Hungarian state energy company MVM Group and Romanian E. ON Group have mutually agreed to terminate the agreement for the acquisition of a 68% stake in E.ON Energie Romania and a 98% stake in E.ON Asist. The Romanian government did not support the deal due to concerns about MVM's ties with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated what is needed for a peace agreement to be effective. He emphasized that a just and lasting peace with strong security guarantees is important for Ukraine.
British heavyweight Anthony Joshua secured his 29th career victory, knocking out Jake Paul in the sixth round. The fight was broadcast on Netflix, earning Joshua £210 million.
The US Justice Department has released thousands of new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case, but CBS News found that at least 550 pages are completely redacted. These documents include photos of prominent people, images from his homes, and investigation reports detailing allegations against the late sex offender.
The 53-year-old actor and director Akhtem Seitablayev published photos with his daughter and granddaughter from Belgium, captioning them as "moments of happiness. " In January 2022, the actor showed photos from his daughter's wedding.
In the fall, the US presented a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal named five potential obstacles to peace between Russia and Ukraine.
EU taxpayers will pay €3 billion annually in interest on a loan to finance Ukraine's defense. The new plan will provide Ukraine with €45 billion next year, with the remaining funds to be paid in 2027.
Kyiv police checked information about a drone with a Russian flag flying over the city. They found no confirmation, urging media to verify the accuracy of data.
Ukraine and Portugal have signed a statement on partnership for the production of naval drones. Portugal also supported a financial security guarantee for Ukraine worth 90 billion euros.
After Russia's deadly attack on the Odesa region, which damaged transport infrastructure, alternative routes across the Dniester have been created. They are already operational, allowing people to move with certain restrictions.
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.
