Russia: gas and oil sales down 33.8%. But eight EU countries still buy it

Pope Francis has left money in his will to help the humanitarian mission in Ukraine of Sister Lucia Caram, the Argentinian nun who is a friend of Bergoglio. Caram - reported the Spanish Catholic website Religion digital - revealed on Betevé's Orbita B programme that Francis left her money in his will to buy ambulances for his humanitarian mission in Ukraine. The Dominican nun also spoke about her relationship with Pope Leo XIV, whom she described as a "prudent" leader, but "clear in his words". The Argentinean nun, who had a close relationship with Bergoglio, said the Argentinean pontiff's legacy left her "shocked. He told me in our meetings that he would help me in some way, but I did not imagine he would do it like this," explained Caram, who has travelled to Ukraine more than 20 times since the start of the Russian invasion on 25 February 2022.

The Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, announced the dissolution of the Russia-NATO Council at the end of the Alliance Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. Among the formal decisions was the announcement by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the NATO-Russia Council no longer exists. This is something the Polish government had hoped for, and it has now become a reality,' Sikorski continued. The Council was created at a time when it was believed that 'European security could be built together with Russia': 'Those days are over. Today we are building European security against Russia. And this has been reflected institutionally,' the Polish minister concluded.

The so-called reparation loan that the European Commission would like to disburse to Ukraine using the assets frozen at the Central Bank of the Russian Federation will be able to count on liquidity of about EUR 165 billion, enough to meet Kiev's financial needs over the next two years, which the International Monetary Fund estimates at EUR 135.7 billion, of which EUR 83.4 billion for military spending and EUR 52.3 billion for other financial needs of the state. The total of Russian sovereign assets frozen in the EU amounts to EUR 210bn, which is the theoretical maximum amount of the planned loan, but of this EUR 45bn, senior EU officials explained, will be set aside as a reserve to service the existing Era (Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration) loans agreed in the G7.

The stop on Russian gas decided by the EU Commission is in different phases depending on the contracts. For short-term contracts concluded before 17 June 2025, the ban will apply from 25 April 2026 for LNG and from 17 June 2026 for gas. For the long-term contracts concluded before 17 June, the cut-off dates will be the beginning of 2027 and the beginning of October 2026, with a possible extension of one month for EU members who have difficulties in achieving the required storage levels.

Meanwhile, Europe's dependence on Moscow since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine has been significantly reduced: in October, Moscow accounted for 12% of EU gas imports from 45% before the invasion in 2022. Hungary, France and Belgium are among the countries still receiving supplies. The dossier on energy imports from Russia, according to the Berlaymont Palace, still involves a total of eight member states. Not only Hungary and Slovakia, mainly for crude oil, but also Greece, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. It is to the last five, which exclusively import LNG, that the sanctions package put on the table by Ursula von der Leyen is addressed.

"The possibility of sending aid to Ukraine expires on 31 December, so we will have more councils of ministers before that date. The decree will be there'. This was assured by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a press point in Bahrain, regarding the failure of the decree-law to extend the authorisation to cede military means, materials and equipment to Ukraine at tomorrow's Council of Ministers

"Now more than two-thirds of the allies have contributed to the Purl initiative, a total of 4 billion, and we are on track for 5 billion by the end of the year: only a handful of allies have not done so and that is good news." This was said by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the end of the foreign ministerial, adding that New Zealand and Australia have also indicated that they will participate in the programme for military support to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List.

Revenue from the sale of gas and oil in Russia's state coffers fell by 33.8 per cent in November compared to the same month last year. Revenue stood at 530.9 billion roubles compared to 801.7 billion a year earlier, Tass calculated based on data from the Ministry of Finance. Between January and November, revenue fell by 21.4 per cent.

As an ECB 'we will do everything we can, but we will not violate the Treaty' as it would be to think that the ECB could act as a 'backstop' to replace the commitments that member states would have to make to Belgium. To do so would be a violation of Article 123 of the Treaty. We cannot monetise the bonds of the member states'. This was said by ECB President Christine Lagarde in a hearing in the European Parliament when asked about a possible role for the central bank in the use of frozen assets for the loan to Ukraine.

"There is only one person in the world who was able to break the deadlock when it came to the war in Ukraine, and that is the American president, Donald J. Trump. And he has done it. He started in February to engage, and he still is today, and his team is engaged, including Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio, and all the key players on the American side. And that is crucial, because in the end, the US is by far the biggest ally in NATO, the strongest nation in the world. And it really is up to them first to break the stalemate and then to make sure that the others follow". So said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the press conference at the end of the Atlantic Alliance Foreign Ministerial.

Russia is also open to dialogue on Ukraine with European countries, and is ready to receive leaders of these countries in Moscow, but they 'reject all contacts'. This was stated by presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov. "The Europeans refuse all contacts, even though President Putin has said several times: if any of the European leaders want to talk, please, welcome, come to Moscow." "On our side there is no negative attitude towards proposals for contact," the Kremlin representative insisted, quoted by the Tass news agency.

The issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO "is one of the key issues" in the negotiations between Russia and the US. This was said by Russian presidential foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, stressing that the topic "was discussed" in yesterday's talks in the Kremlin between Vladimir Putin and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Tass reports.

"We welcome any talks that could lead to ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. We just don't see Russia entering negotiation mode at the moment." This is what the German Foreign Ministry, led by Johann Wadephul, posted on x.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine has been able to rely on Europe. We can contribute and give the country the necessary tools so that it can negotiate from a position of strength". This was said by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We have to make the war cost Putin money, and this proposal allows us to do that. The proposals allow us to cover Ukraine's financial needs by 2/3 for the next two years," a sum of "90 billion," she added.

Hungary intends to challenge the EU plan to ban Russian gas imports into the EU. "As soon as the RePowerEU plan is formally adopted, we will immediately challenge it at the EU Court of Justice. Legal proceedings will start without delay. Preparatory work is already underway," Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on X. 'We will do everything necessary,' he emphasised, 'to defend Hungary's energy security'.

Hungary rejects the European Union's plan to ban oil and gas from Russia and is preparing to file an appeal with the EU Court of Justice. This was stated by the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjartó.

Earlier, the European Commission announced that Brussels had agreed to permanently stop importing Russian gas and to phase out Russian oil.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner presented Vladimir Putin yesterday with four new documents in connection with the peace plan for Ukraine developed by the US, following the Miami and Geneva negotiations with the Ukrainians, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced, declining to discuss the contents.

It is 'quite obvious' that Putin does not want peace in Ukraine. This was stated from Brussels, where they are for the NATO ministerial meeting, by the foreign ministers of Estonia and Finland.

"What we see" from the developments in the negotiations for a peace agreement "is that Putin has not changed course. He is pushing more aggressively on the battlefield," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. 'It is quite obvious that he does not want any kind of peace,' he stressed.

On the night of 1 December, Ukrainian forces attacked the Russian Druzhba pipeline again. This was reported by Ukrainian media citing Kiev intelligence sources. Also known as the Friendship Pipeline, it is the largest artery for the transport of Russian oil in Europe: in the past it supplied Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany and Ukraine, although Hungary and Slovakia are now the only EU countries still receiving Russian oil. According to sources, the attack was carried out near the Kazinsky Vysilky settlement, which is located on the Taganrog-Lipetsk section of the oil pipeline. To hit the section of the pipeline, remotely detonated explosives and additional combustible mixtures were used, Ukrainian Gur sources said. According to international media, this is the fifth Ukrainian attack on the pipeline.

The UK government has announced a new aid package to support the restoration of Ukraine's energy infrastructure affected by Russian attacks. This was announced today by British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper ahead of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, according to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

"I am announcing the additional allocation of £10 million from the UK to support energy infrastructure repairs in Ukraine, because President Putin is trying to turn out the lights and plunge Ukraine into darkness," Cooper said.

- After meetings in Brussels with European advisors on developments in the peace negotiations, 'Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov will begin preparations for a meeting with President Trump's envoys in the United States'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky writes this on X.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov will be in Brussels today to talk to European partners about the peace process with Russia, and will then fly to the United States to continue talks with representatives in Washington.

"Rustem Umerov reported on the preparations for the meetings to be held today in Brussels with the national security advisors of European leaders. Together with the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, the meetings will also be attended by the Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov. This is our constant activity of coordination with partners, and we ensure the full dynamism of the negotiation process,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel a few minutes ago.

The Europeans are not involved in the peace process because they are "obsessed" with inflicting "a strategic defeat on Russia", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today. "The Europeans are not participating in the peace process (in Ukraine, ed.) because they are still obsessed with the idea of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia. They continue to act in this direction, and they are very wrong," Peskov told reporters.

Russia greatly appreciates US President Donald Trump's political will to peacefully resolve the situation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today.

"We very much appreciate President Trump's political will to continue, so to speak, to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. And, of course, we are grateful for these efforts on the part of the Trump administration," Peskov told reporters.

Two people were killed and three injured in a Russian attack overnight in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. This was stated by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service. The drone attacks caused a fire in the town of Ternivka, damaging garages, residential buildings and cars. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched a total of 111 drones last night. Of these, 83 were shot down, while 27 hit 13 Ukrainian localities. Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Odessa were the most affected regions.

The meeting in Brussels between Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will not take place 'due to the return of the envoys' to Washington. This is reported by Kyiv Post citing unspecified sources: 'The Brussels meeting is cancelled' and Zelensky is returning to Ukraine. The Kremlin claims that Witkoff and Kushner have 'promised' to fly directly to Washington after the talks with Putin. The reason for the cancellation has not been disclosed. Tass wrote - citing a European air traffic controller - that the flight with Witkoff and Kushner passed over Europe and entered Canadian airspace at night.

We 'support the American action to build peace, both in the Middle East and in Ukraine. That is the goal, small steps forward are being taken and that is a positive fact, then of course we will have to understand how the Ukrainians intend to move with regard to territorial issues". This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on his arrival at the NATO ministerial in Brussels.

"In the meantime we continue to help them until there is peace, we have sent the 12th military aid package, there are sanctions, frozen assets are being discussed," Tajani added.

Russia "is preparing for a long-term confrontation" and the allies must respond by stepping up investment and support for Ukraine. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as he opened the Alliance's foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels. Moscow, he stressed, "continues to test our deterrence", continues to "violate our airspace with jets and drones, has conducted sabotage and sends spy ships into our waters. These actions are reckless and dangerous. And it is not just Russia. It is working closely with China, North Korea and Iran to try to disrupt our societies and tear up global rules. They are preparing for a long-term confrontation'. NATO, Rutte continued, is 'responding with strength, unity and determination'. The European allies and Canada 'are really stepping up their investments in defence, and that is good, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels: we all have to do our part and fast', developing and acquiring capabilities that are crucial for collective defence and investing in industry, infrastructure and innovation to boost production and strengthen resilience, he explains. "We also need to support Ukraine more. Russian missiles continue to cause death and destruction, and winter is here. Ukraine needs our support more than ever. We all want the bloodshed to stop, and I welcome President Donald Trump's continued efforts to end this war," he continues, pointing out that in the meantime contributions to the Purl mechanism, through which Ukraine's allies buy weapons from the US and deliver them to Kiev, need to be accelerated so it can "defend itself today and prevent aggression in the future".

Belgium is categorically opposed to the European Commission's proposal to use frozen Russian assets, considering it extremely risky. This was stated by the country's Foreign Minister, Maxime Prevot.

"We have repeatedly stated that we consider the reparation loan option the worst of all, as it is risky and has never been implemented before," Prevot told reporters upon his arrival in Brussels for the Nato foreign ministerial meeting. "It does not address our concerns," he stressed.

"We read no more into the absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the ongoing NATO ministerial in Brussels than we do". This was stated by Secretary General Mark Rutte as he entered the meeting. The US "is absolutely consulting quite a bit" with the Alliance, he says, "the teams here at Nato and Marco Rubio's team are in constant contact. I myself am in constant contact with the secretary of state. Obviously he is working very hard on the Ukraine peace process, but also on Sudan, Gaza and all the other issues that the Americans are working on. So I find it totally acceptable that he is not here'. In his place is Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, Rutte continues: 'I had dinner with him last night and he will be really excellent at the table. So we don't read more into this than we do into it'.

Russian presidential foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said there is still a lot of work to be done to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but the parties are not far from reaching a result. "There is still a lot of work to be done, both in Washington and Moscow. Contacts will continue on this condition," he said

"It is good that the peace process is ongoing, only the US under President Trump's leadership could break the stalemate. But if there will be no results it is essential that weapons continue to arrive in Ukraine, as is happening today thanks to the Purl initiative and bilateral aid, and that economic sanctions imposed on Russia bite, which is what is happening." This was said by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte arriving at the Foreign Ministerial. "It is the best thing to change Putin's mind."

"I'm not going to comment on everything Vladimir Putin says. We saw him in military clothing, dressed like a soldier, but well away from the front the day before yesterday'. This is how Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte responds, in Brussels on the sidelines of the Foreign Ministerial, to the threats uttered by the Russian president against Europe.

There is controversy in India, 24 hours before the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin, over an article signed by three ambassadors of European countries published in the Times of India newspaper under the title 'World wants the Ukraine war to end, but Russia doesn't seem serious about peace'. The three ambassadors - Britain's Lindy Cameron, France's Thierry Mathou and Germany's Philipp Ackerman - in the article accuse Putin of conducting cyber attacks and global disinformation and claim that the Russian president 'blocks and delays any serious talks on peace'. According to the ambassadors, 'Putin acts with total disregard for human life'. Senior Foreign Ministry officials in Delhi called the article 'unacceptable and unusual' and added that 'intervening in relations between third countries is not an acceptable diplomatic practice. We have taken note of this."

"We are coordinating extensively with the American side. I had an in-depth discussion with my American colleague Marco Rubio just the day before yesterday. We will continue on this path in the coming days. This also applies to all our other colleagues." German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said this on his arrival at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting. "This transatlantic alliance thrives on a strong connection that extends beyond the North Atlantic. This is to the benefit of all, it serves the security of all. And this awareness is present in Washington, as well as here in Brussels and in our capitals. We are part of this community, regardless of who specifically attends this meeting,' Wadephul said again, commenting on the absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio from the Brussels summit.

A fire that broke out overnight is destroying a fuel depot in Russia's Tambov region, following what is alleged to have been a Ukrainian drone attack. The Kyiv Independent writes this, quoting regional governor Yevgeny Pervishov as saying that debris from a drone fell on the facility in the settlement of Dmitrievka, triggering a fire in the depot.

The Telegram channel Astra reported that the Nikiforovskaya oil depot was targeted by the drone attack. There would be no casualties.