December 27:
Could Russia broker a Syrian ceasefire? The Moscow Times reports that the Syrian government has said that it is now ready to participate in "preliminary consultations" hosted by Russia on ending the nearly-four-year-old civil war between the Assad regime and assorted opposition forces.
Such consultations, however, may be difficult to convene, the paper notes. This is because Syria's opposition is fragmented and skeptical of negotiations, while the Islamic State - which would not be party to the talks - currently controls roughly one-third of Syrian territory, making it a major stakeholder in any resolution. Perhaps most immediately, Russia has no clear plan for ending the conflict, and what is now being discussed "is just a meeting and dialogue in Moscow, with no specific paper or initiative," according to Hadi al-Bahra, head of the Turkey-based opposition National Coalition.
December 28:
A new military deal between Russia and Argentina is causing consternation in London. The Express newspaper reports that the agreement just inked between Moscow and Buenos Aires - which involves the Russian provision of a dozen long-range bomber aircraft to the government of Cristina Kirchner - has prompted Downing Street to commence a review of its defenses related to the Falkland Islands. The British government's concerns stem from the possibility that "Buenos Aires would take delivery of the planes well before the deployment in 2020 of the Navy's 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and its F-35B fighters" - beefing up Argentina's military capabilities and creating what British defense officials call a "real window of vulnerability" in England’s ability to defend and protect the contested territories.
December 29:
Russia's Supreme Court is poised to ban the Islamic State and its Syrian rival, the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, Sputnik reports. According to the news agency, a proposal from the Russian Prosecutor General's office has suggested that the Russian government recognize both groups as terrorist entities - and formally proscribe their activities and membership in them under Russian law, the way a number of European nations already have.
The collapse of the Russian ruble is hitting the country's airline industry hard, Qatar's Peninsula newspaper notes. In contrast to their international counterparts, which are enjoying the benefits of cheap global oil on their marginal costs, Russian airlines are facing declining revenues as a result of plunging petroleum prices and Western sanctions, which have crimped the purchasing power of ordinary Russians and led to a marked decline in international air travel. Another problem is prevalent as well; "the airlines have considerable costs in foreign currencies - mostly aircraft leases - which have nearly doubled in rouble terms as the currency has slumped," the paper notes.
December 30:
New Western sanctions on Russia could jeopardize the Kremlin's cooperation with the United States on containing Iran's nuclear program and other key foreign affairs issues, Russia's Foreign Ministry has warned. In remarks published on the Ministry's official website, Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich has made clear that the actions of the United States “bring in question [sic] the prospects of bilateral cooperation in resolving the issue of the Iranian nuclear programme, the Syrian crisis and other urgent international problems."
December 31:
Worried over potential domestic unrest amid growing economic instability and popular dissatisfaction, the Kremlin is deploying a massive quantity of security forces to help ensure order. The Itar-TASS news agency reports that more than a quarter-million policemen and national guardsmen will patrol Moscow and other major cities during Russia's New Year's holidays (which stretch from December 31st to January 10th).