Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov joined the conservative American journalist to discuss recent international issues and to explain Russia's position

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has given an exclusive interview to conservative American journalist Tucker Carlson this week. The two talked about a wide range of topics of international concern, primarily the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the state of US-Russia relations. Here's the full text of the conversation.

The short-lived period of martial law was the result of a complex internal power struggle and will likely lead to the president's downfall.

The political crisis that culminated in South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived attempt to establish martial law, which was lifted just five and a half hours after he declared it, did not come out of the blue. While the opposition has been quick to spread its own narrative, there is no doubt that the situation is more complex and requires closer analysis.

The interim between a US presidential election and the swearing in of a new Administration has for most of our history been a non-eventful period where the outgoing Administration winds down operations and the incoming Administration ramps up new personnel before the inauguration.

The 20th Amendment to our Constitution was enacted in 1933 to reduce the "lame duck" period between election and inauguration to January 20th instead of March 4th. Increasing ease in travel and communications made such a long interim unnecessary. However long the transition period, it has been understood that with the new election came a new mandate from the American people and the "lame duck" outgoing administration was meant to quietly quack out its last few days in office without incident.

Then came Biden. In the period since the American people rejected Biden's neocon interventionists in favor of Donald Trump's promises to end the wars, the "lame duck" has run roughshod over the will of the American people. Whoever is running Biden - and the answer is unclear - has decided to "Trump proof" foreign policy to bring us to the literal brink of WWIII with Russia. And to top it off, Biden's people this past week have again unleashed al-Qaeda linked rebels to wreak havoc in Syria!

Bloc officials are privately considering diplomatic ways to wind down Kiev's conflict with Russia, according to the outlet.

Ukraine's Western backers are shifting from attempting to push for a military victory against Russia towards trying to help Kiev achieve the best position to negotiate a ceasefire, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The report comes as Russian forces advance in Donbass at a rate unseen since 2022, while recapturing ground from Ukrainian forces entrenched in Russia's Kursk Region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "has shown no willingness to discuss a ceasefire," and with US President-elect Donald Trump less than two months away from taking office, Kiev's NATO allies are attempting to steel themselves "as morale starts to fade," Bloomberg wrote.

While Trump's plan for Ukraine is unclear, he was elected on promises of curtailing American spending on the conflict and focusing on internal US issues.

"He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows when you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness' sake!"
— "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"

You'd better watch out — you'd better not pout — you'd better not cry — 'cos I'm telling you why: this Christmas, it's the Surveillance State that's making a list and checking it twice, and it won't matter whether you've been bad or good.

You'll be on this list whether you like it or not.

Mass surveillance is the Deep State's version of a "gift" that keeps on giving...back to the Deep State.

North Korea's concerns over its security are understandable given the political instability in the South, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

In a surprise televised address on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed emergency martial law, claiming that the opposition, which he accused of being sympathetic towards the North, had been preparing a "rebellion." Within hours, 190 members of parliament, who managed to access the National Assembly despite military cordons, voted unanimously to lift the decree.

Soon afterwards, the head of state reversed his decision.

A significant "Ukrainian trace" has been detected among foreign fighters in northwestern Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has claimed. The diplomat cited data available on cooperation between Kiev and the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), including on drones, following a claim Ukraine's intelligence services likely collaborated with the jihadists.

The Kyiv Post has reported that Islamist groups involved in recent attacks in Aleppo province could have been prepared by the 'Khimik' Special Forces unit of Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR), which allegedly provided "operational training" to militants in Idlib province.

The US president-elect has demanded global allegiance to the US dollar, threatening to punish all who want an alternative currency.

US President-elect Donald Trump has fired a warning shot at the BRICS group of nations, which have been outspoken on confronting the dominance of the dollar in global trade. If the idea gains traction, Trump has promised to impose "100% tariffs," cutting them off from the "wonderful US economy." Which country will feel the heat the most? RT explores the economic ties and dependencies to uncover which nations are in the line of fire.

The timeline tells the story.

November 18: Ronen Bar, Israel's Shin Bet chief, meets with heads of MIT, Turkey's intel.

November 25: NATO Chief Mark Rutte meets with Turkey's Sultan Erdogan.

November 26: Salafi-jihadis assembled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly Nusa Front, supported by Turkish intel, plus a hefty Rent-a-Jihadi coalition, launch a lightning-fast attack against Aleppo.

The Rent-a-Jihadi offensive originated in Greater Idlibistan. That's where tens of thousands of jihadis were holed up, according to the - now proven failed - 2020 Damascus-Moscow strategy, which Turkey had to grudgingly accept. The Rent-a-Jihadi mob comprises scores of mercenaries who crossed over from - where else - Turkey: Uighurs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Ukrainians, even ISIS-K imports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, earlier their week, confirmed the Salafi-jihadi offensive was coordinated by US/Israel.

Baghaei did not mention Turkey, even as he stressed the terror attack happened immediately after Israel accepted a ceasefire with Hezbollah - already broken by Tel Aviv dozens of times - and after Netanyahu publicly accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of "playing with fire" by allowing the transit of modern Iranian missiles and military equipment via Syria to Hezbollah.

Right before the ceasefire, Tel Aviv smashed virtually all communication routes between Syria and Lebanon. Netanyahu subsequently stressed that the focus now is on "the Iranian threat", essential to smash the Axis of Resistance.

According to a Syrian special services source, talking to RIA Novosti, Ukrainian advisers played the key role in the capture of Aleppo - providing drones and American satellite navigation and electronic warfare systems, and teaching Syrian collaborators and Islamic Party of Turkestan operatives how to use them.

Syrian Arab Army (SAA) communications were completely jammed by these electronic warfare systems: "The assault groups and drones were equipped with encrypted GPS devices and extensive use of AI, so that the use and navigation of attack UAVs and kamikaze drones took place from a long distance."

The mechanism was set in place months ago. Kiev made a straightforward deal with Salafi-jihadis: drones in exchange for batches of takfiris to be weaponized against Russia in the US/NATO proxy war in Ukraine.

'An unconstitutional power grab to rewrite history and undermine DOJ integrity'

In a blistering rebuke, a federal judge has openly questioned the constitutionality of President Joe Biden's recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, calling it an overreach of executive power aimed at rewriting history and undermining the integrity of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

On December 1, 2024, Joe Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon to his embattled son, Hunter Biden, who faced charges of tax evasion and corruption. The pardon, however, quickly drew ire for its timing and the breadth of its language.