December 23, 2025 – Short News

“What is destroyed, we rebuild” – Zelenskyy honors energy workers!!

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that there is not a single power plant left in Ukraine that has not been damaged by Russian attacks. Every functioning part of the electricity and heating network is the result of the hard work of people who repair, protect, and rebuild. Zelenskyy awarded energy workers with state honors and thanked all companies and emergency teams that continue to supply millions of people. It is about electricity, heat, and daily life under fire. Repairs are often carried out under danger, frequently at night, always under extreme time pressure. This work keeps the country alive. Zelenskyy said that energy workers show not only Ukraine, but the world, what the people there stand for. Destruction will not be accepted. Everything Russia destroys will be rebuilt. Ukraine cannot be broken because of the people who keep going.

Judge reprimands Ghislaine Maxwell for disclosing victim names!!

A federal judge in New York sharply reprimanded Ghislaine Maxwell for naming confidential victims in her own court filings. The longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein had filed a motion without legal representation seeking to overturn her 2021 sex trafficking conviction. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ordered that all exhibits be kept under seal until they are reviewed and redacted. Any future filings by Maxwell may only be submitted under seal. The judge expressly reminded her that victims’ identities must not be made public. Maxwell’s actions not only burden her own case but once again place the protection of victims at the center. The motion itself seeks her release from a 20-year prison sentence. Maxwell claims exculpatory information was withheld. The court has now set strict limits.

The release of the so-called Epstein files is increasingly under pressure. The Justice Department is publishing the records only gradually and heavily redacted. This is justified by the need to protect victims. Many of the documents released so far were already known or lacked decisive context. Key materials such as internal FBI memoranda or victim interviews are missing. Critics speak of disappointment and growing opacity. Several files were briefly posted online and then removed again. Among them was image material featuring politically prominent figures from Epstein’s circle. The department announced that missing files would be reposted after renewed review. So far, this approach has done little to build trust.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is increasing pressure on the Justice Department. He is calling for legal action to enforce the full implementation of the Epstein Transparency Act. Schumer speaks of deliberate delays and massive redactions that undermine the purpose of the law. A resolution he introduced is intended to enable lawsuits against the department. It has little realistic chance of success, as Republican support is lacking. Nevertheless, Schumer is deliberately keeping the issue alive. The administration rejects the accusation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says protecting victims takes precedence over deadlines. The political battle over the files has long since become part of the election campaign.

A long life in service of history – Farewell to Ranger Betty

Betty Reid Soskin passed away peacefully on Sunday morning surrounded by her family. She was 104 years old. Soskin was not only a ranger with the National Park Service, but a narrator of American history from lived experience. Until her retirement at age 100, she was considered the oldest active ranger in the United States. In her tours, she connected the civil rights movement, wartime experiences, and social struggles with the everyday lives of visitors. She made visible what had long been overlooked. Her voice was calm, clear, and relentlessly honest. Generations listened to her. With her passing, not only a person is gone, but a living chapter of American history. Thank you for your service, Ranger Betty.

Trump’s “Golden Fleet” – A battleship born of grandiosity

Donald Trump has announced plans to expand the U.S. Navy with a new large warship that he himself calls a “battleship.” It is to be part of a so-called “Golden Fleet” and larger than anything the Navy has deployed so far. Trump promised a ship that would be faster, more powerful, and technologically superior, armed with hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, railguns, and lasers. The first ship is to be named USS Defiant. Few are surprised that this vessel is said to belong to the “Trump Class.” The announcement was made at Mar-a-Lago, not at the Pentagon. Many of the weapons systems mentioned still exist only as experimental projects. The Navy itself has discontinued comparable programs in recent years due to cost and technical problems. Concrete construction plans have not yet been made public. Construction is not expected to begin until the early 2030s.

The plans for the new warship stand in contrast to the recent record of the U.S. Navy. Just a few weeks ago, a smaller shipbuilding project was canceled after delays and costs spiraled out of control. Other prestige projects such as the Ford-class aircraft carrier and the Columbia-class submarines have also fallen well behind schedule and budget. Particularly striking is Trump’s reference to technologies the Navy has already abandoned. Development of a railgun consumed more than 15 years and hundreds of millions of dollars before being terminated in 2021. Laser weapons are being tested, but their use remains limited. Nuclear cruise missiles on ships could also affect international arms control agreements. Within the Navy, there are doubts whether the announced ship is anything more than a political signal.

For years, Trump has intervened unusually strongly in matters of ship design. He publicly criticized rusty destroyers, the appearance of modern warships, and even the launch mechanism of aircraft carriers. New Navy Secretary John Phelan reported that Trump regularly contacted him late at night to talk about ships in shipyards. As early as 2020, Trump said he had personally changed the design of a frigate because he found it “ugly.” He also wants to have a direct say in the new battleship. Trump said he is an “aesthetic person” and will work together with the Navy on the design. For him, the USS Defiant is meant above all to do one thing: make an impression when it pulls into foreign ports. Whether it is militarily meaningful remains an open question, as does how long the world will continue to watch Trump’s actions in silence.

“You do not negotiate with an aggressor” – Thatcher’s clear line

That was her, the “Iron Lady”

On October 12, 1990, Margaret Thatcher formulated a sentence at the Conservative Party conference that still resonates today. Against the backdrop of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, she made it unmistakably clear that violence does not create room for negotiation. Anyone who marches into another country, devastates it, and kills people cannot be rewarded with talks. Thatcher did not speak of compromises, but of consequences. The aggressor must be driven out, made to pay for the damage caused, and permanently prevented from doing such things again. It was a rejection of appeasement and tactical hesitation. At the same time, it was a statement of political principle. Law, her message was, does not arise from strength, but from limits. And those limits must be enforced if necessary.

Greenland as a question of possession – Trump’s view of history in a single sentence

“We need Greenland for our national security. It has a very small population. They say Denmark was there 300 years ago with a boat. Well, we were there with boats too, I’m sure.”

“We need Greenland for our national security. It has a very small population. They say Denmark was there 300 years ago with a boat. Well, we were there with boats too, I’m sure.”

See also our article from December 22, 2025: “Two political madmen find each other – Trump’s Greenland madness and why the EU is stronger than one might think”

Trump openly threatens Maduro – U.S. pressure on Venezuela escalates

“He can do whatever he wants – if he plays the strongman, it will be the last time he will ever be able to do so.”

Donald Trump has once again sharply warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and signaled a further escalation of U.S. measures. Surrounded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said Maduro should not dare to “play tough.” Otherwise, it would be the last time. The remarks were made on the sidelines of an announcement about new naval projects in Florida. Officially, the administration justifies its actions with the fight against drug trafficking. In reality, the campaign has developed into an open instrument of political pressure on Caracas. Trump has been saying for weeks that Maduro’s days are numbered. The language is deliberately intimidating. Diplomatic restraint is nowhere to be found.

Russia responds – diplomats’ families leave Caracas

The situation is not without international consequences. According to information from Western intelligence services, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has begun evacuating the families of its diplomats from Venezuela. Women and children are said to be affected. The assessment of the situation in Moscow reportedly appears grim. Officially, Russia denies a full evacuation of the embassy, but does not comment specifically on the departures of family members. The move points to growing nervousness. While Washington increases pressure, other actors are visibly preparing for a further escalation. Venezuela is increasingly becoming the stage for a demonstration of power, the outcome of which remains open. On December 11, 2025, Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro spoke by phone, and Putin expressed his solidarity with Venezuela and his support for the Maduro government in the face of growing external pressure. He emphasized that Russia stands behind Venezuela’s policy of defending its “national interests and sovereignty.” That makes the situation all the more explosive.