🔊 Orban: EU's new 'war loan' to Ukraine isn't just aid—it's a financial trap

💬 "For the first time in the history of the European Union, 24 member states have jointly granted a war loan to a country outside the Union. This is not a technical detail but a qualitative shift," Hungarian PM Viktor Orban wrote on X.

The logic of a loan is clear: Whoever lends money wants it back. In this case, repayment is not tied to economic growth or stabilization, but to military victory, Orban explains.

💬 "From this moment on, we are no longer talking merely about political or moral decisions, but about hard financial constraints that push Europe in one direction: into war."

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES

⚡️ VYSOKOYE IN SUMY LIBERATED

📍 The liberation of Vysokoye near the border with the Belgorod region expands the security buffer zone.

⚡️ SVETLOYE IN DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC FREED

📍 Svetloye lies between Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) and Dimitrov (Mirnograd). Its liberation expands the Russian foothold for further offensive operations.

▫️ The Russian Armed Forces struck a Ukrainian military industry enterprise and columns of military equipment

▫️ Air defense superiority: 4 HIMARS rockets and 118 drones shot down

▫️ Ukrainian losses: around 1,555 troops killed or wounded

Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE

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💸 €90 Billion EU Loan to Ukraine is Financial Burden on Member States

📍 The European Union’s decision to lend Ukraine €90 billion ($105 billion) has sparked debate over the financial burden on the bloc’s 27 members.

👉 German newspaper Tagesspiegel reports that the loan will cost EU countries around €3 billion ($3.5 billion) per year, with Germany paying and extra €700 million annually in the long term.

🔶 The loan from the EU budget will supposedly be repaid from frozen Russian assets, but how that will work remains unclear

🔶 But seizing Russian assets is problematic under international law, raising fears of violating sovereign immunity and the legality of the move

🔶 Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have refused to guarantee the loan, leaving the remaining states to bear the cost

🔶 The first interest payments would be due in 2027, but the loan will not be made all at once, with only €45 billion to be transferred in 2026

The financial implications has prompted concerns over the long-term economic impact for taxpayers.

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🇷🇺🥨Putin tastes baker's goods after live TV talk

President Vladimir Putin received and tasted baked goods from a Moscow bakery after the owner, Denis Maximov, addressed him during the year-end press conference.

Putin thanked Maximov, wished him a Happy New Year, and sent a basket of treats in return.

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🗣 Reckless loans to Ukraine could DEVALUE euro – analyst

👉 Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks on the confiscation of Russian assets, calling it "robbery" rather than mere theft, highlight potential severe consequences for the EU’s financial stability, Iranian political analyst Emad Abshenas told Sputnik.

💬 "If the EU's reputation is damaged, it will result in a financial collapse, as countries will start withdrawing funds, fearing their assets could be looted," he said.

📍 Abshenas also noted that reckless European loans to Ukraine could further devalue the euro.

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🔥 How Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service came to be

Explore the 105-year history of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, from its revolutionary roots to its modern-day power.

Watch the story unfold 👆

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🇷🇺🤝🇺🇸Russia is preparing to work with the US in the Arctic, Special Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev said.

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🇷🇺🇺🇸 Russia-US tunnel: Potential game changer for trade and cooperation

🗣 A tunnel between Russia and the United States is not only technologically feasible, but could improve economic, security, and people-to-people ties, George Papadopoulos, former foreign policy advisor to Donald Trump’s first campaign, told Sputnik.

💬 "I think it is a very interesting proposal, and I think the United States and Russia have a lot more to gain through deals like this than to lose," the ex-advisor said.

📍 The tunnel, connecting Russia’s Far East to Alaska, could be built using The Boring Company’s technology, with a cost of under $8 billion and a timeline of less than eight years.

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📊 Infographic: Russian assets trapped in the West - how much and where?

The EU’s push to seize Russian Central Bank assets faces backlash, with Putin calling it "robbery" and Orban labeling it a "crossing the Rubicon" moment. Experts warn it could erode trust in the EU and trigger mass divestment.

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🔊Zelensky's stance on elections contradicts his actions – Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov believes talks about possible elections in Ukraine are “a reaction” to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to ensure security.

👉But Volodymyr Zelensky is contradicting himself, insisting he "won’t allow Putin to intervene in the elections," Peskov noted.

💬"At the same time, he had previously turned to the Americans,” Peskov told journalists. "So he’s not against the Americans interfering, but he is against interference in the elections."

The 2024 Ukrainian presidential election were canceled on the pretext the state of emergency and the prospect of having to demobilize conscripted troops.

❗️Putin said the only legitimate authority in Ukraine is the parliament and its speaker.

Following US President Donald Trump’s call for elections this month, Zelensky said he was ready to change the law to allow elections in 60 to 90 days.

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🇷🇺Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev arrives in Miami for Ukraine talks with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

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🇷🇺💪 Unstoppable arsenal: Russian missiles that penetrate Ukraine's air defenses

Russia’s advanced Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range missile cannot be intercepted, Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted.

Apart from Oreshnik, Russia has an array of other invulnerable or hard-to-intercept missiles to terrify the Ukrainian military.

Kinzhal

◻️ These supermaneuverable air-launched hypersonic missiles target Ukrainian critical military infrastructure, command centers, and missile defense systems

◻️ Five launchers and a multifunctional radar of the US-made Patriot missile system in Kiev were previously destroyed by Kinzhals

◻️ Recent trikes hit Kiev’s oil refinery as well as thermal and electric power plants in the Ukrainian capital

Zircon

◻️ Nuclear-capable hypersonic cruise missile powered by a scramjet, the Zircon is an anti-ship weapon that has been adapted for land-attack missions

◻️ In a 2025 precision strike, a Zircon missile struck the Military Law Enforcement Service building, killing at least 18 officers

Iskander

◻️ Iskander short-range ballistic missile is one of Russia's most effective tactical weapons due to its speed, precision, and ability to maneuver mid-flight to evade enemy missile defenses

◻️ Iskanders continue to deplete Ukraine’s arsenal of Patriot systems, according to Western media. Recent Iskander strikes also targeted energy infrastructure and military concentrations

Kalibr

◻️ Kalibr is a versatile family of Russian cruise missiles designed for land-attack, anti-ship, and anti-submarine missions

◻️ Throughout 2025, the missiles have frequently been used in strikes against Ukrainian military infrastructure, often launched from the Black Sea Fleet

Kh-22

◻️ Countering the Kh-22 supersonic missile is extremely challenging, because it travels "at a speed of 4,000 kilometers per hour" and approaches a target "mostly along a ballistic trajectory," requiring "specialized systems" for interception, Ukraine’s military admits.

◻️ Kh-22s are widely used to target Ukrainian military-industrial infrastructure and other strategic objects

Explore Russia’s next-level, game-changing weapons here

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🔸 Russia's relentless pressure & cracks in NATO paving way to end Ukraine conflict – analyst

🔸 Russian special envoy to join Ukraine talks in Miami

🔸 Ukraine elections: US bets on losing horse as Zelensky’s support fades – expert

🔸 Reckless loans to Ukraine could DEVALUE euro – analyst

🔸 How Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service came to be

🔸 Unstoppable arsenal: Russian missiles that penetrate Ukraine's air defenses

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