Maria Drutska

Intere$ting pattern:

🔹The US wants the EU to take over NATO's non-nuclear defence, BUT the US is mad that the EU is building up their DBI and not buying US weapons
🔹The US wants Ukraine to capitulate, BUT the US is pressuring Greece to join PURL and buy weapons for Ukraine

🤔

In case anyone was wondering whether Orban is still an asshole, he is.

The flames of war will not die out if the dictator is appeased. They will grow.

And if Orban thinks turning Ukraine into a "buffer state" will bring long-term peace to Europe, he needs to read more history.

See the full text of the new US isolationism policy here: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

"The days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over."

With that statement, US foreign policy has officially returned to isolationism. And it will cost them much in the long term and reshape the global order as described in more detail below:

Today, on the 31st anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum with its useless security assurances, we are facing a repeat of history as EU leaders warn of the risk of a peace deal without strong US security guarantees.

Strength is the only true guarantor of peace for the EU.

Is it really just about $$ for the US admin now?

🔹The Russo-US 28 point peace plan had the US receiving 50% of profits from €100B in frozen Russian assets + €100B in EU funds
🔹The US is pressuring the EU to NOT loan those frozen assets to Ukraine to support its defence

🤔

Trump is silencing the Voice of America, both literally and figuratively.

In apparent violation of a US court order, all Voice of America overseas bureaus are being closed.

And with US foreign policy actions this year, their words carry less weight as trust has disappeared.

Another sign of Russia returning to the "wild nineties".

In addition to economic collapse, organized crime caused chaos in the 1990s. And this year, crimes by these groups are up 33% as war veterans, particularly former prisoners, return to their swamps.

A true mafia state.

It appears that there was some unexpected renovation to the Grozny-City Business Center overnight.

Recall that Grozny-City was one of the designs for the new 500 Ruble bill, with a vote that turned into a debacle for the Kremlin.

I fixed it for them. What do you think guys?

The Temryuk port gas terminal, just across the Kerch strait from occupied Crimea on the Sea of Azov, has been sanctioned by drones.

Good video showing the night sky being lit up by a small damage-free fire. Should be some interesting satellite pictures soon. 🔥

‼️EU leaders including Macron and Merz warned Zelenskyy to be careful of US betrayal in negotiations.

Could you imagine this headline a year ago? Stunning how quickly the world order changed.

Thank you Europe for standing together with us against this shared threat we all face.

💸Russia is draining their National Wealth Fund more to prop up their collapsing economy.

Last MONTH, they sold 2.7B rubles in gold and foreign currency. This month, it's 5.6B rubles PER DAY.

That Wealth Fund spending pause ended quickly. Seems things are worse than expected.📉

US sanctions are having a major impact on Russian oil and gas revenues.

Revenue decline is accelerating:
🔹May was down 14% year-to-date vs 2024
🔹August, 20%
🔹November, 22%

And Urals crude averaged $44.87 in November, lowest since March 2023.

Expect budget holes to explode.

‼️Stunning statements by the Belgian Prime Minister at an event in Brussels this week.

🔹It's an illusion that Russia will lose in Ukraine
🔹If they lose, instability is bad because of nuclear weapons
🔹I have been personally threatened by Russia if their assets are seized

Wow.

🚨Major Russian bank failure imminent?

Credit Bank of Moscow, the 6th-largest bank in Russia by asset size with 5.45T rubles, has 668B rubles in overdue loans, 12.3% of assets.

That's massive. When Washington Mutual collapsed in 2008, nonperforming loans were 3.8% of assets.📉

SpaceX removed a Russian cosmonaut from Crew-12 for trying to pass on sensitive data.

I, for one, am stunned. Russians stealing tech? Spying on Western programs? Violating national security rules?

What’s next, guys, water will be wet?

🚨Putin publicly admits Russian economy is in decline

With how much they try to hide the bad economic numbers, hearing Putin say publicly that there's an economic slowdown from "external pressure" must mean their internal projections are utterly catastrophic.

How very sad.🥳🎉

The Kremlin is so desperate to hide the truth, they are now risking civil unrest with mass internet outages across the country in order to block outside news.

It's bad enough that St. Petersburg trains now use paper tickets because the internet doesn't work at train stations.📵

Drone sanctions have been applied to another oil depot, this time in Dmitrievka, Tambov oblast.

This video shows the small fire from successfully intercepted drone debris, vigorously causing no damage whatsoever to the storage tank that intercepted it.

Sanctions work. 😎🔥

Um, some help guys... Can you please help me identify which "NATO" Trump went to which called him the "President of Europe"? 🤔

"Plan B for us is quite simple. It's increased support for Ukraine, more weapons for Ukraine on the battlefield, more support for their economy, and increased sanctions against Russia" -- NATO diplomat

Hey guys, maybe that should be Plan A at this point? Just saying...

It does not sound like Russia is ready for peace.

"If Europe starts a war, we are ready right now," -- Putin

He also said that Ukraine and the EU not accepting Russi...er..the US's 28 point capitulation plan was "evidence of hostility".

Not expecting much from today's meeting.

The New German War Machine After World War II, Germany embraced pacifism as a form of atonement. Now the country is arming itself again.

Very promising.

The U.S. suspends part of its weapons deliveries to Ukraine without warning its closest European ally, cuts a direct military coordination channel, and now German generals have to rely on embassy staff “who try to find someone in the Pentagon.”

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

It's clear Russia doesn't want peace, so we need to make Ukraine as strong as possible -- Kaja Kallas

No decisions on Ukraine can be made without Ukraine, no dictated peace over the heads of Ukraine -- Friedrich Merz

Все буде добре. Everything will be OK. 🇺🇦

Russian economic collapse: Russian Railways has urgently requested 200 billion rubles because it's out of money.

The government is afraid to give them money though because so many other state companies are in equally deep trouble and need money too.

Start making popcorn.🍿🍿🍿

Good video of an oil depot in Livny, Oryol Oblast, having several small fires after successfully intercepted falling debris caused no damage to the storage tanks.

How long do you guys think these small fires will be burning for?🔥

‼️ European countries are now actively training for a scenario once thought unthinkable: the failure of the US to support allies in the event of a Russian attack.

See the thread below for a more in-depth analysis of the current situation and the risks the EU now faces:

Zelensky met with Macron today at the Élysée Palace.

🇫🇷 France’s leadership matters, and every such meeting strengthens our joint resolve to protect Europe from Russian aggression.

As Russia's economy crumbles, they are now stuck in a tax trap to keep funding the war.

Oil revenue is way down, so VAT has been increased and many new taxes were added. But these will decrease spending (and thus tax revenue), meaning higher taxes...🔄

And GDP goes splat.📉🫟

Another example of why you can't trust Russian treaties:

🔹May: Maduro and Putin sign a strategic partnership
🔹October: strategic partnership officially ratified
🔹Maduro immediately asks Putin for military support
🔹Maduro receives 2 potatoes and a middle finger

FAFO 🤷