When asked what he would have done differently if he could go back to February 2022, the month Russia launched its all-out war against Ukraine, Putin responded, "Knowing what's happening now, back in 2022, I would've thought the decision ought to have been taken earlier."
A Moscow court ruled on Dec. 19 to place the suspect in the killing of General Igor Kirillov in pre-trial detention for two months. Kirillov was killed in Moscow on Dec. 17, with a bomb attached to a scooter.
"Only Ukraine as the aggressed country can legitimately define what peace means — and if and when the conditions are met for credible negotiations," said Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.
The Trump administration's incoming Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, plans to visit Kyiv and several European capitals in early January as part of the new administration’s effort to address the Russia-Ukraine war.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Dec. 16 that the deal allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine will not be extended beyond the end of the year. His statement comes as several European countries intensify efforts to secure alternative energy supplies.
The EU imposed fully fledged sanctions on Dec. 16, including asset freezes and visa bans, on Chinese firms for supplying Russia's military for the war against Ukraine.
"Everybody in NATO and in the EU right now has the feeling in their backbone that you should increase defense expenditure because of what is happening all over the world and with Russia," Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Reuters.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasized the importance of inflicting "maximum pain" on Russian President Vladimir Putin through additional sanctions and enhanced military support for Ukraine.
Ukraine has criticized FIFA for an "unacceptable error" after a map displayed during the 2026 World Cup draw appeared to exclude Crimea from the country's territory.
The Petroleum Industry of Serbia, primarily owned by Russia’s Gazprom Neft and its parent company Gazprom, is Serbia’s exclusive gas supplier and controls the main pipelines delivering gas from Russia to Serbian households and industries.
At least two AN-124 heavy military transport planes were spotted at Khmeimim air base, located in Latakia on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, with their nose cones lifted, signaling readiness to load cargo, according to satellite images collected by Maxar.
The proposed measures target more than a dozen individuals and three entities, including Russian intelligence officers and media entrepreneurs, according to Bloomberg. The sanctions aim to counter destabilizing operations globally.
Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced on Dec. 13 that it had blocked access to the Viber messaging app.
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil depot in the city of Oryol overnight on Dec. 14, causing a large fire. Governor Andrey Klychkov later said that 11 drones were downed over the Oryol region.
Ukraine successfully returned five children from Russia and Russian-occupied territories as part of the "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak announced early on Dec. 10.
During his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Friedrich Merz, the leading contender to become Germany's next chancellor, condemned the German government's hesitance to provide long-range weaponry like Taurus cruise missiles.
"We have made clear is that if (Ukraine) produces additional forces to join the fight, we and our allies will be ready to acquit those forces and train those forces to enter battle," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Dec. 9.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action toward negotiating a truce, saying on Dec. 8: "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!"
A 73-year-old man in a town of Kindiika close to Kherson died after explosives were dropped from the drone on Dec. 8.
Russian news agencies reported on Dec. 8 that Syria's Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia, where they have been granted asylum on "humanitarian grounds."
Trump reiterated that he is working to end the hostilities in Ukraine, reinforcing his earlier campaign claim that he could resolve the war within 24 hours if he were in charge.
Canada unveiled a renewed Arctic strategy on Dec. 6, aiming to bolster regional security in response to growing threats from Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed confidence in reaching an agreement with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on a joint strategy for Ukraine following their phone conversation.
Russian forces attacked Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Dec. 6, killing two people and injuring 17, including a six-year-old boy, according to Governor Serhii Lysak. The death toll rose to three on Dec. 7 when rescuers recovered another body from the rubble.
The suspect reportedly carried out reconnaissance missions, photographing and recording potential targets he intended to destroy with explosives or fire, Romanian prosecurors allege.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed during a briefing that the transfer is part of a coordinated effort between the U.S. and EU to support Ukraine.
Since February 2022, at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories and sent to other Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine or to Russia itself.
The official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, noted that these discussions happen in individual capitals, not within NATO.
The package will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, drones, and landmines, among other equipment.
Hungarian government sources said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sought Viktor Orban’s opinion on strategies to end the Ukraine war. Orban, known for his close ties with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, has openly criticized EU aid for Ukraine and obstructed sanctions against Moscow.
Authorities identified the man by his initials, J.K., and detained him late on Nov. 29. He faces charges of "participating in a foreign army, police, paramilitary or parapolice formation."
A former UFO investigator with the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense has suggested potential links between recent drone incursions at the Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in the U.K. and foreign adversaries, including Russia and China. The drones were spotted between Nov. 20 and 22 over three U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K.
