Latest overseas news on the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts as of January 7

Thunderous Old Rabbit 16:07:02 The Indian Army has announced plans to train a total of 100,000 drone operators. Thunderous Old Rabbit 17:21:46 Trump: “We must get Venezuela in order. We cannot hold elections.” Thunderous Old Rabbit 17:34:19 Approximately 10,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem to protest planned amendments to the conscription law. A bus struck the crowd, killing one person and injuring three. Thunderous Old Rabbit 17:40:59 In Japan, the employment rate among people aged 65–69 is very high. In France, however, this figure stands at less than 10%. Meanwhile, France’s pension system is on the verge of collapse. Thunderous Old Rabbit 17:46:57 “The Responsible Governance”: Accepting Moscow’s terms is the best option for both the United States and Ukraine. Thunderous Old Rabbit 17:53:20 The Wall Street Journal: Russia has dispatched warships and submarines to the Atlantic Ocean to prevent the United States from seizing the Russian-flagged oil tanker Bela-1. Thunderous Old Rabbit 17:58:33 Ukraine’s public channels have published over 710,000 obituaries. Thunderous Old Rabbit 18:05:21 The New York Times: The United States has demanded that Venezuela expel advisors from Russia, China, and Iran. Thunderous Old Rabbit 18:59:18 Bombs, weapons, and ammunition were discovered in an apartment occupied by Iranian protesters. Thunderous Old Rabbit 19:12:04 The Ukrainian government has removed hospitals from the list of critical infrastructure reliant on electricity supply. Hospitals will now operate under a rotating power outage schedule. Thunderous Old Rabbit 19:37:40 Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church: Western culture and mass media are erasing the concept of heroism, replacing it with comfort and self-interest. Thunderous Old Rabbit 20:01:05 Saudi Arabian airstrikes—backed by the UAE—against Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council killed at least 30 people. Thunderous Old Rabbit 20:28:30 German Chancellor Merz urged Zelenskyy to take measures to halt the continued flow of Ukrainian citizens—especially young people—into European countries. Thunderous Old Rabbit 20:39:11 The Financial Times reported that Trump instructed U.S. Chevron Corporation and Quantum Energy Partners to acquire overseas assets of Russia’s Lukoil—assets sanctioned by the U.S. government—for $22 billion. Thunderous Old Rabbit 20:52:46 A Venezuelan man who crossed the border into the U.S. took to the streets celebrating Maduro’s arrest—only to be apprehended by ICE and placed in immigration detention. Thunderous Old Rabbit 21:03:22 The New York Times reported that Washington fabricated a non-existent drug trafficking organization to circumvent Congress and launch a surprise operation against Maduro, listing him as its head. Thunderous Old Rabbit 21:17:57 Israeli forces raided the Palestinian Birzeit University campus in the occupied West Bank, injuring 41 students—including nine hit by live ammunition. Thunderous Old Rabbit 21:24:13 Judge Benny Saghi, who presided over Netanyahu’s corruption trial, died in a car accident. Thunderous Old Rabbit 21:36:38

The Wall Street Journal’s major in-depth article: 'Making Money, Not War': Trump’s Ukraine Plan

In April, Dmitriyev welcomed Vitkov to the Presidential Library in St. Petersburg for another three-hour meeting with Putin. Relying on Kremlin interpreters, Vitkov took his own notes and later briefed the White House at the U.S. Embassy. That same month, national security advisors from European countries planned to meet Vitkov in London, hoping to bring him into Europe’s peace process. But he was preoccupied with another mission—negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza—and thus could not attend. Afterwards, a European official asked Vitkov to begin using the secure landline system employed by European heads of state for sensitive diplomatic communications. Vitkov declined, citing frequent travel and the cumbersome nature of the system. Meanwhile, Dmitriyev and Vitkov frequently spoke by phone, discussing increasingly ambitious cooperation plans. Dmitriyev told The Wall Street Journal that the U.S. and Russia were negotiating major agreements on oil and gas exploration and Arctic shipping. “We believe the U.S. and Russia can cooperate on virtually everything in the Arctic,” he said. “If a solution is found on Ukraine, economic cooperation with the U.S. could become the foundation of our future bilateral relationship.” Ready and Waiting American and Russian business leaders are holding their breath, awaiting results from Vitkov and Dmitriyev—so their companies can profit from peace. In private talks in Doha, Qatar, Neil Chapman, Senior Vice President of ExxonMobil, met Igor Sechin—the CEO of Rosneft and formerly Putin’s personal secretary. Their discussion centered on ExxonMobil’s potential return to the massive Sakhalin project, an investment suspended after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. ExxonMobil, billionaire investor Todd Combs, and others have been exploring the acquisition of assets belonging to Lukoil—the second-largest Russian oil producer. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Lukoil in October to increase pressure on Moscow, prompting the company to begin selling its overseas assets. Elliott Investment Management, meanwhile, is targeting shares in a pipeline transporting Russian natural gas to Europe. Recently, according to a European security official and a source familiar with the matter, businessmen closely tied to the Kremlin—including Timchenko, Kovalchuk, and the Rotenberg brothers—have been offering U.S. counterparts exploration licenses for natural gas in the Sea of Okhotsk and potentially four other locations. They also mentioned opportunities for rare-earth mineral extraction near Norilsk’s large nickel mine and in up to six other undeveloped Siberian regions. Draft contracts reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show that Beach—a college friend of Donald Trump Jr.—is negotiating the acquisition of a 9.9% stake in Novatek’s “Arctic LNG” project, Russia’s second-largest natural gas producer (in which Timchenko holds partial ownership), contingent upon the lifting of U.S. and U.K. sanctions on the project. In a statement, Beach said collaboration with Novatek would “greatly benefit any company committed to advancing American energy leadership,” and noted that his firm, “America First Global,” is “actively seeking investment opportunities that strengthen America’s global interests.”

US government, Gulf billionaires back Boehly bid for Lukoil assets, FT reports

Sep 22, 2026

Financial Times reports billionaire Todd Boehly secured backing from the US government and Gulf brokers to bid for Russian oil giant Lukoil's international assets, though Reuters could not verify the claim.

reuters

2026-04-14

US extends waiver for Lukoil gas stations outside of Russia

2026-04-29

US Extends Deadline for Lukoil Asset Sales Talks to May 30

2026-04-30

Ukraine Strikes Key Russian Refinery, Pumping Station in Perm

2026-05-13

Russia's Perm oil refinery halts processing after May 7 drone attack, sources say

2026-05-28

US extends deadline for buyers of Lukoil's global assets to June 27