"We will do everything to ensure that Europe's security is a reality, not just an aspiration. I hope Poland will lead efforts that result in peace," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
Preliminary data shows that Ukraine’s exports grew by more than 13% over the past year, primarily due to stabilizing the functioning of Ukrainian seaports, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on Dec. 30.
The Nordic Baltic Eight countries have urged Georgia to hold new elections following disputed parliamentary elections in October and the inauguration of the new president, according to their statement published on Dec. 29.
A number of major Russian news outlets had their Telegram channels blocked across several European Union countries on Dec. 28. Users attempting to access these channels now see a notice saying that the content has been restricted and is no longer available.
"Almost every month, ships are currently damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Funke media group on Dec. 28. "This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us."
The country's defense strategy seeks to increase spending to 1% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
Russian shoppers continue to access luxury Western brands despite sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The Financial Times reported on Dec. 26.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu begins her second term in office on Dec. 24 in unprecedented circumstances. Russian meddling in domestic affairs is widespread, and the Kremlin makes clear their position of not acknowledging Sandu as a legitimate president of her own country. Sandu also begins her term amid an energy
Europe is unlikely to ramp up weapons and ammunition production for Ukraine in the coming years, according to Andrius Kubilius, the newly appointed EU Commissioner for Defense and Space.
"It's about our democracy, it's about influencing our public opinion, it's about what happens in Africa, it's about raw materials, it's about the instrumentalization of migration. We need to know it's a very wide idea of security," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.
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.
