China
The price of Russian Urals oil has fallen to $34 per barrel, while Brent remains at $61. This drop may indicate the impact of US sanctions and negatively affect the Kremlin's revenues.
Russian natural gas exports to China via pipeline are expected to grow by a quarter this year, reaching 38. 6-38.7 billion cubic meters. However, this will not compensate for the drop in revenues from the loss of the European gas market.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Russia is preparing for an open conflict with Europe, moving the possible attack date from 2030 to 2027. Moscow considers the European community "weak and divided."
China's exports of permanent magnets to the EU rose by 59. 5% year-on-year in November, reaching 2,568.8 tonnes, after Beijing began issuing general licenses for their supply. At the same time, exports to the US decreased by 8.84%, while total global exports increased by 28.29%.
Bloomberg found at least 15 deaths in 12 incidents over the past decade where passengers or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a crashed and burning Tesla. NHTSA has launched an investigation into the defects, and Tesla is considering changes to the door design.
By the end of the year, Ukraine is preparing a number of sanction decisions against Russian entities and those who assist in the aggression, including individuals from China. It is also planned to synchronize sanctions with partners, in particular regarding the 20th package of EU sanctions and a new package from Canada.
Denmark reacted to the appointment of the US special envoy to Greenland, emphasizing respect for territorial integrity. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stressed that everyone must respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.
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.
Shipments of liquefied natural gas from Russia to China more than doubled compared to last year, reaching 1. 6 million metric tons in November. This allowed Russia to overtake Australia and become the largest supplier after Qatar, offering the cheapest LNG among 12 suppliers.
The global legal framework for nuclear arms control could face obstacles in 2026. On February 5, the bilateral treaty between the US and Russia, New START, expires, and in April, the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will take place in New York.
The Japanese government will provide 1 trillion yen ($6. 34 billion) in support over five years for the development of its own artificial intelligence. A new company will be founded by about 10 firms, including SoftBank Group Corp., to create the country's largest AI foundational model.
On December 22, the spot price of gold reached an all-time high of $4383. 73 per ounce. This increase is driven by the easing of US monetary policy and growing global geopolitical instability.
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.
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.
Russia exported gold bars worth $961 million to China in November, which is a historical high. In total, for 11 months of 2025, China's import of Russian gold amounted to $1.9 billion.
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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the United States has enough power to force Russia to end the war against Ukraine. He emphasized that this could be a "diplomatic victory" for the US, and President Trump is "strong enough to do it."
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.
Gas prices in Europe have fallen to pre-war levels, but European factories continue to close or relocate. Experts believe that relief came too late, and businesses have lost faith in stability on the continent.
The global oil market is experiencing an oversupply of "black gold," pushing oil prices down. A record 1.3 billion barrels of crude oil are in transit or awaiting buyers in the world's oceans.
The UK Foreign Office suffered a cyberattack in October, in which British officials suspect the involvement of Chinese state entities. Although there is no official confirmation, the incident occurred amid strained relations between the countries.
One of SpaceX's Starlink satellites experienced an anomaly in space, creating a small amount of debris and losing communication at an altitude of 418 km. The satellite is practically intact, rotating and will re-enter Earth's atmosphere, where it will completely disintegrate within a few weeks.
US President Donald Trump signed into law the defense policy bill for fiscal year 2026 with a record budget of $901 billion. The document allocates $800 million to Ukraine - $400 million for each of the next two years as part of the Security Assistance Initiative, which provides for the purchase of American weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and Sevastopol. 79 countries voted for the document, 16 were against, and 73 abstained.
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.
Over 25% of new cars sold globally in 2025 are electric, according to an Ember analysis. This growth is driven by emerging markets, which are now leading the transition to electromobility.
The US Senate has confirmed Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. He will lead the 14,000-employee agency, which is investing billions of dollars in returning humans to the Moon and sending astronauts to Mars.
The United States has approved an $11. 1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest ever arms package for the island. The move comes amid increasing military pressure from China and includes HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed support for Venezuela, condemning unilateral pressure. This came after US President Donald Trump ordered the blocking of oil tankers to increase pressure on the South American country.
Oil company PDVSA has resumed loading crude oil and fuel after a three-day pause caused by a cyberattack. Fuel exports remain blocked due to Washington's strict policies and fears of asset seizure. Crude exports have sharply fallen compared to 900,000 barrels per day in November.