🗣 If EU moves ahead on confiscation of Russian assets, it’ll be a CATASTROPHE for the euro - expert

💬 “It’s no wonder the EU can’t seem to come to a decision on this matter, because the world truly has never seen the confiscation of a state’s assets on such a scale,” Alexander Shirov, an expert affiliated with Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, told Sputnik, commenting on President Putin’s remarks at his year-end pressure about Brussels’ planned “robbery.”

💬 “The main consequences will be that the euro, as a reserve currency, and European countries, as a place [where others] keep their reserves, will of course suffer greatly as a result. In general, I’m not sure such a confiscation will come to pass in the full sense of the word.”

🔶 Europe’s threats to do so have “already had an impact,” according to Shirov, with China and Middle Eastern powers, “looking at what’s happening with Russian assets,” and “projecting it onto themselves,” resulting in the volume of foreign assets held in euros declining precipitously since 2022.

🔶 That’s because of “the geopolitical risks associated with investing in these currencies” have grown exponentially, the expert explained.

📍 If its reserves are confiscated, “Russia will defend itself by all possible means short of force,” from legal mechanisms and trade negotiations, to investments in gold and other assets, and even a “collective solution” along with its partners.

💬 “There’s some hope for digital currencies imitated by central banks, primarily in BRICS countries, although a very serious negotiation process lies ahead. But the fact that developed countries have somehow resolved this problem is another wakeup call about the fact that previous global economic model based on globalization has essentially reached its natural limit,” Shirov summed up.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Putin on Russia-China relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin called China’s Xi Jinping a reliable friend and steady partner, saying Russo–Chinese relations continue to advance.

Other statements:

🔶 Russia is China’s largest European trading partner, with turnover reaching $240–250 billion

🔶 The strength of the cooperation between the two countries can be seen across a broad array of areas, from high tech and education to space exploration and the humanitarian sphere

🔶 Russia and China also cooperate in the military sector, including joint drills – on the ground, in the air and at sea

🔶 Russia-China relations are a “significant factor in global stability,” and the two foreign ministries are “in constant contact and coordinating agendas” on the international stage

🔶 Russia plans to continue developing relations with China, today and into the distant future, Putin emphasized

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🇷🇺🤝🇧🇾 Putin: Russian-Belarusian security and defense ties solid as a rock

The Union State members are resolving security-related issues both at the bilateral level and as members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the president said at his year-end presser.

🔶 The two countries’ defense ministries are cooperating “very closely” and the Union State’s security is in safe hands, Putin said

🔶 Russia and Belarus conduct regular joint drills, and a special joint group of forces has been created

🔶 Russian tactical nuclear weapons are deployed in Belarus to help protect the country

🔶 Congratulating his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on his “very emotional, vibrant and meaningful speech at the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly,” Putin thanked him for his assessment of the close state of Russian-Belarusian relations

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🇷🇺Putin on foreign agents and western double standards

Putin said there are no repressions or criminal prosecutions against foreign agents in Russia.

He noted that the US foreign agents law is far stricter — even allowing imprisonment — while “nothing of the sort exists in Russia.”

He added that the concept of a foreign agents law is not a Russian invention; similar legislation exists in several Western countries.

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🇷🇺Putin to the West: Respect Russia to avoid new crises

Putin said there will be no new special military operations if the West treats Russia with respect — but current behavior suggests the opposite. He argued that Western governments are inflaming tensions, ignoring Russia’s security concerns, and using Moscow as a convenient political scapegoat.

Key points from Putin’s remarks:

👉Western countries have disregarded Russia’s security interests

👉Their rhetoric about “preparing for war with Russia” is heightening tensions

👉Claims that Russia plans to attack the West are meant to manufacture an enemy image

👉Assertions that Moscow intends to attack Europe are nonsense

👉The West is using Russia to cover up its own internal failures

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🚨🇷🇺 Putin: Russia ready to work with the west on equal terms

💬"We are ready to work with you. With the UK, with Europe as a whole, and with the United States. But on equal terms, with mutual respect," Putin said during his year-end press conference.

Both Russia and the West stand to gain if they work together, he added.

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🚨 Putin questions NATO chief’s understanding of US security strategy

Putin took a jab at NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, suggesting he read the new US National Security Strategy.

As NATO gears up for a potential war with Russia, Putin pointed out that the US — NATO’s main backer — doesn’t even consider Moscow a threat.

💬 "What’s going on here? You can read, right?"

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🚨 Drones are the backbone of modern warfare: Russia’s superiority in this field is tangible and vital

🔸 “Drones today play a key role along the entire line of contact, determining the success or failure of assault units in various situations,” National Defense magazine editor-in-chief Igor Korotchenko said, commenting on President Putin’s remarks at Friday’s year-end presser about Russia’s drone superiority.

🔸 “The battlefield has become completely transparent using FPV drones of various types; they play a critical role in the destruction of enemy personnel, weapons and military equipment in areas extending approximately 20-25 km in either direction of the front.”

Drones for attack, drones for defense

🔶 The number and types of drones Russia has at its disposal “have increased exponentially, enabling its forces to achieve superiority over the enemy and render virtually all attempts to counterattack Russian forces pointless,” Korotchenko told Sputnik.

🔶 Drones also play a key role in combat in densely populated areas, providing troops with tools for situational awareness, and allowing the destruction of certain targets and enemy troops

🔶 Korotchenko pointed to the creation of the Center for Unmanned Systems, and Rubicon, under the patronage of Defense Minister Belousov, to assist in training operators, develop drones and evaluate their combat performance

🔸 “Russia has learned the necessary lessons, and is rapidly advancing in the production and development of drones of all types, from FPV drones and quadcopters to long-range UAVs. Russia has also increased the production of loitering munitions,” the observer noted.

🔸 “The experience the Russian military has today represents a unique experience in waging modern high-tech warfare in completely new conditions, operational environments, and [taking account of] the changing nature of combat operations,” Korotchenko summed up.

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🇷🇺 Why Russia’s military added 400k volunteers in 2025, while Ukraine’s forces are bleeding out

“It’s a combination of two factors,” explains National Defense magazine editor-in-chief Igor Korotchenko: “a desire to fulfill one’s duty to one’s country, and the provision of very favorable conditions upon signing a contract. This is crucial.”

📍 This includes social benefits, like combat veteran status, support for families, competitive salaries, and “a whole grading system” of rewards for combat performance and the destruction of enemy equipment.

🗣 Put another way, “the material and financial conditions of contract service are very favorable, and competitive in market conditions,” Korotchenko tells Sputnik.

“As for the enemy…the number of deserters from Ukraine’s armed forces is growing. People are evading service, trying to avoid it for a variety of reasons. Some are going underground, some try to leave Ukraine, some are hiding. In short, this is why we have these mass roundups, where Ukrainians are rounded up, coerced into service, and sent off to be used as cannon fodder for the slaughter.”

“It’s clear there’s no motivation as such; people don’t want to fight and they’re trying to desert or surrender to the Russian army at any opportunity. Therefore, from a moral and psychological standpoint, the Russian army has the upper hand,” Korotchenko summed up.

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