There is mounting pressure on Germany's Chancellor Scholz to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. Western powers have repeatedly stalled over giving Ukraine weapons it urgently needs to defend itself against Russia.

Whether it’s Russia's war on Ukraine, a possible Donald Trump comeback or changes to the bloc's own policies, the European Union has a lot on its plate in the coming year. And then there are the blocwide elections.

Surprises are in short supply for Russians. President Vladimir Putin will likely secure a fifth term in office. The economy remains stable despite sanctions. And few ordinary Russian are troubled by the war in Ukraine.

From an initial pledge of 5,000 helmets for Ukrainian troops following Russia's full-scale invasion, Germany is now delivering cutting-edge military technology — and will likely keep doing so in the new year.

Russian forces fired 71 shells at Ukraine's city of Kherson over a 24-hour period, damaging critical infrastructure. Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reiterates Berlin's support for Kyiv. DW has the latest:

A few days after Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington, social media accounts are claiming that the Ukrainian president had recently bought a mansion in Florida. The posts show pictures of a lavish mansion and a document that looks like a US naturalisation certificate under his name. But both photos are fake: Zelensky did not buy a house in the US, nor did he become a US citizen.

As European leaders tussle over key decisions on Ukraine ahead of a crucial EU summit on December 14-15, Talking Europe hosts Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olha Stefanishyna.

Ukraine's top general Valery Zaluzhny recently identified five areas that the country’s armed forces need to work on, in order to regain an edge over the Russians. Two of them involve drones: the drones themselves and the techniques for jamming them. Big and small, in the air, on land and in the sea, unmanned vehicles are absolutely central to this war. And the technology is evolving rapidly.

The Ukrainian president had spoken to the new president after his election and thanked him. Russia's ambassador to Argentina is also due to attend the inauguration, alongside a number of world leaders.

Ukraine's top general Valery Zaluzhny recently identified five areas that the country’s armed forces need to work on in order to regain an edge over the Russians. Two of them involve drones: the drones themselves, and the techniques for jamming them. Big and small, in the air, on land and in the sea, unmanned vehicles are absolutely central to this war, and the technology is evolving rapidly.

In a dramatic twist, Ukraine and Moldova got the OK to start EU membership talks after days of hardballing from Hungary. Viktor Orban, however, held up a deal on €50 billion of financing for Kyiv.

Hungary's Viktor Orban threatens to derail EU military aid to Ukraine. And Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can't rely on ongoing support from the United States either.