🇷🇺VLADIMIR PUTIN:

"We all know about the idea that Argentina’s President-elect had to introduce the dollar in his country.

Every country makes its own sovereign decisions, of course.

However, inflation in Argentina stands somewhere around 143 percent, I think, which creates a lot of challenges, as the country’s preceding leaders told me, in terms of repaying the loans Argentina contracted here and there. So the logic here is quite clear.

But this means that the country loses much of its sovereignty.

If today’s leaders in Argentina do not see any other solution for addressing the country’s financial and economic woes, this is their decision to make.

Still, this would substantially undermine their sovereignty.

There is also a socioeconomic aspect here...

You see, even pegging your national currency to the dollar can have serious socioeconomic consequences.

There was a time when Argentina faced major financial challenges, and people went as far as to attack banks.

But what will happen if they switch to the dollar or peg their currency to the dollar?

Any government seeking to solve its economic issues always thinks about honouring its social commitments."

"As for the dollar peg, there is non-discretionary spending: pensions, salaries for public sector employees, social benefits, and the like.

Quite often, a state does not have enough money to cover these expenses. So what happens when you peg your currency to the dollar?

If they have a national currency – the peso, they have a tool to slightly increase inflation.

True, this is certainly not very good, but still, it is a tool for balancing between a healthy economy and the fulfilment of social obligations.

But if you do not have a national currency, you cannot print more money.

This leaves the government with only one option – to cut social spending, slash wages, pensions, benefits, spending on medicine, on roads, other things, and on internal security. There are no other options.

And in this regard, any government puts itself in a very difficult position in terms of domestic political stability.

If our partners make this choice, it is their right; any country can determine what it should do and how it should be done."

Excerpt of the remarks and answers by Russian President Vladimir Putin to questions from journalists and the people of Russia for the 'Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin' live broadcast, Moscow, December 14, 2023.

Source: kremlin.ru

🇺🇦🇷🇺‼️🚨 BREAKING: Looks like the Patriot system that Germany delivered to Ukraine was destroyed yesterday with hypersonic missiles.

—> The Ukrainian Air Force said “we’ll not going to comment what was hit” and various credible channels like yurasumy report the destruction.

A battery of Patriot air defense systems sent by Germany to Ukraine was destroyed by a Kinzhal missile near Zhitomir, west of Kyiv.

There is also a claim that it could have been a battery, partly divided between Kiev and Odessa, and that it was withdrawn to the west after the shelling of the center of Kyiv.

Five launchers, one command vehicle, and one air surveillance radar were destroyed.

Also destroyed were 80 ready-to-fire missiles worth $5.5 million and 160 spare missiles in stock.
Their value is $1.32 billion.

Over the past eight years, the United States has ordered between 108 and 328 new MIM-104 missiles. In one blow, Russia virtually wiped out a year's production.

During the attacks on Kyiv, the air defense system was integrated with the radar of the AEGIS complex and long-range radar detection and control aircraft in Poland and Romania and tried to shoot down the Kinzhals, but was destroyed.

Thus, the number of Patriot air defense systems destroyed in Ukraine has increased to four.

— source yurasumy, militarist and slavyngrad

‼️ Elusive Glory

It's been a bad news week all around for the empire and its rapidly eroding global prestige. I thought I'd list a few of the more salient events:

▫️ US bases in Syria and Iraq continue to get hit by missile and drone strikes.

I've lost count of the total, but it must be near or already exceeding triple digits by now.

Has it occurred to the powers-that-be in Washington that, just maybe, they've worn out their welcome, and it would be a good idea to skedaddle out of there before something really bad happens?

▫️ Germany finally shipped two Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine, and despite reports that they were equipped to integrate with US Aegis-system radars in Poland, both batteries, including radars, multiple launchers, and command modules were blown to pieces by Russian missile strikes. It is reported that well over 200 missiles stockpiled nearby were also smoked.

So the legendary American Patriot missile system adds to its unblemished record of abject failure. No real surprise there.

▫️ Finally, after boldly transiting the Strait of Hormuz in broad daylight a few weeks ago, and wandering around in the Persian Gulf for several days, the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group snuck back out in the dead of night, with Iranian drones and fast boats harassing it the whole way.

2023 is coming to an ignominious close for the mighty US military. It just can't seem to find any easy wars to fight anymore, and it doesn't quite know what to do with itself.

Maybe it's time to beat the swords back into ploughshares?