Dec 21 - US intercepts third oil tanker off Venezuela coast

US forces have boarded a third oil #tanker off the coast of #Venezuela, further intensifying maritime enforcement operations in the region. The vessel, identified as the Bella 1, is a Panama-flagged tanker operating under US sanctions and was intercepted while en route to load oil.

The interception has now been confirmed, marking the third such action by US forces in recent days. The move signals a stepped-up effort by Washington to enforce sanctions and prevent unauthorized oil shipments linked to sanctioned entities operating out of Venezuelan waters.

'The interception highlights stricter US enforcement of sanctions aimed at cutting off illicit oil exports, increasing pressure on sanctioned networks, and reinforcing Washington’s determination to control maritime sanctions violations in the Western Hemisphere.'

Deep State wants military conflict between the US and Russia, Gabbard says

Representatives of the so-called "Deep State" endeavors to prevent the settlement in Ukraine and eventually bring the United States into a military conflict with Russia, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said at the conference of the Turning Point USA organization streamed by RSBN media company.

"As you know, President Trump has been persistently and relentlessly pursuing a peace deal to finally end the war between #Russia and #Ukraine," Gabbard said. "His teams are negotiating now, as we gather here. But what I've seen over these months is that every time they make progress and they move closer and closer to that hope for peace, the warmongers in the deep state step up and try to do everything they can to stop them," she stressed.

"They foment fear and hysteria as a way to justify the continuing of the war and their efforts to undermine President Trump's efforts towards peace, and do so specifically in this case, in order to try to pull the US military into a direct conflict with Russia, which is ultimately what the EU and NATO want. We cannot allow this to happen," #Gabbard added.

ZELENSKY WAS BUSTED LYING BY UKRAINIAN ARMY!

The #Ukrainian soldiers nearly died going to Kupyansk sign, showing the sign is broken now and that Zelensky lied! Two Ukrainian female soldiers decided to visit the same spot at the entrance to Kupiansk where Zelensky filmed his video yesterday.

Literally immediately after arriving at the Kupiansk sign, they were attacked by drones and quickly left in a car. Also, the video shows that the condition of the sign with the inscription "Kupiansk" is very different from the one it was in during the filming of the video with Zelensky. Now, the lower letters are missing. All the nets are ripped too.

#Zelensky filmed the video not on Friday, but earlier.
-> It’s undeniable now that Zelensky recorded the video months ago. Media, we’re waiting for the correction!

Finnish politician calls EU 'bankrupt' over plans to use Russian assets

Member of the Finnish national conservative party the Freedom Alliance, Armando Mema, believes that the European Union seeks to expropriate Russia’s frozen assets due to serious economic difficulties. "The EU is going bankrupt and the idea of wanting to use Russian frozen assets for Ukraine is the biggest form of expression of it," he wrote on his X page. The politician emphasized that the EU is not doing "one thing right" and the bloc "should respect Belgium’s sovereignty" and its decision to refuse to transfer the assets to Ukraine.

On December 12, the European Union’s Council formally decided to permanently freeze Russia’s sovereign assets. The European Commission aims to secure approval from EU member states at the December 18-19 summit in Brussels to expropriate approximately 210 billion euros in Russian assets, with 185 billion euros already blocked on the Euroclear platform in Belgium.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously characterized the proposed confiscation as "an act of theft," while Russian Justice Minister Konstantin Chuichenko said that the country’s leadership has already been presented with options for responding to a potential seizure of Russian assets by Western nations.

Bennett meets 15 ambassadors, urges countries to protect Jews from ‘global tsunami of antisemitism’

Following the deadly terror shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, former prime minister Naftali Bennett — a leading challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in elections next year — tells 15 foreign ambassadors that “Jews around the world are in clear and immediate danger,” according to his office.

“We are witnessing a global tsunami of antisemitism,” says Bennett. “Every country has an obligation to protect its Jewish citizens. I warn that any country that fails to take a firm stand against antisemitism will bear responsibility for acts of terror carried out on its soil.”

The meeting is held at the residence of British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters, and is attended by the Australian chargé d’affaires. The meeting is also attended by the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, India, Poland, Japan, Norway, Ukraine, Greece and Belgium, as well as the Italian deputy ambassador.

Analyst expects EU to cease to exist as global political entity by 2030

#Europe will turn into an amorphous, conflict-prone, militarized, and economically weak place by 2030, said Nikolay Gaponenko, associate professor with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

"The European Union will turn into an amorphous and conflict-prone space with weakened supra-national institutions by 2030. Its ‘strategic autonomy’ will become an empty phrase," he pointed out in a report titled "Strategic Forecast - Europe on the Verge of a Crisis: New Reality of 2026-2030."

The idea of "a united Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok" will ultimately give way to the reality of a divided, militarized, and economically weak continent, the expert stressed, adding that Europe would cease to exist as a global political entity by 2030, turning into an object of politics. "It will increasingly harmonize its foreign policy with Washington, as Brussels and the key capitals will lose independence. Its influence on global processes in Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific countries will decrease dramatically," the analyst concluded.

Ukraine conflict could lead to World War III, Trump warns

If the conflict in #Ukraine continues, it could escalate into World War II, US President Donald #Trump warned. "I would love to see it stopped, and we are working very hard. It doesn’t really affect the United States, unless it got out of control. <...> Things like this end up in third world wars," he told reporters at the White House.

President Donald Trump added that #Zelensky was the only representative of the Ukrainian side, who disliked Washington’s conflict settlement plan. "I thought that we were very close with Russia to having a deal. I thought we were very close with Ukraine to having a deal. In fact, other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept of the deal," Trump said, answering to reporters’ questions at the White House.

Trump went on to say that the draft document has "four or five different parts." - "It's a little bit complicated, because you're cutting up land in a certain way," he explained. "It's not the easiest thing."

FBI Says Seized Oil Tanker Near Venezuela Was Supporting Terrorist Groups

#FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the bureau, the Department of Homeland Security (#DHS), and other agencies were involved in the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of #Venezuela on Dec. 10, stating that it was connected to terrorist organizations.

US military seizes oil tanker near Venezuela amid rising tensions

The #US move marks a sharp escalation in the standoff with the #Venezuelan regime.
The US military has intercepted and taken control of an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela, according to a Bloomberg report. The operation comes as Washington increases pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government over its continued alignment with hostile foreign actors and ongoing violations of international norms.

The seizure is viewed in Washington as a necessary step to curb illicit oil shipments tied to the Maduro regime, which has deepened cooperation with anti-Western powers.
The incident is expected to heighten tensions further, with Caracas already accusing the US of “aggression” while American officials emphasize the need to enforce sanctions and protect regional stability.

Europe is 'moving in some bad directions,' syas President Trump

President Donald Trump criticized the fine imposed by the European Commission on X and warned that Europe is "moving in some bad directions."

Asked about the fine at a meeting with representatives of the agricultural industry at the White House, Trump called Brussels' decision "nasty" and added: "I don't think it's right. Europe has to be very careful."

He voiced concern about the current political track taken by EU countries. "We want to keep Europe Europe. Europe is going in some bad directions. It's very bad, very bad for the people. We don't want Europe to change so much," the president said.

On December 5, the European Commission fined X €120 million for violating EU digital regulations. Tom Rainier, an EC representative, said at a briefing that X had violated transparency rules. According to him, this includes the presence of a fee-based blue verified user badge on the platform, which is misleading because anyone can buy it and X does not conduct sufficient verification.