The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations delivered 18 tons of humanitarian aid to residents of Gaza.

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Unmatched Russian combat readiness: newest game-changing aircraft and missiles in army service

“The fact that [Russia’s] strategic nuclear forces now have such advanced aircraft and missile systems will significantly boost the combat readiness of our armed forces,” Lieutenant-General Aitech Bizhev, former Russian Air Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief for the CIS Integrated Air Defense, told Sputnik.

President Putin declared earlier this week that a number of recent groundbreaking nuclear weapons are ready to enter service with the Russian army.

The weapons in question are the Tu-160M supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber, the Yars and Avangard nuclear missile launch systems.

“Russia is able to mobilize not only material but also intellectual resources. It is not about a war economy. [Russia has demonstrated] the ability to produce military equipment even in civilian facilities,” Alexander Mikhailov, Lieutenant-General, “Strong Russia” movement, head of the “Officers of Russia” organization, also told Sputnik.

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🗣 "We will continue to engage with China from a position of strength," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during the end of year presser.

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Hi, friends! We are coming to you with the New Rules podcast episode really soon ⏳

This time Dimitri Simes Jr. meets journalist and think tank analyst Maram Susli (better known as Syrian Girl) to discuss:

• Who are Yemen's Houthis and why are they so powerful?

• Can Houthis beat the United States and Israel?

• Also Syrian Girl tells her impressions of Russia after a recent trip!


In the meantime, make sure to check out our previous episodes:

💥Scott Ritter Will Ukraine Collapse in 2024?
💥Dmitry Suslov 'Russia is being Reborn': What are Putin's Plans for 2024?
💥Pepe Escobar Geopolitical Storm Brewing from Palestine to Ukraine


👉Don’t forget to subscribe to our Rumble Channel! Join our X community for more content!

🔊Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 105.5FM, 1390AM (Washington DC) and 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1140АМ (Kansas City)

US nearly out of money and out of time on Ukraine funding, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during the end of year presser.

Blinken underscored the urgency of the Biden administration’s supplemental funding request to US Congress, which includes money for Ukraine and Israel.

There is no “magic pot” from which the US can pull funds to support Ukraine, Blinken added.

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The Houthis general mobilization is underway in northern Yemen to send fighters to the Gaza Strip. Sputnik asked Middle Eastern experts, how this may change the situation in Palestine.

🔸Mehmet Rakipoglu, a researcher on international affairs at London-based think tank Dimensions for Strategic Studies:

"I think Houthis are the actors that have been fighting against Israel most concretely. Their steps are easy to see because they have been controlling the Red Sea and they are sending a clear message to Israel: if Israel continues to commit genocide in Gaza against Palestinians, they will not stop - it's a clear message. But I'm not sure whether they can send these soldiers directly to Gaza."

🔸Dr. Lorenzo Trombetta, a Beirut-based scholar and analyst specializing on the Middle East:

"The US share their quota of responsibility of course. But they are not the sole responsible player for this state of things. US and UK, together with Israel, intend to revert the Red Sea status quo to prior Oct 7. In this they are well supported by almost all Western powers."

🔸Dr. Hasan Selim Ozertem, an Ankara-based security and political analyst:

"So rather than sending troops, I may suppose that there may be some maneuvers to undermine security, as we witnessed in the last couple of weeks, like attacks on two vessels carrying oil from the region. So over here, we may see also a further engagement of the coalition forces with the Yemeni Houthis to take control of such conflicts and also sustain security of the traffic flow from Red Sea through the Suez Channel."

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Russia has an excellent position on Palestine, Lebanon's foreign minister told Sputnik

Lebanon constantly coordinates its actions with the Russian Federation on many issues, said Abdallah Bou Habib.

"We hope for further development of Arab-Russian relations. It is important to continue rapprochement and cooperation. Russia maintains stability in Arab countries and helps resolve conflicts," the Lebanese FM told Sputnik.

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🇮🇱🇵🇸 Latest updates on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

▪️Since the beginning of the conflict, Israeli bombing has claimed 20,000 victims in the Gaza Strip, of which 8,000 are children and more than 52,000 have been injured, the press service of the Gaza Strip government reported;

▪️Palestine has appealed to the International Criminal Court in connection with Israeli actions in Gaza, the Palestinian ambassador in Vienna told Sputnik;

▪️Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there will be no ceasefire in Gaza until the "elimination" of Hamas, which is at war with Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory;

▪️The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations delivered 18 tons of humanitarian aid to residents of Gaza.

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The Red Sea Coalition and War of Economic Corridors

"The Red Sea turning red will (…) send the global energy crisis into a tailspin. After all at least four million barrels of oil and 12% of total global seaborne trade to the West transits the Bab al-Mandeb every single day," Sputnik's contributor Pepe Escobar warns in his latest op-ed.

The Pentagon chief's announcement of forming a 10-nation coalition to thwart Houthi attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea could dramatically escalate tensions in the region, he writes.

"This is Washington all but declaring war on Yemen’s Ansarullah. An extra US destroyer has already been dispatched to the Red Sea," notes Escobar, adding that Houthi militants wouldn't give up without a fight.

Per Escobar, Washington's militarization of sea lanes fits into the framework of the War of Economic Corridors, as the weakened hegemon is desperately trying to maintain control in Eurasia.

👉 Check out Sputnik's article to find out more

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🇺🇳 The UN Security Council has postponed a vote on a resolution that calls for boosting humanitarian aid for Gaza until Thursday morning "to allow additional time for diplomacy," UNSC President Jose De La Gasca stated on Wednesday.

The UN Security Council was originally set to vote on the Arab-sponsored resolution on Monday. The vote has since been pushed back several times in an effort to avoid another veto by the US.

"We believe today giving a little bit space for additional diplomacy could yield positive results, and we are going to be optimistic trying to do that," UAE ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh told reporters.

The UAE envoy expressed confidence that the resolution would be adopted.

"I am optimistic, but if this fails, then we will continue to keep trying because we have to keep trying. There is too much suffering on the ground," she said.

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🇸🇰🛢 Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed on Wednesday that his country would continue refining Russian crude and exporting fuels to the Czech Republic, after the European Union extended its exemption as part of the bloc's 12th package of Russia sanctions.

The regulation allowing Bratislava to sell Russian-origin oil products to its neighbor expired on December 5. On Tuesday, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said the exemption was extended for one year.

"We have been granted an exemption [from EU's ban] for processing Russian oil. As you know, Russian oil is currently under sanctions, but we are allowed to sell products made from it in Slovakia, and we have also been granted an exemption under which we can export products made from this Russian oil to the Czech Republic," Fico told the InfoVojna broadcaster.

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California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis on Wednesday wrote to Secretary of State Shirley Weber demanding that she explore "every legal option" to remove former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 ballot.

"Based on the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling in Anderson v. Griswold (2023 CO 63), I urge you [Weber] to explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential ballot," Kounalakis wrote in her letter.

Kounalakis said she was prompted by the ruling to conclude that Trump is ineligible to appear on the state ballot as a presidential candidate due to his alleged involvement in the so-called insurrection on January 6, 2021. Kounalakis also said Colorado’s decision could serve as the basis for a similar decision in California.

"California must stand on the right side of history," the letter said. "The constitution is clear: you must be 40 years old and not be an insurrectionist."

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