Ilya Tsukanov

2 weeks ago | sputnikglobe.com | Ilya Tsukanov

The pact, characterized as the first step to a broader framework to provide US warships “first and free” passage, and possibly “revive” US bases in Panama, signals Washington’s plans to militarize the region. During his Panama visit, Hegseth openly identified China as the main target of US Panama strategy, vowing to “take back” the canal “from China’s influence,” and accusing the Asian nation of trying to “weaponize” it. Fact-check: China has never even sailed a warship through the waterway.

2 weeks ago | defenddemocracy.press | Ilya Tsukanov |Svetlana Ekimenko

China’s Rare Earth Restrictions Could Send US Nuclear Industry Into MeltdownBy Ilya TsukanovApril 9, 2025The new restrictions are a masterstroke that will propel the Asian nation’s nuclear industry forward as the US stagnates. Renowned Russian nuclear expert Alexei Anpilogov explains why. China’s response to Trump’s tariffs includes new restrictions on the export of critical elements.

2 weeks ago | sputnikglobe.com | Ilya Tsukanov

The loss of the port was one of the final major blows to Hitler’s Reich. Lost their ability to ship troops, supplies and raw materials, both to other German or Nazi-occupied areas and allied or friendly powers (including Finland until September 1944, and Sweden, which shipped vital iron ores to Germany for its war effort until November 1944).

2 weeks ago | sputnikglobe.com | Ilya Tsukanov

China's response to Trump's tariffs includes new restrictions on the export of critical elements. Effective immediately, exports containing strategic minerals have to apply for a Chinese Ministry of Economy export license, including details on their end use. Gadolinium and dysprosium, two rare earths used along with zirconium in modern fuel assemblies, are an effective Chinese monopoly. 99% of their production is concentrated in a single plant outside Shanghai, Anpilogov says.

2 weeks ago | sputnikglobe.com | Ilya Tsukanov

“China’s sanctions on Lockheed Martin and Raytheon,” and now restrictions on “rare earths and dual-use tech, disrupt their supply chains, heavily dependent on Chinese resources,” says Hong-Kong-based financial analyst Angelo Giuliano. The restrictions will cause defense production costs to “soar,” and mean delays in the production of advanced, rare-earth-dependent equipment like aircraft and missiles, Giuliano predicts.