European Union

Germany is urging the European Union to reach an agreement with the United Kingdom on access to the EU defense fund by the end of the month. This would allow the UK to participate in the €150 billion fund designed to strengthen European defense.

Kaja Kallas stated that a peace agreement for Ukraine cannot come at the cost of abandoning its own state. No government would agree to a deal that benefits the aggressor.

Shipments of Chinese permanent rare earth magnets to the US rose by 56. 1% to 656.3 tonnes, the highest in nine months. This increase occurred amid easing trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, while exports to the EU decreased.

European countries have expressed their position on a possible US peace plan for Ukraine and Russia, developed in secret. Most emphasize the need to involve Ukraine and Europe in any peace agreements.

A Spanish court has ordered Meta to pay over $550 million to Spanish digital media outlets. This is due to the use of personal data for behavioral advertising and a violation of EU data protection rules.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that any plan to end the war needs the participation of Ukraine and European countries. She emphasized that the EU supports a lasting, strong, and just peace, and welcomes any efforts to achieve it.

Poland is launching a pilot defense program wReady for civilians, which will last until December 14. It is designed to increase readiness for crisis situations amid threats from Russia.

The European Commission has allocated 600 million euros for the expansion of infrastructure for electric vehicles and alternative fuels in the EU. The funds will go to 70 projects in road, maritime, air and inland waterway transport.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is considering suing the EU over plans to stop Russian gas supplies from 2028. Slovakia and Hungary criticize these plans due to their dependence on Russian energy carriers and fears of economic consequences.

In Nigeria, armed men attacked a church in Eruku, killing two people and abducting the pastor and several parishioners. President Bola Tinubu canceled trips and ordered increased security, as well as intensified searches for abducted schoolgirls.

Scientists from Iran traveled to Russia twice in 2024, including November, seeking secret technologies for their nuclear program. The delegations included researchers from universities, some of which are under sanctions.

Ukraine plans to demand $43 billion in climate damage compensation from Russia to fund an environmentally sound post-war recovery. This was announced at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil, citing a report that estimates greenhouse gas emissions from the invasion at 236.8 million tons of CO2 equivalent.

The German concern Rheinmetall will begin transferring Skyranger 35 anti-aircraft systems based on the Leopard 1 tank to Ukraine next week. The contract, worth several hundred million euros, is being paid for by an unnamed EU country.

Kallas stated that the European Union's ties with Beijing limit the bloc's ability to effectively pressure China regarding its support for Russia in the war in Ukraine.

Georgia's ruling party is tightening its grip, which analysts estimate is leading the country towards a one-party dictatorship. Almost all opposition leaders are imprisoned, and the economy is shifting towards Russia and China.

The deployment of NATO troops to the eastern flank in the event of a full-scale Russian invasion could take 45 days, while the EU aims to reduce this period to 3-5 days. The problem lies in different railway track gauge standards and bureaucracy, which complicates the movement of troops across Europe.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called on EU partners to submit nominations for the supervisory board of Energoatom. This is part of comprehensive measures to renew the management of Ukraine's entire energy system.

Ukraine and Greece have agreed on joint production of naval drones at Greek shipbuilding enterprises. This will satisfy the needs of both countries and reduce Greece's technological gap with Turkey.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Amazon and Microsoft's cloud services to determine whether they should be subject to the Digital Markets Act. A decision is expected within 12 months, and if the conclusion is positive, the companies will have six months to comply with the requirements.

The Prime Minister of Poland held a secret meeting regarding sabotage on railway tracks. Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the Polish Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, stated that Russian special services are most likely responsible for the sabotage. The incidents occurred on the route from Warsaw East to Lublin, damaging tracks and the traction network.

Germany's Federal Minister of Agriculture, Alois Rainer, was forced to return to Germany due to technical problems with the Global 5000 aircraft. His visit to the USA has been canceled, and the minister will travel on a commercial flight.

US President's envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, calls on European allies to take a more aggressive stance on Moscow and use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. This move would provide support to Ukraine for years and signal a new, bolder phase in European politics.

European leaders will gather on December 18 for the last EU summit in 2025 to address Ukraine's funding, aiming to avoid a funding shortfall by mid-next year. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for coordinated action, warning of costly alternatives.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that only new sanctions can stop Russia's war against Ukraine. Moscow finances its war economy through energy exports and the purchase of technologies via third countries.

Belgium has purchased autonomous Blaze drones from the Latvian company Origin Robotics to detect and neutralize enemy aircraft. This is part of a 50 million euro package of measures aimed at countering drones after a series of incidents.

Montenegro's Foreign Ministry called the behavior of Russian Ambassador Alexander Lukashik "absolutely unacceptable" due to interference in the internal affairs of the state, it was reported on November 17.

Denmark has set a new target to reduce CO2 emissions by 82% by 2035, surpassing the UK's previous goal. The Danish government will allocate 4 billion kroner annually to achieve this ambitious target.

On November 17, the EU Council approved an updated mechanism for suspending visa-free travel for citizens of third countries. The amended rules will allow the EU to react more quickly to abuses of the visa-free regime, including new grounds for activation and a simplified launch of the mechanism.

European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius stated that Ukrainian troops could be deployed to defend the EU's eastern borders from Russia after the end of hostilities. He noted that the Ukrainian army has the most experienced military personnel in Europe.

The European Union has offered Ukraine €90 billion in funding in the form of a grant or a loan backed by EU debt. This will happen if countries fail to approve the desired plan to use frozen Russian assets.