WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Ukraine will cooperate on halting the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin in Washington, DC. "We will keep working together to stop the Nord Stream 2 project that undermines Ukraine's economic and strategic security," Pompeo stated on Friday. [...]

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last month, the CIA has concluded, according to a Washington Post report which cites anonymous sources. The US foreign espionage agency assessed with “high confidence” that the prince was behind the death of the Post columnist, the newspaper reported on Friday evening citing “peo [...]

This week, multiple media reports alleged that the Israeli military was training to destroy Russian-made air defence systems, including the S-300s recently delivered to Syria. The reports followed an expression of hope by the US that Russia would allow Tel Aviv to resume its airstrikes against so-called "Iranian targets" in the Arab Republic. [...]

Three Russian naval vessels have refuelled in Ceuta, a Spanish port town in northeast Africa, after a long hiatus, raising the eyebrows of Spain's Western allies. In 2016, Russia rescinded its request to dock ships in Ceuta after NATO allies voiced concerns that its ships were used to target civilians in Syria, which Russia denied. [...]

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang said Beijing is ready to further develop economic ties with Russia, increasing bilateral trade and facilitating mutual access to each other’s markets. “China is ready to boost energy, innovation, finance and trade cooperation with Russia,” Li Keqiang said during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the ASEAN Summit in Singapore. [...]

Russia has been scheming for decades to splinter the West with civilization-shattering fake news, claims a shocking three-part film series published by the New York Times. The series was filed under “op-ed” for a reason, however. [...]

Several cargo ships carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Yamal LNG plant have arrived in the US, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced, highlighting the obvious weirdness of the situation. [...]

US President Donald Trump’s early morning Twitter jibe at France over its historical war losses to Germany was met with ridicule on Twitter, with many reminding him that France played a crucial role in the American Revolution. [...]

If Germany and France get their wish of developing a European army, Austria wants no part of it. The defense minister's office said it would opt out, as it would conflict with Vienna's constitution and neutrality. [...]

The US has sanctioned 17 Saudi nationals for their alleged role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The list includes a former top aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Saudi Consul General Mohammed Alotaibi. [...]

Much has been made of the possible geopolitical motivations behind the decision to price the $5 billion Russian-Indian S-400 deal in roubles, and Moscow and Beijing are eyeing another rouble/yuan-based trade compact. However, Sputnik has discovered that there's also a purely economic reason for the three countries to move away from the dollar. [...]

Russia has been implementing a comprehensive plan to diminish the country's reliance on the dollar as a proactive measure amid the Trump administration's sanctions spree. Moscow is not alone in seeking to de-dollarize its economy. Market players from Europe to Asia are increasingly switching to national currencies. [...]

The testy slap-down by US President Donald Trump to the idea of a European army was telling. Any notion of the Europeans stepping away from American "protection" would be anathema to Washington. That's because American power is not about "protecting" Europe. That's just the vainglorious, propaganda mythology. [...]

Seventeen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, many residents of the country have changed their minds for the worse on the Americans. The war, by many measures, keeps getting worse. [...]

After a 500 year-long struggle for recognition of its status as a European power, Russia has positioned itself as a pivot to the East to develop Greater Eurasia, Glenn Diesen, a professor at the Higher School of Economics, told Sputnik, adding that this may spell the end of the Western-centric geo-economic infrastructure. [...]

The $5 billion+ deal between Moscow and New Delhi for five regiments of Russia's cutting-edge air defense system got an added bonus this week after it was revealed that the contract will be paid for in rubles. Taking a look at the deal's details, Sputnik discovered that it's really a double blow to the US military-industrial complex. [...]

VIENNA - The Eurochambers president Leitl told Sputnik on Tuesday that he welcomed the creation of a free trade zone between Europe and Russia, dubbing it a perfect opportunity. "This would be a perfect opportunity. [...]

Government officials have agreed to conduct a joint march with far-right groups on Poland’s Independence Day, raising concerns about the legalization of fascist views in Poland. The march has drawn hundreds of thousands. Since 2009, the celebration of Polish Independence Day has become a rallying point for far-right organizations from all over Europe, some of which openly describe themselves as [...]

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Austrian ambassador on Friday to protest over ‘sensationalist media leak’ about a former military officer accused of spying for Moscow, and expressed concern over damage to relations. Earlier, the Austrian government confirmed reports in the national media that a retired Austrian colonel was being prosecuted for espionage. [...]

The democratic revolution that ensued in Ukraine in 2014 was in fact a revolution against democracy, unleashing the dogs of thuggery and gangsterism. Someone who made the mistake of falling foul of those with a vested interest in the corruption that is a hallmark of today’s Ukraine was Katerina Gandzyuk. [...]

In pushing the SWIFT financial messaging system to exclude Iran, the US has “gone rogue,” economist Steve Keen told RT. SWIFT cut a raft of Iranian banks - including the country’s central bank - off from its system on Monday, having come under pressure from the US to do so. [...]

The list of the countries currently taking active steps towards eliminating their economic reliance on the US dollar is growing. Russia has joined a league of nations is making a lot of headway with the task, the WSJ reports. [...]