Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha responded to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who could not name the culprit of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Sybiha compared Hungary's position to the situation in 1939, when the country was an ally of Nazi Germany.
The song "Shchedryk" was written at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1936, its English version was released, which is known to the world as "Carol of the Bells".
Russia has decided to terminate military agreements with 11 European countries, concluded in 1992-2002. These agreements regulated bilateral military cooperation after the collapse of the USSR.
Poland has expressed its readiness to provide Ukraine with legal and logistical support in preparing for future presidential or parliamentary elections. The Marshal of the Sejm of Poland, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, noted that a working group would be created to determine the scope of assistance, taking into account the large number of Ukrainians abroad.
The German government plans to expand the functions of the Federal Intelligence Service, allowing it to carry out cyberattacks and sabotage operations abroad. This comes amid growing hybrid threats and the activity of foreign intelligence services.
The head of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, stated that frozen Russian assets will be used to repay loans that the EU provides to Ukraine. He rejected US proposals for asset sharing, emphasizing that Russia must pay for its actions.
Denmark's military intelligence service accuses Russia of cyberattacks on a Danish water company in 2024 and DDoS attacks on websites. As a result of the attack on the water company, homes were temporarily left without water due to burst pipes.
A selection of five iconic Christmas movies that create a special magic and atmosphere. Among them are "A Christmas Carol", "Elf", "Home Alone", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Die Hard".
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and Lieutenant General Andriy Hnatov will hold consultations with the American side in Miami. The negotiations are focused on finding long-term solutions for the defense of Ukraine.
EU leaders agreed on a plan to finance Ukraine through joint borrowing after 16 hours of negotiations. Politico named Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever as the main "winners" of the summit.
National security advisers from Germany, France, and Great Britain will meet in Miami with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov. The talks are expected today, as reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed details of the agreement between EU leaders on providing financial assistance to Ukraine for 2026–2027.
Technical groups at the EU summit are working to find ways to finance Ukraine, which could take hours. Discussions on a loan for Ukraine are moving in the right direction, a German official assessed.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the EU plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine is “dead. ” According to him, not enough leaders supported the idea.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stated that the texts on frozen Russian assets for the EU summit are still being worked on. Belgium does not support the idea of a reparations loan, but is ready for it if the risks are shared and the country is protected.
At Thursday's EU summit, leaders will try to persuade Belgium to agree to the use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. This is the EU's last chance to greenlight a proposal to raise 210 billion euros from Russian assets.
EU diplomats are trying to find a compromise on financial aid to Ukraine ahead of the bloc's leaders' summit. Options being considered include a loan based on frozen Russian assets or joint EU debt.
The Danube Commission has decided to create a Register of Damages from Russian aggression on the Lower Danube. This will ensure systematic collection of data on the damages caused and their transfer to the Council of Europe and the EU for compensation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the importance of the EU's plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's defense. This will increase pressure on Putin and accelerate the end of the war, despite some countries' fears of possible reprisals.
On December 17, 2025, German lawmakers plan to approve a record package of arms contracts worth over 50 billion euros. This funding is aimed at creating the strongest army in Europe and covers basic equipment, high-tech weapons, and air defense systems.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Putin will sooner or later agree to the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine. He also spoke about what, in his opinion, should be the West's reaction in the event of new Russian attacks.
European leaders support Ukraine, seeking to uphold international law and counter Russian aggression. They fear that a deal in Russia's favor could lead to a wider war on the continent.
The EU leaders' summit on Thursday will test whether the bloc can hold together or whether US President Donald Trump can divide it. Officials of the Trump administration have been pushing European governments to reject a plan to use 210 billion euros of Russian assets to finance Ukraine.
Hungary has blocked the European Union's enlargement statement, preventing Ukraine from starting EU accession negotiations. 26 EU member states support Ukraine, but Hungary did not support a positive assessment of its efforts.
The US and European allies have prepared two draft documents on supporting Ukraine after a potential "peace agreement," which were discussed with President Zelenskyy in Berlin. The documents outline general principles and detailed provisions for force interaction, and also envisage increasing the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to 800,000 servicemen.
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.
On December 16, the Russian Ministry of Justice added the German media company Deutsche Welle to the register of "undesirable organizations," criminalizing its activities in the country. DW Director General Barbara Massing stated that this would not stop the broadcaster's work, and the Russian audience's interest in independent content is growing.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spoke cautiously about the role of European forces for Ukraine, noting that much would depend on Putin's actions. He supported the idea of a European military presence but pointed to unresolved issues regarding their deployment.
Ford is changing its strategy, abandoning large electric cars in favor of hybrids and gasoline models. This decision is driven by low demand, changes in regulatory norms by the Donald Trump administration, and will lead to financial losses for the company amounting to $19.5 billion.
