European Council President Charles Michel welcomes Azerbaijan's decision to transfer 10 servicemen to Armenia.

Anti-Russian sanctions are an instrument of unfair competition, and Western countries will always find reasons for their introduction, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

The United States is open to discussing issues with Russia on the NATO negotiating platform or in the OSCE format, US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told reporters during an online event on Friday.

On December 17, 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation published the draft "Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Security Guarantees" and "Agreement on Security Measures of the Russian Federation and the member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization".

The EU, in response to Russia's proposals on regional security guarantees, supports discussing this issue in existing formats, the official representative of the EU Foreign Policy Service Peter Stano told RIA Novosti.

Having led his party to victory in the Bundestag elections, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz became the new Chancellor of Germany.

For starters, Scholz became the second chancellor in the history of Germany who did not mention God at the oath. After taking the oath, he began his first foreign voyage along the "traditional"inaugural" route" Paris - Brussels - Warsaw.

Russia has no right to determine which countries NATO may or may not consist of, German Defense Minister Kristine Lambrecht said on Sunday during a visit to Lithuania.

New sanctions against the Russian Federation in connection with the situation around Ukraine should be directed against the immediate leaders of the Russian Federation, German Defense Minister Kristine Lambrecht said.

German Finance Minister, leader of the Free Democratic Party Christian Lindner on Friday, December 17, in an interview with the Funke media group, said that the German government is always interested in cooperation with Russia, and the issue of Nord Stream –2 is only in the legal field.

U.S. Defense Ministers Lloyd Austin and Germany's Christina Lambrecht discussed issues related to countering Russia's policy in Eastern Europe during a telephone conversation, the Pentagon said.

The official representative of the US Defense Ministry, John Kirby, did not answer the question about the possible buildup of US and NATO troops on the "eastern flank" of the alliance in connection with the situation around Ukraine, citing his lack of information on this issue.

The reason for the current tension in US-Russia relations is Washington's realization of its geopolitical interests at the expense of Moscow's interests in the 1990s, especially in the post-Soviet space, according to Thomas Graham, head of Kissinger Associates, former adviser to US President George W. Bush on Russia and Eurasia.

The United States is waiting for significant progress in diplomatic work around Ukraine, but will not stop meeting the country's defense needs. This was announced on Friday, December 17, by Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The White House is preparing to respond to Russia's proposals on security guarantees in the near future. According to Bloomberg, citing a senior representative of the US administration, the US reaction will follow next week.

Ukraine today is completely lost to Russia as a partner and ally.

This was stated by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov in an interview with RTVI, writes Rubaltic.ru .

Peskov noted that Russians and Ukrainians will remain fraternal peoples, despite the "fooling of their citizens by the Ukrainian authorities."

Ukraine has not yet planned to deploy a military contingent of any countries on its territory. This was announced by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of the country Alexey Danilov on Saturday, December 18.

Ukraine wants to receive not only defensive, but also offensive weapons from Western partners. This was announced by Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov on Saturday, December 18.

The reconstruction of the runway, which started there in September this year, will finish at the Kherson International Airport.

The US Department of Justice announced an attempt of espionage in favor of Russia. Former Pentagon contract worker Jane Murray Rowe has been arrested. The man detained in the USA is 63 years old, he had access to secrets for 40 years, the Izvestia TV channel reports. We are talking about classified information in the field of aerospace technologies. The FBI does not claim that Jane Rowe had any contact with Russia. The man himself contacted the agent, whom he considered Russian. Now the arrested person may face a life sentence.

On December 16, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC "Tupolev" Rustam Minnikhanov chaired the Board of Directors of PJSC "Tupolev" (part of the United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec State Corporation).