A major fire has erupted in an oil facility in the Russian city of Engels after a long range Ukrainian drone attack.Footage online has shown flames engulfing parts of the Kristall oil storage facility following claims by local officials that Ukraine launched a “mass drone attack” at that region.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Jan. 7 that NATO should raise its defense spending benchmark from 2% of GDP to 5%, echoing his earlier calls for Europe to spend more on its security.

Nato asks every member country to spend at least 2% of national income - also known as GDP - on defence. It is thought that 23 countries met that target in 2024, compared to only three in 2014. The countries which spend the largest share of GDP on defence are the US and those close to Russia, such as Poland and the Baltic states.

While Ukraine’s acceptance into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) appears unattainable, armed neutrality may be the country’s next best option to protect against future Russian aggression.

In May 2023 at a CNN Town Hall meeting, Donald Trump, already well advanced in his campaign to become president of the United States again, said: “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want to stop them dying.

The MFA of Ukraine added that if the Hungarian side prioritizes strengthening Russia over the EU and the US, it should acknowledge this openly. “Ukraine would be ready to fill any vacant space in the EU and NATO if Hungary chooses to vacate it in favor of membership in the CIS or CSTO ,” the Ministry wrote.

NATO's strategy is sound but its allies lack the arsenals and manufacturing needed to carry it out in a long war, a new report found.

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he can "understand the Russians' feelings" about Joe Biden allegedly breaking a "deal" to deny Ukraine NATO membership. Source: Trump at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on 7 January,

Ukraine hits Russia's infantry brigade command post in Kursk Oblast, military claims In historic record, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims Trump blames Biden for provoking Russia's war by supporting Ukraine's NATO aspirations Ukraine says it holds Kurakhove's western outskirts despite Russia's claim of capture Ukrainian soldiers struck on Jan.

If Ukraine falls, it will be hard to spin as anything but a debacle for the United States, and for its president.