Ukraine Weekly Update

27th December 2024

Christmas Tree in Mariupol - a city reborn

It is Christmas week here in Scotland and the New Year Hogmanay is not far away. For many, this is a time to reflect on the past and make positive changes for the future. The latter sometimes involves resolutions to refrain from certain activities that harm us and engage in activities that benefit us. In this respect, perhaps the once great Z may reflect on Donald Trump’s suggestion that giving up land to the Russians may be beneficial because it will bring peace - which is good for everyone. On the other hand, continuing the war will kill what’s left of a generation of young men, including 18 years old boys¹, it will destroy more cities and deliver more land to the Russians.

In Mariupol, whose liberation I followed closely more than two and a half years ago and whose people and homes were devastated, is now reborn after much rebuilding and is celebrating the Orthodox Christmas. On the 23rd of December, they lit up their Christmas tree, which you can see above. More images can be seen here.

In the Middle East, anarchy reigns as the various groups in Syria, divided by religion, ethnicity and conflicting interests, assault each other while revolt emanates from below. Christians, Alawites and other minority groups are being attacked, revenge is being exacted and attempts are being made by HTS to govern while Western leaders are trying to ensure that it does not cooperate with Russia. Syria has now become another political football whose aim, as far as Westerners is concerned, is to kick Russia’s Syrian bases into touch. Kaya Kallas has already chimed in, as I noted last week, and now Estonia is threatening to withhold aid from Syria until the Russian bases are gone. No doubt the EU, the UK and the US will follow suit.

The genocide continues in Gaza while Hamas, Islamic Resistance and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) continue to make life difficult for the Israelis whose people are taking more casualties from panicked rushes to bomb shelters than they are from incoming projectiles. In the Red Sea, the pebble slinging Houthis continue to attack the US Goliath causing it the embarrassment of losing two fighter jets. The US is claiming friendly fire, which may be slightly less embarrassing for them than admitting Houthis successes. The latter, understandably, are claiming a victory: after all own goals are still goals for the attacking side. US carriers are being ‘repositioned’ in the Red Sea area, so I am told.

On the battlefronts of Ukraine, the ‘imminent collapse’ of Ukrainian forces remains tantalisingly ‘imminent’ while casualties/losses are much the same as recent weeks. The Russians could break through at Kurakhovo, Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar or Velyka Novosilka, while the Ukrainians are clinging on to only a third of the territory they occupied at the start of their Kursk Offensive.

Europe continues to implode economically, politically and morally. Effective government is becoming a luxury available only to a few while Ukraine’s insistence on cutting off Russian gas supplies in January is sharpening divisions between those most affected, such as Slovakia/Hungary, and the rest. As you can see from the chart below, support for Ukraine is crumbling in concert with its forces on the battlefronts.

In the Mediterranean, on Christmas Eve, the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major was sunk by a terrorist attack which some believe to be the work of MI6. A nearby Norwegian vessel refused to pick up Russian sailors who had abandoned the ship - on Christmas Eve! For some, it seems, Russians are no longer human. You can read about the incident here.

It’s been another eventful week.

Ukraine Support Declining

From a British YouGov poll.

The gap in opinion between the people of these countries and their leadership is stark.

Lavrov Speaks

This week, Russian FM, Sergei Lavrov gave his annual interview to local and world media. Here is some of what he had to say:

On Ukraine

A ceasefire is deemed “a path to nowhere.” Russia is not interested in empty discussions about a resolution.

– Future agreements on Ukraine must include mechanisms to prevent violations.

– Russia is open to consultations with the Trump administration, and hopes for an understanding of the conflict’s root causes.

– Moscow has received multiple private proposals from France to discuss Ukraine without Kiev’s involvement.

– Targets within Ukraine will be selected based on threats to Russia, including decision-making centers in Kiev.

On US Relations

The US will continue its efforts to contain Russia, regardless of who is in power in Washington.

– Signals from the Trump team indicate an interest in resuming dialogue, but the first step must come from the Americans.

On Syria

Russia maintains contact with the new Syrian authorities and anticipates renewed economic cooperation.

– Moscow is prepared to assist in organizing elections in Syria with international recognition.

– Concerns regarding Türkiye’s border security with Syria are acknowledged, while Israel should not compromise Syrian security for its own.

– Russia opposes any fragmentation of Syria, highlighting the desire of some parties for this outcome.

You can read more at RT.

Fico Meets Putin

Putin

Recently, Putin said that he doesn’t laugh very much now, whereas he did three years ago. That was Putin being honest, imv. It must be difficult facing the most powerful Empire that has ever existed, even though Putin is now confronting only the wreck it has become. Nevertheless, I think it would be churlish of us not to give Putin credit. In my view, he is the most impressive politician on the world stage right now and many of the others who impress are Russians. I think that Putin is therefore held in very high regard throughout the world. And the meeting of Putin and Fico demonstrates this superbly when the latter almost bows to the former (see photo) when they meet. But this was a bow of respect rather than subservience.

Fico

Robert Fico also deserves the respect owed to those who put their lives at risk just to carry out the duties they were elected to perform. Fico’s determination to carry on and defy the would be assassins who attempted to eliminate him is a superb example of human courage and resilience. There is mutual respect demonstrated in this photo: each man respects the other for different reasons. It is a good basis for negotiations.

Later, on his Facebook Page, Fico stated that Putin had confirmed Russia’s readiness to supply gas to Slovakia but he conceded that this may not be possible given Zelensky’s threat to turn off the gas. Fico said that he and Putin discussed the war in Ukraine and the strengthening of relations between the two countries.

Europe Must Be Punished - Medvedev

….the current Old World does not evoke any emotions in me except the deepest disgust. It is Europe, which has turned into an evil, half-witted old woman, that has become the main stronghold of Russophobia in the world. It is lying Europe that is to blame for the breakdown of the Istanbul negotiations. It is brainless Europe that frantically promoted the incompetent sanctions campaign, which brought its citizens colossal losses. It is bloodthirsty Europe that fed all the most rabid demons of war, without regard for the losses of the parties to the conflict. And therefore Europe must be punished by all means available to us: political, economic and all sorts of hybrid

This rant was prompted by the refusal of a Norwegian vessel (pictured) to pick up drowning Russian sailors who had abandoned the sinking Ursa Major in the Med. This was simply the latest example of European Russophobia. You can read more here or at Tass.

Language Wars

The above map is about five years old and it highlights the fact that more than half of Ukraine contains people who speak the Russian language more than Ukrainian. If one assumes that there is a strong connection between the language spoken and people’s view of their own nationality, then it could be argued that more than half the people of Ukraine see themselves as Russian. Others will argue that this is not necessarily the case. The matter can be settled only by conducting sociological research - which isn’t going to happen in the foreseeable future. But there is a case for considering the wishes of these Russian speakers as part of the negotiations that could take place in the near future. I have expressed the view that under the current circumstances and those that have prevailed since 2014, Ukrainian Oblasts in the south and east should be allowed a vote to decide whether they want to belong to Russia or to whatever is left of Ukraine. These people suffered a coup over which they had no democratic control and now they deserve to exert their wishes in a referendum as part of negotiations.

The question of identity is important in this context.

The Russian language has become a battlefield within Ukraine and outside of it - as the following anecdotes illustrate.

i.e. she was taught Ukrainian in school

Two elderly women from Odessa were recently questioned by a Ukrainian journalist as to why they don’t speak Ukrainian. They explained that they were taught Ukrainian at school but had forgotten how to speak it. I can relate to this because I was taught Welsh in school but I couldn’t carry out a conversation in Welsh today.

When asked about the importance of the Ukrainian language today, they suggested that there should be no problem in allowing people to speak their own language - which the Ukrainians are trying to prevent. After all, one suggested, Switzerland has four official languages and Canada has two - yet there are no quarrels. When asked why they do not speak the Ukrainian language in spite of the fact that they live in Ukraine, one said ‘we are Russians and Odessans and we were born here’. ‘This was once a Soviet State until the Ukrainians came’ one said disapprovingly. Odessa has always been a Russian city, she said, while the other, when asked about Ukraine, said ‘what is this Ukraine you come up with?’. ‘What about Ukrainians?’, the reporter asked - and the old lady replied: ‘they haven’t died out; they don’t exist’.

You can see the brief conversation here.

Ukraine’s language Ombudsman, Taras Kremen, has said that:

Russia continues to counteract Ukrainian identity by occupying social networks, Telegram channels, and in the south and east – the media space, paving the way to the consciousness of young Ukrainians. Only 37% of students communicate with friends in Ukrainian, and 39% – at home.

This is unsurprising given the fact that 85% and more of those in the south and east are Russian speakers.

Ruslan Martsinkiv - Major

The Major of Ivano Frankivsk said: ‘Russian is the language of murderers. We must be as aggressive and intolerant as possible’. He welcomed initiatives that would coerce Russian speakers to abandon their native language. There is an admission here that those who speak Russian are ‘natives’ of Russia. I wonder what the ladies from Odessa would say if confronted with such intolerance.

It is ironic, therefore, that Podcaster Lex Fridman has asked Zelensky, in the interests of clarity, to conduct their forthcoming interview in Russian: a language which both speak fluently, unlike Ukrainian. Commenting on this, the Islander wrote:

Language in Ukraine has become a battleground in its own right, weaponized as a political tool to erase Russian influence while desperately clinging to a acid fueled narrative of independence. Fridman’s proposal might offer a candid exchange, but it inadvertently exposes how thin the veneer of Ukraine’s identity politics can be.

Latvian foreign Minister, Baiba Braže, who featured in last week’s Update, was furious when a taxi driver spoke to her in Russian. Seeking an apology, she was told that the driver was from Ukraine. ‘Russian should not be the only language of communication’ she demanded.² She knows so little about her own country that she failed to appreciate that 25% of Latvians are ethnically Russian. That’s a quarter!

Stop Russophobia Conference - Madrid

At the conference, according to the Two Majors:

Experts dwelled on how NATO uses the media and social networks to hype Russophobia and create a negative image of Russia and its people in the Western society. This is being done in order to make Europeans believe that Russia is hostile and that huge money is needed to fight it. They also analyzed the situation over the past three years, in which discrimination and persecution of Russians grew significantly along with pressure on those who support Russians.

Podolyak’s Projections

Zelensky adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak has been telling ‘porkie pies’³ again. On this occasion he claimed that: ‘Putin is not the President of the country: he is not the elected President’. His interviewer was too polite (or fearful) to point out that Zelensky is not the elected President of Ukraine since his term of office expired many months ago.

Bezugla’s Back

Maryana Bezugla has been criticising the military again:

Corruption blooms and smells before the generals' closed eyes: placing their own in the rear, just to avoid ending up in the infantry. It is these people who usually remain in their positions during purges, and it is often those who have not bribed and are specialists incapable of intrigue for the sake of a cushy position who are sent away. The army is falling apart and rotting precisely because of the quality of management and decisions made at the top.

She also criticised front line commanders for launching ‘meat assaults’ without proper reconnaissance:

Today, the real infantry is slavery with a one-way ticket due to the daily stupid and backward decisions of the military command and ignoring the need for professionalism, truth and planning.

Air force units are being transferred to the infantry due to shortages in the same way as Luftwaffe units became infantry at the end of World War 2.

Some say that Bezugla’s outbursts are being used as a political tool to damage Syrsky. This is possible, of course.

Body Exchange

The Ukrainians recently accepted the remains of 503 of their soldiers in exchange for only 42 Russian bodies.

Ukraine Terrorist Attacks

In addition to the terrorist attacks covered here, the Russian FSB (Security Service) has foiled a number of plots to assassinate top Russian Defence Ministry personnel along with their families. You can read more at Sputnik.

20th/21st December

The Ukrainians launched an attack on a Pedagogical College in Rylsk (Kursk) on the 20th December killing 6, including a child, and injuring 30. Some reports, claim that the missiles employed included ATACMS which were used to target civilian infrastructure such as apartment blocks and schools. However the official Russian report claims that only HIMARS were used.⁴ The Ukrainians also attacked a hospital in Gorlovka (DPR) three times using cluster munitions. Nine civilians were injured.

On the morning of the 21st, high rise apartment blocks in Kazan were attacked with drones. The images you can see here are reminiscent of the attacks on the twin towers. According to this, six attacks were made on high rise buildings.

It seems that there is symbolism associated with the attacks in the city where BRICS countries met earlier this year. Whereas the attacks of 9/11 could be seen as an assault on the US Hegemon, these Ukrainian strikes - which are visually very similar to the assault on the World Trade Centre, can be seen as attacks on the BRICS movement. However, unlike the attacks on the Twin Towers, there were no casualties.

Maria Zakharova also made a connection with the attacks on Kazan and Ukrainian bitterness at the success of the BRICS summit and the losses on the battlefields. She also condemned the West’s ‘blatant hypocrisy’ in ignoring these terrorist attacks. You can read more at Tass. Putin had this to say about the attacks:

No matter how hard anyone tries to destroy something in our country, they will face many times greater destruction in their own country for this and will regret what they are trying to do in our country. But you and I will move forward. We will not only restore the damage that someone is trying to inflict on us, but we will move forward at an even greater pace.

In my view, the Ukrainians already know that they have lost the war and are hitting out at civilians as visibly as possible just out of spite. This is what Rylsk achieved but Kazan was more about the optics since the drones did not contain very destructive payloads

Sochi and Tuapse on the coast of the Black Sea also came under attack. There is no military values in any of these assaults. Drone attacks injured two civilians in Belgorod while cluster munitions injured five in the DPR.

21st/22nd December

At night, there was an explosion at Kazan, according to the War Chronicle. According to the Russian MoD:

20 UAVs were destroyed over the territory of the Oryol region, eight UAVs over the territories of the Rostov and Bryansk regions, five over the territory of the Kursk region and one over the territory of the Krasnodar region.

22nd/23rd December

Overnight, villages in Bryansk were attacked killing one man in Kirillovka and badly injuring another in Krasny Bor. According to Tass, six long range missiles have been shot down over Donetsk but six explosions were reported. The Kalinin hospital in Donetsk was attacked with HIMARS causing damage but no casualties were reported.

23rd/24th December

Overnight, Melitopol (Zaporozhye) was attacked with eight drones, most of which were shot down. The hospital in Gorlovka (DPR) suffered artillery attacks overnight injuring one civilian while three drones were destroyed over Crimea and one over Voronezh. Drones also damaged residential buildings in Kazan. In the village of Borki (Belgorod), drones damaged a number of cars causing injuries to one driver. Elsewhere in a Belgorod, a gas pipeline was damaged.

24th/25th December

According to the War Chronicle:

Over Russia, air defense shot down 59 UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine overnight, of which 26 over the Belgorod region, 23 over the Voronezh region - of which 20 were shot down by two crews!

25th/26th December

Overnight, the Ukrainians attacked villages in Belgorod with drones, causing damage to lorries, cars and a power line while one drone was destroyed over Voronezh. I have seen no reports of casualties.

26th/27th December

Townhouse in Belgorod where a mother and child survived a drone attack

Overnight, several villages in Belgorod Region suffered drone attacks which damaged cars and houses while injuring a mother, her young child and a man. In Cheremoshnoye, a member of the air defence forces was injured while in the DPR two men were injured by drone drops.

The Sea War

New Russian ‘Tucha’ Missile ship

23rd/24th December

On the evening of the 23rd, four drones headed for Crimea were shot down.

The Air War

Russian Su-57s; Su-34s and Su-35S.

Russian Missile/Drone Attacks

20th/21st December

Overnight, according to the Russian MoD:

Operational and tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian armed forces have targeted energy facilities that support the operation of enterprises of Ukraine's military-industrial complex, the infrastructure of military airfields, storage facilities for unmanned aerial vehicles, and concentrations of personnel and military equipment of Ukrainian armed forces in 147 locations.

23rd/24th December

Ukraine’s electric grid came under attack in Cherkasy and Kirovohrad regions.

25th December

According to the War Chronicle:

In the morning, a massive attack on enemy targets is carried out. In Dnipropetrovsk, 5 arrivals, in Kharkiv at least 10 - including at the Kharkiv Tractor Plant. Also, monitoring services record arrivals in Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih, in the area of the Bushtyn thermal power plant and other western regions of Ukraine. ️Ukrenergo is turning off electricity in advance so that substations do not burn due to overvoltage, network imbalance.

In addition, according to the Islander:

Starokostiantyniv Airfield: Explosions rocked this strategic airbase in the Khmelnytsky region, potentially disrupting military logistics. Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovograd, and Poltava Regions: Explosions were reported across multiple regions, intensifying the scope of the strikes. Nationwide Power Outages: Preemptive grid shutdowns were initiated to avoid systemic collapse from the impacts.

KH-101s, Iskanders and drones were used in the attack which targeted electric, gas and water supplies.

Ukrainian Missile/Drone Attacks

21st/22nd December

Up to ten drones attacked Orel overnight causing a fire at an oil depot.

23rd/24th December

On the evening of the 23rd December, the airport at Millerovo (Rostov) was attacked with at least 12 drones. In Oryol, an oil depot was set alight at Stalny Kon but the fire was quickly extinguished.

The Ground War

Ukrainian artillery

Russian MoD Reports (Excludes Kursk)

w/e 6th December 13,160 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 432

w/e 13th December 12,090 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 370

w/e 20th December 13,250 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 519

w/e 27th December 12,910 Casualties killed and wounded: equipment losses 487

The Fronts

Front Line Cats

Kursk

On December 26th, according to the Two Majors:

In Kursk Region, fighting took place in the vicinity of Leonidovo, CherkasskayaKonopelka and Kurilovka. Twice the AFU tried to counterattack unsuccessfully. The enemy shelled Lgov, three people were killed, another later died in hospital.

The incident in Lgov is being investigated as a terrorist attack which killed four and injured five. Residential buildings and a beauty salon were hit but the missiles may have been intended for military targets.

By the end of the week, according to Yury Podolyaka:

…the Russian army has made significant gains in the Leonidovo area, capturing Kruglenkoye, approaching Malaya Loknya, and threatening to encircle Ukrainian forces to the north. To the east and southeast of Sudzha, further gains suggest a Russian intention to cut off Ukrainian troops in and around Sudzha.

Kharkov

On December 27th, according to the War Chronicle:

The Zolochiv and Derhachi districts of the Kharkiv region have revived, the enemy is pulling up equipment and infantry, and is seriously strengthening in Kozacha Lopan. Fabami strikes from the UMPK are delivered there. In Kharkiv itself, all 5 medical institutions are overcrowded with the wounded. The field morgue of Kharkov is overcrowded - there is a shortage of bags for corpses, they are wrapped in black foil.

Kupyansk

South of Kupyansk - Senkovo

By the end of the week, according to Podolyaka:

The Russian bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskol River has expanded in size and strategic significance. Dvurechnoye has largely been abandoned by Ukrainian infantry, with only drones holding back Russian advances. Fighting is underway for Zapadnoye, a key elevated position.

On the 27th December, according to the War Chronicle:

South of Kupyansk, Zagryzovo and Lozovaya have been cleared. On the eastern bank of the Oskol, between our northern and southern bridgeheads, a sack is formed, into which up to 2 battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fall.

Chasiv Yar

By the end of the week, according to Yury Podolyaka:

Heavy fighting continues at the refractory plant. The situation remains fluid: the plant was briefly under Russian control, retaken by Ukrainian forces, and then surrounded by Russian troops after they captured Severny district to the plant’s north. The fall of the plant will likely lead to the fall of Chasov Yar.

Toretsk

By the end of the week, the Russians were attacking Shcherbinovka and heavy fighting continued in Toretsk. According to Yury Podolyaka, once the Toretskaya mine is captured the city will fall.

Pokrovsk

These colourful and detailed maps are courtesy of Marat Khairullin.

On December 26th, according to the Two Majors:

In Pokrovsk Direction, the settlement of NovyTrud has been liberated, the RF MoD said. There is fighting in Dachenskoye. South of Pokrovsk, the RFAF are advancing westwards with a broad front: there is an advance near Novoolenovka and Novoyelizavetovka

Kurakhovo

By the end of the week, the Russians were advancing in the west of Kurakhovo and had planted a flag on top of the Health Centre building. Most of the residential part of the city is now occupied by the Russians. The city itself is encircled and those Ukrainians trapped inside remain there for political reasons.

Velyka Novosilka

By the end of the week, according to Yury Podolyaka, the Russians had recaptured Novy Komar and brought all roads to the city under fire control.

Zaporozhye

By the end of the week, according to the Two Majors, the Ukrainians began counter-attacks in the direction of Kamenskoye.

Kherson

On the 21st December, according to the War Chronicle, the Russians started an offensive in the area of Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson Direction. One report suggests that 1000 shells were ‘delivered’ in 40 minutes. The Ukrainians who have occupied an area close to the bridge for a long time are being pushed out. The Ukrainians believe that the Russians intend to ‘force the Dnieper’ but there is no evidence of this from the Russian side.

The Economic War

Ukraine On Brink Of Collapse - IMF

Oleg Soskin, a former advisor to the Ukrainian government, suggests that IMF forecasts indicate that Ukraine:

…is on the brink of collapse, absolute collapse. The current government – ​​Zelensky, Shmygal, these servants of the people, Stefanchuk, this Supreme Council – will not be able to do anything.

He also said that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia and that a continuation of the conflict will destroy the country’s economic and political structures.

According to Slavyangrad, nearly half of small businesses in Ukraine will close in 2025, mainly due to increased taxes. 20,000 businesses closed immediately following the recent introduction of higher taxes.

Qatar Could Stop Gas to EU

Doha

The EU has threatened Qatar with a carbon tax if it does not reduce emissions. But Energy Minister, Saad al Kaabi has warned that LNG supplies to Europe will be halted in consequence of any fines imposed.

Trump Tough on Europe

The Boss

Donald Trump, in what some are calling ‘mafia style’ diplomacy, has insisted that Europe buy US oil and gas or face tariffs. But the US is currently allowing Turkiye a free pass to purchase Russian gas which will cause some dissatisfaction among the impotent Europeans.

Trump is also insisting that Europeans increase their military spending to 5% of GDP which can be achieved only by reducing spending on health, social security and education. Current European military spending is around 2% of GDP.

Trump has expressed an interest in buying Greenland, ‘repossessing’ the Panama canal and making Canada the 51st US state. It’s simply rhetoric but it could contain a subtle threat - ‘don’t mess with us - cos we will be great again’. He is also making points about inadequate border security in Canada, exorbitant fees in Panama and the strategic importance of Greenland vis a vis Russia in the Arctic. You can read more of Trump’s Christmas Message here.

US Personal Debt

Personal debt is enormous in the US but Elon Musk has said that the country could become de facto bankrupt unless something is done soon.

Volkswagen to Lay Off 35,000 Workers

The company has been forced to reduce production, it will not recruit new workers and will reduce the number of trainees. However, following an agreement with the IG Metall Union, not a single plant will close but salaries will be cut by 10%.

West’s MIC Benefits Most from Ukraine War - Nebenzya

Russia’s representative at the UN has revealed the staggering profits being made by the Anglo-Saxon MICs. Slavyangrad reported that:

According to the latest data, half of the total arms sales in 2023 came from 41 of the 100 largest American corporations. They received $317 billion, or 50% of the global revenue from arms sales. In total, the revenues of the 100 largest arms manufacturers in the world in 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), reached $632 billion. It would be naive to expect that these unscrupulous traders, who have tasted profit, will give up such profits for the sake of some unfortunate Ukrainians.

Ukraine To Cut Off Russian Gas

On January 1st, Ukraine has threatened to cut off the transit of Russian gas to European countries such as Slovakia since its agreement to do so expires on this date. Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico has said that if this happens a serious conflict could arise between the two countries. According to this report, the decision to turn off the gas was made in the US which will benefit most from the move. Fico met with Putin on December 23rd to discuss the energy situation. Moldova will also suffer when Ukraine turns off the gas.

Fico also revealed that Zelensky tried to bribe him with 500,000 Euros from frozen Russian assets in exchange for his support of Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

Lift Russian Sanctions - Orban

Viktor Orban is calling for sanctions on Russia to be lifted so that EU economies can recover and inflation eliminated.

World Politics

Realism - From US Military Analyst

Brits Don’t Want to Fight Anyway

In the past 12 months, 15,000 soldiers have quit the armed forces of Britain in spite of a huge pay rise. Perhaps they are concerned that a war is coming!

Protests

Moldovan Farmers

The farmers are protesting to prevent cheap Ukrainian grain coming into the country following the expiration of existing restrictions on imports at the end of the month. The Ukrainian produce will force down the price of the farmers’ own grain.

Serbia

Blood on their hands

150,000 people gathered in Belgrade to protest but they will not let this become another colour revolution. This footage shows protesters taking a European Union flag from another protester. The protest was triggered by a roof collapse at a railway station which killed 14 people. Shoddy workmanship presided over by a corrupt government was blamed.

The emerging Multi-Polar World

Based on the Kapok tree from the Amazon

GDP - Based on Purchasing Power Parity

According to the IMF annual report.

Sri Lanka Asks To Join BRICS As Partner Country

According to Sputnik:

Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake expressed interest in joining BRICS in a letter sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin in October, and the country expects a positive response in 2025 to join the organization, the republic's ambassador to Moscow, Pakeer Amza, told Sputnik.

Thailand to Join BRICS

Thatiland has accepted an invitation to join BRICS as a partner state. You can read more at Tass.

Von der Schulenburg - Western Dominance Ending

The former Assistant Secretary General of the UN, Michael von der Schulenburg condemned European leaders for being unable/unwilling to stop the war in Ukraine. He regards this failure as a sign of a decaying Colonial Empire:

You know, for 400 years, or maybe some say that for 500 years we were colonial powers and dominated. At first we say that it's because of Christianity, because we are civilized guys. Now it's because of democracy. We always use this to say that we have to dominate. And I think for the first time we understand that this time has come to an end. And the symbol of why it is coming to an end is the Ukrainian war.

That’s it for the final week of an eventful year. The year has been important for me personally since the Substack has grown beyond anything I imagined. I am grateful to those who read and subscribe but especially to those who share the Update and make it available to more people. Many thanks to you all and I hope you are both prosperous and happy in the coming year. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda and Bliadhna Mhath Ùr - from Wales and Scotland. Best wishes - Rob

Non subscribers can view Updates on Telegram: https://t.me/UWUupdate.

1. The RADA is considering a reduction in the mobilisation age to 18 years.

2. Thanks to Anthony for this story.

3. Lies - Cockney slang

4. The War Chronicle also claims that ATACMS were used.