Following talks with Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Minsk on 12–13 December, the US President’s Special Envoy for Belarus, John Coale, announced the lifting of the embargo on Belarusian potash fertilisers, ...

On 11 December, the government led by Rosen Zhelyazkov submitted its resignation, which the parliament approved the following day. The decision came in the wake of what was likely the largest protest ...

During a press briefing on 11 December, President Volodymyr Zelensky provided an update on the current state of negotiations over the US-backed peace plan. It is currently based on a 20-point ...

The Russians continue their attempts to completely take over the Pokrovsk conurbation, intensifying their activities in the ...

On 8 December, the Council of the European Union adopted the regulation establishing the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), which the European Parliament had approved in November.

On 1 December, the Russians announced the capture of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast and Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast. It is ...

On 3 December, the European Commission added Russia to the EU’s list of high-risk countries – commonly referred to as the ‘blacklist’ – deemed to have strategic deficiencies in their frameworks for ...

On 5 December, the Bundestag passed a law reforming military service. From 2026, the new regulations will require male German citizens residing in Germany who have reached the age of 18 to complete a ...

On 4 December, the Trump administration released a new National Security Strategy, signalling a profound redefinition of the United States’ role in the world and a shift in the objectives and ...

The federal budget for 2026, adopted by the Bundestag, envisages expenditure of €524.5 billion – €21.5 billion more than in 2025 (see ‘Germany’s budget: increased investment and debt’) – made possible ...

On 9 December, the Lithuanian government declared a nationwide emergency due to the threat to civil security posed by Belarusian smuggling balloons, which have been active for the past two months.

Appointed in June 2024, the right-wing government of Hristijan Mickoski is consolidating its power, as evidenced by his party’s victory in the local elections held in the autumn. Despite its declared ...