Key developments on Dec. 16: * Russia sets 2025 goal to fully occupy 4 Ukrainian regions, Defense Minister says * 'It's a tough one,' Trump says following questions on how he plans to stop Russia's war against Ukraine * Ukraine possesses laser weapons, advanced drone technologies, commander says * North Korean troops suffer
Russia should prepare for multiple scenarios, including a war with NATO, in the next 10 years, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said.
Brussels will host a two-day European Summit in the EU Council buildings on Dec. 18-19.
Ukrainian military instructors will receive training in Lithuania in 2025 as part of NATO's Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), the Ministry of Defense reported on Dec. 12.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Dec. 12 that the alliance is not ready for the threats it will face from Russia in the coming years, urging a shift to a wartime mindset with significantly higher defense spending.
European NATO foreign ministers began discussing a plan to gradually increase the alliance’s defense spending target from 2% of their GDP to 3% by 2030, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 12, citing undisclosed sources.
Something is wrong with YouTuber Johnny Harris’ lens — not the one he uses to film himself, but his view of Eastern European history. Known for his unquenchable thirst for maps and archival documents, Harris has become a prominent voice on geopolitics and history. If you're unfamiliar with him, Harris developed
Key developments on Dec. 10: * US announces $20 billion loan for Ukraine as part of G7 initiative * Zelensky announces 'successful tests' of new Ukrainian missile * 70% of Ukrainians support 'West German' model for NATO accession, survey shows * Explosions heard in occupied Donetsk Oblast city, Russian proxies announce evacuation * Confusion over
A key difference is that the invitation would encompass the entire Ukraine, but the alliance's defensive "umbrella" would extend to the occupied territories only after their future liberation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Dec. 9 his intention to call U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss Ukraine’s invitation to NATO.
NATO countries will do all they can to provide Ukraine with air defenses necessary to protect its infrastructure but there is no surplus of such systems, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Dec. 4.
An undisclosed NATO source told the Ukrainian Suspilne outlet that the U.S. and Germany continue to oppose inviting Ukraine at the moment.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon reaffirmed her country’s strong support for Ukraine during the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Ukrinform reported on Dec. 4.
Key developments on Dec. 3: * Ukraine won't accept security guarantees substituting NATO membership * Ukraine prevents Russia from establishing bridgehead west of Oskil River, military says * France, UK discuss deploying troops to Ukraine for ceasefire monitoring, sources tell RFE/RL * Ukraine asking NATO for 20 air defense systems to prevent blackouts
The provision of HAWK, NASAMS, and IRIS-T batteries will help avert blackouts, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said as Ukraine braces for fresh attacks in the third winter of the full-scale war.
NATO's two-day ministerial meeting will focus on providing Ukraine with enough military aid to enable it to enter any possible negotiations from a position of strength, Secretary General Mark Rutte said ahead of the meeting in Brussels on Dec. 3.
"Having the bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum behind us, we will not settle for any alternatives, surrogates, or substitutes," the Foreign Ministry said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has told U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that Washington would face a "dire threat" from China, Iran, and North Korea if Ukraine is forced to accept an unfavorable peace deal, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 2.
NATO countries will likely sidestep Ukraine's call to provide the embattled country with an invitation into the military alliance during the upcoming NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Dec. 3-4, Reuters reported, citing multiple diplomats.
"Our army lacks the strength to do that. That is true," President Volodymyr Zelensky told Kyodo News regarding the liberation of territories held by Russia since 2014, including Crimea.
Key Development on Nov. 30 - Dec. 1: * 'Article 5 cannot apply to entire territory of Ukraine during wartime,' Zelensky says on potential NATO invite * Russia loses almost 46,000 troops, over $3 billion worth of military equipment in November, Defense Ministry says * Ukraine destroys 3 more Russian radar
"We understand that Article 5, when you are a member of NATO, cannot apply to the entire territory of Ukraine during wartime, as countries are against the risks of being drawn into the war," Zelensky said during a news conference alongside Antonio Costa, the new President of the European Council.
Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' The Week Ahead newsletter covering events from Dec. 2-Dec. 8. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events, delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. The NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs Meeting will
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.
Kim Jong Un reportedly emphasized that North Korea "will invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from the imperialists’ moves for hegemony."
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Nov. 27 decision to choose Keith Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia is not ideal for Kyiv but is an acceptable and reasonable choice for Ukraine, analysts say. Kellogg has co-authored a peace plan that would freeze the front line in Ukraine,
"If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should quickly take under NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control. That's what we need to do first. and then Ukraine can get back the other parts of its territory in a diplomatic way," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News.
"We believe that the invitation should be extended at this stage," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote in a letter to his NATO counterparts.
Key commitments from NATO's July summit in Washington, including air defense systems and other military support, have not yet been fully implemented, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Nov. 27.
The NATO-Ukraine Council convened at a meeting on Nov. 26 in response to Russia's use of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), "Oreshnik", the NATO alliance said in a news release.
The assembly urged member states "to step up political and practical efforts to help Ukraine receive an invitation and become the 33rd member of NATO as soon as possible," the resolution read.
