Europe – Page 73 – Prologue Journal

Zelensky to Meet With E.U. Leaders to Discuss Ukraine’s Future

New York Times As Donald J. Trump prepares to take office in the United States, President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend a dinner hosted by the NATO chief to plot the path forward in the war with Russia. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/zelensky-eu-ukraine.html

In Syria, First Domestic Flight Since Assad’s Overthrow Lands in Aleppo

New York Times A Syrian Air flight from Damascus landed in Aleppo on Wednesday, as the transitional government tries to demonstrate its ability to run the war-shattered country. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/syria-flight-damascus-aleppo-rebels.html

Who Is Friedrich Merz of Germany?

New York Times If polls are correct, Olaf Scholz’s successor could be Friedrich Merz, 69, leader of the Christian Democratic Union. He is offering to get the German economic engine humming again. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/germany-friedrich-merz-chancellor.html

The Once Booming Drug Town Going Bust Under Taliban Rule

New York Times Funding its war against the United States, the Taliban reaped millions from boom towns trading opium, heroin and meth. Victorious, the group crushed the trade, leaving ghost towns in its wake. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/asia/afghanistan-opium-heroin-taliban.html

Suspect in Russian General’s Killing Detained Outside of Moscow

New York Times The suspect, a 29-year-old citizen of Uzbekistan, confessed to planting the bomb that killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in Moscow, a spokeswoman for Russian prosecutors said. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/russia-general-killing-suspect-uzbekistan.html

Wednesday Briefing

New York Times Here’s what you need to know. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/briefing/russia-general-syria-israel.html

U.K. Police Chiefs Were Too Slow to Respond to Summer Riots, Report Says

New York Times Police leaders waited too long — three days — to trigger a national mobilization to tackle the anti-immigrant violence that broke out in Britain this year, a report found. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/world/europe/uk-riots-police-response-report.html

Congressional Leaders Unveil Short-Term Spending Bill Tied to Disaster Aid

New York Times What started out as a simple stopgap measure to avert a shutdown for a few months became a magnet for more than $100 billion in emergency disaster and farm aid, plus a host of unrelated policy measures. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/world/europe/congress-short-term-spending-bill.html

Video Captures Blast That Killed Russian General Igor Kirillov

New York Times A video clip that recorded the assassination of Igor Kirillov, a high-ranking general, gives a few clues about the power and the placement of the explosive device. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/world/europe/russian-general-assassination-igor-kirillov-video.html

France Rushes Aid to Mayotte, ‘Devastated’ by Cyclone

New York Times Hundreds are feared dead after the storm razed entire neighborhoods in Mayotte, a series of islands off the eastern coast of Africa, before unleashing its destructive force on Mozambique. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/world/africa/mayotte-cyclone-chido-curfew-deaths.html