On Friday, 10 January, New York Judge Juan Merchan sentenced US President-elect Donald Trump to an unconditional discharge in the case involving hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Antal Rogan, a senior Hungarian government official and one of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's closest associates.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian opposition, has called on Western countries not to recognise the upcoming so-called presidential elections in Belarus.

The US Department of the Treasury on 31 December announced sanctions against individuals from Iran and Russia for involvement in meddling in US elections.

Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu, who took office on 23 December, has had his first telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha.

Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha held his first phone call with Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, the newly-appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, on 31 December.

In his traditional Christmas message on 25 December, Pope Francis mentioned the war in Ukraine, calling for an end to it and for negotiations for a just peace.

The European Union has transferred the second tranche of grant aid of €150 million to Ukraine's budget for rapid reconstruction.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has stated that a Russian missile violated Moldova's airspace on the night of 24 December.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha believes that Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Ukraine indicates its unwillingness to agree to ceasefire proposals.

Romania has said that its air defence did not record the entry of a Russian missile into its airspace during the large-scale attack on Ukraine on the night of 24-25 December.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that he will not participate in the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) near St Petersburg, Russia, on 25 December.

One of the cruise missiles that Russia used to attack Ukraine on the night of 24-25 December came from Moldova’s airspace.

Joe Biden’s administration  has been considering the introduction of new "serious sanctions" targeting Russia's energy sector before the end of the US president’s term.

Poland launched fighter jets into the air after Russia fired missiles into Ukrainian airspace on the night of 25 December.