**Ukraine May Consider Foreign Troops for Ceasefire**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country may consider deploying foreign peacekeepers to ensure a ceasefire. However, this would only happen if Ukraine gets a clear understanding of when it can join NATO.
Zelensky made the comment after meeting German opposition leader Friedrich Merz on December 9. He plans to call U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss a NATO membership invitation for Ukraine.
**Macron’s Proposal**
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed deploying European peacekeepers to Ukraine while it is not in NATO. Zelensky said that Ukraine “can work” with this proposal, but only after getting clarity on the NATO membership timeline.
Ukraine has been pushing for NATO membership as a way to secure its borders and ensure a lasting peace. However, some NATO members, including the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, have opposed giving an invitation.
**Latest Developments**
Russian President Vladimir Putin should seek an end to the war in Ukraine, said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Trump also urged China to help negotiate a truce.
Syrian opposition fighters took control of the Latakia province, where Russian military facilities are based. A former head of Russia’s POW camp was allegedly killed in a car bombing in occupied Donetsk.
Russian forces have spent at least $200 billion on their war with Ukraine since 2022, said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
**Other News**
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal arrived in Kyiv to meet with President Zelensky. The EU’s defense commissioner proposed allocating €100 billion for defense in the next seven-year budget.
A 73-year-old man died after explosives were dropped from a drone on his home in Ukraine. Russian news agencies reported that Syria‘s Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia seeking asylum.
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