Trade in beef is a small portion of EU-Mercosur imports and exports, and that’s unlikely to change greatly with eased trade relations, economists say 👇 But these raw numbers don’t capture why European farmers feel resentful. 🔗 politi.co/44FbErm

For leaders like Romania’s president, the dilemma is how far to accept Donald Trump’s priorities and how strongly to resist his hostility to centrist European values. In an interview, Nicușor Dan discusses how the transatlantic alliance has changed. 🔗 politi.co/4pWlq0W

OPINION: Regardless of Europe’s efforts to support Ukraine, the only thing that really matters is America’s security guarantees, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy must now secure — even if it means concessions elsewhere. Yet, everything suggests real power lies in Russia’s hands.

The companies that run the invisible digital networks powering daily life in Europe are piling on the pressure ahead of January reforms, which they argue present a pivotal opportunity for the EU to fix past mistakes.

A Russian government-owned company is set to be involved in manufacturing nuclear fuel in the heart of the EU, as part of a controversial proposal that’s awaiting approval from German authorities.

“Mercosur = death to agriculture” one sign read when tractors converged last week on the EU quarter. The anger over the proposed trade deal with Latin America is clear. And Brussels hears it. However, the actual fallout from the deal is much harder to quantify.

European leaders like Romania’s Nicușor Dan spent most of 2025 trying to work out how to live with Donald Trump. Or — even worse — without him.

The U.K. government is publishing its Animal Welfare Strategy and it includes a raft of Christmas gifts for animal lovers. It also gives Labour a handy dividing line to use against Nigel Farage and the Tories. London Playbook explains 👇

Fresh from a European Council summit, French President Emmanuel Macron has responded positively to an offer of direct talks with Vladimir Putin — something most European leaders have eschewed for years. Brussels Playbook digs deeper 👇

Macron a fait passer le message à Matignon : Sébastien Lecornu ne doit pas se priver de l'option 49.3 pour faire passer le budget. A lire dans Playbook Paris, ficelé par @anthonylattier.bsky.social.

According to a POLITICO poll, more respondents in France and Germany want their governments to scale back financial aid to Kyiv than to increase it or keep it the same. In the U.S., Canada and the U.K., meanwhile, respondents tilt the other way 👇  politi.co/4pFG4SF

Le dernier Dimanchissime 2025 est servi ! Au menu : — Budget : et à l’année prochaine ! — Face à la colère des agriculteurs, Genevard soutenue par ses prédécesseurs — Un Pnaco et un texte antirodéos vous sont offerts par Vendôme et Beauvau

A last-minute turnaround from Italian leader Giorgia Meloni upended a self-imposed objective of signing the Mercosur agreement by Dec. 20. The delay shows that after two decades of negotiations, the pact continues to be a political minefield. 🔗 politi.co/48LFuNj

France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart may be heading for bilateral talks on Ukraine.

Europe has faced withering attacks from U.S. President Donald Trump and tirades from X owner Elon Musk. But pro-EU memes are flowing thicker and faster than ever online. 🔗 politi.co/48UVziD 

Talks between the United States and Russia on a ceasefire proposal for the war in Ukraine are progressing “constructively” in Florida, the Kremlin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters yesterday.

If you thought U.K. politics was a rollercoaster this year, grip tight for 2026. We whip through the key dates for your diary in a year that will test whether Keir Starmer can survive 👇 politi.co/4j61rdh

The European Union’s 2035 ban on gasoline-powered cars is dead. Its killer: Germany. 🔗 politi.co/48KLiXu

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today that the US has offered a format for peace talks featuring Ukraine and Russia at the same table.

After a marathon meeting this week, European leaders agreed on a plan to provide funding for Ukraine based on EU joint debt — but that wasn’t the plan most countries had been pushing for. Here’s who won, and who lost, at this crunch summit 👇 politi.co/3YydiaG

What exactly are the EU’s 27 members ultimately willing to contribute to save Ukraine? Thursday night’s summit of European leaders in Brussels offered an answer: ideally, someone else’s money. www.politico.eu/article/euro...

The removal of a prominent TV show host in Bulgaria has sparked a backlash, reigniting concerns about political pressure on the media amid the collapse of the country’s government.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán yesterday questioned who began the Russia-Ukraine war and criticized Western leaders for supporting Kyiv.

After two months of resistance, Belgium’s Bart De Wever ultimately got his way, as plans to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine collapsed after a night of negotiations between European leaders. Here’s the inside story of how he did it 👇 politi.co/4pMPcVO

Here’s our POLITICO Confidential newsletter with some of our best stories of the week. Have a read 👇

🎨 Every week, the world's political cartoonists draw their take on the stories that have people talking around the globe.⁠ And every week, we round up the best one 👇

The EU wants its everyday citizens to invest. The trouble is, it can’t find a way to stop the finance industry from ripping them off.

After a marathon meeting, European leaders agreed on a plan to provide funding for Ukraine based on EU joint debt — but that wasn’t the plan most countries had been pushing for. Here’s who won, and who lost, at this crunch summit 👇 politi.co/3YydiaG

EU taxpayers will have to pay €3 billion per year in borrowing costs as part of a plan to raise common debt to finance Ukraine’s defense against Russia, according to senior European Commission officials.

It's been a tough week in EU politics for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He took a bold stance on EU funding for Ukraine, frozen Russian assets and on the Mercosur deal. It didn't go to plan ... Catch up in your weekly Berlin Bulletin 👇

If you thought U.K. politics was a rollercoaster this year, grip tight for 2026. We whip through the key dates for your diary in a year that will test whether Keir Starmer can survive 👇 politi.co/4j61rdh

In tonight's London Playbook: 🕊️ What holiday season? Top Starmer aide Jonathan Powell negotiates Ukraine in the US. 💷 Leaks in Parliament: The apparent cost of a restoration option slips out. 🗽 Revealed: The high-profile US guest arriving in Jan.

After two months of resistance, Belgium’s Bart De Wever ultimately got his way, as plans to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine collapsed after a night of negotiations between European leaders. Here’s the inside story of how he did it 👇 politi.co/4pMPcVO

POLITICO watched all five hours of Russia’s leader talking about Ukraine, NATO and “traditional values” so you didn’t have to.

The EU will one day use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, even though leaders failed to agree to do so at a summit this week, the head of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, told POLITICO in an interview today.

One of the main options for restoration of the Palace of Westminster could cost £15 billion, a member of the House of Lords has claimed.

A last-minute turnaround from Italian leader Giorgia Meloni upended a self-imposed objective of signing the Mercosur agreement by Dec. 20. The delay shows that after two decades of negotiations, the pact continues to be a political minefield. 🔗 politi.co/48LFuNj

EU governments pursued additional privacy safeguards to ensure people’s payment habits are kept under wraps as part of a legislative framework for minting a virtual extension of euro banknotes and coins.

After a marathon summit, European leaders finally agreed on a plan to provide funding for Ukraine. But not everyone was victorious. 🔗 politi.co/3YydiaG

Russian President Vladimir Putin today lambasted NATO chief Mark Rutte for his recent warning to prepare for a large-scale war with Russia.

Mark your diaries — we have all the dates in a year of make-or-break elections, a closer U.K.-EU relationship and laws on migration control that Keir Starmer hopes will save his premiership. It’ll be a wild ride 👇 politi.co/4j61rdh

In an unprecedented attack, Ukrainian aerial drones struck a Russian shadow fleet tanker in neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea, an official at Ukraine’s Security Service told POLITICO today.

Germany is claiming victory for its automakers after the European Commission reversed its 2035 combustion engine ban, but the change gives Chinese automakers time to get even further ahead — in Europe and emerging markets.

At yesterday's meeting of EU leaders, the Belgian prime minister dug his heels in on using Russian assets to fund Ukraine. It’s another win for Europe’s populists. 🔗 politi.co/4pMPcVO

President Vladimir Putin slammed EU leaders for trying to leverage frozen Russian state assets to fund a €210 billion financing package for Ukraine — despite the plan ultimately falling through.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever was praised in Belgium today for fending off an EU plan to use Russian frozen assets to fund Ukraine.

Who wins when EU leaders and angry farmers both descend on Brussels at the same time? Our Paul Dallison digs into the answer in his latest Declassified column 👇

COMMENTARY: If Volodymyr Zelenskyy is forced into a peace deal with Russia that involves territorial concessions, could he sell it to his own people?

French lawmakers failed to strike a compromise on the 2026 state budget, all but ensuring France will enter the new year without having finalized its fiscal plans for the next 12 months.

Poland’s Donald Tusk framed yesterday’s EU leaders’ summit around a stark choice: pay to stop Putin now or fight when his troops arrive. His equation — cash or casualties — exposes the conflict at the heart of Europe's struggles over supporting Ukraine.