Trump’s remarks rejected a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to extend the agreement for one additional year.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump on Thursday urged negotiators to draft a new nuclear arms agreement rather than revive limits that had governed US and Russian deployments for more than two decades, after the last remaining pact between the two countries expired.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that New START had been “badly negotiated” and was “being grossly violated,” adding that “we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future.” His comments came hours after the treaty lapsed.

Trump’s remarks rejected a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to extend the agreement for one additional year.

The treaty had already been extended once, in 2021, when Putin and then-President Joe Biden used its single five-year renewal option.

Signed in 2010, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty took effect in February 2011. It limited both sides to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

It also set a ceiling of 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers and imposed constraints on Russian long-range systems able to reach the United States.

Trump has previously argued that China must be included in any future arrangement, citing the rapid expansion of its arsenal.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday it would not take part in such a nuclear arms reduction framework, CNN reports.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow regretted the treaty’s expiration and remained open to dialogue if Washington responded constructively to Putin’s offer.

He said Russia would maintain a “responsible, thorough approach to stability when it comes to nuclear weapons,” while being guided “primarily by its national interests.”

With no binding limits now in place between the two largest nuclear powers, analysts warn that the lapse raises the risk of renewed competition in strategic weapons deployments.

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The President added that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be called upon to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Amid the continuation of airstrikes and missile launches between Israel and Iran, US President Donald Trump told ABC News on Sunday that “it’s possible” the US could get involved,” but emphasized that both sides should “make a deal” to stop the fighting.

Trump said, “It’s possible we could get involved,” while adding that the US is “not at this moment involved” in the conflict.

The President added that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be called upon to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

“He is ready. He called me about it. We had a long talk about it,” Trump said.

Russia maintains a long-standing strategic and military alliance with Iran. In support of Moscow, Tehran has supplied suicide drones, long-range missiles, and artillery, enabling Russia to sustain its aggressive campaign in Ukraine.

In 2024, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi requested military aid from Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu during his visit to Tehran.

Also on Sunday, Trump took to social media and urged an end to the fighting between Iran and Israel.

He wrote on Truth Social that both sides “should make a deal and will make a deal.”

Trump compared the conflict between the two countries and the possible resolution to that of India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers.

Trump took credit for creating peace between the two countries “using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!”

“Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK. the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!” he added.

The President claimed he could put an end to the conflict, stating that he had successfully prevented hostilities between Serbia and Kosovo and assisted in negotiations between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

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Last week, Putin invited released hostages to the Kremlin and lauded Hamas leaders for freeing the captives, calling their release a “humanitarian act.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani asserted that Israel had not complied with the ceasefire agreement and hostage deal that Doha played a part in mediating.

“As you’re aware, we came to an agreement several months back, but regrettably, Israel has not honored it,” Al-Thani stated. He emphasized that “Qatar remains committed to narrowing the divide between parties to achieve a resolution that brings relief to the Palestinian people, particularly those in Gaza.”

Putin responded by saying, “We recognize that Qatar is making significant efforts to help bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sadly, the proposals presented — including those from your side — have not come to fruition. Innocent lives are still being lost in Palestine, and that remains one of the greatest tragedies of our time.”

“A long-term settlement can only be achieved on the basis of the UN resolution and, first of all, in connection with the establishment of two states,” said Putin.

Last week, Putin hosted released hostages Sapir Cohen, 29; her boyfriend, Sasha Troufanov, 29; and Troufanov’s mother, Yelena, 50. The three were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with Yelena’s mother, Irina Tati, 73. Hamas terrorists murdered Yelena’s husband.

Irina and Yelena, both Russian citizens, were released by Hamas in November 2023 as a goodwill gesture to Moscow.

Cohen was freed that same month as part of the first Gaza ceasefire deal.

Troufanov, who also holds Russian citizenship, was returned to Israel in February during the second Gaza truce.

During the meeting with the hostages, Putin expressed shock after hearing about Troufanov’s 498-day captivity and lauded Hamas leaders for freeing the hostages, calling their release a “humanitarian act.”

“The fact that you managed to go free is the result of the fact that Russia has stable, long-term relations with the Palestinian people, with its representatives, and with a wide variety of organizations,” Putin said, adding that “we need to express words of gratitude to the leadership of the political wing of Hamas for cooperating with us and carrying out this humanitarian act.”

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The limousine belongs to Putin’s Presidential Property Management Department, though whether the Russian dictator personally used this exact vehicle remains unconfirmed.

By Jewish Breaking News

Social media is abuzz with viral footage showing one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s presidential limousines consumed by fire near intelligence headquarters in Moscow.

Eyewitnesses filmed thick black smoke pouring from a $350,000 Aurus Senat luxury vehicle on Saturday, with one clip alone garnering 1.7 million views. Nearby workers helped put out the fire, which likely began in the car’s engine bay and spread to the interior.

According to German outlet Bild, the limousine belongs to Putin’s Presidential Property Management Department, though whether the Russian dictator personally used this exact vehicle remains unconfirmed. Kremlin officials have remained silent, but a comprehensive security review has been ordered, particularly focusing on sewers near where the vehicle burned.

Normally, Putin’s motorcade involves heavily armored convoys surrounded by military special forces carrying AK-47s, anti-tank grenade launchers and anti-aircraft missiles. But security protocols around him have visibly tightened following December’s Ukrainian assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was responsible for Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs. During Putin’s state visit to Murmansk on Friday, ceremonial guards underwent unprecedented weapons searches before official ceremonies.

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The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

During a 90-minute phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two leaders agreed that negotiations in the Middle East should begin immediately.

The main issue the two leaders discussed during the call was bringing the war between Ukraine and Russia to a close.

White House spokesman Dan Scavino said the call began at 10:00 a.m. EDT and ended at 12:52 p.m.

During the call, which Trump described on social media as “very good and productive,” the two leaders agreed that Russia would cease its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for the next 30 days. They also agreed on issues concerning conflict in the Middle East.

“The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel,” the White House said.

“They agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has a huge upside. This includes enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability when peace has been achieved,” the White House continued.

In November, Russia offered to participate in ceasefire negotiations that helped conclude the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, saying it was willing to be an indirect but crucial player in the negotiations to ensure “that Syria will not continue to be a weapons highway” to Hezbollah.

Moscow maintains a largely covert military presence and wields significant influence in Syria, having supported fomer dictator Bashar Assad in retaining power and reclaiming roughly half of the country from various rebel groups following the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.

A “senior Kremlin official” told Kan News that “Russia is prepared to assist and support anything that would stop the killing of civilians and prevent the destruction of civilian infrastructure.”

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Zelensky emphasized the ‘mistake’ was on a political level and that Ukraine ‘always had good connections with Israeli society.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Fox News on Wednesday that he believes the Israeli government “made a mistake” by not showing more support for Ukraine during its war with Russia and blamed it on his belief that “Israel is afraid of Putin.”

Zelensky emphasized that Israel made “a mistake on the political level, not the people,” noting that Ukraine “always had good connections with Israeli society.”

He recalled asking Israel for its support when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

“It’s my opinion, and I’m frank about it, and I also spoke about it with European leaders and with the American administration, and I asked them to help me with Israel to give us support, especially with air defenses,” he said.

Zelensky admitted feeling “shock at the lack of Israeli support” in 2022.

Israel condemned Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and provided some support, including humanitarian aid and an aerial warning system, but stopped short of sending military aid.

The Financial Times reported early in 2024 that the US and Israel were in talks to provide Ukraine with eight Patriot missile air defense systems currently owned by Israel.

Russia has been a strong critic of Israel since October 7th, accused it of war crimes at the UN, and has hosted Hamas leaders.

The vast majority of Hezbollah’s weapons originated from Russia, according to a report Tuesday, with recent discoveries by Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon forcing the IDF to raise its estimates regarding the flow of weapons to the Iranian-backed terror group.

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal published a report citing multiple sources claiming that IDF forces operating in southern Lebanon since October 1st have uncovered large quantities of Russian-made weapons in Hezbollah’s possession.

While Israel has long been aware of the Iranian-backed terror group’s use of Russian-made weapons, the recent discoveries reportedly came as a surprise to military intelligence, which had estimated that Hezbollah’s arsenal was less dependent on Russia, and that the Russian-made equipment was largely older items, many dating to the Soviet era.

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Hamas recently signaled that it would prioritize releasing two hostages with Russian citizenship still held in the Gaza Strip.

By World Israel News Staff

A Russian government plane landed in Israel last Thursday, without announcements from either Moscow or Jerusalem, triggering questions about Russia’s role in negotiations with the Hamas terror group and Iran.

The plane landed last Thursday at Ben-Gurion Airport, on the last day of the Sukkot holiday, and no official explanation or information were provided regarding the likely visit by a Russian government delegation.

Israeli media officials declined to answer media queries regarding the visit.

Notably, Hezbollah ceased its virtually non-stop rocket and missile fire and drone launches during the entire time that the Russian plane was on the ground in Israel.

The terror group then resumed its aerial bombardment once the plane had taken off to return to Moscow and was out of Israeli airspace.

“For several weeks, Russia has been trying to mediate between Iran and Israel. This can be understood from Putin’s words, from meetings between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Bogdanov and the Israeli Ambassador to Russia,” Alex Tenzer, a Russian media expert, told Hebrew-language outlet Ynet.

“Russia is trying to protect its influence in the Middle East, which is weakening day by day due to the weakening of Iran.”

In December 2023, three Israeli hostages with Russian citizenship were released by Hamas, in a deal between the terror group and Russia.

That deal was completely independent of a hostage deal between the Israeli government and Hamas, which saw the return of dozens of captives kidnapped on October 7th, alongside with thousands of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli prisons.

Last week, the deputy head of the Hamas politburo, Musa Abu Marzouk, was hosted by the Kremlin to discuss a potential hostage deal.

Abu Marzouk, who is classified by the U.S. government as a “specially designated global terrorist,” said that Hamas was willing to have Russia act as a negotiator.

Hamas would “prioritize releasing the two Russian citizen hostages” still held in the Strip, even before the release of women or injured captives, Abu Marzouk told Russian media.

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Russian Security Council Secretary: ‘We are ready to cooperate fully with Iran in various areas.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Iranian officials say that Russia has already begun transferring air defense and radar systems to Iran as tensions in the Middle East rise.

The New York Times reported that Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian had requested the military aid from Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu on his visit to Tehran on Monday.

Iranian officials report that the shipments from Russia are already arriving.

“Russia has financial problems and although it maintains economic and cultural ties with Israel, Moscow cannot afford to reject Iran’s request for help because it relies heavily on Iranian drones in its war on Ukraine,” a source with knowledge of the meeting tells the Times.

Additionally, the two countries share a common enemy in the form of the United State and the NATO alliance, and a partnership will be a means to strengthen both nations.

Both countries have also faced sanctions, and have found ways to get around the dollar and the SWIFT international financial messaging system.

Trade between Iran and Russia is estimated to be around $4 billion.

Although Russia has some economic ties with Israel, Moscow has been distancing itself from the Jewish State since October 7th.

Putin and members of his administration have used scathing rhetoric against Israel at the UN and in the media.

In June, Putin said, “Of course we are against terrorism in all its manifestations, against attacks against civilians — at any place and in any country.”

“But what is happening now in Gaza in response to the well-known terrorist act in Israel does not really look like a war, it is some kind of total destruction of the civilian population.”

In addition, Putin offered to resolve Israel’s war with Hamas and said, ““We have long recognized the Palestinian state since the Soviet Union era. Our approach in this regard has not changed.”

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Israel’s military actions in Gaza don’t look like a war, says Russian President Vladimir Putin.

By World Israel News Staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the Israeli war on the Hamas terror group, coming close to accusing Jerusalem of intentionally targeting civilians.

“Of course we are against terrorism in all its manifestations, against attacks against civilians — at any place and in any country,” Putin told international news outlets at a media conference.

“But what is happening now in Gaza in response to the well-known terrorist act in Israel does not really look like a war, it is some kind of total destruction of the civilian population.”

The Russian leader placed the blame for the ongoing fighting on the United States, claiming that Washington’s rejection of earlier frameworks for a two-state solution had led to the current situation.

“We believe this is a result of U.S. policy. They monopolized the peace process. They pushed aside all previously established mechanisms for collective efforts to solve this extremely difficult problem,” he said.

Putin offered praise for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, saying that he could help broker stability in the region.

“We know that President Erdogan has made vigorous efforts to solve this very urgent and longstanding issue,” he said.

“Considering President Erdogan’s authority in the region, the world, and the Islamic world, we expect his contribution to be noticeable.”

Putin did not acknowledge Erdogan’s intense hostility towards the Jewish State and his repeated antisemitic and anti-Israel remarks.

Recently, Erdogan referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “bloodthirsty vampire.” He also said that Netanyahu’s “genocidal” military strategy in Gaza would make Adolf Hitler “jealous.”

“For our part, taking into account our longstanding relations with Israel, we are ready to do everything Russia can to resolve this situation,” Putin added.

“We have long recognized the Palestinian state since the Soviet Union era. Our approach in this regard has not changed.”

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This isn’t the first time that Putin has accused Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky of supporting Nazism.

By World Israel News Staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Western powers who had installed Ukraine’s Jewish president, Volodomyr Zelensky, had done so in order to distract from the reality that the country is controlled by Nazis.

“Western curators have put a person at the head of modern Ukraine – an ethnic Jew, with Jewish roots, with Jewish origins,” Putin told a Russian TV station on Tuesday.

“And thus, in my opinion, they seem to be covering up an anti-human essence that is the foundation…of the modern Ukrainian state,” he added.

“This makes the whole situation extremely disgusting, in that an ethnic Jew is covering up the glorification of Nazism and covering up those who led the Holocaust in Ukraine at one time – and this is the extermination of one and a half million people.”

In a previous interview in June, Putin said that Zelensky is “not even a Jew.”

When journalists pushed back on that assertion, Putin clarified that “I have many Jewish friends since childhood. They say Zelensky is not a Jew – he is a disgrace to the Jewish people.”

While Zelensky and Jewish groups have responded with outrage to Putin’s claim, Ukraine does have a checkered history regarding support for Nazism and widespread antisemitism.

At least one Ukrainian paramilitary group fighting against the Russian invasion, called the Azov Battalion, has publicly embraced neo-Nazi ideology and uses Nazi symbology, including the SS lightning bolts, on their uniforms.

Stefan Bandera, a Ukrainian nationalist who fought for independence from Russia and the Soviet Union, is considered a national hero in the country.

Residents of a Ukrainian city recently voted to name a street in honor of Bandera, who partnered with the Nazis and was involved in the mass slaughter of Jews and Poles in Ukraine during World War II.

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President Joe Biden confuses Iraq with Ukraine while speaking with reporters, marking the second time in just 12 hours he mixed up the two countries.

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Yevgeny Prigozhin turned his mercenaries back to avoid “shedding Russian blood.”

By Associated Press

A rebellious mercenary commander said Saturday he ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, appearing to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power.

Moscow had braced for the arrival of forces from the Wagner Group, a private army led by Yevgeny Prigozhin that has been fighting alongside regular Russian troops in Ukraine, by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads.

But Prigozhin announced that while his men were just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow, he decided to turn them back to avoid “shedding Russian blood.”

He did not say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There was no immediate comment from Putin’s government.

The announcement followed a statement from the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko saying he had negotiated a deal with Prigozhin after discussing the issue with Putin. Prigozhin agreed to halt the advance in a proposed settlement including security guarantees for Wagner troops, Lukashenko’s office said, without elaborating.

Putin had vowed harsh consequences for organizers of the armed uprising led by his onetime protege, who brought his forces out of Ukraine, seized a key military facility in southern Russia and advanced toward Moscow.

In a televised speech to the nation, Putin called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”

“All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment,” Putin said. “The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what concessions, if any, Putin may have made to persuade Prigozhin to halt his march.

If he accedes to Prigozhin’s demand to oust Shoigu, Prigozhin would emerge from the crisis as a clear winner in a major blow to Putin’s authority.

If Prigozhin agrees not to press the demand, Putin could award him with more lucrative government contracts like those on which he has built his fortune in the past.

However, it would be awkward and politically damaging for Putin to backtrack after branding Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.

Some observers speculated that Prigozhin could make concessions such as putting the Wagner Group under federal authority, or he could shift the force’s activities back to Africa, where his mercenaries have been active in recent years.

Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow that runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.

Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow, where authorities were “taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population,” said regional Gov. Igor Artamonov, via Telegram.

Authorities declared a “counterterrorist regime” in Moscow and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement. On the southern outskirts, troops erected checkpoints, arranged sandbags and set up machine guns. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin warned that traffic could be restricted in parts of the capital and declared Monday a non-working day for most residents.

The dramatic developments came exactly 16 months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s largest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and reduced cities to rubble.

Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for its army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow was suffering “full-scale weakness” and that Kyiv was protecting Europe from “the spread of Russian evil and chaos.”

The Federal Security Service, or FSB, called for Prigozhin’s arrest Friday night after he declared the armed rebellion.

Prigozhin said earlier Saturday that his fighters would not surrender, as “we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy.”

“Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland,” he said in an audio message on his Telegram channel.

Prigozhin said he had 25,000 troops under his command and urged the army not to offer resistance.

He posted video of himself at the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and claimed his forces had taken control of the airfield and other military facilities in the city without any deaths or even “a single gunshot.” Other videos on social media showed military vehicles, including tanks, on the streets.

The rebellion came as Russia is “fighting the toughest battle for its future,” Putin said, with the West piling sanctions on Moscow and arming Ukraine.

“The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Putin said.

State-controlled TV networks led their newscasts with Putin’s statement and reported the tense situation in Rostov-on-Don. Some showed social media videos of residents denouncing Wagner troops.

Broadcasters also carried statements from top officials and lawmakers voicing support for Putin and condemning Prigozhin.

In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin said he wanted to punish Shoigu after he accused Russian government forces of attacking Wagner field camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He claimed that “a huge number of our comrades got killed.”

Prigozhin said his forces shot down a Russian military helicopter that fired on a civilian convoy, but there was no independent confirmation.

He also alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in Rostov, where they decided to destroy the military contractor.

The Defense Ministry denied attacking the Wagner camps.

The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has long ties to the Russian leader and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”

He gained attention in the U.S. when he and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. He formed the Wagner mercenary group, which sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.

After Putin’s address, in which he called for unity, officials sought to reiterate their allegiance to the Kremlin and urged Prigozhin to back down.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, said lawmakers “stand for the consolidation of forces″ and support Putin.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed that, saying in a Telegram post that “we have one commander in chief. Not two, not three. One.″

Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of the Chechnya region who used to side with Prigozhin in his criticism of the military, also expressed his full support of Putin’s “every word.”

“The mutiny needs to be suppressed,” Kadyrov said.

Even with the confrontation seemingly defused, it appeared likely to further hinder Moscow’s war effort as Kyiv’s forces probed Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive.

Wagner forces have played a crucial role, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.

Prigozhin’s actions could have significant implications for the war. Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the infighting could create confusion and potential division among Russian military forces.

“Russian troops in Ukraine may well now be operating in a vacuum, without clear military instructions, and doubts about whom to obey and follow,″ Lutsevych said. “This creates a unique and unprecedented military opportunity for the Ukrainian army.”

Ukrainian soldier Andrii Kvasnytsia, attending a funeral for a comrade, said Prigozhin’s intentions toward Ukraine might be worse than Putin’s, but that the infighting would still benefit the country.

Western countries monitored developments closely. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his counterparts in the other G7 countries and the European Union’s foreign affairs representative, his spokesman said, adding that Blinken “reiterated that support by the United States for Ukraine will not change.”

Latvia and Estonia, two NATO countries that border Russia, said they were increasing security at their borders.

The Kremlin said Putin spoke by phone with the leaders of Turkey, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan about the events.

Although there was speculation that Putin had left Moscow, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied it.

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Ukrainian suicide drone aircraft crossed Russia frontier and eluded air defense network, report claims, but crashed before reaching planned appearance by Putin in outskirts of Moscow.

By World Israel News Staff

The Ukrainian military planned to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin using a suicide drone aircraft, according to a report Thursday, which claimed that the plot came close to succeeding.

On Thursday, the German newspaper Bild reported that the Ukrainian Secret Service made an attempt Putin’s life with a drone, but failed when the drone crashed before reaching him.

The information was reportedly obtained from a recent tweet by Yuriy Romanenko, the Chief Editor of the Ukrainian website Khvilya, who has connections to Ukrainian intelligence sources.

Romanenko claimed that Ukraine used a UJ-22 drone, which has a range of up to 500 miles (800 kilometers).

The unmanned aircraft was loaded with 35 pounds (17 kilograms) of explosives, and was intended to crash into the Rudnevo industrial park near Moscow while Putin visited the site. Upon impact, the explosives would be detonated, killing the Russian leader.

According to the report, the drone successfully crossed the frontier from Ukraine into Russia, and even managed to evade Russia’s air defenses, yet failed to reach its intended target.

The drone is said to have fallen not far from the industrial park, with Russian media outlets confirming a drone crash in a village east of Moscow, near the Rudnevo industrial park.

Photographs purportedly of the drone show M112-type explosive charges, used by the American and Canadian militaries. While there has been no comment from the Russian side, videos uploaded to Twitter on Sunday might show possible preparations for Putin’s visit.

Earlier this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted that Putin would be assassinated in the near future, while intimating that the plot could be hatched by Putin’s own inner circle.

“There will certainly be a moment when the fragility of Putin’s regime is felt in Russia,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalist Dmytro Komarov in a documentary.

“Then carnivores will eat a carnivore. It is very important, and they will need a reason to justify this. They will remember. They will find a reason to kill a killer.”

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American intelligence officials say that Russian president received treatment for advanced cancer in recent months.

By World Israel News Staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin underwent treatment for advanced cancer as recently as this April, according to a classified U.S. intelligence report leaked to Newsweek.

The outlet also reported that Putin survived an assassination attempt in March, which was said to have originated from the Caucasus Mountain region.

“Putin’s grip is strong but no longer absolute,” a senior U.S. intelligence official told Newsweek.

“The jockeying inside the Kremlin has never been more intense during his rule, everyone sensing that the end is near.”

But the intelligence officials acknowledged that the speculation over Putin’s health could be a case of “wishful thinking.”

Previous American intelligence about Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and terrorist Osama bin Laden being terminally ill turned out to be false.

“Is Putin sick? Absolutely. But we shouldn’t let waiting for his death drive proactive actions on our part,” an intelligence official told Newsweek.

“A power vacuum after Putin could be very dangerous for the world.”

Several of the officials cited Putin’s decision to keep physical distance from French president Emmanuel Macron during his February 2022 visit to Moscow — which saw Macron seated at the opposite end of a long table, as far as possible away from Putin — as evidence of Putin’s physical decline and paranoia about his health.

However, some have said that the distance was not related to health concerns, but rather an intentional decision Putin made to visually demonstrate his distrust of Macron and the West.

Just ten days later, Putin warmly embraced Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro when he visited Moscow, and seated the man directly next to him in a meeting.

Two months earlier, in December 2021, Putin hugged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to New Delhi.

In October 2021, Putin shook hands with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett when he visited Russia, and touched Bennett’s arm throughout the trip.

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After conflicting decisions by Israeli prime ministers, Putin demands ownership of church compound in Jerusalem be officially transferred to Russia.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett must immediately follow through on a promise given to Russia by his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, and transfer ownership of a Jerusalem church to Moscow, wrote Vladimir Putin in a strongly worded letter to Israel’s premier on Sunday.

The timing of the demand is significant, as it came shortly after Foreign Minister Yair Lapid harshly criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine, accusing Moscow of war crimes.

Israel also recently voted to remove Russia from the UN’s Human Rights Council, a move which sparked Russian officials to summon the Israeli ambassador in Moscow for a dressing down

The Alexander Nevsky Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, is a prominent holy site for the Russian Orthodox Church, located in the Christian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem.

During the Ottoman Empire era, the site was registered as belonging to the “Russian kingdom.” In 2017, Russia requested that Israel officially transfer ownership of the church and its compound to Moscow.

Initially, the Israeli government held that such a change in ownership would need to be investigated and decided upon by the Supreme Court.

But after Israeli-American Na’ama Issachar was imprisoned for traveling through a Russian airport with a small amount of cannabis in her possession in 2020, then-premier Netanyahu agreed to formally return the site back to Moscow.

Israeli land registry records were changed to state that the compound belonged to Russia later that year.

However, after taking office, Bennett reportedly ordered that the decision be reversed and the matter once again be determined by the Supreme Court.

Up until recently, it had appeared that a Russia was willing to wait until the case played out in an Israeli court, but Lapid’s comments make have ended Moscow’s patience.

“Now we are fighting for the return of the Compound, and it is very difficult: we were almost there, we worked for five years, we found all the historical documents, but the situation with Ukraine occurred, and Israel behaved as it often does – playing with both sides, playing ping pong with everyone,” Sergei Stepashin, who is currently visiting Israel and manages Russia’s properties in the Middle East, told media.

On Monday, Israel had yet to respond to Putin’s demand.

The post Russia warns Israel: Hand over Jerusalem compound immediately appeared first on World Israel News.

Putin’s alleged mistress and young children reportedly hiding in Swiss chalet while his ex-wife and adult daughters are said to be holed up in underground bunker near Mongolia.

By World Israel News Staff

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s mistress is reportedly hiding out in Switzerland with their four children, the New York Post reported Monday.

Thirty-eight-year-old Alina Kabaeva, an Olympic medal-winning rhythmic gymnast who has been linked to Putin for years but never formally confirmed her relationship with him, is believed to be hunkering down in the European country until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine comes to an end.

While Putin is notoriously tight-lipped about his personal life and has not confirmed how many children he has, media reports indicate that he fathered Kabaeva’s two sons and two daughters.

“The kids all have Swiss passports, and I imagine [Kabaeva] does also,” an unnamed source told the Post.

Although Switzerland has generally remained neutral during world conflicts, the country decided to join the European Union and the United States in levying harsh sanctions against Russian citizens.

It’s unclear if Kabaeva’s Swiss citizenship would spare her from a potential freeze on her assets.

All of Kabaeva’s children are believed to be under the age of 10. Putin has two adult daughters, ages 35 and 36, from his marriage to Lyudmila Shkrebneva.

Putin and Shkrebneva divorced in 2013, reportedly due to his affair with Kabaeva.

An anonymous source told the Post that Kabaeva wears a wedding ring and that she may have married Putin in a secret ceremony in the Russian Orthodox church.

Earlier this week, a Russian professor charged that Putin had moved his ex-wife and adult daughters to an underground bunker in the Altai Mountains, near Russia’s border with Mongolia.

The bunker reportedly was built to withstand a nuclear bomb attack.

In November 2020, Russian outlet Proekt reported that Putin fathered a daughter with his housekeeper, Svetlana Krivonogikh, in an extramarital affair during the 1990s.

Shortly after the report was released, Proekt was shut down by the Russian government.

Both Putin and Kirvonogikh have refused to comment on the rumors.

The post Putin’s mistress and kids laying low in Switzerland — report appeared first on World Israel News.