Swedish Prime Minister believes that his country is now in state of "neither war nor peace"

"Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson believes that the country is currently in a situation of "neither war nor peace".
"Sweden is not at war. But it is not a state of peace either," Kristersson said.
"The Russian threat is a long-term one. And our defence planning must also be long-term," he added.
The prime minister noted that Sweden and its neighbors are now facing hybrid attacks "carried out with the help of computers, money, disinformation and sabotage threats"." MS

Biden speaks with relatives of Americans held by Taliban, but deal to bring them home still elusive

"President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with relatives of three Americans the U.S. government is looking to bring home from Afghanistan, but no agreement has been reached on a deal to get them back, family members said.

Biden's call with family members of Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi took place in the waning days of his administration as officials try to negotiate a deal that could bring them home in exchange for Muhammad Rahim, one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Corbett, who had lived in Afghanistan with his family at the time of the 2021 collapse of the U.S.-backed government, was abducted by the Taliban in August 2022 while on a business trip and Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was taken by the Taliban's intelligence services in December 2022 while traveling through the country.
Officials believe the Taliban is still holding both men as well as Habibi, an Afghan American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and also went missing in 2022. The FBI has said that Habibi and his driver were taken along with 29 other employees of the company, but that all except for Habibi and another person have since been freed." MS

Russians attack Zaporizhzhia with drones

"In Zaporizhzhia, a fire broke out in a private and two civilians were injured after a drone attack." Ukrin

Russian army shells Kupiansk

"In the Kharkiv region, the Russian army fired on Kupiansk, leaving one dead." Ukrin

Ukraine hits Russian command post in Novohrodivka

"Ukrainian Armed Forces show a high level of coordination and professionalism in targeting and destroying key Russian command and control units and military infrastructure. Ukrainian forces struck a command post of the Russian 3rd Army Corps in the temporarily occupied Svitlodarsk, Donetsk Oblast." NV

Thousands of Romanians Protest Canceled Presidential Election

"Thousands of Romanians gathered on Friday outside the parliament building in Bucharest, which also houses the country’s Constitutional Court, to protest the court’s annulment of the November presidential election.

Outsider populist Calin Georgescu was the runaway leader in the election, but the court nullified the entire vote over allegations of Russian interference.

Georgescu, invariably described as a “far-right populist” by international media, shocked the Romanian political establishment by roaring into first place in pre-election polling. His success was all the more remarkable because his campaign spent very little money on advertising; in fact, he claimed he spent nothing at all. Georgescu built an enormous following on social media, running as an admirer of American President-elect Donald Trump, a skeptic of funding for Ukraine, an economic nationalist, a Christian conservative, and a very spirited critic of left-wing billionaire George Soros. Polls showed him drawing heavy support from religious conservatives and people frustrated with the bottomless corruption of Romanian government." Breitbart

Panama Canal Purchase Could Decrease Chinese Influence

"The U.S. purchase of the Panama Canal could decrease Chinese influence globally, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), who introduced the Panama Canal Repurchase Act, said during an appearance on Breitbart News Saturday.
“Unfortunately, the Chinese Communist Party is just filthy all over there. They control the ports at both ends of the Panama Canal — both the Atlantic and Pacific ends,” Johnson said, describing the current scope of Chinese influence." Breitbart

EU Has Just Lost Donbass Lithium Mine Meant to Power Bloc’s ‘Green' Ambitions

"The Russian MoD released footage Saturday showing Russian troops raising the flag over the DPR town of Shevchenko after a series of hard-fought battles. The strategic town’s liberation is devastating news for European industrialists looking for an easy euro in post-2014 coup Ukraine.

The Shevchenko Lithium Ore Field is laden with an estimated 13.8 million tons of lithium ores with a pure lithium oxide content of up to 207,000 tons, according to a 2018 Ukrainian State Geology and Subsoil Service study.
The deposit is the largest not only in Ukraine, but all of Europe. Besides lithium, the field also contains tantalum, niobium and beryl.
Australian-registered, British businessman-owned mining company European Lithium announced in late 2021 that it was in the process of “securing” the Shevchenko field for itself.
The Shevchenko deposit’s loss is a major blow to the European Union’s lithium needs, and its rare earth mineral needs in general." Sputnik

Russian forces launch nearly 100 UAVs on Ukraine overnight

"Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 94 loitering munitions in the night. Drones are confirmed to have been shot down in Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi and Donetsk oblasts.

Several buildings in Kharkiv, Sumy and Poltava oblasts were damaged by the fall of Russian UAV wreckage." Pravada

184 clashes on frontlines, Pokrovsk sector remains hottest

"Over the past 24 hours, a total of 184 clashes occurred between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the Russian troops. The enemy’s most intense offensive was in the Pokrovsk sector.

In the Kharkiv sector, the Russian forces attempted an assault toward Kozacha Lopan but failed.
In the Kupiansk sector, the Ukrainian forces repelled 18 attacks near Holubivka, Synkivka, Stepova Novoselivka, and Zahryzove.
In the Lyman sector, the Russian forces attacked 23 times, attempting to break through defenses near Zelenyi Hai, Novoyehorivka, Makiivka, Terny, Zarichne, Hryhorivka, and the Serebrianskyi Forest.
In the Siversk sector, the Ukrainian defenders repelled an assault near Bilohorivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the Russian forces attempted 27 advances near Chasiv Yar and Stupochky.
In the Toretsk sector, the enemy launched six attacks near Toretsk and Dyliivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, the Ukrainian forces thwarted 77 enemy attacks. Russian aviation supported assaults near Baranivka, Yelyzavetivka, Promin, Lysivka, Zelene, Novyi Trud, Zvirivka, Novoandriivka, Uspenivka, Slovianka, and Kostiantynopil.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the Russian troops attacked five times near Novosilka and Velyka Novosilka.
In the Prydniprovske sector, the Russian invaders attempted two unsuccessful assaults.
In Russia's Kursk region, the Ukrainian defenders repelled 18 attacks, while one battle is currently ongoing. The Russian forces struck the region with seven guided aerial bombs.
In the Huliaipole and Orikhiv sectors, no offensive actions were reported yesterday.
On the Volyn and Polissia sectors, there are no signs of enemy offensive formations.
On the border with Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the Russian forces are shelling Ukrainian settlements from their territory and conducting reconnaissance." Ukrin

Russian Mercenary Arrested in Texas at Border

"A report indicates that authorities in South Texas arrested a Russian mercenary who had

crossed the border illegally from Mexico.
The case took place over the weekend in the border city of Roma, Texas, when U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Timur Praliev, a Kazakhstan national who had been a member of the private military company Wagner Group, court documents revealed." Breitbart

Iran Signs Deal to Develop Drones in Venezuela

"The regimes of Iran and Venezuela signed a deal for the establishment of an Iranian drone development facility in Venezuela. Iran has established a drone development base at the El Libertador air base, located in the central-Venezuelan city of Maracay, where training for Venezuelan military personnel is also being carried out." Breitbart

Major Germany NATO Base Water Supply Again Thought Targeted by Saboteurs

"Police are investigating suspected sabotage after persons unknown attempted to access the

water treatment plant at a German NATO airbase in Cologne, the third time such a thing has happened in recent months.
A fence was torn down at the Luftwaffe base attached to Cologne Airport, with an alleged intruder attempting to gain access to the water treatment plant room and a radio tower. A metal barrier was forced to gain access to climb the radio mast, apparently unsuccessfully. The attempt to gain access to the water plant was also foiled by the strength of the door, it is stated." Breitbart

NATO Sends Two Ships To Guard Baltic Sea Infrastructure From Russian 'Hybrid Warfare'

"NATO is strengthening its military presence in the Baltic Sea in response to the Christmas Day severing of the Estlink 2 electricity cable and four telecom cables linking Finland and Estonia.

A month prior to that incident, in November, two other submarine telecommunication cables, the BCS East-West Interlink and C-Lion1 fiber-optic cables, were damaged.
Soon after the alleged sabotage the West charged that a Russian 'shadow ship' intentionally dragged its anchor on the sea bed in order to damage the vital telecoms links. The vessel in Finnish custody is the Cook Islands-flagged Eagle S.
Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced that the NATO military alliance is sending "two vessels and we are also increasing other activities and presence in the area." ZeroHedge

Russian forces carried out 29 attacks on border communities in Sumy region

"Throughout the day, Russians conducted 29 shelling attacks of border territories and settlements in Sumy region. A total of 57 explosions were recorded. Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velykopysarivka, Esman, and Shalyhyne communities came under fire." Ukrin