US administration

Bulgaria has received the full payment for Russian natural gas transit for December, according to Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov. He explained that there has been no official confirmation from the US administration regarding the lifting of sanctions against Gazprombank, adding that the situation remains uncertain.

Keith Kellogg, appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump as the special representative for Ukraine and Russia, plans to visit Kyiv and other European capitals in January 2025. According to Reuters, Kellogg's European tour is still being finalized, but it is expected to include meetings with Ukrainian leaders in Kyiv, as well as with officials in Rome and Paris.

BELGRADE - Commenting on potential US sanctions against Serbia's Russian-majority owned oil firm NIS, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said on Tuesday major pressure on Serbia continued from various sides and that the US was not happy with Russian ownership of the company, and that no one had forgotten that Serbia had not imposed sanctions on Russia.

BELGRADE - Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Monday potential US sanctions on Serbia's majority Russian-owned oil company NIS from January 1 would be extremely bad for Serbia but noted that the arrival of a new US administration might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

The US press has made the rounds of the American press with the selection of newly elected US President Donald Trump to nominate Kimberly Guilfoyle as his country’s new Ambassador to Greece.

Europe's economic news agenda is dominated by the urgent question of what the continent's reaction should be to protectionary measures heralded by the incoming US administration. Should the European Union become embroiled in a tariff race that could disrupt global trade flows, and how should it position itself between China and Western economies?

Steven Howard, the Director of Policy and Outreach at the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), joins Thanos Davelis ahead of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' expected visit to Beirut look at the current situation on the ground in Lebanon, what to expect from the new US administration here, and how Greece and Cyprus can be helpful as we consider Lebanon's future. 

The European economy would suffer if Donald Trump enacted his pledges on tariffs and trade barriers, and this could impact European Central Bank policy, Greek central bank chief Yannis Stournaras said on Thursday.

Andrius Kubilius, the candidate for European Commissioner for Defense and Space, emphasized the need for Europe to prepare for the most extreme military threats, including potential Russian aggression against EU member states.

The re-election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States is creating a new global context at a time when the competition to shape the New World Order after the Cold War has intensified, which is also affecting regional conflicts and rivalries.