Kremlin spokesman accuses France of lying, violating agreements Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry #Peskov accused #France of lying about such issues as the #Minsk agreements and guarantees for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. He made the statement in an interview with television host Pavel Zarubin in response to comments by French President #Macron, who said Russia wasn’t honest about the Ukrainian crisis. "There were a lot of lies on the part of France. After all, we remember [former French President Francois] Hollande's statement when he said that, in fact, no one took the Minsk agreements seriously. We remember that in 2014, among other Europeans, the French foreign minister put his signature under a document that guaranteed the then-legitimate Ukrainian President #Yanukovich a political future. That was followed by a coup. That means France, like other countries, did not make good on its guarantees. Was that not a lie? It was a very real lie, and Mr. Macron did not mention that at all," Peskov said, according to a video that the television host posted to Telegram. On March 5, Macron said in an address to the nation that he would begin discussions with allies about the possibility of applying the French nuclear deterrence capability to other countries in Europe, in response to an appeal from Friedrich #Merz, a candidate for German chancellor. The French president also spoke about rising threats to his country and the rest of Europe, including threats that allegedly emanate from Russia. Macron used them as a reason to call for raising defense spending above the previously approved plan. He also stated his intention to continue supporting #Ukraine in the conflict with #Russia. https://thinktank.x-pulse.org//posts/3429

Europe is urging Kyiv to continue fighting, says Russian FM Lavrov The European countries are urging Kiev to persist in the conflict amid shifting political dynamics surrounding the issue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov stated at a news conference following his visit to Qatar. "When the balance of political forces regarding Ukraine changes - evidenced by the recent voting at the United Nations - Europe swiftly attempts to undermine this trend by announcing substantial new packages of military aid to #Kyiv. They incite Ukraine to continue hostilities, directly asserting, as I believe Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did, that in this situation, peace is worse than war for Ukraine," Lavrov remarked. He noted that the "either-with-us-or-against-us" mentality has characterized Europe throughout its "preparations for disrupting Ukraine's ties with Russia" and in the context of other conflicts. "This mentality has a disastrous effect on processes everywhere," he emphasized. "Therefore, #Europe's role in fueling crises, as well as its reputation in this area - earned over centuries - remains unchanged," Lavrov concluded.

West to start preparing for new conflict with Russia after clash in Ukraine over, The Times reports The #West will start getting ready for its next #conflict with #Russia once the hostilities in #Ukraine are over, The Times wrote citing senior military officers in the Ministry of Defense. Among those who share this opinion is Lt. Gen. Mike Elviss, who serves as commander of the British field army. "What is certain is that once the guns fall silent in Ukraine, there will be a Russian resurgence, reconstitution, <…> a race to re-orientate and to re-establish conventional deterrence in an era of strategic confrontation," he was quoted as saying at the International Armoured Vehicle Conference in Farnborough. In turn, Lt. Gen. Ralph Wooddisse, the commander of #NATO’s allied rapid reaction corps, said the Russian armed forces will be a "whole lot better next time round" as its military has shown the ability to constantly adapt to battlefield challenges. Experts interviewed by The Times believe that Russia’s post-conflict recovery will proceed faster than the West expects. Besides, military officials told the newspaper that the West has been experiencing serious shortages of armored vehicles, caused by military assistance to Ukraine combined with general disinvestment of the defense industry.

President Trump reacts on 'unconditional discharge' in his NY criminal trial "The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt. After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE. That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED. The real Jury, the American People, have spoken, by Re-Electing me with an overwhelming MANDATE in one of the most consequential Elections in History. As the American People have seen, this “case” had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference. Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

President Trump announced preparations for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He wants to meet, and we are setting it up," #Trump told reporters, according to Fox News. "He has said that even publicly and we have to get that [#Ukrainian conflict] over with." There are also efforts to arrange a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said. Trump earlier said he would like to hold talks with #Putin and suggested that this could happen within six months after he took office. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry #Peskov said the US had not formally requested a meeting yet. Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with new US leader Donald Trump without any preconditions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing, commenting on Trump’s plans to meet with Putin. "President Putin has consistently stated his openness to engagement with international leaders, including the US president, including Donald Trump," the Kremlin official said. "No special conditions are needed for this. What is required is the mutual intent and political will to hold a dialogue and address existing issues through dialogue," Peskov explained. "There have been no specific details yet," Putin’s press secretary commented on media reports about the potential date of the meeting. "We are proceeding from the mutual readiness for the meeting," he added. "By all appearances, after Mr. Trump enters the Oval Office, there will be some progress," Peskov said.

Ukraine to lose third of territory, get no invitation to #NATO, says Slovak PM Ukraine will lose 30% of its territory due to the conflict with Russia, but will never receive an invitation to NATO from the United States and its allies, #Slovak Prime Minister Robert #Fico said. "I think #Ukraine will lose a third of its territory, but it will be offered security guarantees, such as the presence of foreign troops. If this is considered the happiness for Ukraine that everyone talks about, I believe that Ukrainians will be betrayed," he said in an interview with Brazil's Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. According to Fico, the solution to the Ukraine conflict lies in achieving a ceasefire and initiating negotiations. "Ukraine <...> has allowed itself to be drawn into a situation that cannot end well for the country. It will lose territory and will not be invited to join NATO," he remarked. The prime minister also emphasized that the conflict's repercussions would significantly impact Ukraine's internal stability. On December 8, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow was open to talks on Ukraine, while in order to get on the peace track, it would be enough for Ukraine’s Zelensky to cancel his decree banning any talks with Russia and give instructions to resume dialogue based on the Istanbul agreements, while taking into account the actual situation on the ground. Meanwhile, Zelensky has rejected the #Christmas truce and prisoner exchange proposed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Nevertheless, he continues to express hope that Donald Trump could establish a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Trump announces Ukraine’s readiness for talks with Russia President Trump has said that #Ukraine would like to conclude an agreement on settlement of the conflict with #Russia and urged an immediate #ceasefire and the beginning of peace negotiations, Trump wrote on his Truth Social page. "#Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal [with Russia] and stop the madness. <…> There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin," he said, adding that "China can help" in the negotiations process. "If it [conflict] keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse," Trump noted. #TRUMP2024

Has Hamas left Qatar? In the last few weeks, we have heard reports that #Qatar is forcing #Hamas out... Sky News channel in Arabic has just reported: "All senior Hamas officials left Qatar with their families for different places," an unnamed source said. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said on November 9 that his country’s authorities had decided to suspend their mediatory efforts toward a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip because they didn’t see a desire to end the conflict on the part of the parties. On November 19, he said that the Hamas leaders representing the movement in the negotiating group on Gaza were no longer in Doha. While the Hamas office in the Qatari capital city was set up to maintain open lines of communication, once Qatar's mediation efforts stalled, it saw no reason to force the movement's representatives to stay in the country.

NATO secretary general, President Trump hold first meeting #NATO Secretary General Mark #Rutte has conducted his first meeting with President #Trump, the alliance’s press service reported. On Friday, Rutte held his first meeting with Trump in Florida. "They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance," a NATO spokesperson said in a statement. This wording usually implies opposing #China and the #Ukrainian conflict. #TRUMP2024

Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia The #Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) prepared a secret plan in case of a military conflict with #Russia, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. According to it, the 1,000-page "Operation Germany" plan lists all infrastructure facilities that deserve special protection, and also contains a procedure for defense or "measures to deter Russia on NATO’s eastern flank." The plan says that in such a case, Germany would become "the center of concentration for tens of thousands and possibly hundreds of thousands of troops" that would be transferred to the east, as well as military equipment, food and medical supplies. Throughout the year, German military officials have repeatedly stated the need to prepare for a military conflict with Russia, which they say could take place in five years. In particular, Defense Minister Boris #Pistorius has stated this on several occasions. In July, the Bild newspaper reported that the Bundeswehr had drawn up a secret plan outlining the order of military and civilian action in the event that NATO troops needed to be moved to the alliance’s eastern flank. Commenting on German Foreign Minister Annalena #Baerbock's remarks in July that Russia allegedly posed the greatest threat to security in Europe, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria #Zakharova said that this was nothing but "monstrous nonsense." The diplomat expressed hope that politicians in Germany would finally realize the deadlock and counterproductivity of their anti-Russian line and its danger for their own country.