Sanctions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany held a meeting in London. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of unity between Europe, Ukraine, and the USA.
People's Deputy Hanna Skorokhod attended an interrogation at NABU. She clarified that only ammunition, a phone, and documents were seized during the search, while money and weapons were not.
The Main Intelligence Directorate and the Center for Countering Disinformation have updated the list of "Kremlin mouthpieces" on the War&Sanctions portal. It includes Latvian blogger Kirill Fyodorov, TV presenter Yuriy Kot, and former People's Artist of Ukraine Taisiya Povaliy.
The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating criminal proceedings against a group of aviation companies associated with businessman Roman Mileshko, opened by the National Police in 2022. Investigators have repeatedly checked the facts indicated in the case file and found no confirmation, which indicates the custom nature of the persecution and attempts to pressure the business by competitors.
France is under pressure to finance Ukraine using €18 billion in Russian sovereign assets, whose location Paris has concealed for over two years. These assets, mostly immobilized in private banks, represent the second-largest accumulation of frozen Russian central bank assets in Europe.
Seven EU countries have called for the use of frozen Russian assets to finance a reparations loan to Ukraine. This decision will strengthen Ukraine's position and ensure compensation for damages caused by the aggression.
EU countries will have to allocate billions of euros to guarantee loans to Ukraine totaling up to 210 billion euros, with Germany providing support of up to 52 billion euros. The European Commission presented these figures after proposing a "reparation loan" for Ukraine of 165 billion euros from frozen Russian assets.
A Russian LNG plant on the Baltic Sea coast has delivered gas to China for the first time since the introduction of US sanctions. The vessel Valera arrived at the Beihai import terminal, indicating strengthening energy cooperation between the countries.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meeting takes place amid fears that the US may pressure Ukraine to accept a peace deal with Russia.
Brent crude futures rose to $63. 84 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $60.16. Investors are anticipating a Fed interest rate cut and monitoring geopolitical risks related to supplies from Russia and Venezuela.
British historian Timothy Garton Ash argues that only Europe can help Ukraine resist Russian aggression and US diplomatic betrayal. He emphasizes the need for military and economic support for Ukraine to change Putin's strategy.
Hungary and Slovakia will file a motion with the European Court of Justice to overturn the RePowerEU plan, which provides for a complete ban on imports of Russian gas and oil. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that this step is due to the threat to secure energy supply and rising prices.
The Hungarian authorities do not support participation in financial assistance to Ukraine, thwarting the European "Plan B" to use frozen Russian assets. Budapest refused to join the issuance of joint Eurobonds, which increased tensions within the EU.
Russia declared the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, wanted on charges of involvement in the death of propagandist Hanna Prokofieva. Brovdi reacted to the accusations with a quote from Bulgakov's novel.
China is consolidating its dominance in Mongolian exports by increasing coal purchases and financing logistics routes. Russia's share in Ulaanbaatar's exports has decreased to 0.5%, while over 90% of Mongolian exports go to China.
European Union leaders will discuss the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine at a summit on December 18. Belgium has a special position on this issue, and the US is trying to block EU plans to use these assets.
Lithuania revoked residence permits for 145 Russian citizens due to frequent trips to Russia and Belarus, guided by the law "On restrictive measures in connection with military aggression. " Among those deprived of residence permits is former human rights activist Mikhail Benyash, who visited Minsk to meet with his son.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the dispatch of a Hungarian business delegation to Moscow. The mission will focus on economic cooperation in post-war conditions, when Russia may be reintegrated into the Western economy.
The Russian tanker Kairos, part of the 'shadow fleet', ran aground near the Bulgarian city of Ahtopol. There are 10 crew members on board, but evacuation is not yet possible due to a strong storm.
Hungary blocked the decision to issue Eurobonds to finance Ukraine, which was an alternative to the "reparation loan. " Belgium also opposes it due to fears of lawsuits from Russia.
On December 6, the HUR MOD Cyber Corps and BO Team attacked the Russian logistics company "Eltrans+". Over 700 computers and servers were deactivated, 165 terabytes of data were destroyed, and network equipment was disabled.
President Zelenskyy reacted to Russia's massive attack on December 6, stating that Russians are launching missiles at peaceful cities on St. Nicholas Day to inflict pain on millions of Ukrainians. The strikes damaged civilian infrastructure, including the railway station in Fastiv, enterprises, and residential buildings in various regions.
People's Deputy Hanna Skorokhod stated that NABU published fake photos from the search of her apartment, which do not match the interior of her apartment. She considers this a manipulation and an attempt to disrupt her trip to the USA.
Former Syrian intelligence chief Kamal Hassan and billionaire Rami Makhlouf, who are in exile in Moscow, are spending millions of dollars to create rival combat forces. They are competing for control over a network of 14 underground command rooms and weapons caches.
Euroclear CEO Valerie Urbain believes that frozen Russian assets should be used for peace negotiations rather than to finance a reparations loan to Ukraine. This would avoid complex legal risks and preserve leverage.
The White House stated that Europe risks "civilizational destruction" due to decades of economic decline, political censorship, and immigration. This is outlined in the updated US National Security Strategy, signed by Donald Trump.
Vladimir Putin told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Russia is ready to continue uninterrupted oil supplies. This happened during the annual summit in New Delhi, where the leaders reaffirmed the resilience of their ties to external pressure.
Large American banks are refusing to cooperate with the network of gas stations of the Russian giant "Lukoil" in the United States due to sanctions previously imposed against the company. Therefore, "Lukoil" is conducting transactions through small American banks.
After investigative actions at the apartment of MP Anna Skorokhod, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office announced the exposure of the MP in a case involving receiving $250,000 for resolving an issue regarding the application of NSDC sanctions. All exposed individuals have been served with suspicion notices for committing a crime.
Tensions are rising within Italy's coalition regarding further financial and military aid to Ukraine in 2026. The League party has called for the return of frozen Russian assets, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister support aid.