Ukraine

Germany is considering the possibility of deploying peacekeepers from its Bundeswehr to Ukraine, though the specific details of such an operation depend heavily on future conditions. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated that the country's participation would hinge on the terms of a potential ceasefire and the mandate for peacekeeping forces.

Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia and deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, stated today that the Ukrainian leadership will face retaliation for the assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the RIA news agency reported.

On the night of 16-17 December, the DeepState project reported that Russian forces had seized the village of Hannivka in Donetsk Oblast. Additionally, they advanced near several settlements including Dalnie, Uspenivka, Pishchane, Storozheve, Trudove, Kurakhove, Shevchenko, and Kostiantynopolske. Russian forces also made progress near Kruglenkoe in the Kursk Oblast of Russia.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine will not extend its current gas transit agreement with Russia, which is set to expire on January 1, 2025.

On December 16, Bulgaria's Minister of Defense, Atanas Zapryanov, reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity during a meeting with Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Olesya Ilashchuk.

In this grab from a handout footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry on Oct. 24, 2022, Russia's Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, in charge of Russian troops for radioactive, chemical and biological protection, speaks at a briefing in Moscow

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held phone conversations with top European officials on Monday, focusing on the evolving situations in Ukraine, Syria, and Gaza, Turkish diplomatic sources revealed.

Olaf Schultz’s course to the Chancellorship has been pretty much predestined for some time. His governing coalition had fallen apart and the only democratic option he had in his hands was to ask the Bundestag to send him, by order to dissolve it, to the presidential palace.