Ukraine, EU green light for indefinite freeze on Russian assets

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend the summit on Ukraine to be held on Monday evening in Berlin with numerous European heads of state and government, as well as EU and NATO leaders. This is the Prime Minister's orientation, government sources said.

"I welcome the Council's decision on our proposal to continue the freeze on Russian sovereign assets. We are sending a strong signal to Russia: as long as this brutal war of aggression continues, the costs for Russia will continue to rise. This is a powerful message to Ukraine: we want to make sure that our brave neighbour becomes even stronger on the battlefield and at the negotiating table'. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote this on X. Also immediate was Antonio Costa's comment on the yes to the no-deadline asset freeze. "At the European Council in October, EU leaders committed to keep Russian assets frozen until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates the damage caused. Today we have fulfilled that commitment. Next step: securing Ukraine's financial needs for 2026-2027,' the President of the European Council wrote.

EU green light for indefinite freezing of Russian assets. The green light, which came via the so-called written procedure, arrived with 25 countries voting in favour and two against. This is according to European sources.

"I am very disappointed that it is the US that is intervening to negotiate a peace in the heart of Europe. If the European states were to say tomorrow that there is one person to represent the whole negotiation, neither Trump nor Russia could say no'. Thus Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on stage at Atreju in Rome. "Putin fired 1,200 missiles at Ukraine yesterday, as well as in the previous days, and he talks about peace," Crosetto added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky reported an "intense day" with "several briefings" by the chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, "on the work of our negotiating team".

In a post on his social accounts, Zelensky then pointed out that 'in Germany, preparations are underway for the work of our military group, focused on the details of the security guarantees for Ukraine', while 'in the United States, the Economic, Reconstruction and Investment Group has already begun its work this morning and will continue to work to prepare a positive outcome'.

"The European 'integration process' "is not yet complete and faces new challenges today, confirming its attractiveness. The ambitions and efforts, the will of our neighbouring peoples, from the Western Balkans to Moldova, from Ukraine to Georgia, must be accompanied by an active readiness of the Union to welcome them". So said President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in his speech at the end-of-year greetings exchange ceremony with the diplomatic corps.

"This is the fourth Christmas of war for the Ukrainian people. Russian attacks on cities and civilian and energy infrastructure are multiplying. There are more and more civilian victims'. Thus the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, speaking at the end-of-year greetings exchange ceremony with the Diplomatic Corps at the Quirinale. "Europe and Italy remain firmly at the side of Ukraine and its people, with the goal of a fair, just and lasting peace, respectful of international law, Ukrainian independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security."

"The principle cannot be to move war to make peace: it is paradoxical. The peace evoked by those who, by waging war, actually pretend to impose their own conditions, seems nonsensical". So said President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella during the end-of-year greetings exchange ceremony with the diplomatic corps, in a passage in which he referred to Russia.

The international order that we knew is tottering without an alternative in sight. Logics of power and oppression try to prevail while the values of personal dignity, human rights, equality among peoples, solidarity, are set aside," added the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, during the traditional end-of-year greetings exchange ceremony with the Diplomatic Corps at the Quirinale.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be in Berlin on Monday 15 December, German federal government spokesman Stefan Kornelius confirmed. Zelensky will take part in the German-Ukrainian economic forum and have an exchange with Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the status of the peace talks. "Numerous European heads of state and government, as well as the EU and NATO leaderships, will join the talks in the evening," Kornelius then announces.

Russia wants to work for peace, not for a truce with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

'We want to work for peace, not for a truce,' Peskov told broadcaster Channel One, adding that a long-term peace with reliable guarantees is needed.

Secret meetings between Ukraine's chief peace negotiator and top FBI officials have introduced new uncertainty into negotiations to end the war in the country, according to diplomats and officials familiar with the matter. The Washington Post writes. In recent weeks, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov flew to Miami three times to meet with President Donald Trump's chief envoy Steve Witkoff and discuss a proposal to end the conflict with Russia. But during his stay in the United States, Umerov also held closed-door meetings with FBI director Kash Patel - as already revealed by the New York Post on 28 November - and his deputy Dan Bongino, according to four sources in the Wp. The meetings, according to the newspaper, alarmed Western officials who remain in the dark about their intentions and purposes. Some believe Umerov and other Ukrainian officials sought out Patel and Bongino in the hope of securing amnesty from any corruption charges they might face. Others fear that the new channel could be used to put pressure on Zelensky's government to accept a peace deal, proposed by the Trump administration, that would involve heavy concessions for Kiev. The Ukrainian ambassador to Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, confirmed Umerov's meeting with the FBI and told the Washington Post that he 'only dealt with issues related to national security' that could not be made public. An FBI official said that the meetings with Umerov included discussions on the shared anti-crime and national security interests of the two countries. The topic of financial corruption in Ukraine came up in one of the meetings, but was not the main point, the official said. A representative from Zelensky's office declined to comment on specific meetings but insisted that "it is stupid to link everything to 'corruption'."

Ukraine claims to have conducted a joint operation with a local resistance movement to target two Russian ships that, according to Kiev, were carrying weapons and military equipment in the Caspian Sea. The Special Operations Forces said in a note on Telegram that the Chernaya Iskra insurgent movement 'provided detailed information on the route and cargo of the hit ships'. "Among the affected ships are the 'Composer Rachmaninov' and the 'Askar-Sarydzha'," the forces said, adding that the ships are subject to sanctions by the US "due to their participation in the supply of military cargo between Iran and the Russian Federation". Yesterday morning a source within the Ukrainian security services reported that at least four drones had struck the Russian Filanovsky oil platform in the Caspian Sea for the first time.

The Defence Ministry in Moscow confirms that it is in control of Siversk in Donetsk, as announced yesterday by Valeri Gerasimov to Vladimir Putin. Also controlled by Moscow are Liman, Kurilovka and Kucherovka, in the Kharkiv region, and, as of recent days, Rovnoye in Donetsk, and Ostapovskoye, in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed overall peace efforts in Ukraine during talks in Ashgabat, and Ankara expressed its support for these initiatives. This was stated by the Turkish presidential office.

"During the meeting, bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia were discussed, as well as overall peace efforts in the context of the war between Ukraine and Russia. Turkey's support for the peace efforts was reiterated. In addition, all issues, including the EU's freezing of Russian funds, were discussed in detail," the office said.

"Today I was in Kupyansk, our soldiers here are achieving results for Ukraine. Many Russians talked about Kupyansk. I was there, I greeted the guys. Thank you to every unit, to all those who are fighting here, to all those who are destroying the occupier'. Thus Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram. "Today it is extremely important to get results on the front, so that Ukraine can get results in diplomacy. This is how it works: all our strong positions within the country are strong positions in the discussion on ending the war,' the leader explained.

Today, the Ukrainian presidential office rejected claims that Kiev was ready to accept the creation of a so-called 'buffer zone' or demilitarised zone in eastern Ukraine as part of negotiations with the United States, stressing that no political decision to this effect has been taken. The clarification followed an article in the French daily Le Monde, which attributed Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, with Kiev's acceptance in principle of the creation of a demilitarised zone on both sides of the current Donbass front line. "For now we are talking exclusively about theoretical discussions," Podolyak told the Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Post. "It is clear that in any negotiation process all possible formats are discussed, including a potential stop format along the direct line of contact."

Podolyak stressed that Le Monde had overemphasised his words, failing to correctly represent the situation, which remains, at this moment, purely 'theoretical'. 'Such a format could theoretically include the possibility of forming a so-called buffer or demilitarised zone, which would have to be actively monitored,' the Ukrainian official said, adding that 'all this is still being discussed in the context of security guarantees. The final decisions will, of course, be announced by the president of Ukraine."

The entire Donbass 'belongs to Russia, according to the Constitution'. This was stated by presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal to hold a referendum on the territory's fate. This was reported by the Interfax news agency.

We publish the NATO Secretary General's full speech during his visit to Germany on 11 December 2026, during which he met Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.

Just over 36 years ago, on a now famous night in November, Nato Secretary General Manfred Wörner jumped into his car and drove all night to Berlin. In his haste, he forgot to tell his staff in Brussels where he was going. Manfred was on his way home to Germany to join the crowds celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. Today, a section of the Wall stands at Nato headquarters. It was a barrier to keep people in and ideas out. Now it is a monument to the strength of freedom, a reminder of the power of unity and a lesson that we must remain strong, confident and steadfast. Because the dark forces of oppression are on the march again. I am here today to tell you where NATO is and what we must do to stop a war before it starts. To do this, we must be crystal clear about the threat. We are Russia's next target and we are already in danger.

The office of Ukraine's president calls Le Monde's interpretations that Kiev is willing to agree to the creation of a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Donbass 'incorrect'. "Whether Ukraine agrees or not can only be decided at the highest political level or by the Ukrainian people," said Dmitry Lytvyn, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, referring to some analyses by adviser Mykhailo Podolyak reported by Le Monde. Podolyak, Lytvyn added, spoke not of Kiev's consensus, but of the fact that in theory various security models could be discussed, but it all depends on the details.

"I don't think we will be completely satisfied" with the new plan to end the war after consultations between the US, Ukraine and Europe. This was stated by Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov quoted by Russian agencies Tass and Interfax. "We have not seen any modified version of the US plans. When we see it, we may not like many things," he said. "Sooner or later, active contacts with the Americans will resume, because what the Americans are currently coordinating with Europeans and Ukrainians must sooner or later be shown to us, which will naturally provoke our appropriate response," he explained.

Kiev is ready to accept the creation of a demilitarised zone in the Donbass. Le Monde writes this, citing its sources. The demilitarised zone would be on both sides of the demarcation line. The concession, writes Le Monde, has been approved by Europe. The Donbass, a strategic region with a mining basin coveted by Russia since 2014, could be placed under the supervision of international forces, in particular the United States, to prevent further Russian aggression.

One person was killed and four others were injured in a Russian attack on the town of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This was announced by the president of the region Vladislav Gaivanenko on Telegram, reported by the Ukrainian media.

- Russian air defences shot down 90 Ukrainian drones in several regions overnight, including 63 over the Bryansk border region. This was stated by the Russian Defence Ministry. "Overnight," a note reported, "the air defences on duty intercepted and destroyed 90 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones: 63 over the Bryansk region, eight over the Yaroslavl region, four over the Moscow region, three each over the Smolensk and Tver regions and Black Sea waters, two each over the Tambov and Tula regions, and one each over the Orël and Rostov regions.

The Central Bank of Russia has filed a lawsuit against Euroclear with the Moscow Arbitration Court. Tass reports. "In connection with the illegal actions of the depositary Euroclear, which are causing losses to the Bank of Russia, as well as in connection with the mechanisms officially examined by the European Commission for the direct or indirect use of Russian assets without our consent, the Bank of Russia is filing a lawsuit in the Moscow Arbitration Court against the depositary Euroclear to obtain compensation for the damage caused to the Bank of Russia," a statement read.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated Turkey's readiness to host new talks in Istanbul between delegations from Moscow and Kiev with the aim of reaching a ceasefire. "We are ready to provide concrete support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at a ceasefire and peace, particularly including the Istanbul process," the Turkish leader said, reports Anadolu, during his speech at the ongoing International Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is also present.

"I met with the partners of the Coalition of the Willing during a very intense week of peace talks. Despite the pressure, we remain absolutely firm in our goal: to achieve a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine." European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen wrote this in a post on X, stressing that "next week will be decisive". "Sustainable means that any peace agreement must not contain the seeds of future conflicts and destabilise the broader European security architecture," she added. "We also discussed the need for robust and credible security guarantees. I updated the leaders on our work to secure Ukraine for 2026-2027. Our proposals are on the table and the sense of urgency is clear to all'.

Ukraine needs a 'just and lasting peace' with concrete security guarantees: 'this peace agreement should be so solid that it does not immediately sow the seeds of the next conflict'. This was said by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with Politico, stressing that only President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people can decide on the territories of Ukraine, von der Leyen added, reiterating that the security guarantees must be "very robust". Asked how long it will take Europe to defend itself, von der Leyen said: 'That is a very good question. We do not have the luxury of time'.

"There is a meeting on Saturday, we will see if we will participate. We'll attend if we think there's a good chance" of a deal. Donald Trump said this. "We are not involved in the war, but we are involved in the negotiations," Trump highlighted.

The US would be willing to contribute assistance to Ukraine as part of a security agreement to end the war with Russia. Donald Trump said this. "We would help with security because it is a necessary factor" for a solution, Trump highlighted

'The UN is fulfilling its mandate with dignity and is in fact the only mechanism that ensures a balance of interests in the world'. Vladimir Putin said this, Tass reports. The Russian president also called for 'the building of inter-state relations in a multipolar world based on mutual respect of interests'. "Russian companies," Putin said again at the International Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, "intend to implement new investment projects in Turkmenistan. In the first 10 months of 2025, trade turnover has already grown by 35%."