📹 ‘Many ended up staying here forever’: Soldiers reveal the fate of foreign mercs in Donbass

“We’ve had French and Spanish here. We’ve even had a captured Spaniard, but unfortunately he didn’t survive,” a Russian soldier revealed.

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Find out how Ursula von der Leyen’s questionable dealings with Pfizer landed her in court

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen finds herself at the center of a major corruption scandal, commonly dubbed "Pfizergate," which has dominated global headlines in recent weeks.

▪️Pfizergate stems from the EU's acquisition of a substantial quantity of COVID-19 vaccines from the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, totaling approximately 2.4 billion euros. This transaction is the source of the scandal's name.

▪️While Pfizer raked in huge profits from the COVID crisis in Europe, the benefits for the EU from this deal are less clear, as many of the vaccine doses ultimately went unused before their expiration dates.

▪️The scandal erupted when the New York Times sounded the alarm over the lack of transparency in this deal that was negotiated by the EC president and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

▪️Von der Leyen and Bourla, according to NYT, negotiated the vaccine contracts privately via a series of phone calls and text messages.

▪️The European Commission recently admitted that these exchanges between Von der Leyen and Bourla did take place.

▪️The EC has so far refused to disclose the content of the messages in question, essentially dismissing them as unimportant and unrelated to the negotiations, but without actually backing these claims.

▪️The situation is further complicated by the fact that the EC president’s husband, Heiko von der Leyen, is employed as a director at Orgenesis, a US biotechnology company, which may have ties to Pfizer.

▪️Several media outlets have claimed that the allegations regarding any connection between Pfizer and Orgenesis are unfounded.

▪️In addition to Pfizer's potential gains, there is also a distinct possibility that Ursula von der Leyen may have benefited from the vaccine deal. However, it is ultimately up to the European judges to decide.

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Pepe Escobar: The Syria tragedy and the new omni-war

The geopolitical situation in West Asia is more complicated than ever, as conflicts and alliances intertwine. "Until recently, West Asia and Ukraine were two vectors of the standard hegemon modus operandi, which is to incite and unleash forever wars," says Sputnik columnist Pepe Escobar. Now, both regions are converging into what he calls an omni-war.

The main opposition to this "final confrontation" is Russia and Iran, backed by China, which "watches on the sidelines" as the true existential war will ultimately target them. However, the US-Israel alliance, along with neo-cons and revisionist Zionists, continues to push forward with destabilizing tactics.

Escobar points to Syria as a key battleground: "The total destabilisation of Syria, with heavy CIA-MI6 input, is a carefully engineered gambit to undermine BRICS and beyond." This instability is designed to disrupt the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), which involves Russia, Iran, and India - key BRICS players.

"The problem is that freezing the war in 2020 did not solve the 'moderate rebel' problem," Escobar writes, referencing the resurgence of jihadist factions backed by NATO intelligence. As Syria faces increasing fragmentation, the US continues to exploit divisions with disastrous consequences for the region.

Escobar draws historical parallels, invoking Xenophon's account of an "Anabasis" expedition. The endless wars in West Asia feel like a modern-day version, where armies and mercenaries continually engage in conflicts that seem impossible to resolve, as Syria remains trapped in an eternal cycle of war.

In this ever-evolving struggle, Escobar contends that the BRICS nations have yet to fully grasp the lessons of Bandung in 1955, where the Non-Alignment Movement was neutralized. "You can't beat a pitiless hegemonic hydra with flower power," he concludes, underscoring the difficulty of confronting a hegemonic force without cohesive, coordinated resistance.

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Why are Democrats urging Biden to grant them pardons before Trump assumes office?

After President Joe Biden issued an unusual blanket pardon for his son, Hunter, Democratic Congressman Ed Markey has urged the president to extend "preemptive pardons" to other top Democrats whom Donald Trump believes "harmed him" and might otherwise be treated by him in a "fascistic way."

"After nearly four years of weaponizing US government resources against perceived enemies of certain dynastic political families, Markey and Biden have some nerve suggesting that the Trump administration will be engaging in 'fascist' retaliation starting January 20, 2025," Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel tells Sputnik, referencing Biden's prosecution of January 6 protestors and labeling MAGA supporters as "extremists."

US journalist Jonathan Martin reported on December 4 that Biden's senior aides are debating the issue, and the alleged pardon list might include Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, former COVID czar Anthony Fauci.

"The public has yet to learn how deep the rot became across America ever since 1988, when elites embraced unregulated globalism and a turbocharged spoils system where trillions of dollars in spending that is not audited (by design) can be pilfered or diverted to fund political campaigns and multiple-mansion lifestyles," Ortel says.

According to the analyst, the political trajectories of the Biden, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Pelosi, and Cheney dynasty families warrant close scrutiny for alleged influence-peddling and other questionable conduct.

"Those who howl loudest now anticipating Trump’s return likely include many with guilty knowledge of their own roles perpetrating a raft of crimes, believing the system will remain rigged to protect them," he concludes.

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Why the Clintons need Biden's 'blanket pardons' more than anyone

As Joe Biden's White House reportedly considers "preemptive pardons" for some top Democrats, Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel suggests that the Clintons might be on the list.

"'The Clinton Foundation' (in quotes because I challenge an informed lawyer to demonstrate that it validly and lawfully exists as a public charity) has yet again issued false and materially misleading public filings as it continues to solicit donations in various ways across state lines and national boundaries," says Ortel, who has conducted a private investigation into the charity's alleged fraud for several years.

In 2018, two forensic investigators-turned-whistleblowers, John Moynihan and Larry Doyle, testified before the US Congress that the Clinton Foundation does not operate as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization but acts as a foreign agent and owes the US government between $400 million and $2.5 billion in taxes.

Additionally, Special Counsel John Durham's probe indicated that Hillary Clinton and her team played a significant role in shaping and promoting the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. According to Ortel, this hoax was used to prevent Trump from investigating the Clintons' apparent pay-to-play schemes, mishandling of classified information, and alleged money laundering.

"The Trump administration, working with Chris Rufo, a new IRS chief, and [attorney general nominee] Pam Bondi, could raise hundreds of billions of dollars merely by enforcing the strict rules and laws pertaining to nonprofit organizations. Many of these 'elite' entities have brazenly abused the law in countless ways, especially the Clintons since October 23, 1997," Ortel concludes.

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Biden's pardon makes Hunter invaluable witness in post-coup Ukraine cases – Wall Street analyst

"[One] report notes that the Biden family may now have greater exposure since Hunter can no longer readily invoke the Fifth Amendment," Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel tells Sputnik, commenting on the president's blanket pardon of his son.

The Washington Free Beacon reported on December 3 that Hunter will no longer be able to rely on his Fifth Amendment right to silence regarding any potential federal crimes for which he’s been pardoned, according to two former House general counsels.

The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination; however, with Hunter no longer at risk of federal prosecution for the period between January 2014 and December 2024, he appears to be ineligible for this protection.

The newspaper alleges that Republican lawmakers should jump at the opportunity to subpoena Hunter Biden for new information about his family's knowledge or involvement in his apparent influence-peddling schemes.

There are a lot of questions concerning the Biden family's conduct in post-coup Ukraine where Hunter helped secure millions of dollars of funding for Metabiota, a Pentagon bio-reseach contractor, and where he got a hefty salary from Bursima gas firm.

"Finally, offering Hunter pardons for federal crimes back to January 1, 2014 raises suspicions that Joe may know of illegal activities in which Hunter engaged, years before crimes alleged in the indictments in the gun (2018) and tax (2019) cases," Ortel stresses.

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❗️ Romanian Presidential Candidate Georgescu calls cancellation of 1st round's results a 'coup'

💬 "The recent decision of the country's Constitutional Court is not only a legal but also a political act that constitutes a coup d'état," Georgescu said in a video message, adding that Romania's judiciary has lost its independence and is subordinated to political orders.

Romania held its presidential election on November 24. Georgescu advanced to the runoff election along with Elena Lasconi, the leader of the Save Romania Union. The second round was initially scheduled for December 8, but the Constitutional Court ruled to annul the results of the first round of the presidential election and said that the government must set the new date for the vote.

Georgescu has openly criticized Bucharest's role in the Ukraine conflict, accusing NATO and the EU of neglecting Romania’s interests and highlighting that American defense contractors are exploiting the war for profit.

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What does Trump’s ‘crypto czar’ move mean for the future of cryptocurrency in US?

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that venture capitalist and former PayPal COO David Sacks is going to be the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.”

Announcing this appointment via a post on his Truth Social media network, Trump said that Sacks will “guide policy” in the fields of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.

Having described AI and crypto as “areas critical to the future of the American competitiveness,” Trump boasted that his new czar will “focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas.”

▪️The recent surge of cryptocurrency markets, where the price of Bitcoin reached $100,000, has already been partly attributed to Trump’s decisions by media.

▪️Trump himself has appeared to have taken credit for this surge, saying on Truth Social on December 5: “Congratulations bitcoiners!!! $100,000!!! You are welcome!!! Together, we will Make America Great Again!”

▪️Though it remains to be seen how exactly this move may affect the future of cryptocurrency in the United States, Trump does seem intent to promote further advancements in this field.

▪️His pick for the next head of the US Securities and Exchange Commission is Paul Atkins, founder of a cryptocurrency lobbying group called Token Alliance, for example.

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Prosecutor blocks lawsuit against EU’s Ursula von der Leyen over Pfizergate

"The European Prosecutor's Office made a move that effectively blocked the court proceedings," activist Frédéric Baldan tells Sputnik, explaining why the Belgian court was unable to review charges against the European Commission president due to the intervention.

A hearing took place on Friday at the Liège Palace of Justice, focusing on potential violations in the procurement of coronavirus vaccines by von der Leyen. The hearing was closed to the public, and von der Leyen is currently abroad.

The prosecutor secretly contested the case, arguing that von der Leyen should be immune from prosecution due to her official duties.

As a result, the judge postponed the hearings indefinitely.

The issue of whether von der Leyen’s immunity applies to the charges will be addressed on January 6. Baldan believes the European Prosecutor's Office acted in her favor.

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🇸🇾 Syrian army destroys terrorist units in Homs province – Defense Ministry

The Syrian Armed Forces, supported by Russian combat aircraft, successfully destroyed terrorist units in northern Homs province, the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Syrian forces eliminated up to 200 terrorists, 15 armored vehicles, two multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 15 drones, and two command posts over the past day.

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Did Calin Georgescu’s election triumph scare NATO and the Romanian establishment?

Romania's Constitutional Court has annulled the first round presidential election results, where Calin Georgescu won with 22.9%. This follows US threats to withhold security aid if Romania shifted its foreign policy. Prosecutors are also investigating Georgescu over claims of Russian interference.

What is this probe all about?

The prosecutors are focusing on “declassified files” with the allegations that:

▪️Money laundering and other illegal activities occurred during Georgescu’s “highly organized campaign” that was run exclusively on TikTok.

▪️The campaign was purportedly co-ordinated by a “state actor” and financed by players outside Romania.

▪️The price tag stood at $1.06 million.

▪️Georgescu is “Moscow’s man" and reportedly has links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Georgescu vehemently denies all the accusations, telling Western media that he had spent "zero" on his TikTok campaign and had “zero” ties with Putin, whom he praised as "a patriot and a leader".

The 62-year-old scientist-turned-politician also said:

▪️As for the probe, it was launched because Romanian authorities “are afraid” and “desperate.”

▪️The authorities “can't accept that the Romanian people finally said, 'we want our life back, our country, our dignity’.”

▪️This was echoed by Georgescu's spokesperson, who told reporters that "The fact they declassified the files is just another try of the political system to stop him from winning by using the media and the fake news programs."

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🧐 To believe, or not to believe, that is the question

💬 “The next time the President says he will or won’t do something, why should the American people believe him?” a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press briefing.

💬 “I don’t have anything else to add. I answered the question,” Jean-Pierre claimed.

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