill will involve over 13,000 troops.

Experts believe that Russia will attack Lithuania in connection with that exercise.

Source: BILD pic.twitter.com/wQEdUvesKI

— WORLD AT WAR (@World_At_War_6) March 23, 2025

𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 𝔸𝕋 𝕎𝔸ℝ

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Greenland’s prime minister said a planned visit to the island by US officials, including second lady Usha Vance, is “highly aggressive,” plunging relations to a new low after President Donald Trump vowed to annex the autonomous Danish territory.

Vance, the wife of US Vice President JD Vance, will travel to Greenland this week to watch the island’s national dogsled race and “celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity,” according to a statement from the White House. National security adviser Mike Waltz is also expected to visit the territory this week, according to a source familiar with the trip.

Greenland Prime Minister Mute B. Egede called the US delegation’s trip to the island “highly aggressive” in an interview with Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq on Sunday, and raised particular objection to Waltz’s visit.

“What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us,” Egede said. “His mere presence in Greenland will no doubt fuel American belief in Trump’s mission — and the pressure will increase.”

The prime minister of Greenland has hit out at the US following the announcement that Second Lady Usha Vance and senior American officials will visit the island on Thursday. The administration of US President Donald Trump is pursuing control over the autonomous Danish territory and its resources.

Mute B. Egede described the upcoming trip – reportedly involving National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright – as part of “very aggressive American pressure” aimed at “taking over our country over our heads.”

In an interview with local newspaper Sermitsiaq on Sunday, Egede criticized Western nations for inadequately opposing the US, stating, “Our allies in the international community feel like hiding in a small corner and almost whisper their support, which has no effect.”

Denmark will not sell Greenland and will not allow any bribery attempts, despite threats from the U.S.

🇬🇱🇺🇸 Greenland is unhappy with the visit of JD Vance and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, the local Prime Minister called the move an "aggressive provocation"

Aa US military plane landed in Nuuk carrying four US government vehicles ahead of a visit on Thursday. https://t.co/4cfkXgGkOe pic.twitter.com/lei4QM2NV9

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) March 24, 2025

𝕃𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝔹𝕖𝕓𝕠

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NATO is planning to ask its European and Canadian members to boost their weaponry and equipment stocks by about 30% over the next several years.

Informed sources have told Bloomberg. Sputnik asked a pair of leading German and French observers what this would mean for a region already suffering economic malaise and industrial decline.

Key alliance members like Germany and France would amass an unsustainable fiscal burden, be forced into debt and have to slash social programs if they accept NATO’s call for a 30% bump in new arms and equipment spending, AfD MP Dr. Rainer Rothfuss told Sputnik.

“The budget restraints that were even inscribed into our Constitution needed to be changed to get the financial flexibility to invest so much in defense. That shows us that it’s not a matter of priority spending, [but] a matter of, I would say, bankruptcy should this kind of policy be followed in the coming years.

European countries on the brink of social explosion

Europe, once the richest and most advanced continent, is living its last days, writes Geopolitika.

Its humiliating decline has already become obvious to the rest of the world, even if the deceived Europeans themselves are not… pic.twitter.com/Ce0jDDbA6R

— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) February 22, 2024

ℤ𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕚𝟟𝟙

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Nawaf Salam has warned of an escalation as Israel renews attacks on the country

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has warned that Israeli airstrikes could drag the country into a “new war,” following deadly attacks on towns in the south.

According to a statement published on his official website on Saturday, the prime minister “warned of renewed military operations on the southern border, because of the risks they carry dragging the country into a new war, which will bring woes to Lebanon and the Lebanese people.” Salam also stressed the need to ensure that “the [Lebanese] state alone has the power to decide war and peace.”

He also called on the UN to apply pressure on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, warning that continued hostilities threaten the truce currently in place.

On Saturday, Israeli jets struck Tyre, Zibqin, and Qlaileh. The Israeli military said the action was “in response to the rocket fire at Israel” from around 6km north of the border. West Jerusalem blamed Hezbollah for the launches and said it targeted the group’s rocket sites.

Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam says his country is at risk of being drawn into a “new war”, as dozens of new Israeli air attacks against Hezbollah killed at least two people https://t.co/gXl2wVm0d9 pic.twitter.com/lQA4axILvP

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 22, 2025

𝔸𝕝 𝕁𝕒𝕫𝕖𝕖𝕣𝕒

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Despite special envoy Steve Witkoff’s rejection of “preposterous” fears of a Russian invasion of Europe, and Donald Trump’s confidence that Russia’s not a threat to NATO, US allies in Europe up to hundreds of kilometers from Russia are preparing their publics for the worst.

Poland: This week, Poland’s Interior Ministry called on citizens to prepare three-day food, water, medicine, lighting, power bank and radio survival kits.

France: Plans to issue a ‘survival manual’ for national emergencies, containing similar preparedness advice. Officials have made conflicting claims on the document’s purpose: while a prime ministerial spokesperson has indicated the manual would include crises involving “armed conflict,” officials in the defense department assure the booklet is “absolutely not” about preparing for “the prospect of war.”

Sweden: Updated its ‘If Crises or War Comes’ manual in November, with similar advice on stockpiling (for at least a week) plus other tips, like what to do in an air raid. Booklet delivered to all households from 1943-1991 and again starting in 2018.

Finland: Published a new online ‘Preparing for Incidents and Crises’ guide the same month, including what to do in a military emergency.

Germany: Updated its ‘Guide for Emergency Preparedness and Correct Action in Emergency Situations’ in 2022, with tips like creating a “grab bag” for emergency evacuations. Accompanied by Berlin’s delivery of over €12.6B ($13.7B) in arms aid to Ukraine, updated war plans, a huge boost in defense spending, and murmuring by officials about reintroducing conscription.

Denmark: Revised its ‘Prepare for Crises’ guidebook in 2024. Includes basic survival skills, shelter, safety and communication tips for wartime.

Norway: Sent an new ‘How to contribute to Norway’s emergency preparedness’ guide in fall 2024 to 2+ million households. Supplies recommendations increased from three days to one week.

Italy: Launched an IT-Alert public warning system in 2024 to go along with its 2021 revised emergencies and civil defense guide.

UK: Last updated its Prepare for Emergencies campaign in 2019. Chief of Defense Staff Tony Radakin announced late last year that Britain was having “conversations” with NATO colleagues on updating it, and making direct reference to Ukraine. “Deterrence doesn’t start at the barrel of a gun. It starts with a society that can muster a credible answer to the threat of an armed attack,” he said. Radakin, incidentally, has also been a top cheerleader for the proxy war in Ukraine, and for putting British troops in the country – a move Russia has warned could lead to disaster.

Russia has no desire to invade other European countries, US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff has said, dismissing such fears as “preposterous.”

He made the remarks in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson on Friday.

🚨 From survival kits to war manuals: How Europe gears up for possible conflict with Russia

Despite Steve Witkoff's rejection of “preposterous” fears of a Russian invasion of Europe pic.twitter.com/DyxcQ407z7

— The Tradesman (@The_Tradesman1) March 22, 2025

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕟

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For any homeowner, having a helpful robot companion around the home is the stuff of sci-fi-worthy dreams. 

But American tech firm Nvidia is now among the companies keen to make this a reality. 

In California on Tuesday, the chip giant unveiled Blue, a cute advanced AI-powered robot with two legs, just 3 feet tall. 

Footage shows Blue – which looks like the robot from the Pixar classic Wall-E – walk onto the stage as it’s introduced by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. 

‘Tell me that wasn’t amazing,’ Huang says to the audience, as Blue waddles up to him with a similar gait to a duck. ‘Look how smart you are!’

Like R2-D2 talking to C-3PO in Star Wars, Blue responds with an adorable series of bleeps and bloops as it looks up at its master. 

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday awarded Boeing (BA.N), the contract to build the U.S. Air Force’s most sophisticated fighter jet, known as Next Generation Air Dominance, two sources familiar with the situation said.

The NGAD program will replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor with a crewed aircraft built to enter combat alongside drones. The plane’s design remains a closely held secret, but would likely include stealth, advanced sensors, and cutting-edge engines.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have awarded Boeing the $20 billion contact for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Program, to fully develop and produce a sixth-generation replacement for the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 “Raptor” Stealth… pic.twitter.com/nwGAFUdl9G

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 21, 2025

𝕆𝕊𝕀ℕ𝕋𝕕𝕖𝕗𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣

Shares of Boeing were up 5% after the news. The Seattle-based company beat out Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), for the deal, and its shares fell nearly 6%.

Both companies declined to comment ahead of announcement expected from the White House on Friday morning.

It was Boeing $BA vs Lockheed Martin $LMT for the contract pic.twitter.com/hpqihxWsQb

— Evan (@StockMKTNewz) March 21, 2025

𝔼𝕧𝕒𝕟

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No planes will fly to or from Heathrow Airport on Friday after the airport was shut due to a fire at a nearby substation. Passengers have been warned to stay away, with disruption likely to last for days.

Counter-terror police are among agencies investigating the cause of the fire, which is expected to affect more than 1,300 flights today.

Western officials have accused Russia and its proxies of staging dozens of attacks and other incidents across Europe since the invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

They allege that the disruption campaign is an extension of President Putin’s war, intended to sow division in European societies and undermine support for Ukraine – although the Kremlin has denied carrying out sabotage efforts against the West.

Earlier this week, Putin had agreed to a limited ceasefire that stops Russia targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after a phone call with US President Donald Trump. 

Now, experts are analysing whether Russia could be linked to the UK substation fire, which is affecting 679 flights scheduled to land and 678 departures from Heathrow. 

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