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Businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency in the administration of newly elected US President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump announced this on his X (Twiiter) page.

Musk to Lead New Department in Trump Administration

“I am pleased to announce that the great Elon Musk, working with American patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency,” Trump said.

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He also added that these two great Americans will pave the way for his administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut unnecessary regulations, reduce wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies — which is important for the Save America movement.

“This will shake up the entire system and everyone involved in government waste, and that’s a lot of people,” said Elon Musk.

It is noted that the newly created department will become a potential “Manhattan Project” our time.

Specifically, the Office of Government Effectiveness will provide advice and guidance from outside government, and partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to implement structural reforms and create an entrepreneurial approach to government unlike any other.

Trump added that the new department aims to root out the massive waste and fraud that exists in the government’s $6.5 trillion in annual spending.

Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy’s work should end no later than July 4, 2026.

– A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, would be the perfect gift for America’s 250th anniversary Declaration of Independence of the United States, – the newly elected American president summed up.

They did not support Ukraine: Trump recruits people to whom he “pays debts” Petro Sineoky

The newly elected US president is gradually starting to form his team. Loyalty is most important to him.

Political scientist Igor Chalenko told Channel 24 about this, noting that Donald Trump is gathering a team of people around himself who at one time demonstrated unconditional loyalty and support to him.

Trump now has great opportunities

As Chalenko noted, in his personnel decisions, loyalty comes before the balance of various influence groups within the Republican Party. And in this context, one should not pay much attention to how someone voted to support Ukraine.

I would not advise looking in retrospect at how this or that appointee voted to support Ukraine. It is obvious that everyone was slowing down because of Trump's team. We remember how these decisions were made. Then Trump finally gave the order to spend these 60 billion dollars, – Chalenko said.

It is difficult to say what Trump's further decisions will be. But in fact, everything will depend on him. Now Trump will concentrate colossal power, because the Republicans are winning both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. If Kamala Harris had won, she would definitely not have this because of the opposition Congress. And Trump's situation is such that he can actually pursue his policy without brakes and without opposition.

Also, the newly elected US president is now starting to “pay off debts” to the Republicans who supported him. The example of Marco Rubio is interesting here. The media writes that he may become Secretary of State.

This is, in particular, Trump's gratitude for the fact that Rubio allowed him to attract an unusual electorate among Latin Americans. In general, Trump is now paying for the effectiveness of his election campaign to specific individuals. Roughly speaking, he is acting like a businessman and “paying off debts,” Chalenko emphasized.

On the morning of November 13, an air raid siren was sounded across Ukraine due to the launch of ballistic missiles by the Russians. In addition, Shahed attack drones were detected in the airspace.

This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force Command.

Air raid siren in Ukraine on November 13: what is known

Around six in the morning, the Ukrainian Air Force detected an enemy missile from the south. About an hour later, the Russians launched a missile from the north heading for the Kyiv region. This missile transited the Kyiv region and entered the Poltava region. Then it continued moving in the north of the Cherkasy region.

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Half an hour later, the missile changed its trajectory again and entered the Kyiv region.

Missile threat to Ukraine

It is worth noting that at night, the Russians raised up to six Tu-95MS bombers from the Olenegorsk airfield. The planes were expected to be in the area of ​​the launch lines at 05:00.

Telegram monitoring channels that track enemy targets in Ukrainian airspace wrote that the Tu-95MS planes launched missiles. If the launches are confirmed, then Russian missiles will arrive in Ukraine in an hour.

Note that air defense is in operation in Kyiv — Russian troops are attacking the capital with missiles.

In addition, the Air Force reported the movement of a group of enemy attack drones towards Kyiv through Brovary.

The full-scale war in Ukraine has been going on for 994 days.

You can monitor the situation in cities on the interactive map of military operations in Ukraine and on the map of air raids in Ukraine.

How Trump treats Putin and Xi: political scientist assesses the actions of the American leader Angela Figin

Newly elected US President Donald Trump has a strange admiration for totalitarian rulers and at the same time strives to be stronger than them. This will be the basis of his policy towards Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

American political scientist Alexandra Filipenko expressed this opinion to Channel 24, noting that the newly elected US leader is afraid of being weak in relations with Russia and China.

Trump wants to be strong

As Alexandra Filipenko noted, during Trump's first term, relations with Putin were based on personal relationships. At that time, the US President often expressed admiration for the Russian dictator's leadership style and spoke positively about him.

However, during the current election campaign, in one of his interviews, Trump also admired and said almost all the same words about the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The journalist even asked why Trump admires Xi Jinping. To which he replied that he does not admire the way Xi leads, but he leads a billion people with an “iron hand”. Trump likes that, – said the American political scientist.

The personal attitude of the newly elected US President to Putin is telling. However, despite this, during Trump's presidency, the Americans began to provide assistance to Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 was banned, and so on.

The main thing for Trump is to look strong even in comparison with Putin and Xi. Accordingly, this could mean, for example, the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, – Filipenko noted.

From this, we can assume that Trump will try to put pressure on Moscow. For example, the United States can produce so much oil that they can collapse the Russian economy.

By the way, according to media reports, Trump held a telephone conversation with Putin on November 7, during which the newly elected US president called on the Kremlin not to escalate the war and recalled the significant presence of American troops in Europe.

Donald Trump, who won the 2024 US presidential election, plans to appoint Republican Mike Waltz as his national security adviser.

This was reported by Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter. Later, Donald Trump himself confirmed this information on his social network Truth.

What is known about Mike Waltz's activities

Waltz is a Trump supporter, he also served in the National Guard, criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific region and stated the need for the United States to be prepared for a potential conflict in the region.

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The National Security Advisor is an influential position that does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with various agencies.

Note that in the current administration of US President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan is the national security adviser.

While criticizing the Biden administration for its disastrous troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Waltz has publicly praised Trump's foreign policy views.

Waltz has a long history in Washington policy circles.

He served as director of defense policy under Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates and was elected to Congress in 2018. He is the chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee, which oversees military logistics, and serves on the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

Waltz serves on the Republican China Task Force and argues that the U.S. military is not as prepared as it needs to be for a conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

Mike Waltz's Political Views and Position on Ukraine

In a book published earlier this year, Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret, Waltz laid out a five-part strategy for preventing war with China, including accelerating the armament of Taiwan, reassuring allies in the Pacific, and modernizing aircraft and ships.

On Ukraine, Waltz said his views have evolved. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he called on the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with more weapons to help it push back Russian forces.

Last month, however, Waltz said there should be a reassessment of U.S. goals in Ukraine.

“Is it in America's interest to spend the time, the money, the resources that we desperately need in the Pacific right now?” he asked.

At the same time, Waltz praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to spend more on defense, but unlike the president-elect, he stopped short of suggesting the United States leave the North Atlantic bloc.

Waltz demonstrated his loyalty to Trump earlier this year when he appeared at a May 16 court hearing on charges of paying a porn star to keep quiet about his relationship with Trump, one of the few lawmakers to do so.

He has been an outspoken Trump supporter in recent years, sharing the president-elect's intolerance of illegal immigration and skepticism about America's support for Ukraine.

Last year, he wrote an op-ed for Fox News arguing that “the era of blank checks for Ukraine from Congress is over”. He supported Trump, calling on Europe to do more to ensure the collective defense of the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

– Stopping Russia before it drags NATO, and therefore the United States, into war is the right thing to do. But the burden cannot continue to rest solely on the shoulders of the American people, especially while Western Europe gets the pass, Waltz wrote.

He told NPR this month that Trump's promise to hold talks between Ukraine and Russia is “well-founded,” and said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't cooperate, the U.S. has “leverage,” such as lifting the ban on long-range weapons that we've also provided to Ukraine.

The US State Department announced the participation of North Korean troops in the war on the side of Russia Yaroslav Pogonchuk

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The US State Department is concerned about North Korea's involvement in the war in Ukraine. The DPRK has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to participate in the fighting on Russia's side.

Reports 24 Kanal with reference to Reuters. The US State Department noted that the majority of North Korean troops are in the Kursk region.

What is known about the DPRK military in Russia

On Tuesday, November 12, the US State Department announced that North Korean troops have begun fighting alongside Russian soldiers.

The US expressed concern that Russia has turned to North Korea for soldiers to use in the war in Ukraine.

“More than 10,000 DPRK soldiers have been sent to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the westernmost Kursk region, where they have begun fighting alongside Russian forces,” a State Department spokesman said. USA Vedant Patel at a briefing.

By the way, the USA does not know that Vladimir Putin will give up the DPRK in exchange for the military. Jake Sullivan suggested that Kim Jong-un may expect “something significant” from Russia, in particular, the nuclear program.

Powerful explosions in the Zaporizhia region thundered on the evening of November 12 and continued on the night of November 13. Russia launched guided bombs to attack the region.

Consequences of explosions in Zaporizhia region

The information about powerful explosions in Zaporizhia region, which thundered on the evening of November 12 and later on the night of November 13, was confirmed by the head of the regional state administration Ivan Fedorov.

In particular, explosions thundered in Zaporizhia, clarified the secretary of the city council and acting mayor Regina Kharchenko.

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According to preliminary data, in one of the settlements, several floors of one entrance of a multi-story building were destroyed by a blast wave, the Zaporizhzhya OVA noted.

Before the explosions, the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov warned about the threat of Russia using guided aerial bombs (KABs) in the Zaporizhzhya region.

Zaporizhzhya region on the map. Photo: Google Maps

According to the OVA, during the day, Russian occupiers carried out 432 strikes on 11 settlements of the Zaporizhia region.

In particular, during the day, Russian troops carried out three air strikes on Zaporizhia.

The full-scale war in Ukraine has been going on for 993 days.

You can monitor the situation in the cities on the interactive map of military operations in Ukraine and on the map of air raids in Ukraine.

The Pentagon clarified the remaining amount for military aid to Ukraine Anzhelika Baibak

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The Pentagon reported that only $9.3 billion remains for military aid to Ukraine. Most of the support is within the framework of the presidential powers program.

This was reported by 24 Channel with reference to a statement by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder during a briefing. The US Department of Defense noted that they are using all the funds allocated to help Ukraine.

How much money does the US have left to help Ukraine

Currently, the US has 9.3 billion dollars allocated for military aid to Ukraine. Thus, within the framework of the PDA (Presidential Drawdown Authority) program, there is a total of 7.1 billion dollars. They include $4.3 billion for fiscal year 2024 and $2.8 billion in returned funds.

In addition, another $2.21 billion is available to support Ukraine under the USAI (Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative) program. Ryder noted that all funds allocated for assistance will be used.

As noted earlier, we will continue to provide assistance quickly, using these resources to ensure that Ukraine has the necessary means to deter and counter Russian aggression. New assistance packages have recently been announced, and in the urgent situation on the battlefield, we will continue to make every effort to provide timely support to Ukraine, the Pentagon representative emphasized.

Ryder also reported on the transfer of the necessary weapons to Ukraine. Thus, from the time Congress passed additional funding in April through mid-October, the United States delivered:

• 83% of promised ammunition,
• 67% of promised air defense assets,
• 60% of promised other firepower.

Powerful explosions thundered in the Zaporizhia region on the evening of November 12. Russia launched guided bombs to attack the region.

Consequences of explosions in Zaporizhia region on November 12

Information about powerful explosions in Zaporizhia region, which thundered on the evening of November 12, was confirmed by the head of OVA Ivan Fedorov.

In particular, explosions thundered in Zaporizhia, clarified the secretary of the city council and acting mayor Regina Kharchenko.

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According to preliminary data, in one of the settlements, several floors of one entrance of a multi-story building were destroyed by a blast wave, the Zaporizhzhya OVA noted.

Before the explosions, the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov warned about the threat of Russia using guided aerial bombs (KABs) in the Zaporizhzhya region.

Zaporizhzhya region on the map. Photo: Google Maps

According to the OVA, during the day, Russian occupiers carried out 432 strikes on 11 settlements of the Zaporizhia region.

In particular, during the day, Russian troops carried out three air strikes on Zaporizhia.

The full-scale war in Ukraine has been going on for 993 days.

You can monitor the situation in the cities on the interactive map of military operations in Ukraine and on the map of air raids in Ukraine.

“This is a real threat”: Chief of the General Staff of Poland called for preparations for war with Russia Angelika Baybak

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The threat of war between Russia and NATO, including Poland, is quite real. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has repeatedly spoken out about war with the Alliance, so it is quite possible that he is hatching such plans.

However, Russia is unlikely to dare to attack a country that is well prepared. This was reported by 24 Channel with reference to an interview with Chief of the General Staff of Poland General Wieslaw Kukula to the Rzeczpospolita publication.

Poland has called for preparations for war with Russia

According to Kukula, a Russian attack on Poland in the future is quite possible. When exactly Putin might decide to invade depends on the pace of restoration of the military power of the aggressor country, the increase in the occupation army and the weakening of NATO. In addition, the United States will also be directly drawn into the new war.

This is a real threat. For me, the most important question is different. Will we be able to build the sustainability of the state system and the ability of the Armed Forces to eliminate this threat in the long term and when? Whether the war will start and when it will start, in a certain sense depends on us. Attacking a country that is well prepared to defend itself and whose society will fight back is a huge risk. Aggression always feeds on weaknesses, – emphasized the Chief of the General Staff of Poland.

Kukula also commented on whether Russia could really start a new war against the North Atlantic Alliance in a few years. Thus, according to his estimates, this could theoretically happen before 2029, provided that the Kremlin has time to accumulate reserves. The Chief of the General Staff of Poland noted that the NATO leadership also has this opinion.

“Russia has the demographic and raw material potential and, most importantly, a still functioning defense industry not only to wage war, but also to develop its defense potential in parallel. Ending the conflict in Ukraine will significantly facilitate the expansion of its armed forces and can significantly reduce the deadline specified by General Breyer,” Kukula added.

Although the Polish General Staff did not name more specific deadlines, the possibility of Putin's attack on NATO countries will depend on three factors – intentions, strength and opportunity. Thus, the first of them has long been known throughout the world, because the Kremlin has been spreading narratives about war with the Alliance since 2021. Regarding the second factor – strength – Russia has considerable difficulties, because a full-scale war with Ukraine significantly depletes the aggressor's resources.

However, Russia has the capacity to restore its weapons stockpiles and manpower. Moreover, according to Kukula, Putin has learned from his mistakes during the attack on Ukraine, so the attack on NATO will most likely have a different vector.

The force vector has been greatly weakened by Ukrainian resistance and international solidarity. But Russia is consistently rebuilding it. The plan to expand the armed forces to 1.5 million soldiers in a country that has a nuclear deterrent arsenal is a very clear signal of what these resources should be used for. Especially after the withdrawal from Ukraine, where an underestimated number of troops were involved, especially at the initial stage of aggression, Kukula added.

In addition, Russia can use other opportunities to attack NATO. For example, the Chief of the General Staff of Poland cites the emergence of disputes between the Alliance and the United States or a war in the Pacific Ocean, which will actively involve American forces.

“It should be remembered that Russia is forming a vector of possibilities in many dimensions, in particular with its hybrid operations,” Kukula is convinced.

To summarize, the Chief of the General Staff of Poland noted that Russia is unpredictable, and this is not always taken into account by some NATO member countries. Therefore, calculations on containing the aggressor may turn out to be incorrect. Therefore, Kukula calls for preparing for war. He said that NATO began preparing for a possible war back in 2021, when intelligence recorded Russia's preparations for an attack on Ukraine.

“Then we began the entire cycle of training the armed forces, and NATO's transformation immediately began. The fact that NATO planes, flying tankers, and early warning systems appeared over Poland a few hours before the attack on Ukraine was no accident,” the head of the Polish General Staff summed up.