Kremlin warns Trump 'may face JFK-style assassination' if he tries to end war.

Vladimir Putin's government sent a warning to both presidential candidates with the regime dubbing Kamala Harris "stupid" and "controllable" while Trump was told he should not interfere with Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The assessment of the US presidential election comes from Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and now deputy head of the Kremlin's security council.

His statement reads: "For Russia, the elections will not change anything, since the candidates’ positions fully reflect the bipartisan consensus on the need for our country to be defeated [in the war]. Kamala is stupid, inexperienced, controllable and will be afraid of everyone around her. A synod of the most important ministers and assistants will rule, plus indirectly the Obama family."

Trump found himself in the firing line too as he was dubbed "tired" and Medvedev warned "he could become the new JFK." He added: "A tired Trump, issuing platitudes like 'I'll offer a deal' and 'I have a great relationship with…' will also be forced to follow all the system's rules. He won't be able to stop the war. Not in a day, not in three days, not in three months. And if he really tries, he could become the new JFK.

"Only one thing matters: how much money the new POTUS will knock out for someone else's distant war - for his military-industrial complex and for the Bandera scum [Ukrainians] to cut up." Medvedev's choice words come shortly after he warned the West not to underestimate Putin's willingness to use nuclear weapons. — The Mirror — Archive

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, July 4, that he takes US presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments "seriously" and that he could bring about a quick end to the fighting in Ukraine. Trump had said during the debate with President Joe Biden last week that if elected, he would have the conflict "settled" before he took office in January 2025. — Source — Video

American military and intelligence officials have concluded that the war in Ukraine is no longer a stalemate as Russia makes steady gains, and the sense of pessimism in Kyiv and Washington is deepening.

The dip in morale and questions about whether American support will continue pose their own threat to Ukraine’s war effort. Ukraine is losing territory in the east, and its forces inside Russia have been partially pushed back.

The Ukrainian military is struggling to recruit soldiers and equip new units. The number of its soldiers killed in action, about 57,000, is half of Russia’s losses but still significant for the much smaller country.

Russia’s shortages of soldiers and supplies have also grown worse, Western officials and other experts said. And its gains in the war have come at great cost.

If U.S. support for Ukraine remains strong until next summer, Kyiv could have an opportunity to take advantage of Russia’s weaknesses and expected shortfalls in soldiers and tanks, American officials say. — NY Times — Archive

“The Secretary-General is very concerned about reports of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea being sent to the Russian Federation,” said Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief’s spokesperson, on Sunday. US intelligence has said North Korean forces have made their way to Russia’s Kursk border region, with Washington and Seoul urging Pyongyang to withdraw its troops. North Korea and Russia have not denied the troop deployment reports. — The Guardian — Archive