Ukraine
Hungary's opposition is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and early elections after the release of a video showing physical abuse at a state-run juvenile detention center in Budapest. This incident occurred amid accusations of sexual abuse and the organization of a prostitution ring by the facility's former director.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced three documents regarding the end of the war with Russia, which concern security guarantees, the reconstruction of Ukraine, and framework agreements. These documents are being discussed with American and European partners.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the Reconstruction Investment Fund, expanding Ukraine's ability to purchase US LNG, and financial support. Alvarez & Marsal has been appointed as the Fund's investment advisor.
Support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fallen to 20. 3% amid a corruption scandal, a 4% decrease since October. He remains the most popular candidate, ahead of Valerii Zaluzhnyi (19.1%) and Kyrylo Budanov (5.1%).
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) predicts a 7% growth in global trade this year, exceeding $35 trillion. The expansion of trade continues despite global challenges and geopolitical tensions.
The Ukrainian government has made a number of decisions to improve the situation with electricity supply for people. Among them are the revision of lists of critical infrastructure facilities and permission for state-owned companies to import electricity.
The President of Ukraine held a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The parties discussed further diplomatic work and concrete steps needed to end the war.
Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, stated that Ukraine will not trade its sovereignty and territories. He emphasized that Moscow will get "a hole from a bagel," not Ukraine's capitulation.
The U. S. Department of Defense has selected Alphabet Inc.'s Gemini for Government system to provide artificial intelligence capabilities for its civilian and military personnel. This platform, known as GenAI.mil, will help the military quickly analyze video and images.
The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN stated that Russia will achieve its goals, choosing either a diplomatic or military path. He noted that the Russian Federation prefers diplomacy, but sees no prerequisites for it.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that Ukrainian homes, schools, and kindergartens suffer exclusively due to the placement of Ukrainian air defense systems in residential areas. He made this statement during a UN meeting.
Ukraine has reached an agreement with a group of investors to exchange GDP warrants for a new class of bonds. This paves the way for the exchange of warrants worth up to $3.2 billion for Class C bonds.
The President of Finland stated that peace for Ukraine is now "quite close," closer than at any time since the start of the full-scale invasion. Negotiations are progressing simultaneously on three key documents, including a framework plan, security guarantees, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. They discussed defense support for Ukraine, strengthening air defense, and enhancing energy resilience, as well as further financial support.
Ukrenergo announced the application of hourly power outage schedules in all regions of Ukraine on December 10. This is due to a power deficit in the energy system after Russian attacks.
Ukrainian blogger Stasya Makeyeva is preparing for the New Year by decorating her house with nine Christmas trees. She spent UAH 70,000 on unique toys brought from Disneyland in Paris.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that unmanned systems account for up to 60% of enemy casualties. According to him, Ukraine is increasing their use and is ahead of Russia in the use of FPV drones.
The President of the European Council, António Costa, is confident that a decision on financing for Ukraine for 2026-2027 will be made at the December EU summit. He noted that the bloc is "very close to reaching a decision" amid the proposal of two options: a "reparations loan" or EU borrowing.
The Institute of Agrarian Economics calculated that the cost of the Christmas table in 2025 will be UAH 1374. The most expensive dish will be fried fish.
Emergency power outages have been canceled in Kyiv and the region, but up to 50% of the capital's consumers remain without electricity. Emergency blackouts continue in most regions of the country due to the consequences of missile and drone attacks.
President Zelenskyy announced his readiness to present to the USA Ukrainian and European components of possible steps to end the war. This will happen after discussing the results of the work in London with the Ukrainian negotiating team.
Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center, stated that Ukraine may not have enough equipment to restore the energy system after several Russian strikes. He noted that there are currently no resources for massive restoration of reserves.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his readiness for elections, responding to statements by US President Donald Trump. Trump called on Ukraine to hold elections, claiming that they had not been held for a long time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at Palazzo Chigi in Rome for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Prior to this, he met with the Pope.
62 combat engagements were recorded at the front. The enemy is actively operating in the Pokrovsk, Oleksandrivka, and Kostiantynivka directions, having made 19 attempts in the Pokrovsk direction. In the Siversk-Slobozhanskyi and Kursk directions, the enemy launched an airstrike and carried out 50 shellings.
Donald Trump said he does not want to run Europe, but considers it weak and "collapsing. " He emphasized his role in increasing contributions to NATO, which, he suggested, go to Ukraine.
Russia is increasing oil exports, reaching the highest weekly shipments since February 2022, but unloading cargoes is becoming a problem. This has led to a 28% increase in the volume of Russian sea shipments since late August, and the surplus of oil at sea has reached a two-and-a-half-year high, limiting the Kremlin's revenues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took 14th place in Politico's ranking of the most influential people in Europe. The ranking was topped by US President Donald Trump, and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin was placed 5th.
69,000 children received Christmas gifts and wrote postcards for Ukrainian soldiers as part of the "Sweet Christmas" initiative.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that Ukraine's EU membership is a prerequisite for European security. He emphasized the importance of clear EU signals regarding the integration of Ukraine and Moldova.