(2025-12-17). Russia deploys advanced SU-34 jets to frontlines, will Ukraine peace talks survive this new surge. hindustantimes.com Russia has deployed a new batch of upgraded Su‚Äë34 strike jets to the Ukraine front, with media reports touting combat‚Äëdriven improvements and multipurpose roles from bombing to reconnaissance. Boasting Mach 1.5 speed, 4,000 km range and 8.5‚Äëton payloads, these aircraft arrive as Moscow claims full control of Kupyansk.
(2025-12-17). Seven EU countries now oppose expropriation of Russian assets for Ukraine. infobrics.org Orbán warns of "rough week" ahead of EU leaders summit.
(2025-12-17). Ukraine's lost half a million troops? Russian army erases Chasiv Yar, Kurakhove, Siversk strongholds. hindustantimes.com Russia's Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has claimed that Ukraine has lost nearly half a million troops since the start of the war, a figure that, if accurate, would mark one of the most severe manpower tolls of the conflict. Russia's statement comes amid intensified fighting along key frontlines and as both sides continue to trade sharply differing casualty estimates.
(2025-12-17). Pranked Biden official exposes lie that Ukraine war was inevitable. responsiblestatecraft.org When it comes to the Ukraine war, there have long been two realities. One is propagated by former Biden administration officials in speeches and media interviews, in which Russian President Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion had nothing to do with NATO's U.S.-led expansion into the now shattered country, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent what was an inevitable imperialist land-grab, and that negotiations once the war started to try to end the killing were not only impossible, but morally wrong. Then there is the other, polar opposite reality that occasionally slips through when officials t…
(2025-12-17). How Europe Could Use Billions In Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine's War Effort And Why It's So Risky. menafn.com (MENAFN – The Conversation) Most people outside of banking won't have heard of Euroclear. It's a Brussels-based settlement provider that enables the transfer of ownership of securities between …
(2025-12-17). Lukashenko reflects on Trump's role in Ukraine's future. eng.belta.by Aleksandr Lukashenko replied: "The war will continue. It will persist until forces within Ukraine prevail that will compel Zelensky to make peace. And these forces will be able to compel him when the front begins to completely collapse, though the start of this is already visible."
(2025-12-17). Putin exposes West's failed plans, says 'European little pigs' tried to profit from Russia's fall. hindustantimes.com eRussian President Vladimir Putin has launched a sharp attack on Western powers, accusing European leaders of attempting to profit from what he described as Russia's expected collapse. In a strongly worded remark, Putin claimed that Western strategies to weaken Moscow have failed, while using provocative language to criticise European governments. The comments come amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine war, sanctions, and Europe's security posture.
(2025-12-17). European countries propose 'multinational force' for Ukraine. infobrics.org The initiative could lead to a dangerous escalation in the conflict.
(2025-12-17). German Chancellor Merz gets emotional calls Ukraine War a 'daily nightmare'. hindustantimes.com German Chancellor Friedrich Merz grew visibly emotional while describing the Ukraine war as a "daily nightmare" that has lasted almost four years, calling it a "bad dream" that never ends for Ukrainians and for Europe. Speaking at the German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, Merz said he sometimes wakes up hoping the war was just a dream, only to realise it is a continuing "daily nightmare" for Ukraine and "for all of us." His remarks came as Russia claims to have captured nearly 5,000 square km of Ukrainian territory in 2025, underscoring how Europe has so far failed to deter Moscow's advances. Watch for more…
(2025-12-17). Putin boasts Russia seized 5,000 sq km in Ukraine after Merz's emotional speech. hindustantimes.com Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 17 boasted that Russian forces have seized nearly 5,000 square km of Ukrainian territory this year, a stark battlefield "reality check" coming soon after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's emotional remarks about the war being a "daily nightmare." Putin said Russia now holds the "full strategic initiative," claiming Ukrainian troops are retreating "throughout the line of combat contact" despite fierce resistance. Watch for details…
(2025-12-17). NewsX World: Zelensky's Speech yesterday at The Hague. gilbertdoctorow.com In this hourly news bulletin, I come on at minute 3.45 Fresh from the highly supportive meeting with European leaders in Berlin a day earlier, Zelensky sets out before Dutch legislators his demand that the peace agreements also foresee condemnation of Russia's aggression and thereby uphold the principles of international law. As I characterize his …
(2025-12-17). Melancholia in the Bloodstream: Europe, America, and the Weight of Misunderstanding. counterpunch.org 
I have been thinking about what non-sensational facts about Europe may be overlooked in Washington—particularly as recent reporting suggests that Donald Trump may seek to pull Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Poland away from the European Union. Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has already applied pressure on Kyiv on Trump's behalf, while Trump himself continues to
(2025-12-17). 'Judging Freedom' edition of 17 December: Will the EU Steal Russian Bank Deposits? gilbertdoctorow.com The has been a torrent of news these past several days bearing on the title given to today's discussion with Judge Andrew Napolitano. From the results of the paper voting of EU Member States last Friday in which von der Leyen invoked emergency powers to override any possible vetoes, she succeeded in ending the six-monthly …
(2025-12-17). Is Iran joining "Muslim NATO" ? Saudi—Pakistan Pact and shifting world order. infobrics.org Reports of Iran seeking closer ties to the Saudi—Pakistan defense pact raise questions about a supposed "Muslim NATO." With both Islamabad and Riyadh linked to Western security structures, the move reflects pragmatic hedging rather than ideological convergence. Turkey's regional ambitions and NATO's indirect reach loom large in Tehran's calculations.
(2025-12-17). Finland, Poland To Lead Initiatives To Protect NATO's Eastern Flank From Russia. menafn.com (MENAFN – UkrinForm) Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said this at a press conference in Helsinki with leaders of the Eastern Flank Summit, Ukrinform reports. | Orpo called the summit a "historic …