On Lake Baikal, a minibus with Chinese tourists fell through the ice. Seven foreigners and the driver died, one passenger was rescued.
Talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva brought no breakthrough, with Zelenskyy accusing Russia of stalling for time. Expert Zhelikhovsky believes that Moscow is using the negotiations to gain time on the battlefield.
The released documents indicate that Jeffrey Epstein sought to meet with Putin and established ties with the Russian elite. He used young Russian women and girls offered by modeling agencies and Russian criminals.
Sergei Lavrov claims that Russia has not received a 20-point peace plan for Ukraine, neither officially nor unofficially. He called further versions of the agreement "attempts to rape the American initiative" by Zelensky and his patrons.
French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to involve European partners in resuming dialogue with Putin. He sent his advisor to Moscow, reopening technical channels for discussion.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia remains open to cooperation with the United States, but does not hope for a restoration of economic ties. He noted that the United States seeks economic dominance.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claims that Russia is not going to attack Europe. However, in the event of a European attack on Russia, a full-fledged military response will be provided.
The Kremlin continues to reject security guarantees for Ukraine, citing the 2022 "Istanbul Protocol. " This document would leave Ukraine defenseless against aggression.
Russian officials are warning Putin of a potential economic crisis that could engulf the country by summer. Falling revenues and pressure on the banking system point to a growing budget deficit.
The released US Department of Justice documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case indicate his numerous attempts to establish contact with Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader's name is mentioned over 1,000 times in the case materials.
Another round of talks on Ukraine, mediated by the US, is planned in Abu Dhabi. Experts hope that the results will show the seriousness of the Kremlin's intentions, despite renewed attacks on Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is trying to convince the US to negotiate only with Russia, and not with Ukraine and Europe. The Kremlin seeks to use economic agreements and arms talks to extract concessions from Trump on Ukraine.
The US Department of Justice has released millions of pages of Jeffrey Epstein's investigation documents. They detail his connections with figures such as Steve Bannon, Elon Musk, and world leaders, as well as Epstein's attempts to meet Musk and his influence on political and business circles.
Steve Witkoff will meet with Ukrainian officials on Wednesday before traveling to Moscow with Jared Kushner for talks with Putin on a peace plan. Documents on a peaceful settlement have been unofficially handed over to Moscow for review.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, rejected conditions for peace in Ukraine. The diplomat confirmed Russia's commitment to addressing the "root causes" of the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the diplomatic conflict between the US and Europe over Greenland's sovereignty has exposed "crisis tendencies" within Western society. These disagreements jeopardize the continued existence of NATO as a cohesive alliance.
Putin's administration and "United Russia" have identified five leaders for the State Duma elections in September 2026. The list includes Medvedev, Lavrov, Golovin, Lysenko, and Poddubny.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia's goals in Ukraine include Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions. This expands Russia's demands even beyond the 28-point US peace plan.
The Center emphasizes that Russia needed more than two days to fabricate this 'evidence'. The photographs of metal fragments laid on the snow, published by the Russian Ministry of Defense, do not prove anything by themselves.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the leaders of these countries would express deep concern about Russia's real attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine and solidarity with Ukraine, against which Russia has been waging an unjustified and unprovoked aggression for the fourth year.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that the concern about the fabricated attack on Putin's palace is particularly surprising against the background of the absence of reactions from the respective countries to regular and real Russian strikes on civilians in Ukraine.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, commented on photos of drone debris that allegedly flew to attack the residence of the Russian dictator. He stated that this is traditional Russian lies.
The Kremlin has not provided evidence for its claims of a Ukrainian drone attack on Putin's residence on December 29, denying the need to do so. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "no evidence is needed" and also could not answer whether debris remained.
France expresses doubts about Ukrainian drone attacks on Vladimir Putin's residence, as there is no compelling evidence. Russian authorities provide conflicting information about the incident.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced contact with the US regarding the alleged attack by Ukrainian drones on Putin's residence. Negotiating groups concluded that it was a fake.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine states that Russia is spreading fake news about a 91-drone attack on Putin's residence in response to successful negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States. This information operation is aimed at disrupting agreements, justifying future attacks on Ukraine, and discrediting the Ukrainian leadership.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War found no video footage or local reports of a possible Ukrainian drone attack on Putin's residence in the Novgorod region. The circumstances of this alleged attack do not match the pattern of observed evidence of Ukrainian strikes on Russia.
The spokesman for the Russian dictator refused to provide evidence of a UAV attack on the residence of the Russian leader, calling it an "insane claim. " He urged to "take the Kremlin's word for it," stating that Russia's position on ending the war in Ukraine would become "more rigid."
China called on all parties to refrain from escalation and promote de-escalation of the situation after Russia's statements. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian emphasized the need to create conditions for a political settlement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Ukrainians residing in Russia should participate in voting in Ukraine's presidential elections. He claims that the mandate of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expired in May 2024.
