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.
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.
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.
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 Polish government is preparing a bill to revoke the "Special Law" on assistance to Ukrainians from March 4, 2026. Refugees will transition to general rules for the stay of foreigners, which will lead to a reduction in social benefits.
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.
A transnational network of fraudulent call centers operating in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Ivano-Frankivsk has been liquidated in Ukraine. The perpetrators defrauded EU citizens of over 50 million hryvnias using "vishing" and other schemes.
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.
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.
The Main Intelligence Directorate and the Center for Countering Disinformation have updated the list of "Kremlin mouthpieces" on the War&Sanctions portal. It includes Latvian blogger Kirill Fyodorov, TV presenter Yuriy Kot, and former People's Artist of Ukraine Taisiya Povaliy.
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.
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.
MEPs are considering regulating energy drinks for minors due to health risks. Some EU countries already have age restrictions, but the European Commission notes that there is insufficient data for safe daily limits for children.
The Saeima of Latvia has adopted amendments to the law on supporting citizens of Ukraine, reducing funding and revising the set of services. The changes will affect one-time employment benefits, travel benefits, and medical services.
The European Commission is urging Western allies to speed up payments on a $50 billion loan to Ukraine. This comes as Belgium is stalling EU efforts to support Ukraine with a larger financing scheme using Russian assets.
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.
Latvia, the leader of the Drone Coalition, has supplied Ukraine with about 12,000 drones this year. President Zelenskyy discussed defense support and sanctions pressure on Russia with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.
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.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže arrived in Kyiv on November 26, where she was met by her Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha. She declared the support of the Latvian government and society for Ukraine in its struggle for a peaceful future.
A Ukrainian citizen has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison in Lithuania for setting fire to an IKEA furniture store in Vilnius. He was also accused of illegal possession of explosives and ties to Russian military intelligence.
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.
Ukraine's men's basketball team has begun preparations for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Riga. Dmytro Skapintsev and Oleksiy Len ignored call-ups to the national team, while 12 players are preparing for matches against Georgia and Denmark.
Switzerland has allocated almost $12 million to the World Bank fund to support the restoration of the Ukrainian healthcare system. The funds will be directed to a project to expand access to medical services, restore and modernize hospitals, and provide them with modern equipment.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkēvičs on Latvia's Independence Day. Ukraine is grateful to Latvia for its unwavering support and active stance.
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.
Lithuania has banned Russian rapper Alisher Morgenshtern from entering for 10 years due to a threat to national security. The decision was made after a proposal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the collection of additional information.
The performance of the American rock band Limp Bizkit in Tallinn, scheduled for May 31, 2026, has been canceled. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "there is no place for supporters of the aggressor state either in Estonia or in the Estonian cultural space."
Latvia and Estonia are ready to show solidarity with Vilnius over Belarusian contraband balloons, said Lithuanian Prime Minister Ruginiene. Poland has already joined Lithuania, refusing to open its borders with Belarus.
Northern and Baltic NATO allies announced on November 13 the funding of a joint PURL package worth $500 million for Ukraine. This package includes military equipment and ammunition from the United States.
A number of European countries will receive additional support from the EU to overcome the growing migration burden. The new mechanism will become operational after the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum comes into force in mid-2026.
