
Donald Trump, as president of the United States, plans to withdraw 20,000 American soldiers from Europe and at the same time threatened to take measures against Russian exports if an agreement is not reached soon in Ukraine. The US president continued with his statements about everything and the opposite of everything: “We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War at the cost of almost 60 million lives.” “I have no intention of hurting Russia. I love the Russian people and I have always had a good relationship with President Putin.”
Trump said he offers Russia two ways to end the Ukrainian conflict: easy and difficult. In the first case, Moscow will have to accept Washington’s conditions, as shown by the head of the American administration’s publication on the social network Truth Social. He did not explain the second option. Trump also appointed Andrew Puzder as US Ambassador to the European Union. He previously served as CEO of fast food chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.
Former NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said from the stage in Davos: “I understand that there is not much enthusiasm for Ukraine joining NATO, so we need to arm it to the teeth.” “If we did something wrong in 2012, it was not arming Ukraine from 2014 to 2022. Let me remind you that in 2017-2018 there was a big discussion in NATO, and most of the allies said ‘No’ to providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, because that could provoke Russia.” And “It was President Trump, who approved the decision to bring lethal weapons to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said again during a roundtable at the World Economic Forum in Davos. At the same time, he added that the best security guarantee for Ukraine could be Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Davos Economic Forum: “The NATO alliance has entered a “crisis situation” due to the need to increase the rate of spending of member countries on national defense. “Europe will finance the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine.” “If the new Trump administration is ready to continue to help Ukraine with its defense industrial base, then the Europeans will pay the bill, I am absolutely convinced of that, we must be ready to do so,” Mark Rutte said.
The European Commission has promised to provide Ukraine with 35 billion euros in financial assistance in 2025.
In Ukraine, too, there is some confusion about the possible Peace Agreement. According to the Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Mykhailo Podoljak: “Russia would collapse within eight months if we significantly increase attacks on its territory and increase international pressure on it.” “Now, if there were a significant destruction of the economy in Russia and a significant increase in panic in social sentiment, that would have fairly rapid consequences. And then, look, in parallel, 6-8 months of zeroing out the economy (Russian – ed.) with 3-4 months of increasing attacks deep into Russia. And then this year we may see everything completely differently,” he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov promptly responded to Trump’s words. “Russia will not forget American help during the Great Patriotic War (World War II) and hopes that US President Donald Trump will share with the Russian Federation the joy of celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Victory,” the spokesman said. “Trump’s data that the USSR lost almost 60 million lives during World War II do not correspond to reality,” Peskov said. And again: “The USSR paid the highest price for the victory over fascism, the US helped it, but for them it was business,” Peskov added.
Dmitry Peskov then added: “We expect an international telephone conversation with the president <…> I will say right away that this is not that conversation, but it is no less important for us,” the Kremlin representative said. The Kremlin does not see anything new in US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose sanctions if an agreement on Ukraine is not reached, Dmitry Peskov stressed: “We do not see anything particularly new. You know that Trump, in his first presidency, was the American president who most often resorted to sanctioning methods. He likes these methods, or at least he liked them during his first presidency.” In Russia, the country’s economic and financial data were released: “The budget deficit in 2024 amounted to 1,7% of GDP” and this is an acceptable level, noted the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. According to Rosstat data, the inflation rate in Russia from 14 to 20 January 2025 was 0.25%. Since the beginning of the month, consumer prices have increased by 0.92%. Putin on January 22, instructed to additionally index military pensions to actual inflation.
Insurance and military pensions, social payments and benefits will be indexed by 9.5%
“I propose to index insurance pensions already in January based on the real situation, that is, based on last year’s actual inflation, that is, 9.5% <…> I consider it correct and fair that military pensioners also do additional indexation. <…> I ask the government to “take the necessary actions as soon as possible to implement these and other decisions on indexation of social payments and benefits,” Putin said.
Belgorod authorities have decided to resettle residents of the village of Terezovka, Shebekinsky district – Governor Gladkov
And now a look at the front line as of 17:00 on January 23.
At night, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian targets in the city of Zaporizhia. Explosions also occurred in Kramators’k and Pavlohrad.
From the Kursk region they report that in the area of Kruglenkoe/Viktorovka, during the offensive actions of Russian troops, assault troops entered Viktorovka and are trying to gain a foothold. Attack operations are underway in the direction of the village of Nikolskyi. The Northern Group of Troops reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to strengthen their grouping in the Sudzhansky border region, transferring elite reserve units of special forces, attack aircraft and special forces. Several special forces units have arrived in Sumy, from where they will be transferred to the Kursk region in a few days. Missile strikes have been carried out on Ukrainian concentrations. Russian marines are fighting in Kurilovka and the surrounding forest belts.
North of Kupyansk, on the right bank of the Oskil River, units of the Western Group of Troops have liberated the village of Zapadne in the Kharkiv region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The penetration into enemy defenses was 4.5 km deep from the Oskil River to the west.
In the Pokrovs’k direction there are battles in the area of the settlement. Shevchenko, Udachne, Baranivka, Kotlyne, Zvirove, Uspenivka, Slov’yanka and Petropavlivka. Russian attack aircraft have occupied the mine ventilation shaft west of Kotlyne.
In Velyka Novosilka, Ukrainians admit that the garrison of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is being squeezed from several sides by assault units of the Russian Armed Forces. The distance between the attacking units is from 2.2 to 3.7 km, that is, the “pocket” is completely crossed by Russian troops.
According to social media sources, the Russian Armed Forces control almost all of Toretsk. One post reads: “The entire residential sector is under the control of Russian troops. In the north, fighting is underway,” the channel’s source said. “The Russian Armed Forces are currently clearing the territory of the Toretskaya mine from the enemy.” The complete transition of the city to the control of the Russian military is a matter of the near future.
Russian troops have taken control of Solenoye in the DPR, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
On the Zaporizhia front, according to Russian social media sources, Ukrainian armed forces again attacked the satellite city of the Zaporizhia Energodar nuclear power plant with four drones in order to damage the city’s civilian infrastructure. The impacts were recorded in the water utility area, on the city embankment and near the Groshik store. Ukrainians claimed the opposite.
Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/