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Is Ukraine aid ‘dead’?

Journalist Christopher Helali says US aid flowing into the country, long ranked among the most corrupt in Europe, evokes memories of “money being carted around in Iraq on palettes.”

Funding for Ukraine did in fact fail in the US Senate on Wednesday when the legislative body refused to advance a supplemental foreign aid bill.

However, the journalist believes the Biden administration will be forced to compromise on the issue and negotiate increased US border security funding with Republicans in order to allocate assistance for Ukraine.

“I think eventually Democrats will have to cave because they need this funding,” Helali claims.

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Biden is confident he will defeat Trump in 2024

"Probably 50 of them. I am not the only one to beat him, but I will defeat him [Trump]," Biden told journalists in the White House, after being asked whether there were any Democrats besides himself who could beat the former president.

Biden's remarks follow comments Tuesday in which he admitted he was "not sure" that he would be running in 2024 if Trump was out of the picture. "If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running," the president said at a campaign event in Boston, saying he must run now because he "cannot let [Trump] win."

Biden's comments Wednesday assuring he could defeat Trump don't square with recent polling showing a steep slide in the president's ratings, owing in part to public concerns over the state of the economy and inflation, and in part to his full-on support for Israel in the ongoing Gaza crisis, which is reported to have cost him support among key demographics including young people and minorities.

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🇺🇸 Ramaswamy says Ukraine conflict 'pointless'

US entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy during the fourth Republican primary presidential debate said the Ukraine conflict is pointless and slammed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley for not backing efforts to reach a peace deal.

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During a trip to Mexico City on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US would be responsible for Ukraine’s defeat should Congress fail to approve US President Joe Biden’s latest supplemental spending package, according to a recent report by RT.

"I've talked to members of Congress, my colleagues have. I think they understand this, that this is a dire situation and we can hold ourselves responsible for Ukraine's defeat if we don't manage to get this funding to Ukraine that's needed, and I'm including direct budget support here because that's utterly essential," Yellen said.

US lawmakers are debating a $111 billion supplemental spending package, of which $61 billion would be included for Ukraine. The spending package would also include funding for Israel, Taiwan, and US border security.

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🇺🇸 The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is asking the US for THAAD missile defense systems, F/A-18 Hornet fighters, Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, as well as C-130 Hercules, and C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft, Reuters reports, citing documents.

Meanwhile, the US Congress still cannot agree on funding for Ukraine.

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🇺🇸 "If you think the cost of supporting Ukraine is high now, just imagine how much higher it's gonna be, not just in national treasure but in American blood," John Kirby commented on the need to support Ukraine.

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🇨🇳🇷🇺 China-Russia trade in January-November 2023 grew 26.7, percent to a record $218.17 billion, so the goal set by the two countries' leaders for 2024 has already been achieved, China's General Administration of Customs has said.

China's trade turnover with the United States during the same period decreased by 12.2% - to $607.01 billion; the US remains Beijing's third largest trading partner (after ASEAN and the EU).

The United States and Ukraine signed a statement on intent for military co-production and technical data exchange, the White House said in a press release.

Earlier in the day, the United States hosted the first day of the US-Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference in Washington.

"The Department of Defense, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and Ministry for Strategic Industries of Ukraine signed a Statement of Intent on Co-production and Technical Data Exchange, which will work to address the urgent operational needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including in the areas of air defense systems, repair and sustainment, and production of critical munitions," the release said.

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📹 Using Lancet drones, Russian paratroopers destroyed two Ukrainian radar stations ST-68 and P-18, as well as a mobile communications station on the right bank of the Dnepr in the Kherson region

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🇺🇸 You can’t gain experience in foreign policy by drinking coffee at the UN on a salary of several million, US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said grilling former US permanent representative to the Organization Nikki Haley and Biden for knowing zero about where exactly the money for Ukraine is flowing during a new round of Republican debates.

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🇮🇷🇷🇺 Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has departed for Moscow, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Putin, IRNA reports

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⚡️Russian presidential elections will be held on March 17 - resolution of the Russian Federation Council

🇺🇸🇪🇺 European countries are committing metaphorical suicide by importing mass numbers of migrants that do not accept Western culture, Florida Governor and 2024 US presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said during a Republican Party primary debate.

“Look at what’s happened in Europe. You have more anti-Semitism in Germany than at any time since Adolf Hitler. Why? Because they imported mass numbers of people who reject their culture. Europe is committing suicide with the mass migration,” DeSantis said.

The migration takes place in both legal and illegal forms, DeSantis said.

There need to be limits on immigration, including restrictions on importing people from “hostile” cultures, DeSantis said.

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Alliance with Russia as ‘ambassador of new world order’ can help Iran prosper

“Russia, as the main ambassador of the new world order, can become an even greater friend for Tehran, while for Iran, as a country opposing American hegemony, an alliance with friendly countries can lead to economic, scientific and technological prosperity," political scientist Ruhollah Modabber told Sputnik.

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi's visit to Moscow for bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin is both regionally and internationally significant, Modabber said.

The North-South Transport Corridor will be a major theme in upcoming bilateral negotiations between the sides, added international politics expert Emad Abshenas.

“Iran now has a great opportunity to become a center for global trade from north to south, and from east to west; this will help Iran’s economy shed its oil dependence,” the political scientist surmised.

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❗️ Vladimir Putin will be nominated as a presidential candidate on December 23. The party "Spravedlivaya Rossiya – Za pravdu" (A Just Russia – For Truth) is going to do this at its congress.

🫠 TikTok should be banned, it makes users 17% more anti-Semitic - US presidential candidate Nikki Haley

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🇷🇺 Latest statements by Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service

▪️The United States risks creating a “second Vietnam” in Ukraine, which every new American administration will have to deal with until the White House is headed by a sensible person.

▪️The presidential elections in the USA will be held in an atmosphere of strong confrontation between globalists and supporters of realism and traditional values.

▪️The next year, 2024, will likely be marked in the United States and Europe by increasing levels of political and public disunity on the issue of support for Ukraine.

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The Houthis have turned a ship captured in the Red Sea into a tourist attraction

The merchant ship Galaxy Leader is anchored in a Yemeni port.

The rebels have organized group excursions aboard it. Media also reported that they have placed US and Israeli flags on the deck for visitors to walk on.

The ship's crew is currently in custody. It is noted that they are allowed “limited contact” with their families.

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