NEW: Russia sent a submarine and other naval forces to escort an oil tanker the United States has been pursuing near Venezuela.

The tanker—formerly Bella 1—was empty but suspected of involvement in sanctioned oil trading. After evading a U.S. boarding attempt, it repainted itself, switched its name, and re-registered under Russia, complicating U.S. legal authority to seize it.

Moscow has urged the U.S. to back off, while the Coast Guard continues to trail the ship as it heads toward northern Europe.

Source: WSJ

Former CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who betrayed U.S. intelligence by selling classified information to the Soviet Union and later Russia, died at the age of 84 in a U.S. federal prison.

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NEW: An assault team is attempting to board the tanker Marinera, which is being pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

It is assumed that the personnel involved are U.S. servicemembers.

UK PM Starmer:

Can I begin by saying I hope all colleagues had a happy Christmas.

It probably feels quite a long time ago now, but not for Reform, of course, because today is the day that they celebrate Christmas in Russia.

Colombian President Petro:

The armed mafia of Colombia is made up of different cartels with foreign command. Trump is wrong—he thinks they are Colombians.

Some are Colombian, but they do not live in Colombia. They live in Spain; they used to live in Dubai but moved because of the war in Palestine and Iran, with permission from the United States.

They keep trafficking to Europe and Australia, and they keep killing us here. We are left with the dead, while the profits stay with the owners of the mafia.

Anders Vistisen, Danish member of the European Parliament, on Trump’s Greenland remarks:

It is appalling and, frankly, stupid to continue to talk about capturing a NATO country.

We don’t see it as very realistic that U.S. troops would enter Nuuk anytime soon.

Reporter: Why not rule out taking Greenland by military force?

White House: All options are always on the table for Trump. Trump's first option is always diplomacy.

Reporter: What specifically would the U.S. gain by taking control of Greenland?

White House: More control over the Arctic region and ensuring that China and Russia cannot continue their aggression in that region.

Federal officials say ICE agents fatally shot a woman in her car during an operation in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

The Department of Homeland Security said the woman tried to run over officers, calling it an act of domestic terrorism.

NEW: Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, confirmed it is in talks with the United States to sell Venezuelan crude.

Donald Trump and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro held their first direct phone call since Trump returned to office.

They discussed bilateral disagreements — especially drug trafficking and Venezuela — and agreed to arrange an in-person meeting at the White House soon.

Trump said “it was a great honor to speak with Petro.”

Petro shared this picture from his phone call with Trump.

BIG: UAE-backed STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled Aden, Yemen by boat to Berbera (Somaliland), then flew via Mogadishu to Abu Dhabi with UAE's support.

President Trump told The New York Times that the United States expects to control and extract Venezuela’s oil for years as part of its ongoing oversight of the country.

Trump said he would like to visit Venezuela in the future and expressed confidence that the country would eventually be safe to travel to.

“I think at some point it’ll be safe.”

Source: NYT

Macron:

France has decided to vote against the signing of the agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries.

Trump:

Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America.

Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again.

Trump on meeting with Reza Pahlavi:

I’ve watched him and he seems like a nice person, but I’m not sure that it would be appropriate at this point to do that as President.

I think that we should let everybody go out there and we see who emerges. I’m not sure necessarily that it would be an appropriate thing to do.

Trump on Zohran Mamdani:

He’s got a great personality, he’s a nice guy. His policies are not good, but maybe he changes.

China’s refiners, cut off from discounted Venezuelan crude after the Trump administration tightened pressure on Venezuela and seized Maduro, are turning to Canadian heavy oil as the closest substitute.

Shipments via the expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline now flow mostly to China, welcomed by Alberta and Ottawa seeking to diversify beyond the US.

Source: Bloomberg

Trump:

Today, the United States of America, in coordination with the Interim Authorities of Venezuela, seized an oil tanker which departed Venezuela without our approval.

This tanker is now on its way back to Venezuela, and the oil will be sold through the GREAT Energy Deal, which we have created for such sales.