Vladimir Putin's Statements at an informal gathering of the heads of state of CIS member countries in Russia's St. Petersburg:

◻️ Putin announced that parties will coordinate the work of aviation services on all issues related to the crash of an Azerbaijani Baku-Grozny flight in Aktau.

◻️ The combined GDP growth of CIS countries is projected to reach 4.7% by the end of the year, exceeding the global average, Putin said.

◻️ The share of use of national currencies in commercial settlements between CIS countries now exceeds 85%, the president stated.

◻️ CIS countries are strengthening cooperation in fighting crime, terrorism and drug trafficking, he said.

◻️ Putin stressed the importance of striving to preserve the historical truth of the outcome of the Great Patriotic War.

◻️ Putin personally invited CIS leaders to Moscow next year for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.

◻️ Russia hopes military units from CIS countries will be able to participate in the Victory Parade in Moscow on May 9, Putin said.

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A bird's-eye view of the plane crash site in Aktau, Kazakhstan.

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WATCH: the Russian Tsentr battlegroup liberated the settlement of Novy Trud in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and continues to strike the enemy, liberating other areas of the DPR.

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🪖Money for nothing, but guns not free: NATO military spending soars in 2024

The explosion of hostilities in Ukraine in 2022 has so far been a godsend to Western generals and military-industrial tycoons as NATO bosses rushed to ramp up their military spending.

▪️This year, 23 of the bloc's 32 members have met NATO's guideline of allocating 2% of their gross national product to defense. Some member states have exceeded this benchmark, with Poland leading the way by dedicating approximately 4.12% of its GDP—or $34.9 billion—to military endeavors.

▪️For comparison, the United States spent 3.38% of its GDP on defense in 2024, while the United Kingdom’s military spending this year was estimated at about 2.33% of its GDP.

▪️In terms of the total amount of money spent on defense, however, the US still reigns as NATO’s undisputed champion, having spent about $967.7 billion this year.

▪️Germany, the NATO country with the second-largest military outlays this year, spent only $97.6 billion, while the UK and France spent $82.1 billion and $64.2 billion, respectively.

Overall, NATO members this year have upped their defense spending, with their average expenditure in 2024 reaching 2.71% of GDP compared with 2.53% in 2023.

US President-elect Donald Trump, however, seeks to push these limits even further as he wants NATO countries to fork out as much as 5% of their GDP on defense, the Financial Times reported last week.

Though it remains to be seen whether Trump’s demands will be met by other members of the bloc, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last month appeared to agree with him, arguing that 2% defense spending is apparently not enough.

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⚡️Authorities in Finland, Latvia, and Estonia acknowledge that European NATO members are not prepared to confront Russia without US involvement and are reaching the limits of their capacity to provide military aid to Ukraine, according to The Independent.

“We are not ready. That’s absolutely clear,” says Latvia president Edgars Rinkevics. “We can’t keep simply hoping for a situation where the US remains much involved in Europe.”

“We have to ramp up our defence capabilities,” Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal adds.

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In the United States, the national media debate about the ageing leadership in Washington has been reignited.

That was after 81-year-old Congresswoman Kay Granger was reportedly placed in a nursing home for patients with dementia.

Following the incident, X owner Elon Musk called for the introduction of cognitive ability tests for elected officials.

US media recently reported that outgoing President Joe Biden's White House staff had to take special measures to help him do his job throughout his four years in office, with some feeling he was no longer fully aware of current events.

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💥 WATCH: Reconnaissance troops of the Russian Sever Battlegroup destroyed an armored fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Sumy region with a Lancet loitering munition.

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⚡️A terrorist attack was carried out against the Russian vessel 'Ursa Major', which sank in the Mediterranean Sea, reported the company that owns the bulk carrier.

Three explosions occurred on the starboard side of the Ursa Major, which sank her, Oboronlogistika told Sputnik.

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🧊 Greenland’s mineral riches unearthed: Why Trump is eyeing North America’s biggest island

Donald Trump has long coveted control over Greenland, the world’s largest island and an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Could Greenland's underlying mineral wealth be the motive behind this interest? Let’s dig deeper.

◾️ Rare earth elements (REEs):

Greenland boasts large deposits of REEs, such as yttrium, scandium, neodymium, and dysprosium, which are essential for producing mobile phones, electric vehicles, high-performance magnets, wind turbines, batteries, various consumer electronics, nuclear reactors, and military applications.

◾️ Rare earth oxides (REOs):

This huge territory is estimated to have the second-largest reserves of rare earth oxides (42 Mt), which are used in the production of television and computer screens, lasers, high-powered batteries, and X-ray intensifiers.

◾️ Precious metals & minerals:

🔸Significant deposits have been identified at the Nalunaq gold and Maamorilik silver mines;

🔸 There is considerable potential for copper exploration within the South Greenland Copper Belt;

🔸 Substantial uranium deposits are available (mining and exploration of uranium were banned in 2021);

🔸 There is a high likelihood of undiscovered titanium-vanadium deposits in the region;

🔸 Promising prospects exist for mining critical raw materials such as lead, molybdenum, titanium, and zinc, which are increasingly important for various industries and technological applications;

🔸 The Amitsoq Graphite Project is estimated to contain approximately 8.28 million tons of high-grade graphite, crucial for producing battery-grade materials for electric vehicles (EVs).

◾️ Oil & gas:

There are substantial offshore oil and gas resources that remain untapped.

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Explosion-like sound was heard before AZAL plane crash in Kazakhstan - survivor’s relative

Passengers reported hearing a loud sound resembling an explosion before an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane crashed near Aktau airport in western Kazakhstan, a relative of one of the survivors told Sputnik.

"Employees of Azerbaijan Airlines assisted me in establishing contact with my surviving relative, who is currently in the hospital. Doctors say his life is not in danger. I managed to speak with him for about 20–30 seconds, during which he clearly stated that a loud sound, like an explosion, was heard before the plane crashed," the relative said.

An AZAL Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, with 69 people on board earlier today. The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan stated that a total of 32 people had survived the crash, though this number is not yet final. Preliminary data from AZAL suggests that the crash occurred after the plane collided with a flock of birds.

AZAL pilots made efforts to prevent the crash, and the captain attempted to land the plane in a field near Aktau, according to a source within the aviation industry.

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⚡️The death toll in the airline crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, has risen to 38, Kazakh media reported.

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Christmas without a holiday: Bethlehem not decorated in solidarity with Gaza

This year, Bethlehem’s main square stands bare, void of its usual Christmas tree and festive decorations. The gesture is a powerful act of solidarity with the people of Gaza, who have been enduring months of humanitarian crisis during the Israeli onslaught.

"We do it to draw attention to our realities. We want Bethlehem to speak out this Christmas about the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, its oppressive policies and injustice towards our people," Mayor Anton Salman told Sputnik.

For many in Bethlehem, the absence of decorations mirrors the somber mood gripping the city.

"The atmosphere is sad, there is no Christmas tree, our sisters from Gaza are not here, conditions are difficult in general," said local resident Hana Zablah, reflecting the shared sense of sorrow during what is usually a joyful season.

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⚡️The black box of the crashed airplane in Aktau has been found, the Kazinform news agency reported, citing a representative of the Kazakh transport prosecutor's office.

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😈Could the US grab Greenland? Exploring options from deals to diplomatic rows and war

Donald Trump’s renewed interest in annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, has everyone wondering if such a feat could be pulled off.

While there is no formal offer on the table, buying Greenland would hypothetically cost a colossal sum, political analyst Ilya Kravchenko of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies says.

💬 “Would the incoming administration want to start off with such a spending spree?” he wonders, speculating that Trump might be trying to get the lay of the land on the matter.

Amid Europe’s economic crisis, Denmark might need some extra cash, notes military analyst Alexei Leonkov.

The last US offer to buy Greenland for $100 million was rejected in 1946. Amid renewed interest in the acquisition, Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede insisted: “We are not for sale and will never be.”

What other options are there?

1️⃣ Leasing

The US could offer a compromise option, such as a 99-year lease, speculates Leonkov.

2️⃣ Outright pressure

◻️ By leveraging NATO - threatening a US withdrawal or demanding increased spending – a classic deal could be struck: Europe, including NATO-member Denmark, cedes Greenland in exchange for certain benefits for NATO countries, Dr. Vladimir Vasiliev, political scientist and Americanist says.

◻️ Trump might also impose tariffs and pressure Denmark and its supporters, escalating to an economic war, Vasiliev, the researcher at the Institute of the US and Canada Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, notes.

3️⃣ Military option

It is hardly conceivable that Trump would resort to something as foolhardy as using military force against NATO-member Denmark as it is not in Washington’s interests, Kravchenko argued. A diplomatic row is more likely, with an eventual consensus reached, Leonkov suggests.

4️⃣ Referendum

With Greenland’s population of just 50,000, offering each person $1 million could quickly secure a vote to join the United States, jokes Vasiliev.
Around 70% of the population of Greenland favor full independence, a 2019 poll showed.

The upshot:

“I think there will be a huge fuss but Greenland will join the US as a territory or even a state,” says Leonkov, adding: “Denmark will receive monetary compensation and be given strict orders to block the passage of Russian tankers through the Danish straits leading to the Baltic Sea.”

Washington may be brainstorming solutions for the gradual transfer of Greenland to US control as we speak, Vasiliev believes.

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Cutting the fat or dreaming big? Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy plan $2 trillion US federal budget cut

President-elect Donald Trump, tech tycoon Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy aim to cut US federal government spending by $2 trillion by shrinking government agencies and eliminating fraud and waste, the New York Times reports.

The proposal is expected to be implemented through a new government efficiency department (DOGE) and comes as the US faces a $6.7 trillion budget spend for 2024.

But experts who spoke to the newspaper were skeptical, citing challenges to slashing spending amid rising costs for programs like social security and Medicare.

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OSCE in decline amid Western manipulations

The foreign ministers' meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Malta has demonstrated that the organization is in decline and its Western members cannot be trusted, Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said.

According to the diplomat, in 2015, the OSCE had a historic opportunity to facilitate the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict based on the Minsk agreements, but it missed that chance.

Moreover, the OSCE has failed in Georgia, in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, and in Transnistria.

Although the OSCE’s most important function is early warning and conflict resolution, in reality, wherever the OSCE appears, chaos or war emerges, because Western countries attempt to manipulate these destructive processes.

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TGI Fridays and Stoli: guess who else went bankrupt this year in the US

While the US focuses on the economies of other countries – often trying to undermine and destabilize them – its own economy is not faring very well despite the lack of foreign meddling.

Several major US companies filed for bankruptcy this year:

◻️ Some notable bankruptcies in 2024 include restaurant chains TGI Friday’s and Red Lobster, spirits maker Stoli, kitchen products maker Tupperware and Spirit Airlines.

◻️ Several retailers such as Big Lots, Joann, LL Flooring and Party City also went bankrupt this year.

◻️ Over 7,100 stores have closed down in the US this year, CNN reports, adding that about 14,000 jobs in total were lost due to bankruptcies.

There is no respite for the weary US economy, also rocked last year by bankruptcies of prominent finance houses, Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank – the largest such collapse since 2008.

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Houthis claim to uncover CIA and Mossad spy ring in Yemen

Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, claims to have uncovered a spy network working for the Mossad and the CIA.

The group said the spies were tasked with monitoring military sites and gathering intelligence on Houthi leaders and US- and Israel-wanted individuals in Yemen.

The network has allegedly operated since October 7, 2023, attempting to recruit locals to hinder Yemeni armed forces operations supporting Hamas in Gaza and targeting international shipping routes.

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