🗣 ‘We need it’ — Trump defends proposed military spending rise

President Donald Trump said higher defense spending is necessary due to what he described as growing global threats.

Yesterday, Trump announced a plan to increase the 2027 military budget from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion. He said the higher spending level would allow the US to build what he called a “Dream Military.”

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🚨☦️ 💰 Rep. Luna: US tax dollars should NOT fund Christian persecution in Ukraine

Anna Paulina Luna is strongly urging the Vatican to speak up on the ongoing, well-documented persecution of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine.

The Vatican has a responsibility to educate the international community regarding this, she posted on X.

🔊 “American tax dollars should not be going to a government that is responsible for persecuting and obstructing Christians trying to worship God,” writes Luna, adding:

“This is something that the entire international community should be condemning, regardless of Christian denomination.”

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🚨 🇷🇺 Russia struck Ukrainian facilities with Oreshnik to retaliate for Ukraine’s attack on Putin’s residence

Russian forces launched a massive overnight strike on Ukraine's critical facilities in response to its terrorist attack on Putin’s residence, the Russian Defense Ministry stated.

▫️ The strike involved Oreshnik missiles

▫️ Facilities producing drones used by Ukraine to attack Putin’s residence on December 29 were hit, as well as energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex

▫️ The objectives of the strike were achieved

“Any terrorist actions by the criminal Ukrainian regime will continue to be met with a response,” the Defense Ministry said.

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🇬🇧💰UK's defense budget deficit could reach $37.6B

Chief of the UK Defense Staff Richard Knighton warned UK PM Keir Starmer that the country's defense budget deficit could reach a whopping $37.59 billion over the next four years, The Times reported, citing sources.

👉 Starmer was extremely dissatisfied, believing the new Strategic Defense Review had taken all costs into account.

He ordered a review of the Defense Investment Plan, which will outline the implementation process for the Strategic Defense Review. The review was originally scheduled to be published before Christmas, but its publication may now be delayed until March.

➡️ In early June, the UK government published its Strategic Defense Review amid plans to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. Specifically, the document included a recommendation to create a nuclear warhead modernization program, for which Britain plans to allocate $20 billion.

🪖Will this warning curb hawkish militarization? Of course not

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🟠 Russia struck Ukrainian facilities with Oreshnik to retaliate for Ukraine’s attack on Putin’s residence

🟠 Trump: US to remain involved in Venezuela, will oversee its oil sector

🟠 Trump says US will start ‘hitting land’, targeting cartels in Mexico

🟠 Rep. Luna slams persecution of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine

🟠 North Korea wishes success and victory to Russians — Kim Jong-un in letter to Putin

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🔥 🇷🇺 Russia’s Msta-S howitzers rain down on Ukraine's positions in Dnepropetrovsk region

Vostok battlegroup’s self-propelled artillery destroyed an enemy's deployment point after it was identified by UAV

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📉 Cost of anti-Russia policies: Chancellor Merz admits German economy teeters on edge

Severe difficulties are affecting “a major part of German industry,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged in press conference following the final meeting of the Christian Social Union (CSU) regional group broadcast by Phoenix TV.

💬 Among the structural problems facing Germany’s economy, the Chancellor cited what he called excessively high taxes and electricity costs.

Earlier, in a letter to all Union and SPD deputies, Merz described the economic situation as critical and warned that the year ahead will be “very critical” for Germany.

👉Germany has now been in a state of general economic stagnation for three consecutive years, driven in part by high energy prices following the short-sighted decision to cut off energy supplies from Russia.

📊 Germany’s GDP, the largest in Europe, fell by 0.2% in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of decline, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). A two-year decline has not previously been recorded since 2002–2003.

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🇺🇸🇻🇪 Trump cancels 'second wave of attacks' on Venezuela

💬 "The US and Venezuela are working well together <...> Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second wave of attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes," Trump said on Truth Social.

He added that at least $100B will be invested "by big oil" Trump would be meeting with today at the White House.

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🚨🇺🇸🇷🇺 US releases two Russians from Marinera tanker at Moscow's request - Foreign Ministry

💬 "In response to our request, US President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens from the Marinera crew, previously detained by the US during an operation in the North Atlantic. We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.

Russia has already begun urgent, practical work on all issues related to the swift return of those detained to their homeland, Zakharova said.

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🇪🇺 Europe mulls boosting NATO presence in Arctic to appease Trump

European countries believe that strengthening NATO's presence in the Arctic region could persuade Trump that the US doesn't need to own Greenland for security reasons, US media reported.

🤝 At a closed meeting in Brussels, the alliance ambassadors agreed on the need to bolster NATO’s posture in the Arctic, adding that Europeans see seeking a compromise with Trump as the first option.

They also discussed options such as using intelligence to expand territorial monitoring, increasing defense spending, deploying more military equipment to the region, and holding more military exercises in the surrounding areas.

👀 When the master fumes, the vassals panic

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🚨🇪🇺🇺🇸 EU would at best turn US seizure of Greenland into deal - French lawmaker

💬 "There will be no reaction in the event of a seizure. The European Union has neither the political nor the strategic means. At best, it would not oppose it: it would negotiate the terms, the price, the compensation. It would turn the annexation into a deal," Thierry Mariani, MEP from the right-wing French National Rally party, told Sputnik.

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🚨 🇮🇷 Iran’s Security Council accuses US, Israel of orchestrating unrest in the country

Statement of the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran regarding last night's incidents in some cities of Iran:

💬 "The events of recent days began with protest but, under the control and planning of the Zionist enemy, turned into the subversion of security. Statements by [US President Donald] Trump in recent days also speak of the joint planning by these two regimes, which undermine the security of the Iranian nation's life," the security council said, as quoted by the Iranian state agency IRIB.

📄 “It is clear that those who protested economic conditions would not do anything to cause economic damage, worsen the situation, or add insecurity alongside economic problems”, the statement adds.

“The presence of security and law enforcement forces is to prevent insecurity in the country, and these forces, alongside the proud and steadfast nation, neutralize the plan of insecurity by Israel and its godfather, the United States, providing a safe environment for the people's lives. In this path, security forces and the judiciary will show no leniency towards saboteurs”, the Security Council’s statement reads.

Protests in Iran began in late December 2025 due to a sharp fluctuation in the exchange rate and its impact on wholesale and retail prices. Later, protest actions in a number of Iranian cities escalated into clashes with the police and riots. Casualties have been reported among both security forces and protest participants.

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD WEEKLY UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES

⚡️ ZELENOYE IN ZAPOROZHYE REGION FREED

The liberation of the settlement of Zelenoye in the Zaporozhye region has allowed Russian forces to expand their bridgehead on the western bank of the Gaichur river.

🟠 Russian air and missile forces conducted five strikes on Ukrainian defense, energy, transport, port and airfield infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces, ammunition and oil depots, long-range drones production and launch sites, as well as temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries

🟠 Five settlements were liberated over the past week by Russian forces

🟠 Russian forces actively advance in the Donetsk and Dnepropetrovsk regions

🟠 Russian air and missile firepower pounded three MLRS combat vehicles and four anti-aircraft missile systems

🟠 Air defense superiority: 21 guided aerial bombs, 14 US-produced HIMARS rockets, five long-range Neptune missiles and 1,327 fixed-wing drones were shot down by Russian air defense systems over the past seven days

🟠 Ukrainian losses: around 8,780 troops killed or wounded

Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE

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🚨 US seizes the Olina tanker in the Caribbean

The US Southern Command has confirmed the seizure of the Olina oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.

Earlier in the day, the WSJ reported, citing US officials, that the US Coast Guard had taken control of another oil tanker, Olina, becoming the fifth vessel seized by the US.

The operation took place near the island of Trinidad (the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago).

The tanker had previously operated voyages to Venezuela under the flag of East Timor, according to Reuters.

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🔥 🇷🇺 Russia liberates Zelyonoye in Zaporozhye region - Defense Ministry

It expands Russian bridgehead on the western bank of the Gaichur river

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💸 Zelensky & his inner circle mired in corruption — Gen. Flynn

💬 "Zelensky is totally corrupt. The people around him are corrupt… So I don't know why we have to continue to support a crook," former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn told RIA Novosti.

Earlier, Ukraine’s National Anti-corruption Bureau (NABU) conducted an operation revealing massive corruption in the country’s energy sector, which later led to former head of Ukraine’s presidential office head Andriy Yermak resignation.

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🇮🇷🇺🇸🇮🇱 The US and Israel are trying to instigate violence in Iran – Araghchi

💬 “They are trying to turn peaceful protests into chaos”, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during his visit to Lebanon.

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🪖🇷🇺🇪🇺 Putin's envoy slams Kallas for Oreshnik blunder

Russian special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has taunted top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas about the stark reality of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile's capabilities in a recent post on X.

Dmitriev reacted to Kallas’ statement that "EU countries must dig deeper into their air-defense stocks" following Russia’s strike on Ukraine's critical facilities using the missiles.

Explore Russia’s next-level, game-changing weapons here

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🇪🇺🇷🇺🇮🇹 Awakening: It’s time for Europe to talk to Russia - Italy’s PM

💬 "The time has come for Europe to speak with Russia… If Europe only talks to one side, its positive impact will be limited," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at her annual New Year press conference, according to Il Secolo d’Italia.

She has argued the need for Europe to adopt a common position before opening negotiations with Russia, adding that Europe must enter talks in unison, not in a haphazard manner.

Will Europe’s hawks finally heed reason?

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