The Europeans are demonstratively supporting Ukraine: several allies have pledged to set up a joint force for the invaded country. Read the full article here.
According to information from Washington, US President Donald Trump wants to speak by telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Europeans on Monday about the status of the Ukraine negotiations. A senior US official said the agreement discussed in Berlin provides for “really strong” US security guarantees for Ukraine, modeled on the NATO assistance pact, as well as a “very strong deterrent” through US weapons. The USA expected Russia to agree.
According to US information, there is progress on the question of possible security guarantees for Ukraine. A security package has been further developed that includes rules based on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, a high-ranking US official said after the talks in Berlin. It also includes surveillance and conflict prevention measures so that the Ukrainian population feels safe. According to the official, it does not amount to a US military operation in Ukraine. It is hoped the Russians will look at the plans, the US official added.
Article 5 of the NATO Treaty provides that an armed attack against one or more NATO members in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against all of them. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have been in Berlin since the weekend and are taking part in talks about a possible end to the Ukraine war.
According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the US Federal Police FBI has thwarted planned terrorist attacks targeting California from New Year’s Eve. These were planned in Los Angeles and the nearby Orange County district of the US state, the US minister announced on the X platform. A “far-left, pro-Palestinian, anti-government and anti-capitalist” group had prepared a “series of bombings at various targets in California,” it said.
