📄 How it started: since the beginning of Russia's special military operation, the West has supplied Ukraine with:

▪️more than 6,400 tanks and armored vehicles

▪️over 150 aircraft and helicopters

▪️40,000 drones

Data from Russian General Staff

How it’s going: War trophies now on display!!!!

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21st-Century US expansionism? Trump says Canada could become 51st American state and save on defense

Making Canada the 51st state would significantly reduce costs for Canadians, who would pay less tax thanks to defense savings, US President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

"No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100 million a year? Makes no sense!" Trump wrote on social media.

"Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!"

Trump announced in November that on taking office, he would impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico if they do not act to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the US.

He also threatened to add a 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

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🛫 Two Russian Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers performed a flight lasting more than 15 hours near the coast of the US state of Alaska, the Ministry of Defense said.

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💥 Japanese startup fails to launch rocket for second time

Japan’s Space One company suffered another setback to its Kairos-2 rocket on Wednesday. A course-control malfunction in the engine of the rocket carrying five satellites, including one from the Taiwan Space Agency, forced technicians to activate the self-destruct three minutes after launch.

The Japanese government is pushing for 30 rocket launches per year and a $52 billion space industry by the early 2030s as part of its ambition to make Japan Asia's space hub.

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What was the purpose of US-run biolabs in Ukraine exposed by General Kirillov?

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense troops, exposed a "massive strategic effort" by the US to operate numerous biological laboratories in Ukraine. That revelation raises awkward questions about Washington’s aims, CIA veteran Larry Johnson told Sputnik.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 Nobody compares to Putin: World’s only leader who holds live nationwide Q&As!

On December 19, Putin will host his annual Direct Line, a live Q&A session with citizens and a press conference. This event presents a rare opportunity for Russians to pose questions directly to their president. Here’s what makes it unique.

🔸 Russia: A live, nationwide Q&A where Putin addresses questions from citizens across the country. Last year, over 2 million questions were submitted, with more than 1,000 selected for the live broadcast. It is a unique chance for individuals to inquire about a wide range of topics, from personal issues to national concerns. No other world leader offers such direct, real-time interaction on this sort of scale.

🔸 China: Xi Jinping's public communication is primarily top-down, conveyed through the National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and various digital platforms.

🔸 United States: American presidents engage with the public through press conferences, social media, and town halls; however, they do not conduct live, nationwide Q&A sessions similar to those of Putin.

🔸 India: Prime Minister Modi communicates with citizens through his Mann Ki Baat radio program and social media, but these interactions are not a live, real-time Q&A format that Putin employs.

🔸 Brazil: Lula conducts smaller, informal town hall meetings rather than nationwide broadcasts like those of Putin. In contrast, former president Jair Bolsonaro was highly active on Facebook, frequently sharing controversial posts. One of his most infamous incidents involved mocking the wife of French President Macron.

🔸 France: Macron relies on press conferences and social media, but no live, nationwide Q&As like Putin’s "Direct Line".

Interesting facts about Putin's "Direct Line":

▪️Started in 2001: Each session lasts over 3 hours!

▪️Massive Viewership: One of Russia's most-watched TV events.

▪️Interactive: People send in questions via phone, text, and social media.

▪️Wide-Ranging Topics: Putin answers everything from foreign policy to personal questions.

▪️AI Filtering: This year, AI will help select the most interesting questions for the live show.

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📹Putin’s Q&A moments that stole the show

0:00 Putin fights back tears while telling a heartfelt story.

1:23 Putin harks back to 2000 and offers hindsight advice —amazing!

1:54 Putin responds to his "AI double"—you won’t believe it!

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💬 Orban responds to Zelensky's remark that he does not want to see the Hungarian Prime Minister as a mediator:

"It's your responsibility," Hungarian PM said about a ceasefire proposal.

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France's Macron has a finger in every pie - Azerbaijani President on protests in Georgia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized Western interference in Georgia's affairs, singling out French President Emmanuel Macron during an interview with VGTRK and RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

"It's good that the situation [in Georgia] is already moving towards stability," Aliyev said. "And again, you see, Macron has a finger in every pie. The man can't sit still in his own country; he definitely needs to get into Georgia."

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🗣Ukraine continues to refuse negotiations, and Orban's peace initiative has not changed the situation - Peskov

Other statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🔸 The Russian economy, after nearly three years of sanctions, is growing, while Europe's economy stagnates.

🔸 The EU's actions amount to blatant interference in Georgian affairs and shameless pressure - it's off the charts.

🔸 There is no indication of any change in relations between Russia and Europe, which has lost its independence.

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🤡'Stand in a circle, each of you is now gay or lesbian' - Coming out as a school task

Furious dad slams high school in California over an LGBTQ* activist séance.

“I don’t think this assignment should ever be taught to children. It does not do anything other than groom them,” father of a student said.

*banned in Russia as an extremist organization

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🗣‘Incompetent’: Russian Foreign Ministry reacts to OHCHR’s comment on Lt. Gen. Kirillov’s murder

The words of the staff of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that the murder of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense of the Russian armed forces does not violate humanitarian law show incompetence of UN officials, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

"This indicates the absolute corruption of such officials, or that they are absolutely incompetent…This is a powerful explosion that claimed the lives of two people and damaged a new building. It damaged it so that there was not a single window, glass, or entrance door that had not received any damage. And it was only by a happy coincidence that [other] people were not injured”, Zakharova said.

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📹Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gives his customary interview to journalists ahead of the event

🔸 Putin diligently prepares for each Direct Line session, updating his knowledge of all sectors of the economy.

🔸 Putin personally reviews a significant number of submissions to the Direct Line broadcast.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 Coming soon: Putin’s annual Direct Line!

Live Q&A + press conference - where questions get real answers. Don’t miss it!

🗓 Date: December 19

⏰ Time: 12:00 Moscow time / 9:00 GMT

👉 Telegram: https://t.iss.one/SputnikInt

👉 Sputnik website: https://sputnikglobe.com/

👉 X: https://x.com/SputnikInt

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Evidence speaks for itself: Ukraine’s direct role in Russian chem defense chief’s murder

The suspect in the murder of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence, promised a $100,000 reward and relocation to the EU, said Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Additional facts also point the finger at Ukraine.

◾️ A booby-trapped explosive device was placed on a scooter parked near the entrance to Kirillov's building. Online footage from a camera installed in a car was broadcast to the plot’s ringleaders in Dnepr, said Russia’s Investigative Committee.

◾️ At regular briefings, Kirillov had presented evidence against the US, its Western allies and the Kiev regime of operating biolabs, and plotting false flags with the use of toxic substances.

◾️ Kiev orchestrated the murder of Kirillov as payback for hurting major financial interests tied to the Pentagon-run Ukraine biolabs scheme, retired CIA intelligence official Larry Johnson told Sputnik.

◾️ Kirillov’s role in exposing US-backed chemical and biological research put a target on his back, ex-senior Pentagon security policy analyst Michael Maloof concluded.

◾️ As for the Western media, a series of reports in The New York Times, CNN, The Independent, other outlets said that Ukraine was responsible for Kirillov’s murder, citing officials with Ukraine's spy agency, the SBU.

◾️ The head of Zelensky's office Mykhailo Podolyak claimed that Ukraine does not use “terrorist methods," although that is precisely their modus operandi.

◾️ It is also worth noting that Kirillov’s name was on the infamous neo-Nazi doxxing website Myrotvorets, which is basically a hit list, with his Moscow address specified there.

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🔸 Ukraine could not have assassinated General Kirillov without western support – former CIA analyst

🔸 The suspect in Kirillov’s murder is identified

🔸 Evidence speaks for itself: Ukraine’s direct role in Russian chemical defense chief’s murder

🔸 Nobody compares to Putin: World’s only leader who holds live nationwide Q&As!

🔸 Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces sums up the achievements of 2024

🔸 21st-Century US expansionism? Trump says Canada could become 51st state and save on defense

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💬 Kirillov's murder 'not a smart thing to do' - Trump's Russia-Ukraine envoy pick Kellogg

Keith Kellogg, who was tapped by US President-elect Donald Trump as his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, believes that “killing generals in their hometowns and not on the battlefields is "not a smart thing to do."

He added, however, that the murder of Kirillov is unlikely to affect possible peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

"I don't think it is really a setback, but I would say this, there are rules for warfare, and there are certain things you just kinda don’t do," Kellogg told Fox Business.

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🇨🇳🇮🇳What is the India-China border spat all about?

India and China are working to ease tensions in their border dispute. Indian National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday for talks.

❓What’s the Dispute About?

The disagreement centers on overlapping claims along the India-China border, which runs through the Himalayas.

▪️1962 War Aftermath:

After the Indo-Chinese war, both nations agreed to maintain a status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – a loosely defined de facto border.

▪️Clashing Perspectives:

- India believes the LAC spans 3,488 km.

- China claims it is only around 2,000 km.

📍 The Three Sectors of the LAC:

1. Western Sector (Ladakh) – the most contentious area, lying in the greater Kashmir region.

2. Middle Sector (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) - comparatively less disputed.

3. Eastern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim) – includes areas China refers to as ‘South Tibet’.

⚔️ Flashpoints in Recent Years

▪️ June 2020: Deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh.

▪️2021-2022: Further stand-offs at the border.

🤝 Steps Toward Resolution

▪️October 2024: Agreement on military patrols and troop disengagement reached ahead of a meeting between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit.

▪️Next Steps: Continued dialogue is critical to define the disputed border in a way that satisfies both nations.

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💰 Powell: US Federal Reserve can not buy bitcoin

The leadership of the US Federal Reserve is not considering buying bitcoin, said Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.

“We are not allowed to own Bitcoin in access to the federal reserve and we are not looking for a law change. That is a kind of thing for Congress to consider,” he told reporters.

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⌛️ Belgium fails to deliver promised F-16s to Ukraine in 2024

Belgium will not be able to start delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2024, as previously promised, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported, citing Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder.

The newspaper also reported a delay in the delivery of US-made F-35 fighter jets for the Belgian Air Force to replace aging F-16s.

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💬 Is a Kurdish-proposed demilitarized zone in Northern Syria possible?

Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has proposed the creation of a "demilitarized zone" in Kobani, a town on the Syrian-Turkish border, under US supervision. But is this plan viable?

"The Turks have their own territorial ambitions in Syria, and so I don't expect that they would welcome or approve such a plan," political and security analyst Ali Rizk told Sputnik.

▪️Abdi's proposal comes amid the Biden administration's efforts to maintain a ceasefire brokered last week between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in northern Syria.

▪️US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said a truce in the northern Syrian town of Manbij was extended on Tuesday until the end of the week.

▪️The fate of Kobani, a Kurdish-majority city, hangs in the balance as the SDF braces for a possible Turkish offensive. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signaled on December 13 that Ankara's strategic goal was to eliminate Kurdish militias.

"They still consider the SDF to be a terrorist organization affiliated with the [Kurdistan] Workers' Party," explained Rizk.

The viability of the demilitarized zone largely depends on the incoming US administration. If Donald Trump decides to keep US troops on the ground in Syria, Turkiye might be forced to accept the Kurdish plan, Rizk assumes.

But it is equally possible that Trump would opt for withdrawal. During his first tenure, the pull-out was delayed to maintain control over Syrian oil in Kurdish-held regions, where at least nine US military bases have been deployed since 2015.

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