German top diplomat claims 'Ukraine peace process' as aim of her China tour

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated on Monday that the primary objective of her visit to China is to advance the Ukraine peace process. She made this announcement during a joint press conference with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing.

In the same vein, she disclosed the unannounced visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Ukraine, which is taking place today.

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❗️Russian forces hit the infrastructure of Ukrainian military airfields, drone production workshops and drone storage depots, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

🔸 Ukraine lost up to 525 troops and four Kozak armored fighting vehicles in the area of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr.

🔸 Russia's Battlegroup Zapad repelled nine counterattacks, enemy lost up to 490 militants.

🔸 Ukraine lost up to 150 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Vostok.

🔸 Russian aviation shot down four HIMARS missiles and 69 Ukrainian drones.

🔸 Ukraine lost up to 260 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Yug.

🔸 Ukraine lost up to 90 soldiers in the areas of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr and Sever.

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🇷🇺🇸🇾 Russia and Syria target terrorists in Aleppo

The Syrian Air Force and Russian Aerospace Forces conducted airstrikes on terrorist positions in eastern Aleppo province, resulting in the elimination of dozens of militants, the Syrian Ministry of Defense stated.

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❗️Moscow affirms its continued support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Kremlin said.

Here are further statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

▪️ Regarding Olaf Scholz's Ukraine visit: "We are monitoring all contacts."

▪️On Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter: "This is an internal matter of the US."

▪️"If the United States uses force to compel countries to use the dollar, this may accelerate the trend towards switching to national currencies."

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Iraq is amassing military equipment on the border with Syria, Al-Sumaria TV reports

Brigadier General Mikdad Miri, spokesperson for the Iraqi Interior Ministry, stated during a press conference in Baghdad:

“Our borders are equipped with advanced thermal imaging cameras that operate 24 hours a day, and reinforcements have recently been sent to the Syrian border.”

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⚡️Statement of the General Command of the Syrian Army:

🔸 Over the past 24 hours, the Syrian Arab Army, in cooperation with Russian forces, carried out concentrated air, missile, and artillery strikes that destroyed five command headquarters as well as seven ammunition and weapons depots, some of which contained with drones.

🔸 Elimination of more than 400 terrorists, including citizens of several foreign countries.

🔸 The Syrian Army launched operations in the suburbs of Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib to secure the areas and expel the terrorists.

🔸 Establishment of new concentration points to prepare for upcoming attacks.

🔸 Additional military reinforcements are arriving at battle epicenters.

🔸 Rumors that terrorist organizations are taking control of regions and cities are not true, but are aimed at boosting low morale.

🔸 The Syrian Arab Army will continue to act with great determination until it regains every inch of its territory.

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📑The day the Cold War ended (or so Russia thought)

Thirty-five years ago, on December 2-3, 1989, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President George H.W. Bush met aboard the Maxim Gorky cruise ship off Malta to declare an end to the Cold War.

Expectations:

⚪️Gorbachev told Bush, “Cold War methods and confrontations have suffered defeat…We are at the beginning of a long road to a lasting, peaceful era.” Bush echoed Gorbachev’s optimism.

⚪️After the Malta meeting, Gorbachev and Yeltsin made significant efforts to build cooperation with the West, agreeing to Germany's reunification (on the assurance NATO wouldn’t expand east).

⚪️Soviet troops were withdrawn from Eastern Europe, Asia and the Caribbean and the Warsaw Pact was dismantled, the USSR and then Russia embraced a market economy, fostered economic ties with Europe, and even overlooked Western-funded color revolutions near Russia.

Reality:

⚪️Over time, Russian officials recognized that while the Cold War had ended in name, it continued in the minds of Western politicians.

⚪️In 2014, amid the Ukrainian crisis triggered by the US-backed coup in Kiev, President Putin reflected: “The Cold War is over, but it did not end with peace…The US is creating a new balance of power that reshapes the world to suit its interests, disregarding international law and existing systems of checks and balances.”

⚪️A decade on, the Ukrainian crisis has morphed into a full-blown proxy war against Russia, with the West delivering military hardware to Kiev, ramping up NATO drills and deployments along Russia’s borders, and engaging in irresponsible saber-rattling.

⚪️“We understand that the West is trying to drag us into an arms race,” President Putin said in February. “The so-called West, with its colonial habits and habit of inciting national conflicts, seeks not only to restrain our development. Instead of Russia, they need a dependent, fading, dying space where they can do whatever they want.”

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Power of Siberia: Gas pipeline forging Russia-China energy partnership marks 5th birthday!

Power of Siberia, a nearly 4,000 km long pipeline shipping natural gas sourced in Yakutia, Russia to northeastern China, was commissioned five years ago today, on December 2, 2019.

The pipeline’s construction, which began in late 2012, signaled the start of Russia’s energy pivot to the East amid an extraordinary warming of relations with China.

The infrastructure proved highly timely. Just over two years after its completion, the European Union unveiled an unprecedented economic war against Russia amid the crisis in Ukraine, prompting pipeline gas deliveries to Europe to drop to post-Cold War lows. In September 2022, the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were targeted in a terrorist attack, further highlighting the importance of alternative energy infrastructure – particularly to countries that are not openly hostile to Russia.

Over the past three years, Russian hydrocarbon deliveries to China have skyrocketed, with experts predicting deliveries of pipeline and LNG gas supplies to more than double by 2030 to as much as 85 billion cubic meters (bcm). Power of Siberia alone delivered 22.7 bcm in 2023, and is set to ship 30 bcm in 2024 and reach 38 bcm by 2025.

The success of the Power of Siberia has prompted Russian and Chinese officials to consider Power of Siberia 2 and 3 follow-ups, further facilitating the eastward reorientation of Russia's energy exports, and forging even closer economic ties with the world’s number one manufacturing economy.

👉 Follow the link to Sputnik's website for all the details

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Zinc price swings offer taste of US tariff-at-any-cost gamble targeting China

Zinc’s recent price swings reflect the supply pressures of the critical metal that are likely to spill over into 2025, Bloomberg cited analysts as saying.

Zinc prices have fluctuated since the end of December, amounting to $3,089.50 per ton, a 0.4% decrease, by December 1. The recent surge in prices was fueled by one of the largest withdrawals of zinc from the London Metal Exchange (LME) in over a decade.

The wave of turbulence on the volatile zinc market offers a taste of potential fallout from US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to slap additional 10% tariffs on all goods from China.

The Asian giant dominates the global market of the rare earth metal, with an annual zinc output of 4.2 million metric tons.

Should there be any further flare-ups in the US-China trade feud, this would likely impact both the supply and pricing of this key industrial metal as zinc oxide plays a crucial role in the semiconductor industry, particularly in electronic devices.

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US bid to force nations to use dollar will only aid switch to trade in national currencies – Kremlin

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🦆What are Biden’s top most desperate lame-duck decisions?

Joe Biden has been hell-bent on churning out major policy decisions during the remainder of his tenure.

The "lame duck" US president:

⚪️Gave the nod to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use long-range US-supplied missiles, such as ATACMS, to strike deep into Russian territory.

⚪️Informed Congress of plans to write off $4.65 billion of Ukraine’s debt, Bloomberg reported.

⚪️Secretly asked Congress to provide another $24 billion to replenish the Pentagon's reserves for Ukraine, media reported on November 26.

⚪️Ramped up arms deliveries to the Kiev regime, with a new aid package worth $725 million to reportedly include anti-tank weapons, land mines, drones, Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and cluster munitions for guided multiple launch systems.

⚪️Leveled sanctions against Russia’s largest remaining non-designated bank, Gazprombank.

⚪️Announced a rushed-through Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreed upon in accordance with the US settlement plan, vowing to make “another push” for a ceasefire in Gaza.

⚪️Signed a pardon for his son Hunter on two criminal charges, claiming that they were politically motivated, after having repeatedly stated that he would not pardon his son before leaving office.

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🇷🇺🇭🇺 Russia, Hungary advance major projects despite global hurdles

Despite the artificially created serious challenges in the global economy, Russia and Hungary are implementing flagship projects, including in the energy sector, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated during a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto, who arrived in Moscow as part of Hungary's peace initiative for Ukraine.

“In the economic sphere, we are seeing steady and sustained growth in trade and investment cooperation, which benefits both our countries and our peoples. The effectiveness of the agreements and decisions made by our leaders is confirmed by the fact that, despite very serious, artificially created difficulties in the global economy, we are able to implement all the flagship projects of our cooperation, including in the energy sector,” Lavrov said.

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Terrorists in Syria use US technology, assistance from Ukraine with drones - Source

Members of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia) have managed to capture Aleppo thanks to Ukrainian advisers who helped with drones, as well as the use of advanced US technology, including satellite navigation and electronic warfare systems, a source close to the Syrian special services told RIA Novosti.

"The militants of the terrorist group Nusra have no experience in using high technology, and it would not have been possible to master it without advisers from Ukraine, the Islamic Party of Turkestan and Syrian officers (who went over to the terrorists' side)," the source said.

The offensive operations were controlled using high technology provided by the Americans, the source said, adding that the Syrian army's communications were jammed by powerful electronic warfare systems during the offensive.

"The assault groups and drones were equipped with encrypted GPS devices and extensive use of artificial intelligence, so that the use and navigation of attack UAVs and kamikaze drones took place from a long distance," the source said.

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📞 Putin holds phone talks with Iranian counterpart - Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian focused on the dangerous situation in Syria in a telephone call on Monday, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders also discussed key issues of developing cooperation between Russia and Iran.

The counterparts planned further contacts.

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Hunter Biden’s corruption scandals

Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Sunday before jetting off on a trip to Africa.

▪️ Hunter, the first child of a sitting US president ever to face criminal charges, was convicted of tax evasion, and lying over his drug use while purchasing a handgun.

▪️ He was to be sentenced in both cases in mid-December. The maximum penalty in the tax case was 17 years, while the gun charge carried a punishment of up to 25 years.

▪️ Along with the criminal tax charges, Hunter also faced six misdemeanor offenses for failing to pay his taxes on time, and making false deductions in returns.

Tax and gun convictions minor compared to more serious suspected crimes

◻️ In 2023, House Republicans launched a probe into Hunter’s suspicious business dealings, revolving around an alleged influence-peddling scheme seeing the collection of over $20 mln in bribes for access to his powerful father during the Obama years.

◻️ In August 2024, investigators released a 300-page report detailing payments to the Bidens from shady business actors from around the world, including Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

◻️ Hunter is also mixed up in an international criminal conspiracy. In 2022, the Russian military published damning docs implicating his investment firm for research into deadly pathogens in Ukraine – with foreign media corroborating the story using files from Hunter’s “laptop from hell.”

◻️ The laptop also details Hunter’s ‘highly active’ personal life – from smoking crack on camera while waving a gun around and cavorting with prostitutes, to terrorizing and intimidating his ex-wife and withholding child support.

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🎥🎥 Putin meets with Russia's bright young scientific minds

👉Watch the livestream here or follow the link to the Sputnik's website

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Unraveling Syria’s chaotic conflict: Shedding light on who’s fighting whom

Militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group have broken the de-escalation agreement in Syria, subsequently joining forces with militants from the so-called "Syrian National Army." Their actions are directed not only against the government’s armed forces but also against the Kurds, particularly in the provinces of Aleppo and Hama.

Who’s fighting whom in Syria?

◾️Syrian state forces: The government’s army, commonly referred to as "Assad's Army", controls the bulk of Syrian territory. A limited contingent of Russian forces is stationed in Syria, providing assistance to Assad’s military in its fight against militant groups. The Russian Aerospace Forces are conducting airstrikes on warehouses, artillery positions, and other terrorist targets in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama. Additionally, the Syrian army receives support from military advisers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) present in the country. Reports from local media indicate that Iraqi units have also moved to the Syrian border to bolster the fight against terrorism.

◾️The Syrian Democratic Forces (Kurds): Predominately a Kurdish military group, which controls large swathes of northeastern Syria, namely, the provinces of Hasakah, Raqqah and Deir al-Zor. The Syrian Democratic Forces are actively engaged in combat against jihadi militants in Syria, while maintaining a truce with government forces. However, true reconciliation with Damascus remains elusive, as the Kurdish militias receive support from the United States.

◾️The Syrian National Army: Previously known as the Syrian Free Army, the SNA primarily operates in the areas of Aleppo province not controlled by the Syrian government. This group traditionally enjoys support from Washington, with its members receiving training at the US military base in Al-Tanf, set up in Syria without legal authorization. Although the SNA claims to have backing from Turkiye, Ankara officially denies any connections with these Syrian militants.

◾️Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*: Formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra*, is a jihadist group that originated as a branch of Al-Qaeda* in Syria. In 2017, Western nations attempted to rebrand the group as a "moderate opposition" following claims that it had severed ties with ISIS. Notably, both NATO countries and Ukraine have maintained close connections with this jihadi organization, as revealed by Sputnik. Additionally, there are former members of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham* in the Ukrainian International Legion who are obtaining Ukrainian citizenship, as previously reported by Sputnik.

◾️ISIS*. Despite the defeat of the terror group in Syria in 2019, some holdout factions continue to operate in remote areas of the country that remain outside the control of Bashar Assad’s government. These jihadists are effectively battling against all parties. Notably, they have yet to engage in clashes with the jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*. In the ongoing escalation, ISIS* militants are involved in sporadic attacks on the government forces.

*Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Jabhat al-Nusra are terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia.

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French opposition puts forward no confidence vote in PM Barnier

The left-wing opposition in the French parliament has proposed a vote of no confidence in French Prime Minister Michel Barnier over the bill on social insurance budget for 2025 bypassing lawmakers, Mathilde Panot, the leader of the left-wing Unconquered France party, said, as quoted by BFMTV broadcaster.

Marine Le Pen's National Rally party has confirmed it will support a vote of no confidence in Barnier's cabinet, meaning the French government will resign.

The vote will take place on Wednesday. If it receives the required majority of votes (289 out of 577), it will pass and the government will resign.

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