European Union

33 boarding school children from occupied Antratsyt and 40 people from Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol were brought to Belarus. The children were brought by the sanctioned Alexey Talay Foundation for “rehabilitation” in sanatoriums.

Romania's radar systems detected a small flying object that penetrated 6 km inland in the Tulcea County. The object stayed in the airspace for about 5 minutes, after which it disappeared from the radar.

The EU will strengthen the protection of submarine communications in the Baltic Sea after damage to cables suspected to be caused by russia. It plans to improve threat detection systems and expand international cooperation.

The Moldovan parliament has adopted the National Defense Strategy for 2024-2034, which recognizes Russia as the main threat. The document envisages an increase in defense spending and integration into EU military structures.

Following the damage to the EstLink 2 cable, Estonia plans to increase oversight of undersea infrastructure with NATO. The government held an emergency meeting and discussed protection measures with the allies.

The Presidents of Ukraine and Serbia have a telephone conversation to discuss the development of bilateral relations and coordination of efforts on the path to the EU. Serbia provides financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine, but refrains from sanctions against Russia.

In 2024, Ukraine's investment attractiveness index increased to 2. 49 points out of 5. Defense Tech and energy are identified as the most promising sectors for investment in 2025.

The European Parliament has begun preparing a resolution on systemic disinformation and historical falsifications by the Russian Federation. The document exposes Russia's attempts to interfere in the politics of the EU, the US and other countries through cyberattacks and manipulations.

After joining the Schengen area in 2025, Romania will close 30 land border crossings on its borders with Hungary and Bulgaria. The country will strengthen security measures due to the risks of illegal migration.

EU diplomats are skeptical about the possibility of deploying European peacekeepers in Ukraine without US involvement. The main obstacles are Russia's rejection and the difficulty of convincing the European population.

In Zaporizhzhia, a service dog, Master, who had been working as a sapper for 9 years at the State Emergency Service, was retired. The dog received a gift and will move to a new family.

Ukraine has received the second tranche of EUR 150 million from the EU under the Early Recovery Program. The funds will be used to feed schoolchildren, rebuild infrastructure and support the agricultural sector.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Reintegration of Ukraine denied information about demands to stop assistance to Ukrainian refugees in the EU. The agencies emphasize the creation of conditions only for the voluntary return of citizens.

The European Union is using gas reserves at a record pace due to cold weather and reduced imports. Storage utilization has fallen by 19% since September, reaching 75% in December.

Moldova will be able to use the unused part of the 2,100 MW quota for electricity imports from the EU shared with Ukraine. The country plans to import 400 MW through Romanian power lines to cover the deficit on the Right Bank.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry criticized Slovak Prime Minister Fico's visit to Moscow and his energy policy. The ministry emphasized the importance of abandoning Russian energy carriers and diversifying supplies for European security.

Donald Trump has stated that control over Greenland is essential for US national security. Denmark and the Greenlandic authorities have categorically rejected the possibility of selling the island.

69% of Ukrainians support joining the EU, which is 14% more than in February 2022. Support is highest among young people and residents of the Western and Central regions.

Switzerland has expanded its sanctions list by adding individuals and companies from Russia and Belarus. The new restrictions include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on 52 vessels carrying Russian oil.

The Head of the All-Ukrainian Chamber of Pharmacy criticizes the adoption of legislative decisions without discussion with the professional community. Experts warn about the risks of simplified registration of medicines and their potential danger to the public.

The leader of Slovakia's opposition party, Branislav Greling, called Prime Minister Fico's visit to Putin a betrayal of the country. Greling emphasized that Fico does not represent the opinion of the entire nation in negotiations with Russia.

YouTube traffic in Russia has dropped to 20% of normal levels due to deliberate restrictions by the authorities. Google shows a drop from 40 to 8.5 points.

X increases the cost of Premium+ subscription by 37. 5% to $22 per month. The changes will affect users around the world, with the largest growth in Nigeria and Turkey.

Donald Trump has appointed PayPal co-founder Ken Gower as US ambassador to Denmark, stating the need to control Greenland. Trump considers the possession of Greenland critical to US national security.

Michael Carpenter said that Ukraine's membership in NATO could become a reality after the cessation of hostilities. He also supported the idea of creating a European military mission to guarantee Ukraine's security.

The European Union has started preparing the 16th package of sanctions against Russia until February 2025. The sanctions will affect new sectors of the Russian economy that were not previously subject to restrictions.

At a meeting of EU leaders, a conflict arose between Scholz and Duda over the confiscation of 260 billion euros of frozen Russian assets. Germany opposes it because of the risks to financial markets, while Poland supports the idea.

The IMF has presented an updated negative scenario for Ukraine with a forecast of war by mid-2026. According to this scenario, GDP is expected to fall by 2.5% in 2025 and the external financing deficit is expected to be $177.2 billion.

The European EQAR registry has suspended the registration of the National Center for the Development of Education Quality in Georgia. Experts warn of possible problems with diploma recognition and risks for European integration.

On Ukraine's western borders, there are queues at all checkpoints, with the longest at Krakivets-Korchova. Over the past day, 102,000 people crossed the border, 55,000 of whom left Ukraine.