Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. They discussed defense support for Ukraine, strengthening air defense, and enhancing energy resilience, as well as further financial support.
The President of the European Council, António Costa, is confident that a decision on financing for Ukraine for 2026-2027 will be made at the December EU summit. He noted that the bloc is "very close to reaching a decision" amid the proposal of two options: a "reparations loan" or EU borrowing.
The government has announced a tender for the manager of the seized assets of IDS Ukraine, the producer of "Morshynska" and "Myrhorodska" mineral waters, with a short deadline for submitting documents by December 12. This decision has drawn criticism due to legal miscalculations and haste before the new law on ARMA comes into force.
This year, 15 million 860 thousand Ukrainians applied for winter support in the amount of one thousand hryvnias, which is more than last year. Applications for the "winter thousand" are accepted until December 24, and for the 6500 UAH aid for vulnerable segments of the population - until December 17.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Andrej Babiš on his appointment as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. The head of state expressed hope for further development of cooperation, including the work of Czech businesses in Ukraine.
Czech President Petr Pavel appointed Andrej Babiš as Prime Minister on December 9, 2025. Babiš returns to power after four years in opposition.
Ukraine dropped to 105th place out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index, losing one point due to a formal approach to reforms. This indicates stagnation in the fight against corruption, despite active legislative actions and successes in exposing corruption schemes.
Japan rejected the EU's proposal to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Tokyo refused to use $30 billion in frozen assets held on its territory to issue a loan to Ukraine.
Russian dictator Putin is trying to portray the Russian economy as capable of sustaining the war in Ukraine, likely to support cognitive warfare. He claimed GDP growth and low inflation, ignoring the connection between economic problems and the war.
Putin signed a decree on the conscription of Russians in the reserve for military training in 2026. The conscription applies to the armed forces, the National Guard, rescue units, state security agencies, and the FSB.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Brussels. The issue of using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction or armament will be discussed.
Operations in Sudan's Heglig have ceased after the Rapid Support Forces group approached, which could interrupt oil exports from South Sudan. Heglig plays a crucial role in the pipeline network through which Sudan exports about 165,000 barrels of oil per day.
The investigation into the case of Hryhoriy Didenko, head of the Odesa Regional Council, and Yulia Didenko, a people's deputy, has been completed. They failed to include information about property worth over UAH 8 million in their declarations for 2021–2023, including apartments and two Audi SQ8s.
NielsenIQ's Russian subsidiary is actively recruiting staff for high-risk markets, including occupied Ukrainian territories and Iran, as revealed by job postings on HH. ru. The company's internal research previously labeled occupied Ukrainian lands as "new Russian regions."
Expert Alexander Gabuev predicts the exhaustion of the Kremlin's economic resources in 12-18 months if sanctions are strengthened. He notes that time is working against Putin, and further sanctions could shorten this period.
The retail price of gasoline in Russia is 67. 1 rubles per liter, which is higher than the price in the US ($2.98 per gallon). This is due to the high share of taxes and fees in Russian pricing.
In Zaporizhzhia, a group of four individuals, including the owner and director of a limited liability company, who systematically stole natural gas from the main pipeline system, has been exposed. The suspects connected to the system bypassing metering devices, selling the gas through a mobile refueling station.
The US Congress has provided $800 million in aid to Ukraine in the defense budget for two years, allocating $400 million each for 2026 and 2027. The total US defense budget for 2026 will be $901 billion.
From September 2026, student scholarships at educational institutions will double. The State Budget-2026 provides UAH 6.6 billion for scholarship payments.
High-tech stocks, crypto assets, and gold remain in demand among investors. New investment opportunities are also emerging – some of them are available to Ukrainians.
The Dutch government has pledged an additional 700 million euros to Ukraine from the remaining funds in the budgets of the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs. This amount is less than the parliament's request, but most parties supported the proposal.
The adopted draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026 has been submitted to President Volodymyr Zelensky for signature. Information on this is posted on the parliament's website.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Cabinet of Ministers held a meeting on providing for the military, approving a draft law on contracts with clear terms and expanding service opportunities for foreigners. Military training in higher education is also being strengthened, and a Research Center for the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is being established.
Ukraine's new proposal to exchange GDP warrants for 'C' type bonds is significantly more attractive to creditors than previous options. This is a critical step for Ukraine to emerge from debt default.
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.
