European Union

Peter Pellegrini canceled his visit to Kyiv because of Ukraine's suspension of Russian gas transit on January 1. He said that this step threatens Slovakia's energy security.

Olaf Scholz of the SPD and Alice Weidel of the AfD have become official candidates for the post of German Chancellor. Scholz promises social reforms, while Weidel proposes radical changes in the economy and migration policy.

The Stalin Museum in Gori has announced a tender for the restoration of the house where the Soviet dictator was born. The renovation work is to be completed in 11 days and will include renovation of the roof, floor and other elements of the building.

Mark Zuckerberg said that the new US government should stop fining US tech companies by the EU. Meta also announced the termination of its fact-checking program and DEI initiatives.

Germany is conducting a rescue operation of the Eventin tanker from the Russian “shadow fleet” that ran aground off the northern coast. The vessel was carrying 100,000 tons of oil and lost its ability to maneuver due to an engine failure.

Venezuela has temporarily closed its common border with Brazil after Nicolas Maduro took office for a third presidential term. The closure will last until next Monday, and the reasons for the decision have not been officially commented on.

The US and EU impose new sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials over the Maduro regime's repression. The US State Department increased the reward to $25 million for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan president.

Arkady Volozh hired a bodyguard for the first time after receiving a public health wish from Putin. The founder of Yandex has previously condemned the war in Ukraine and is not returning to Russia.

Peskov says Putin is ready to negotiate with Trump without preconditions. ISW emphasizes that the Kremlin's position on Ukraine remains unchanged: complete surrender and change of government.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro began his third presidential term until 2031 amid mass protests. The inauguration took place under tight security, and Western countries imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan officials.

The EU Council added 15 new individuals to the Venezuelan sanctions list and extended the restrictions until 2026. In total, 69 people are sanctioned, with assets frozen and banned from entering the EU.

More than 50 Georgian civil servants are preparing a class action lawsuit over their dismissal for criticizing the country's rejection of EU membership. The dismissals took place without justification following amendments to the Law on Civil Service.

Russia uses more than 1,000 vessels to circumvent sanctions, which is 17% of the world's oil tanker fleet. The shadow fleet has brought Russia more profit than Ukraine has received in international aid since the beginning of the war.

In the suburbs of Damascus, militants affiliated with the new government publicly executed a local official, Masen Knehneh. He was accused of writing reports for the Assad regime that led to the torture of young people.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister had a phone conversation with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The parties discussed coordination of efforts in Ukraine-EU relations, the Food from Ukraine initiative and assistance to Syria.

The USA is imposing sweeping sanctions against the Russian oil industry, including 180 vessels and leading companies. Against the backdrop of these restrictions, global oil prices have risen to their highest level since October.

The European Commission and Slovakia are forming a working group to assess the consequences of the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine. The group will consider the economic impact and possible compensation for Slovakia.

Another group has been exposed in Poland, preparing a game that planned to influence the election through disinformation and recruitment of content makers. The Minister of Digitalization said that Poland is the most attacked country in the EU.

The President of Ukraine met with the President of Italy to discuss Euro-Atlantic integration and sanctions against the Russian Federation. Particular attention was paid to the issue of the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children and assistance to orphans in Italy.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi responded to the Slovak prime minister's statements about stopping gas transit through Ukraine. He emphasized that the problem is Russia and the unwillingness of some European countries to get rid of energy dependence.

The EU has provided Ukraine with the first tranche of €3 billion from frozen Russian assets. The funds will be used for priority budgetary expenditures under the ERA initiative, which provides a total of $50 billion in support.

In 2024, the global average temperature exceeded the threshold of 1. 5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The record warming is caused by anthropogenic changes and the El Niño phenomenon.

Sebastian Kaleta criticized the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's reaction to candidate Navrotsky's statement on Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO. He called for the Ukrainian ambassador to be summoned because of “interference in the electoral process.

The European Union is analyzing hundreds of Biden's executive orders because of fears that Trump will reverse them after the inauguration. Particular attention is being paid to sanctions against Russia.

Global banks are planning to cut about 200 thousand jobs in 3-5 years due to the introduction of AI. According to forecasts, it can increase bank profits by up to 17% in 2027.

Senior Russian military and security officials advocate escalation of hostilities in Ukraine instead of negotiations. Despite significant losses, they are calling on Putin to intensify military efforts and hold partial conscriptions.

Ukraine's President is preparing to meet with the British Prime Minister to discuss the deployment of a peacekeeping mission. The initiative, launched by Macron, is seen as part of Ukraine's future security guarantees.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry rejected manipulative statements by the head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance regarding the conditions for Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO. The Ministry emphasized that such statements play into the Kremlin's interests.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Karol Navrotsky's statement that Ukraine is not ready for NATO because of the Volyn tragedy. Nawrocki is a candidate of the Law and Justice party in the presidential election.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Trump's threats against Greenland “classic Trump” and refused to criticize his ally. France, on the other hand, warned the United States against attempts to establish control over the territory.