European Union

Public sector workers in Georgia joined 14 days of protests near the parliament. In response, the government is preparing amendments to the law that will make it more difficult for fired civil servants to return to work.

EU ambassadors have agreed on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia aimed at combating the “shadow fleet” of tankers. The sanctions will restrict the activities of third-country vessels and expand the list of sanctioned individuals and organizations.

Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna held a discussion with top EU officials on lowering the mobilization age in Ukraine. She emphasized the unacceptability of such a position due to the lack of a system for planning and training brigades.

Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna reported that Poland did not provide specifics on Ukraine's European integration during its upcoming presidency of the EU Council. The Polish leadership plans to focus on security issues.

The European Commission will provide funding to Estonia, Norway, Finland, Poland and Latvia to protect their borders from drones. The decision was announced by Ursula von der Leyen after a conversation with the Finnish Prime Minister.

Ukraine is advised to regulate the nicotine pouch market following the EU's example, limiting the dosage to 20 mg. Sweden's experience shows the effectiveness of harm minimization strategies in the fight against tobacco addiction.

In 2025, more than UAH 2. 2 trillion is allocated for the Defense Forces, which is 26.3% of GDP. Funding will be provided through changes to the Tax Code and funds from the ERA program.

An aircraft repair plant in Taganrog, Russia, which is under sanctions because of the war in Ukraine, was attacked. The attack damaged the boiler room and burned 14 cars in the plant's parking lot.

Peter Szijjarto said Hungary would veto any EU sanctions against Georgian officials. The foreign minister accused Brussels of double standards regarding democratic elections in Georgia.

President of Ukraine had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk. The parties discussed joint work and plans for the period of Poland's presidency in the EU.

35% of Ukrainians believe in joining the EU within 5 years, and 54% believe that EU membership without NATO is possible. The majority of respondents (57%) believe that Western partners are not doing enough to help Ukraine win.

Ukraine has become a hostage to internal political discussions in Poland, where Ukrainian products are used as a tool in disputes. The Ministry of Agriculture warns of the risks of new border blockades due to the upcoming elections in Poland.

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.