Russian and Kazakh oil shipments to Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Germany via the Druzhba pipeline have been halted since Dec. 19 due to technical issues at a Russian pumping station, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources.
Orban "surprised" his fellow EU leaders by deciding to block the extension during a summit in Brussels on Dec. 19 in what is considered a "routine" step, Bloomberg wrote.
"As we approach the start of the new year, we really need unity between the United States, the EU, and European countries," President Volodymyr Zelensky said. "Only together, the U.S. and Europe can truly stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and save Ukraine."
"We continued to work on the initiative of President Macron regarding the presence in Ukraine of forces that can contribute to stabilization on the path to peace," Zelensky said after meeting with the French President on Dec. 18.
Two European Union accession clusters for Ukraine are expected to open during the first half of 2025 under Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, a high-ranking EU official told The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
The EU does not anticipate potential negotiations or a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in the near future, a high-ranking EU official told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
Slovakia currently imports 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year through Ukraine from Russia’s energy giant Gazprom.
Ukraine's allies have doubled down on economic and military support for Kyiv in attempts to strengthen the war-torn nation's hand before any potential peace talks.
“During Poland’s EU presidency, we expect to open at least two clusters and six in total. To be honest, our goal is very ambitious — to open all the clusters next year,” Zelensky said at the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
"Both the United States and the European Union must help Ukraine to achieve a better negotiating position for possible future negotiations, which should be encouraged and forced on the aggressor, not the victim."
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.
Launched in October 2022, the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM) has already trained approximately 60,000 Ukrainian troops as of August 2024, primarily in Germany and Poland.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz failed a confidence vote in the Bundestag on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections scheduled for Feb. 23.
The sanctions target judges who sentenced opposition figures, law enforcement officials involved in persecuting dissidents, and heads of penitentiaries where political prisoners are held.
The new listings include 54 persons and 30 entities "responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."
In a joint letter, Georgian opposition leaders urged the release of all detained politicians, activists, and peaceful demonstrators; the introduction of targeted sanctions against those responsible for "undermining democracy;" the suspension of visa-free travel and visa restrictions for Georgian Dream officials; and the declaration of the "self-proclaimed regime" of Bidzina Ivanishvili as illegitimate.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to raise the possibility of deploying European soldiers to Ukraine at the upcoming EU leaders' summit on Dec. 18-19, if a ceasefire deal is eventually reached between Russia and Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Dec. 13, citing EU diplomats.
Brussels will host a two-day European Summit in the EU Council buildings on Dec. 18-19.
Kostin submitted his resignation on Oct. 22 following a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) meeting headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Premier Donald Tusk met on Dec. 12 in Warsaw. High on the agenda was how to support Ukraine in the “new Transatlantic context.” On the sidelines of the visit, the Élysée emphasized that “France’s position is that it is necessary to support Ukraine
Andrius Kubilius, the newly appointed European defense commissioner, spent the morning of Dec. 13 in a shelter in Kyiv during a large-scale Russian missile attack, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said on X.
Russian citizens are at risk of being "hunted" by Western authorities when traveling, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed.
EU ambassadors agreed on a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU announced on Dec. 11.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has pledged to veto a proposal to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials for their crackdown on anti-government protests, the First Channel of Georgia reported on Dec. 10.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity. A decade ago, thousands of Ukrainians united to protest a government that sidelined the will of the people to serve its own interests. This revolution ignited a transformative journey toward a European future and a Ukrainian society where the
European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, has proposed allocating 100 billion euros ($105 billion) for defense in the next seven-year EU budget, Politico reported on Dec. 8.
In a post on X, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas described Assad’s fall as a “positive and long-awaited development," saying that the collapse "shows the weakness of Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran."
The European Union has failed to approve its 15th sanctions package on Russia, which included an extension for Czechia to import Russian oil products through Slovakia, Reuters reported on Dec. 6, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.
The Romanian Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, which had been led by anti-NATO, pro-Russian independent candidate Calin Georgescu, Digi24 reported on Dec. 6.
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova announced 25 million euros ($26.5 million) in funding on Dec. 5 for Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations that will advance work related to Ukraine's eventual EU integration.
Polish Deputy Finance Minister Pawel Karbownik said on Dec. 4 that the European Union is prepared to compensate if the U.S. withdraws from a $50 billion multilateral loan agreement for Ukraine.
