G-7

The Group of Seven economic powers are set to commit themselves to supporting Ukraine in the long haul, with the U.S. preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kiev, as leaders meet in the German Alps and confer by video link with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Reducing home heating temperatures in Europe by 2 degrees would make it possible to replace gas supplies through the Nord Stream gas pipeline". This opinion was expressed by the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with the Spanish newspaper elDiario.

In her first public speech in about half a year, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel described Russia's attack on Ukraine as a "deep turning point".

She said she did not want to make assessments as a former chancellor, but Russia's invasion of its neighboring country was a gross violation of international law in European history since the end of World War II.

Sixty people hiding at a school in the Ukrainian village of Bilokhorivka have died in the Russian bombing of the building, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quoted as saying by world news agencies.

Russia is outside the UN body for human rights, battles in Donbas, Von der Layen will visit Kyiv - here are the latest and most important events related to the war in Ukraine.

Call for evacuation in eastern Ukraine

The countries of the Group of Seven (G-7) will increase pressure on Russia, including by imposing additional sanctions on Russian state structures. G7 leaders said this in a statement issued yesterday after the summit.

Another difficult night around the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A series of international reactions and new sanctions mark the fourth night of shelling.

Sanctions

The foreign ministers of six Western Balkan countries will meet in London today to discuss the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is stated in a statement by British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, who will chair the event.

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized nations met on Dec. 11 in Liverpool for talks dominated by Russia's buildup of troops near Ukraine's border and what host country Britain called Moscow's "malign behavior" around the world.

Britain has announced that it will convene an emergency meeting of G-7 health ministers tomorrow to discuss developments in the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, Reuters reported.