Lithuania officially completed the procedure of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on December 27, which allows it to use and produce anti-personnel mines. The country plans to spend hundreds of millions of euros on the purchase and production of tens of thousands of units of ammunition.
Border guards prevented the occupiers from forcing the Lozova River and crossing the state border in the Kharkiv region.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced the full combat readiness of Estonian services to give armed resistance to any Russian provocations. Tallinn will no longer tolerate the appearance of soldiers without insignia on its territory.
According to Flightradar, Santa has already visited Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Sweden. He continues his journey across Europe.
The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
Russian border guards on a hovercraft crossed the control line on the Narva River, landing on Estonian territory. Estonia has intensified patrols and will summon the chargé d'affaires of the Russian embassy for explanations.
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.
Professor Vadym Popko highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in Ukrainian diplomacy, referring to student works. Young people propose to institutionalize counter-disinformation and implement ethical AI mechanisms.
Three Russian border guards illegally crossed the border of Estonia, an EU and NATO member. They crossed the control line on the Narva River on foot and then returned to Russian territory.
Ukraine receives reinforcements for its air defense systems amid attacks, including automated turrets and missiles to destroy Russian drones, totaling £600 million. The supplies include modern air defense systems, as well as RAVEN and GRAVEHAWK systems for protection against low-flying targets and deep strikes.
Estonia has begun the construction of the first five of 600 defensive bunkers on the border with the Russian Federation, which are to be built by the end of 2027. These structures are designed to protect soldiers from artillery shells and are part of the Baltic defense line against potential attacks.
The Latvian government will allocate 2. 42 million euros to strengthen the protection of Riga Airport from unauthorized drone flights. The project envisages the introduction of modern technologies for detecting, identifying, tracking and neutralizing drones.
The "Ramstein-32" meeting brought Ukraine record financial commitments for 2026, including 11. 5 billion euros from Germany and 7 billion dollars from Norway. Partner countries also transferred new Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems, and allocated funds for drones, artillery, and ammunition.
The US President called the bloc's members 'weak', but joint action on funding for Ukraine would send a 'very strong signal', according to Kaja Kallas.
Leaders of eight EU countries bordering Russia will demand targeted defense funding in the next long-term budget of the bloc at a summit in Helsinki. This is due to growing concerns about Russia's aggressive actions, which are testing their borders.
Estonian President Alar Karis believes that Hungary should be helped to pay fines for terminating energy agreements with Russia. These agreements, some of which are valid until the 2040s, were concluded by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to ensure further supplies of cheap energy.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is convening a summit in Helsinki to develop concrete measures to strengthen EU defense. Leaders of eight countries will discuss cooperation and forming a common position to secure funding.
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.
In January-October 2025, Ukraine increased its imports of tomatoes to 81. 8 thousand tons and cucumbers to 109.6 thousand tons. Turkey traditionally remains the largest supplier of both crops.
The leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have stated the need for a joint decision on dismantling railway connections with Russia and Belarus. The presidents of the Baltic countries discussed this issue and handed it over to the ministers for further consideration.
A Polish court issued a European arrest warrant for Yevhen Ivanov, one of the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on railway tracks in Poland. He and Oleksandr Kononov are accused of terrorist sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence.
The sanctions coalition imposed restrictions on over 500 entities in Russia's energy sector, including oil tankers and financial institutions. This led to a decrease in the price of Russian oil and a reduction in its exports, forecasting significant losses for the Russian budget.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that there are no signs of a quick peace in Ukraine. He noted that Putin is using a tactical moment to increase pressure on the front and civilians, expressing skepticism about a US-led peace agreement.
European countries are considering joint offensive cyber operations and surprise military exercises in response to Russia's hybrid attacks. This comes amid an unprecedented number of sabotage acts and attempted attacks linked to Moscow.
The Latvian government is exploring the possibility of completely dismantling railway tracks leading to Russia, following a meeting between President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on November 26. The first conclusions of the analysis, conducted with the participation of the National Armed Forces and in coordination with Lithuania and Estonia, are expected in early 2026.
The heads of the foreign affairs committees of 20 European countries adopted a joint statement on the war in Ukraine. They emphasized that a just peace must be based on international law and respect Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Ukrainian drone system manufacturer SkyFall presented the modular interceptor P1-Sun at the Dubai Airshow. This FPV interceptor, designed to destroy Russian cruise missiles, interested delegations from the USA, France, and Great Britain.
Spain will allocate 1 billion euros for the purchase of American military equipment for Ukraine, said Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Madrid.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that only new sanctions can stop Russia's war against Ukraine. Moscow finances its war economy through energy exports and the purchase of technologies via third countries.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely in the near future, calling on European allies to support Kyiv despite the corruption scandal. He emphasized the need for European resilience and increased pressure on Russia.
