Press Room

France and Poland. French President Emmanuel Macron will fly to Warsaw on Thursday, reportedly to discuss a plan for a possible European postwar peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. According to a Polish media report, the force could consist of 40,000 troops from multiple countries. This comes after Macron met last week with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine war swiftly and is widely expected to push Europe to accept more of the burden for Kyiv’s defense. Russia and China. The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, arrived on Wednesday for a two-day working visit in China, where he will meet with top Chinese officials. This comes after the U.S. deputy defense secretary for the Arctic said last week that Beijing was using its support for Moscow in the Russia-Ukraine war to expand its access to the Arctic – a comment that the official China Daily newspaper called a “baseless allegation” in an article published on Wednesday. Avoiding a crisis. Egypt has sought help from Israel to avoid an energy crisis amid delays in the arrival of liquefied natural gas from Western Europe and a slowdown in domestic gas production, the London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news outlet reported. Egyptian authorities have reportedly asked Israel to supplement the country’s gas supplies and inquired about the purchase of a third reliquefaction station to process the large volumes of gas that Egypt plans to import in the coming years. Israeli operation in Syria. The Israeli military announced the completion of the main phase of its operation in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime last week. About 70-80 percent of the Syrian army's strategic capabilities have been destroyed, according to Israel’s Defense Ministry. About 350 combat aircraft took part in the operation, and ground forces will continue to operate in the border buffer zone. U.S. in the Middle East. The commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, visited Syria and Iraq on Tuesday. In a statement, U.S. CENTCOM said Kurilla witnessed the rapidly evolving situation in Syria and observed efforts to prevent the Islamic State group from taking advantage. In Iraq, he met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and other officials to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security. Talks in Tokyo. The United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first trilateral talks in Tokyo on Tuesday. According to a joint statement, officials discussed deepening coordination on regional maritime issues. This comes after the three countries held joint naval exercises in the South China Sea last week. Funding defense. The Japanese government is reportedly considering gradual tax hikes starting in 2026 to help cover its planned doubling of the defense budget. The government has already said it will raise revenue by increasing corporate, income and tobacco taxes but has not yet announced a plan. According to a Kyodo news report, corporate and tobacco taxes will increase beginning in April 2026, while a new income-related tax could be introduced in January 2027. Milestone. The United States successfully conducted its first-ever ballistic missile intercept test from Guam. Military officials said it was a milestone in U.S. efforts to “defend against evolving adversary threats.” Cooperation review. France and Armenia signed a defense cooperation plan for 2025 during talks attended by top defense officials from both countries. They also reviewed the results of their cooperation throughout 2024. Ties between the two countries have been growing, with France pledging earlier this year to provide Armenia with weapons and other military assistance. Argentina's economic performance. Argentine President Javier Milei declared the country’s recession over in a speech marking the one-year anniversary of his inauguration. Milei also said Argentina’s economy “has finally begun to grow,” with annual inflation declining from 211.4 percent in December 2023 to 193 percent in October and a sustained budget surplus for the first time in 123 years. Targeting migrants. Russia’s State Duma on Tuesday adopted on the first reading a bill banning children of migrants who have not passed a Russian language test from attending Russian schools. The speaker of the State Duma said 200,000 migrant children were reported as having trouble communicating in school in the last academic year.

Moving in. Following the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s regime, Israeli forces seized control of the demilitarized Golan Heights buffer zone separating southwestern Syria and northeastern Israel. Calling the move a “temporary defensive position,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was necessary after Syrian regime forces responsible for enforcing the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement abandoned their posts. Separately, Russia relinquished control to Israel of an observation post and two other facilities in Daraa province, which borders the Golan Heights, an anonymous Arab source told Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya. Safe … for now. Leaders of the Syrian opposition assured Russia that its military bases and diplomatic institutions in the country are secure, an anonymous source in the Kremlin told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee similarly said Russia’s forces in the country were safe. The fate of the Russian bases will be decided by Syria’s new leaders, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said. In addition to smaller facilities, Russia’s military has two major bases in Syria: an air base in Khmeimim and a naval base at Tartus. Not leaving … yet. U.S. forces bombed dozens of Islamic State camps and operatives in Syria on Sunday, according to U.S. Central Command. The U.S. and its allies are committed to preventing the group from exploiting the situation in Syria and will not allow it to reemerge, the CENTCOM commander said. Meanwhile, the chief of the Turkish defense staff spoke separately with his British counterpart and the top U.S. commander in Europe about developments in Syria. Finally, U.S. and British officials both indicated that they could remove Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that led the rebels who toppled Assad’s regime, from their lists of terrorist organizations depending on the group’s future actions. On alert. Taiwan’s military is on high alert and has initiated war-preparedness drills after the Chinese military reserved the airspace in seven areas off the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. Taiwanese forces are keeping a watchful eye on the activities of the People’s Liberation Army and will adjust combat readiness deployments based on PLA movements and other factors, such as the weather, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said.

Syria's next steps. Following the capture of Aleppo by rebel forces last week, Bashar Assad is now open to proposals by the U.S. and Gulf states to loosen ties with Iran, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing “informed circles in Washington.” There is apparently a preliminary agreement in place that could pave a path to talks between Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with encouragement from Moscow. There are also reportedly hints of a security guarantee plan for Syrian militants who withdraw from Aleppo. Iraqi support. Meanwhile, the London-based news site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Assad has asked Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for support against rebel forces. According to the story, Assad requested direct military support, which was understood to mean the supply of “special weapons.” The outlet said, however, that the political leadership in Baghdad is divided over whether to provide such assistance to the Syrian regime. Returning home. Turkish pro-government newspaper Sabah reported that Syrian refugees living in Turkey have begun to return to their homeland following the rebels' advance. According to the outlet, about 200 Syrians daily have been leaving via the Cilvegozu border crossing. However, Turkey’s interior minister warned on Wednesday that it’s still not safe to return to Aleppo province, the former home of some 42 percent of Syrian refugees in Turkey. French shakeup. France’s National Assembly voted in favor of a no-confidence motion, essentially bringing down the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Opposition lawmakers proposed the vote after Barnier, who was appointed just three months ago, unveiled a 2025 budget that included austerity measures and pushed through a social security financing bill without a vote. Laying groundwork. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, visited Qatar and Israel in late November, Reuters reported. He met separately with the Israeli and Qatari prime ministers, apparently to discuss a ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas and a hostage release deal. According to the report, the talks indicate Qatar is likely resuming its role as a mediator in the conflict after suspending its involvement last month. Rare communication. Russia’s military chief, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, reportedly warned the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown, ahead of Russia’s test launch of hypersonic missiles in the eastern Mediterranean earlier this week. A statement from Brown’s spokesperson acknowledged that the two had a conversation about “a number of global and regional security issues,” including Ukraine, though it did not confirm that Gerasimov had warned about the missile test. Outsider. Armenia has not participated in any activities of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization since announcing it would freeze its membership earlier this year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. He said Armenia considers itself “outside of the CSTO,” which he had repeatedly criticized for not supporting Yerevan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan last year. Russia and China. A detachment of Russian warships arrived at the Chinese port of Qingdao, where they will remain until Dec. 9, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. According to the ministry, the visit is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the fleets of the two countries. Beijing's opening. During talks with the chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said his country would welcome more U.S. financial institutions and capital to China, Chinese media reported. He also said China was advancing measures to “deepen comprehensive reform” and expanding its economic opening. U.S. and Japan. The U.S. Space Force launched its first-ever unit in Japan, a sign of the countries’ increasing vigilance over the threats posed by China, Russia and North Korea. The unit will operate out of Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo with a staff of about 10.

Russian economics. Russia’s central bank governor, Elvira Nabiullina, said another interest rate hike in December is possible, after the bank raised the key rate to a record 21 percent in October. However, she said an increase at the Dec. 20 meeting is “not predetermined,” despite the declining value of the ruble, which could fuel inflation. She also said that Russia has managed to avoid an “inflationary spiral” but that the bank did not expect inflation to slow to its 4 percent target until 2026. Meanwhile, VTB, one of Russia’s largest banks, expects retail lending to decrease by roughly 30 percent and mortgage lending to decline by at least 20 percent in 2025. Hot topic. The foreign ministers of Syria and Egypt discussed developments in northern Syria and their implications for the region during a call, the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry said. They also explored “ways to enhance Arab support for the Syrian state,” according to the ministry. Relatedly, Iran’s foreign minister said in an interview with the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news outlet that Tehran would consider sending troops to Syria if Damascus asked it to do so. Turkish diplomacy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Ankara, they discussed bilateral relations and regional and global matters, including recent developments in Syria. Erdogan also spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani about security matters in the region, including Syria. Russian drills. Russia’s navy and air force conducted on Tuesday exercises that included the test launch of hypersonic missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Russian vessels fired hypersonic Zircon missiles as well as a Kalibr cruise missile at a sea target as part of the drills. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the military also launched an Onyx cruise missile from a “designated area on the Mediterranean coast.” NATO protection. Norway announced that it will send 100 troops as well as F-35 fighter jets and air defense systems to Poland to help safeguard the country’s airspace. The assets will be tasked with protecting the area around the Rzeszow airport, which is 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Ukrainian border and a key hub for transporting military equipment. Ukraine's priorities. Ukraine should hold off on peace talks with Russia until Kyiv “gets into a position of strength,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said ahead of a foreign ministers’ summit in Brussels. He argued that Ukraine needs more military aid and “less talk about what a peace process might look like” as it faces continued Russian advances. Steps toward a two-state solution. France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a conference in June on creating a Palestinian state, French President Emmanuel Macron announced. When asked whether France would recognize a Palestinian state, Macron said this would happen “at the right moment” and when it could trigger “reciprocal movements of recognition.” Pressure on Iranian oil. The United States imposed new sanctions on 35 entities and vessels involved in transporting Iranian oil to foreign markets, the U.S. Treasury Department announced. In a statement, the department said the measures are aimed at increasing pressure on Iran’s oil sector, which helps fund the country’s nuclear and weapons programs and supports terrorist activities in the region. Security talks. Azerbaijan’s defense minister met with a military delegation from Saudi Arabia during the latter’s official visit to Baku. A statement on the talks released by Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry mentioned that the two countries would also hold a meeting with Turkey in Baku related to intelligence matters. Closer ties. China and Nepal signed nine deals during the Nepalese prime minister’s official visit to Beijing on Tuesday. The agreements relate to various infrastructure and development projects and efforts to enhance trade. Australia and Singapore. During a visit to Singapore, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the two countries would announce in 2025 an upgrade to their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which will include closer military cooperation. Both countries also agreed to consider increasing each other's access to their military facilities.

Movements in Tartus. Russia’s naval base at Syria’s port of Tartus is reportedly under increasing threat as opposition forces gain ground against the Assad regime. On Monday, Russia’s auxiliary Yelnya ship was seen departing from the port, and reports indicate that other vessels, including frigates and a submarine, may have left as well. This comes after opposition forces seized control of the city of Aleppo and several other towns and villages last week. Key Russian assets and strategic planning could be at risk if rebels attack the base at Tartus, which became Russia’s main overseas naval base following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. U.S.-Russia dialogue. Meanwhile, the commander of the U.S.-led coalition to combat the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq has communicated with Russian officials via an existing hotline, a spokesperson for the Pentagon said at a press briefing. He wouldn’t provide further detail on the communications but said the hotline was meant to “prevent potential miscalculation” between forces operating in proximity to each other. Opposition cooperation. Hadi al-Bahra, the leader of an overseas-based coalition of Syrian opposition groups, said at a press conference in Istanbul on Monday that the opposition was ready for talks with Syrian leader Bashar Assad. He also stressed that rebel groups would not stop fighting until a political transition takes place in the country. Also in Istanbul, pro-Kurdish demonstrators held a rally against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that overtook Aleppo from government forces. Israeli retaliation. Israel late Monday launched airstrikes in Lebanon in response to Hezbollah firing two mortars at Mount Dov, a disputed Israeli-held territory known as Shebaa Farms in Lebanon. This comes after both sides agreed last Wednesday to a ceasefire deal following months of fighting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned that Hezbollah’s shelling of the area was “a serious violation of the ceasefire.” At least 11 people were reportedly killed in the Israeli strikes. Tit for tat. China imposed a ban on the export to the United States of a number of minerals that have potential military applications. China’s Commerce Ministry said gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials would no longer be exported to the U.S. over national security concerns. Some of these minerals are used in the production of semiconductors. The move was in response to Washington’s announcement a day earlier of new export control measures against China that could further restrict the development of China’s semiconductor and AI industries. Singling out Beijing. Malaysia’s deputy trade minister called on Chinese companies to stop using the country to skirt U.S. tariffs. The minister accused Chinese firms of “rebadging” their products in Malaysia to avoid U.S. duties, risking negative attention from Washington as it looks to further curb China’s production of semiconductor processing equipment. Malaysia accounts for 13 percent of global semiconductor testing and packaging. Done deal. The parliament in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia voted not to ratify an investment agreement with Russia that sparked unrest in the regional capital last month. The agreement would have provided benefits and support to Russian investors for projects in Abkhazia.