France's Macron has a finger in every pie - Azerbaijani President on protests in Georgia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized Western interference in Georgia's affairs, singling out French President Emmanuel Macron during an interview with VGTRK and RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

"It's good that the situation [in Georgia] is already moving towards stability," Aliyev said. "And again, you see, Macron has a finger in every pie. The man can't sit still in his own country; he definitely needs to get into Georgia."

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🗣Ukraine continues to refuse negotiations, and Orban's peace initiative has not changed the situation - Peskov

Other statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🔸 The Russian economy, after nearly three years of sanctions, is growing, while Europe's economy stagnates.

🔸 The EU's actions amount to blatant interference in Georgian affairs and shameless pressure - it's off the charts.

🔸 There is no indication of any change in relations between Russia and Europe, which has lost its independence.

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🤡'Stand in a circle, each of you is now gay or lesbian' - Coming out as a school task

Furious dad slams high school in California over an LGBTQ* activist séance.

“I don’t think this assignment should ever be taught to children. It does not do anything other than groom them,” father of a student said.

*banned in Russia as an extremist organization

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🗣‘Incompetent’: Russian Foreign Ministry reacts to OHCHR’s comment on Lt. Gen. Kirillov’s murder

The words of the staff of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that the murder of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense of the Russian armed forces does not violate humanitarian law show incompetence of UN officials, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

"This indicates the absolute corruption of such officials, or that they are absolutely incompetent…This is a powerful explosion that claimed the lives of two people and damaged a new building. It damaged it so that there was not a single window, glass, or entrance door that had not received any damage. And it was only by a happy coincidence that [other] people were not injured”, Zakharova said.

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📹Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gives his customary interview to journalists ahead of the event

🔸 Putin diligently prepares for each Direct Line session, updating his knowledge of all sectors of the economy.

🔸 Putin personally reviews a significant number of submissions to the Direct Line broadcast.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 Coming soon: Putin’s annual Direct Line!

Live Q&A + press conference - where questions get real answers. Don’t miss it!

🗓 Date: December 19

⏰ Time: 12:00 Moscow time / 9:00 GMT

👉 Telegram: https://news.1rj.ru/str/SputnikInt

👉 Sputnik website: https://sputnikglobe.com/

👉 X: https://x.com/SputnikInt

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Evidence speaks for itself: Ukraine’s direct role in Russian chem defense chief’s murder

The suspect in the murder of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence, promised a $100,000 reward and relocation to the EU, said Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Additional facts also point the finger at Ukraine.

◾️ A booby-trapped explosive device was placed on a scooter parked near the entrance to Kirillov's building. Online footage from a camera installed in a car was broadcast to the plot’s ringleaders in Dnepr, said Russia’s Investigative Committee.

◾️ At regular briefings, Kirillov had presented evidence against the US, its Western allies and the Kiev regime of operating biolabs, and plotting false flags with the use of toxic substances.

◾️ Kiev orchestrated the murder of Kirillov as payback for hurting major financial interests tied to the Pentagon-run Ukraine biolabs scheme, retired CIA intelligence official Larry Johnson told Sputnik.

◾️ Kirillov’s role in exposing US-backed chemical and biological research put a target on his back, ex-senior Pentagon security policy analyst Michael Maloof concluded.

◾️ As for the Western media, a series of reports in The New York Times, CNN, The Independent, other outlets said that Ukraine was responsible for Kirillov’s murder, citing officials with Ukraine's spy agency, the SBU.

◾️ The head of Zelensky's office Mykhailo Podolyak claimed that Ukraine does not use “terrorist methods," although that is precisely their modus operandi.

◾️ It is also worth noting that Kirillov’s name was on the infamous neo-Nazi doxxing website Myrotvorets, which is basically a hit list, with his Moscow address specified there.

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🔸 Ukraine could not have assassinated General Kirillov without western support – former CIA analyst

🔸 The suspect in Kirillov’s murder is identified

🔸 Evidence speaks for itself: Ukraine’s direct role in Russian chemical defense chief’s murder

🔸 Nobody compares to Putin: World’s only leader who holds live nationwide Q&As!

🔸 Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces sums up the achievements of 2024

🔸 21st-Century US expansionism? Trump says Canada could become 51st state and save on defense

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💬 Kirillov's murder 'not a smart thing to do' - Trump's Russia-Ukraine envoy pick Kellogg

Keith Kellogg, who was tapped by US President-elect Donald Trump as his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, believes that “killing generals in their hometowns and not on the battlefields is "not a smart thing to do."

He added, however, that the murder of Kirillov is unlikely to affect possible peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

"I don't think it is really a setback, but I would say this, there are rules for warfare, and there are certain things you just kinda don’t do," Kellogg told Fox Business.

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🇨🇳🇮🇳What is the India-China border spat all about?

India and China are working to ease tensions in their border dispute. Indian National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday for talks.

❓What’s the Dispute About?

The disagreement centers on overlapping claims along the India-China border, which runs through the Himalayas.

▪️1962 War Aftermath:

After the Indo-Chinese war, both nations agreed to maintain a status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – a loosely defined de facto border.

▪️Clashing Perspectives:

- India believes the LAC spans 3,488 km.

- China claims it is only around 2,000 km.

📍 The Three Sectors of the LAC:

1. Western Sector (Ladakh) – the most contentious area, lying in the greater Kashmir region.

2. Middle Sector (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) - comparatively less disputed.

3. Eastern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim) – includes areas China refers to as ‘South Tibet’.

⚔️ Flashpoints in Recent Years

▪️ June 2020: Deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh.

▪️2021-2022: Further stand-offs at the border.

🤝 Steps Toward Resolution

▪️October 2024: Agreement on military patrols and troop disengagement reached ahead of a meeting between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit.

▪️Next Steps: Continued dialogue is critical to define the disputed border in a way that satisfies both nations.

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💰 Powell: US Federal Reserve can not buy bitcoin

The leadership of the US Federal Reserve is not considering buying bitcoin, said Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.

“We are not allowed to own Bitcoin in access to the federal reserve and we are not looking for a law change. That is a kind of thing for Congress to consider,” he told reporters.

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⌛️ Belgium fails to deliver promised F-16s to Ukraine in 2024

Belgium will not be able to start delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2024, as previously promised, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported, citing Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder.

The newspaper also reported a delay in the delivery of US-made F-35 fighter jets for the Belgian Air Force to replace aging F-16s.

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💬 Is a Kurdish-proposed demilitarized zone in Northern Syria possible?

Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has proposed the creation of a "demilitarized zone" in Kobani, a town on the Syrian-Turkish border, under US supervision. But is this plan viable?

"The Turks have their own territorial ambitions in Syria, and so I don't expect that they would welcome or approve such a plan," political and security analyst Ali Rizk told Sputnik.

▪️Abdi's proposal comes amid the Biden administration's efforts to maintain a ceasefire brokered last week between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army in northern Syria.

▪️US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said a truce in the northern Syrian town of Manbij was extended on Tuesday until the end of the week.

▪️The fate of Kobani, a Kurdish-majority city, hangs in the balance as the SDF braces for a possible Turkish offensive. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signaled on December 13 that Ankara's strategic goal was to eliminate Kurdish militias.

"They still consider the SDF to be a terrorist organization affiliated with the [Kurdistan] Workers' Party," explained Rizk.

The viability of the demilitarized zone largely depends on the incoming US administration. If Donald Trump decides to keep US troops on the ground in Syria, Turkiye might be forced to accept the Kurdish plan, Rizk assumes.

But it is equally possible that Trump would opt for withdrawal. During his first tenure, the pull-out was delayed to maintain control over Syrian oil in Kurdish-held regions, where at least nine US military bases have been deployed since 2015.

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❗️ Sending Polish troops to Ukraine is a "matter for discussion" - President

Possible deployment of Polish troops in Ukraine is a "matter for discussion," but no such discussions are currently underway, Polish President Andrzej Duda said before leaving for the EU summit in Brussels.

"There have been no such discussions so far. No one has ever proposed something so specific as to what should happen; what is the formula? "Duda added.

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🔍Is the deep state targeting Elon Musk ahead of Trump's inauguration?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk seems to have become a target of the outgoing Biden administration.

"Deep state traitors are coming after me using their paid shills in legacy media," Musk tweeted on Tuesday.

❓What did he mean?

▪️Musk's tweet came in response to a New York Times report that the Pentagon had launched at least three reviews into him and his company SpaceX, for alleged violations of security reporting rules.

▪️The NYT claims, quoting anonymous sources, that Musk failed to comply with federal protocols for protecting state secrets and did not provide details of his meetings with foreign governments.

▪️Congress Democrats are also scrutinizing Musk: last month they asked the Pentagon to investigate whether Musk had "inappropriate communications" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

▪️Musk has also faced heavy criticism from Canada-based news agency Reuters, which investigated apparent "harms" at his companies and even won a Pulitzer Prize for their series “The Musk Industrial Complex" in May.

▪️Mike Benz, a former State Department official, claimed on X on Tuesday that Reuters is in cahoots with the Biden administration, noting data from the USASpending website showing hefty sums paid by the US government to the agency.

▪️Benz said at least 11 US government agencies have recently scrutinized Musk and his companies Tesla, SpaceX and X in what looks like a coordinated campaign.

▪️The apparent Democrat-driven crackdown against Musk coincided with his active support for the Trump campaign and the president-elect's decision to pick the businessman to head a new "Department of Government Efficiency" or DOGE.

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🏠💷 UK spends record amount to tackle homelessness — $1.27 bln

British authorities will spend nearly £1 billion ($1.27 billion) to tackle homelessness, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.

"Too many people have been failed by the system time and again. 160,000 children face spending this Christmas without a stable place to call home," Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said.

In comparison, the UK has spent £12.8 billion to support the Kiev regime, resulting in more than 2 million Ukrainians losing their homes, according to the Global Protection Cluster.

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🤡 Top Trudeau cringe moments revisited

While the Canadian opposition has repeatedly demanded that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau step down, here is a selection of the most viral moments which contributed to the decline of his ratings.

📹 00:00 "I am, and always will be, a proud feminist."

On December 12, during his speech at the Equal Voice Foundation Gala in Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his criticism of the democratic process in the United States, noting that the American electorate did not choose Kamala Harris as the 47th President.

📹 00:35 Handing out donuts goes cringe

In September 2024, during a visit by the Canadian Prime Minister to a steel factory in Sault Ste. Marie, one worker opted out of participating in Trudeau's event. He confronted the Prime Minister with concerns about taxes and dental care, expressing his dissatisfaction with Trudeau's policies directly. In response, the Prime Minister had little to say.

📹 01:56 Supporting Khalistani extremists

In April 2024, the Canadian Prime Minister attended a Vaisakhi celebration in Toronto, where he publicly expressed support for pro-Khalistani slogans. The Khalistan movement represents an extremist ideology that seeks to establish an independent Khalistan, separate from India.

📹 03:40 Applauding a Ukrainian Nazi

In September 2023, Canadian lawmakers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, extended a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, a World War II-era Ukrainian Nazi collaborator who served in the SS 14th Waffen Grenadier Division. Following this controversial event, Trudeau issued an apology for the "incident," while pinning the blame for the scandal on what he called "Russian misinformation."

📹 04:43 Trudeau’s tongue tumult

In October 2023, Trudeau was filmed in the Parliament, playfully sticking out his tongue and winking at the House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus.

📹 04:50 Trudeau's Bohemian Rhapsody

Trudeau was captured on video singing the iconic Queen song at The Corinthia Hotel in London, just before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. He stood by a piano, performing alongside other members of the Canadian delegation.

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