Italy

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.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged her office staff to get some good rest during the Christmas holidays, as next year will be tough. She noted that the past year was difficult, and the next one will be even worse.

Hedge fund Citadel will pay investors approximately $5 billion in profits earned in 2025. After the payouts, the company's assets under management will amount to $67 billion.

The Italian government has made adjustments to the performance of the national anthem, removing the traditional word "Sì!" from it at the end. The changes concern the final part of the anthem "Brothers of Italy", which ended with the phrase "We are ready to die, we are ready to die, Italy calls! Yes!".

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.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni put more than 270 state gifts up for auction, including python skin shoes and an iPad from Zelenskyy. The total value of the lots is about 800,000 euros, and the sale is due to a law prohibiting keeping gifts worth more than 300 euros.

Italian police arrested 384 people and seized 1. 5 tons of drugs during a large-scale anti-drug trafficking operation. 655 people are under investigation, 35 kg of cocaine and 40 firearms have been confiscated.

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.

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.

European Union leaders have not reached an agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Discussions on providing a loan will continue on December 19 at the summit in Brussels.

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.

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.

In France, the merchant ship "Camarat-4" was discovered at a depth of 2. 6 km near Saint-Tropez, becoming the deepest known shipwreck in the country's territorial waters. On board the 30-meter vessel, about 200 ceramic jugs and plates, six cannons, and two boilers were found.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will take place from February 4 to 22, 2026, with 116 gold medals to be awarded across 16 sports. For the first time since 2014, NHL players will return to the ice, and ski mountaineering will make its debut.

Belgium has appealed to the EU with a proposal to activate an emergency provision for issuing joint debt to finance Ukraine's war efforts.

In Ukraine, December accounts for 30% of the annual import of mandarins, the demand for which was growing before the war. The main suppliers are Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt.

The European Parliament has voted for a scheme that would allow women from countries with restrictive abortion laws to have free abortions in another EU member state. The European Commission is expected to decide on this proposal in March.

Orban announced that Moscow was preparing a "harsh response" to the EU's decision on the use of frozen Russian assets. He stated that he had personal communication with Vladimir Putin.

European Council President António Costa stated that the EU will not impose a reparation loan for Ukraine at the leaders' summit if Belgium opposes it. This is a departure from his previous position, where he noted that the scheme only required a qualified majority.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine is a “far from easy” task. She emphasized the need for a strong legal basis and avoiding open-ended commitments for countries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the possibility of financial support for Ukraine through the issuance of joint EU debt, as an alternative to using frozen Russian sovereign assets. This comes ahead of a meeting of EU leaders where ways to finance Ukraine will be discussed amid its expected deficit of 135 billion euros by 2027.

The European Commission is trying to persuade Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to support a proposed loan to Ukraine, financed by immobilized Russian assets. De Wever expresses concerns about the risks to the Belgian economy if Russia tries to reclaim the assets.

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.

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.

Belgium opposed the European Commission's proposals to unblock a €210 billion loan for Ukraine, financed by frozen Russian assets. This dashes the EU's hopes for a deal before the leaders' summit, as Belgium considers the guarantees provided insufficient.

The US is offering Ukraine security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5, but with an implicit ultimatum to accept them now. This offer is an attempt to accelerate a peace agreement and allay fears of a future Russian attack.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that frozen Russian assets totaling up to $210 billion are a financial security guarantee for Ukraine. He presented two scenarios for their use: for post-war reconstruction or for annual financial assistance of 40-45 billion euros for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in case of continued aggression.

Negotiations on a peace plan for Ukraine are about to begin in Berlin. Representatives from the US, Italy, France, and other countries are present at the meeting.

Today, European leaders, including Macron and Rutte, will meet with Zelenskyy to get an update on the negotiations between Ukraine and the United States. Donald Trump is also expected to join the conversation via a phone call.

EU ambassadors in Brussels today are discussing the European Commission's amendments to the reparations loan proposal for financing Ukraine. These amendments aim to address the concerns of Belgium, as well as Italy, Bulgaria, and Malta, who are calling for alternative options.