Stoltenberg referred to the buildup of troops saying "Russian military build up has not stopped. It continues" with "armoured units, artillery, combat-ready troops, electronic warfare equipment and a lot of different military capabilities".

Tokayev Says Constitutional Order Mostly Restored - A day after Russia began shipping in troops, the president of Kazakhstan says that constitutional order has mostly been restored in the country with security forces maintaining an appearance of control over the streets.

Kazakh Media Claims Rioter Terrorists Foreign Trained By Single Command - Kazakh media is reportedly claiming that rioters are 'foreign trained terrorists' that speak Arabic and have all been trained by a single command.

The media claimed they speak Arabic, Tokayev has made no such claims but did claim that they are terrorists that were trained by a single command.

Russian Airborne Troops With Law Enforcement Takes Control Of Almaty Airport - The Russian Ministry of Defense has stated that Russian airborne troops along with law enforcement have taken over full control of the Almaty airport in Kazakhstan.

Russian MPs Calling For Permanent Russian Troop Deployment In Kazakhstan - Russian MPs are reportedly calling for Russian troop deployment in Kazakhstan to be permanent "to combat undesirable phenomena in the country and protect the Russian speaking population".

Kazakhstan Troops Ordered To Fire On Rioting Citizens Without Warning - Kazakhstan's leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has told security forces to 'fire without warning' on rioting citizens.

Tokayev has said that foreign trained 'terrorists' are responsible for the rioting and blamed '20,000 bandits' for attacking the city of Almaty but did not give any evidence to that affect.

So far the interior ministry has said that 26 'armed criminals' and 18 security officers are known to have been killed.

2,500 soldiers from the Russian led CSTO have arrived in Kazakhstan. Tokayev gave 'special thanks' to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the assistance.

Kazakhstan has reportedly shut down all its borders with Kyrgyzstan, presumably for mutual security as Almaty is located near the shared border.

Russia has sent in paratroopers to help put down the uprising in Kazakhstan as violence continues in its main city of Almaty on Thursday

Two members of Kazakhstan's security forces have been found decapitated. Tokayev has stated that the 'terrorists' must be destroyed.

January 6, 2022 | European Command News

President Of Kazakhstan Requests Help From Russia And CSTO - The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has reportedly requested help from Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO which consists of post-Soviet states to help restore order.

The CSTO consists of the following countries: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Tokaev called the rioters trained terrorists. Russia is reportedly ready and willing to help on the condition that Kazakhstan recognize Crimea, switch back to Cyrillic and make Russian the second national language in Kazakhstan.


A convoy of Belarusian troops and military vehicles are reportedly on their way to Kazakhstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered assistance to Kazakhstan immediately.

Dozens of rioters are reported to have been killed after security forces began firing at rioters in Almaty..

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January 5, 2022 | European Command News

State Of Emergency Declared In Kazakhstan - The President of Kazakhstan has declared a two week state of emergency in two of the countries regions after thousands took the streets over the price of gas doubling. Night curfew has been put into place and rioters were hit with tear gas after the President vowed 'maximum toughness'.

President Of Kazakhstan Announces He Is Taking Over - President of Kazakhstan Tokayev has reportedly announced that he is taking over as chairman of the Security Council and will be staying in the Capital. Kazakhstan President Tokayev has vowed 'maximum toughness' in an address to the nation and announced that Nazarbayev is no longer the chairman of the Security Council.

Revolt Against Government In Kazakhstan Which Borders Russia - The President of Kazakhstan has reportedly accepted the government's resignation after reports that its people demanded the government resign over hiking fuel prices as #Russia reversed the flow of gas to Europe.

The government reportedly offered to lower fuel prices but after demands that the government resign the President reportedly accepted his resignation.

Gas prices in Europe skyrocketed to more than 30% due to low supplies from Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin altered the flow of fuel from where it was flowing from Siberia to Europe and instead changed its flow eastward.

Three days before Christmas the flow of gas from Yamal, Russia to Europe reversed direction in a move that puts pressure on Europe.

Rioters have stormed the government building in the largest city of Almaty

Russia and Belarus are now putting out propaganda blaming the West and social media influence for the instability in Kazakhstan.

A Russian spokesperson said that Kazakhstan authorities have not requested aid from Russia.

There are currently reports from all over Kazakhstan that users are no longer able to upload files or send messages over the internet.

Explosions have been heard at the administrative City Hall building in Aktau, Kazakhstan as rioters lay siege to the building.

Kazakhstan forces are using stun grenades on the rioters.

Reports coming in that several fighters of the Kazakhstan National Guard joined the rioters and took several armored vehicles over with them in Aktau.

January 3, 2022 | European Command News

Professor: Russia Has Made It Clear That Imposing Sanctions Will Be Seen As An 'Act Of War' - Curtin University Political analyst Joe Siracusa stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear to Biden that imposing sanctions would be seen as an 'act of war' after Biden threatened Putin with sanctions over Ukraine.


Biden warned Putin that the United States could impose sanctions against Russia if they continue to invade Ukraine. Putin responded saying that a US move could lead to a complete collapse of ties between the US and Russia.

Professor Siracusa told Sky News Australia "Putin’s made it very clear – drastic sanctions will be considered an act of war".

"He even told the president I hope our descendants don’t judge us badly by it. This is probably the most serious crisis we’re going to have in early 2022." he stated.

January 2, 2022 | European Command News

US General Wants To Add Battle Groups In Romania And Bulgaria - The top U.S. General in Europe is seeking to reinforce NATO's eastern flank by adding battle groups in Romania and Bulgaria ahead of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

General Tod Wolters proposed the additional battle groups with a total of 1,500 personnel to allied military chiefs in a video call according to German news Der Spiegel.

Wolters also suggested that allies use satellites and sensors to monitor threats in eastern Europe and immediately share the data with the alliance according to Der Spiegel.

This move would defy Russian demands that NATO withdraw all forces from eastern Europe.

Ukraine Enacts Law That Prohibits Russian Vessels From Accessing Ukrainian Waters - Ukraine has enacted a new law that prohibits Russian vessels from entering internal waters within Ukraine.

Ukrinform stated that the the relevant document was posting on the Supreme Council of Ukraine website and prohibits any vessels under the authority of the 'aggressor state' from transporting passengers and cargo between river ports. Cabotage voyages of registered Russian vessels are also prohibited.

Ukrinform also said that "In particular, the registration of Russian vessels in the State Vessel Register of Ukraine is prohibited" and that "the internal waters of the country include such rivers as the Dniester, Danube and Dnieper".

January 1, 2022 | European Command News

Intel Shows Russia Still Sending Troops To Ukrainian Border - New intel shows that Russia is still sending troops to the Ukrainian border as of December 30th, 2021.

The Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), a group of independent Russian investigators as well as Ukriniform, a Ukrainian multimedia broadcasting company reported on December 30th, 2021 that Russia continues to send troops to the Ukrainian border and setting up new camps, joined with more tanks, howitzers and sophisticated air defense systems.

The intelligence article stated "As new virtual summits and talks with the U.S., NATO and OSCE are being announced, Russian forces keep arriving into border regions. Open-source data shows how the earlier discovered camps are growing, new camps are set up, while tanks and howitzers are joined by sophisticated air defense systems".

The CIT report stated that over the past month troops and vehicles are being actively transported to the north-east and south-east regions of Ukraine, regions that do not border the 'rebel' territories in Eastern Ukraine which is outside government control.


The report stated that Russian forces are currently being concentrated in different areas, including Klintsy and Klimovo in Bryansk region which is less than 50km and 10km from the Ukrainian border.

An increased concentration in vehicles was also reported near Valuyki Belgrod about 10km from the Ukrainian border as well as an increase in Russian forces in Crimea.

December 31, 2021 | European Command News

Lavrov: If Constructive Response Does Not Come From West We Will Take All Necessary Measures - Minister of Russian Foreign Affairs, Lavrov said that if the West does not have a constructive response and continues with its 'aggressive line' then all necessary measures will be taken to eliminate unacceptable threats to Russia's security.

Sergeĭ Viktorovich Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated, "If a constructive response does not follow within a reasonable time and the West continues its aggressive line, then Russia will be forced to take all necessary measures to ensure a strategic balance and eliminate unacceptable threats to our security".

Press Secretary Statement On Biden's Phone Call With Putin - In a statement put out by Press secretary Jen Psaki regarding Biden's phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden urged Russia to de-escalate tensions and said the U.S. will 'respond decisively' if Russia 'further invades Ukraine'.

The statement read "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. President Biden urged Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine.

He made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine. President Biden also expressed support for diplomacy, starting early next year with the bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, at NATO through the NATO-Russia Council, and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

President Biden reiterated that substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation".

December 30, 2021 | European Command News

Russia Welcomes More Joint Military Drills With Belarus - Russian President Vladimir Putin is welcoming more joint military drills with Belarus.

Putin stated that the new round of joint military drills between the two countries will be held in February or March in Belarus.

US Embassy In Ukraine Making Evacuation Preparations - The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine is making emergency evacuation preparations in case it has to evacuate non-emergency personnel or families of diplomats according to internal emails obtained by ABC News.

The U.S. embassy in Kyiv is also seeking to add additional security staff to fill in temporarily next month as "permanent staff continue Emergency Preparations in case of Authorized or Ordered Departure".

According to ABC News the State Department confirmed on Wednesday that they are "conducting normal contingency planning, as we always do, in the event the security situation severely deteriorates".


December 29, 2021 | European Command News

U.S. And Russia Set To Hold Security Talks On January 10th - The U.S. and Russia are set to hold security talks on January 10th. Each will address concerns each has about the other's military activity and address tensions over Ukraine.

The European Union has also voiced that they demand to be included in the security deal.

European Union foreign affairs chief Joseph Borrell said "saying "Any discussion about European security must happen in coordination with and participation of EU".

The Biden administration also announced the January 10th meeting and said that Russia and NATO are likely going to hold talks on January 12th.

Another meeting on January 13th was also announced that would include Russia, Washington and European countries.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that he hopes talks with the U.S. in Geneva will start the process to give Russia security guarantees.

Russia Claims Ukraine May Attack Crimea Early 2022- Russian State Duma deputy Mikhail Delyagin claims that Ukraine aims to attack Crimea in early 2022 due to Ukraine's 'bad internal situation of absolute hopelessness'.

"There is a real threat of an attack on Russia, they (Ukrainians. - Ed. note) are being prepared for this, but they don't really want it. <...> They are pushed to it very strongly by the West" Delyagin stated.

"We will enter the risk zone, I'm afraid, somewhere at the beginning of February and we will sit in this risk zone until the middle of March, maybe until the end of March" he added.

Moscow repeatedly denies claims that Russia is planning to attack Ukraine despite Russia having amassed a great number of forces, military equipment and artillery near their shared border with Ukraine.

Russia: NATO Refusing To Speak To Us On Equal Basis - Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin stated on Monday that NATO is refusing to speak to Russia on an equal basis and maintain an 'equal' dialogue.

"The alliance has been ignoring Russia’s interests and avoiding an equal discussion of the existing problems. For instance, in 2009, it turned down Russia’s proposal to sign a new comprehensive agreement on mutual security guarantees amid a chill in bilateral relations following the developments in Georgia in 2008" he stated.

He spoke of proposals the Russian Armed Forces General Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov allegedly gave over to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel in 2017 with proposals on the normalization of relations.

"One of these proposals was to maintain high-level contacts. However, talks held in a period from 2016 to 2021 demonstrated that the alliance is not ready for substantive talks between the military and is seeking to avoid concrete de-escalation solutions, and hence, is turning down all Russian initiatives".

Fomin also stated that the proposals that were given over included the exchange of information on known terrorist threats.

Ukraine Begins Conscription Of Women Into Military Amid Threat Of Russian Invasion - On December 17th Ukraine began mandatory conscription of women into their military of ages between 18 and 60 who are 'fit for military service' amid a looming threat of a Russian invasion.


Oleksandra Ustinova, a member of Ukraine's national parliament stated "This is not about conscription after reaching some age, as it is for men. It is about conscription in the wartime. And considering more than 122,000 Russian troops are at our borders, the decision seems logical, timely, and sensible".

"This sends a powerful signal to Moscow that Ukrainians are ready to resist", Ustinova said to Coffee or Die Magazine. "Although we strive for introduction of the contract army, in current situation, the decision to educate as many people as possible to hold arms and to be ready to serve seems a good one".

Ukraine Intelligence Says Russia Continues To Increase Forces Near Its Border - Ukrainian intelligence says that Russia continues to increase forces, combat equipment, artillery and armored vehicles near the Ukrainian border.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated "The command of the Russian Federation's Defense Ministry continued to increase the operational capabilities of the Russian occupying forces on the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions during the course of the current year".

The statement continued, "In particular, the occupants transported by rail and automobile transport from the Russian territory to the units of the 1st (Donetsk) and 2nd (Luhansk) Army Corps with munitions, combat equipment, ammunition and ammunition, radioelectronic warfare equipment, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The occupants also used the so-called "humanitarian convoys" for the supply of military materiel".

"Currently, Russia has significantly increased deliveries of armored combat vehicles, both new and refurbished or upgraded at Russian repair facilities, to units and units of the occupying forces".

"In addition, to the enemy's units for the staffing of troops for specific military specialties, especially for riflemen, snipers, artillerymen, Russian military servicemen and mercenaries from the Russian Federation are sent to the occupation with specific military specialties, especially the rogue soldiers, snipers, artillerymen and radio-electronic warfare".

Russia Forms New Airborne Assault Regiment In Crimea - A Russian Commander of the Russian Airborne Troop has announced that Russia has formed a new airborne assault regiment in Crimea.

Russian Armed Forces Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov said "Two airborne assault regiments have been formed in Pskov and Crimea as part of airborne assault divisions, which have strengthened the combat potential of our Armed Forces in the west and in the south of the country".

U.S. Navy Orders Warships To Stay in Mediterranean Sea Amid Tensions With Russia - The U.S. Navy has ordered its warships to stay in the Mediterranean Sea amid tensions with Russia regarding Ukraine.

The warships, which include the USS Harry S. Truman and five accompanying vessels were set to navigate to the Middle East region but were ordered to stay in the Mediterranean Sea due to renewed tensions and Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border.


U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to the Associated Press on Tuesday and said that the Navy felt the need for a 'persistent presence' in Europe after many intelligence reports that Russia intends on invading Ukraine by the end of January or early February of 2022.

The continued pretense of U.S. forces in Europe defy Russian demands that the United States and NATO withdraw all troops and forces out of eastern Europe.

The Harry Truman strike group consists of five ships, including the USS San Jacinto cruiser, three guided missile destroyers USS Cole, USS Brainbridge, USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham. The Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen is also with them.

The Harry S. Truman left Norfolk, Virginia, its home port on December 1st and began navigating in the Mediterranean Sea on December 14th. It was scheduled to navigate from there to the Middle Eastern Gulf Region before it was commanded to remain in the Mediterranean.

December 28, 2021 | European Command News

Russian Defense Ministry Warns High Risk Of Armed Conflict Over Ukraine - MOSCOW - Russia's Foreign Ministry warned foreign ambassadors that there is a 'high risk' of conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Full Article

December 27, 2021 | European Command News

Russia Says We're Close To A Situation Where Diplomacy Will Play A Subordinate Role - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told International Affairs magazine that we are close to a point where diplomacy will play a subordinate role and where 'we will be unable to reconcile ourselves with current events'.

"I would not like to discuss an escalation scenario. I believe that we are close to a point where diplomacy, however crucial and effective, will be playing a subordinate role" he stated.

"We are not putting forward any ultimatums," he said. "But the logic is pushing us towards a situation where will be unable to reconcile ourselves with the current events, to swallow all this and to pretend that nothing is happening".

"Political and diplomatic means must be employed for settling the situation. We have already said how it is to be settled. We are calling upon one and all to take the most serious attitude to this and to avoid looking for something far-fetched or excessive in our proposals".

Russia however continues to build up troops and artillery on the Ukrainian border and reiterating its demands to the U.S. and NATO.

Russia Says They Do Not Rule Out That West Is Planning A 'Small War' In Ukraine - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that he does not rule out that the West is planning a 'small war' in ukraine so that they can accuse Moscow of it and then impose sanctions to restrict Russia's capabilities.

"I do not rule out that there is a desire to fuel militaristic sentiments in Ukraine, to make 'a little war,' then blame us and impose another sanctions to suppress our competitive capabilities" Lavrov stated. He also said that if sanctions are imposed then 'they will never be lifted'.


Despite accusations and propaganda by Russia that the United States wants a war, Russia continues to send heavy artillery, tanks and soldiers to positions near the Ukrainian border and threatens the US and NATO consequences for not meeting their demands not to allow Ukraine into NATO and to withdraw all forces from Eastern Europe.

Russia Says They Are Not Bluffing With Their Demands To U.S. And NATO - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Foreign Affairs magazine on Monday that Russia is not bluffing with their demands to the United States and NATO.

"When we say loud and clear that we demand an official withdrawal of the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest summit relating to Ukraine and Georgia’s [intentions] to join NATO, <...> when we say that further expansion of NATO needs to be prevented, when we say that NATO facilities and all kinds of activities that are provocative for Russia need to be rolled back to the positions that existed in 1997 when the NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed, we are not bluffing" Ryabkov stated.

"These are our real proposals. The West’s awareness of this needs to be facilitated and we are going to make every effort to achieve it" he added.

German And Russian Envoys To Meet Regarding Ukraine - German and Russian Envoys have agreed to meet in person in January to attempt to ease tensions between Russia and Ukraine according to Reuters.

While the United States believes that Russia intends to invade Ukraine, Germany has doubts about this being the case and wants to de-escalate tensions through diplomacy. Some believe however that Germany is being soft on Russia due to its dependency on Russian gas.

Putin Boasts About Latest Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile Test - At a joint meeting of the State Council and Council for Science and Education Putin boasted about the latest successful Tsirkon hypersonic missile test Russia carried out on December 24th.

"Last night or, to be more exact, this morning, the Tsirkon hypersonic system was salvo-launched. This is our advanced missile that can hit both seaborne and ground targets. The tests were successful and smooth. This is a big event in the country’s life and a considerable step towards enhancing Russia’s security and its defense capability" Putin stated.

Putin also addressed Denis Manturov, the Industry and Trade Minister and asked him to "convey the best regards and congratulations to the staffs that worked on this system and thank all for the result and express the sincerest words of gratitude to all the developers, designers, engineers and workers — all those who were involved in this work".

Russia: Accepting Finland And Sweden Into NATO Will Trigger Response -Accepting Sweden and Finland into NATO will have 'serious' military and political consequences that won't be left unanswered by Russia according to Russia's Foreign Ministry.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that NATO's attempts to "draw those countries into the orbit of its interests and opportunistic policies".


"It’s quite obvious that Finland and Sweden joining NATO … would have serious military and political consequences that would require an adequate response from the Russian side" she stated.

At a June summit, NATO vowed to bolster ties saying "n support of our common security, including by crisis management preparation, exercises, and exchanging information and analysis".

Zakharova also addressed the documents that Russia issued to NATO and the United States addressing their demands, saying "ruling out the expansion of NATO and the deployment of weapon systems that threaten our security near the Russian borders are going to be the main, key issues at the upcoming talks with the US and NATO".

British Ready To Pull Their Troops In Ukraine In Event Of Invasion - British Commanders have drawn up contingency plans to evacuate all of the British troops from Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion.

Britain has over 100 troops in training and advisory roles with US, Polish and Canadian forces in Ukraine.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says that it is 'highly unlikely' that British forces will be fighting Russian troops on Ukrainian soil.

U.S. Intelligence Did Say Russia Would Obfuscate Intel By Moving Troops Back And Forth - Regarding the 10,000 troops Russia has reportedly moved away from the border, U.S. intelligence did say that Russia would likely move battalion and tactical groups to and from the border 'to obfuscate intentions and to create uncertainty'.

All forces necessary to invade Ukraine are present. It is likely that the 10,000 troops pulled from the border were done with the intention to obfuscate intentions and create uncertainty, just as what was predicted by US intelligence in the beginning of December.

December 26, 2021 | European Command News

NATO Invites Russia To Council Meeting On January 12th - NATO has invited Russia to a council meeting on January 12th between both NATO and Russia, and Russia is reportedly 'considering it' but insits it wants its demands met.

"The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has decided to convene a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on 12 January 2022 in his capacity as the Chair of the NATO-Russia Council. We are in contact with Russia as regards the meeting" NATO's press service stated.

"As the North Atlantic Council made clear in its December 16 statement on the situation in and around Ukraine, "any dialogue with Russia would have to proceed on the basis of reciprocity, address NATO’s concerns about Russia’s actions, be based on the core principles and foundational documents of European security, and take place in consultation with NATO’s European Partners"

The Russian news agency TASS said that a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman told them "We have already received this proposal. We are considering it".

TASS also reported that Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said "Russia is ready for direct dialogue with NATO on Russia’s draft agreements on security guarantees that would exclude NATO’s further eastwards expansion and deployment of its weapons in the exact proximity to the Russian borders".


Russia To Take Military Measures If NATO Rejects Its Demands - Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he is pondering a slew of options if the West fails to meet his demands for security guarantees, including military measures.

Putin has urged the West to move quickly to meet Russia's demands and said that if the West continues its 'aggressive' course they will take adequate military measures.

When Putin was asked what Russia's response would be in particular, he said 'it could be diverse. It will depend on what proposals our military experts submit to me'.

Russia had submitted their demands that NATO and the US withdraw forces from Eastern Europe as well as withdraw their promise to Ukraine about future membership which the US and NATO have already rejected.

"We didn’t do it just to see it blocked ... but for the purpose of reaching a negotiated diplomatic result that would be fixed in legally binding documents" Putin stated.

Russia continues to claim that their recent aggressive moves are because NATO membership for Ukraine is a red line for Russia.

"We have nowhere to retreat" Putin stated, saying that it would take only 4 to 5 minutes for NATO missiles deployed in Ukraine to reach Russia. "They have pushed us to a line that we can’t cross. They have taken it to the point where we simply must tell them; ‘Stop!’".

"We have just one goal — to reach agreements that would ensure the security of Russia and its citizens now and in a long-term perspective" Putin stated.

A senior Biden official said that "there are some things in those documents that the Russians know will be unacceptable" that the Biden administration will not likely agree on.

December 25, 2021 | European Command News

Russia Test Fires Cruise Missile From Sea Of Japan - Russia has reportedly test fired a cruise missile from a submarine in the Sea of Japan, hitting a target on land about 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) away.

The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a diesel-electric submarine fired the cruise missile at a training ground located on the Russian shore according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The training operation also included covert movement and navy vessel support, along with drones and aircraft.

Russia - No Discussion For Next Meeting Between US And Russia Underway - Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov says there is no discussion currently underway regarding a meeting between Biden and Putin.

"No discussion on it is underway, not by a long shot" Peskov stated, saying that a meeting between the United States and Russia will only be possible after security guarantees are provided to Russia.

"We have said that it will probably occur in January. And we will expect particular answers to questions raised" he stated.

Over 10,000 Russian Troops Returning To Base After Drills - Over 10,000 Russian troops are returning to their permanent bases after drills near the Ukrainian border according to the Russian military.

Interfax, quoting the Russian military stated "A stage of combat coordination of divisions, combat crews, squads at motorized units... has been completed. More than 10,000 military servicemen... will march to their permanent deployment from the territory of the combined arms' area of drills".


Ukraine estimates there are still between 100,000 and 120,000 Russian troops stationed near its border.

Russia: US Sending Thousands Of Military Personnel To Ukrainian Front Lines - Russian state run news RT has reported that the US is sending 'thousands of military personnel' to Ukrainian front lines. Full Article

December 24, 2021 | European Command News

UN Delegations Joint Statement: Russia Has Used a UN Security Council Event To Proclaim False Narratives - A joint statement of 36 delegations to the United Nations states that Russia has used a UN Security Council event to proclaim false narratives against other states.

Russia organized an event at the UN Security Council against the glorification of Nazism to voice false accusations against the Baltic states and Ukraine.

The statement said that Russia used the event "to make cynical and unfounded accusations against Member States, to distort history for its own political purposes, and to promote a false narrative and disinformation on neighboring countries".

The document stated that the timing of the event was 'especially troubling, coming against the backdrop of Russian military build-up on the Crimean peninsula and on Ukraine's borders'.

According to the authors of the statement, the UN charter prohibits threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political Independence of any state.

The document states "Any further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and a severe cost in response".

The 36 Western Delegations involved in authoring the statement calls on Russia to stop its hostile disinformation campaign against Ukraine, to de-escalate tensions and "withdraw without delay the forces and equipment it has stationed in the country without Ukraine's consent".

Russia Threatens That Accepting Ukraine Into NATO Could Lead To Military Conflict In Europe - Russian Foreign Minister Sergeĭ Viktorovich Lavrov threatened that accepting Ukraine into NATO and deploying missiles near Russia's borders could lead to a large military conflict in Europe.

Sputnik news reported Lavrov saying "The policy to draw Ukraine into NATO and deploy missiles near Russia's borders provokes serious military risks, up to a large-scale conflict in Europe".

Lavrov stated "The line of drawing Kiev into NATO with the prospect of the appearance of attack missile systems near our borders creates unacceptable threats to the security of Russia, provoking serious military risks for all parties involved, up to a large-scale conflict in Europe".

Lavrov also said: "Speaking about the Russian-US relations, I would like to note the following. An unhealthy situation has developed in interaction with Washington. A lot of 'irritants' have accumulated. The Americans are following an openly unfriendly line: they are imposing sanctions, making unsubstantiated accusations against us, taking other hostile steps".

Russia Says They Won't Accept Preconditions For Talks - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov says that Russia will not be accepting any 'preconditions' from Washington on security guarantees. Full Article


December 23, 2021 | European Command News

Russian Buildup Gaining Steam According To Satellite Images - New satellite images that have been released show that the Russian buildup near Ukraine's border is picking up steam, with more tanks, mobile rocket artillery systems and advanced short-range ballistic missile batteries according to POLITICO.

The satellite images, which were taken by the Maxar Technologies satellite company on December 13th were released just hours after Russia and the US issued warnings to each other in regards to what will come next in the current standoff between Russia and the West.

Despite the fact that Russia and the United States are working to setup a meeting in January to address issues and alleviate tensions, Russia continues to build up troops, tanks and artillery near their border with Ukraine.

Russia Claims US Has 150 Mercenaries In Eastern Ukraine - On Tuesday Russia claimed that the United States has 150 mercenaries in Eastern Ukraine where Russian militants have been fighting with Ukraine forces.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Americans in Eastern Ukraine were wearing Sokol uniforms. Sokol is the Police force of Ukraine. Russia said that this was 'of particular concern'.

The U.S. State Department said that the United States 'do not have any U.S. military units in Ukraine' currently.

Washington Wants To Warn Ukraine Of Invasion In Real Time - Washington is working on a system that will issue battlefield intelligence to Ukraine that may give the country an early warning to respond to invading Russian forces.

The system has not been approved yet, but would likely anger Russia further which sees military aid given by the United States to Ukraine as an aggressive move.

Washington: Moscow Stepping Up Disinformation In Possible Prelude To Invading Ukraine - A senior White House official told reporters that Moscow has stepped up their disinformation campaign in a possible prelude to invading Ukraine.

The White House was responding to numerous statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed to alter the world's perception of the current situation in Ukraine.

In one statement Putin said "How would the Americans react if on their frontier with Canada we deployed our missiles. It's a question of security and you know our red lines".

The White House official said "To be clear, we see no evidence of that escalation on the Ukrainian side. And we have tried to be very clear to partners and allies that this is a Russian disinformation effort that's underway. It's not unexpected; it fits a standard playbook".

There are currently over 120,000 Russian troops stationed near Ukraine's borders and in Russian annexed Crimea that Russia illegally annexed which is something that is often ignored in the midst of Russia's disinformation campaigns.

"It's clear to us that if Russia goes ahead with what may be underway, we and our allies are prepared to impose severe costs that would damage Russia's economy and bring about exactly what it says it does not want: more NATO capabilities, not less; closer to Russia, not further away" the Washington official stated.


Ukraine Says Military Ready To Respond To Enemy Fire - Ukrainian top commander Lieutenant General Valeriy Zaluzhniy says that while they support the state of the ceasefire in Donbass with the Russian militants, Ukraine will give an appropriate response to any enemy attack.

"Our military keep serving their duties. They guard their homeland, protect civilians and themselves. Or course, if there’s a threat to the life and health of military personnel or civilians, the military must act the same way as they did before" he stated.

He also clarified that under the ceasefire terms with the militants, Ukrainian soldiers are not banned from opening fire in response to attacks by Russian-led militants.

"But then again, we are the military, we absolutely support the state of ceasefire that would, of course, give us a chance to avoid possible fatalities".

US Ready To Act If And When We Need To Regarding Russia And Ukraine - The United States "is ready to act if and when we need to” if Russia invades Ukraine" a senior administration official stated according to White House reporter Natasha Bertrand.

The official said that the penalties, coordinated closely with U.S. Allies would severely damage Russia's economy and result in NATO capabilities being moved closer to Russia's borders.

Russia To Carry Out Paratrooper Drills Near Ukraine's Border - Russia is set to carry out paratrooper drills near the Ukrainian border this week according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Around 1,200 troops and 250 vehicles and aircraft is reported to be involved in the drills that will be carried out in Russian annexed Crimea and the Krasnodar Province.

One of the drills that will be practiced will be simulating capturing areas as part of an offensive operation.

Putin: One Gets The Impression That Maybe They Are Preparing A Third Military Operation - Putin regarding threats of sanctions "if Ukraine is attacked": We are told "war, war, war. One gets the impression that maybe they are preparing a third military operation [in Donbass], and they warn us in advance "don't interfere, don't protect these people. And maybe they are preparing for this?"

Russia Says Ukraine Believes Russia Planning Nuclear Attack - Russian controlled media says that Ukraine believes Russia is planning a nuclear attack on Ukraine.

RT claims that the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk stated that 'as of 1991, Ukraine had the third largest nuclear capability in the world' due to nuclear warheads it obtained after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Then, he noted that Kyiv "voluntarily gave this up to become a non-nuclear state” just a few years later. However, the politician alleged that Russia, which “was the guarantor of such disarmament, hints that if we continue our democratic development, it may even launch a nuclear strike against us".

The Russian State media then pointed at a remark said by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who said "In recent weeks, we have seen a stream of consciousness from the Ukrainian leadership – especially when it comes to the military – that is excessively inflamed and dangerous".


Putin Says West Must Provide Unconditional Security Guarantees - Putin spoke at an annual news conference and said that the "ball is in the West's court".

When asked by Sky News whether Putin can guarantee that Russia will not invade Ukraine or any other sovereign country, Putin stated "Our actions will not depend on the negotiations, they will depend on the unconditional compliance with the Russian security demands today and in an historical context".

"In this sense we have made it clear that any further NATO movement to the East is unacceptable, there is nothing unclear about this." he said.

"We are not deploying our missiles over at the border of the US. On the other hand, the US is deploying its missiles close to our home, on the doorstep of our house".

"What would the Americans think if we decided to come to the border between Canada and the United States, or Mexico, and simply deploy our own missiles over there?".

Putin said that in 1990 NATO 'fooled' Russia by promising not to expand eastward across Europe but then carried out 'five waves of expansion' going against that guarantee.

"And you keep demanding some guarantees from us. You must give us the guarantees. It is up to you, and you must do this immediately, right now, instead of talking about this for decades" he said while waving his finger.

"Using this small talk, soft talk, about the need for guarantees of the security for everyone. We are not threatening anybody".

"You say you will not expand and then you keep expanding. You say we will have equal guarantees for everyone on a number of international agreements, and then we see there is no equality or no equal security" he said.

Russia Urges West To Act Quickly To Respond To Its Demands For Security Guarantees - Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the United States to act quickly to respond to its demands for security guarantees and to sign an agreement that NATO will withdraw forces from Eastern Europe and not expand further.

"We want to ensure our security" Putin stated. “We put it straight: there must be no further expansion of NATO eastward."

Withdrawing US and NATO troops from Eastern Europe and agreeing not to expand further was not the only 'security guarantee' that Russia put on the table however.

Russia also wants the United States and NATO to withdraw its promise to the Ukraine that it would one day be able to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but the US and NATO has made it clear that isn't going to happen.

Russia Believes Ukraine Preparing For New Military Operation In Donbas - Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he believes Ukraine is preparing for a new military operation in Donbas and that the West is calling on Russia not to interfere.

"We have the impression that they are, perhaps, preparing a third military operation and are warning us in advance, ‘not to interfere, not to defend these people [the Donbass population] and if you interfere and defend them, new sanctions will follow.’ This is the first scenario that we must react to" Putin stated.


"The second scenario involves generally creating an ‘anti-Russia’ on this territory [Ukraine] with the constant pumping of advanced weapons into it and with the brainwashing of the population" he added.

Russian News Agency TASS said that under the cover of new weapon systems supplied by the West, 'Ukrainian radicals' may be 'pushed' and 'provoked' to attempt to return Crimea to Ukraine militarily.

It is for this reason, Putin said, that Russia 'must think about ensuring its security in the short-term perspective'.

December 22, 2021 | European Command News

40,000 NATO Rapid Reaction Force Put On High Alert - 40,000 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Rapid Reaction Force Soldiers have been put on high alert due to threat of a Russian invasion on Ukraine according to Die Welt News.

The NATO High Rediness Joint Task Force, part of the NRF should be ready to deploy to the area of crisis in 5 days time. Special forces and military logistics are also on high alert.

US Alarms Russia By Selling Lithuania Anti-Tank Missiles - Washington has alarmed Russia by approving the sale of anti-tank Javelin missiles to Lithuania. Full Article

Batch Of Russian Su-34 Bombers Delivered To Lipetsk - A batch of nuclear capable Russian Su-34 bombers was delivered to a Lipetsk based State Aviation Personnel Training and Troop Testing Center of the Russian Defense Ministry according to the Russian Ministry of Defense website.

"Crews of the Aerospace Forces flew from Novosibirsk Region to the permanent airfield. They covered about four thousand kilometers. The redeployment was carried out without intermediate stops" the MOD stated.

"In the near future, the aircraft will be used for their intended purpose as part of the winter training period" the MOD site added.

Ukraine Updates Number Of Russian Troops Near Its Border - The Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security And SE Council (NSDC) now says there are 122,000 Russian troops within 200km of its borders and another 143,500 stationed within 400km of its borders.

NSDC secretary Oleksiy Danilov stated "As for the number of troops… To date, what we see is 122,000 Russian troops located at 200 km and 143,500 at 400 km within this radius of our border".

"We understand what is happening there, and in the event of an escalation - which can’t happen instantly, relatively speaking within a today, we need to prepare for this – we are monitoring all this".

He also noted that a new law on national resistance will come into effect on January 1st, 2021 which will strengthen the countries defenses.

"We have additional resources, and the territorial defense, if necessary, will repel the aggressor. Weapons must remain lubricated. I wish it’s we don’t have to use them, but if necessary, all citizens know what to do".

Russia Calls NATO's Response To Russia's Demands Inappropriate - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's response to Russia's security guarantee proposals 'inappropriate'.


"Mr. Stoltenberg - NATO’s Secretary-General - keeps making some not very appropriate statements. He is about to step down, though. His term of office is expiring this year" he stated.

"When Mr. Stoltenberg says loudly and rather arrogantly that nobody is in the position to violate the principle of the Washington treaty, which keeps the door open to any potential aspirant eager to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, he should remember that we are not a participant in that organization, that we are not signatory to that treaty, but that we are signatories to a broader regional Euro-Atlantic document, which contains the principle of the indivisibility of security".

"If Mr. Stoltenberg thinks that NATO is free to discard this principle, which is enshrined in documents adopted at the summit level, then possibly the time is ripe for him to seek new employment, because he is certainly no good for his current job" Lavrov said.

Russia Claims Of US and Ukraine Threatening Chemical Attack Disinformation - WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has accused Russia of spreading 'dangerous misinformation' for claiming that U.S. Mercenaries are preparing to use chemical weapons in the eastern Ukrainian conflict zone in Donbas. Full Article

Washington: Russia Responsible For Tensions Not United States Or Ukraine - US State Department Spokesman Ned Price put out a tweet saying contrary to statements from Moscow, Russia and its proxies are responsible for tensions, not Ukraine or United States.

"We call on Russia to stop using false, inflammatory rhetoric and take meaningful steps to de-escalate tensions to provide a positive atmosphere for discussions" Price stated.

Putin Says Russia Has No Room To Retreat In Standoff With US On Ukraine - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia has no room to retreat in a standoff with the US over Ukraine and will be forced into a tough response unless the West drops what he calls its 'aggressive line'.

Putin stated "What the U.S. is doing in Ukraine is at our doorstep... And they should understand that we have nowhere further to retreat to. Do they think we’ll just watch idly?".

"If the aggressive line of our Western colleagues continues, we will take adequate military-technical response measures and react harshly to unfriendly steps".

NATO Again Rejects Russia's Demand Regarding Ukraine's Membership - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has once again rejected Russia's demands that NATO back out of their promise that Ukraine would gain NATO membership in the future.

Jens Stoltenberg says that the alliance stands with 'Ukraine's right to choose its own path' regarding NATO membership and refused to compromise regardless of any threats of consequences by Russia.

"We have made clear that any further aggression against Ukraine would carry a very high price" Stoltenberg stated.

"We will also continue to support our close partner Ukraine, politically and practically. And we stand up for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and we stand also for Ukraine’s right to choose its own path."


Kremlin Mouthpiece Warns NATO To Back Off Or Everyone Will Be Turned To Radioactive Ash - Dmitry Kiselyov who is known to be Putin's mouthpiece has stated that Russia is putting a 'gun to America's head' and that if NATO forces don't back off 'everyone will be turned to radioactive ash'.

December 21, 2021 | European Command News

NATO: The Buildup of Russian Forces Near Ukraine's Border Continues - NATO Secretary General Gens Stoltenberg gave an update regarding the status of the Russian forces, tanks and heavy artillery near the Ukrainian border saying "The buildup continues".

Russia: US Is Building Up Forward Military Presence Near Borders - The Russian Defense Ministry says that the US is building up a forward military presence with 8,000 troops near Russia's border in Eastern Europe.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated during a Defense Ministry meeting on Tuesday "The US is scaling up its forward military presence near the Russian borders. In Eastern Europe, some 8,000 US troops have been deployed. As for the grouping of US troops in Germany, the Command Theater Engagement has been recreated there. Until 1991, it was responsible for using medium-range missiles".

He also said that it's necessary to have strike missile weapons.

Russia Says It's Prepared To Take Military Steps To Respond To 'Unfriendly' Actions By West - Russian President Vladimir Putin has said today that Russia is prepared to take 'military-technical measures' in response to what he calls 'unfriendly' actions by the West regarding Ukraine.

"In the event of the continuation of the obviously aggressive stance by our Western colleagues, we will take appropriate retaliatory military-technical measures" Putin said at a defense ministry meeting.

Russia "will react toughly to unfriendly steps," Putin said, adding that he wants "to emphasize that we have every right to do so." he continued.

Putin had previously issued Russia's demands that the US and NATO withdraw all forces from eastern Europe but then said that Russia "can't trust them".

Putin said that "the United States easily withdraws from all international treaties that for one reason or another become uninteresting to them" indicating he wouldn't trust security guarantees even if the US and NATO agreed to them.

This, after Russian News Agency TSS reported that the US is building a forward military presence near Russia's borders in Eastern Europe despite Russia's demands for US and NATO troops to pull completely out of Eastern Europe.

December 20, 2021 | European Command News

Russia Demanding Urgent Talks With US, Warns Of Military Response To NATO Activity - Russia is demanding immediate talks with the United States regarding their request for security guarantees from NATO and warning of a military response to NATO activity.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke just days after Russia issued their list of demands to the United States and NATO and said "We need [answers] urgently since the situation is very serious and may get more complicated" which was reported by Russia's state run news agency RIA Novosti.


Konstantin Gavrilov, head of Russia's delegation on military security and arms control also repeated an earlier warning by Ryabkov against what Russia believes is NATO's 'threatening' activities.

Gavrilov said "Everyone in NATO understands well that, despite all [its] strength and power, it needs to take concrete political actions. Otherwise the alternative is a military-technical and military response from Russia".

Ryabkov said that he believes the West will 'attempt to turn' Russia's demands 'into a sluggish process'.

Many believe the demands that Russia submitted are so unrealistic that they were actually written to be rejected and may be an excuse for continued aggressive behavior.

US State Department Issues Do Not Travel Advisory For Ukraine - The US Department of State has issued a level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Ukraine for risk of COVID-19 as well as 'increased threats from Russia', saying there are reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine.

State Department: "The Department of State continues to advise U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine due to COVID-19 and to reconsider travel due to increased threats from Russia".

U.S. citizens choosing to travel to Ukraine should be aware that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine would severely impact the U.S. Embassy’s ability to provide consular services, including assistance to U.S. citizens in departing Ukraine.

The statement also reads:
"U.S. citizens should be aware of reports that Russia is planning for significant military action against Ukraine. U.S. citizens are also reminded the security conditions, particularly along Ukraine's borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice.

U.S. citizens choosing to travel to Ukraine should be aware that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine would severely impact the U.S. Embassy's ability to provide consular services, including assistance to U.S. citizens in departing Ukraine."

Germany: NATO Will Not Let Russia Dictate Its Military Posture - Germany: NATO will not let Russia dictate its military posture.

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Sunday that NATO will discuss Russia's security proposals but that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will not allow Moscow to dictate its military posture.

Russia issued the US and NATO a document that Russia wanted signed stating that the United States and NATO will stop all military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine and allow Russia to veto any and all future NATO membership for Ukraine which NATO has already blatantly refused to agree to.

Lambrecht spoke to reporters and stated "We need to solve the current tensions on the diplomatic level but just as well by putting up a credible deterrence".

"We will discuss Russia's proposals... But it cannot be that Russia dictates to NATO partners their posture, and that is something that we will make very clear in the talks (at the NATO council next week)" she said.


Russia Expels 2 German Diplomats In Response To Germany Expelling 2 Russian Diplomats - In a tit for tat move, Russia has expelled two German diplomats and declared them persona non-grata in response for Germany expelling two Russian diplomats from its embassy for the 2019 assassination that was allegedly backed by Russia and carried out in Germay in 2019.

Russian Reserve Troops Begin Marching Towards Ukraine - *UNVERIFIED* reports circulating along with a video that Russian reserve troops have been called upon and are marching in the snow toward Ukraine.

Video of the reservists marching in the snow posted by Former Minister of Defense of the Donetsk People's Republic Igor Ivanovich Strelkov. Follow Us to see the video on social media. Watch for updates when more information is available on this.

Russia: Ukraine's Actions Have Reached A Boiling Point That Forces Russia To Take Radical Steps - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said that Ukraine's actions have reached a 'boiling point' that forces Russia to take 'radical steps' which includes other countries as well.

Rudenko also commented on their rejection of NATO's eastward expansion and deploying weapons on and around its borders in Europe.

"The question here is absolutely not about fears, the question is about our neighbors - not only Ukraine, but neighbors in principle - reaching a certain boiling point that really forces us to take certain radical steps, at least we say that we are ready to think on a different plane" he stated.

He said that he would not single Ukraine out in any particular context because it is merely "the next candidate for the emergence of such threats [to Russia]".

"We have other countries bordering the Russian Federation where the flight time for strike systems is 4-5 minutes" he stated.

He said that Ukraine does not currently have such flight distances, yet and Russia's reactive measures are preventive in nature that "warns that in case certain scenarios develop on our part certain steps will be taken, which we are not talking about now and only in general terms, calling these things military steps and military-technical solutions" according to Russia's TASS news agency.

December 18, 2021 | European Command News

US Embassy In Kyiv: Russia Claims It Has Always Treated Ukraine As Independent State - US Embassy In Kyiv: "Russian MFA Spokesperson Zakharova claims “Russia has always treated Ukraine as an independent state.” Face with tears of joy We look forward to Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Crimea and Donbas".

Russia Says If US And NATO Ignores Demands Then It Will Create Counter-Threats - Russia has stated that if the US and NATO ignores its Proposals for 'security guarantees' that many argue was written to be rejected then it will create 'counter threats' in response and called it 'the moment of truth'.

Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Viktorovich Grushko said "By proposing the deal] we make it clear that we are ready to talk about how to transform a military or a military-technical scenario into a political process that will strengthen the military security of all states within The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Euro-Atlantic area and Eurasia".


He said that if the US and NATO igore Russia's attempt to 'rein in the tensions' then Russia will resort to 'creating counter threats' of its own, referring to new types of weapon systems being deployed within Russia.

"It will [then] be too late then to ask us why we've made such decisions, why we've deployed such systems".

He said that Russia/NATO relations have reached 'the moment of truth' and said that it calls for a 'fundamental decision' and that the ball is now in NATO's court.

"We have taken this step and proceed from the fact that it will no longer be possible to somehow brush it [the security proposals] off".

The deal that Russia speaks of is the Draft Proposal document that Russia sent to the United States and NATO underlying their demands which include NATO and US forces withdrawing from eastern Europe. Many argue that the demands were written by Russia to be rejected.

December 18, 2021 | European Command News

NATO General Wants NATO Troops In Bulgaria And Romania - Tod Wolters, NATO's top general says he wants NATO troops in Bulgaria and Romania and expand NATO's 'enhanced forward presence' in the Baltic states and eastern Poland, despite Russia's new demand for the removal of all U.S. and NATO troops from Eastern Europe.

German newspaper Der Spiegel said that Wolters made proposals to expand NATO's "enhanced forward presence" in the Baltic states and eastern Poland including Bulgaria and Romania, Something which both countries have requested.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on FRiday that NATO will "constantly assess the need to further adjust our posture, our presence, also in the Southeast of the region, because we need to be sure that we can always protect and defend allies against any threat".

Belarus: We Are Ready To Deploy Nuclear Weapons Under Threat From NATO - Belarus has now stated that they are ready to deploy nuclear weapons under the threat from NATO according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Makei.

Makei said "What President Alexander Lukashenko has said - that we are considering the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory is one of the possible responses to future possible actions by the North Atlantic Alliance on the territory of Poland".

Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus had stated previously that Minsk would be offering Russia to place nuclear weapons within its territory if NATO places nuclear weapons within Poland.

NATO has denied having any intention of placing nuclear weapons in Europe but Russia continues to persist that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization intends on doing so, possibly as an excuse to allow Russia and Belarus to deploy their own nuclear capabilities.

Russian Tu-22M3 Nuclear Capable Strategic Bombers Patrol Belarus Border With Ukraine, Poland And Lithuania - Russian Tu-22M3 nuclear capable strategic bombers patrolled the border that Belarus shares with Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania amid tensions with NATO and the United States.


The Russian bombers were escorted by Su-30 fighter jets which were given to Belarus by their ally, Russia.

UK Defense Ministry Announces Personnel from 32 Engineer Regiment Arrived In Poland - The UK Defense Ministry announced that personnel from 32 Engineer regiment arrived in Poland earlier this week to provide engineering support for Poland's border with Belarus. 140 specialists will be in Poland by end of December.

Russian Press Secretary Says The Cold War Era Is Back And Laments About Ukraine - Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Ukraine is openly declaring their intentions to join NATO on a legislative level and called it a 'creeping intrusion' on NATO's part saying that NATO is 'drifting' towards Russia's borders and said the Cold War Era is back.

Peskov said that Russia has lost Ukraine completely and that Ukrainian authorities are hostile towards Russia, despite Russia having amassed over 100,000 soldiers and artillery near Ukraine's border themselves.

Peskov stated "is declaring its intention to join NATO openly, officially, actually at a legislative level. It is very bad for us because this way NATO’s military infrastructure will inevitably begin drifting toward our borders. Without [Ukraine’s] membership in NATO, we now see how the alliance is gradually beginning to absorb, intrude into Ukraine".

"NATO’s creeping intrusion into Ukraine is already taking place and Russia cannot stay indifferent to it. That is why Putin’s position is quite tough on the one hand and coherent and peaceful on the other. His initiative to agree to some binding security guarantees is a very constructive proposal, which can fence us off from the tension which has emerged on the European continent over the Ukrainian problem" he stated.

Peskov added "rhetoric, which seemed like it would never return: detente and the like, is now being used again. We thought that it was lest in the Cold War era and will never be back. And here it is again.

Swedish Commander: US Should Increase Troops In Europe If Russia Ukraine Crisis Gets Worse - General Micael Byden, the Swedish supreme commander told POLITICO Thursday that if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine deepens then the United States needs to send more troops to Europe to reinforce military presence in the region.

Biden however has said that he won't be putting any more troops on the ground to fight and instead has threatened 'severe sanctions' if Putin does not back down and ease the tensions with Ukraine.

Swedish General Byden said "If the situation — I wouldn’t say ‘require’ because that’s the wrong word — but if the situation would worsen, I do believe it would be good to have a bigger footprint".

When asked where troops should go, Byden said "probably where they are today. Because you have bases in Europe. It’s not like you’re not there. It’s more it’s more like… reinforce what you have… More people, more capabilities".

Russia Continues To Amass Troops Near Ukrainian Border Despite Urges From Biden To De-Escalate - Despite urges from Biden to deescalate tensions, Russia continues to buildup and amass new troops near the Ukrainian border as well as diverting flights and rail systems to support military efforts.


Ukrainian officials say that there is evidence that Russia is diverting commercial flights and rail systems in order to support their military efforts, as well as a US intel assessment that says 50 Russian 'Battalion Tactical Groups' have been deployed around the Ukrainian border with six more currently in the process of being transported by Russia to the border.

Battalion Tactical Groups can contain around 900 troops each and are combined with anti-tank weapons, heavy artillery, engineering and and reconnaissance units.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated "As we pursue diplomatic channels, we will also prepare for all contingencies," Sullivan told reporters earlier this month. Just as we have been doing for weeks now, including through the preparation of specific responses to Russian escalation should they be required -- specific, robust, clear responses should they be required".

RUSSIA: Two Strategic Missile Regiments Go On Combat Alert In Russia By Years End - Russian Strategic Missile Force Commander Colonel-General Sergey Karakayev stated on Friday that two Russian missile regiments armed with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) will be going on combat duty by the end of the year.

"We are ending the year 2021 with the effort of placing another missile regiment of the Kozelsk missile formation armed with silo-based Yars missiles and a regiment of the Barnaul missile unit with mobile Yars missile systems on combat alert" he said during an interview with Krasnaya Zvenzda newspaper.

NATO: Russia Needs To De-Escalate Ukraine Tensions BEfore Talks Begin - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has stated that in order for talks to begin and addressing Russia's security proposals, Russia must first de-escalate tensions with Ukraine.

"it can all be done the moment when the Russian Federation de-escalates the situation" stated NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana. "It’s in my opinion an indispensable precondition to resume the dialog within the NATO-Russia Council".

Geoana said that NATO is prepared for 'any possibility' in the even that Russia continues it's 'aggressive' moves.

Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks stated that the Baltic states would be unable to defend themselves if NATO and the United States agreed to the terms that Russia has asked for. He said that Russia must stop with threatening its neighbors and 'shedding crocodile tears'.

December 17, 2021 | European Command News

Russian Ministry Of Defense Website Locks Out Non Russian And Non Belarus IP's - The Russian Ministry of Defense website has locked out IP addresses that do not have either an origin from Russia. People located in Belarus however are still able to access Russia's Ministry of Defense website and that region has not been locked out (blocked).

Russia Carries Out Large Scale Military Drills Off Crimea - Russia carried out large scale military exercises off Crimea Thursday, eliminating a 'notional' enemy warship in the Black Sea.


The Russian military issued a statement saying "Under the scenario of the drills, a notional enemy surface ship with a subversive group on its board was spotted in the Black Sea".

Four Su-30SM fighters, two Su-24M attack aircraft and the Basion-P missile systems were mobilized to engage the 'notional' attacker which was played by Krivak-class frigate Ladny.

The Black Sea fleet's press office stated "A group of quick reaction alert aircraft from the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation and air defense forces was scrambled to accomplish the task of jointly destroying the target while the teams of Bastion coastal defense anti-ship missile systems stationed on the Crimean Peninsula conducted a march to the missile launch area and readied the missile systems for employment".

Draft Agreement From Russia Wants US To Agree Not To Conduct Military Activity In Ukraine And Eastern Europe And Central Asia - The draft agreement handed to US by Russia says that Russia wants the US to agree not to conduct any military activity in Ukraine as well as 'other eastern European states, Transcaucasia and Central Asia'. Full Article

Ukrainian Soldier Killed In Fighting With Pro Russian Militia - A Ukrainian soldier has been killed in fighting with pro-Russia militia during the ongoing fighting that started in 2014 when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.

The Ukrainian military said that Russian militia targeted the countries positions with grenade launchers and mortars which resulted in one Ukrainian soldier dead and another injured.

US 2022 Budget Adds 756 Million In Assistance To Ukraine - The United States has drafted a budget for 2022 that includes $756 million in assistance to Ukraine, including $400 million to strengthen the Ukraine's security.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated during a briefing Friday "The draft budget of the United States for 2022 provides for a total of $756 million in assistance to Ukraine, including $400 million to strengthen its security, but our goal of $1 billion in support remains unchanged and we are confidently moving towards it".

Kuleba said 'We're talking about a very broad bilateral partnership".

December 16, 2021 | European Command News

- Commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces General Sergei Karakaev has announced the RS-28 hypersonic heavy ICBM Sarmat, which is nicknamed Satan-2 by NATO and said to be large enough to take out the Texas or France is due to go into service by the end of 2022.

The RS-28 Sarmat, or Satan-2 is a nuclear capable liquid-fueled hypersonic MIRV-equipped intercontinental ballistic missile that has been under development by the Russian military since 2009.

Russia claimes the RS-28 is 'invulnerable' and able to counter and defeat all existing U.S. defenses. It is reported to carry a nuclear payload that is large enough to obliterate an area the size of Texas for France and travel at Mach 10, or around 16,000 miles per hour with 10 to 15 warheads equipped.

Viktor Bondarev, head of Russian Senate's Defense and Security Committee has said that the United States would need 500 missiles to defend against a single RS-28 Sarmat missile.


Statement By The North Atlantic Treaty Organization On Situation (NATO) In And Around Ukraine - "We call on Russia to immediately de-escalate, pursue diplomatic channels, and abide by its international commitments on transparency of military activities". Full Article

Ukraine Recognizes Jerusalem As Israel's Capital And Will Open Embassy In Israel - During an event recognizing 30 years of Israel and Ukraine ties, the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel Yehven Korniychuck stated that Ukraine sees Jerusalem as Israel's 'one and only capital' and will be opening up an embassy in the city next year.

Ukraine Says Russia Could Invade In The Blink Of An Eye - KYIV - The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNBC on Thursday that he believes Putin has not decided yet whether to do a military operation, however if he decided to do so things would happen in the blink of an eye. Full Article

Full Invasion By Russia Could Trigger World War Three Says Ukraine - KYIV - Ukrainian minister for veterans affairs Yuliia Laputina told Sky News that a full invasion of Ukraine by Russia would cause conflict to flare up in Europe and may even trigger World War Three. Full Article

December 15, 2021 | European Command News

Germany Expels Two Diplomats, Russia Vows Retaliation - BERLIN - A German court has accused Russia of 'state terrorism' and expelled two Russian diplomats non grata after a German court found a Russian agent guilty of carrying out a hit on a former Chechen militant on German soil in 2019 due to the fact that he fought with the Chechen separatists against Russia. Full Article

Ukraine Says Troop Buildup Is Purely Defensive - KYIV - Despite rumors that Russia has begun withdrawing its troops from the border, Ukraine says that there is no such sign. In fact, according to Ukraine there has been an increase in the number of troops stationed near the Ukrainian border. Full Article

Ukraine Says They See No Sign Of Russia Withdrawing From Border - Despite rumors that Russia has begun withdrawing its troops from the border, Ukraine says that there is no such sign. In fact, according to Ukraine there has been an increase in the number of troops stationed near the Ukrainian border.

December 15, 2021 | European Command News

Russia And China Get Together And Discuss 'Aggressive Rhetoric' From US And NATO - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss tensions in Europe and what they are calling 'aggressive' US and NATO rhetoric in a video call with one another according to Russia.

Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, "The situation in international affairs, especially on the European continent, is very, very tense right now and requires discussion between allies".

"We see very, very aggressive rhetoric on the Nato and US side, and this requires discussion between us and the Chinese" Peskov said.

December 13, 2021 | European Command News

Ukraine: We Need All Kinds Of Anti-Missile Systems Including Iron Dome - Paul McLeary who covers Defense for POLITICO stated that the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov spoke of Ukraine's need of anti-missile systems, namely the Iron Dome and Patriot mobile air defense systems.


Reznikov said "We need all kinds of anti-missile systems. We need to cover our nuclear power stations. We need to cover our airports. We need to cover our capital".

He did not however think that the Biden administration would be willing to help. He said that the Patriot missile batteries would be 'a good idea, but I'm not sure that in the White House they're ready to give it to us".

Ukraine Begins Inspection Of Bomb Shelters & Alert Drills In Preparation For Possible Russian Invasion - Ukraine has begun inspections of bomb shelters and carrying out alert drills in preparation for a possible invasion by Russian forces.

Deputy head of the Kiev city state administration for municiple security Andriy Kryschenko said "Let's start with the bomb shelters. These are old, Soviet-era structures that were predominantly at large enterprises. There is infrastructure there, they are well fortified and designed for a large number of people".

"Next week we will start an information campaign, so that people are not frightened when they (sirens - ed.) hear. And in a few weeks we will already turn on the sirens and conduct drills so that people without panic understand what to do" he stated.

One Of Two Missing Danish Crew Found Dead After Cargo Vessel Collision - One of the two Danish crew that had gone missing after an overnight collision with a British cargo ship was found dead inside the ship hull.

Lithuania Says They Are Convinced Russia Is Really Gearing Up For War - The Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis has stated that he believes that Russia is really gearing up for war and that 'we are not taking this seriously enough'.

"I still have the feeling that we are not taking this seriously enough, including what's going on in Lithuania as well" Landsbergis stated in Brussels.

"Judging from warnings from our partners and colleagues, they want to change the region's strategic landscape that has developed over the past decades" he stated.

"It must be clear for people of our region and also potential aggressors that the Alliance has teeth and the teeth are very sharp".

Russia Vetoes UN Resolution Linking Climate Change As Threat To International Peace - Russia has vetoed the UN resolution linking climate change as a threat to international peace and security.

"Positioning climate change as a threat to international security diverts the attention of the council from genuine, deep-rooted reasons of conflict in the countries on the council's agenda" Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stated, adding "a scientific and economic issue into a politicized question".

Russia Says It May Be Forced To Deploy Nuclear Missiles In Europe - Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that Russia may be forced to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe if NATO does not engage with it on preventing escalation. Full Article

Ukrainian Ministry Of Defense Puts Out Statement On Current Situation With Russia - The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has put out a statement regarding the current tensions and military buildup near the Ukrainian border.


The Ukraine Defense Ministry statement said:

"The Kremlin continues to engage in hybrid actions to destabilize the internal political situation in Ukraine. The Russian Federation regularly demonstrates military force and intentions to use it. The situation at the Ukrainian border remains difficult.

The Russian Federation periodically gives in to the practice of transferring and accumulating military units in order to maintain tension in the region and pressure on neighboring countries.

At the present time, Russian troops, armor and military equipment are being redeployed to the corridor with Ukraine. Special Russian military personnel are being redeployed from the training areas. However, upon completion of the training, only the special forces return to their permanent deployment points, and combat and other military equipment remains near the Ukrainian border.

The tactical goal of these actions is to put pressure on the Ukrainian authorities and on the authorities of other states in order to come to a dialogue on unhandled issues that are extremely important for the Russian Federation.

The strategic goal of such objectives is to regain full control over Ukraine, as well as to see our country's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The Russian Federation continues its provocative actions against Ukraine. As of 13 December, close to 70 per cent of the Azov Sea.

Such cut-offs are systematic and interfere with the navigation of ships in the Sea of Azov. Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are ready for any scenario.

The regular units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are fully engaged in combat operations in the anti-aircraft defense system of Ukraine. It involves over 1,000 servicemen and hundreds of units of military equipment to ensure the protection of bridges, power plants, power plants and other critical infrastructure.

Given the military-political situation outside Ukraine's state borders, the threatened areas have taken measures to enhance air coverage of these facilities.

The military and political leadership of Ukraine is regularly provided with information and promptly takes decisions. Ukraine's intelligence service constantly exchanges information with the intelligence services of partner countries.

The information is first provided to the Ukrainian military and political leadership and only then can it be received by the media, and not inadvertently as it is sometimes perceived.

Since 2014, the Ukrainian army has become much stronger and has gained combat experience. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are involved in combat operations. The leadership positions in the Armed Forces are held by commanders who have gone through the war.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are ready for any unfolding of events, ready to defend Ukraine and provide support".

Satellite Photos Show Russian Military Building Up Less Than 30 Miles From Ukrainian Border - New Satellite images by Maxar show Russian forces building up less than 30 miles away from the Ukrainian border between September 7th and December 5th. Defense analyst Kinrad Muzyka who analyzed the satellite photos said that Russia has established a new regiment with its 3rd Motor Rifle Division.


Russia continues to send troops, heavy artillery and tanks to locations near the Ukrainian border indicating that they have no intention of ratcheting down their posture any time soon.

Russia: Our Response Will Be Military" If West Does Not End Eastward Expansion - Russia says that they will respond 'militarily' if NATO does not stop encroaching on its western borders. Ryabkov said "Our response will be military" and "There will be confrontation".

He added that Russia would deploy weapons that were banned until 2019 when the INF Treaty expired. "Currently, [the banned weapons] do not exist; we have a unilateral moratorium. We call on NATO and the United States to join this moratorium. They just don’t respond to our proposals".

"There’s basically no trust in NATO. Therefore, we’re no longer playing this kind of game and don’t believe NATO’s assurances."

Ryabkov also chastized the United States for what it called an 'inexplicable fixation' on the threat of a Russian invasion on Ukraine saying "This isn't so and cannot be".

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister: It Looks Like The United States Is Preparing For A Repeat Of The Missile Crisis - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov has stated that 'The actions of the United States and NATO allies in Europe lead Moscow to believe that the United States is preparing for a repeat of the missile crisis that in 1962 brought the world to the brink of nuclear war'.

"First of all, I would like to say that NATO's plans to constantly approach our borders with its military infrastructure and various types of weapons, including the most modern and high-precision, long-range, are undoubtedly an alarming factor and an element of destabilization of the situation not only in Europe. continent, but also wider in the Euro-Atlantic" he stated.

"The closer such systems appear to our borders, the higher the risks of destabilization, the more definite the contours of a new crisis, which, in fact, can be comparable in its degree of danger to the "Caribbean crisis." In those years, politicians in Washington drew the appropriate conclusions, and the situation was stabilized,take away from the dangerous line".

"I will simply note that we, the Russian Federation, offer an alternative to this - non-deployment of such weapons near our borders, withdrawal of destabilizing forces and assets further, refusal of provocative measures, including exercises, of various kinds. But we need guarantees, these guarantees must be legal, legally binding, we will strive for this.these guarantees must be legal, legally binding, this is what we will strive for.these guarantees must be legal, legally binding, this is what we will strive for".

Ukraine Minister Of Defense Says Russia Invasion Would Mark End Of Current World - Ukraine Minister of Defense has stated that a Russian invasion on Ukraine would mark an end of the current world and start a new era where international rules no longer exist.

He also said that Russia has nearly 1,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, but is building field bases that are being made to house 175,000 soldiers which is indicated by the fact that there are many tents being built within the Russian bases that are as of yet unoccupied.


He also reiterated that a Russian invasion would be a 'bloody massacre' and that the 'Russian military would be coming back to the homeland in coffins'.

Two Ships Collide In Baltic Sea Due To Foggy Conditions - Two cargo ships have collided in the Baltic Sea due to foggy conditions between Bornholm, Denmark and Ystad, Sweden. A rescue operation is underway to find two people who are missing after the collision.

One of the ships involved in the collision was a British Scot Carrier which is in tact and had no casualties. The other ship was a Danish vessel.

US Embassy In Kyiv Regarding Russian Accusations Toward Ukraine: False Accusations Of Genocide Are Dangerous And Irresponsible - The US Embassy in Kyiv has put out a statement in response to Russia's accusations that Ukraine committed genocide: False accusations of genocide are irresponsible and dangerous.

The statement put out by the Embassy reads: "False accusations of genocide are dangerous and irresponsible. Russia’s proxy authorities in occupied Donbas have committed human rights abuses, illegally imprisoned Ukrainian citizens, suppressed free speech and forced Ukrainians to take Russian passports".

"The world knows this, and Russia's lies about Donbas are another obvious attempt to shift blame for the suffering Russia has caused" it continued.

On December 10th the US Embassy in Kyiv stated that "The "DONBAS" has every right to sail in Flag of Ukraine waters. Russia’s false allegations are part of its ongoing campaign to distract from its latest aggressive, provocative action. New, illegal restrictions in the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov – yet another act of aggression against" after Russia warned the ship from entering the Kerch Strait.

December 12, 2021 | European Command News

Russian President Vladimir Putin Says Russia Leads The World In Hypersonic Weapons - Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Russia leads the world in hypersonic weapons, and by the time other countries catch up Russia will likely have developed the technology to counteract them.

Ukraine Says Germany Blocked Supply Of Anti-Drone WEapons To Ukraine - The Ukraine Military website says that Germany blocked the supply of anti-drone weapons to Ukraine believing that anti-drone weapons would provoke violence in Donbass.

The Ukrainian Ambassador in Germany Andriy Melnyk stated "History is very revealing and demonstrates the general attitude and approaches of the previous leadership of Germany and, I am afraid, of the new government as well regarding the provision, or rather, the non-provision of defense armor to Ukraine. It is a shame, but as far as I know, there were no official explanations of this position".

"Will the attitude of Berlin change under the new government? I'm afraid it would be overly optimistic to expect that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cabinet will take a different course. I would very much like to be sorry, but I am afraid that this zalizobetonny position, which, from the moral point of view, does not accept criticism, will be preserved" he said.


The Ukrainian Ambassador said that the embassy will 'reassure the Germans' that the weapons are not for provocations, but for the 'removal of aggression'.

Putin Says Soviet Collapse Was Demise Of Historical Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the collapse and end of the Soviet Union was the demise of what he says is 'historical Russia'. Some believe Russia wants rebuild the Soviet Union, starting with conquering Ukraine.

"After all, what is the collapse of the Soviet Union? This is the collapse of historical Russia under the name of the Soviet Union" Putin stated.

Business Ukraine Magazine responded by saying "Some believe Putin wishes to rebuild the Soviet Union. In reality, he is a Czarist who dreams of reviving the Russian Empire. These imperial ambitions hing on the reconquest of Ukraine.

G7 Convenes And Warns Russia Of 'Massive Consequences' If Ukraine Is Invaded - At the G7 summit on Sunday the seven richest democracies met together and warned Russia that there would be 'massive consequences' if Russian president Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

During the summit, which took place in Liverpool, England the G7 delegates condemned the military buildup of Russian soldiers and military assets on the Ukrainian border and called upon Moscow to de-escalate tensions in the region.

"Russia should be in no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and severe cost" their draft statement said.

A senior State Department official told reporters at the meeting that Russia still had time to change their course "But if they choose not to pursue that path, there will be massive consequences and severe costs in response, and the G7 is absolutely united in that. A large number of democratic countries will join us in imposing costs".

The G7 summit consisted of the following countries: United States, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan and also included a European Union (EU) representative.

December 11, 2021 | European Command News

Biden: If Putin Moves On Ukraine The Economic Consequences Will Be Devastating - Biden stated 'I've made absolutely clear to Vladimir Putin that if he moves on Ukraine the economic consequences to his economy will be devastating'. He also said that we will 'need to send more NATO troops into the eastern part of the alliance'.

U.S. Sending Diplomat To Ukraine And Russia - The United States is sending a top diplomat for Europe, Donfried to both Russia and Ukraine to talk about the Russian troop buildup near the Ukrainian border and to confirm US commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine the State Department said on Saturday.

After Talks With Putin Biden Stops 200 Million In Aid To Ukraine To East Tensions - Despite Appeals from Ukraine, the Biden administration has chosen to hold back the $200 million in military assistance aid to Ukraine for diplomatic reasons.

An unnamed source said that there are other options currently on the table to further assist Ukraine however, including a larger aid package if Russia were to begin an invasion on Ukraine.


National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden told Putin that if Russia does invade Ukraine the United States would impose tough sanctions on Moscow and send more military aid to the country.

"We would provide additional defensive materiel to the Ukrainians above and beyond that which we are already providing" Sullivan stated.

A Bipartisan group of 22 House lawmakers wrote a letter Wednesday stating "To maximize deterrence, it is critical that at least some military aid — Stingers, Javelins, drones, and anti-ship missiles — are provided immediately. The Ukrainian state must be equipped with the tools necessary to defend itself and the region against Russian aggression".

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated in a commentary on Friday with Foreign Affairs "We have our own capable military forces in Ukraine, and we don’t expect Western countries to put boots on the ground".

"We do, however, need more weapons to be able to defend ourselves. Everything counts, from ammunition to medical equipment, but we are in particular need of air and missile defenses".

"For too long, the West has declined to take Putin’s ambitions seriously and responded with delay, indecision, and weakness. It is time to meet them with strength" Kuleba said.

NATO Rejects Russian Demands To Rescind Promise To Ukraine For Future Membership - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has rejected Russian demands to rescind NATO's promise to Ukraine that the country would one day become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In 2008 NATO made a declaration that would grant membership to the North Atanic Treaty Organization to Georgia and Ukraine which are both former Soviet Republics.

Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels "NATO’s relationship with Ukraine is going to be decided by the 30 NATO allies and Ukraine, no one else".

Russia Carries Out Live Fire Drills In Crimea - According to Russia's state run media, the Russian military carried out live fire tank drills and exercises in various places within Russia with 1,500 tank crews, including occupied Crimea and included driving over anti-tank trenches.

The Russian military simulated hitting moving tanks, practiced using anti-tank grenade launchers and a recoilless artillery gun from 300 to 2000 meters in distance.

According to the Russian Ministry Of Defense the tank crews carried out the exercises in "desert and mountain-forest terrain at training ranges located in the Volgograd and Rostov regions, Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Karachay-Cherkessia and Crimea as well as at Russian military bases of the South Ossetian District in Abkhazia, Armenia and South Ossetia".

The tank crews also practiced driving their tanks over 'natural obstacles' as well as 'anti-tank trenches' and 'roadblocks' in both day and nighttime conditions.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the combat training will continue in the Southern Military District until February of 2022.


Extremely Rare Manned US Military Flights Spotted Over Ukraine - Multiple rare manned US Military aircraft have been flying over Ukraine. According to sources only US Military unmanned Global Hawks UAVS have been spotted in Ukrainian airspace until this point and manned aircraft are extremely rare over Ukraine.

The manned flights spotted flying over Ukraine included a USAF RC135 JAKE11 and Boeing RC-135W Riven Joint aircraft.

December 10, 2021 | European Command News

Ukraine and Russia Blames Each Other, Breaking Down Ceasefire Talks - New ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia broke down after both countries blamed each other for the current heightened tensions and cited 'absurd proposals'.

Ukraine blamed Russia for rejecting their proposals which included prisoner swaps, opening a checkpoint back up and expanding a joint communications center.

Ukraine's delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) which includes both Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said "Unfortunately, all initiatives of the Ukrainian side were rejected by the Russian Federation under contrived pretexts".

Russia meanwhile said that Ukraine submitted "absolutely absurd" proposals and accused the country of imitating negotiations during the talks.

Russia singled out a proposal to add France and Germany to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination. "In such conditions, the Donetsk, Lugansk (separatist authorities) and the OSCE considered it impossible to continue talks. We are understanding of this decision" Russia's envoy Boris Gryzlov stated.

NATO: Membership Remains Open To Ukraine, Moscow Will Have No Say Over Which Countries Have Right To Join - After Russia demanded NATO rescind their offer to Ukraine for future membership, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the door for NATO membership remains open for Ukraine and that Moscow has no say over which countries have the right to join.

"It is for Ukraine to decide its own path" Stoltenberg said after talks with French military and diplomatic officials in Paris, dismissing Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands that it will forgo any future Ukrainian membership into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian foreign affairs minister wrote that for the U.S. and its allies "recognizing the new reality means institutionalizing the country’s place within the West. It is time for the United States and Europe to set out a clear road map for Ukraine to finally join NATO and the European Union".

Russia Demands NATO Rescind 2008 Commitment To Ukraine That They Would Become Members One Day - On Friday Russia demanded that NATO rescind the 2008 agreement with Ukraine stating that one day they would become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Russia also wants NATO to promise that they would not deploy weapons in any countries that are bordering Russia saying it threatens its security.

Russian Foreign Ministry: Behavior By West Towards Ukraine Provokes Large Scale Conflict - The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that 'irresponsible behavior of the West' toward the Ukraine is provoking serious military risks, even up to 'large-scale conflicts in Europe'.


Biden Angers Eastern NATO Allies By Announcing Meeting Between NATO Allies And Russia - Biden has angered eastern NATO allies by announcing a meeting between NATO allies and Russia to discuss Russia's buildup of troops, tanks and artillery along Ukraine's border.

According to Bloomberg, one particular government in eastern Europe is furious and wanting to know exactly what Biden plans to talk about with Russia. Bloomberg stated that one diplomat said countries that were once dominated by the Soviet Union are now on the front lines against Russia who is increasingly aggressive.

The NATO allies want to know what kind of 'concessions' might end up being negotiated in talks with Russia. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said "Russia should under no circumstances be given a say in who may or may not be a member of NATO".

Russia's "most worrying wish is to divide Europe into spheres of influence. We remember these kinds of moments from our own history and we are in no way naive on this issue" she said.

Biden said that he is hoping to announce the meeting by Friday, which includes "at least four of our major NATO allies" which has annoyed Baltic states as it brings up the question about who exactly will be excluded from the talks.

Ukrainian Navy Says Russia Has Blocked Ukraine From 70% Of The Sea Of Azov - Ukrainian Navy says that Russia has blocked Ukraine off from 70% of the Sea of Azov and are holding live fire artillery drills close to the Ukrainian coast.

Russian Artillery fire allegedly being carried out near Mariupol, Berdyansk and Henichesk which Ukraine views as an open provocation.

The Community Liaison Service of the Navy Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) put out a statement that reads "The Russian Federation continues provocative actions against Ukraine".

"As of December 10, the Russian Federation blocked close to 70% of the Azov Sea water area. Currently, the Russians have issued warning notices (NAV) to restrict navigation in designated areas, mainly due to artillery shelling in areas near the city of Mariupol and the city of Berbera, which are located on the coastline of the Sea of Azov. Mariupol, Berdyansk and Genichesk. Genichesk".

It also said that blocking access to such areas interferes with the navigation of ships in the Sea of Azov and that Russia is using the Sea of Azov as its own internal 'lake' which is open provocation on Russia's part.

US And French Fighter NATO Jets Intercepted By Russian Jets - US and French NATO fighter jets were allegedly intercepted by Russian Su-27 fighter jets over the Black Sea on December 9th according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

"On December 9, 2021, Russian airspace control systems detected aerial targets flying towards the Russian border over international waters in the Black Sea" the statement from the Russian Defense Ministry began.

"The planes were stopped from violating the Russian border. After turning the foreign warplanes away from Russia’s border, the Russian fighter jets safely returned to their home airfield".