<p><strong>Day 1,390.</strong></p><p>Today, after another weekend of intense diplomatic activity, we take you to Berlin, where President Zelensky is meeting the American delegation – joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – as Europe seeks to reassert itself in the peace process. We also examine the surge in military activity over the weekend, which saw multiple cities plunged into blackout, before turning to Germany’s rapidly evolving position, where comparisons are increasingly being drawn between today and the events that sparked the Second World War.</p><br><p><strong>Contributors</strong></p><p>Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.</p><p>Dominic Nicholls&nbsp;(Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.</p><p>James Rothwell&nbsp;(Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.</p><br><p><strong>SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:</strong></p><p><a href="http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.</p><br><p><strong>CONTENT REFERENCED:</strong></p><p>Zelensky gives up Nato ambitions in peace deal concession (The Telegraph):</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/14/zelensky-gives-up-nato-ambitions-in-peace-deal-concession/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/14/zelensky-gives-up-nato-ambitions-in-peace-deal-concession/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>MI6 chief warns Putin: We won’t abandon Ukraine (The Telegraph):</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/15/mi6-chief-warns-putin-we-wont-abandon-ukraine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/15/mi6-chief-warns-putin-we-wont-abandon-ukraine/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>FBI boss met with Ukraine’s top peace negotiators (The Telegraph):</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/12/12/fbi-boss-ukraine-top-peace-negotiators/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/12/12/fbi-boss-ukraine-top-peace-negotiators/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>Lithuania in state of emergency over smuggler balloons linked to Russia (The Telegraph):</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/09/lithuania-in-state-of-emergency-over-smuggler-balloons-link/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/09/lithuania-in-state-of-emergency-over-smuggler-balloons-link/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>German tank-shaped Christmas calendar ‘glorifying war’ (The Telegraph):</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/10/german-tank-shaped-christmas-calendar-glorifying-war/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/10/german-tank-shaped-christmas-calendar-glorifying-war/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>New Ukrainian Polling:</p><p><a href="https://kiis.com.ua/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://kiis.com.ua/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>Chess-FIDE reinstates Russian and Belarusian teams in official contests (Reuters):</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/chess-fide-reinstates-russian-belarusian-teams-official-contests-2025-12-15/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.reuters.com/sports/chess-fide-reinstates-russian-belarusian-teams-official-contests-2025-12-15/</a>&nbsp;</p><br><p>‘Disrupting Russian Air Defence Production: Reclaiming the Sky’ (RUSI):</p><p><a href="https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/research-papers/disrupting-russian-air-defence-production-reclaiming-sky" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/research-papers/disrupting-russian-air-defence-production-reclaiming-sky</a></p><br><p>Comprehensive approach to security: Federal Council launches consultation on Switzerland's security policy strategy (Swiss Government)</p><p><a href="https://www.news.admin.ch/en/newnsb/BLkWfUbUsXtBFoSj-krgU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.news.admin.ch/en/newnsb/BLkWfUbUsXtBFoSj-krgU</a></p><br><p>UN Press Page:</p><p><a href="https://press.un.org/en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://press.un.org/en</a></p><br><p><strong>LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:</strong></p><p>The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: <a href="https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest</a></p><br><p>Subscribe:&nbsp;<a href="http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest</a></p><p>Email:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>