Hungary

Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area by land will not result in the country becoming a migrant buffer, Acting Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov stated during a briefing following the EU Council's final decision. Ilkov described the event as a historic achievement for Bulgaria, marking December 12, 2024, as a significant date for Bulgarian citizens, businesses, and institutions.

EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year, officials said.

"It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania," said Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Ankara on Dec. 12 for talks focusing on regional conflicts and bilateral relations.

Discussions centered on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, exploring pathways to peace as well as enhancing cooperation between the two countries.

Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov expressed immense pride and emotion as Bulgaria was officially accepted as a full member of the Schengen Area, with land border controls set to be abolished starting January 1, 2025.

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration on January 20. According to CBS News, the invitation was extended in early November, shortly after Trump's election victory. However, it remains unclear whether Xi has accepted the offer, and the Chinese embassy in Washington declined to comment on the matter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine.

“No one should promote their own image at the expense of unity (…) There can be no discussions about the war Russia is waging against Ukraine without Ukraine,” he wrote in a post on the X platform.

EU member states have agreed on the 15th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes measures targeting the so-called shadow fleet of third countries that enables Russia to export oil and natural gas while bypassing Western sanctions.

The Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, has submitted a resolution in the Dutch parliament aimed at blocking Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the Schengen area by land. Sources familiar with the situation suggest that the resolution is unlikely to gain sufficient support.

Italy’s Iron Lady, Georgia Meloni, is the most powerful woman in Europe, according to a Politico poll. As of yesterday, the website had released a list of the most influential names on the continent, but in the last few hours, it has revealed the top one. Specifically, the personality whose word matters more than any other in Europe.

A recent survey by the New Europe Center, published on December 10, reveals that 44.6% of Ukrainians trust U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, although this is around 10 percentage points lower than the trust Ukrainians have in incumbent President Joe Biden.