Russia has officially stopped gas transit through Ukraine as of 8am Moscow time on January 1, confirming the expected end of contracts that have been in place since 2019. Russian energy giant Gazprom has announced the halt after negotiations to extend the transit agreements with Ukrainian companies Naftogaz and the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine fell through.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Kiev has a chance to contribute to restoring stability and security in Syria after years of Russian interference, emphasizing that this endeavour will also bolster Ukraine’s own pursuit of peace.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated Moscow will not agree to a mere postponement of Kiev’s NATO membership, or to the deployment of European peacekeepers to Ukraine – two ideas reportedly proposed by advisers of US President-elect Donald Trump, as part of a potential peace deal.
Moscow must admit responsibility for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane after it was hit by fire from the ground over Russian territory, President Ilham Aliyev has stated in a television interview.
Asma Assad, the British-born wife of ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad, has been effectively barred from returning to the United Kingdom after her British passport expired, according to local media.
Kiev's stockpiles of Washington-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) are running low, the New York Times has reported, citing senior US officials.
Ukrainian troops are exhausted from three years of war and increasingly want to see a negotiated end to the conflict with Russia, the Washington Post has reported, citing sources in the country’s military.
Almost one in five of the world’s children live in areas affected by conflicts, with more than 473 million children suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, according to figures published by the UN humanitarian aid organisation for children, UNICEF on Saturday.
It is not likely that EU member states will send peacekeepers to Ukraine, especially without US participation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
US President Joe Biden has directed the Pentagon to "continue its surge" of weapons and military equipment deliveries to Ukraine in response to Russia's mass attack on the country on Christmas Day.
The Azerbaijani Airlines plane that crashed on Wednesday en route to Russia may have been shot down by a Moscow's surface-to-air missile, according to reports from independent Russian media outlets.
Russia has accused the West of “stealing” its assets after the US transferred $1 billion from Moscow’s frozen central bank funds to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that Noscow could take legal action in response.
Pope Francis has urged the world “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” in his traditional Christmas message, using his address to call for peace in West Asia, Ukraine and Sudan. He has also expressed concern over the “extremely grave” humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The first $1 billion installment of a $20 billion US loan backed by impounded Russian funds has been paid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Denis Shmigal announced on Tuesday. Moscow has vowed to respond to the “theft".
The number of killed and injured North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast has surpassed 3,000, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed in a statement.
Nine countries will officially join BRICS as partner states in 2025, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov has said, adding that the economic group is open to like-minded partners.
Ukrainian officials are “starting to believe” that the war with Russia will be resolved next year, a senior member of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has reportedly told the Washington Post. The shift in attitude is a direct result of US President-elect Donald Trump’s public talk of a settlement, the official added.
North Korea is preparing to deploy additional troops, weapons and other military equipment, including drones, to aid Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine, the South Korean military has claimed.
Moscow’s threat to Europe extends beyond defense to illegal immigration and cybersecurity, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has warned during an international meeting in Finland.
US President-elect Donald Trump has sent a message to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, asking him to start thinking about a ceasefire and to abandon the territories that are currently under Russian control, El Pais newspaper reported.
Doha will stop gas shipments to the EU if member states enforce new legislation on carbon emissions, Qatar’s energy minister Saad al-Kaabi has told the Financial Times (FT). Qatar has become an important supplier to the bloc after Brussels resolved to wean itself off Russian gas following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.