Elena Panina (Елена Панина) | The harsh reaction of the collective West, which has taken the maximum possible sanctions against Russia, continues to have a negative impact on the economies of the EU countries above all. At the same time, the leverage of the West is weakening considerably in a confrontation that the parties involved perceive not as just another regional conflict, but as an existential confrontation in fact. | Europe, which has entered the sanctions arena as a fearless gladiator with NATO as its shield, is gradually having to admit that, despite all its desire to punish Moscow for its political independence, the West is running out of trump cards. The backlash against the EU economy cannot be concealed, nor can Russia be stopped. "Nine sanctions packages and less than zero impact!" - lamented MEP Guy Verhofstadt, for example. ● 2022 was a year of lost illusions - both in the West and in Russia. But while Moscow seems to have said goodbye to the possibility of equal political and economic cooperation with the West, European politicians are not yet ready to admit that the period of development of EU countries was largely due to cheap Russian resources and not to the brilliance of Brussels bureaucrats. (Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator) (free version)

German mask mandates are quietly withdrawn one after the other, as it finally dawns on the broader public and politicians that they're stupid and pointless | On 8 December, Sachsen-Anhalt ended mask mandates on public transit, and on 10 December, Bavaria did the same. What proceeded to happen to rates of infection, hospitalisation and death in these two federal states, was precisely nothing.

Seven-day Covid infection incidence in Germany by federal state. I’ve added blue, green and orange vertical lines to mark the end of public transit mask mandates in Sachsen-Anhalt, Bavaria, and Schleswig-Holstein, respectively. You can see that mask mandates have zero influence on infections.

The Swiss town of Davos will host 52 heads of state and government and nearly 600 CEOs as the World Economic Forum hosts its annual meeting in the Alps next week, organizers said Tuesday.
■ The Swiss town of Davos will host 52 heads of state and government and nearly 600 CEOs as the World Economic Forum hosts its annual meeting in the Alps next week, organizers said Tuesday.
■ Forum organizers said their latest lineup for the elite gathering of political leaders, business executives, cultural trend-setters and international organization chiefs will tackle issues facing a divided world as 2023 begins, with war and conflict, economic pressures and climate change in focus.
■ “There is no doubt that our 53rd annual meeting in Davos will happen against the most complex geopolitical and economic backdrop in decades,” said forum President Borge Brende, pointing to challenges like the threat of global recession, soaring energy and food prices, and the need to better address global warming. (Read the full article )

■ Switzerland to Deploy 5,000 Army Troops to protect World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos
■ 1,500 Private Jets Descend on Davos Carrying Globalist Elite for Climate Talks
■ WEF Prepares Robust Globalist Agenda for Davos 2023

Russian forces also struck amassed Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 50 militants in the past day, Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported | Russian forces have destroyed 200 Ukrainian combat helicopters since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Monday. ● "In all, the following targets have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation: 367 warplanes, 200 helicopters, 2,856 unmanned aerial vehicles, 400 surface-to-air missile systems, 7,460 tanks and other combat armored vehicles, 972 multiple rocket launchers, 3,793 field artillery guns and mortars and 7,978 special military motor vehicles," the spokesman said. ● Russian forces struck amassed Ukrainian manpower and military hardware in the Kupyansk area, eliminating over 50 militants in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

NATO states have long been indirect parties to the Moscow-Kiev face-off through their arms deliveries, Moscow says | The US and NATO are already taking part in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, although indirectly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday. He was commenting on a statement made earlier by the secretary of Russia’s national security council, Nikolay Patrushev, who called the ongoing hostilities a "confrontation of NATO… with Russia." 💬 The US and its allies, including the NATO nations, "pump Ukraine full of arms, [share] technologies, and intelligence data… Their involvement in this conflict is obvious," the spokesman for Russian president Vladimir Putin said.

■ Using Ukraine as a Bloodied Pawn (Ted Galen Carpenter)
■ Europe, NATO 'Pumped Tens of Billions of Dollars' of Arms Supplies Into Ukraine: Kremlin (01/10/23)

A shockingly bloody day of violence threatened to upend the new coup-borne regime’s grip on power as Peruvians reacted with horror to the deadliest day so far in the political struggle that has rocked the country for over a month. | Thousands of Peruvians took to the streets throughout the country on Tuesday as memorial services were held in the city of Juliaca for the 17 people killed Monday in what victims families’ are calling a “massacre” by the Andean country’s security forces. At least two of the deceased – a boy and a girl – were reportedly children. According to a health ministry official in the Puno region of Peru, another 68 victims suffered injuries in Monday’s violence. ● Videos showing several of the killings circulated widely on social media Monday night, as condemnations rolled in from across the globe. 💬 “In the name of the sacred right to life, of the rights of indigenous peoples recognized by UN and international organizations, in the name of peace and social justice, we demand that the massacre of our brothers in Perú stop,” wrote former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was labeled ‘persona non grata’ and barred from entering the country just hours beforehand. ● It was by far the deadliest day of the chaos that has wracked Peru since its first working-class indigenous president, Pedro Castillo, was overthrown last month. Castillo has been jailed ever since, following what leaders of countries throughout the region have condemned as a coup d'état.

Norway, one of the world's top exporters of energy, rose to the role of the EU's leading supplier following the bloc's massive sanctions campaign against Russia over the special op in Ukraine. However, the windfall profits fueled accusations of mercantilism from embattled European nations amid an energy crisis. | Norway has awarded dozens of new offshore oil and gas exploration permits to 25 companies in the latest licensing round. Of the 47 drilling permits, 29 involve the North Sea, 16 the Norwegian Sea and two the Barents Sea in the Arctic. ● Norwegian state-controlled energy giant Equinor (formerly known as Statoil) was the single biggest recipient with stakes in 26 of the licenses, while Norwegian independent oil company Aker BP won stakes in 17 licenses. ● The licensing came amid expectations of record oil output voiced by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate earlier this week. Norway's oil production is expected to rise by 6.9 percent in 2023, while gas volumes are forecast to remain unchanged near record highs. ● Investment by oil and gas producers, including in exploration, is expected to rise to NOK 189 billion ($19.1 billion) this year and peak at NOK 202 billion ($20.2 billion) in 2025.

■ West-bound Russian oil diverted to Asia (RT.com)