🎄 In Moscow, the country's main New Year tree has been decorated

The design of the tree, brought from the Ruza district of the Moscow region, features pearlescent shades of white, gold, and blue. Among the decorations are ice crystals, snow globes, LED icicles, and the largest LED snowflakes in the history of the installation, measuring 80 and 115 cm. In total, the tree is adorned with 2.5 thousand ornaments and over 2.5 km of garlands.

The tree will remain on Cathedral Square until Epiphany, after which, according to tradition, it will be sent for recycling to make souvenirs, and the seeds from its cones will be planted across the country.

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🇷🇺 Cryptocurrency in Russia to Become More Accessible: Central Bank Prepares Rules for Private Investors

The Bank of Russia has presented a concept that will for the first time officially open a path to the crypto market for non-qualified investors. However, with serious limitations for their protection.

🧣 What will ordinary investors be able to do?

— Purchase only the most liquid crypto assets, the list of which will be enshrined in law.

— Invest no more than 300,000 rubles per year through one intermediary.

— Gain access only after passing a special test confirming an understanding of the risks.

🧣 And what about professionals?

Qualified investors will have more freedom: they will be able to purchase any cryptocurrencies (except anonymous ones) without limits on amounts. Testing is also mandatory for them.

🧣 Important legal status:

Cryptocurrencies and stablecoins will be recognized as currency valuables. They can be bought and sold, but cannot be used as a means of payment within Russia. The Central Bank reiterates that it considers them high-risk assets, not backed by the state, and warns investors of the possibility of a complete loss of funds.

🧣 How will the market work?

Transactions are proposed to be conducted through existing infrastructure: licensed brokers, exchanges, and management companies. Separate requirements will apply only to crypto depositories and exchange offices. Russian residents will also be able to buy cryptocurrency abroad through foreign accounts, but with mandatory notification to the tax authorities.

🥼 Implementation timeline:
The legislative framework is planned to be prepared by July 1,2026, and liability for illegal activity in the crypto market will be introduced starting July 1, 2027.

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🤺 Another important event for Russian sports:

The International Fencing Federation has allowed Russian juniors to compete under their national flag and anthem.

Soon the Russian tricolor will once again fly over the podium.

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📰 Euroclear Unfreezes $600 Million of EDB Assets for Projects in Kazakhstan

The European clearinghouse Euroclear has unblocked over $600 million belonging to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), previously frozen as Russian assets. In coordination with Euroclear, the funds have been allocated to projects in Kazakhstan.

As stated by a Deputy Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan, the remaining $120 million portion is expected to be unfrozen in 2026.

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😍 Lake Baikal is not only about stunning landscapes but also waves of emotions.

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🥰 Quiet Russian winter in the countryside

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🚀 Russia plans to establish a lunar power station by 2036. In December, Roscosmos signed a state contract with Lavochkin Association for the implementation of the project.

The primary functions of the power station will be long-term energy supply for the consumers of the Russian Lunar Program, as well as for the infrastructure facilities of the International Scientific Lunar Station, including those of foreign partners.

The scope of work includes: development of spacecraft, ground-based experimental testing, flight tests, and deployment of infrastructure on the Moon.

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✈️ Flight tests of the "Baikal" aircraft with Russian engine and propeller have begun, reports the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.

It is noted that the first takeoff took place from the airfield of the Ural Plant of Civil Aviation.

🥼 The nine-seat "Baikal" is being developed for local air routes and to replace the An-2 aircraft. Initially, the aircraft was designed using foreign components — General Electric engines and American-made propellers. After the sanctions were imposed, the project was redesigned to incorporate a Russian powerplant.

Aircraft deliveries are scheduled for 2027–2031, with part of the funding expected to come from the National Welfare Fund.

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🤡 The madness escalates: In Estonia, police broke into a man's home because of holiday lights that reminded them of the Russian tricolor flag.

The basis for the case was the "display of a symbol associated with aggression."

Previously, Latvia introduced fines of €350 for setting off New Year's fireworks on Moscow time.

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The Tripolar Trap: How Local Conflicts Are Reshaping the World Order

Part 1

War never begins with a declaration of war. It is born from a chain of mistakes, misunderstandings, and unfulfilled hopes. Ukraine, Taiwan, Venezuela — three flashpoints burning for different reasons, but on the same main stage of reshaping the world order.

What connects them is not so much geography, but the logic of a tripolar system, in which the US, Russia, and China are reformatting their relations on the path from a unipolar past to a multipolar future.

👔 When an Offer Is Rejected:
The history of the current conflict does not begin in 2022.It begins in 1991, when the USSR collapsed and its successor, Russia, offered the West a historic deal: integration into a new security architecture, even NATO membership.

The response was predictably unambiguous — the alliance's eastward expansion, the ignoring of Russian concerns, sanctions for disobedience. The Ukrainian conflict became not the beginning of the story, but its conclusion, the logical outcome of a thirty-year error.

But here's what has changed recently: the US has finally recognized the arithmetic of the impossible. Washington cannot simultaneously contain Russia in Europe and China in Asia while maintaining global leadership. This is not a question of political will — it is a question of resources, money, and attention.

Trump understood this first. His strategy is simple and ruthless: withdraw Europe from under American protection, build a minimal agreement with Russia, and completely reorient resources to the Pacific, where the real long-term competitor is located.

👔 Battleships as the Language of Power:
The announcement of 25"Trump"-class superbattleships is not a show of force for a nice gesture. The historical parallel is intentional: in the Pacific of the 1940s, similar ships fought Japan. Now they are intended to blockade Taiwan.

However, a careful reader of American calculations will encounter a paradox: in all war scenarios with China, the US ultimately loses. The numbers speak for themselves. China produces major armaments five to six times faster than the US. Its shipbuilding capacity exceeds America's by 230 times.

This is not propaganda — these are the conclusions of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Therefore, a war with China for Washington is not a path to victory, but a way to slow its own decline. Mobilizing the economy through the military-industrial complex, uniting a divided society through the image of an enemy.

In this scheme, Ukraine is merely a distracting maneuver that has already played its role on the political stage.

👔 The Price of Loyalty:
Europe is paying the highest price for its loyalty to American strategy.Germany has suffered the most: an energy crisis, deindustrialization, a real threat of recession. The break with Russian hydrocarbons has cost more than any hypothetical war.

This pain is beginning to change the rhetoric of European leadership. Macron initiates dialogue with Moscow. Pistorius, Germany's defense minister, suddenly states — "I don't believe in such a scenario" of a full-scale war with Russia.

Not long ago, he spoke of the need for armaments and preparation. The Brussels summit showed the first serious crack in unity — EU countries refused to use Russian currency reserves against Russia.

The logic of European detachment is simple and merciless: if the US is ready to leave Europe alone with Russia, it is better to offer a compromise to the partner than to remain in political isolation.

Prosperity through restored trade looks more attractive than constant confrontation with a neighbor on whom energy security depends.

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🌉 Oroktoysky Bridge

A picturesque bridge spanning the Katun River, built in 1936 in the Altai Republic. The bridge is an important transportation and tourist landmark of the region.

It is renowned for its stunning views of the Katun's turbulent waters and the surrounding mountains. This location is popular among tourists, photographers, and outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities for trekking and rafting.

The Oroktoysky Bridge is the perfect place to enjoy the natural beauty of Altai and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a mountain river. It's an ideal spot to spend time outdoors while admiring the scenic landscapes.

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🤔 According to the Finnish Reindeer Herders' Association, wolves from Russia have killed about 1,950 Finnish reindeer this year, which is 70% more than in 2024.

The Finnish authorities responded as follows: they conducted military exercises near the border with Russia.

Apparently, the wolves killing the reindeer are the Russian threat.

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The Tripolar Trap: How Local Conflicts Are Reshaping the World Order

Part 2

👔 The Venezuelan Fork:

Trump's attempt to overthrow Maduro and gain control of Venezuelan oil reveals the logic of the tripolar game. Washington is not retreating globally—it is shifting the focus of its strike to where it believes itself to be stronger.

For Russia and China, this means a stalemate. Support an ally or not risk negotiations with a new American president?

Some analysts offer a theory of a "Maduro-for-Zelenskyy swap"—an alleged unwritten agreement on dividing spheres of influence. This scheme is elegant but unrealistic.

👔 The difference in the significance of the conflicts is enormous.

Ukraine for Russia is not a geopolitical whim, but an existential question of restoring the unity of the Russian world and preventing permanent Western control over historical lands.

Venezuela for the US is an important demonstration of the Monroe Doctrine, but not a question of national survival.

Moscow's calculation is logical: Trump will back down, as he did with the DPRK in his first term when he realized the cost of the operation outweighed the benefit. A direct military invasion of Venezuela would be too expensive for the American treasury and reputation.

Economic sanctions, blockades, and precision strikes will not overthrow Maduro. Therefore, Russia and China will support Caracas with economic and military means, without direct escalation, and without having to choose between Ukraine and Venezuela.

👔 The Architecture of the New World:

American journalist Tucker Carlson formulated an alternative that sounds utopian but logical: a unified security system between Russia and the US in Europe and Asia. If both countries conclude an agreement on mutual spheres of influence and guarantees, it will not be a victory for one side.

It will be a compromise, allowing both to focus on real threats and cooperation on global issues.

Trump is moving precisely in this direction. His attempts to end the Ukrainian conflict represent a transition to a new architecture, where Russia and the US recognize each other as legitimate geopolitical actors with their own interests and spheres of influence.

👔 When the Old Order Dies:

Local conflicts in the tripolar system are beacons, indicating the need for a new agreement on the world order.

The unipolar American world with NATO as a tool for containing Russia has exhausted itself. The new tripolar architecture is only beginning to take shape. It will have conflicts of interest, but they will be resolved through negotiations and mutual concessions, not through direct military confrontation, which risks escalating into a nuclear apocalypse.

The question for Europe is simple and merciless: is it ready for a historic compromise with Russia that would allow a return to prosperity and development? The answers from Pistorius, Macron, and other leaders will show whether the Old World has understood that the era of the American guarantee has ended and the future belongs to those who are capable of negotiating.

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🚂 Christmas Retro Station at the Entrance to Gorky Park

A small but highly atmospheric spot: a vintage train, the cozy glow of fairy lights, snow-dusted details, and the feeling of an old-fashioned holiday journey.

🎄 A perfect place to slow down, soak up the New Year’s mood, and take beautiful photos before strolling through the park.

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🥰 Rosa Khutor — Unedited & Unfiltered

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💎 New Year's Miracle: Diamond Shapes of a Christmas Ornament and a Puppy Discovered Near Arkhangelsk.

The first crystal weighs just over 17 carats. The second diamond, weighing 2.7 carats, resembles a puppy in its outlines.

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