After US President Donald Trump reiterated his threats to take over Greenland, several European leaders have voiced opposition to the move. "It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," reads a joint statement by Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK and Denmark. Commentators discuss how Europe can respond.
The Slovakian parliament passed a new law in December that makes criticism of the Beneš decrees a criminal offence. In the post-war period, these decrees led to the expatriation and expropriation of the German and Hungarian minorities in Czechoslovakia. In Hungary, there have been protests against the law, but only by the opposition, while Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has remained silent on the issue.
Following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States, his former deputy Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim president in the parliament in Caracas. Rodríguez condemned the "kidnapping" of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, only to declare her willingness to cooperate with Washington shortly afterwards.
An arson attack on Saturday has left tens of thousands of households in south-west Berlin without electricity, heat or hot meals. A far-left activist group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) has claimed responsibility, saying its aim was 'to cut off the power feeding the powerful'. The power supply is expected to be restored gradually today. What does the attack say about the state of the country?
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been taken prisoner by the US, has stated in a New York court that he remains the legitimate president of his country and that he was "kidnapped". The 63-year-old rejected accusations that he abused his office and promoted drug trafficking. European commentators focus on the question of whether the US operation was legitimate.
In Iran, people have been protesting for more than a week, and the regime is cracking down hard. According to activists, at least 35 people have died and around 1,200 have been arrested. Triggered by a sharp drop in the value of the local currency, which drove angry traders onto the streets, the protests have since spread across the country and become political demonstrations.
Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Kyrylo Budanov, the former head of the military intelligence service HUR, as the new Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. He succeeds Andriy Yermak, who was forced to step down from this key position in Ukrainian politics in December amid a major corruption scandal. What prompted the appointment of the popular lieutenant general?
As the year 2025 draws to an end, commentators in Europe's press take stock and conclude that just twelve months into his second presidency Donald Trump has not only upended the situation in the US, but in international politics, too. However, some take hope from the fact that he is not as firmly in the saddle as he pretends to be.
In its war against Ukraine, Russia gained control of further territories in 2025 but failed to make significant advances on the front line. Ukraine is increasingly countering Moscow's massive air strikes with its own long-range missiles and the negotiations initiated by the US have intensified as the year 2025 draws to an end. What prospects are emerging after almost four years of war?