Friday, December 19, 2025

Russia

France won’t let EU seize chunk of frozen Russian assets: FT 

France does not want to seize frozen Russian state funds held in private French banks, the Financial Times has reported, citing sources.

Germany warns of Russia threat to 2026 regional polls

Germany’s domestic spy chief has warned that Russia could step up sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns next year when the EU’s top economy, a strong backer of Ukraine, holds several regional elections.

NATO member states considering ‘cyber offensive’ against Russia: Politico

NATO’s European members are reportedly considering joint offensive cyber operations against Russia, Politico has reported, citing two senior EU government officials and three diplomats.

EU says its ability to pressure China over Ukraine is limited

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stated that the European Union’s ability to pressure China regarding its position on the Ukrainian war is limited.

Türkiye rejects US pressure to give up S-400s: Bloomberg

Ankara continues to resist Washington's demands to abandon its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, but is eager to make some concessions to the Americans on the issue, Bloomberg has reported.

Kremlin dismisses Lavrov fell out of favor with Putin after canceled Trump summit

Speculation that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov fell out of favor with Russian President Vladimir Putin is not true, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated.

NATO head claims military bloc outproducing Russia in ammo

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has claimed that the military bloc is now outproducing Moscow in ammunition, citing dozens of new production lines and the highest output “in decades.”

Putin claims NATO spy ship observed test of Russia’s nuclear-powered missile

Foreign military experts had the opportunity to observe and verify the capabilities of the Burevestnik cruise missile, which features a nuclear-powered turbojet engine and is technically capable of unlimited range, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated during a ceremony honoring those involved in the development of the new strategic weapon.

Russian oil exports to India raise despite US sanctions: Reuters

India's crude oil imports from Russia grew in October month-on-month, Reuters has reported, citing preliminary data from analytics firms Kpler and OilX.

Russia unveils new nuclear submarine

Russia held a ceremony to showcase its new nuclear submarine, the ‘Khabarovsk’ on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced. The vessel is designed to carry the massive torpedo-shaped nuclear-powered Poseidon drone.

Venezuela pursuing military aid from Iran, Russia, China: WaPo

Caracas has requested assistance from Tehran, Moscow and Beijing to strengthen its defenses amid the ongoing standoff with the US, the Washington Post claimed on Friday, citing US government documents.

Top Indian oil buyer to comply with Western sanctions against Russia

India’s top importer of Russian oil, the conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd, has announced that it will abide by Western sanctions, ending several days of speculation about how the company will manage new measures targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies.

US says wants Japan to stop buying Russian energy

Washington wants Japan to halt Russian energy imports, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has stated hours after President Donald Trump announced that India would stop purchasing oil from Moscow.

India says priority is consumers after Trump comments On halting Russian oil

India has announced that its energy priority was the interest of its citizens, after US President Donald Trump claimed New Delhi had promised it will stop buying Russian oil.

Trump claims Modi told him that India would stop importing Russian oil

US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him earlier Wednesday that he would stop Russian oil imports.

Al-Sharaa to Putin in Moscow: Syria seeks to ‘redefine’ Russia ties

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Russia’s President Vladimir Putin that Damascus seeks to “restore and redefine ties” with Moscow, a key ally of ousted longtime Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian president to pay first visit to Russia

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit Russia for a series of official meetings, according to sources close to the Syrian government.

MI5 warns UK politicians about ‘overt flattery’ from Russian and Chinese spies

MI5 has issued guidance to British politicians and their staff on how to spot potential Russian or Chinese spies in their day-to-day activities.

Russia could attack EU at any moment: Germany’s top spy

Germany’s new foreign intelligence chief has described Moscow as a direct threat to the EU, warning Russia's “icy peace” with the bloc could escalate into “heated confrontation” at any moment.

Putin says Russia to unveil new weapon soon

Moscow will soon make an announcement on a new weapon at its disposal, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, adding that trials have so far gone well.

India likely to buy more Russian oil: Bloomberg

New Delhi is likely to increase its oil purchases from Moscow in the coming months, with refiners in the South Asian nation being offered significant discounts, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Indian refiners asked to pay for Russian oil with Chinese yuan: Reuters

Traders are asking Indian state refiners to pay for Russian oil with Chinese yuan amid warming ties between New Delhi and Beijing, Reuters has reported, citing undisclosed trade sources.

UK may already be at war with Russia: Ex-head of MI5

Britain may already be at war with Russia because of the depth and intensity of cyber-attacks, sabotage and other hostile activity orchestrated by Moscow against London, according to a former head of MI5.

German military reveals expected losses from conflict with Russia

The German armed forces would expect to suffer 1,000 wounded soldiers a day in the event of a conflict with Russia, according to the head of the Bundeswehr’s medical service. Moscow has repeatedly denied any plans to attack NATO nations, calling such allegations “nonsense.”

Moldova arrests dozens over alleged Russian plot to stir up unrest around key election

Authorities in Moldova announced that they carried out 250 raids and detained dozens of people on Monday as part of an investigation into an alleged Russia-backed plan to incite "mass riots" and destabilise the country in the run-up to critical parliamentary elections.

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