Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commended recent sanctions imposed by the United States and Britain on Russia's oil producers, a major liquefied natural gas project, and over 100 tankers in its "shadow fleet". These measures aim to restrict Moscow's access to funds needed to continue its war efforts.
https://www.rferl.org/a/korea-ukraine-russia-prisoners-zelenskiy-kursk/33273965.htmlUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to meet in Kyiv on Friday to discuss resolving a dispute over the end of Russian gas deliveries through Ukraine. The issue arose when Ukraine refused to extend a transit agreement with Moscow, seeking to stop energy revenue from going to fund Russia's nearly three-year invasion. Slovakia has been affected by higher gas prices and lost fees due to the halt in flows, prompting Fico to seek a technical solution to restore the gas supplies. Zelensky had previously accused Fico of opening an "energy front" against Ukraine on Russia's orders, but Fico claims that a deal was close to being reached before it was rejected by Zelensky at an EU summit in December.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/europe/come-to-kyiv-on-friday-says-zelensky-on-slovakias-fico-gas-talks-offerUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russia a deal to return home in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners held captive in Russia. He stated that those who do not wish to return may be given the opportunity to spread information about the war, potentially bringing peace closer. The offer was made after two North Korean prisoners of war were captured by Ukrainian forces and interrogated. In the interrogation, one prisoner expressed a desire to return home while the other indicated he would follow orders but preferred to live in Ukraine.
https://www.montanarightnow.com/national_news/zelensky-ready-to-hand-north-korean-pows-to-pyongyang/article_31759627-8d9f-5df6-a16f-8ec18a209add.htmlUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed an exchange deal to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, offering to hand over two of his soldiers in return for Ukrainian warriors being held captive in Russia. The proposal was made after the release of a video showing two injured North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured by Ukraine on Saturday.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/01/12/ukraine-zelensky-vows-to-capture-more-north-korean-troops/2421736722703/Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to hand over two captured North Korean soldiers to their government in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war being held captive in Russia. The offer was made after South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed that the soldiers had been wounded fighting against Ukraine's troops in Russia's Kursk region. According to an interrogation video posted by Zelensky, one of the North Korean soldiers said he did not know he would be fighting in a war with Ukraine and was told it was just training. The other soldier expressed a desire to return to North Korea, while the second wanted to live in Ukraine if given the chance. South Korea's confirmation added weight to Kyiv's account, which had previously stated that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded fighting for Russia.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/zelensky-offers-to-exchange-north-korean-soldiers-with-captive-ukrainians-7460394Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for refusing his offer of help in adapting to a lack of gas transit from Russia. According to Zelensky, he offered Slovakia 500 million euros in Russian assets to support Ukraine's bid to join NATO, but Fico rejected the proposal. The dispute is related to the recent halt in Russian gas transit through Ukraine due to Kiev's refusal to renew an agreement with Gazprom.
https://www.fakti.bg/en/world/941108-zelensky-fico-returned-from-a-luxurious-vacation-in-vietnam-it-s-time-to-correct-his-mistakesThe White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, presented President Joe Biden with options for a potential US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran were to move towards developing an atomic weapon before January 20, when Donald Trump was set to take office. However, Iran has denied any intention to develop atomic weapons and maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, criticized the reports as a "gross violation of international law."
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/iran-expands-drills-ahead-of-nuclear-talks-with-europe-204601US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the US' commitment to defending South Korea from North Korean threats. During a visit to the region, North Korea fired a ballistic missile that landed in waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. Despite this, Blinken emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with South Korea and Japan, suggesting that the US is not open to the idea of South Korea developing its own nuclear capabilities.
https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3293906/why-us-will-not-allow-nuclear-armed-south-korea?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionBulgaria's national security is at risk due to ongoing conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, according to Yovchev, a former Minister of Internal Affairs. He warns that if NATO member states become involved in the conflict, it could pose direct threats to Bulgaria. The potential for internal clashes in Syria to escalate into civil war and create a new wave of refugees is also a concern, as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine potentially spreading to other countries or becoming global.
https://www.fakti.bg/en/bulgaria/941067-tsvetlin-yovchev-the-situation-in-the-middle-east-could-escalate-into-a-global-conflict