December 4, 02:10 PM • 21816 viewsVolodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the possibility of expanding mobilization, calling it the most sensitive issue. He emphasized the need for a balance between the front and the rear, as society must work and pay taxes to support the army.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not participate in the G20 summit, which will be held in November in Johannesburg; he will be represented by Premier Li Qiang. This decision means that the event will take place without the leaders of the US, China, and Russia.
The European Union is developing a plan as part of the next stage of the trade agreement with the United States. Key aspects of the plan include: customs tariffs, investments in strategic areas, elimination of technical barriers, and the creation of economic security working groups.
The defense of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk region continues, Russian occupiers have no success in the offensive on Rivne. The spokesman for the Russian dictator and the Russian foreign minister are asking Trump to return to talks with Putin about peace.
Ukraine is ready for negotiations with the Russians for a truce that Trump seeks. Zelenskyy believes that Trump can push Putin to negotiations, as Russians respect the US and Trump.
French President Emmanuel Macron is considering inviting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the G7 summit in 2026, a move that could be a bold diplomatic step. The idea has been discussed with some allies, and Macron may visit China in December.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia aims to achieve victory in Pokrovsk and seize the entire Donetsk region. This is intended to convince US President Donald Trump that Ukraine should withdraw its troops from the entire eastern Donbas.
The Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán has launched an investigation into the social network X for failing to remove illegal content. This is the first official investigation under the EU's Digital Services Act, and the company faces a fine of up to 6% of its annual global turnover.
The US House of Representatives voted to finally approve a bill to reopen the government. The decision was supported by 222 lawmakers, and now the document must be signed by President Donald Trump.
The longest shutdown in US history is ending, but it could take anywhere from several days to over a week for federal agencies to fully resume operations. The US economy has suffered significant losses, and some services may take months to fully recover.
The clothing brand Skims has raised $5 billion in a new funding round, preparing to expand its store network and launch new product lines. The company expects net sales to exceed $1 billion in 2025.
Toyota Motor Corp. is investing up to $10 billion in its U.S. operations over five years. The company launched a new $13.9 billion lithium-ion battery plant in North Carolina, creating 5,100 jobs.
Before the House of Representatives resumed work, the US Air Force admitted that the secret Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program had not changed. Earlier, the Pentagon claimed delays due to the US government shutdown.
Putin will visit India on December 5, despite Russia's war against Ukraine. This comes amid a strengthening strategic partnership between Moscow and New Delhi.
Putin signed a decree allowing American Citigroup to sell its Russian bank to investment company Renaissance Capital. This decision is part of Western banks' withdrawal from the Russian market after the start of the war in Ukraine.
A significant portion of the increase in oil volume on tankers since late August comes from sanctioned countries. This indicates disruptions in oil trade and threatens the revenues of sanctioned oil-producing states.
China is stepping up efforts to import Russian gas, laying the groundwork for its own "shadow fleet" of vessels to transport liquefied fuel, bypassing US sanctions. This will allow it to diversify supplies and strengthen ties with Russia, which needs buyers for its LNG.
The US plans to build a large military base in the Israeli Otef-Azza region, adjacent to the Gaza Strip. The base will be able to accommodate 10,000 troops to monitor a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Germany has called on the nationalized company SEFE to terminate its long-term contract for the supply of LNG from Russia. The contract for 2.9 million tons per year is valid until 2040, and its cancellation is estimated at 10 billion euros.
Three incidents of maritime piracy were recorded off the coast of Somalia in October, reminiscent of the chaos of past decades. The resurgence is linked to the threat from the Houthis in Yemen and tensions between the countries of the Horn of Africa.
Google plans to invest 5. 5 billion euros in the development of computing resources and operations in Germany over the next four years. The investment covers two data centers in the Frankfurt region, which is part of the company's ongoing commitment to Europe.
Ukrainian defense companies have reached industrial-scale drone production, manufacturing millions of units annually. Due to a lack of funding and the need to increase capacity, manufacturers are seeking partnerships in Europe.
The European Commission plans to designate WhatsApp's open channels as a "very large online platform" under the Digital Services Act, which will require adherence to high content moderation standards. This decision applies to channels that are open news feeds and have over 45 million users in Europe, without affecting personal messages.
German federal police have arrested 49-year-old Martin S. on suspicion of plotting to assassinate more than a dozen politicians and public figures, including Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel. The suspect distributed a list of targets via the dark web and collected donations for assassination bounties.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has raised the budget deficit target due to election spending. Additional funding will be raised through bank taxes and foreign currency bond issuance.
Donald Trump defended allowing foreign students to study in the US, calling it "good" practice. He rejected calls to reduce their numbers, arguing it was financially beneficial for the higher education system.
The European Commission is exploring the possibility of obliging EU member states to gradually remove Huawei and ZTE from their telecommunications networks. This could turn a 2020 recommendation into a legal requirement due to deteriorating trade and political ties with China.
Geneva-based Mercuria Energy Group and US-based TechMet Ltd. are discussing a joint tantalum mining project in the DRC. The initiative depends on a peace agreement to be facilitated by the Trump administration.
Botswana's President Boko confirmed the government's intention to acquire a controlling stake in the diamond company De Beers. The government has already initiated concrete steps to buy out shares from the British company Anglo American Plc.
The US and Switzerland are close to reducing tariffs on exports to 15% instead of 39%. An agreement could be reached within the next two weeks.
