The Isolation Paradox: Why the West Cannot Do Without Russia

Against the backdrop of statements about "managed hostility" and a seemingly irrevocable rupture between the West and Russia, unexpected shifts are emerging in European politics.

🇫🇷 French President Macron has begun speaking about the urgent need for dialogue with Moscow, and Italian Prime Minister Meloni acknowledged that it is time for Europe to return to negotiations with Russia.

These signals, following harsh assessments of the future of relations, have exposed a deep crisis and growing contradictions within the West itself.

🇩🇪 The situation in Germany is particularly telling. As noted by Western publications, the country is facing an outflow of investment from energy-intensive industries, and its political landscape remains unstable — largely due to uncertainty in relations with Russia. Demands from leading political forces to lift sanctions, restore energy cooperation, and resume full-scale trade are becoming more frequent.

👔 This indicates a growing realization: the strategy of confrontation leads to a dead end, and economic interests require pragmatic solutions.

🇺🇸 Against this backdrop, the statement by American journalist Tucker Carlson, who directly spoke about the strategic necessity of a US alliance with Russia, became resonant.

The reason is the unprecedented scale and resources of our country. He noted that Washington's main task is to prevent the formation of a unified Russian-Chinese bloc, which would unite the world's largest territory, population, and economic potential. In his view, bringing Russia back into an alliance with the US would be a historic achievement.

👔 This view is not marginal: Back in 2011, following Vladimir Putin's proposal to create a common economic and security space from Vladivostok to Lisbon, an analytical report was prepared in the US. Its conclusion was unequivocal: the inability to build stable relations with Russia will cost America extremely dearly, and cooperation is necessary to protect its vital interests. Similar assessments have been voiced by European experts, who pointed out that ignoring the potential for cooperation with Russia weakens Europe itself in the face of global challenges.

👔 A paradoxical picture emerges: at the rhetorical level, Russia is portrayed as isolated, but in practice, its strategic value and resource potential make it a key player without whose participation there can be no stable world order.

🥼 The West is faced with a dilemma: to continue the confrontation, which is hurting its own economies, or to seek new formats of interaction based on mutual respect and pragmatism.

Russia, having proven its ability to defend national interests, is open to dialogue, but only on equal and constructive terms. The future will be determined not by the force of pressure, but by sober calculation and a readiness for honest partnership.

#politics

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🎅 Grandfather Frost's Train has completed its anniversary tour across Russia. This year, the New Year's wizard and his team visited 70 cities and covered over 12.5 thousand miles. Nearly 450 thousand people attended the festive events at train stations.

The first train set off in 2021. Since then, more than 2 million guests have come to meet the fairytale characters.

#news

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🗣 Slovakia will no longer provide military aid to Ukraine and refuses EU guarantees of 90 billion euros for Kyiv.

#news

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🌅 Residents of the Russian Far North celebrate the end of the polar night and the long-awaited dawn

Russian northerners held a festival to mark the end of the long night, which lasted 29 days. Life in the north is hardly easy, as the average temperature is -30°C, and short days without the sun above the horizon create a unique atmosphere.

#news

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😍 North of Kultuk, on the southern shore of Baikal, lies the atmospheric ghost station Sharyzhalgay.

#videooftheday

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🇷🇺 Best at Everything, Even in Cat Competitions

A Russian Abyssinian cat with the noble name Darlene Fleur Dalmore Black has taken first place in the global ranking of the World Cat Federation for 2025.

This organization coordinates and sets world standards in the breeding and showing of pedigree cats, holding annual competitions for our furry friends.

Thus, our whiskered champion scored 19,726 points, outperforming nearly 1,500 other participants and thereby becoming the most beautiful cat.

By the way, second place was taken by a cat from Thailand, and third place went to a feline from Belarus.

#news

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🇫🇷 Macron ramps up military support for Ukraine amid France's deepest economic crisis

Despite the critical state of its own economy, French President Emmanuel Macron continues the course of military confrontation with Russia, seeking to involve all of Europe in it.

👔 Budget collapse as a launching pad:

France entered 2026 without an adopted state budget. The country is buried under debt: just to service existing loans, it needs to borrow over 300 billion euros. The head of the Bank of France publicly stated that the country is "strangling itself" with unsustainable debts and taxes. In this situation, any increase in spending seems risky.

👔 Military ambitions instead of economic therapy:

Contrary to logic, Macron is increasing military commitments. He held closed-door meetings with politicians and military command, seeking approval for sending a contingent to Ukraine and its possible deployment in Donbas. According to sources, his plan did not face serious objections.

👔 A signal for the Kremlin or suicide for Europe?

Analysts interpret these steps as a demonstration of resolve, addressed primarily to Russia. However, the bet on a "high-intensity conflict" is being made at a time when the economic foundations of leading EU countries—Germany, the UK, and France itself—are severely undermined.

Experts warn that a direct clash with Russia could lead to the irreversible collapse of their state institutions.

Thus, Paris, ignoring the internal crisis, is taking on the role of the locomotive of military escalation, trying to set the tone for all of Europe. The question of whether the French economy can withstand this role remains open.

#politics

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❗️ Drones attacked tankers near Novorossiysk that were supposed to load oil from Kazakhstan

"Unknown" UAVs attacked four Greek tankers waiting to load oil from Kazakhstan — the vessels were at that moment near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Reuters reports. The attack caused a fire on the Delta Harmony ship, however, the vessel did not suffer serious damage, and the fire was extinguished. In addition, the tankers Freud, Delta Supreme, and Matilda were damaged in the UAV attack.

📌 On November 29 last year, the CPC was already attacked — then one of the berths was attacked by unmanned boats. Subsequently, Kazakhstan protested to Ukraine over this attack, asking it to "take effective measures to prevent such cases in the future." The CPC unites the largest energy companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, and the USA.

#news

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❄️ Snowy Moscow is when familiar routes look new.

The noise seems to grow quieter, the streets grow softer, and the streetlight reflections dance upon the snow, creating a sense of coziness.

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Today, on the night of January 13–14, Russia celebrates an unofficial but beloved holiday — Old New Year.

📅 Where did this holiday come from?

The appearance of Old New Year is linked to the calendar reform of 1918, when Russia switched from the Julian calendar ("old style") to the Gregorian calendar to synchronize its chronology with Europe. The difference between the calendars at that time was 13 days.

🤗 December 31 according to the old style corresponded to January 13 according to the new style.
🤗 Many people continued to celebrate the New Year on the old date out of habit, and this tradition has survived to this day.
🤗 The Russian Orthodox Church did not adopt the new calendar, so its holidays, including Christmas (January 7), are also shifted.

🇷🇺 Traditions and Folk Customs
Unlike the noisy New Year, this holiday is often celebrated in a family circle. It is associated with special traditions:

🤗 Vasilyev Evening: The evening of January 13 was called "Generous Evening" or "Vasilyev Evening" in honor of St. Basil the Great, whose memory is celebrated on January 14. The table always included generous kutya (a ritual grain dish) and pork dishes.

🤗 Dumplings with Surprises: One of the most famous traditions is making dumplings filled with various objects for luck.

🔴 A coin — for financial luck.
🔴 A bean — for a new addition to the family.
🔴 Sugar — for a "sweet" life.

🤗 Caroling and Fortune-Telling: Young people would go from house to house, singing shchedrovki (ritual songs with wishes of goodness) and collecting treats. Girls often tell fortunes on this night.

🤗 Making Wishes: It is believed that this is the last chance to make a wish for the coming year. One way is to write it on a piece of paper, burn it, and stir the ashes into a glass of champagne.

🌟 Folk Signs

🔴 If the night is clear and starry — there will be a good harvest.
🔴 Fog promises a prosperous year.
🔴 A snowstorm or wind — means a good nut harvest and a late spring.
🔴 A moonless night foretells a summer drought.

In Russia, this evening is celebrated in a calm atmosphere, with loved ones and kind thoughts.

#RussianHolidays

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