President of the European Parliament David Sassoli on his Twitter he criticized the decision to liquidate the international company “Memorial” in Russia (recognized in the Russian Federation as a non-governmental organization-foreign agent).
“This step will not stop those who fight for democracy and freedom. We will support them, “he said.
On December 28, the Supreme Court liquidated the International Historical and Educational Society” Memorial “at the request of the Attorney General.
Presidents of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko took part in a friendly hockey match in Strelna on Wednesday, which took place at the end of their meeting in St. Petersburg. The leaders of both countries played in the same team – for “white” against “red”. Putin stepped on the ice under his “traditional” number 11, Lukashenko at number 1.
The Russian president opened the scoring by hitting his opponent's goal in the third minute, and Lukashenko soon scored the team's second point. Putin scored a total of seven goals at the end of the match, while his Belarusian guest scored two.
The overall score of the match was 18: 7 in favor of White. The youngest son of Belarusian President Nikolai Lukashenko brought the presidential team four goals.
White House voiced Concerned about the accumulation of Russian forces at the border with Ukraine and expressed the hope that the army would be withdrawn to permanent deployments. This was stated by a representative of the American administration at a telephone briefing.
As the official noted, the US would like the Russian military to return to permanent training sites. Only the creation of conditions for the de-escalation of the situation, according to the White House, will make it possible to normalize the situation in the region.
The US representative also expressed concern about the very presence of the Russian unit at the border, as well as the capabilities of the Russian Federation. Ukraine has previously announced that Russia is reportedly intensifying some aggressive actions at the country's borders. Moscow claims that troop movements are being carried out on Russian territory and as part of ongoing military exercises.
Presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko arrived at the ice arena in Strelna after Wednesday's negotiations in St. Petersburg to take part in a friendly hockey match.
Putin has been coming out for years under his traditional 11th issue, Lukashenko – No. 1. Both politicians have joined the same team – for whites against reds.
Putin opened the score in the 3rd minute, Lukashenko scored the second goal into the opponent's goal.
Russian President Vladimir During a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Putin said that Russia and Belarus would hold a joint military exercise early next year. These maneuvers were previously announced by Alexander Lukashenko.
“As you suggested, we will hold them at the beginning of the year, the army will agree,” Putin said.
He added that exact dates had not yet been set, but events were scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.
Lukashenko again noted that “the exercise process should not be stopped.”
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Office sent a lawsuit to the head of Crimea Sergei Aksenov and former Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonska. They are accused of treason, according to the General Prosecutor's Office's press service. There are a total of eight defendants in the case. They are accused of high treason, interfering with Ukraine's territorial integrity and seizing power as part of a criminal organization.
The Ukrainian investigation believes that in February and March 2014 Poklonskaya, Aksenov and other officials “ created a criminal organization for the purpose of violent overthrow of the constitutional order and change the borders of Ukraine. & # 39; & # 39; They also helped Russia in subversive activities against Ukraine and damage sovereignty and territorial integrity, participated in the creation of the occupying authorities and led them, said the General Prosecutor's Office in Cape Verde.
People's militia self-proclaimed Luhansk People's the republic informed about the abduction of its employee by Ukrainian saboteurs. This is stated in his statement by the official representative of the department Ivan Filiponenko.
“On December 27, a Ukrainian sabotage group abducted special operations forces in violation of the current agreements of the People's Militia soldier of the People's Republic of Lugano,” the publication states on the People's Militia website.
It should be noted that there were traces of fighting and blood at the place where the soldier was abducted. The department is convinced that physical violence is currently being used against employees in order to force them to testify. Filipnonenko recalled that Ukraine's special services had previously abducted another LPR soldier as well as observers from the republic at the Andrey Kosjak Ceasefire Joint Control and Coordination Center. A representative of the department noted that the incidents were the result of OSCE inaction and a lack of response to Ukraine's violations. He called on international mission observers to respond to the abduction of the fighter and to make every effort to release him.
Read also: Kosachev said Russia had the right to use the army to defend Donbas
About half of Ukraine's adult population (45.1%) considers President Vladimir Zelenský to be a disappointment of the year, according to a survey by the Kucheriv Foundation Democratic Initiative and Social Services Center Razumkov. At the same time, 8.5% of respondents stated that they were disappointed by former President Petr Porošenko, 3.2% described the People's Deputy Viktor Medvedčuk as the “main disappointment” of the “OPZH”. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Dmitry Razumkov, People's Deputy Nikolai Tishchenko and Opportunity for the Life of People Ilya Kiva, as well as Prime Minister Denis Shmygal and Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko received 3% or less votes … Also 3% of respondents said that all these policies are considered a disappointment of the year.
17.3% of respondents described Zelenský as the policy of the year. Razumkov is in second place (8.1%), Poroshenko in third (8%).
8.5% of participants in the survey marked the symbol of the year and the man of the year, Poroshenko won 3.6% of the vote, Razumkov – 3.3%. Also on the list are former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (3.1%), businessman Elon Musk (3%) and US President Joe Biden (2.7%).
Japan's defense budget for fiscal year 2022 has increased by more than 1% compared to 2021. Officially, it's $ 5.4 trillion yen ($ 47.2 billion). She exceeded Russia's defense budget. According to experts, this is a remarkable fact, because it testifies to the revived military ambitions of the Land of the Rising Sun, which suffered a crushing defeat in World War II.
Photo: AP
In principle, Russia would not have to worry too much about its eastern neighbor's military spending. Well, she overtook and overtook. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently stated that in terms of the military budget, Russia is in fact in 9th place among the world's leading countries. The United States is ahead with a budget of $ 775 billion for 2022. Then China, which is still 2-3 times behind the United States in military spending, but 5 times ahead of Russia. In front of us is the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia … The budget for the defense of the Russian Federation is estimated at about $ 45 billion.
In the case of Japan, however, there is one circumstance that we should not forget. This country has territorial claims against Russia. He openly claims the 4 islands of the Kuril ridge, which Russia acquired after World War II.
And also Japan & ndash; the closest ally of the United States. In your territory & ndash; dozens of US military installations. The armed forces of Japan and the United States are so closely linked that they can be seen as the only military unit that poses a strategic threat to us in the Far East.
Recently, for example, a representative of the Japanese embassy in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with a Japanese-American naval exercise in the Hokkaido island area.
There are a total of 94 US military bases in the Japanese islands. US Soldiers Grouping & ndash; more than 50 thousand people. The United States spends about $ 9 billion a year to maintain its military infrastructure in Japan and is likely to grow in the coming years due to US plans to reduce China, well & nbsp; and Russia, of course. Japan's airports house US nuclear weapons carriers capable of hitting our cities in the Far East.
Well-known political scientist Semyon Bagdasarov commented on another diplomatic démarche by the Russian Foreign Ministry to Japan. This time, a protest was filed by representatives of the Japanese embassy in Moscow in connection with the exhibition in Tokyo dedicated to the South Kurils and the Japanese-American exercise Resolute Dragon 2021.
“ in the Pacific Ocean, & ndash; Bagdasarov wrote in his Telegram channel. & ndash; In no way will Japan accept that the islands were transferred to the Soviet Union as a result of World War II. And the United States is actively cooperating with the Allies not only on the western border but also in the east. So we have problems on all fronts. & # 39; & # 39;
We should therefore pay particular attention to Japan's military preparations. At the same time strengthen its Pacific fleet. It is no coincidence that a series of six Project 636.6 diesel-electric submarines are being built for it, armed with Kalibr long-range missiles. Nuclear missile launchers for the Borei-A and & # 39; Ash-M & # 39; projects are also being built. Some are armed with ICBM Bulava, while others do invulnerable hypersonic missiles Zircon. So probably before “Second Tsushima”, when the Japanese fleet sank the Russian squadron, it will not reach the Pacific Ocean.
Kiev Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko published a calendar in in 2022 with its famous reservations. The cover adorns the call “ look for tomorrow and the year. & # 39; & # 39;
The calendar pointed to a photo on his Instagram. There he insisted that he always look to tomorrow. The calendar itself is red. There is also an animated picture of a politician on the cover. The year 2222 is also in the corner. The head of the Ukrainian capital mistakenly congratulated its inhabitants.
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Publications by Vitaliy Klitschko (@vitaliyklitschko)
Previously, the former boxer, after his reservations, has repeatedly become the subject of general attention. Once he could not decide how many deputies he had, he said: “I have two deputies, four of whom have been in the cabinet for a month.”
Other reservations of the Kiev chief are known. In particular, he urged the people of Kiev to “ prepare for the ground, & # 39; & # 39; when he talked about the approaching winter. Klitschko also talked about the ability to predict. “Today, not everyone can watch tomorrow.” This means that not only anyone but very few people can & # 39; & # 39 ;, & ndash; he spoke on Ukrainian television.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko congratulated the city's residents on the year 2222: video
