US Vice President J. D. Vance stated that the failure to establish peace in Ukraine is his biggest disappointment in office. He noted that "this Russian-Ukrainian affair" has been a source of constant frustration for the entire White House, but "hope I."
Ukraine faces the threat of demographic collapse due to war, population losses, and declining birth rates. It is estimated that by 2051, the population will shrink to 25 million, whereas before the full-scale invasion, it was 42 million.
The "Phoenix" evacuation group of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine evacuated two residents from the city of Druzhkivka, Donetsk region. The situation in the region remains tense due to daily Russian attacks.
On December 4, the UNESCO Committee supported Ukraine's initiative, adding 19 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites to the International List under enhanced protection. The total number of Ukrainian sites on this list has increased to 46.
Fakes about "dangerous Ukrainian food" are spreading on the Polish segment of Facebook, calling for a boycott of products with code 482. The Center for Countering Disinformation notes that this is part of an anti-Ukrainian campaign aimed at undermining trust between nations.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine advises buying live holiday trees only at official fairs. All legally harvested trees have special tags with a barcode that can be checked online.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever will hold talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Belgium expresses concerns about legal aspects and potential risks for its taxpayers.
Ukraine's reserves reached $54. 7 billion as of December 1, increasing by 10.6% in November. The growth was driven by receipts from partners, which offset the NBU's net sale of foreign currency and debt payments.
Ukrainian representatives will continue talks in the US with President Trump's team. The task is to get full information about what was said in Russia and what other pretexts Putin found to prolong the war.
President Zelenskyy met with candidates for the position of the new Head of the Presidential Office. A decision on the new head of the Office will be made soon.
Envoys of US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian negotiators for the third time in two weeks to discuss a peace plan, while the Trump administration eased economic pressure on Russia. The US Treasury Department partially suspended sanctions against Lukoil gas stations outside Russia until April 29.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that the European Union must develop its own peace plan for Ukraine, without relying on US initiatives. This is due to the fact that Europe was "caught off guard" by a 28-point peace plan developed by American Trump negotiators together with the Russians without the participation of the EU.
A Belarusian factory that produces tableware has been supplying drones to Russia for several years, bypassing European sanctions.
Nikita Sheremet set a world junior record and updated the adult record of Ukraine at the European Championships in Lublin. This happened during the men's 4x50m freestyle relay.
President Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with President of the European Council António Costa, discussing the negotiation track and the planned meetings of the Ukrainian team with the American side. Ukraine expects meaningful work to achieve a lasting peace.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned representatives of the diplomatic missions of Russia and Ukraine due to attacks on ships in the Black Sea. The head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Fuat Oktay, stated that the spread of the war to civilian shipping is a cause for concern.
A Vatican research commission has decided not to ordain women as deacons, disappointing Catholic women. Instead, it has been proposed to create new lay ministries for women outside of the ordained diaconate.
On December 5, hourly power outages will be in effect throughout Ukraine for household and industrial consumers. The restrictions will last from 00:00 to 23:59 due to the consequences of Russian attacks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported that Russia and 11 other countries opposed the return of Ukrainian children, despite the adoption of a UN resolution. Only 1,850 children have been returned home after forced deportation.
The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission plans to consider increasing the tariff of NEC "Ukrenergo" for electricity transmission. The increase will be 14.6% for most users, and 19.2% for enterprises of "green" electrometallurgy.
Thanks to the efforts of Donald Trump's wife, Melania, seven children, previously illegally transported to Russia, were able to return to Ukraine.
Russian "war correspondents" are spreading narratives about "preparing an offensive on Chernihiv," but the aggressor has no real forces for this. This is part of Russia's pressure tactics on Ukraine and an attempt to prolong US efforts.
Lawmakers from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party have submitted a bill that makes it harder to remove the president from office. The amendment comes four months before elections in which the opposition seeks to reverse Orban's consolidation of power.
In November 2025, the share of electric vehicles in the Ukrainian new passenger car market rose to 38. 5%, surpassing gasoline cars. The share of gasoline and diesel engines decreased to 45.5%.
As of November 25, 1,630 cultural heritage sites and 2,437 cultural infrastructure objects have been destroyed and damaged in Ukraine. This happened as a result of Russian aggression, with the Kharkiv, Kherson, and Odesa regions being the most affected.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine established a Temporary Investigative Commission to investigate the crimes of the Russian Federation against journalists and media workers. 272 people's deputies voted for the decision, Yevheniya Kravchuk reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled a trip to Oslo to persuade Belgium to support a €165 billion "reparation loan" to Ukraine. The loan is proposed to be secured by frozen Russian state assets located in Belgium.
The OSCE is ready to deploy a new observer mission to Ukraine to monitor a future ceasefire. This mission would require the approval of all 57 member states, including Russia and Ukraine.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides stated his country's readiness to provide maximum assistance to Ukraine on its path to EU membership. Cyprus will support Ukraine during its presidency of the EU Council, which begins in 27 days.
European diving champion Sofiia Lyskun was expelled from the national team and stripped of all titles and awards. This happened after she announced her move to Russia and obtaining citizenship there.
