Russia continues to import foreign-made aircraft in violation of US and EU sanctions. At least 28 aircraft have entered Russia from abroad, including both small aircraft and large passenger liners, since the beginning of 2024.

The declaration comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed during a press conference on Dec. 19 that Ukraine would not extend the transit agreement for Russian gas through its territory, which is set to expire on Dec.

Domestic prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Russia halved in December from the previous month due to an influx of the fuel, exports of which have been curbed by European sanctions, Reuters calculations showed.

Switzerland adopted the latest EU sanctions package on Russia and Belarus, the government said on Monday. The move came one week after the European Union targeted Moscow's vessels and Chinese entities found to have traded with the Russian military.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Twenty percent or 448.5 Bcf of natural gas imported into the EU in the third quarter came from Russia, up two percentage points from the previous quarter and five percentage points against the third quarter of 2023.

The European Union has adopted a 15th package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscow's so-called shadow fleet,

The departure of Russia’s military from Syria should be a precondition for lifting European Union sanctions against the rebel group that took power in Damascus, according to the Dutch foreign minister.

Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Sunday that Russia was a "permanent and dangerous threat" to the EU, and stressed the need for increased defence spending and support for Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022.

Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico (shown here in Brussels in February 2024), in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP)