🇺🇸🇯🇵🇷🇺⚡- "We are concerned about the US-Japanese military maneuvers near our borders, which pose a security threat and we will take countermeasures," - Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister.

🇺🇸⚡- "US Naval Forces Central Command successfully launched the one-way attack drone LUCAS from a ship at sea in the Middle East for the first time on December 16," - NAVCENT.

🇺🇸⚡️- “The Consumer Price Index measured 2.7% from a year earlier, after hitting 3% in September, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday.

It’s the lowest rate since July; however, economists caution that the sharply slower reading could be the result of shutdown-related disruptions to the data collection process.

US stock futures rose after the report was released. Dow futures rose 188 points, or 0.4%; futures tied to the S&P moved up by 0.7% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 1.3%.” - CNN.

🇦🇺⚡- The Islamic State has finally responded to the Bondi Beach attack, labelling the father and son attackers as "lions" and praising their actions.

However, the group did NOT explicitly claim responsibility.

🇧🇾🇷🇺⚡️- Alexander Lukashenko announces that Russia has deployed Oreshnik missiles within Belarussian borders.

🇪🇺⚡️- The EU leadership summit today in Brussels holds major implications for Ukraine, enlargement, and migration.

🇪🇺⚡️ “Thursday is the last chance for EU leaders to green-light a proposal to leverage €210 billion in Russian assets across the bloc to run a loan to Ukraine.” - PoliticoEU.

🇪🇺🇧🇪⚡️- “Belgium’s support is crucial, as the bulk of frozen assets lie in the Brussels-based financial depository Euroclear, and its government fears being on the hook for substantial damages or retaliation from Moscow.”

Additionally, Belgian Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, lies in strong opposition to the proposal and has the support of Italy, Bulgaria, and Malta - PoliticoEU.

🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇸⚡️- Volodymyr Zelenskyy took questions at the EU summit. Zelenskyy spoke in Ukrainian the entire press conference except for this response:

“The United States, they are the decision-makers, who can really stop Putin, and I count on this. But I really count on pressure from the United States, and now the United States [is mediating more]… but I really wanted very much [to pressure Russia more]. Because I think Putin doesn’t want to stop this war but he can if the United States will pressure [Russia] more... and President Trump can… and God Bless that he will be successful in this.”

🇪🇺⚡️- “Enlargement is back on the agenda” for the Western Balkan nations after a leadership meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. Montenegro, furtherest along the path for EU membership is setting their sights on bloc membership by 2028 - PoliticoEU.

🇪🇺⚡️- EU negotiators have agreed to designate “safe countries of origin” to allow for quicker deportations of migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected.

Countries included: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Kosovo, Colombia, India, and Bangladesh - Deutsche Welle.

🇺🇸🇺🇳🇮🇱⚡- "Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning two International Criminal Court judges directly engaged in politicized and illegitimate actions against Israel. The United States has been clear: we will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to protect against the ICC’s lawfare, abuse of power, and blatant disregard for the sovereignty of the U.S. and Israel," - Secretary of State Marco Rubio.