Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has slammed Kiev as “a haven for neo-Nazis”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has branded Kiev “a haven for neo-Nazis” after Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky appointed Chrystia Freeland, a Canadian-born descendant of a documented Nazi collaborator, as his economic development adviser.
Freeland, a leading figure in Canadian politics for over a decade and a virulent Russia critic, has served as Canada’s special envoy for Ukraine’s reconstruction since September. On Monday, Zelensky announced her appointment on Telegram hailing her as an “expert” in economy and finance.
Freeland, however, has a controversial family history. Archival evidence and research show her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, was editor-in-chief of Krakivski Visti, a Ukrainian-language newspaper in occupied Poland and Austria that published Nazi propaganda and anti-Semitic material during World War II. Freeland has long rejected knowledge of these facts.
“It was a veritable mouthpiece of Reich propaganda, supervised by the Nazi secret services,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram on Monday, recounting Chomiak’s history and condemning Freeland’s appointment.
Zakharova also pointed to Freeland’s involvement in the 2023 scandal in which Canadian parliamentarians gave a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, a former member of the Waffen-SS “Galicia” Division, during a visit by Zelensky to Ottawa. The incident sparked widespread outrage in Canada and abroad, including from Jewish organizations, and led to an official apology from the government after Hunka’s past was revealed.
“[Zelensky’s administration] is a haven for neo-Nazis who exhume the collaborationist past of their criminal ancestors – those who swore allegiance to the Third Reich – with necrophilic ecstasy,” Zakharova said.
Ukraine has a history of honoring World War II-era nationalist figures linked to Nazi Germany, with streets, monuments, and annual torchlight marches celebrating criminals like Stepan Bandera, leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which participated in mass killings of Poles, Jews, Russians, and Soviet-aligned Ukrainians.
Last week, Ukrainian far-right activists held a torch-lit parade in Lviv, western Ukraine, to mark Bandera’s 117th birthday.
Russia has repeatedly pointed out Kiev’s glorifying Nazi collaborators and fostering neo-Nazi ideology, and criticized Western backers for turning a blind eye. Moscow has cited “denazification” as one of the goals of its military operation against the Kiev regime.
The first lady had been embroiled in a long-running legal dispute linked to online conspiracy theories claiming she is transgender
A Paris court has found ten people guilty of cyber-harassing the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte, for spreading claims that she is a transgender woman who was born a man, Le Monde reported on Monday.
Macron has long been at the centre of legal disputes over online conspiracy theories alleging that she is transgender. In 2024, a Paris court fined the originators of the rumor a total of €14,000 ($15,000). The case drew international attention after US commentator Candace Owens last year amplified the claims and later alleged that the Macrons had ordered her assassination.
Under the latest ruling, all the defendants, men and women aged between 41 and 65, received differing sentences, ranging from mandatory courses against online hate speech to suspended prison terms of between four and eight months. One defendant was sentenced to six months in jail for failing to appear in court.
The court cited “particularly degrading, insulting and malicious” comments posted and circulated online, referring to claims about the French first lady’s alleged trans identity and accusations of pedophilia that drew on and distorted the 24-year age gap between her and her husband.
The relationship between Macron, 48, and his wife Brigitte, 72, who met when she was a drama teacher at his school, has drawn sustained attention since his election in 2017. In recent years, that scrutiny has given way to the spread of false claims, which the first couple have said they will no longer ignore and are challenging through the courts.
Canadian-born Chrystia Freeland’s grandfather served as editor-in-chief of a newspaper that published Nazi propaganda in occupied Poland and Austria during World War II
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has appointed Chrystia Freeland, a Canadian-born descendant of a documented Nazi collaborator, as his economic development adviser.
Announcing the appointment in a Telegram post on Monday, Zelensky praised Freeland as “an expert” on economic issues with “significant experience in attracting investment and carrying out economic transformations.”
Freeland has been a central figure in Canadian politics for more than a decade, holding ministerial posts in international trade, foreign affairs, and finance. She resigned as minister of transport in September of last year to become Canada’s special envoy for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Known for her staunchly anti-Russia stance, she has repeatedly condemned Moscow over the Ukraine conflict and defended Western sanctions.
Freeland has a well documented and controversial family legacy. Her maternal grandfather, Michael (Mykhailo) Chomiak, served as editor-in-chief of Krakivski Visti, a Ukrainian-language newspaper published in Nazi-occupied Poland and Austria during World War II, before emigrating to Canada. Historical records show the outlet operated under German control and published Nazi propaganda including anti-Semitic material.
Freeland has long faced scrutiny for rejecting this record, framing claims of her grandfather’s collaboration as Russian disinformation. However, Canadian media, including The Globe and Mail, have reported she had known for decades about Chomiak’s wartime role, which is supported by archival evidence and academic research.
Ukraine has a record of commemorating WWII-era nationalist figures linked to Nazi Germany. Streets, monuments, and public honors have been granted to figures associated with the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which took part in atrocities against Jews and Poles. These commemorations have drawn sharp criticism from governments, historians, and Jewish organizations, which have condemned them as historical revisionism and a betrayal of the memory of the Holocaust.
Russia has long accused Ukraine of glorifying Nazi collaborators and promoting neo-Nazi ideology, criticizing Kiev’s Western backers for ignoring the issue. Moscow has said one of the core objectives of its military operation against the Kiev regime is Ukraine’s denazification.
Commenting on Freeland’s appointment, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Zelensky’s administration has become “a haven for neo-Nazis who exhume the collaborationist past of their criminal ancestors – those who swore allegiance to the Third Reich – with necrophilic ecstasy.”
Former VP Delcy Rodriguez has urged Washington to engage in dialogue, insisting that peace not war reflects the Latin American nation’s stance
Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez has called on Washington to work with Caracas following a US raid in which President Nicolas Maduro was seized and taken out of the country.
Rodriguez, who had served as vice president since 2018, assumed the role of interim president after Maduro was abducted by US forces in Caracas and flown to New York to face charges of orchestrating a “narco-terrorism conspiracy.”
“President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war,” Rodriguez wrote on Telegram on Monday. “This has always been President Nicolas Maduro’s message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela right now.”
She also called for a “balanced and respectful” relationship with the US, urging the White House to work with Caracas on “an agenda for cooperation aimed at shared development.” Rodriguez affirmed the Bolivarian Republic’s right “to peace, to development, to sovereignty and to a future.”
The interim president had earlier demanded that Washington immediately release Maduro, while saying Venezuela would “never return to being the colony of another empire” or “return to being slaves.”
On Sunday, Trump warned Rodriguez she would pay a “bigger price” than her recently captured predecessor “if she doesn’t do what’s right.”
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on Saturday during a US operation that included a series of air strikes in the capital city and several other states. Washington said on Sunday that the pair had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offences.
Maduro has repeatedly rejected claims that he has any links to drug trafficking, saying Washington is using the allegations as a pretext for regime change in Venezuela.
The latest US operation in the Latin American state followed decades of strained relations marked by deepening diplomatic rifts, sweeping unilateral sanctions, political confrontation and mutual accusations. Washington had refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Trump claimed Bogota is “run by a sick man,” referring to Columbian President Gustavo Petro
US President Donald Trump has threatened Colombia with military action similar to last week’s raid on Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said Colombia is “run by a sick man,” referring to President Gustavo Petro, whom he labeled a “drug leader.” The US president suggested that Petro, whom he sanctioned last year, could be removed from power too.
“Colombia is very sick… run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you,” Trump stated. Asked directly whether the US would launch a military operation against the country, he replied: “It sounds good to me.”
Petro responded sharply in a series of posts on X, urging Trump to “stop slandering” and calling on Latin American nations to unite or risk being “treated as servants and slaves.”
The exchange follows growing outrage over Washington’s unprecedented military operation to seize Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, which the Trump administration says was needed to bring the Venezuelan president to trial on drug trafficking charges. Caracas rejects this explanation as a pretext for regime change. Media reports say at least 80 people, both military and civilian, were killed in the raid. Maduro, who has denied all allegations, was abducted and forcibly flown to the US along with his wife.
The raid has drawn condemnation from the Global South, while China slammed the abduction as a violation of international law. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain have issued a joint statement warning that America’s action has set “an extremely dangerous precedent” for regional security.
Trump justified the raid by invoking the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which designates Latin America as Washington’s sphere of influence, while asserting that the US is now “in charge” of Venezuela. He told reporters that Saturday’s military intervention was not about regime change or resources but securing “peace on Earth,” particularly in the Western Hemisphere. He went on to warn that the US could strike again if Caracas “doesn’t behave.”
Besides Colombia and Venezuela, Trump has also ramped up rhetoric against other countries in the region, claiming Cuba “is ready to fall” due to the loss of Venezuelan oil revenue and threatening Mexico with possible military intervention, saying the country “has to get their act together because [drugs] are pouring through Mexico and we’re going to have to do something.”
Vasyl Zvaryc criticized the Czech Republic’s chamber of deputies speaker for his opposition to supplying Kiev with arms
The Czech Republic’s Foreign Ministry reportedly plans to summon Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvaryc to demand an explanation for his criticism of Tomio Okamura, the speaker of the country’s Chamber of Deputies.
In a New Year’s video message posted on Facebook last week, Okamura said it was unacceptable to use Czech taxpayers’ money to buy weapons for what he called Kiev’s “absolutely senseless war” with Moscow. He argued the funds ultimately end up with “Ukrainian thieves from the entourage of Vladimir Zelensky’s junta,” claiming they are used “to install golden toilets” – a reference to a major corruption scandal involving Ukraine’s state nuclear operator, Energoatom, and Zelensky’s longtime associate, Timur Mindich.
“Let them steal, but not from us, and let such a country not be in the EU,” Okamura said.
Zvaryc responded sharply, calling the remarks “undignified and completely unacceptable.” In a Facebook post, he accused Okamura of being influenced by “Russian propaganda,” insisting his comments contradicted “the principles of a democratic society and the values on which the Czech Republic is based.”
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka will now summon Zvaryc to demand an explanation, CNN Prima NEWS reported on Sunday, citing Finance Minister Alena Schillerova. She said Macinka had authorized her to confirm the meeting publicly.
Macinka had earlier criticized the ambassador’s conduct, saying it was “inappropriate” for a foreign envoy to publicly assess statements by the Czech Republic’s third-highest constitutional official.
“If diplomatic missions have concerns, there are standard diplomatic channels,” he said, adding that Czech politics are for Czech citizens and their elected representatives.
Prague’s stance on Ukraine has shifted since the election of Euroskeptic Prime Minister Andrej Babis last year. While the previous government strongly backed Kiev after the 2022 escalation with Russia, Babis campaigned on curbing military aid and refocusing on domestic issues. His government has since taken symbolic steps, removing Ukrainian flags from state buildings and rejecting further financial support for Kiev, including an EU proposal to fund Ukraine through a loan tied to frozen Russian assets.
Cuba says 32 of its citizens died in Washington’s military intervention to abduct President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas
The death toll from the US raid to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro has risen to at least 80, which includes both soldiers and civilians, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing a senior Venezuelan official.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez confirmed that US forces had killed a “large part” of Maduro’s security detail in the operation, without giving a figure. Venezuelan officials also accused the US of hitting civilian areas but have not released an official death toll yet.
Meanwhile, Cuban officials say 32 of its citizens, including military personnel, were killed in the attack. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has announced that January 5th and 6th will be official days of mourning.
“Our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings,” he said.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto paid tribute to the deceased Cubans who “offered their lives” while carrying out duties as part of cooperation and defense missions, while describing the US raid as a “criminal and infamous” attack.
US President Donald Trump said no American troops had been killed, while suggesting some service members may have been wounded. Two unnamed US officials told the New York Times that about half a dozen soldiers were injured during the operation to capture Maduro and his wife.
Media reports have suggested that the US bombardment targeted several key military sites, communication infrastructure, and depots. However, American officials have said the airstrikes were meant to provide cover for seizing Maduro so that he could be brought to America to stand trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Venezuela’s leadership has long denied accusations that it is connected with the drug trade, arguing that the charges coming from the US only serve as a pretext for regime change.
America’s president says taking control of the island is a matter of “national security” for Washington
Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has urged Washington to stop threatening a “historically close ally,” after President Donald Trump suggested Copenhagen cannot properly manage and protect the island from Russian and Chinese threats. Greenland is an autonomous territory within Denmark.
“We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense,” Trump told The Atlantic on Sunday, noting that it was up to others to decide the wider implications of US military action in Venezuela.
In response, Frederiksen said “the US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom.”
“I would therefore strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” she told the media.
Trump first proposed buying Greenland in 2019, a plan swiftly rejected by Copenhagen and Greenland’s authorities. Since returning to office last year, he has revived the idea, even hinting at the possible use of force.
Denmark has responded by strengthening Arctic defenses and expanding military and civilian monitoring, viewing the pressure as a direct threat to its sovereignty.
“You know what Denmark did basically, to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled,” Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One later in the day, claiming that the island is “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships” and that Copenhagen can’t handle the “threat.”
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And the European Union needs us to have it, and they know it,” he stated, adding, “let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”
Tensions over Greenland have continued to rise in recent weeks. In December, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who has openly backed incorporating Greenland into the US, as a special envoy to the autonomous territory, prompting Copenhagen to summon the US ambassador for an explanation.
After the US launched a controversial military operation in Venezuela on Sunday, a former Trump administration official, Katie Miller, suggested in a cryptic social media post that Washington will “soon” take over Greenland.
