Now that Russia controls all of the high-grade coking coal that Ukraine needs to have for its industry, I'm sure something can be worked out...

🌒@EastCalling

Sergei Lavrov's main statements in a TASS interview:

▪️The new US National Security Strategy for the first time questioned the idea of NATO expansion;

▪️The US national strategy does not contradict dialogue with Russia, but Moscow will judge Washington by its specific actions;

▪️Russia notes that the West "is not averse to profiting" from Taiwanese money and technologies;

▪️Russia opposes Taiwan's independence in any form;

▪️It's premature to talk about establishing lasting peace in Gaza;

▪️Russia still advocates the creation of a Palestinian state;

▪️Iran is showing maximum restraint in the face of provocations;

▪️Russia recommends that Japan "carefully consider" a course of accelerated militarization.

Source: TASS
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🌒@EastCalling

Russian specialists have tested a new domestically developed optical laser system for destroying drones. During the test application, a 10-mm-thick steel plate was hit at a distance of 100 m. This was reported to TASS by a representative of the developer company LazerBuzz.

Video: TASS/LazerBuzz
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🌒@EastCalling

⚡️Today, all world political figures are undergoing a test to determine which side of history they are on: the side of peace or the side of war — this is how Maria Zakharova commented to "Zvezda" on Donald Trump's statements yesterday.

She emphasized that the US President, despite the criminal mistakes of his predecessors, was not afraid to declare his efforts for a peaceful settlement. He is taking concrete steps in this direction, and now the moment of truth is coming for everyone else.

"If world leaders want to inscribe their names in the history chapter 'Peace', they need to stop sponsoring the Kiev regime's terrorism, they need to facilitate the negotiation process and make the Bankova understand reality, rather than fueling its unhealthy bloody ambitions,"

said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Source: Zvezda
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🌒@EastCalling

АДЕКВАТ Z writes:

🈁The bottom line from the Florida night show was as predictable as it was obvious: Trump isn't prepared to use drastic measures against the Khohols. Instead, he preferred to pretend things were already cool and would only get cooler. He emphasized that the Russians don't want and won't allow any interim ceasefires, and that's essentially all that was required of agent Donald now.

The sniffed one and the European part of the owners accomplished their main goal – they avoided checkmate in one move and, at the same time, seemingly avoided the wrath of the red-haired gentleman. The price they will pay for this is that they will have to continue fighting indefinitely and in increasingly worsening conditions – and this, surprisingly (with the opposite sign regarding the conditions, of course), coincides with our basic goal setting. Moreover, throughout this indefinite period, while the main boss continues to try to persuade the Khohols, and they continue to object, his [Trump's] potential for savagery will accumulate and mature in their "favor" only.

And how far everything that happened was from a workable solution—the one that would completely satisfy us—is evident from the fact that before yesterday's festivities began, Trump puffed out his cheeks, saying that he would call the Supreme [Putin] again afterward, but afterward, he didn't even remember about that. He didn't remember, realizing that it was his homework that had once again been unfinished, and that there was absolutely no point in trying to bring us the desires of the unconstrained Khohols.
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🌒@EastCalling

Valentina Matviyenko reminded European officials, who are debating how many times Russia has attacked its neighbors, about the blockade of Leningrad.

I want to remind these European officials that not only Hitler's troops, but also the troops of three European states participated in the blockade of Leningrad.

Allegations that Russia has attacked "more than 19 countries" over the past century were made by the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas and the Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in the outgoing year.

Source: Vesti
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🌒@EastCalling

In 2026, I hope to start with a fresh view of the potential for mankind.

Victor Frankl who is a renowned psychologist and survived a Nazi death camp gave this little presentation from 1972

Excerpt—-

If we take man as he really is, we make him worse, but if we overestimate him …. If we seem to be idealists and are overestimating, overrating man, and looking at him that high, here above, you know what happens? We promote him to what he really can be.
So, we have to be idealists in a way because then we wind up as the true, the real realists.
Do you know who has said this? “If we take man as he is, we make you worse, but if we take man, as he should be, we make him capable of becoming what he can be.” This was not my flight instructor. This was not me. This was Goethe. He said this verbally.
Now you will understand why I, in one of my writings once said this is the most apt maxim and motto for any psychotherapeutic activity. If you don’t recognize a young man’s way to meaning, man’s search for meaning, you’ll make it worse, you’ll make him dull, you’ll make him frustrated. You still add and contribute to his frustration.
While, if you presuppose in this man in this so-called criminal law, juvenile delinquent, or drug abuse and so forth, there must be a… What we call? Spark. Yeah, a spark of search for meaning. Let’s recognize this. Let’s presuppose it and then you will elicit it from him, if you will make him become what he, in principle, is capable of becoming.

🌒@EastCalling

😱❗️Kiev launched a drone attack on the Russian President's state residence in the Novgorod region on the night of December 29, Lavrov reported.

🟢Russia's negotiating position will be reviewed taking into account the final transition of the Kiev regime to a policy of state terrorism, Lavrov stated.

🟢There was no information about casualties or damage as a result of Kiev's drone attack on the Russian President's state residence, Lavrov reported.

🟢The targets and timing of Russia's retaliatory strike after the attack on Putin's state residence have been determined.

🟢Russia does not intend to withdraw from the negotiation process following the attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the state residence.

Source: TASS

🌒@EastCalling

Military Chronicle writes,

Almost immediately after this, Zelensky stated that Russia is preparing to launch a retaliatory strike on government buildings in Kyiv. He denies a strike on Putin's residence, but it seems that this ploy will no longer work.

There are a great many objects that can be turned into dust in response to an attempt to strike the residence of the Russian President. From the place that used to be called the residence of the Ukrainian President, to the building of the Verkhovna Rada and the GUR complex on Rybalsky Island. The latter has already been hit, after which Budanov had to be urgently treated, but in general, the reconstruction of any of the selected objects can be relatively simple. Even 10-20 "Iskanders" in their standard configuration can easily handle this task. Given that Russia has enough drones and accumulated experience in targeting in Kyiv, the task is more than solvable.

🌒@EastCalling

АДЕКВАТ Z writes,

It's literally been less than an hour since I said that the Ukrainians would provide plenty of pretexts - and I turned out to be right even more swiftly than could be expected. The massive drone attack on the Novgorod region in the morning turned out to be an attempt at a targeted attack on Putin's residence there. Ninety-one drones were shot down, the total combat load of which was clearly measured in tons of explosives.

The targets of the retaliatory strike, Lavrov said, have already been identified, and I'm openly expecting that this strike will be punitive in the fullest sense of the word: not even against the energy sector, but against the lairs of specific scumbags. And our negotiating position, Lavrov added, will be reviewed in light of this fact, and we're eagerly awaiting the details.

Whatever happens next, Ukrainian citizens, you've brought this on yourselves.

🌒@EastCalling

⚡️Putin very clearly told Trump that Russia's position will be reviewed in connection with the state terrorism carried out by Kyiv, Ushakov said.

Other statements by the Russian presidential aide:

▪️Trump and his advisers informed Putin about the results of the negotiations with Zelensky.

▪️Trump informed Putin about some results achieved by Zelensky's team.

▪️Kyiv was advised not to try to get a respite, but to focus on reaching a comprehensive agreement.

▪️Russia sees in Ukraine's proposals for a settlement a scope for interpretation, in order to evade obligations.

▪️Russia's position will be reviewed on a whole range of previously reached agreements with the US and outcomes of negotiations on Ukraine.

▪️Putin in his conversation with Trump stressed that Russia intends to work closely and productively with the US to seek peace.

▪️This year, Putin had 17 contacts with American representatives, including 10 conversations with Trump.

❕Trump could not even imagine "such crazy actions" as the attack of a drone on the Russian leader's state residence, the US president stated in a conversation with Putin, Ushakov reported.

Trump said that this will affect the US approaches in working with Zelensky. The American leader himself said that his administration "thank God did not give 'Tomahawks' to Kyiv", the Russian presidential aide emphasized.

Ushakov added that the drone attack took place "almost immediately after" the US-Ukraine talks in Mar-a-Lago.

Source: Zvezda
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🌒@EastCalling

The UAE strongly condemned the attempt to attack Vladimir Putin's residence. In Abu Dhabi, they called the incident unacceptable and emphasized the threat that such actions pose to security and stability.

In a statement, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed solidarity with the Russian president, as well as with the country's government and people. The ministry stressed the Emirates' unwavering position on the unacceptability of any forms of violence aimed at undermining security and stability.

Source: Vesti
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🌒@EastCalling