The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Poland have announced that their countries will adhere to the European Union’s decision to revoke the visa-free regime for Georgian diplomats. The decision is linked to the political crisis in Georgia and the official suspension of European integration by Tbilisi, according to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries (Germany, France, and Poland) – Annalena Baerbock, Jean-Noël Barrot, and Radosław Sikorski – expressed their serious concern over the political crisis that emerged in Georgia following the parliamentary elections on October 26 and the Georgian Dream party’s decision to freeze the EU accession process.

“The cause of this crisis lies in the political course chosen by Georgia’s ruling party and its departure from the European path,” the ministers stated.

Officials from Germany, France, and Poland emphasized that they had repeatedly urged the Georgian government to change its course and return to EU integration by adopting European norms and values and implementing reforms.

The ministers also strongly condemned acts of violence against protesters in Georgia, as well as attacks on media representatives and opposition leaders, which have been documented in recent weeks.

According to the foreign ministers of several EU countries, the political course of repression and retreat from democracy chosen by the ruling Georgian Dream party has led to the deterioration of our relations on both European and national levels and a reduction in our support and cooperation with the Georgian authorities.

“Therefore, we will comply with the EU decision to revoke the visa-free regime for Georgian holders of diplomatic and service passports and will consider additional measures at both the EU and national levels,” the joint statement said.

The statement also highlighted that, according to the OSCE/ODIHR report, the parliamentary elections held on October 26, 2024, in Georgia – a candidate country for EU membership – were marred by widespread violations of electoral procedures.

The foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries called on the Georgian authorities to engage in a national dialogue with all stakeholders to resolve the political crisis and to hold new elections.

“We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people,” the ministers added.

As previously reported, on December 27, 2024, the US imposed financial sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, for undermining Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic future in favor of Russia.

Earlier, the US had sanctioned Georgia’s Interior Minister, Vakhtang Gomelauri.

In mid-December, Lithuania imposed sanctions on an additional 17 Georgian politicians and officials. Before that, Estonia sanctioned the Georgian Prime Minister and 13 other officials.

It was also reported that on December 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to developments in Georgia and announced forthcoming sanctions.

In 2024, Russian forces captured 4,168 square kilometers, primarily consisting of fields and small settlements in Ukraine and the Kursk region. At the same time, the Russian army lost 427,000 soldiers, according to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts from the Institute noted that the Russian military command primarily prioritized efforts to capture the remaining territory of the Donetsk region and establish a buffer zone in the northern Kharkiv region in 2024, but was unable to achieve these objectives.

The Institute pointed out that, according to Western and Ukrainian sources, Russia had planned to seize all of Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the end of 2024. However, the slow progress of Russian forces in early and mid-2024 forced the Russian military command to reassess its plans and set the capture of Pokrovsk as the main offensive objective for the remainder of the year.

The ISW reminded that throughout 2024, Russian forces captured four medium-sized settlements: Avdiivka, Selydove, Vuhledar, and Kurakhove. The largest of these had a pre-war population of over 31,000. However, in December, Russian progress slowed.

“Russian forces would require just over two years to seize the remainder of Donetsk Oblast at their 2024 rates of advance, assuming that all their advances were confined to Donetsk, that they can seize large urban areas as easily as small villages and fields,” the ISW report states.

Instead, the Institute for the Study of War believes that to execute such plans, Ukrainian forces must first prevent Russian troops from advancing in their priority sectors. Therefore, Western support remains critically important for Ukraine’s ability to stabilize the front line in 2025.

Frontline situation

On December 31, 188 combat clashes occurred at the front. The enemy is most actively storming the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on four fronts in the Donetsk region.

The Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, stated that the delayed provision of sufficient weapons by Western countries and the prolonged suspension of restrictions on strikes with Western missiles against Russian targets allowed the Kremlin to reorganize its army for a prolonged war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian military officials noted that Russian losses during the assaults could reach up to 2,000 soldiers per day.

French President Emmanuel Macron has described the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as threats to his country’s security, unity, and economy. He also warned that election manipulations in Georgia, Moldova, and Romania pose a danger to European democracy, according to Macron’s New Year address to the French people and Reuters.

The French leader delivered a New Year’s speech, marking the end of a tumultuous 2024 for him. Earlier in the year, he shocked the nation by calling for early elections. This move backfired, creating a hung parliament with a significant rise in ultra-right-wing lawmakers, weakening Macron’s power.

“Lucidity and humility force (me) to recognise that at this stage, this decision has produced more instability than peace, and I fully own up to that. The dissolution caused more divisions in the Assembly than solutions for the French people,” the president said, clearly accepting his fault after the elections.

Macron justified his decision to call for early elections following a poor result in the European elections by the need to clarify the political situation. However, he lost his working majority and spent two months forming a minority government, which ultimately collapsed in December – marking the first time this has happened in France since 1962.

As a result, France was unable to approve its 2025 budget by the end of the year, and Macron was forced to appoint his fourth prime minister of the year in December – centrist veteran François Bayrou.

Use of referendums

Macron also opened the door to the use of referendums in 2025. Without explicitly using the word, he stated that he would ask the French people to decide on crucial issues, though he did not specify which ones.

“I want us to act with 2050 in our sights. We will have choices to make, for our economy, our democracy, our security, our children,” he said.

The French Constitution grants the president the power to initiate referendums.

In the past, Macron has also used citizens’ assemblies – gatherings of randomly selected citizens without any binding powers – to suppress uprisings, such as the yellow vest protests.

Tariff war with the US

Regarding international issues, in which he retains broad diplomatic and military powers, Macron stated that the European Union must stop being naive when it comes to international trade, as the bloc faces the threat of rising tariffs from newly elected US President Donald Trump.

“We must say no to trade rules enacted by others and that we are the only ones to still comply with, say no to everything that makes us more dependent on others, without tradeoffs and without preparing the future,” he said.

War in Ukraine is a threat to security

Macron also stated that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are not distant conflicts. According to him, these conflicts directly concern France and pose a threat to its security, unity, and economy.

He referred to recent events in Syria, election manipulations in Moldova, Georgia, and Romania, as well as terrorist attacks in Europe, as signs of a threat to European democracy.

Macron emphasized that terrorist attacks in Europe and on their borders demonstrated that security and the proper functioning of democracies could never be taken for granted.

The president is convinced that, for this reason, Europe must stop delegating its security and defense to other countries. At the same time, France must continue investing in military rearmament to guarantee its sovereignty.

The French president also urged EU partners, who often rely on the US security umbrella, to do more for their defense.

Situation in France

On December 23, France formed a new government led by Prime Minister François Bayrou. Eight ministers from the previous cabinet retained their positions in the new government.

Throughout the ongoing full-scale war, France, alongside the UK, has been actively providing military assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Recently, it was revealed that a pro-Russian hacker group targeted the portals of several French cities in retaliation for France’s support of Ukraine.

France became one of three countries to send financial aid of 150 million euros to Ukraine. The funds will be directed towards the production of weapons.

Meanwhile, the French Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State positions in Syria.

Poland has officially started its presidency of the European Union Council from January 1 to June 30, 2025. Among the main tasks for Warsaw during this period was strengthening European security in light of geopolitical conflicts, according to the official website of Poland’s presidency in the EU Council.

It is noted that since the beginning of this year, representatives of the Polish government have taken over the presidency at EU ministerial meetings from the Hungarian side, which ended after December 31, 2024.

A release regarding Poland’s priorities during its EU Council presidency states that the country assumes leadership in a period of uncertainty and concern.

“Europe is grappling with the consequences of Russia’s third year of armed aggression against Ukraine and the need to strengthen its own defence capacity. We are witnessing increasing geopolitical tensions, the erosion of the rulesbased international order and hybrid attacks targeting European democracy and security,” the Polish statement reads.

It is emphasized that Europe is going through a time of trials and decisions and that the EU must protect itself and its citizens and take care of its immediate neighborhood.

The release emphasizes that responsibility to future generations demands the unity of the EU and the willingness to collaborate with partners who share its values, including membership candidates. It also stresses the obligation to protect the values on which the Community is founded, such as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

Thus, Warsaw declares that the Polish Presidency will support activities strengthening European security in all its dimensions: external, internal, information, economic, energy, food, and health.

Here are the 7 relevant dimensions of security:

• Defense and security
• Protection of people and borders
• Resilience to external interference and disinformation
• Ensuring the security and freedom of business
• Energy transition
• Competitive and sustainable agriculture
• Health security

Expectations from Poland’s EU Council presidency

Earlier in December 2024, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, assured that Poland’s presidency of the EU Council in the first half of the upcoming year would help achieve consensus on further sanctions against Russia.

Sikorski also stated that Poland’s priorities during its presidency would focus on ensuring an effective pace of the EU’s enlargement process.

Recently, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, assessed what Ukraine can expect from Poland’s presidency in the EU starting in 2025.

For details about Poland’s plans during its presidency of the EU Council, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping once again stated that no one can stop the reunification of China with Taiwan. He called this event inevitable, reports Reuters.

“The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification,” Xi said in his New Year’s address.

The agency reminded that in his New Year’s speech last year, Xi stated that the reunification of China with Taiwan is inevitable. He added that people on both sides should be united by a common goal and share the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

China-Taiwan confrontation

China considers the democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory. However, Taipei rejects Beijing’s claims and states that only its people can decide their future, and China must respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

Tensions in the sensitive Taiwan Strait remained high throughout 2024, especially after Lai Ching-te became the new president of the island in May, a person whom Beijing considers a separatist.

Earlier this month, China conducted a large naval force buildup around Taiwan and also in the East and South China Seas. The maneuvers took place after Lai made stops in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam during a Pacific trip, which was heavily criticized by Beijing.

China, which has never ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, conducted two rounds of military exercises around the island last year. Beijing stated that these drills were a warning against separatist acts and promised to take further measures if necessary.

Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that he considers Taiwan to be an inseparable part of China and has expressed his intention to reunite the island with the People’s Republic of China. He has been the most aggressive in attempting to conquer and annex Taiwan through military means.

Taiwan’s leader, Lai Ching-te, confirmed that China views the annexation and elimination of Taiwan’s independence as a major national cause.

The delayed decisions by Western leaders regarding military aid to Ukraine and the lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes on Russian territory allowed the aggressor country to recover from its problems in 2022-2023. This enabled the Kremlin to restructure its army for further waging war, states Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak.

According to Podolyak, if these decisions had been made promptly by Ukraine’s partner countries and logistically implemented, the situation on the front line and in Russia would have been different.

He reminded that by the end of 2022 and throughout 2023, it was clear how frightened Russian President Vladimir Putin was, where he was, and how he practically avoided participation in any meetings – he disappeared. Russia was not effectively fighting on the front lines and did not understand what needed to be done.

Podolyak stated that it became clear that the Russian army was not prepared for large-scale, modern wars. At the beginning of 2023, the Russian army, like the entire military-political leadership of the country, appeared disoriented.

However, the pause and delays in making necessary decisions by Ukraine’s allies gave the Russian forces time and opportunity to recover, said the advisor to the head of the President’s Office.

Podolyak emphasized that Russia understands its inability to fight with high-quality weapons and high-tech solutions, relying instead on old Soviet methods.

“And that means using resources and manpower. Unfortunately, this could have certain consequences, as they see it, in terms of exerting pressure on European communities,” he said.

Podolyak also noted that prolonging the war by using resources leads to a certain fatigue in European countries and the broader West.

Issue of the West lifting the taboo on long-range weapons for Ukraine

In September 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained why Ukraine urgently needed long-range capabilities, as Russia was moving its targets deeper into the country.

At that time, restrictions on the use of Western weapons provided to Ukraine were still in place, with certain taboos imposed by the US and the UK.

On November 18, the US allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles to strike targets on Russian territory. It was also revealed that the Biden administration permitted strikes on Russian rear areas using Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, which contain American components.

Additionally, similar permissions were granted by the governments of the UK and France, whose defense companies manufacture these missiles, but with limitations, restricting their use to the Kursk region.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine published a separate article explaining why Russia can’t fight for years, or when Putin will run out of people

At the beginning of the new year, the terrorist group Hamas launched rockets from the Gaza Strip toward the southern regions of Israel, reports the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Terrorists fired two missiles from the central part of the Gaza Strip toward the southern Israeli city of Netivot.

Sirens were heard in the city and surrounding areas, located about 10 kilometers from Gaza.

According to the military, one missile was intercepted, and the other fell in an open area in the western part of the Negev Desert.

There are no reports of casualties from the attack.

The Hamas group claimed responsibility for the shelling.

Israel-Hamas war

On October 7, 2023, militants from the Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. In the first hours of the invasion, over 1,200 people were killed, and more than 250 hostages were taken.

Since October, the Israeli army has been conducting a military operation in Gaza, which is still ongoing.

On December 26, Hamas and Israel exchanged accusations over the delay in the ceasefire, which had been previously agreed upon. Hamas claimed that Israel had imposed additional conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of deviating from the agreements that had already been made.

Also, last week, IDF forces eliminated the head of Hamas’s Security Department. He had been hiding in a command center located in the building of a former school.