European Union leaders have agreed a major new long-term financial support package for Ukraine, signalling continued backing for Kyiv as the war with Russia enters another year. The deal centres on a multi-billion-euro loan, underwritten by profits generated from frozen Russian state assets held in Europe.

At a summit in Brussels, EU leaders said the agreement would provide Ukraine with predictable funding for military support, public services and reconstruction, while avoiding the need for repeated, politically fraught negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing leaders remotely, welcomed the move as “a vital signal of unity” and said it would help Ukraine plan ...

The United States has proposed offering NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal with Russia, in a move allies say could mark the most significant breakthrough in negotiations since the war began.

According to US and European officials, the proposal would provide Ukraine with Article 5-like protections, committing Western powers to respond if Ukraine were attacked again. While Ukraine would not become a NATO member under the plan, the guarantees are designed to deter future Russian aggression and reassure Kyiv that any ceasefire would not simply pause the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed what allies described as “serious ...

A Hong Kong court has found prominent pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai guilty of multiple national security offences, delivering a verdict that critics say underscores Beijing’s tightening grip on dissent and press freedom in the semi-autonomous city. The decision follows a high-profile, months-long trial that drew global scrutiny and widespread condemnation from rights groups and foreign governments.

Lai, a British citizen and founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted of charges tied to the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The indictments included accusations of colluding with foreign forces to destabilise state power — provisions widely criticised by international ...

A deadly attack on a joint US–Syrian patrol near Palmyra in central Syria on Saturday, December 13, 2025, resulted in the deaths of two US Army soldiers and one American civilian interpreter, officials confirmed. Three additional US service members and Syrian security personnel were wounded in the assault, which authorities have attributed to the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the incident as an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman, who was subsequently engaged and killed by partner forces at the scene. Pentagon officials said the patrol was conducting a key leader engagement and counter-terrorism operations at the time of ...

The European Union has taken an unprecedented step in its response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine by agreeing to freeze approximately €210 billion of Russian sovereign funds held across the bloc indefinitely. This move replaces the old system, which required a unanimous renewal of sanctions every six months and risked being overturned by Kremlin-friendly governments like Hungary or Slovakia.

EU leaders say the indefinite immobilisation is necessary to keep the funds locked until Russia ends its war of aggression and pays reparations for the destruction inflicted on Ukraine. By invoking emergency economic powers, Brussels hopes to avoid future vetoes and ...