Lebanese media report that the Lebanese army has sent heavy engineering equipment to the village of Touline in southern Lebanon to excavate a site where Israel says a Hezbollah tunnel is operating.

Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Trump believes Vladimir Putin is his friend and assumes that a good personal relationship translates into good U.S.–Russia relations, calling that view a major oversimplification. Bolton argued that Putin does not see Trump as a friend at all, but rather as someone he can manipulate, drawing on his KGB training.

Amid the European Union’s plans to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, China said it continues to oppose sanctions that violate international law and lack approval from the UN Security Council. The statement was made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gao Jiakun.

The Russian dictator once again delivered his usual “stand-up” routine about the goals of the so-called “special military operation,” openly stating that if Russia’s terms are not accepted—terms that amount to Ukraine’s capitulation—Russian forces will simply continue the war. How many more of these speeches does Putin need to give, and how many more Ukrainian civilians must die, before the U.S. administration accepts that Russia has no interest in ending this war?

Speaking in Qatar, Tucker Carlson questioned why the United States prioritizes Israel over Gulf states such as Qatar, arguing that the strategic value of the relationship with Israel is largely one-sided. He described Israel as “a completely insignificant country” with “no resources” and a population of about 9 million, claiming that its significance comes solely from the U.S. security guarantee. Carlson asked whether the United States is obligated to defend Israel and argued that there is “no overriding strategic interest” for Washington, saying the relationship brings “nothing” but costs. In contrast, he said the Gulf states—particularly the six GCC countries—offer clear and tangible benefits to the United States, calling those relationships far more important than ties with Israel. He concluded that Qatar’s relationship with the U.S. is “infinitely more important” than America’s relationship with Israel.

Overnight, drones struck Russia’s Slavyansk-on-Kuban, with reports indicating that an oil refinery was targeted. In 2025, the facility processed around 5.2 million tons of crude oil and condensate annually and was involved in supplying Russian occupying forces.

An oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region was also attacked overnight. The facility had been targeted before on December 13. Local residents said they heard at least 10 strong explosions in Saratov as well as in the nearby city of Engels.