In this episode, we analyze a world on the brink as 2025 closes with high-stakes information warfare and shifting military postures. The Kremlin alleges a massive Ukrainian drone strike on President Putin’s Valdai residence, a claim widely assessed by the sources as an information operation intended to influence U.S. diplomatic narratives and harden Russia's negotiating stance. Meanwhile, Russia projects power by deploying nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles to Belarus while transitioning to a year-round conscription model to sustain its high-casualty operations in Ukraine. In the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. has significantly expanded the firepower of MQ-9A Reapers in Puerto Rico to pressure Venezuela, just as the Chinese military conducts wargames simulating combat in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. We also dive into internal fractures rocking the Middle East, from the rapid geographic expansion of anti-regime protests in Iran to a deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over territorial control in Yemen. Finally, we explore Beijing’s strategic "playbook" for neutralizing U.S. economic pressure and Russia’s domestic descent into "Orwellian" tyranny. Join us as we dissect these global fault lines and the intensifying battle for strategic influence.

1. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/30/did-ukraine-target-putin-residence-russian-claim-trump
2. https://theaviationist.com/2025/12/29/usaf-mq-9a-ten-agm-114-hellfire/
3. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/russias-descent-tyranny
4. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/world/europe/russia-ukraine-trump-influence.html
5. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12/30/us/trump-news
6. https://thediplomat.com/2025/12/chinas-military-is-planning-for-combat-in-latin-america/
7. https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-30-2025/
8. https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/30/three-lessons-china-trump-2026/
9. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/12/30/russia-war-ukraine-society-dissent/
10. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-30/us-sanctions-iran-and-venezuela-linked-firms-over-weapons-trade
11. https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-december-30-2025/

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