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Latest news bulletin | December 20th – Morning
euronews (in English)
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20/12/2024
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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News
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00:00
EU leaders seek to guarantee Ukraine security ahead of the incoming Trump administration,
00:06
but say the jury is still out on Syria.
00:10
Joining the EU summit in Brussels, Ukrainian President Zelensky was clear with his position
00:14
on a possible ceasefire. No security guarantees, no ceasefire.
00:21
Renovation work continues at Berlin's Kommersant Opera, but what impact will drastic cuts to
00:26
the city's culture budget have?
00:38
EU leaders met with Ukrainian President Zelensky for a two-day summit in Brussels, where they
00:42
sought to guarantee Ukraine security ahead of the incoming Trump administration.
00:48
It's widely expected that Donald Trump will force Europe to take far more of the burden
00:52
for its own security, including that of Ukraine's. But leaders were also clear that this could
00:57
not mean pushing Ukraine into an unjust ceasefire.
01:23
The EU also gave cautious welcome to the fall of Assad in Syria, but said time will tell
01:39
as to whether Hayat Tehran al-Sham, the group which has emerged, will keep up to its claims
01:44
that it will respect minorities and act responsibly in the region.
01:50
With the fall of Assad for the very first time in a decade, the people of Syria can
01:55
hope for a better future. But we all know that for now the jury is still out. It is
02:02
too early to say whether the new leadership will be able to deliver what they promise,
02:09
whether the territorial integrity will be preserved, national unity will be preserved,
02:16
minorities will be protected. Europe will do its part to support Syria at this critical
02:23
juncture because we care about Syria's future.
02:28
As much as EU leaders sought to reassure President Zelensky that they would protect Ukraine come
02:32
what may, it's clear that the EU is still in a position to wait and see what Donald
02:38
Trump will do regarding the fate of Ukraine, the future of Europe and other geopolitical
02:43
matters including Syria. Shona Murray, Euronews, Brussels.
02:51
The possibility of a ceasefire has been on the talks lately, but during his press conference
02:55
in Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky quickly killed the idea. For the
03:00
Ukrainian there should be a clear plan on how the day after will look like, which is
03:04
something that doesn't exist now.
03:13
I would like you to understand that we cannot live in a frozen conflict. When it comes
03:20
to a ceasefire, in any conflict, in any war, people know what will happen next, how it
03:25
will end. You need to know what will happen tomorrow in order to make a ceasefire today.
03:30
Otherwise, you just make a frozen conflict and that's it. That's why Ukraine needs
03:35
a guarantee of security, a strong position of Ukraine and a guarantee of security.
03:41
Zelensky praised during his talk the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, but he
03:50
had not such kind words for Vladimir Putin.
03:54
I think he's crazy. I think so. Really, I think he also thinks that he's crazy. No,
04:02
no, it's true. He loves to kill. That's very dangerous for everybody.
04:14
On February, it would be the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, a date arriving at
04:18
a critical moment for the conflict.
04:26
Speaking at his annual press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready
04:32
to negotiate on potential peace talks, but claims Ukraine is not ready to do so.
04:38
Politics is an art of compromise. We have always said that we are ready for negotiations
04:44
and compromises. The opposite side, in the literal and figurative sense of the word,
04:50
has refused to negotiate.
04:53
Putin holds the annual event combined with a question-and-answer session in an effort
04:57
to reinforce his authority.
05:00
It comes just a few days after Ukraine killed Russia's head of nuclear defense troops outside
05:06
of his apartment building in Moscow.
05:09
General Igor Kirillov was recently charged by Ukrainian prosecutors for using banned
05:14
chemical weapons.
05:17
When asked about his death, Putin commended the journalist for calling it an assassination
05:22
and accused Ukraine of repeatedly committing terrorist acts.
05:36
Putin also spoke about Russia's economy, a potential meeting with US President Donald
05:41
Trump, the situation in Syria and relations with China.
05:51
After three years and 24 hearings, a verdict in the open arms trial will be finally reached
05:56
on Friday in Palermo. But this is no ordinary verdict.
06:02
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini could face a sentence of up to six years in
06:07
prison.
06:08
The former interior minister has been charged with kidnapping for preventing 147 migrants
06:13
from disembarking on the island of Lampedusa in 2019.
06:17
The league leader has already made clear he will not step down if found guilty.
06:22
He believes that defending murders is not a crime.
06:25
Should I end up being convicted, this would be a major defeat for Italy.
06:30
These were his words.
06:33
The Patriots for Europe group has already defended Salvini's actions, while members of the league
06:39
party say they are ready to take to the streets if their leader will be convicted.
06:59
The Spanish NGO Open Arms Vessel, which had rescued the migrants, waited 19 days before
07:06
being allowed to disembark those on board.
07:11
They say that as a result, their operations suffered a major setback.
07:16
The Spanish NGO Open Arms Vessel, which had rescued the migrants, waited 19 days before
07:23
being allowed to disembark those on board.
07:26
As a result, their operations suffered a major setback.
07:29
Here is what they told us about the trial.
07:31
Let's take a listen.
07:33
We immediately asked for the truth about what happened in those 20 days.
07:38
And I have to say that for now we are very satisfied because through these 46 testimonies,
07:44
but through these long years, in reality, a fundamental truth has emerged.
07:49
That is, saving lives is not a crime, but rather an obligation of each of us.
07:54
In the case of the conviction, Salvini has the right to appeal, but it could take years
07:58
before a final verdict is reached.
08:01
But it's clear that whatever the judges decide this Friday will have a significant political
08:06
impact, not just in Italy, but also in the EU.
08:10
Giorgio Arlandi for Euronews in Rome.
08:18
Germany wants to increase the size of its armed forces up to 230,000 from the current
08:24
target of 203,000.
08:28
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the ambitious plan as he answered questions
08:33
in the Bundestag.
08:36
Germany currently has 180,000 active personnel, approximately 20,000 short of its current target.
08:44
The German armed forces have been struggling to recruit people for years.
08:50
The targets Pistorius wants to set will further complicate an already difficult objective.
08:57
Pistorius says the plan to increase the number of permanent staff is to meet NATO's capability
09:02
targets.
09:04
NATO demanded its members to increase their defense capacities to boost the alliance's
09:09
strength following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
09:16
Berlin's Komischer Opera House is likely to continue renovations despite drastic culture
09:22
budget cuts across the city.
09:24
The opera house has found a temporary new home at the nearby Schiller Theater, which
09:28
has 20% fewer seats than its original home and means fewer ticket sales.
09:33
Director Philipp Broeking says that the upcoming budget cuts are extremely painful and for
09:38
many theaters difficult to implement.
09:54
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
09:59
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:04
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:09
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:14
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:19
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:23
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:28
The budget cuts are painful and for many theaters difficult to implement.
10:32
Berlin is regarded as extremely progressive and unique because of its generous art funding.
10:37
But even if the renovation of the Komischer Opera that is due to take six years continues,
10:42
the budget cuts still affect Germany's image.
10:53
We know the history of Berlin quite well.
10:56
But what unites us is this huge cultural heritage that we can be proud of.
11:02
We have so many places here, theater houses, opera houses, where you can
11:07
challenge the conditions of human life.
11:10
So everything, where you get together, talk to each other, talk to each other and
11:15
talk about each other, there are not so many places.
11:18
Especially in times when democracy is threatened by the extreme edges,
11:23
it is very, very important to reassure yourself who you are and where you come from.
11:29
And we can deliver that.
11:31
But it's not just the culture that will be affected by the cuts.
11:35
The German economy, which continues to splutter, could use a little bit of acceleration
11:39
from the arts and culture, which brings in tens of millions of euros worth of revenue per year.
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