European Union

Leading Ukrainian banks are planning to sign a memorandum limiting card transfers to UAH 100,000 per month. The document also envisages enhanced monitoring of individual entrepreneurs and a limit on the number of accounts in one currency.

Moldova will receive drone interceptors from the European Union in 2025. This will help the country prevent unauthorized flights of foreign UAVs over its territory.

At the December 19 summit, EU leaders plan to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and Moldova. At the same time, they will condemn the actions of the Georgian authorities to suppress protests and suspend European integration.

Viktor Orban met with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence, where Elon Musk and Michael Volz were also present. The Hungarian prime minister, known for his pro-Russian stance, called the meeting “the beginning of the future.

Austria lifted its veto on the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. The decision was made after a significant reduction in illegal border crossings from 70,000 to 4,000 cases.

Protesters brought and burned a coffin with the image of pro-Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili outside the Georgian parliament building. This happened against the background of protests against the results of the parliamentary elections.

The Ministry of Health will strengthen control over the turnover of dietary supplements and approve the list of permitted ingredients. Dietary supplements containing dangerous pharmaceutical components and unverified combinations will be removed from the market.

Poland is developing a program for the development of the armed forces for 2025-2039, taking into account the experience of the war in Ukraine. The document will include seven priorities, including increasing the army, developing air defense and introducing artificial intelligence.

The UK is suspending all aid programs for Georgia and restricting interaction with the government due to the suppression of protests. British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy said that the actions of the authorities contradict the European course of the country.

The prime ministers of Ukraine and Estonia signed a joint statement on increasing rehabilitation pressure on the Russian Federation. The countries are calling for a full trade embargo and sanctions against Russian oil and gas companies.

Ukraine may consider Macron's proposal to deploy foreign troops as a guarantee of security before joining NATO. Zelensky plans to discuss with Biden the issue of inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance.

Ukraine will receive a power unit from an Estonian power plant, which will provide electricity to 150 thousand people. In 2025, it is planned to transfer two more power units.

The EU Council has approved the second payment for Ukraine within the framework of the Ukraine Facility in the amount of 4. 2 billion euros. The funds will go to the state budget in December, and the total amount of funding in 2024 will amount to 16.1 billion euros.

Estonia provided Ukraine with defense support for 542 million euros, which is 1. 4% of the country's GDP. Over the next three years, Estonia will allocate 0.25% of its GDP annually to support Ukraine.

European Commissioner for defense Andrius Kubilius proposes to increase the EU defense budget to 100 billion euros. It is planned to modernize the defense industry and strengthen cooperation with NATO.

Near the Georgian parliament, activists decorated the Christmas tree with flags and photos of victims of previous protests. The frame of the Christmas tree was decorated with flags of Georgia, Ukraine, the EU and the United States, as well as photos of journalists and activists.

Rebels seized Damascus and the presidential palace, and Bashar al-Assad fled the capital. EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas called The Fall of the Assad regime evidence of the weakness of Russia and Iran.

4. 2 million Ukrainians received temporary protection status in the EU countries as of October 2024. Most of the Ukrainians were received by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, where more than 2.5 million refugees live.

Salome Zurabishvili expressed concern about violations in the parliamentary elections during a visit to Paris. The opposition is protesting against the results, accusing the authorities of falsifying and detaining activists.

EU Council President Antonio Costa invited Volodymyr Zelensky to the EU leaders ' summit. The main topics of discussion will be the situation in Ukraine, the global position of the EU and migration issues.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with Romania over Russia's interference in the electoral process. Declassified data confirms the Kremlin's attempts to influence democratic processes in the EU and NATO countries.

The European Commission has warned Georgia about the possible suspension of the visa-free regime due to non-compliance with the conditions. The country needs to repeal restrictive laws and harmonize its visa policy with the EU.

European diplomats are preparing for a scenario where the United States, under the leadership of Trump, may stop helping Ukraine. Borrel recommends that Ukraine develop its own weapons production as the most effective way to continue the fight.

In Tbilisi, special forces forcibly pushed protesters away from the parliament building and are detaining them. Protests continue over the decision of the authorities to suspend the country's European integration.

The EU is in talks with the United States to ease sanctions against Gazprombank over the risks of gas supplies to Europe. Putin canceled the requirement to pay through this bank, but the issue of payments remains complex.

Oil prices in the EU have increased by 50% since the beginning of 2024 due to limited inventory and high demand. The cost of vegetable oils reached its highest level since 2022 due to a reduction in global supplies.

EU ambassadors were unable to agree on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia due to disputes over the import of petroleum products. Slovakia and the Czech Republic did not agree on the terms of exceptions for deliveries through Slovnaft.

The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) detained a member of an international drug syndicate who was wanted by Interpol in the Lviv region. A citizen of an EU country had been hiding in Ukraine for 6 years from criminal liability for drug trafficking.

The Hungarian Information Office monitored OLAF representatives during their visits to the country in 2015-2017. Intelligence tapped phones, searched hotel rooms, and copied data from the laptops of European officials.

The Vega C launch vehicle successfully launched the Sentinel-1C satellite into 700 km orbit after a two-year upgrade. The launch took place from the Kourou Cosmodrome in French Guiana after the installation of a new French nozzle.