**German Chancellor Candidate Visits Ukraine**
Friedrich Merz, a German politician who is running to be the next chancellor of Germany, arrived in Kyiv on December 9. He said his visit was to learn about the current state of defense in Ukraine and to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Merz has been critical of the way German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has handled Ukraine’s war with Russia. Merz wants Germany to take a stronger stance against Russia, and to supply Ukraine with more military aid. He even suggested that if Russia doesn’t stop its aggression, the West should lift all restrictions on long-range strikes, and Berlin would supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
**Russia Spends Billions on War**
The war in Ukraine has been costly for Russia. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Russia has spent at least $200 billion on the war since it started in 2022. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is also facing challenges in Syria, where rebels are advancing and pushing towards Russian military bases.
**Explosives Dropped from Drone**
A 73-year-old man was killed in Ukraine when explosives were dropped from a drone in the town of Kindiika close to Kherson on December 8. This is just one example of the violence that continues in Ukraine as Russia’s war drags on.
**Assad Fled Syria**
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria, where rebels have taken control of the capital city of Damascus. Assad was granted asylum in Russia, which said it was given on “humanitarian grounds”. The U.S. and EU have welcomed Assad’s departure, seeing it as a sign of weakness for his backers, Russia and Iran.
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