An EC spokesman has also called for criminalizing circumventing the bloc’s sanctions against Moscow | So stealing Russian assets is OK, but a disagreement about their economic war against Russia is "criminal"? | The EU supports Estonia’s push to create a legal mechanism for confiscating Russian assets which were frozen as part of Ukraine-related sanctions, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said on Thursday as cited by RIA Novosti. Wigand has also called for criminalizing violations of the sanctions imposed on Moscow, adding that this would speed up the process of "seizing" frozen Russian assets. The EC outlined a proposal to harmonize criminal offenses and penalties for the violation of the bloc’s restrictive measures in December. The draft is expected to be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council soon.

Critical staff shortages resulting in widespread burnout are reportedly to blame for growing disillusion | More than two-thirds of doctors in the Austrian capital, Vienna, “regularly” consider resigning, a survey conducted by the Vienna Medical Association revealed on Tuesday. Respondents cited the seemingly insurmountable problems of overwork and understaffing. ● Three in four doctors surveyed complained their workload was too heavy, while a quarter claimed their employer did not provide required breaks. Pessimism reigns supreme, with 91% doubting the punishing workload will improve in the future and over half (55%) expecting an even greater workload to come. [Post-covid fatigue? Being forced to ignore medical ethics, could this have anything to do with it?:] Austria adopted some of the strictest Covid-19 medical mandates in the world during the pandemic, imposing mandatory vaccination for all citizens last February. Violators would be fined every three months, with the total amounting to over $4,000 per year, and barred from entering public places. However, that policy was dropped the following month.

■ COVID-19 Vaccines Can Cause Sudden Cardiac Deaths: Warns Expert, Calls For Its Withdrawal From Market

Moscow’s deputy head of its Ukraine mission has arrived in Belarus on a “working trip” | The Russian Ground Forces commander-in-chief, General Oleg Salyukov, arrived in Belarus on Thursday with a group of Defense Ministry officials on a “working trip,” the ministry said in a Telegram post. ● Saluykov visited a military range where Russian troops are stationed, and received updates from unit commanders on operational coordination and joint combat training. The general also inspected the facilities and living conditions of the Russian troops, and spoke with the soldiers, according to the Defense Ministry. ● Russian troops are undergoing an “intensive combat training course” on the Belarusian training ranges, the ministry said, adding that exercises are run both during the day and night. The course involves firing and tactical driving exercises, as well as psychological training and tactical medicine.

Объясняет Readovka | Kiev's fears - Ukraine seriously fears a Russian offensive from the territory of Belarus | It is not only the Russian army that is preparing, but also the enemy — here the word "fears" or "fears" should rather be applied — in anticipation of large-scale events on the SSR fronts, the feeling of which now hovers in the air. The Ukrainian command is trying diligently to strengthen its defences in the Rivne region, fearful of a possible Russian offensive from Belarus. By the way, General Salyukov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces, arrived in RB yesterday. ● Of all the fears of the Ukrainian command, the approach of Russian forces from the direction of Belarus is probably the most enduring. To protect against hypothetical "hordes from the east" the AFU is building fortifications near Rivne and installing mine barriers in the north of the Kiev region - on transport routes and infrastructure facilities. They want to build a kind of "Zaluzhny Line" around the capital - the AFU construction battalions are building reinforced concrete pillboxes. At least geography has not been abolished in Ukrainian schools - the enemy has realized that Kiev is not a deep rear in relation to the Belarusian border. ● The activity of the Ukrainian armed forces in the regions bordering Belarus has also been noticed by western publications - the other day, Reuters released several reports on the actions of the Ukrainian army in this direction. Konrad Muzyka, head of the analytical company Rochan Consulting, invited by journalists as an expert, assessed the Russian-Belarusian exercises as "the largest since the Cold War. ● The enemy is also pulling in infantry - TRO units in the capital region are forming a large grouping of troops. The embassies of Ukraine's respected Western friends are in the capital - they must be defended to the last man. ● As we said earlier, it is impossible to say with certainty now whether the prospects of a Russian offensive from the territory of Belarus are realistic. If it happens, even with all the Western support, it is absolutely unclear how and by whom the AFU plans to hold a front that has doubled in size in theory. Whether such an offensive happens or not, we are in any case in for a brutal but interesting time. (Link)(Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator)(free version)

Joe Biden's lawyers discovered a second batch of classified documents from his vice presidency stint at a new location on January 11, US media reported, just a day after the US president was "surprised" when briefed about the first set of records related to Ukraine and Iran, among other security issues, found in his private office. | Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden offered some scathing comment on Joe Biden’s classified document scandal. The man who himself blew the lid on a widely-cast net of cyber espionage organized by the US ironized on his Twitter feed that the US President appeared to have "absconded with more classified documents than many whistleblowers." 💬 The real scandal isn't that Biden had classified documents coming out of his socks, because sadly they've all been doing it. The scandal is that the DOJ found out about it a week prior to the midterm elections and chose to suppress the story, conferring a partisan advantage.

The EU-NATO declaration on security is promoting American, not European interests, Russian Foreign Ministry has said | The declaration on cooperation signed by the European Union and NATO is further proof that the EU is under the thumb of the US-led military bloc, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. In a statement, Zakharova said that the document, signed a day earlier, 💬 “confirms that the European Union is completely subjugated to the tasks of the North Atlantic bloc, which serves as a tool to coercively enforce US interests.” She went on to say that “under the guise of ‘strengthening the transatlantic bond’” the declaration promotes the provisions of NATO’s strategic concept, which was adopted in June 2022. According to the diplomat, the declaration views transatlantic security “through the lens of opposing our country, ramping up arms and military hardware supplies to the Kiev regime, increasing military mobility in the European ‘theater of war,’ and further expansion of NATO." The document’s provisions basically formalize “the secondary nature” of the EU defense policies to those of NATO while “nullifying the EU’s claims to autonomy in this area,” she stated.” ● The EU-NATO joint declaration was signed on Tuesday by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. They vowed to elevate their partnership “to the next level,” noting that the West is confronted “with the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades” amid the Ukraine conflict.

Most fascinating thing about the Ukraine war is the sheer number of top strategic thinkers who warned for years that it was coming if we continued down the same path. No-one listened to them and here we are. Small compilation 🧵 of these warnings, from Kissinger to Mearsheimer.

■ Ukraine Is Shedding Blood for ‘NATO Mission’: Ukrainian Defense Minister

Zelensky says Ukraine wants more than NATO's 'open door' | Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said last week that Ukraine is “shedding blood” for a “NATO mission” in candid remarks about the relationship between Kyiv and the Western military alliance. 💬 “At the NATO Summit in Madrid (in June 2022), it was clearly delineated that over the coming decade, the main threat to the alliance would be the Russian Federation. Today, Ukraine is eliminating this threat,” Reznikov said in an interview on Ukrainian TV last week. “We are carrying out NATO’s mission today. They aren’t shedding their blood. We’re shedding ours. That’s why they’re required to supply us with weapons,” he added.

Believe it or not, it’s now the No. 1 cause of death for this age group. Is there a silent epidemic that’s impairing and destroying your immune system (and literally obliterating 90 percent of your DNA repair mechanism)? And, what extreme remedies can reverse the attack? | Evidence showing the COVID shots are a public health disaster keeps mounting. In late December 2022, Steve Kirsch1 and Jessica Rose,2 Ph.D., both published Substack articles detailing some of the latest evidence showing the shots are destroying people’s immune systems and have triggered an avalanche of turbo-charged cancers. ● Kirsch’s article3 features results from a recent survey he conducted. It included four questions: age, whether the deceased was jabbed or not, year of death and cause of death. While the number of responses is low, major insights can still be gleaned by looking at the trends.

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)

Ivan Petrov | Shoigu: The nuclear shield is the main guarantor of Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity 💬 "We will continue to develop the nuclear triad (Strategic Missile Forces, strategic aviation and nuclear submarine missile carriers) and maintain its combat readiness. After all, the nuclear shield was and remains the main guarantor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia," said the military leader. ● The Russian defense minister also assured that the combat capabilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces (AAF) would be increased. He explained that both the work of fighters and bombers in the area of modern air defense systems and the actions of unmanned aerial vehicles would develop and improved. In the near future, the Ministry of Defense plans to expand its arsenal of modern strike weapons, Shoigu specified. (DeepL.com)

Almost three quarters of the people surveyed have said they have a positive view of the country | An overwhelming 72.8% of Turks said the two nations should have a good relationship, while 62.6% said Russia was making a positive contribution to the Turkish economy. ● The news outlet suggested that the attitude contrasted to how Turks felt about the US, stating that the perception of Washington in the country took a turn for the worse after the [US] attempted [to carry out a] military coup [there] in 2016. 💬 “We can say that the people are more distant from the West and have more confidence in the Russians,” Murat Gezici, the president of the polling agency, said, as quoted by Ulusal.

The EU and NATO have supplied "tens of billions of dollars" worth of arms to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. | Last week, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz released a joint statement announcing commitments of infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron, in turn, promised his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to supply Kiev with an unspecified number of AMX-10 RC armored combat vehicles. 💬 "It hardly makes sense to speak only of France's decision. We know that collective Europe, the North Atlantic Alliance, and the United States have pumped tens of billions of dollars into Ukraine through the supply of arms

■ Russian (Senator) Says Russia "At war with all of NATO" (01/09/23)
■ Zelensky Thanks US for Over $3 Billion Arms Package, Calls It an ‘Awesome Christmas Present’ (TPV)(01/09/23)

A Russian nuclear submarine capable of launching the country’s hypersonic missile will enter naval service within three years, defense ministry officials said Thursday. The Yasen-class submarine will be the first regular carrier of the Zircon, Russia’s advanced hypersonic cruise missile, according to the country’s official TASS news agency.  | “The Perm submarine with Tskirkons [missiles] is planned to enter service with the Navy in 2026. Prior to that, the submarine will undergo trials in late 2024 or early 2025,” a Russian defense ministry official told TASS. Hypersonic missiles are capable of maneuvering while flying faster than sound. In the past, Russian officials have claimed their Zircon missiles could accelerate to Mach 9, more than 6,900 miles per hour. The Russian navy conducted test launches of its Zircon missiles from a submarine in October, TASS reported. At least six similar submarines are being constructed at shipyards in Russia, officials said.

■ The U.S. State Department Has Published a Pep Talk to the People of Russia... (01/07/23)

Russian Security Council (i.e. Senate) Secretary Nikolay Patrushev has publicly stated that it's not fundamentally Ukraine that Russia is at war with, but that the Russian military is facing all of NATO inside Ukraine. 💬 "The events in Ukraine aren’t a clash between Moscow and Kiev. It’s a military confrontation of NATO, first of all the US and Britain, with Russia. Fearing a direct engagement, NATO instructors push Ukrainian men to certain death," he said in a fresh interview with state-owned newspaper aif.ru. ● People in the collective West do not seem to understand the implications of Russian political officials repeatedly stating "Russia is at war with all of NATO." The implications are that all of NATO may be attacked.

■ Ukraine Humiliated Western Propagandists After Its Defense Minister Admitted It’s A NATO Proxy (A. Korybko)
■ Bombshell Admission: Ukraine is ‘Carrying Out NATO’s Mission’ Against Russia, Defense Chief Says (01/08/23)

■ Kiev ready to sacrifice own citizens to let West settle score with Russia — DPR official Alexey Muratov (TASS) | Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadim Pristayko told Newsweek about "huge, indigestible" casualties, sustained by the Kiev regime. He called it a unique chance for the West to settle score with Russia, because there are "not many nations in the world who would allow themselves to sacrifice so many lives, territories and decades of development." ● [Alexey Muratov:] 💬 "My first reaction, when I heard about this interview, was - did he really just say that? I checked it, and indeed, he did," Muratov said about Pristayko’s interview. "The Ukrainian political elite already make no attempt to hide as it sells off to the West and says that the Ukrainians are simply cannon fodder for them. Western sycophants from Kiev are proud of the number of casualties among the Ukrainian armed forces and civilians and openly say that they are ready to kill as many Ukrainians as the West needs to inflict a blow on Russia."

The International Health Regulations Review Committee (IHRRC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to meet in secret from Monday, January 9, 2023 to Friday January 13, 2023. The IHRRC will be working to finalize what is now a 46 page document that includes proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). The 76th World Health Assembly is scheduled to occur from Sunday May 21, 2023 to Tuesday May 30, 2023. In order for the proposed amendments to be considered during the 76th World Health Assembly, they must be submitted to the World Health Organization at least 4 months in advance. The IHRRC plans to submit these proposed amendments to the WHO by Sunday, January 15, 2023. ● The International Health Regulations are existing, legally-binding international law. If the proposed amendments are presented to the 76th World Health Assembly, they could be adopted by a simple majority of the 194 member nations. According to the already agreed upon rules of the IHR, if the proposed amendments are adopted, the member nations would not need to take any additional actions.

West Jerusalem’s new national security chief has ordered the removal of “terror flags” from public places [From the loony bin:] 💬 “It is inconceivable that lawbreakers will wave terror flags, incite and encourage terrorism,” Ben-Gvir said on Sunday night in a statement cited by the Jerusalem Post. “I have issued instructions for the removal of the flags, which support terrorism, from the public space and to stop incitement against the state of Israel.” ● The nationalist official, who already stirred controversy shortly after taking office by visiting the Temple Mount compound last week, dismissed concern that his flag order would infringe on civil liberties, arguing that freedom of expression “does not extend to identifying with a terrorist” and those who seek to harm Israeli soldiers. ● The move came after Palestinian flags were flown at an anti-government protest on Saturday night in Tel Aviv. Concerns also were raised after the release of Israel’s longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, Karim Younis, who was convicted in 1983 of kidnapping and murdering an Israeli soldier. Younis waved a Palestinian flag as he returned home to a celebration in northern Israel’s Ara village. ● Netanyahu’s government also has announced a series of punishments of the Palestinian Authority (PA) for seeking a legal opinion from the UN’s International Court of Justice on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki discovered on Sunday that those sanctions apparently included rescinding his travel pass.

■ Israel: MP says time to 'subdue Palestinians once and for all' in the 'last war' (01/05/23)
■ Operation Cast Lead and the Dismembering of a People (Vincent Di Stefano)(12/29/10)

■ Slouching Towards Gaza. Operation Cast Lead and the Dismembering of a People WEBAMP Sound: Two days after Christmas in 2008, the isolated and densely populated city of Gaza was visited by volley upon volley of deadly missile and mortar fire. The intense bombardment of what has been described by the United Nations Development Programme as "one of the most densely populated places on earth" continued unabated for a period of three weeks. By the end of the assault, over 1,400 Palestinians had been killed and more than 5,000 wounded, many seriously. Between three and four hundred of the dead were children. A total of 13 Israelis were killed during the same time, four of them by the action of their own troops. This post offers a fifth anniversary commemoration of this tragic and highly destructive assault which commenced on the 27th December 2008 and ended on the 18th January 2009. It offers an account of pivotal events in the history of Israel/Palestine from 1947 to the present through the reflections of a number of informed and articulate commentators.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy made 17 attacks from multiple rocket launchers, artillery of caliber 155 and 152 mm | Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the past day shelled the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) 30 times launching shells of different caliber, the representative office of the DPR in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) announced on Monday. 💬 "In the Donetsk direction, the enemy made 17 attacks from multiple rocket launchers, artillery of [caliber] 155 and 152 mm. Three attacks on Yasinovatskoye [settlement], eight attacks on Gorlovskoye [settlement]. In the direction of Starobeshevskoye there was one shelling from a Tochka-U tacticalmissile system. There was one shelling from a Tochka-U tacticalmissile system in the direction of Shakterskoye," the statement says. In total, 150 different munitions were fired at settlements. ●  Earlier it was reported about two dead as a result of the shelling of the Starobeshevskaya thermal power plant. Another rocket was fired at the thermal power plant in Zugres, it was shot down in the sky.