December 18, 2024. International news round-up / last 24 hours

The conflict in Ukraine is at the center of the international political agenda. The visit of Donald Trump's special envoy General Keith Kellogg to Europe, along with the killing by Ukrainian special services of Russian General Igor Kirilov, is being intensely discussed internationally. The involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict, its impact on the energy sector and scenarios on negotiations dominate the international relations space.

The war in Ukraine

• US General Keith Kellogg will visit Europe in preparation for the opening of negotiations to end the conflict.
• North Korean troops deployed to Russia have suffered significant casualties in fighting in the Kursk region, and casualties are being cremated to conceal their identities.
• The killing of Russian general Igor Kirilov in Moscow by Ukrainian intelligence is interpreted not only as a success for Kiev, but also as a signal of the vulnerability of Russian systems.
• Zelenski ironizes Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's attempts to mediate, citing the Budapest leader's lack of influence over Putin.
• Ukraine announces it will not extend Russian gas transit deal after 2025.
• Slovakia is negotiating intensively for gas supplies, refusing to accept supplies exclusively from the West.
• Massive pollution in theBlack Sea, caused by sunken Russian tankers, is drawing criticism from international organizations.

Other topics

• The EU-Western Balkans Summit will discuss EU enlargement, limiting the impact of cross-border migration and European military preparedness. The talks reflect efforts to counter Russian influence in Southeast Europe.
• UN representatives have called for an end to Israeli military operations in Syria, saying they could have regional reverberations and lead to new conflicts.
• Turkey is consolidating its regional influence after several Ankara government officials visited Damascus.
• Germany is facing the spectre of a significant rise of populist actors in the legislature after the decision to hold early elections after the fall of the government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Top 5 entities mentioned

• Ukraine
• Russia
• European Union
• US
• Syria

*****Summary compiled using a monitoring feed provided by NewsVibe Romania. The top international topics are identified from the automated monitoring of impactful media sources in Romania, as well as from the tracking of foreign policy topics in mainstream media sources and the pages of the main influencers. The analysis, data and images presented have been enhanced with the help of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.