🙏🇺🇦 A major fire broke out at the Pivdenny port in the Odesa region after overnight strikes. Containers containing flour and vegetable oil are burning.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Vance said that he received an update from American negotiators, but “I wouldn’t say with any certainty that we will reach a peaceful resolution.” Russia genuinely wants to establish territorial control over Donetsk region, while Ukrainian side views this “as a serious security issue.”

🇮🇹🇫🇷 Meloni and Macron played a key role in the EU's rejection of the plan for Russian assets, — FT and Politico. It was after Meloni's criticism and Macron's intervention that EU leaders abandoned the "reparations loan" and chose an alternative mechanism for helping Ukraine.

🇫🇷 France will soon start construction on a new aircraft carrier, Macron said, despite uncertainties over the nation’s budget, - Bloomberg The project “will directly boost our economy and its 800 suppliers, 80% of which are small and medium companies,” Macron added.

🇺🇸 Graham: I don't think Trump underestimates [Putin's intention to continue the war], I think we overestimate—the people negotiating, they are good friends—Putin's desire to end the war. Putin will continue to seize Donbas by force until we increase pressure. He's rejecting all our efforts.

🇺🇸👀 Senator Lindsey Graham is calling on Trump to seize ships carrying Russian oil, just as the US is doing with Venezuela if Putin refuses to negotiate over Ukraine. "If Putin says 'no' this time: sign my bill, 85 co-sponsors, and impose tariffs on countries like China that buy cheap Russian oil…

⚔️ China and Russia could synchronize attacks on Taiwan and Europe. If China asks, Russia will not refuse, — Rutte "China is looking at Taiwan. And I am convinced that if China uses military force there, it will push its junior partner - Russia - to distract us here in Europe."

🇺🇸🌐 The Trump administration is preparing a new round of immigration enforcement, - Reuters. The US president plans to implement a new wave of immigration enforcement in 2026, including expanding workplace raids and securing billions of dollars in additional funding.

🇺🇦 Zelensky said the most difficult points in the negotiations remain Ukrainian territory, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, financing for the country’s reconstruction, and technical issues such as security guarantees and the monitoring format. Ukraine has already conveyed its vision to the US.

🇰🇵💻 In 2025, North Korean hackers stole a record $2 billion in cryptocurrency, - Bloomberg The agency notes this marks a sharp increase compared to 2024. The report states that North Korea remains the most serious state-backed threat to global cryptocurrency security.

🇺🇸 Once unchallenged, Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is beginning to weaken, — Reuters. Some Republican lawmakers are pushing back, while more voters express frustration over high living costs, tough immigration measures, and concerns that Trump has overstepped presidential authority.

🛢️📉 Russian oil prices continue to fall sharply under pressure from US sanctions, which have disrupted established export routes to India and China, — Argus pricing data. The price of Urals shipped from Novorossiysk fell to $34.52 per barrel as of December 16.

🇺🇸🇵🇸 Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have developed Project Sunrise, a plan to transform Gaza into a high-tech metropolis. The total cost of the initiative will be $112.1 billion, with the US committing to serve as an "anchor," supporting nearly $60 billion in grants and debt guarantees…

🇮🇷🇮🇱🇺🇸 Iran ramps up ballistic missile production, Israel will persuade Trump to attack Iran again, — NBC 📌Iran could increase production of ballistic missiles to 3,000 per month. 📌 There are also concerns about the restoration of nuclear facilities, rapid expansion of the ballistic program…

🇩🇪 German intelligence may receive permission to carry out cyberattacks and sabotage outside the country According to Merkur, the functions of Federal Intelligence Service are planned to be expanded against the backdrop of growing hybrid threats and the activity of foreign special services.

‼️🇺🇦 "Odesa, fakes about the threat of Russian airborne troops attack and other horror stories are being posted on a number of channels. There is no military threat, and the Russians also do not have the ability to carry out any operation from the sea," — Head of CPD Kovalenko.

💔 People simply died in their cars — the consequences of the Russian attack on the Odesa region

🇵🇱🇺🇦 Tusk: "Sometimes in Poland we have the feeling that not all Ukrainians appreciate our efforts. Sometimes Ukrainians feel that our sentiments have become a little less pro-Ukrainian. Yes. That's true. We have a lot to explain to each other about the past."

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Rubio said progress has been made in resolving the conflict in Ukraine, but there is still room for improvement. He stated that wars usually end either with the capitulation of one side or a negotiated settlement. "Capitulation is not expected from either Russia or Ukraine in the near future."

🇪🇺🇺🇦 What are the real conditions set by the EU, and is Ukraine ready to meet them? In this article, I will break down every stage of Ukraine’s accession to the EU, outline the key requirements, and analyze the pros and cons of the process. Read more 🔽 theukrainianreview.info/ukraines-eur...

🚀❗️The transfer of "Oreshnik" to the territory of Belarus is being completed: we understand where it will be, we are passing on information to partners, — Zelensky The partners will decide for themselves how to react to this. This is a threat to many countries.

🇧🇪👀 Belgium PM Bart De Wever clashed with Politico after being labeled "Russia’s most valuable asset": "Now I have to go to my dacha in Saint Petersburg, where my neighbor is Depardieu and across the street is Assad. […] If you write about it, be sure to say I was joking and you laughed."

🇺🇦🇪🇺 The EU will allocate €90 billion to Ukraine for 2026-2027. Similar to the reparations loan, Kyiv will return the funds only when Russia pays reparations, - Ursula von der Leyen. Russia will not be able to get its frozen assets back until it stops its aggression.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Trump signed a defense bill for 2026, which provides $800 million for Ukraine As previously reported, the document on national defense for the 2026 fiscal year, has a separate block that concerns Ukraine.

🇨🇳 Russia has increased oil discounts for China to a record $35 per barrel. Russian oil companies are forced to sharply increase oil discounts for customers in China in order to sell batches that Indian refineries have started to reject, Reuters reports.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Matthew Whitaker: The US is closer to a peace deal for Ukraine than ever before. "It's hard to get inside Putin's head, President Trump recently stated that we're as close to a peace deal [on Ukraine - ed.] as we've ever been, and I think we just need to let that process unfold.

🇪🇺🇵🇱🇺🇦 We have reached a turning point, — Tusk on reparation loan for Ukraine "Everyone agrees that it is worth trying, and that it would be fair, justified and good for Europe to use Russian funds for Ukraine. However, some countries will fight with all their might to maximize their guarantees."

🇪🇺🇺🇦 Zelensky: We understand that Russians want to exclude the presence of the Europeans from negotiations. This must not be allowed to happen. European presence will decrease the probability of Russia attacking again.

🇵🇱 Poland completes construction of next storage site for dragon teeth needed for Eastern Shield project. Ultimately, more than 100 such sites should be created - one in each community along Poland's eastern and northern borders.

😡 Russians completely destroyed a substation in Artsyz in the Odesa region, leaving people without electricity. DTEK showed what was left of it. The company said that energy workers are doing everything possible to restore electricity to homes as soon as possible.

🇺🇦🇺🇸 Ukrainian delegation to follow Russian delegation to Miami for talks, - Axios Dmitriev will visit Miami this weekend for talks with Witkoff and Kushner to discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine.

🇺🇸🇻🇪 The Trump administration has quietly asked U.S. oil companies whether they would return to Venezuela after Maduro leaves power — but so far, none are interested, - POLITICO Low oil prices, political risk and Venezuela’s deteriorated infrastructure are deterring investment.

🇺🇸🇻🇪 According to Tucker Carlson, war between the US and Venezuela could start tonight. Trump is expected to address the nation. What do you think? 🤔

🇨🇳 In a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, Chinese scientists have built a prototype of a machine capable of producing the cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power AI, smartphones and weapons central to Western military dominance, - Reuters

🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇸 The US is ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees without deploying its troops, White House intends to ratify the agreement in Senate, — The Telegraph 📍The US may use F-35, Tomahawk missiles or similar systems located on NATO territory in the event of a ceasefire violation by Russia.

🇺🇸 John Bolton: Trump thinks Putin is his friend and believes if he has a good relationship with Putin, then US-Russia relations are good. That's a huge oversimplification. Putin doesn't think Trump is his friend. He sees him as someone he can manipulate with his KGB training.

Odesa and region ❤️🇺🇦💡

🇺🇦 Sybiha: The Russian budget is in the red, and it's time to ramp up sanctions pressure. Іn January-November, Russia's federal budget deficit was at a record $54 billion with a trend to exceed $70 billion by the end of the year.

🇺🇸🇪🇺🇺🇦 The US and Europe have proposed a peace plan to deter future Russian attacks by strengthening Ukraine’s military, deploying European forces inside the country, and expanding U.S. intelligence support, - NYT The plan includes binding security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5.

#NoPeaceWithoutJustice 🇺🇦 This is my personal advocacy initiative aimed at publicly condemning Russia’s war crimes against Ukraine, ensuring accountability for those responsible, and preventing such crimes in the future. Read here ⤵️ theukrainianreview.info/no-peace-witho…

🇪🇺🇧🇪 The European Commission has proposed that Belgium unblock a €210 billion reparations loan for Ukraine, financed by frozen Russian assets. However, Brussels is still hesitant to take this step, - POLITICO

💲🇺🇸 Elon Musk has begun funding Republican House and Senate campaigns in the 2026 midterm elections, - Axios. The size of Musk's donations will not be publicly disclosed until campaign finance reports are released next month. His support could be "enormous" for Republicans next year.

🇪🇺🇺🇦 Europe is creating an international commission to assess the damage from the war in Ukraine, - Reuters. European leaders, including Zelensky, will gather in The Hague today to establish an International Claims Commission to compensate Kyiv for hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.

🇪🇺 Europe’s easternmost countries have a blunt message for Brussels: Russia is testing their borders, and the EU needs to start paying for the response, - POLITICO Leaders from eight EU states bordering Russia will use a summit in Helsinki to press for dedicated defense funding in next budget.

🇮🇹🤔 Italian Deputy PM Matteo Salvini: If Hitler and Napoleon failed to bring Moscow to its knees with their campaigns in Russia, it is unlikely that Kaja Kallas, Macron, Starmer and Merz will succeed.

🇺🇦🇪🇺 Ensuring the security, sovereignty, and well-being of Ukraine is an integral part of Euro-Atlantic security. Ukraine and its people have the right to a prosperous, independent, and sovereign future, free from fear of renewed Russian aggression, - joint statement of European leaders 🇩🇪🇫🇮🇫🇷🇪🇺🇸🇪🇩🇰🇮🇹🇳🇱🇳🇴🇵🇱🇬🇧

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Trump: I think we are closer now than we have been ever. Russia wants to get it ended, problem is: they will want to get it ended and then all of a sudden they won't. And Ukraine will want to get it ended and all of a sudden they won't.

😂🤡 It turns out that three days ago, Putin awarded the highest naval rank, "Admiral of the Fleet," to the current Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Alexander Moiseyev. And now, Moiseyev "allowed" Ukrainian drones into Novorossiysk harbor, which tore apart Varshavyanka submarine, aka "Black Hole."

🇩🇪🇺🇦 Merz: Before Christmas we see pictures of the destruction in Ukraine. It doesn't take much imagination to imagine how this country will flourish again. How much courage and creativity these people have! This energy that will be directed not to war but to reconstruction.

🇪🇺🇺🇦 Kallas said that financing Ukraine via a loan based on Russia's frozen assets was now looking “increasingly difficult” ahead of European Council summit, - POLITICO