The head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, Martin Jaeger, held a telephone conversation with the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, Sergey Naryshkin, last week. This is a rare instance of direct contact between German and Russian authorities; the content of the conversation is unknown.
In Germany, representatives of centrist parties accused the right-wing Alternative for Germany party of collecting data that is of interest to Russian special services.
On December 19, the European Union approved €90 billion in funding for Ukraine, which the country will repay after receiving reparations from Russia. Journalists found out how this process took place.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul believes that Russia could use a ceasefire in Ukraine to prepare for an attack on NATO. He emphasizes the need for reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, especially from the United States, in the event of territorial concessions.
Switzerland has deported about 100 Ukrainian refugees, including the large Bohachuk family from Kharkiv, who were denied protection status S due to their previous stay in Lithuania. The Swiss migration service is demanding that they urgently leave the country, despite two years of living in Geneva and the children's adaptation to local schools.
Ukraine has developed Cabinet of Ministers resolutions that allow recognizing the results of Ukrainian children's education abroad without additional exams. Grades from foreign schools are recognized according to "conversion" scales, and the Ukrainian component can be studied remotely or in foreign centers.
In the first 9 months of 2025, global vehicle production exceeded 68. 7 million units, which is 4% more than last year. China remains the largest producer, having manufactured over 24.3 million units.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for further support for Ukraine to prevent a Russian attack on NATO countries. He emphasized Germany's importance in increasing defense spending and rapidly building up armaments.
As of early December 2025, official delegations led by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy have made over 50 foreign visits. The accounting of expenses for their organization is not kept separately, and information about the preparation of visits is restricted.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that only Russian dictator Vladimir Putin can immediately end the war, despite joint efforts for a ceasefire. He also emphasized the importance of negotiations in Berlin and the coordination of positions among European partners, the US, and Ukraine.
The atmosphere for Ukrainians in Poland is deteriorating, as reflected in incidents and surveys. Support for Ukrainian refugees has fallen from 94% to 48%, and support for Ukraine's accession to the EU has dropped to 35%.
The Czech Republic's Security Council will discuss the future of the initiative to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine on January 7. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš expressed concerns about the transparency of the initiative.
The Italian antitrust authority has fined Apple 98 million euros for antitrust violations over its app tracking transparency policy. This policy violates European antitrust rules by abusing Apple's dominant position in the app store market.
33-year-old engineer Mihaela Benthaus became the first person with a disability to make a suborbital flight with Blue Origin. The flight lasted 10 minutes, reaching an altitude of over 65 miles to the Kármán line.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accused EU officials of wanting to harm Russia, comparing it to Hitler's Germany's invasion of the USSR. He stated that Europeans want to use the war in Ukraine to weaken Russia, seeing it as a threat.
Amazon and Netflix have struck a surprise content licensing deal. James Bond films, "Rocky," and the series "The Man in the High Castle" will become available on Netflix starting January 15.
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.
