The United States Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Matthew Whitaker, added that Russia has never been willing to acknowledge the loss of millions of its troops.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has for the first time unveiled 20 points of a "basic document on ending the war. "
The proportion of Russian citizens who consider it necessary to continue hostilities against Ukraine has decreased to 25%, which is the lowest figure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. These are the data from the December survey by the "Levada Center", cited by the Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha discussed with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong another Russian attack and emphasized the importance of international solidarity. The parties coordinated further steps to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, noting a new package of military aid from Australia.
The Ministry of Defense has identified the comprehensive renovation of the military rehabilitation system as a priority area of work, which requires about UAH 8 billion. Next year, the state budget will allocate over UAH 700 million for the development of the network of military hospitals, and the NATO project "RENOVATOR" has already accumulated 80 million euros.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul believes that Russia could use a ceasefire in Ukraine to prepare for an attack on NATO. He emphasizes the need for reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, especially from the United States, in the event of territorial concessions.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for further support for Ukraine to prevent a Russian attack on NATO countries. He emphasized Germany's importance in increasing defense spending and rapidly building up armaments.
The Kremlin's repeated violation of international law necessitates providing Ukraine with reliable security guarantees to prevent a resurgence of Russian aggression. Russia claims its readiness to legally formalize its intention not to attack EU and NATO countries, but its actions demonstrate the worthlessness of such promises.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that only Russian dictator Vladimir Putin can immediately end the war, despite joint efforts for a ceasefire. He also emphasized the importance of negotiations in Berlin and the coordination of positions among European partners, the US, and Ukraine.
The Milan prosecutor's office concluded that 21 alleged cases of Russian drones flying over the European Joint Research Centre (JRC) were a technical error. The security system of the JRC nuclear site produced false positives due to a common GSM signal booster.
The Czech Republic's Security Council will discuss the future of the initiative to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine on January 7. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš expressed concerns about the transparency of the initiative.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that Russia is ready to sign a legal agreement on non-aggression against Western countries. This includes no intentions to attack the European Union and NATO.
Two NATO intelligence agencies believe Russia is working on a new anti-satellite weapon capable of attacking Starlink. It could form orbital 'clouds' of debris that could potentially disable satellites and pose a threat to other space systems.
Security guarantees for Ukraine are not only in the hands of the United States but also the Russian dictator. This is due to the failure of the Budapest Memorandum and ongoing negotiations.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte explained that the United States has a direct interest in maintaining its membership in the Alliance. He named three key reasons why NATO is important for US security.
A drone, approximately two meters wide and equipped with a parachute, was found in a forest near the Romanian commune of Lerești. Police have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances of its appearance and origin.
Some European countries have expressed readiness to send troops to Ukraine to maintain peace and in case Russia violates a peace agreement. The details of such deployment are currently being coordinated, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the reason for the continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian war is Vladimir Putin, who is ready to sacrifice 1. 1 million Russians. He also noted that Donald Trump is the only one who can force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that Reuters' information about Putin's intentions to seize all of Ukraine and part of Europe is lies and propaganda. She accused the publication of spreading a false narrative to block Donald Trump's peace initiatives.
In the fall, the US presented a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal named five potential obstacles to peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Leading Russian funeral companies earned 14. 872 billion rubles in 2024, which is 24% more than a year earlier. Coffin prices increased by 84%, and grave digging by 51% since the beginning of 2022.
The German government plans to expand the functions of the Federal Intelligence Service, allowing it to carry out cyberattacks and sabotage operations abroad. This comes amid growing hybrid threats and the activity of foreign intelligence services.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not allow Putin to influence possible elections in the country, as he wants to control not only Russian elections. The President noted that Putin is looking for justifications for the war, not its root causes, and does not intend to end the war only with Ukraine.
In the Turkish province of Kocaeli, local residents discovered a crashed Orlan unmanned aerial vehicle. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident to determine its route and purpose of being in Turkish airspace.
Commander of NATO's Allied Maritime Command, Mike Utley, stated that the Alliance has an advantage over Russia but is not ready for prolonged hostilities. Member countries have recognized the problem and plan to invest in increasing resilience.
Negotiations between the US and Russia on a peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine are planned in Miami, where the Russian side will be represented by Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The meeting will take place after consultations in Berlin, where security guarantees for Kyiv and possible territorial concessions were discussed.
US President Donald Trump will sign into law on December 18 the defense policy bill for fiscal year 2026, which regulates military pay raises and measures to respond to geopolitical threats, and also provides for the allocation of $800 million to Ukraine for the purchase of American weapons.
In 2026, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive 200 "Bohdana" self-propelled artillery systems based on German Mercedes-Benz Zetros chassis. 750 million euros have been allocated for the implementation of the program from Germany's support package of 1.2 billion euros.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Hungary, the US, Slovakia, and possibly a few other allies oppose Ukraine's membership in the Alliance. He noted that at the 2024 Washington Summit, allies agreed on Ukraine's irreversible path to NATO, but in practice, some members are against it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that before the full-scale war, he directly raised the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership with then-US President Joe Biden, but received a clear refusal. Zelenskyy emphasized that he does not consider it necessary to change the Constitution of Ukraine due to the position of other states.
