Opinion

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States has deployed 19 military bases in Syria and 22 bases in neighboring countries to train and supply militants opposing the legitimate Syrian government, a leading expert at the Center for Military and Political Studies of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations told Sputnik.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - President Donald Trump’s proposal to create a new US Space Force may distract Pentagon planners from opposing his troop withdrawals from South Korea and compel them to enforce real spending cuts in other armed services, analysts told Sputnik on Wednesday.

PARIS (Sputnik) – At Tuesday’s summit in Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to back French President Emmanuel Macron’s long-sought-after EU budget, which now faces opposition from taxpayers and rich member nations, experts told Sputnik.

Last June, an Associated Press investigation revealed that US armed forces were involved in torturing detainees held in secret United Arab Emirates-run prisons in Yemen. Now, it’s been corroborated and confirmed by a leading human rights organization.

US government-funded National Public Radio (NPR) resumed its crusade against Russian-funded media outlets Wednesday, airing a four minute report on RT and Sputnik News and continuing the bleating mantra that activists appearing on Russian media don’t have an agenda of their own but instead seek to fulfill that of the Kremlin.

Merkel meets Macron. Perfect alliteration, however, according to critics, not the best partnership to lead the EU. Tensions are at an all-time high, with both leaders being dubbed Europhiles who neglect the needs of other members of the bloc.

The US has finally left the UN Human Rights Council, after months of threatening to do so. Will this scupper the chance of world peace in our lifetime? Sputnik spoke with Vesselin Popovski Senior Academic at the United Nations University Institute and former diplomat and political commentator Annika H Rothestein for more insights on the issue.

A team of scientists is set to determine whether the Loch Ness monster Nessie is real by examining its DNA. Some legends about the giant monster living in the waters of Loch Ness date back to 15 centuries and 11 of its sightings were reported last year alone.

A fresh poll by a sociological institute for Die Welt newspaper says over 70% of German citizens doubt that Angela Merkel can find a solution to the migration issue within two weeks. That deadline was given by the CSU party on June 18 to mitigate the migration policy dispute.

Radio Sputnik discussed the recent US border row with Michael R. Shannon, political commentator, Newsmax and Cagle Syndicate columnist, author of the book "A Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)."

The US made the decision on June 19 to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, justifying the move by claiming that the UN body is biased against Israel. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that the US had demonstrated a deep disregard for the UN and double standards by trying to ram its position through.

US lawmakers are reportedly about to test the waters in Russia while seeking ways to "have a better relationship" with Moscow. However, what could really bring hope for a new détente is a potential Trump-Putin summit in Europe in early July, scholars told Sputnik.

Although allegations against the Trump Foundation are quite serious they pale in comparison with the alleged fraud by the Clinton Foundation, Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel has told Sputnik. The analyst also shared his views on how the situation is unfolding with the Horowitz report into the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email case.

In light of the launch of coordinated patrols along a demarcation line near the Syrian town of Manbij by the US-led coalition and Turkey, Sputnik has reached anti-terrorism expert and former Turkish special forces operative Abdullah Ağar for comment.

Tensions have recently escalated between the CSU and Angela Merkel's CDU party after they failed strike a deal on changes to Germany's open-door policy. Merkel's allies have given her a two-week deadline to solve the migrant row. Sputnik has discussed the ultimatum with Dr. Dirk Spaniel, a member of Bundestag from the Alternative for Germany party.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Tommy Yang - The United States is likely trying to force foreign companies to move their production away from China, by introducing excessive tariffs on Chinese-made products amid the escalation of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies, experts told Sputnik.

LONDON (Sputnik) - The so-called Brexit dividend promised by UK Prime Minister Theresa May is unlikely to offset the losses of the National Health Service (NHS) among EU personnel after the United Kingdom's departure, experts told Sputnik.

Pressure is growing for the UK government to scrap the £150 (US$197) annual TV license fee when it comes up for renewal in 2020. Sputnik spoke to Simon Richards, chief executive of the Freedom Association, about how difficult the fee is to justify in the age of streaming.

As the trade war continues to unfold between the US and other countries, with Washington announcing new 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth goods from China and Beijing promising reciprocate steps, scholars and economic experts, interviewed by Sputnik suggest their scenarios regarding its outcome.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Turkish presidential election is likely to have two rounds and may result in the re-election of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, experts told Sputnik.