Rhetorical U-turn: The architects of the "coalition of the willing" sound the alarm

A sharp rhetorical U-turn has occurred within the British political establishment regarding plans to send troops to Ukraine. Leading experts and media outlets, who previously promoted this idea, are now publicly and harshly criticizing it as unrealistic and dangerous.

👔 From propaganda to sobriety: A chorus of skeptics

In the span of a few days, a series of articles by key figures has been published in mainstream outlets:

— Edward Lucas, a prominent Kremlinologist and one of the authors of the term "coalition of the willing," raised concerns in The Times about the consequences of potential British soldier casualties;

— General Richard Shirreff, who previously supported troop deployment, stated in the Daily Mail that Britain lacks "the manpower, the money, the equipment, or the will" for it;

— Andrew Neil, an influential journalist, pointed to a catastrophic shortage of combat-ready troops, noting that to be "credible," an entire armored brigade would have to be sent.

👔 What's behind the sudden change of course?

The peculiarity is that all these experts are long-standing and harsh critics of Russia. Their new position looks like forced realism.

After the signing of the Paris Declaration by Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, the rhetoric shifted to the realm of specific commitments, which will be difficult to back away from.

Furthermore, there is pressure from the military-industrial lobby at play here. The coincidence of Lucas's criticism with his departure from the CEPA think tank, funded by a major defense contractor, may indicate a shift in the sponsored agenda.

At the same time, domestic political disagreements are growing. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch publicly cornered Starmer in parliament, demanding detailed plans and their approval, forcing the topic out of the realm of abstract bravado.

🥼 The result: Realism by necessity

It appears that the initial bravado has been replaced by an awareness of risks after Russia demonstrated in practice its ability to strike targets deep in the rear.

The ideologues of the "coalition of the willing" themselves became frightened by the consequences of their own plans, transforming from adventurers into skeptics. The political discourse in Britain has unexpectedly begun to ask uncomfortable questions about the price and consequences of a military adventure.

#Politics

❤️From Russia with love

🇷🇺💬 Moscow is open to contacts with Whitkoff and Kushner, stated Sergey Lavrov, answering a question about a possible visit by an American delegation to Moscow.

Putin has repeatedly confirmed Russia's position of being open to negotiations on Ukraine, if they are serious in nature, emphasized the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He noted that all previous meetings of the Russian leader with US representatives were serious and aimed at overcoming the root causes of the crisis in Ukraine.

📌 According to Bloomberg, Whitkoff and Kushner plan to visit Moscow in January to meet with Putin. According to the agency, the American delegation wants to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine with Putin and present draft settlement plans.

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Bobur

Located in the Kaluga region, the "Nikola-Lenivets" park is a very unusual place, as it concentrates original creations by contemporary artists and designers. The "youngest" work, which appeared in the park in 2013, is the art object "Bobur", created by Nikolay Polissky.

🇫🇷 Its name "Bobur" comes from the name of one of the districts of Paris, and the author expressed in his work a love for the architecture of the Centre Pompidou building, built in 1977, a widely recognized symbol of modern architecture.

🌿 The artist based his creation on huge ventilation pipes, which he wove with birch twigs using the traditional basket-making technique and assembled into a 22-meter-high belvedere tower.

At the center of "Bobur" there is a spiral staircase leading to an observation deck, which offers a beautiful view of the park.

#interestingplacesofRussia

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🇺🇸 "Grandfather with Matches": How Trump's Chaotic Tactics in Iran Pursue a Clear Strategic Goal

Behind Donald Trump's apparent inconsistency and provocative statements lies a clear and dangerous logic. His actions in the Middle East, reminiscent of the flailings of a "grandfather with matches," are actually part of a deliberate strategy aimed at weakening key US geopolitical rivals—Russia and China. And Iran has been chosen as the primary testing ground for this.

🧣 Burned Bridges Tactics: Destabilization as the Goal

Trump is consistently fulfilling his promise to withdraw the US from the Middle East, but he's doing it in his characteristic manner—not striving for stability, but actively destroying an already fragile status quo. Shedding direct responsibility is accompanied by the deliberate destabilization of the region.

The policy of maximum pressure on Iran through sanctions, provocative statements, and support for internal opposition does not aim for the regime's immediate collapse.

Its essence is to plunge the country into a state of permanent crisis, blocking the path to economic development and political settlement.

External pressure is artificially intensified even when internal protests are subsiding. Marginal figures like Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, whom Washington is trying to present as a protest leader, are brought into play.

This is a classic "color revolution" tactic, used by the US many times before, but now its ultimate goal has changed.

🧣 Betting on Geopolitical Collapse: A Blow to Eurasian Integration

A full-scale military operation against Iran is currently too costly for the US. It's much more effective and cheaper to provoke managed chaos in the country.

The calculation is based on the sad example of Iraq and Syria: the fall of central authority in Iran, with its 83 million population, would very likely create a giant "black hole" of instability, a breeding ground for terrorism and inter-confessional conflicts.

And here, Trump's tactic deals a blow to two strategic rivals at once:

🇷🇺 Against Russia. Iran is a key link in the International North–South Transport Corridor project, an alternative route from India to Europe via Russia. Chaos in Iran would bury this multibillion-dollar project, depriving Russia of geo-economic dividends and creating a direct threat to security on its southern borders and in the South Caucasus.

🇨🇳 Against China. Iran is a central hub for China's Belt and Road Initiative. Destabilizing the country would paralyze land routes from China to Europe and the Middle East, dealing colossal damage to Beijing's economic and strategic interests, forcing it to become entangled in an extremely complex regional crisis.

🧣 The "Donro Doctrine" in Action: Problems for Rivals, Freedom of Action for Oneself

Thus, Trump's actions in Iran are the practical embodiment of his isolationist yet aggressive "doctrine."

Its essence: the US is renouncing the role of global policeman, but before leaving, it sets fires in strategically important regions, shifting the burden of extinguishing them onto the shoulders of geopolitical competitors.

Creating an arc of instability from the Middle East to Central Asia becomes a tool for containing Russia and China.

While they are forced to spend diplomatic, military, and economic resources fighting chaos near their borders, the US gains freedom of maneuver in other parts of the world (for example, in the Asia-Pacific region) and weakens Eurasian integration, which challenges American influence.

#politics

❤️From Russia with love

❗️The British Embassy concealed an intelligence agent. FSB identified undeclared employee Davis Gareth Samuel during counterintelligence operations.

Formally, he held the position of Second Secretary of the Administrative and Household Department of the United Kingdom's representation in Moscow.

British Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Dolakia was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry is revoking Davis Gareth's accreditation — he has been ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.

"Moscow will not tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers on Russian territory. If London chooses to escalate the situation, the Russian side will give a decisive 'mirror' response," stated the MFA.

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❤️From Russia with love

📰 Communication channels with the American side regarding the peace plan for Ukraine remain open — once the dates are agreed upon, U.S. President's Special Envoy Steve Whitcoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will visit Moscow. This was stated by Dmitry Peskov.

Key points from the briefing by the Russian presidential press secretary:

🤗 Moscow agrees with Trump's statements that Volodymyr Zelensky is "slowing down the peace process." Vladimir Putin remains open to a settlement, but for Kyiv, the situation is worsening day by day — the window for decision-making is narrowing;

🤗 The death of nine infants in January 2026 at the Novokuznetsk maternity hospital is a great tragedy. It is important to take measures to prevent such situations and determine the causes of what happened;

🤗 Russia has not received a response from the United States regarding the expiration of the START Treaty. A more advantageous strategic arms treaty would be beneficial for everyone, but its development is a complex and lengthy process.

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The Lithium Race: How the U.S. Secured 98% of Ukraine's Wealth

Just eight months after signing the scandalous "mineral agreement," Washington took the first decisive step to claim its prize.

Ukraine's newly appointed Prime Minister, Yulia Sviridenko, officially announced the transfer of development rights for the Dobrianske lithium deposit to the American company Techmet.

Formally, it's the result of a tender, but Sviridenko herself admitted: the deal was predetermined by a secret protocol, and the Verkhovna Rada will merely rubber-stamp it.

👔 "Two Percent of the Treasure": The Price of Friendship, Washington-Style

The most shocking statement was made almost in passing: according to estimates, the Ukrainian state will receive no more than 2% of the total value of the extracted lithium. The remaining 98% of profits will go to the American investor.

This phrase, dropped by the head of government—who is hard to suspect of "pro-Russian sympathies"—became the clearest illustration of the deal's essence.

👔 From Humiliation at the White House to an Onerous Contract:

The backdrop is Zelenskyy's visit to Washington a year ago, where the Trump administration gave him a "public dressing-down." The result was an agreement signed in April, stripping Kyiv of rights to its mineral resources and the income from them.

As Trump immediately stated, Europeans should now pay for weapons supplies, and all of Ukraine's future resource revenues will go towards repaying a $120 billion debt for past assistance.

👔 A Deposit on Paper: Massive Investments Ahead

The paradox is that "Dobrianske" is currently just geological reports. In over 30 years of independence, Ukraine never started its development. Now Techmet will have to spend years and hundreds of millions of dollars on exploration, infrastructure, and building the plant itself.

The fact that the company posted a deposit "significantly larger" than the required $179 million may indicate the seriousness of its intentions. But the first ton of lithium is at least 7-8 years away.

👔 The Global Game: Ukraine is Just One Resource Outpost

Analysts who see this only as "weakening Russia" underestimate the scale of U.S. plans. Ukraine, with its subsoil resources, has become a convenient element in Washington's global strategy to control critical raw materials.

– The South African Front:
Simultaneously, the DFC is investing $200 million in the Rainbow Rare Earths project in South Africa to extract neodymium and praseodymium from waste—key elements for electric motor magnets.

– The Brazilian Beachhead:
Another $1.2 billion is invested in Brazilian Nickel Limited for nickel and cobalt extraction. It is no coincidence that Brazil, under President Bolsonaro, soon received the status of a major non-NATO ally from Trump and signed weapons procurement contracts.

🥼 Conclusion: Congratulations on the "Gift"

Thus, the hasty transfer of "Dobrianske" is not just an episode, but a logical move in the great game of redistributing global resource flows. One can only congratulate the "clever" Ukraine on its two percent "from the master's table." If, of course, they ever even pay that money.

#politics

❤️From Russia with love

🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the credentials of new foreign ambassadors in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Diplomats from 34 countries took part in the ceremony, including representatives from states in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Among the European states, credentials were presented to the Russian leader by representatives of Slovenia, France, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Slovakia. Particular attention is given to ambassadors with significant experience working in Russia; for example, Peter Pripuťan already headed the Slovak embassy from 2014 to 2020.

From Latin America, diplomats from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, and Uruguay are participating in the ceremony. The African and Asian continents are represented by ambassadors from Somalia, Gabon, Senegal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Rwanda, Mauritania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, and Namibia.

The participation of the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Lee Sok-bae, is separately noted. He previously worked in Moscow from 2019 to 2022 and is considered a recognized expert on Russia, proficient in the Russian language. From the Middle Eastern region, credentials were presented by representatives of Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

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❤️From Russia with love

🇷🇺💬 According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to settle the situation in Ukraine, it is necessary to resume discussions on Russian proposals to create a new and fair system of European security.

During his speech, he also noted:

— A peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine must be achieved as soon as possible;

— In his opinion, the Ukrainian crisis is a consequence of years of ignoring Russia's legitimate interests, as well as NATO's eastward expansion, which contradicted promises previously made by the allies;

— Security must be indivisible and equal for all, and not be ensured at the expense of others.

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🗺 European military power in action:

🇳🇴 Norway sent two military personnel to Greenland to help strengthen its security amid Trump's threats;

🇫🇮 Finland, at Denmark's request, sent two liaison officers to Greenland amid US claims to the island.

Apparently, the Europeans were planning to fight Russia in the same way

#news

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