National security advisers from Germany, France, and Great Britain will meet in Miami with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov. The talks are expected today, as reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid.
This year, 5,475 foreign students have been admitted to Ukrainian higher education institutions, which is 534 more than last year. The most popular specialties are management, medicine, law, and computer science.
German Chancellor's advisor on Ukraine, Günther Sautter, is heading to Florida for talks between the US and Russia. The talks concern a peaceful settlement of the war, where the US's 20-point plan will be discussed.
In Kharkiv, a traffic accident occurred involving a judge of one of the district courts, two girls aged 13 and 14 were injured. They were hospitalized with severe injuries and are in intensive care.
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth on December 19, at a distance of 274 million kilometers. NASA has released unique images of this object, which originates from another star system.
Meteorologist Natalka Didenko reported that the upcoming weekend in Ukraine will pass without significant precipitation, with fogs. From December 25, on Christmas, a cold snap will begin.
The Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council analyzed Putin's speech, noting that Russia is not interested in a real peaceful settlement of the war.
Law enforcement officers exposed a scheme of abuse of trade union funds, where leaders spent over UAH 14. 5 million for unintended purposes. The money went to recreation in Bukovel, christenings, and other private needs instead of social ones.
In Pokrovsk, battles continue in the southern part of the city, and in Myrnohrad, isolated cases of enemy infiltration are being detected and eliminated. Ukrainian units are holding defensive lines and neutralized 123 occupiers in 24 hours in the Pokrovsk direction.
Due to the enemy's attack on a critical infrastructure facility, traffic on the Odesa-Reni highway has been stopped. Passage through the checkpoints "Mayaky-Udobne-Palanka" and "Starokozache-Tudora" on the Ukrainian-Moldovan section is temporarily suspended.
Russia once again attacked Odesa region, targeting energy and transport infrastructure. As a result of the strikes, the Odesa-Skhidna railway station was damaged, an employee was injured, 74.5 thousand subscribers were left without electricity, and 85 thousand without heating.
Ukraine has repatriated 1003 bodies, which, according to the Russian Federation, belong to Ukrainian servicemen. Law enforcement agencies will conduct examinations and identification of the repatriated bodies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held his first official meeting with Polish President Karol Navrotskyi in Warsaw. The leaders will discuss security, economic, and historical issues.
One of SpaceX's Starlink satellites experienced an anomaly in space, creating a small amount of debris and losing communication at an altitude of 418 km. The satellite is practically intact, rotating and will re-enter Earth's atmosphere, where it will completely disintegrate within a few weeks.
A Kyiv resident in a police uniform filmed a provocative video for likes, imitating the behavior of law enforcement officers and using obscene language. He faces a fine of up to UAH 34,000 for creating such content.
Due to Russian attacks on energy facilities in five regions of Ukraine, consumers have been cut off from power, with over 99,000 of them in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Blackout schedules remain in effect, but additional capacities have been freed up to shorten them.
French President Emmanuel Macron believes it would be useful for Europe to resume interaction with Vladimir Putin. He stressed that Europeans should find ways to do so in the coming weeks.
The European Union and its member states are ready to contribute to robust security guarantees for Ukraine, including through a Coalition of the Willing and in cooperation with the United States. The EU will address matters within its competence or those affecting its security, according to the European Council conclusions of December 18.
US President Donald Trump has ordered a suspension of the green card lottery program after a shooting suspect who killed an MIT professor obtained one. The move is part of the Trump administration's efforts to curb legal immigration.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ease federal marijuana rules, directing the Attorney General to reclassify it. This decision could change the cannabis industry and open the door for research funding.
The European Union plans to introduce its 20th package of sanctions against Russia in early 2026, continuing pressure to end the war. EU leaders call for coordination with the G7 and stronger measures against sanctions circumvention, as well as condemning third-country support for Russia.
In Odesa, an energy facility and a residential building were damaged, and one person was injured. Residents of one of the largest residential areas were left without electricity, water, and heat supply.
The European Council decided to allocate 90 billion euros in funding to Ukraine for 2026-2027. The funds will be based on EU borrowings without the use of Russian assets and without the involvement of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 160 Shahed-type, Gerbera, and other drones on the night of December 19. Air defense forces destroyed or suppressed 108 enemy drones in the south and east of the country.
Over 25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 are electric, according to an Ember analysis. This growth is driven by emerging markets, which are now leading the transition to electromobility.
The National Bank of Ukraine considers receiving a reparation loan as the baseline scenario, but in case of delays with external assistance, the government can rely on banks. NBU Deputy Governor Serhiy Nikolaychuk noted that banks have the potential to increase investments in government securities.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that using frozen Russian assets is the only realistic way for Europe to finance support for Ukraine. He noted that technical discussions are currently underway regarding a mechanism based on Russian assets, instead of discussing alternatives.
Technical groups at the EU summit are working to find ways to finance Ukraine, which could take hours. Discussions on a loan for Ukraine are moving in the right direction, a German official assessed.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the destruction of a number of enemy targets in the temporarily occupied territories, including the 55Zh6 "Nebo-U" radar in Crimea and a fuel and lubricants depot in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A UAV depot in Makiivka was also hit, and two S-400 air defense system launchers in Belgorod Oblast were destroyed.
Police are investigating the beating of a district officer by three servicemen of the Odesa RTCC and SP. One of the attackers was intoxicated, all suspects have been notified of suspicion.
