⚔️ 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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📊 Half of Americans oppose Trump's tariff plan on China and Mexico

Half of US voters oppose President-elect Donald Trump's plan to increase tariffs on imports from China and Mexico, according to a recent Ipsos poll for the New York Times.

The poll, conducted from January 2 to 10, showed that 50% of respondents disagreed with the proposed tariffs while 46% supported them.

Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on Mexican goods and 10% on Chinese imports, which experts warn could harm key US industries and global trade. The survey also found that 81% of people believe Trump will follow through on his promise.

Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard warned on Friday that targeting both Mexico and China could hurt the entire industrial sector.

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Elon Musk blasts LA mayor as fires rage

Elon Musk criticized Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for prioritizing politics over helping people during the city's raging wildfires.

Reports reveal that just days before the fires broke out on January 7, Bass pushed for a $49 million budget cut for fire services – leading to the closure of 16 fire stations.

The fires, now the largest in California’s history, have burned over 16,000 hectares, killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,300 buildings, including celebrity’s homes. Dry, windy weather fueled the rapid spread of the flames.

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AfD wants Ukrainian refugees gone – now

Katrin Ebner-Steiner, the leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) group in Bavaria's state parliament, has called for the immediate expulsion of all Ukrainian refugees from Germany.

To prevent the country from being "flooded with welfare recipients unwilling to integrate," the AfD is pushing for a "comprehensive re-migration." That includes deporting criminals and foreigners without residence status.

Ebner-Steiner said all Ukrainian refugees, including approximately 1.2 million people across Germany and up to 200,000 in Bavaria, should leave immediately, arguing that Ukraine has enough land for them to return to.

The regional MP also suggested building fences along Germany's borders and allowing Bavarian cities to declare a "state of emergency" to deny refugees shelter. Instead of welfare payments, she proposed giving refugees necessary goods.

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Russia has won, Ukraine’s fate hinges on Moscow’s next step – ex-Pentagon advisor

Russia has already won the conflict in Ukraine and the only remaining question is how far it will want to advance westward, former Pentagon advisor Colonel Douglas MacGregor posted on social media.

Moscow has repeatedly expressed its readiness for negotiations, but Kiev has decreed a ban on talks. The West continues to ignore Ukraine’s refusal of dialogue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed that if Ukraine truly desires peace, it needs to cancel the decree banning negotiations instead of making symbolic gestures.

Last June, Putin outlined his peace proposals, including a ceasefire, Ukrainian withdrawal from new Russian territories and a commitment by Kiev to renounce its aim to join NATO, demilitarize and adopt a neutral, non-nuclear status.

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Trump, not Biden, secured Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that it was US president-elect Donald Trump, not incumbent Joe Biden, who played the key role in securing the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The deal, which involves the release of hostages, was achieved with the help of Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

Eide praised Trump and Witkoff for their efforts, rejecting the idea that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have free rein under Trump.

He noted that while Biden made the right statements, Trump’s ability to cut deals made him more effective in reaching a resolution.

The ceasefire deal, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US, calls for a 42-day truce starting January 19, 2025.

That includes the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and the promise of increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. The agreement aims to end the 15-month conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and spread to neighboring countries.

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The IDF are preparing to welcome the hostages after a ceasefire agreement was reached

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