[19Fortyfive] China Has A ‘Stealth Playbook’ To Carve Up Russia
Key Points and Summary – Chinese media platform NetEase ran a Dec. 14 article urging Beijing to “prepare for the worst” if Russia fractures, arguing the Russian Far East’s 7 million square kilometers should not be “lost.”
-The piece frames the region as a resource treasure for China and a burden for Moscow, then outlines an “annexation by stealth” playbook: deepen investment, move people and money in, lock long contracts, promote pro-China local elites, introduce the yuan, and finance infrastructure with loans that create dependence.
-It also cites “unequal treaties” from 1858–1860 to revive territorial claims as Russian security officials quietly warn Beijing is encroaching.
#5
So can I now theorize that Joe Biden and his EU/NATO pals started the war in Ukraine to weaken Russia thereby facilitating the annexation of Siberia by their commie bosses in China?
Or did they do it because they want Siberia for themselves? It'll be tough for them to compete with China.
But then, maybe they made a deal with the commie bosses in China. You know, carved up Eurasia like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Many people have already seen that the only winner in the Ukraine war is China. Dunno if Biden and his Euroweenie pals saw it or not. They're kinda dense.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
12/20/2025 12:09 Comments ||
Top||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 22.19 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Poland Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz reiterated the intention to transfer Soviet MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. At the same time, Warsaw expects technological compensation from Kyiv - assistance in the development of missile and drone systems. This is reported by PAP. That seems fair. Especially once Poland cranks up manufacturing the useful little things for the countries facing Russia. And that’ll do wonders for Russia’s concerns.21.47 Speaking after a meeting of the European Council, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the EU's decision to fund Ukraine and doubted that Russia was the one who started the war. HVG reports.
He said that Western leaders "are calmly having breakfast at home, drinking coffee and thinking that it is morally right to help a small country that has been attacked."
"Of course, it's not that small, and it's not entirely clear who attacked whom," Orban added.
19.49 Due to the Russian attack near the settlement of Mayaki, traffic on the Odessa-Reni highway has been suspended. Traffic to checkpoints and settlements in the western part of the Odessa region is currently not being carried out. This was reported by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.
19.48 The forces of unmanned systems in December destroyed almost one and a half times more enemy manpower than in November. Now the average daily figure is 415 occupiers. This was reported by the commander of the SBS Robert "Magyar" Brovdi.
19.31 The Czech Initiative program, which provides for the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine, will continue to operate in 2026. This was stated by the new Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jaromir Zuna, according to the local publication Novinky.
19.07 Consultations between the Ukrainian delegation, consisting of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov, with the American side will be held with the participation of European partners . Umerov reported this on Telegram.
18.59 18.59 The commander of the far-right Espanyol football fan brigade, Stanislav Orlov (also known as the Spaniard), has been eliminated. He will be buried on December 22 in Moscow. This was reported by the Russian publication Astra, which calls itself independent, with reference to the Telegram channel of the occupiers' unit.
At the same time, the pro-war Russian community claims that Orlov could have been killed during his detention.
18.42 The aggressor country Russia is completing the transfer of Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missiles to the territory of Belarus. Ukraine is informing its partners about this, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference in Warsaw.
18.34 Hostile shelling of Kherson during the day resulted in the injury of five people, including two teenagers. This is reported by the Kherson MVA and OVA on their Telegram channels.
17.16 Australia has completed the transfer of M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine as part of a military assistance package worth 245 million Australian dollars (over $160 million), the Australian Ministry of Defense reported .
The first Australian M1A1 Abrams tanks have already been deployed to the front lines and are participating in combat operations.
16.59 The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published footage of a special operation with the participation of the Russian Freedom Legion unit in the Zaporizhia region. Then a mainline diesel locomotive and 25 freight cars derailed. The airstrike destroyed other military cargo of the Russian occupiers, which began to accumulate nearby. The GUR reported this on its Facebook page.
16.38 Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, 52 combat clashes have occurred on the front, which is almost half the figure for yesterday at this time. Such data was published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational summary.
For the first time in a long time, the Russian occupation army is more active in the Konstantinivka direction, rather than near Pokrovka.
16.19 Russia is increasing its hybrid influence on European countries, expanding its networks of information agents and using the topic of peace talks as a tool of destabilization. This was stated by the representative of the General Directorate of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, Major General Vadym Skibitsky, during an international forum in Brussels, Ukrinform reports.
16.12 Ukrainian drones have hit the third Russian oil production platform in the Caspian Sea , owned by Lukoil, Interfax-Ukraine reports, citing a source in the Security Service of Ukraine.
This time we are talking about a drilling rig at the Rakushechne field, all of the oil from which is exported.
15.17 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrotsky discussed the possible transfer of MiG-29 fighters for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They announced this during a joint press conference in Warsaw.
Navrocki made it clear that he would support the transfer of MiG-29s if Poland receives anti-drone technology from Ukraine.
14.38 At least four people were injured in an air attack on Zaporizhia on Friday, December 19. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov on Telegram.
Later, the National Police clarified that six people were injured. The police are documenting a war crime.
13.45 SBU drones have for the first time hit a tanker of the Russian shadow fleet in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Interfax-Ukraine reports this, citing a source in the special services. The tanker Qendil received critical damage and cannot be used for its intended purpose.
12.58 Russian troops launched two strikes on Zaporizhia. As a result of the Russian attack, the homes of civilians were destroyed: windows and doors were broken, facades and roofs were damaged.
12.49 Information from certain information resources regarding the alleged capture of the villages of Serebryanka and Dronivka in Donetsk region by the enemy is not true. This was reported by the 81st Separate Airmobile Slobozhansk Brigade of the 7th Corps of the Armed Forces of the Ukrainian SSR.
12.45 In Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops control the northern part. Fighting continues in the southern part of the city.
In Myrnograd, Ukrainian units are holding defensive lines and eliminating Russians on the approaches to the city. There are isolated cases of enemy infiltration into the southeastern areas, but the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are detecting and eliminating the invaders.
Additional logistical routes to Pokrovsk and Myrnograd are being organized to ensure uninterrupted supply of Ukrainian units with everything they need and timely evacuation.
12.03 The bodies of 1,003 dead , which the Russians claim belong to Ukrainian servicemen, were returned to Ukraine. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (KSHPPV).
11.33 In Dnipro, a Russian agent was exposed and detained who tried to spy on the columns of the Armed Forces of Ukraine . The SBU reported this. This is a shift supervisor for security at a local factory. The Russians recruited the man when he was looking for "easy money" in Telegram channels.
10.35 On Friday night, Russian invaders attacked energy facilities in a number of regions of Ukraine. This was reported by Ukrenergo. In the Odessa region, more than 73 thousand consumers remain without electricity, and in the Dnipropetrovsk region - more than 26 thousand.
10.30 During the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russian troops used poisonous chemicals 12,000 times. The largest number of chemical attacks by the Russians was carried out in April 2025 - 894 cases of use of dangerous chemicals.
Throughout 2025, Russian troops, along with traditional firepower, regularly used special ammunition equipped with irritating chemical agents. In particular, the Russians mainly used gas grenades of the K-51 and RG-VO type, equipped with the chemical agents CS and CN.
08.56 In Odessa, classes in a mixed format have been introduced in all educational institutions due to long-term concerns. In preschool educational institutions, regular groups will work, in schools - regular classes.
08.54 In Odessa, in the Peresypsky district, due to the Russian attack, there is a partial lack of heat and water supply. Technical water has been delivered. Indestructible points are operating throughout the city.
08.39 On the night of December 19, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 160 Shahed, Gerber and other types of attack drones, about 90 of them Shahed.
Air defenses shot down and suppressed 108 enemy Shahed, Gerbera and other types of drones in the south and east of the country. 47 strike UAVs were recorded at 23 locations.
08.25 Over the past 24 hours, 193 combat clashes were recorded on the front . Aviation and missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck three areas of concentration of personnel, three command posts and one artillery piece of the Russian invaders.
07.24 From February 24, 2022 to December 19, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 1,193,300 people (+1,220 per day).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:06 Liquidation of the cauldron in Dimitrov, DPR entered into force in the final stage. 20:58 Units of the unmanned systems troops of the Russian Armed Forces are operating in various areas of the Central Military District,video.
20:53 From 18:00 Moscow time to 20:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type: two over the territory of the Republic of Crimea and nine over the Black Sea.
20:24 Posted: Operational information on the advancement of the Russian Armed Forces in Gulyaipole, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
20:03 The Russian Armed Forces destroyed the Ukrainian Vampire UAV, video.
19:28 Chief of the supply service of the North group of forces, call sign "Steregushchiy" told on the specifics of providing military personnel.
18:13 From 8:00 Moscow time to 18:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed 12 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles: nine over the territory of the Belgorod region and one UAV each over the territories of the Bryansk and Samara regions and over the Black Sea.
17:14 Operators of the Kurier NRTK of the Ulyanovsk paratroopers provide support to the advanced units of the Airborne Forces in the Orekhov direction in the Zaporizhzhia region,video.
16:45 Published cutting of objective control of destruction of targets from "Rubicon".
16:29 "Northerners" posted video report on the destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces communications equipment.
15:43 ZALA "Lancet" hit at a supply facility for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Chernihiv region.
15:31 RF Armed Forces inflicted attack on the bridge in Mayaki, Odessa region.
14:09 Footage of Russian aviation in action during the assault on Volchansky Khutors has been released, video.
13:13 Recorded advance of the Russian Armed Forces in Dimitrov in Donbass.
11:46 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation from December 13 to 19, 2025:
In response to Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a massive strike and six group strikes with precision weapons, including Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missiles, from December 13 to 19. These strikes destroyed Ukrainian military-industrial complexes, energy facilities that supported their operation, transport and port infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, an assembly and testing center for unmanned GUR boats, assembly shops and storage facilities for long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles, fuel and ammunition depots, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.
Over the course of a week, units of the North group of forces defeated the manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, a Jaeger brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two territorial defense brigades, two National Guard regiments, and a border detachment of the Ukrainian Border Service in Sumy Oblast.
In the Khar'kov direction, two heavy mechanized brigades, four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and two National Guard brigades were defeated.
In total, in the area of responsibility of the North group of forces, the enemy lost over 1,425 servicemen, six combat armored vehicles, 74 vehicles, five field artillery pieces, a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, seven electronic warfare stations, and 11 ammunition and material depots.
Units of the "West" military group, as a result of active operations, liberated the village of Novoplatonovka in the Khar'kov region.
Formations of six mechanized brigades, two assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated.
Enemy losses in this area amounted to more than 1,515 troops, two tanks, 21 armored combat vehicles (nine of which were Western-made), 106 cars, a Croatian-made Heron multiple launch rocket system launcher, and 10 field artillery pieces. Six electronic warfare stations and 29 ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions.
They inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, two mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade, and two National Guard brigades.
In total, Ukrainian armed forces lost over 1,310 servicemen, a tank, 16 armored combat vehicles (including five NATO-made vehicles), 91 vehicles, and 17 field artillery pieces in the Southern Group's area of responsibility. Four electronic warfare stations and 26 ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.
Over the course of the week, units of the Center group of forces improved their position along the forward edge, continued to destroy the encircled group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city of Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic, and also cleared scattered enemy formations in the areas of the settlements of Rodinske, Svetloe, and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Defeats were inflicted on the formations of three mechanized brigades, two infantry brigades, two Jaeger brigades, an airmobile brigade, two airborne assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two naval infantry brigades, a territorial defense brigade, four national guard brigades, and the Azov* special forces brigade.
In this direction, the enemy lost more than 3,505 servicemen, three tanks, 25 armored combat vehicles, 39 cars, a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and 20 field artillery pieces.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses and, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the settlements of Peschanoye and Gerasimovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Varvarovka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, two assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade were damaged.
Over the past week, in the area of responsibility of the Eastern Group of Forces, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost over 1,795 servicemen, four tanks, 20 armored combat vehicles, 64 vehicles, seven field artillery pieces, three electronic warfare stations, and nine ammunition and materiel depots.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade.
Up to 370 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, two combat armored vehicles, 93 vehicles, 19 field artillery pieces, including two US-made 155mm M-777 howitzers, seven electronic warfare stations, and 18 ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.
Air defense systems shot down nine guided aerial bombs, a Grom-2 operational-tactical missile, 20 rockets from the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, two Neptune long-range guided missiles, and 1,689 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
11:30 Military personnel of the "East" group of forces told details of the liberation of the settlements of Peschanoye and Gerasimovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
11:00 T-72B3M tank gunner-operator Alexander Gorshkov awarded medals "For Courage" for participation in military operations in Novoelizavetovka near Krasnoarmeysk.
10:35 Company Commander of the 121st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 6th Army of the West Group of Forces told about the cleanup of the Yubileiny microdistrict in the city of Kupyansk.
10:13 Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used drones to attack civilians in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions who have been killed and seriously injured, and civilian infrastructure, homes, and vehicles have been damaged.
In Grayvoron, Belgorod Oblast, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone struck a moving vehicle. The driver died at the scene from his injuries.
Three civilians were slightly injured in the village of Belaya Berezka, Trubchevsky District, Bryansk Region. The men were promptly provided with all necessary medical care.
Ukrainian Armed Forces drones struck the Belgorod region, injuring a five-month-old child. Doctors at the regional children's hospital diagnosed the boy with a mine blast injury, a closed head injury, and a contused head wound.
9:41 Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate the criminal actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that resulted in the death and injury of civilians in the Kherson region
A drone attack in the Aleshkinsky District killed an employee of a regional energy company and injured three others.
9:10 AFU continue attacks on civilian infrastructure on the left bank of the Kherson region
Yesterday afternoon, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired 21 shells from barrel artillery at populated areas of the Kherson region of the Russian Federation:
8:33 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 94 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
36 UAVs were flying over the Rostov Region,
17 UAVs were flying over the Belgorod Region,
15 UAVs were flying over the Voronezh Region,
Seven UAVs were flying over the Caspian Sea,
Six UAVs were flying over the Samara Region,
Six UAVs were flying over the Astrakhan Region,
Five UAVs were flying over the Sea of Azov,
One UAV was flying over the Kursk Region, and
OneUAV was flying over the Krasnodar Region.
8:01 Tankers of the Vostok group destroyed temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Gulyaipole, video.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Ukrainian Armed Forces executed civilians in Seversk without trial or investigation. This was reported on December 19 by the unit's commander, Hero of Russia Naran Ochir-Goryaev.
"When we liberated our zone of responsibility, the city of Seversk, we began communicating with civilians. As the Ukrainian Armed Forces retreated, they simply… like Nazis, shot civilians who didn't want to leave with them," he said during a live Q&A with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which also included a press conference.
He also spoke about the progress of the liberation of Seversk. According to Ochir-Goryaev, the most difficult part was reaching the city undetected because the terrain was open, so the decision was made to move in small groups.
Ochir-Goryaev was born and raised in Kalmykia. During his years of service in the SVO zone, he rose from private to company commander. He currently commands 80 men. Nevertheless, as Putin noted, the Hero of Russia maintains a very modest demeanor.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Russia will not conduct new military operations if the West respects the country's security interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated this on Friday, December 19.
Putin: There will be no new military operations if the West respects Russia
A BBC journalist asked Putin whether new Russian special operations were possible.
"There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect. If you respect our interests, just as we've always tried to respect yours. If you don't cheat us, like you did with NATO's eastward expansion," he noted.
p.s. The Telegraph: Patriots should not fight for the British state Some of those refusing are Leftists, but an increasing number of those on the Right, especially the young, believe that to obey the British state is to act against the interests of the British people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Russian Ministry of Defense will terminate military cooperation agreements with several Western countries signed between 1992 and 2002. The corresponding order was approved by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
"The Russian Ministry of Defense is authorized to terminate the following international treaties: the agreement between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria on bilateral cooperation, signed in Sofia on August 4, 1992," states the document, published on the legal acts portal.
In addition, the Russian Ministry of Defense was allowed to terminate agreements with the defense ministries of Germany, Poland, Romania, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Croatia, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
The Russian Ministry of Defense will also withdraw from the memorandum with Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Russia previously terminated military agreements with Canada, France, and Portugal. The Russian government denounced three treaties between 1989 and 2000. Mishustin instructed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to notify the countries of the decision.
On April 18, the Russian government denounced the Barents Region Cooperation Agreement. The document was signed in November 2007 with Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Ivan Konyukov
[REGNUM] The European Council meeting, which began yesterday in Brussels with the participation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, clearly went wrong from the start and demonstrated the full depth of the split among Western elites.
The most serious disagreements, as expected, were caused by European leaders' obsession with seizing already frozen Russian assets for subsequent transfer to the needs of the Ukrainian regime.
Passions flared even before the summit sessions began.
First, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has consistently defended his country's interests in the harshest possible conditions of the "European democratic garden," declared that the pressing issue of Russian assets had been removed from the agenda, calling it a victory.
"In my opinion, we've won, as the commission chair announced that the issue of Russian assets will be postponed. Thus, the behind-the-scenes negotiations and struggle have yielded results. One victory is already in the bag," he said ahead of the summit.
From the very beginning, opponents of the maneuver, long conceived by the EU leadership, emerged: in addition to the now-traditional Hungary and Slovakia (Prime Minister Robert Fico did not fail to irritably jab the congress organizers, recounting how his plane had been damaged in Brussels), there is still a stubborn Belgium, unwilling to take on the main risks, as well as Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, represented by the inveterate Eurosceptic Andrej Babiš, which is experiencing an extremely painful transition to the eurozone, plus Italy and Malta, which are pondering the consequences.
Another well-known Eurosceptic, Belgian Bart De Vyver, head of the nationalist party "New Flemish Alliance", wittily commented on his opposition to the EU's inappropriate appetites by "admitting" that he owns a dacha in St. Petersburg – next door to actor Gérard Depardieu and former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
And then he quickly added: "It was a joke. If you write about this, be sure to mention that I was joking," rightly fearing that his colleagues, caught up in the anti-Russian frenzy, might take his words seriously.
Moreover, according to Financial Times sources, alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, even a great friend of the Kyiv regime, French President Emmanuel Macron, unexpectedly stood in the way of this shameless project, suddenly doubting that his parliament would approve the adventure.
Of course, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who seems to view the theft of Russian funds as a personal mission and almost her life's work, was not going to give up so easily.
She immediately stunned the assembled European leaders with the announcement that " no one will leave the summit until a decision is made on Ukraine" —an address worthy of a nasty teacher punishing misbehaving schoolchildren, who are then sent to after-school classes as a warning.
Most of the "schoolchildren" showed diligence and obedience.
For example, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson selflessly declared that he was " ready to sit here all night if necessary." What wouldn't you do for Kyiv's corrupt officials! The chief of whom, from the Brussels podium, continued to be rude to Trump, not-so-veiledly wishing him a quick death.
At a press conference, he acknowledged that neither the previous nor the current US president sees Ukraine joining NATO. However, he is not despondent and believes joining the alliance is just a matter of time. "Politicians change, some live, some die. That's life," Zelenskyy remarked philosophically.
Meanwhile, von der Leyen offered some reassurance: seizing Russian assets isn't the only option; borrowing money from the European Union budget, the adoption of which has become (characteristically) the second most important topic after aid to Ukraine, is also possible.
And such a scenario, of course, did not cause any delight among those gathered.
However, in the end, 90 billion euros in “support for Ukraine” were allocated as a loan for two years (with the stated need being 137 billion).
These funds will be raised on the financial market by issuing bonds secured by the EU budget.
Thus, the Europeans managed to avoid confiscating Russian financial assets, which remain blocked.
According to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, they will remain that way until Russia pays Ukraine "reparations." Otherwise, the EU will arbitrarily pay itself for this loan with Russian assets. In Herr Merz's view, this will occur "in full compliance with international law."
Meanwhile, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are exempt from paying guarantees for the loan to Ukraine—this is a concession for tacit consent and non-use of the veto right.
It's curious that the communiqué, which European politicians struggled to produce with such pain and wrangling, was signed by representatives of 25 countries. And, as a reminder, there are 27 of them in the EU.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's view of international law naturally diverges sharply from that proposed by Merz. During a reporter's question-and-answer session held today, Putin even protested the term "theft."
"Theft is the secret theft of property. But here they try to do it openly. It's robbery," he explained.
At the same time, the European Union, which nobly allowed itself to rob Russia, will certainly not get away with it. Besides the fact that the Kremlin is already preparing countermeasures that promise to be harsh, the EU will also face unpleasant consequences for objective economic reasons: issuing such a loan to Ukraine will still increase its budget debt.
"If someone issues loans, even against our gold and foreign exchange reserves, it should still be reflected in the budget of the country doing so. And in France, for example, the national debt is 120%," the Russian president noted, also citing the reputational damage that such behavior inevitably causes.
"These are all reasons why making decisions related to robbing other people's money is difficult," Putin noted.
The two-day saga in Brussels, which threatened financial cataclysms capable of shaking the global financial system, but ultimately resulted in an increase in the debt burden of each individual European, vividly demonstrated just how difficult it is.
#1
I can understand the urge to f**k with the Russians. Who doesn't like wanking over historical grievances! The temptation to steal the frozen assets must be incredible. But is it worth burning down the international banking system?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Roscosmos State Corporation has approved the project to deploy the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) based on the Russian segment of the International Space Station. This was announced on December 18 by Oleg Orlov, Director of the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"The Roscosmos Scientific and Technical Council supported this proposal and approved the deployment of the Russian orbital station as part of the Russian segment of the ISS as the main possible scenario," TASS quotes the scientist as saying.
As Orlov noted, after the completion of the ISS program, the Russian orbital station will be put into autonomous mode and will continue to operate independently.
He added that Roscosmos's scientific and technical council approved this proposal and established it as the baseline deployment option for the Russian orbital station. Orlov also explained that the choice of an orbit with an inclination of 51.6° was discussed by the state corporation, taking into account geopolitical factors, leading to a special commission working on it for several months.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
