💬 Using the greenback, the US continues to exploit other economies for its own benefit - Putin

Other statements:

◻️ The use of the dollar as a world currency brings the United States large revenues "from the sky"
 
◻️ The Biden administration has done a lot to undermine the dollar's influence on the world stage
 
◻️ Russia did not reject the dollar; it was denied its use.

◻️ Bitcoin and other digital currencies will develop; no one will be able to ban them, regardless of the fate of the dollar

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📹 “Are you a Pole? No, I’m worse”: Rare story from Putin’s KGB years

The Russian president has recalled how his “friend” (apparently a Soviet spy on a mission) told him about his Tarantino-style dialogue with an old German fisherman in Berlin.

- Is your fishing ok?
- No.
- Why?
- It’s the wind from the east.
- All the problems come from the east…
- Are you a Pole?
- No, I’m worse.

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💬 Vladimir Putin called the development of new logistics routes inevitable, including due to Western sanctions.

Transport volumes along the Northern Sea Route will grow, Russia's president said.

The "North-South" corridor is already in operation, and the volumes of transportation along it are constantly increasing, the president added.

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⚡️Who can prohibit Bitcoin? No one! — Putin

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📹 "Why in English?" Putin offers an injection of "sovereignty" to a German investor, who asked him a question in English.

"Sovereignty" was successfully regained as the conversation between them continued in German (0:33).

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📌 Watch Putin's full speech at the 'Russia Calling!' investment forum in Moscow

Here are the highlights:

🔶 Those who wanted to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, including in the economy, failed

🔶 Investments in Russia have been growing for the third year in a row, despite all the problems that they [the West] have tried to create for us from the outside

🔶 Russia's GDP grew by 4.1% in January-October; growth is concentrated in high-value-added sectors

🔶 The level of digitalization of the financial sector in Russia exceeds the global level

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❗️Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's visa for Malta was cancelled on the eve of the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Meeting, despite being issued already, according to the ministry.

The visa was cancelled at the OSCE with the wording "due to circumstances beyond their control," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

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Top 5 сorruption scandals shaking the world

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's surprise declaration of martial law has ended in fiasco. Was this a last-ditch attempt to stay in power by the lame-duck president amid his corruption scandal?

Here are the major corruption scandals making headlines globally:

1️⃣ South Korea:

🇰🇷President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, are embroiled in a corruption and influence peddling scandal involving the People Power Party's 2022 nominations and accepting luxury gifts.

🇰🇷Yoon's recent martial law move may lead to impeachment and possible imprisonment, according to media reports.

2️⃣ US:

🇺🇸Joe Biden provided a blanket pardon to his son, Hunter, not only for tax and gun felonies, but any other potential crimes.

🇺🇸This move, criticized as a "new low" by legal experts, came amid Republican-led congressional investigations into Hunter's alleged influence-peddling schemes involving his father.

3️⃣ Israel:

🇮🇱PM Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial includes charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes. Despite repeated delays, his testimony is set to continue on December 10.

🇮🇱Opposition media suggest Netanyahu hoped the ongoing war in Gaza would delay his court appearances, but judges remained firm.

4️⃣ Ukraine:

▪️Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was summoned on December 3 over faulty military mines. In November, police arrested former Defense Ministry adviser Roman Balykin and Igor Franchuk, ex-President Kuchma's former son-in-law, for a fraudulent uniform procurement scheme.

▪️In October, authorities uncovered a draft-dodging scam in Odessa involving fake medical documentation.

5️⃣ EU:

🇪🇺Belgian lobbyist Frédéric Baldan has accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of corruption and collusion with Pfizer in his book "Ursula Gate: Compromise by Lobbies."

🇪🇺Efforts to hold her accountable have been thwarted by the EC's refusal to disclose details of the controversial deal.

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❗️Russia's FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the cancellation of her visa to visit the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Meeting: There is no cooperation or interaction left, and instead of principles there is unscrupulousness.

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💬 A decision on funds to support Ukraine will be made by President-elect Donald Trump, not current President Joe Biden, who requested $24 billion, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson has said.

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US President-elect Donald Trump nominates Daniel P. Driscoll to serve as Secretary of the Army

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🇰🇷 South Korea's parliament has tabled a proposal to impeach the country's president, according to Reuters.

Earlier, the ruling party said it would not support impeachment.

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🇮🇷How powerful is Iran's military that soon may be unleashed against terrorists in Syria? 🇸🇾

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told media this week that Iran is ready to deploy its military to aid the Syrian government if it were to make such request.

What forces does Iran have?

In 2024, Iran was ranked 14th in the Global Firepower annual military strength review.

🔘 Soldiers

⚪️approximately 610,000 active military personnel and 350,000 reserves
⚪️230,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that includes its own paramilitaries, navy and air force

🔘 Missiles

Iran has a sizeable arsenal of long-range weaponry that could be fired upon the country’s enemies.

In 2022, then-US Central Command head Gen. Kenneth McKenzie estimated the Iranian ballistic missile stockpile had “over 3,000” units. This includes:

⚪️ Shahab-1 and Shahab-2
⚪️ Ghadr
⚪️ Emad
⚪️ cruise missiles such as Paveh

🔘 Drones

⚪️loitering munitions such as Shahed-136
⚪️strike drones like Shahed-149, and others

🔘 Aircraft

The Iranian Air Force is comprised of 551 aircraft in total, including:

⚪️186 fighter aircraft
⚪️129 helicopters
⚪️32 military aircraft owned by the IRGC
⚪️5 helicopters owned by the IRGC

🔘 Armor

Iranian ground forces, among other things, include:

⚪️nearly 2,000 tanks
⚪️over 65,000 armored vehicles

🔘 Artillery

Iranian artillery forces include:

⚪️580 self-propelled guns
⚪️2,050 towed artillery pieces
⚪️775 multiple launch rocket artillery systems

🔘 Navy

Relatively modest in terms of size when compared to other branches of the Iranian military, Iran’s navy is comprised of:

⚪️21 patrol vessels
⚪️19 submarines
⚪️7 frigates
⚪️3 corvettes

Sources: Global Firepower, UK-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, media.

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Tucker Carlson in Moscow: Top sightseeing spots for his team

US journo Tucker Carlson has returned to Moscow to interview Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. His visit comes as the Russian capital is decorated for the upcoming New Year festivities. Let's explore the top five must-see destinations for Tucker's team!

🌟 Red Square: The most visited place by tourists in Moscow, it includes the unique architectural ensemble of the Spasskaya Tower, the Historical Museum, and St. Basil's Cathedral which are on the World Heritage List. The square is already decorated with a New Year Tree and will soon host a large skating rink.

🌟 The Kremlin: This ancient “fortress within the city” – which numbers at least 20 towers - accommodates breath-taking interiors of the Armory and the Diamond Fund museums.

🌟 The Bolshoi Theater: This eye-catching building is known for having one of the world’s oldest and best-known ballet and opera companies.

🌟 Gorky Park: This is Moscow’s central park with cafes, museums and a New Year fair.

🌟 VDNKh: A huge territory of this historic exhibition complex is rife with unique monuments of Soviet architecture. It is the VDNKh where Moscow’s largest skating rink opened late last month.

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The head of the US' largest health insurance company has been killed: What is known?

▪️The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance provider in the US, was tragically killed by a gunshot to the chest on Wednesday in New York's midtown Manhattan, authorities have confirmed during a press briefing. A masked man approached him and opened fire multiple times, according to police reports.

▪️Authorities have stated that no arrests have been made so far, and the investigation remains active. The motive behind the attack is still unclear.

▪️Brian Thompson, 50, was appointed UnitedHealthcare CEO in April 2021. Before taking the job, he led UnitedHealthcare’s government programs, overseeing Medicare, retirement, and community and state initiatives. His previous leadership experience also includes serving as the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Retirement.

▪️UnitedHealthcare is the largest US health insurer, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans, who pay more for healthcare than in any other country.

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Jared Isaacman: Whom did Trump choose to lead NASA?

US President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire Jared Isaacman as his pick for the next NASA administrator.

▪️Born in 1983, Isaacman is known as the founder of payment processing company Shift4 Payments and Draken International, a defense contractor that provides training to the US military.

▪️In 2021, Isaacman led the Inspiration4 mission, the first spaceflight crewed only by private citizens.

▪️He also established the private spaceflight program Polaris and, during one of the Polaris missions, became the first private citizen to perform an extravehicular activity.

▪️He is regarded to be a close associate of SpaceX founder and Trump’s ally Elon Musk.

"Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in space science, technology, and exploration," Trump stated in a social media post.

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🚀 The Russian Aerospace Forces successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with a military satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.

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