December 5, 08:25 AM • 11408 viewsDecember 4, 02:10 PM • 25186 viewsKaya Callas, the newly appointed EU High Representative for foreign affairs, visited Kyiv together with European Commissioner Marta Kos and president of the European Council Antonio Costa. Callas declared her support for Ukraine in the war.
EU Ambassador Pavel Nerchinsky commented on the refusal of the Georgian government to negotiate accession to the EU. According to him, this decision contradicts the policies of previous governments and the wishes of the majority of Georgians.
The European Council has appointed a new composition of the European Commission for the period from December 2024 to October 2029. Ursula von der Leyen remains president, while Kaya Callas will become supreme representative for Foreign Affairs.
The head of the European Commission called for an increase in EU defense spending, which amounts to 1. 9% of GDP against 9% in Russia. The first European Commissioner for Defense has been appointed to strengthen Europe's military potential.
The president of Ukraine congratulated the head of the European Commission on the approval of the new composition of Commissioners. Von der Leyen stressed the importance of European security and the need to increase defense spending.
The European Parliament voted to approve the second European Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen. The new composition received 370 votes in favor and is expected to begin work on December 1, 2024.
The European Commission has accused Bluesky of violating the Digital Services Act by failing to provide mandatory information. The company has engaged lawyers to resolve the issue of compliance with EU requirements.
The Spanish Government is preparing a national civil protection plan to counter military threats. The plan will be part of a new five-year National Civil Protection Strategy.
The President of the European Commission, who has a medical degree, helped a passenger on a flight from Zurich to Brussels. The incident occurred on her way back from the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Russia halted gas transit to Austria via Ukraine after OMV offset €230 million in arbitration fees. Von der Leyen announces that the EU is ready for winter and that gas storage facilities are fully filled.
The disbursement of a €4. 1 billion tranche of EU aid to Ukraine is pending approval by the EU Council. The European Commission hopes to make the payment by the end of 2023.
The German Ministry of Economy has ordered Deutsche Energy Terminal to stop supplying Russian LNG. The decision was made after the announcement of planned gas supplies from Russia to the Brunsbüttel terminal.
Polish President Andrzej Duda will soon visit the United States to meet with Donald Trump. During the visit, the Polish government's position on Ukraine will be presented.
The President of the European Commission congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory. The parties discussed Ukraine's defense, trade, energy, and strengthening ties between the EU and the US.
At the Budapest Summit, European leaders discussed the future role of the EU and security challenges. Leaders called for greater EU autonomy, especially in security matters.
Swiss President Viola Amgerd has announced the final stage of negotiations with the EU on a new political agreement. The talks are aimed at restoring relations after Switzerland's withdrawal from previous negotiations in 2021.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Donald Trump and expressed her readiness for cooperation. She emphasized the importance of the transatlantic partnership between the EU and the US, which unites 800 million citizens.
A joint intelligence service at the EU level is unrealistic, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.
The former president of Finland has prepared a report on the EU's readiness for crisis situations. The document recommends that Europeans have a 72-hour supply of food and basic necessities.
In the province of Valencia, 92 people died due to severe flooding, and 95 in the country as a whole. Thousands of rescuers are searching for the missing, and the authorities have allocated 250 million euros to help the victims.
Severe flooding in Spain has killed 95 people, most of them in Valencia. A three-day mourning period was declared, 115,000 people were left without power, and transportation was disrupted.
The European Commission has approved the annual Enlargement Package assessing Ukraine's progress towards the EU. Provided all requirements are met, negotiations on clusters could begin in 2025.
Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö recommends that the EU create its own intelligence service. The proposal is part of a review of the bloc's war and crisis preparedness presented to Ursula von der Leyen.
Starting in December, the maximum capacity of electricity imports from the EU will increase to 2. 1 GW. Ukraine will also receive an additional 250 MW of guaranteed capacity for emergency assistance.
The South Korean president announced that a delegation will visit Ukraine to discuss the presence of North Korean troops in Russia. The delegation will brief the EU and meet with Ukrainian intelligence and defense officials.
European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra proposes to change the tax system to stimulate green technologies. The EU also plans to revise emission standards for new vehicles by 2026.
The former president of Finland proposes that the EU create an intelligence agency to counter external threats. The goal is to collect information about threats outside the EU without duplicating the work of national agencies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed support for Ukraine's Victory Plan within the competence of the EC. The plan has been endorsed by 18 EU members and several NATO defense ministers.
Ursula von der Leyen announced the allocation of a new tranche under the Ukraine Facility program by the end of the year. The total amount of the program is EUR 50 billion for 2024-2027, of which more than EUR 12 billion has already been allocated.
Ursula von der Leyen stated the need to increase the enforcement of decisions on deportations of migrants to the EU. Currently, the return rate of illegal migrants is only 20%, which requires legislative changes.
