Japan rejected the EU's proposal to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Tokyo refused to use $30 billion in frozen assets held on its territory to issue a loan to Ukraine.
G7 countries are ready to consider confiscating all frozen Russian assets to achieve a just peace in Ukraine. The Group of Seven will work on financial support for Ukraine, including the use of sovereign Russian assets.
Donald Trump stated that Europe "is moving in a bad direction," expressing the US's unwillingness to see such significant changes. He called the EU's fine on the social network X "disgusting."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The diplomatic track, security guarantees, the PURL initiative, and a reparations loan were discussed.
President Zelenskyy reported 24/7 communication with partners, which confirms Europe's maximum involvement in resolving the Ukrainian issue. He discussed support for Ukraine, strengthening air defense, and energy assistance with representatives of many countries and international organizations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Brussels. The issue of using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction or armament will be discussed.
The President of the European Commission also emphasized that "Europe's defense is our responsibility," summarizing plans to increase defense spending and production.
The EU has agreed to tighten migration rules, which include accelerating deportations and reducing social benefits for rejected asylum seekers. An annual Solidarity Fund of 420 million euros is also being created for 2026 to support member states most affected by migration pressure.
France is under pressure to finance Ukraine using €18 billion in Russian sovereign assets, whose location Paris has concealed for over two years. These assets, mostly immobilized in private banks, represent the second-largest accumulation of frozen Russian central bank assets in Europe.
Seven EU countries have called for the use of frozen Russian assets to finance a reparations loan to Ukraine. This decision will strengthen Ukraine's position and ensure compensation for damages caused by the aggression.
EU countries will have to allocate billions of euros to guarantee loans to Ukraine totaling up to 210 billion euros, with Germany providing support of up to 52 billion euros. The European Commission presented these figures after proposing a "reparation loan" for Ukraine of 165 billion euros from frozen Russian assets.
Hungary and Slovakia will file a motion with the European Court of Justice to overturn the RePowerEU plan, which provides for a complete ban on imports of Russian gas and oil. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that this step is due to the threat to secure energy supply and rising prices.
The European Commission lost access to its advertising account on the X social network after being fined 120 million euros for violating transparency rules. Company representative Nikita Bier stated that the account was blocked due to an attempt to exploit a vulnerability.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski recommended Elon Musk to go to Mars. This happened after Musk proposed the idea of dissolving the European Union, criticizing the EU for a fine of 120 million euros.
European Union leaders will discuss the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine at a summit on December 18. Belgium has a special position on this issue, and the US is trying to block EU plans to use these assets.
Lithuania revoked residence permits for 145 Russian citizens due to frequent trips to Russia and Belarus, guided by the law "On restrictive measures in connection with military aggression. " Among those deprived of residence permits is former human rights activist Mikhail Benyash, who visited Minsk to meet with his son.
Elon Musk reacted to the European Commission's decision to fine the social network X, stating that the European Union should be "abolished. " He believes that sovereignty should be returned to individual countries.
Hungary blocked the decision to issue Eurobonds to finance Ukraine, which was an alternative to the "reparation loan. " Belgium also opposes it due to fears of lawsuits from Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of financial support for Ukraine for European security. She also stated that Belgium's situation regarding frozen Russian assets must be resolved in such a way that all European states bear the same risk.
Hungary has officially refused to issue Eurobonds to support Ukraine. This complicates the search for alternative sources of financing for Kyiv if the EU cannot use frozen Russian assets.
The European Commission has imposed a fine of 120 million euros on the social network X for violating the Digital Services Act. The reasons were the misleading design of the "blue checkmark", the opacity of the advertising repository, and the refusal to provide researchers with access to public data.
Euroclear CEO Valerie Urbain believes that frozen Russian assets should be used for peace negotiations rather than to finance a reparations loan to Ukraine. This would avoid complex legal risks and preserve leverage.
The European Commission has fined Elon Musk's X platform 120 million euros for transparency violations under the EU's Digital Services Act. This is the first fine imposed under the bloc's flagship content moderation law.
The US is trying to block EU plans to use frozen assets of the Russian central bank to support a loan to Ukraine. Washington believes that these assets are necessary to secure a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow.
The leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have stated the need for a joint decision on dismantling railway connections with Russia and Belarus. The presidents of the Baltic countries discussed this issue and handed it over to the ministers for further consideration.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever will hold talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Belgium expresses concerns about legal aspects and potential risks for its taxpayers.
Spain, the largest pork exporter in the EU, has deployed soldiers and drones to contain swine fever near Barcelona. Due to the outbreak, Mexico and Japan have suspended purchases of Spanish pork, and 91 cities have been locked down.
The European Commission will open an antitrust procedure regarding the use of artificial intelligence in Meta-owned WhatsApp. The investigation will focus on the competitive implications of integrating Meta's AI assistant into the messenger.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a trip to Oslo to persuade Belgium to support a €165 billion "reparation loan" to Ukraine. The loan is proposed to be secured by frozen Russian state assets located in Belgium.
Spiegel reported that the Élysée Palace, in a statement to the German publication, denied that Macron had spoken of any betrayal.
