Europe

ROME, Dec 28 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Bank of Italy said yesterday, it will exchange the Croatian kuna at parity value, after the country adopts the euro currency on Jan 1.

In July, the Council of the European Union approved Croatia as the 20th country to gain accession to the euro currency.

In 2020, Croatia joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (EERM), establishing the value of the kuna at 7.5345 per euro.

KIEV, Dec 28 (NNN-UNIAN) – Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba said, Kiev is counting on holding a summit, to discuss the peace plan for Ukraine by the end of Feb, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

“The UN could be the best platform for holding this summit,” Kuleba said, suggesting that, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, could be a possible mediator for the peace negotiations.

MERDARE, Kosovo, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Kosovo closed its biggest border crossing with Serbia on Wednesday after protesters blocked it on the Serbian side to support their ethnic kin in Kosovo in refusing to recognise the country's independence.

Tensions between Belgrade and Pristina have been running high since last month when representatives of ethnic Serbs in the north of Kosovo left state institutions including the police and judiciary over the Kosovo government's decision to replace Serbian issued car licence plates.

MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's 10-point peace plan, saying that proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine must take into account what it calls "today's realities" of four Ukrainian regions having joined Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There can be no peace plan for Ukraine that does not take into account today's realities regarding Russian territory, with the entry of four regions into Russia. Plans that do not take these realities into account cannot be peaceful."

KIEV, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the next year will be decisive for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported late Tuesday.

"It must be a crucial year. We understand the risks in the winter, we understand what we have to do in the spring, and therefore we understand what results the entire defense and security sector must demonstrate," Zelensky said in a video address.

The Ukrainian authorities continue to prepare the country's defense and security forces for 2023, Zelensky said.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has bought some 1,400 drones, mostly for reconnaissance, and plans to develop combat models that can attack the exploding drones Russia has used during its invasion of the country, according to the Ukrainian government minister in charge of technology.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov described Russia’s war in Ukraine as the first major war of the internet age. He credited drones and satellite internet systems like Elon Musk’s Starlink with having transformed the conflict.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has worsened due to his age, and doctors are constantly monitoring the frail 95-year-old’s condition, the Vatican said Wednesday.

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said Pope Francis, who asked the faithful earlier Wednesday to pray for Benedict, went to visit his predecessor in the monastery on Vatican grounds where the retired pontiff has lived since retiring in February 2013.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — France’s defense minister arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss further military support for Ukraine, insisting the French government’s backing is unflagging while efforts are made to reach an eventual negotiated end to Russia’s invasion.

French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu traveled to Ukraine’s capital after a trip to Poland, where he announced a deal Tuesday to sell Poland two French-made military satellites.

MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/: Russia will keep screening films, despite the departure of Hollywood majors from the country, but it will need to produce some 300 movies domestically, including 60 major motion picture releases for that, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova told TASS.

ST. PETRERSBURG, December 27. /TASS/: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that on Monday evening his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and he had dotted the i’s and many issues were finally agreed upon. Now it is up to the governments of the two countries to put the finishing touches.