U.S. pursuing another sanctioned tanker in the Caribbean, NATO intelligence suspects Russia of developing weapon to target Starlink, and U.S. Marines team up with Santa to bring presents to Japanese children.
1. The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. The pursuit of the tanker, which was confirmed by a U.S. official briefed on the operation, comes after the U.S. administration announced Saturday it had seized a tanker for the second time in less than two weeks. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the ongoing operation and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Sunday’s pursuit involved “a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.” The official said the vessel was flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order.
2. Two NATO-nation intelligence services suspect Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon to target Elon Musk's Starlink constellation with destructive orbiting clouds of shrapnel, with the aim of reining in Western space superiority that has helped Ukraine on the battlefield. Intelligence findings seen by The Associated Press say the so-called “zone-effect” weapon would seek to flood Starlink orbits with hundreds of thousands of high-density pellets, potentially disabling multiple satellites at once but also risking catastrophic collateral damage to other orbiting systems. Analysts who haven't seen the findings say they doubt such a weapon could work without causing uncontrollable chaos in space for companies and countries, including Russia and its ally China, that rely on thousands of orbiting satellites for communications, defense and other vital needs. Such repercussions, including risks to its own space systems, could steer Moscow away from deploying or using such a weapon, analysts said.
3. A White House envoy said Sunday he held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. Posting on social media, Steve Witkoff said the talks aimed at aligning on a shared strategic approach between Ukraine, the United States and Europe. “Our shared priority is to stop the killing, ensure guaranteed security, and create conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, stability, and long-term prosperity. Peace must be not only a cessation of hostilities, but also a dignified foundation for a stable future,” U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy said. The talks are part of the Trump administration’s monthslong push for peace. Trump has unleashed an extensive diplomatic push to end the war, but his efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands by Moscow and Kyiv. Putin has recently signaled he is digging in on his maximalist demands on Ukraine, as Moscow’s troops inch forward on the battlefield despite huge losses.
4. Denmark's foreign minister on Dec. 22 summoned the U.S. ambassador after President Donald Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the United States' special envoy to Greenland. Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement that Landry's appointment showed that the White House's interest in the Arctic island, which is rich in natural resources and strategically located, had not gone away. Denmark, a NATO ally of the U.S., has repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale. "We insist that everyone including the U.S. − must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Rasmussen said. A day earlier, Trump wrote in a post on his social media website Truth Social that "Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World."
5. Santa Claus, with an assist from U.S. Marines and high school cadets, handed out plushies, dolls, Lego sets and other toys to Japanese children over the weekend at the local community center. Approximately 80 children and their parents were invited by the Kin Town Social Welfare Office to the Merry Marine Toy Drive on Saturday with Marines of the 3rd Intelligence Battalion and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets from Kubasaki High School. This year more than 2,400 toy donations were collected from across the island, with more than 200 given away at the Kin Town Community Center, Marine Corps Installations Pacific spokeswoman Sidney Sullivan said at the event. Miniature cars, Barbie dolls, Pokémon plushies, sport balls, stuffed animals and action figures were among the toys given away.
- Security