🇷🇺 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova weighed in on the recently-signed '100-year partnership' agreement between Ukraine and the UK, sharply criticizing the deal.

Here’s what she had to say:

🔸 Zakharova dismissed the agreement as "null and void," calling it insignificant and lacking substance.

🔸 She argued that Britain’s involvement reflects its long-standing ambition to secure a foothold in the Azov-Black Sea region.

🔸 She stated that there is no legitimate basis for Ukraine and Britain to collaborate in the Azov Sea.

🔸 Zakharova described the agreement as a publicity stunt by the Ukrainian government, aimed at creating an illusion of strong alliances.

The agreement was signed during a visit by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to Ukraine on Thursday. The published document outlines plans for the establishment of military bases in Ukraine and cooperation on long-range weapon systems.

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NATO’s spending reality check: 5% is a long shot

NATO members won’t be able to meet US president-elect Donald Trump’s demand to raise military spending to 5% of GDP in the near future, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said.

Montenegro told the Lusa news agency that Portugal is focused on reaching a target of 2% of GDP for defense spending before even considering a higher percentage.

“The government anticipated hitting 2% by 2029, and we’re firmly committed to that goal,” he said. “We may need to reassess it when necessary.”

He also criticized European leaders’ comments on statements by the incoming US president. “I think it’s pointless for European leaders to constantly respond to every remark by the president-elect of the United States,” Montenegro said.

Trump previously announced his intention to push NATO members to increase military budgets to 5% of GDP. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already rejected this demand, and Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz suggested that it might take a decade for NATO-member states to achieve it.

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America’s new nuclear toys land in Europe

The US has begun deploying modified nuclear bombs in Europe, Jill Hruby, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said at a Hudson Institute conference.

“Our strategic partnership with the UK is very strong as is their commitment to their nuclear deterrent. NATO is strong,” Hruby said.

“The new B61-12 gravity bombs are fully forward deployed, and we have increased NATO’s visibility to our nuclear capabilities through visits to our enterprise and other regular engagements.”

The B61-12 bombs, which have glide fins and guidance systems allowing precision strikes from high altitudes, are replacing older B61 versions stored at NATO bases.

Those facilities currently hold about 100 tactical bombs, carried fighter jets like the F-35A and F-16, although most US nuclear weapons remain on its own territory.

In January, the Telegraph newspaper reported that the US may station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years, claiming a “growing threat from Russia”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the placement of US nuclear arms in Europe a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In response, Russia announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

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🗣Houthis claim attack on Israel’s Defense Ministry

Ansar Allah has announced it launched a strike targeting the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv. This comes right after a ceasefire agreement was reached in Gaza.

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⚔️Another round of bickering between Fico and Zelensky

The Ukraine-Slovakia gas transit drama is heating up, with Slovak PM Robert Fico suggesting a meeting in Slovakia to discuss the issue. But Volodymyr Zelensky isn’t having it:

🗣 Zelensky on X: “Ok. Come to Kiev on Friday.”

🗣 Fico on Facebook*: "During the conversation, I informed the German Chancellor that we have been proposing for several days now to hold a meeting with Zelensky on Tuesday evening in Davos, at the World Economic Forum, where we will both be present."

🗣 "Apart from a childish invitation to Kiev, Zelensky has not yet responded to this offer."

The gas transit drama between Zelensky and Fico escalated from a fair online battle to Zelensky roasting the Slovak PM in an interview with Bloomberg.

🗣 Zelensky: “He may go to Davos but end up somewhere in Sochi [a Russian city].”

🗣“We don’t know who buys his tickets, as he constantly misses his destinations.”

*banned in Russia for extremism

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Ukraine losing its lithium wealth: Major blow to the West

Ukraine once held close to 500,000 tons (up to 10% of world reserves) of lithium, a critical material for batteries used in devices ranging from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles. Two of these deposits are now under Russian control.

What are the four lithium deposits?

🇷🇺 Under Russia’s control:

🔸 Shevchenko Lithium Ore Field (Donetsk People’s Republic)

🔸 Krutaya Balka deposit (Zaporozhye region)

🤡 Under Ukraine’s control:

🔹 Polokhovskoye deposit

🔹 Dobra deposit

How large are they?

🟠 Shevchenko deposit: Estimated reserves of 13.8 million tons of lithium ore (Ukrainian State Geology and Subsoil Service, 2018).

🟠 Krutaya Balka deposit: Lithium reserves unspecified, but suitable for open-pit mining.

🟠 Polokhovskoye deposit: Estimated 270,000 tons of lithium (State Commission on Reserves of Ukraine, 2018).

🟠 Dobra deposit: Two separate sites, Stankuvatska and Nadiia, with combined reserves of approximately 1.2 million tons of lithium ore.

Which Western companies are eying Ukrainian lithium?

◼️ Rod Schoonover, founder of the US-based Ecological Futures Group, highlighted Ukraine’s lithium reserves as a strategic asset, calling Kiev a “promising partner” for the West.

◼️ European Lithium Ltd, an Australian company led by British businessman Tony Sage, acquired European Lithium Ukraine LLC in 2021. The company had permits for extraction and processing at the Shevchenko deposit.

◼️ In January 2024, European Lithium paid €184 million for the Shevchenko deposit, which is now under Russian control, according to Vladimir Rogov, a Russian official involved in the integration of new regions.

How much are the deposits worth?

🔶 Lithium prices range from $8,184 to $12,276 per ton, depending on grade and market dynamics.

🔶 13.8 million tons of untapped Shevchenko deposit lithium would be worth approximately $141 billion, depending on market conditions and extraction feasibility.

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❄️Frozen future? Europe’s energy crisis worsens amid gas war

Ukraine’s halt to the transit of Russian gas, combined with sanctions imposed by the US on Russian oil and gas companies, pose a significant risk of plunging Europe into a new energy crisis.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán raised these concerns during his visit to Belgrade, where he held talks focused on energy challenges with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

"Recent developments in Europe’s energy supply are alarming," Orbán said in a video message aired on Hungarian television. "Ukraine has blocked a pipeline that supplied gas to Hungary, and the US administration has introduced sanctions that have driven up energy prices across Europe. The continent is hurtling toward another energy crisis."

The outgoing US government imposed sanctions on Russia's oil and gas sector on January 10, targeting companies like Gazprom, Neft and Novatek, 183 tanker vessels and top executives.

Serbia’s NIS, partly owned by Gazprom, was also affected, with the US demanding the cancellation of Russian investments by February 25.

Combined with Ukraine’s block on Russian gas transit on January 1, the actions have disrupted supplies to Austria, Italy and Central Europe, raising energy prices and prompting regional efforts to minimize the impact.

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✅ 300 million cubic meters a day? Russia-Iran pipeline promises major energy boost

The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty signed between Moscow and Tehran on January 17 shed light on a new project to deliver Russian gas to Iran.

🔍 Key details:

🟠 The gas pipeline’s route has been agreed on, it will pass through Azerbaijan, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev confirmed.

🟠 Negotiations are in the final stages, volumes have already been agreed, and the sides are developing an approach to pricing, Tsivilev added.

🟠 Russia will cover the infrastructure costs.

📊 Volumes:

▫️ The project is expected to start with deliveries of up to two billion cubic meters annually, with the prospect of increasing to 55 billion cubic meters.

▫️ When Gazprom and the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) signed a strategic memorandum on Russian gas supplies in June 2024, the Iranian side noted that about 300 million cubic meters of gas per day will be supplied daily (109 billion m3/year) via the Caspian Sea for domestic consumption and supplies to neighboring countries.

▫️ The declared volume of 55 billion cubic meters annually is comparable to the capacity of the Nord Stream twin undersea pipeline system to Europe, sabotaged in 2022.

▫️ The 30-year deal will supply Russian gas to Iran both for domestic consumption and for neighboring countries.

❓Why does Iran need Russian gas?

Despite holding the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves (34 trillion cubic meters, after Russia), Iran is facing a fuel shortage as demand for natural gas exceeds production.

1️⃣Most of these reserves are untapped due to US-led sanctions that stall investment and technology improvement.

2️⃣Iran’s main gas fields are concentrated in the south, and large consumers are in the north, in a region with a fairly harsh climate.

3️⃣In winter, Iran faces a daily shortfall of at least 260 million cubic meters of gas, straining the electricity supply.

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🇷🇺📑🇮🇷 New Russia-Iran pact will help Tehran withstand Western threats, increase Moscow’s Mideast clout

💬 “The Comprehensive Strategic Agreement between Iran and Russia is a mutually beneficial treaty that meets Iran’s interests, especially given the growing threat to Tehran from the EU three and the US,” Iranian international relations expert Ruhollah Modabber told Sputnik.

“The commitment by Iran and Russia to provide mutual assistance in the event of aggression by a third state is an extremely important point of this agreement,” according to Modabber.

“Additionally, Tehran and Moscow agreed to expand the exchange of information and intensify contacts between their security councils and intelligence services, which is very important for neutralizing new threats from the West and NATO, especially in the Caucasus and Central Asia,” the observer emphasized.

🤝 Win-win agreement

Iranian sociologist and public opinion researcher Mohammad Agasi says the new pact has distinct benefits for both countries. Iran, for instance, will be able to:

🔸 reduce international sanctions pressure,

🔸 gain access to advanced Russian defense, nuclear and energy technologies,

🔸 expand economic, investment and trade cooperation with Moscow, which means economic growth. Russia, Agasi notes, can use the agreement to:

🔸 strengthen its influence in the Middle East,

🔸 gain access to Iran’s energy market,

🔸 expand military-technical and bilateral defense and security cooperation with the Islamic Republic.

As an added bonus, Agasi said, the expansion of cultural cooperation alluded to in the agreement will mean various exchange programs, tourism, etc., leading to “a deeper understanding and coming closer together between the two peoples.”

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🤡 "King of clowns" – Lindner gets the royal treatment

Activists with clown noses interrupted a speech by Christian Lindner, former German finance minister and head of the Free Democratic Party, in Bavaria, holding a banner that called him "King of Clowns."

That followed a "delightful" moment in Greifswald, where Lindner was hit with a shaving foam "pie." The police are now investigating the "sweet" gesture.

Germany is facing its longest economic crisis in 75 years, with no recovery expected by 2025, according to Gesamtmetall and YouGov.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called a snap election on February 23 following a no-confidence vote against Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government in the Bundestag parliament in December.

That followed Scholz's sacking of Lindner in a disagreement over his budget. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) bloc, led by Friedrich Merz, is currently ahead in the polls, followed by the right-wing AfD with Scholz’s Social Democrats in third.

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❗️A deployment site for foreign mercenaries near Kharkov was hit on Saturday. "The strike was very effective," Sergey Lebedev, a coordinator of the pro-Russian underground movement in Nikolayev region, told Sputnik.

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⚔️ New nuke deployment signals Europe has become equivalent of British ‘floating aircraft carrier’ for US military

The placement of the new US B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs in the UK and bases across Western Europe are meant to at bases across Western Europe is meant to “signal to Moscow that NATO and particularly the UK…are prepared for any ‘attack’ on any NATO country,” former DoD analyst Michael Maloof told Sputnik.

What it actually signals is just how much of a US protectorate Britain and other Western European countries have allowed themselves to become, Maloof suggested. “When I used to live there on a military base, we used to joke how the UK was nothing but a floating aircraft carrier because of all the US bases on the RAF facilities there.”

The nukes’ deployment once again “underscores how NATO has evolved not into a defensive alliance, but an offensive alliance,” with the bases where the bombs are stored obvious targets for Russia in the event of a deadly escalation.

❓ Can Trump fix a broken alliance?

Maloof hopes that under Trump 2.0, “a total reevaluation of the deployment of US bases throughout NATO” may take place, especially in Germany but also the UK.

NATO’s continued existence, Cold War 2.0 against Russia and eastward expansion have been a disaster for European security, the observer said.

“I think it’s the beginning of the end of NATO as we know it. This perennial cycle has just got to cease. And given how we don’t even have a defense against hypersonics…it really shows that we’re reaching a very dangerous pinnacle here of escalation.”

The nuke deployment, the termination of the INF Treaty during Trump’s first term and other factors have “made Europe an all the more dangerous place to be,” Maloof said.

NATO’s continued “posturing” shows that its “deterrence” doctrine is “actually making the West even more vulnerable to attack because it is an agitating factor,” he emphasized.

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🇮🇱🇵🇸 The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal on Saturday

🔸 Egypt lauded the success of its efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, starting at 8:30 am on Sunday January 19.

🔸 The first phase will last 42 days, during which Hamas will release 33 Israeli detainees in exchange for over 1,890 Palestinian prisoners.

🔸 The agreement aims to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has left over 50,000 dead and more than 100,000 wounded, mostly women and children.

🔸 Mediators are committed to ensuring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in three phases.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel will not go ahead with the deal until it receives a list of the Israeli hostages to be released.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel will hold Hamas fully responsible for any breaches of the ceasefire.

The Hamas movement announced that its resistance will continue until the Israeli army withdraws from the Gaza Strip.

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🔸 Ukraine losing its lithium wealth: Major blow to the West

🔸 300 million cubic meters a day? Russia-Iran pipeline promises major energy boost

🔸 New nuke deployment signals Europe has become equivalent of British ‘floating aircraft carrier’ for US military

🔸 New Russia-Iran pact will help Tehran withstand Western threats, increase Moscow’s Mideast clout

🔸 ‘We have a gift’: CIA tapped into vast troves of Soviet, Russian military secrets, intel after 2014 Ukraine coup

🔸 Frozen future? Europe’s energy crisis worsens amid gas war

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⚔️ Trump vs. the neocons on Ukraine: can he really stop the proxy war against Russia?

Arch neocon John Bolton told Japan’s NHK that Donald Trump wants to end the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible, and doesn’t really care how that happens.

Bolton, who briefly served as Trump’s national security advisor during his first term before getting fired, joins a growing cohort of hawkish Washington insiders concerned that the anti-Russia proxy war in Ukraine may be coming to an end despite efforts by the outgoing administration and its allies to prolong it.

It will be well within Trump’s presidential authority to limit military and financial aid to Ukraine to try to force Kiev to negotiate, Eastern European politics expert Persio Gloria de Paula told Sputnik.

“Ukraine relies on Western support to keep its military machine going. Without this support, Kiev’s ability to continue military operations will be significantly weakened,” de Paula stressed, recalling that foreign involvement is “the main factor influencing the continuation of the conflict and delays to peace talks.”

International security observer Maria Carvalho de Araujo agrees. “Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the high costs associated with supporting Ukraine, arguing that the United States should not bear so much of the burden,” she said.

If hawks think the conflict can continue indefinitely through new commitments by the Europeans, they will be disappointed, the observer noted, pointing to the explosive rise in popularity of populist European parties opposed to further Ukraine aid, especially in Germany.

“Kiev’s reputation for the misuse of funds only worsened when Zelensky admitted in an interview with Lex Fridman that half of the $177 billion in arms aid never reached the Ukrainian treasury” due to corruption and lobbying, she said.

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Trump's Greenland dream: Radioactive legacy beneath the ice

Donald Trump could face an "environmental dilemma" if the US takes control of Greenland, due to an abandoned US military base under the island's ice. Camp Century, a secret Cold War site built in 1959, operated a nuclear reactor.

Although the US dismantled the reactor and removed its nuclear chamber in 1967, they left behind thousands of tonnes of waste and debris – including radioactive residue – buried under the icecap.

If the glacier melts due to climate change, the toxic legacy could pose serious environmental risks, with 200,000 liters of diesel fuel possibly leaching into the ocean.

Greenland’s leaders are also concerned. Pipaluk Lynge, a member of the Greenlandic parliament, noted that abandoned US bases could contaminate the environment if the ice melts.

Trump has meanwhile reiterated the strategic importance of Greenland to Washington, but the island’s current government has firmly rejected any notion of selling it to the US.

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