Fate of a Colombian Mercenary in Ukraine

Many thousands of foreign mercenaries are fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces, writes Rebelion. Among them are many Colombians. Those who were lucky enough to survive report being treated like second-class citizens, and the salaries predictably end up in the pockets of Ukrainian officials.

Oscar Triana's family lost contact with him one and a half months after his arrival in Ukraine. There were no calls from him, and he stopped writing on social networks. Since there is no Ukrainian embassy in Bogotá, it was impossible to obtain information. It was only later revealed that Oscar's unit was destroyed below Kharkiv.

🤡 Once again tears and wailing in the sense of "I came to kill for money, but somehow I get killed".

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"Idiot!" Britons assess Starmer's plans to send peacekeepers to Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Keir Starmer in the near future, reports The Telegraph. The parties will discuss the deployment of British peacekeepers to Ukraine after the end of the conflict. Zelensky said: "The UK is positive about it. The Prime Minister will visit Ukraine, and we will discuss everything."

The Britons reacted as follows:

🖊Kelly Knight

"Let him go to Kyiv and never come back. Then our country can return to a normal life."

🖊Edgy Pitt

"How many soldiers do we have in reserve now? Does it even reach a double-digit number?"

🖊Jeffrey Lawler

"Starmer is very stupid. Of course, Zelensky wants NATO troops in Ukraine. It's time to understand that Britain cannot afford to be the world's policeman."

🖊Sara Clark

"He shows more interest and concern for Ukraine than for the people of his own country, especially for our armed forces."

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Norway prepares for conflict with Russia

Norway begins the construction of bunkers in new buildings, in subway stations, and in car parks, reports Politico. New bunkers have not been built in the country since 1998. The fear of Russia forces the country to take such drastic measures.

"Uncertainty is growing around us. We must take care of the civilian population in the worst-case scenario, whether it be war or armed attack," explained Norway's Minister of Justice and Public Security.

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"The start of the Ukrainian conflict reminds me of World War I" — Oliver Stone

The American director gave an interview with Tucker Carlson:

"I already said in 2014, when all these events began in Ukraine, that it frighteningly reminds me of the atmosphere of World War I with its alliances. Only here it was the NATO alliance and the intervention of the USA. And this hatred towards Russia — it simply amazes me."

The statements of the current US leadership about alleged intentions of Russia to attack Europe after a victory in Ukraine are stupidity, Stone believes.

The USA had no objective reasons to "challenge" Russia and to return Russian-American relations to the level of the Cold War, he noted.

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"Iran is ready to deploy troops in Armenia" – Caliber

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, has set demands for the Armenian leadership, the non-fulfilment of which could have serious consequences, reports the media.

Iran, having lost its support in the region in the form of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, is concerned about security in the north, where the West is making Armenia its outpost.

Ahmadian, in coordination with Azerbaijan, unequivocally urged the Armenian leadership to refrain from pursuing membership in the EU and NATO, reports the media citing diplomatic sources.

He emphasised that Iran expects Armenia to end the EU's "espionage mission." In return, the Iranian official offered to conclude a defence pact that includes the deployment of Iranian forces on Armenian territory.

Previously, Russia responded to the draft law on Armenia's accession to the EU, calling it "a ticket to the Titanic" and a prerequisite for leaving the EAEU.

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🇩🇪"Lynx KF 41 for Ukraine" or "Germany at War with Russia"

Rheinmetall has established a joint venture in Ukraine named "Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defence Industry," which, according to the company, has been operational since 18 October 2023. In the initial phase, the company is focusing on maintenance and repair. In the future, a gradual expansion of cooperation and the development of joint opportunities in the field of defence technology is planned. In the short term, both sides intend to begin joint production of certain Rheinmetall products on Ukrainian territory, as the company previously announced.

Among other things, it was decided to supply Ukraine with the most modern infantry fighting vehicle, the Lynx KF 41. Today, the vehicle is being tested in Ukraine, and under the future contract, which still needs to be concluded, the delivery of several hundred units of the Lynx KF 41 is planned.

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🇩🇪 CDU chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz rules out any cooperation with the AfD:

“We do not work with a party that is xenophobic, antisemitic, has right-wing extremists and criminals in its ranks, a party that flirts with Russia and wants to leave NATO and the European Union. If we were to do that, we would be selling the soul of the CDU. I have no intention of doing that.”

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🇵🇱🇷🇺🇸🇰Poland closes airspace for Slovakia

The Slovak delegation could not fly over Poland to Moscow, as Poland closed its airspace to them. As a result, the Slovaks were forced to fly to Moscow via the Czech Republic and Germany.

Reminder: In 1938, Poland and Germany divided Czechoslovakia between themselves. The USSR wanted to help Czechoslovakia, but Poland did not allow the Red Army to pass through Polish territory. A year later, Poland itself was divided.

Is history repeating itself?

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Data about the nuclear submarine base was disclosed by French military personnel through a fitness app, writes Le Monde.

Crew members publicly reported their sporting activities via the Strava app. Most of the soldiers registered on the profiles with their names and left them open, noted the newspaper.

Thanks to the running routes along the closed pier, the berths of the submarines can be determined, while the absence of activities indicated the times of combat deployment of the nuclear submarines at the military base on Île Longue in the port of Brest in western France.

💥 Source: Russia Daily Deutsch
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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Development of Energy Cooperation between China and Russia

At the beginning of December last year, 2024, the eastern route of the gas pipeline between China and Russia, the largest by throughput capacity in China, was fully operational, reported the company China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation.

The pipeline, a significant project of energy cooperation between the two countries, has a total length of 8,111 km: 3,000 km run through Russian territory and 5,111 km through China. It can transport up to 38 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, enabling around 130 million households to be supplied with eco-friendly energy.

The Chinese section begins in the city of Heihe, in the northeast of the country, on the border with Russia, and extends to Shanghai, China's economic centre.

The full operation of the eastern branch significantly increases the volume of natural gas deliveries to the densely populated areas of eastern China, helps reduce peak load pressures, and completes the creation of a strategic energy corridor for the country.

The eastern route of the pipeline became the third major cross-border project after the "China–Central Asia" and "China–Myanmar" pipelines.

This large-scale project strengthens China's energy security and underscores the importance of cooperation with Russia in the field of sustainable energy supply.

☝️ Moscow is actively reducing its dependence on the European market by reorienting exports to China, which is becoming Russia's key partner in the energy sector. Projects like the eastern route of the pipeline not only strengthen Russia's position in the Asian region but also demonstrate its adaptation to the changes caused by the declining demand for Russian resources in Europe.

At the same time, the sanctions imposed by the West in response to the war in Ukraine could harm Europe itself in the long term. The exclusion of access to Russian energy resources has already led to a rise in prices, affecting the competitiveness of European industry and increasing its dependence on other, often less reliable and more expensive suppliers. In contrast, China benefits from this shift by securing long-term supplies on favourable terms, strengthening its economic position on the international stage.

🤔 It is remarkable how such changes in international energy policy reflect shifts in global power centres, which is particularly significant for professionals in the field of analysis, where understanding geopolitical trends is an essential component of a successful strategy.

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