Sanctions
Oil prices rose after the US tightened its naval blockade of Venezuela and Ukrainian drones attacked a Russian tanker. Brent rose to $61, WTI to $57.
Silver prices surged to a record $67. 55 per ounce, marking its largest annual gain since 1979. Gold neared its peak, hovering around $4363, driven by geopolitical chaos and expectations of Fed rate cuts.
ASEAN foreign ministers are meeting in Malaysia to stop the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia, which has claimed 40 lives and displaced more than 500,000 people. Malaysia and the Donald Trump administration are trying to restore the July truce using US satellite monitoring.
The Russian "shadow fleet" tanker, which was attacked by drones on December 18, is slowly sinking. New photos that have appeared online show the vessel partially submerged.
Senator Graham suggested that Donald Trump forcibly seize vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" if Moscow refuses peace talks on Ukraine. He also proposed imposing "crippling" tariffs on countries that finance the Russian war machine.
Iraq has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Turkey, exchanging crude oil for the construction of dams and land reclamation systems. This is intended to provide the country with water due to the critical shallowing of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
President Zelenskyy stated that the allocation of a 90 billion euro interest-free loan to Ukraine for two years is a real financial security guarantee. The funds will be disbursed at 45 billion euros annually for two years and will be repaid from Russian assets.
The United States has detained the Panamanian-flagged tanker Bella 1 near Venezuela. This happened amid an intensified oil blockade of the Nicolás Maduro regime. The vessel was en route to Venezuela for loading.
Swedish customs officers detained the Russian cargo ship Adler, whose owner exports weapons to Russia. The vessel anchored on December 20 due to an engine malfunction, and on December 21, an inspection of the cargo began. M Leasing LLC, the company that owns Adler, is under US and EU sanctions for transporting North Korean ammunition to the Russian Federation.
Over the week, Russia launched about 1,300 attack drones, almost 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and nine missiles of various types at Ukraine, with the Odesa region being particularly affected. Ukraine is countering this Russian terror by receiving financial and security assistance from international partners.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth commented on the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The US will continue maritime interdictions as part of Operation "Southern Spear" to eliminate illegal criminal networks.
The Russian economy is facing growing difficulties, including inflation and declining revenues, but this will not bring Putin to the negotiating table. Experts believe that the Kremlin can sustain the current pace of hostilities for many more years, as the Russian economy is not a critical factor for ending the war.
The goal of Ukraine's attacks on Russia's "shadow fleet" tankers is to increase the risks and costs of transportation, as well as to pressure Russia's partners. Ukraine will pursue a "decisive policy" regarding attacks on tankers heading to Russian ports for oil.
The United States of America has seized an oil tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. This happened after US President Donald Trump announced a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
President Zelenskyy stated that Viktor Orban is blocking Ukraine's EU accession due to an election campaign, realizing that membership is a guarantee of security. Kyiv and EU leaders consider membership in the bloc a strong security factor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia continues to consider the full occupation of Ukraine, so it is necessary to increase pressure on the Russian Federation, particularly from the United States. He emphasized the importance of strengthening sanctions so that Putin does not have funds for the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated what is needed for a peace agreement to be effective. He emphasized that a just and lasting peace with strong security guarantees is important for Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy commented on the EU's decision to provide Ukraine with 90 billion euros for 2026-2027 without using frozen Russian assets. He noted that this decision would affect peace talks, as provisions regarding reconstruction and Russian assets were envisioned in peace agreements.
EU taxpayers will pay €3 billion annually in interest on a loan to finance Ukraine's defense. The new plan will provide Ukraine with €45 billion next year, with the remaining funds to be paid in 2027.
The United Kingdom will not unilaterally use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, as it had planned to do so jointly with partners. This comes after a similar EU plan failed due to legal and political obstacles.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, stated that it is impossible to return current Russia to the civilized world. He noted that a democratic Russia is possible only after its collapse and regime change.
On December 19, the United States imposed sanctions on seven individuals linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The restrictions target relatives of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, who is accused of corruption in the oil company.
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.
Czech Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna confirmed the continuation of the ammunition initiative for Ukraine until 2026. Funding has been secured for the purchase of 760,000 shells, and support for Ukraine is "a matter of course."
The head of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, stated that frozen Russian assets will be used to repay loans that the EU provides to Ukraine. He rejected US proposals for asset sharing, emphasizing that Russia must pay for its actions.
The President of Ukraine met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, where they discussed diplomatic contacts, economic cooperation, and defense projects, including joint drone production. The meeting took place during the Ukrainian leader's visit to Poland.
The Russian tanker Hyperion entered the port of Amuay in Venezuela, violating the naval blockade declared by Donald Trump. The vessel delivered raw materials for oil refining, and now the crew risks being detained by the American military when attempting to go to sea.
ByteDance Ltd. plans to generate approximately $50 billion in profit in 2025, having already exceeded its internal target. The company achieved a net profit of around $40 billion in the first three quarters of the current year.
Hungarian Prime Minister and Putin's "friend" Orban in Brussels criticized the Western approach to supporting Kyiv, calling the hope for future reparations from Russia an illusion. He also stated that Hungary managed to avoid the risk of using frozen Russian assets.
EU leaders agreed on a plan to finance Ukraine through joint borrowing after 16 hours of negotiations. Politico named Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever as the main "winners" of the summit.