Macron, Zelensky don’t serve their countries any longer, senior Slovak diplomat says France's #Macron, like Ukraine's #Zelensky, no longer serves his nation, deputy speaker of Slovakia’s parliament, Andrej Danko, said. When asked about potential ways out of the current energy crisis provoked by the cessation of gas transit via Ukraine, he said, "I am not an economics minister but a political party leader and a deputy parliament speaker, so, I look upon this matte from a political point of view." "It hurts me when Western countries, for instance, France, say that they can supply us with nuclear fuel, which, as a matter of fact, originates from Russia. It hurts me when someone says, ‘we don’t buy Russian gas any longer,’ when the gas they use originates from Russia. This can be said about both gas and oil. Anyone who has any idea about the technological process understands that you cannot simply replace one fuel by another and stop using fuel that once was used at a nuclear plant," he noted. "I consider this as the West’s hypocrisy and insincerity because they want to preserve their social welfare level. And such politicians as Macron and Zelensky do not serve their countries." "Macron is making loud statement but I see that a lot of French companies are still operating in Russia while they are telling us that all German and French companies have withdrawn from Russia. This is not the way things are," he added.

President Trump declares desire to meet with Putin 'very quickly' President #Trump would like to hold a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir #Putin as soon as possible, he told the Newsmax TV channel in an interview. "I know he wants to meet and I’m going to meet [him] very quickly. I would’ve done it sooner but... you have to get into the office. For some of the things, you do have to be there," Trump said. Meanwhile, Trump's incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz told ABC News that phone conversations between the Russian leader and the US president-elect may take place in the near future. Trump has previously said that he would like to meet with Putin in the first six months of his presidency and is ready for such contacts. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that Putin was open to dialogue with his new US counterpart without any preconditions, adding that "there are no specifics yet.".

NATO base in Romania to be used for war against Russia, says presidential candidate #Romania's independent presidential candidate Calin Georgescu believes that the Mihail #Kogalniceanu military base located in the southeast of the country, which will become the largest #NATO defense facility in Europe, will be used as a springboard to start a war against Russia. "We cannot accept this," he said in an interview with former US Navy Seal Shawn #Ryan. Georgescu posted a video of the conversation on Facebook (banned in Russia; owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia). The recording is also available on the Romanian Digi 24 TV channel's website. "What is happening now in Romania gains no reaction abroad, no reaction from the United States. They don’t understand what is going on here, because if they use Romania as a door for a war, what to be next? We don’t need war; this is my point," Georgescu said. "What will the implications [be] <...> if the NATO base is going to be constructive to conduct a major offensive into Russia?" Ryan asked. "Exactly this word - ‘offensive,’ which is a wrong way. And we cannot accept this, <…> because this is not our business, not our war, again," responded Georgescu. This is not the first time that Georgescu has hypothesized a war against Russia that would be launched from Romania, Digi 24 notes. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79swOPxvPNI

Evolution of the global nuclear warhead stockpiles since WWII #US and #Russia still hold 88% of world’s #nuclear weapons.

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.

Direct physical control over #Canada and #Greenland would put the #US on equal footing with #Russia in the #Arctic circle. The race for the Arctic will be one of the “Great Games” of the 21st century.

Jan. 6th, 2025 - President Trump Statements "CONGRESS CERTIFIES OUR GREAT ELECTION VICTORY TODAY — A BIG MOMENT IN HISTORY. MAGA!" "Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these “Orders” will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!" "Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin #Trudeau knew this, and resigned. If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!"

French military expert says NATO may repeat Soviet Union’s fate #NATO, despite all odds, did not disappear after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but this fate still awaits the North Atlantic Alliance in the coming years due to the lack of a geopolitical potential, Regis Chamagne, a French Air Force colonel, Commander of the Legion of Honor and holder of the National Order of Merit, has told Stratpol. "The way I see it, NATO will disappear soon. NATO should have disappeared after the collapse of the #USSR. But it didn't for existential reasons. NATO was looking for new missions," the expert said. "My forecast is that in five years’ time there may be neither NATO nor the EU. True, NATO will be trying to weaken Russia on its periphery and to harm it in the Middle East, but globally the North Atlantic Alliance has no potential". #Chamagne described NATO and the EU as "two sides of the same coin." - "Given the way elections are held today, we can say that the EU in its current shape is a dictatorship. The whole world has already seen this. The EU will end up just like the Soviet Union," he believes. The military expert explained that a system "based on permanent lies," like the current EU is unlivable. "The US policy towards the EU is aimed at weakening it. The core of the Western economy is the dollar," Chamagne added, noting that the hostilities in Ukraine have "opened the world's eyes to the fact that Russia's army is superior to the US one," which has accelerated the process of de-dollarization.

#Russia deploys its forces for operations in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean to the Al-Khadim base in #Libya The Russians have supplied mercenaries and weapons to General Khalifa Haftar's forces in al-Khadim for years. Since mid-December, following the fall of the #Assad regime on the 8th of December, Moscow's Antonov AN-124 and Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft have been flying daily from Khmeimim to al-Khadim in eastern Libya, near Haftar-held Benghazi. The Russians have supplied mercenaries and weapons to General Khalifa Haftar's forces in al-Khadim for years. Earlier this year, All Eyes on Wagner reported that Russian personnel are now being accommodated in a secure compound near the base.

Kazakh president warns against misinformation, provocations about plane crash near Aktau It is crucial to prevent the spread of misleading information and provocations about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near #Kazakhstan’s #Aktau airport, Kassym-Jomart #Tokayev, the country’s leader, stated at a briefing dedicated to this incident. "The president emphasized the importance of countering provocative disinformation and fake news," Tokayev’s press service reported following the briefing. The Kazakh president has instructed the General Prosecutor's Office and the government commission to conduct an impartial investigation of the plane crash near Aktau. "The government commission and the Prosecutor General’s Office, together with other relevant bodies, have been instructed to ensure a comprehensive and fair investigation of the plane crash," the statement said. The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25. The plane carried 67 people, including 62 passengers, mostly citizens of Azerbaijan, as well as nationals of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and five crew members. According to the latest reports, 38 people, including seven Russians, were killed, while 29 others survived. A special flight sent by Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has transported nine Russian nationals, who were injured in the crash, including a child, to Moscow for medical treatment.