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00:00EU leaders seek to guarantee Ukraine security ahead of the incoming Trump administration
00:06but say the jury is still out on Syria.
00:11Speaking at his annual press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready
00:16to negotiate on potential peace talks.
00:21Renovation work continues at Berlin's Kommersant Opera, but what impact will drastic cuts to
00:27the city's culture budget have?
00:38EU leaders met with Ukrainian President Zelensky for a two-day summit in Brussels where they
00:42sought to guarantee Ukraine security ahead of the incoming Trump administration.
00:48It's widely expected that Donald Trump will force Europe to take far more of the burden
00:52for its own security, including that of Ukraine's.
00:56EU leaders were also clear that this could not mean pushing Ukraine into an unjust ceasefire.
01:02The European Union stands united in its support to Ukraine to win a comprehensive, just and
01:10lasting peace.
01:13Not any peace, not capitulation.
01:17Only Ukraine, as the aggressor country, can legitimately define what peace is.
01:26This means, and if and when, the conditions are met for credible negotiations.
01:34The EU also gave cautious welcome to the fall of Assad in Syria, but said time will tell
01:39as to whether Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group which has emerged, will keep up to its claims
01:44that it will respect minorities and act responsibly in the region.
01:50With the fall of Assad for the very first time in a decade, the people of Syria can
01:55hope for a better future.
01:57But we all know that for now the jury is still out.
02:02It is too early to say whether the new leadership will be able to deliver what they promise,
02:09whether the territorial integrity will be preserved, national unity will be preserved,
02:16and minorities will be protected.
02:20Europe will do its part to support Syria at this critical juncture because we care about
02:26Syria's future.
02:28As much as EU leaders sought to reassure President Zelensky that they would protect Ukraine come
02:32what may, it's clear that the EU is still in a position to wait and see what Donald
02:38Trump will do regarding the fate of Ukraine, the future of Europe, and other geopolitical
02:43matters including Syria.
02:45Shona Murray, Euronews, Brussels.
02:51The possibility of a ceasefire has been on the talks lately, but during his press conference
02:55in Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky quickly killed the idea.
03:00For the Ukrainian, there should be a clear plan on how the day after will look like,
03:04which is something that doesn't exist now.
03:15We can't live with a frozen conflict.
03:19When it comes to a ceasefire, in any conflict, in any war, people know what will happen next,
03:26how it will end.
03:28You need to know what will happen tomorrow in order to make a ceasefire today.
03:34Otherwise, you just make a frozen conflict and that's it.
03:38That's why Ukraine needs guarantees of security, a strong position of Ukraine and guarantees
03:44of respect.
03:46Zelensky praised during his talk the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump.
03:50But he had not such kind words for Vladimir Putin.
03:54I think he's crazy.
03:57I think so.
03:59Really, I think he also thinks that he's crazy.
04:04No, no, it's true.
04:07He loves to kill.
04:11It's very dangerous for everybody.
04:14On February, it would be the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, a date arriving at
04:18a critical moment for the conflict.
04:28Speaking at his annual press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready
04:33to negotiate on potential peace talks, but claims Ukraine is not ready to do so.
04:42We have always said that we are ready for negotiations and compromises.
04:47The opposite side, in the literal and figurative sense of the word, has refused to negotiate.
04:53Putin holds the annual event combined with a question-and-answer session in an effort
04:58to reinforce his authority.
05:01It comes just a few days after Ukraine killed Russia's head of nuclear defence troops outside
05:06of his apartment building in Moscow.
05:09General Igor Kirillov was recently charged by Ukrainian prosecutors for using banned
05:14chemical weapons.
05:17When asked about his death, Putin commended the journalist for calling it an assassination
05:22and accused Ukraine of repeatedly committing terrorist acts.
05:39Putin also spoke about Russia's economy, a potential meeting with US President Donald
05:48Trump, the situation in Syria and relations with China.
05:57After three years and 24 hearings, a verdict in the open arms trial will be finally reached
06:02on Friday in Palermo.
06:04But this is no ordinary verdict.
06:06Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini could face a sentence of up to six years in
06:10prison.
06:11The former interior minister has been charged with kidnapping for preventing 147 migrants
06:16from disembarking on the island of Lampedusa in 2019.
06:20The league leader has already made clear he will not step down if found guilty.
06:25He believes that defending murders is not a crime.
06:28Should I end up being convicted, this would be a major defeat for Italy and Europe, these
06:32were his words.
06:34The Patriots for Europe group has already defended Salvini's actions, while members
06:40of the league party say they're ready to take to the streets if their leader will be convicted.
07:04The Spanish NGO Open Arms Vessel, which had rescued the migrants, waited 19 days before
07:22being allowed to disembark those on board.
07:25They say that as a result, their operations suffered a major setback.
07:30Here is what they told us about the trial.
07:32Let's take a listen.
07:55In the case of a conviction, Salvini has the right to appeal, but it could take years before
07:59a final verdict is reached.
08:02It's clear that whatever the judges decide this Friday will have a significant political
08:06impact not just in Italy, but also in the EU.
08:10Giorgio Arlandi for Euronews in Rome.
08:19Germany wants to increase the size of its armed forces up to 230,000 from the current
08:24target of 203,000.
08:29German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the ambitious plan as he answered questions
08:33in the Bundestag.
08:36Germany currently has 180,000 active personnel, approximately 20,000 short of its current
08:42target.
08:45The German armed forces have been struggling to recruit people for years.
08:50The targets Pistorius wants to set will further complicate an already difficult objective.
08:57Pistorius says the plan to increase the number of permanent staff is to meet NATO's capability
09:02targets.
09:05NATO demanded its members to increase their defense capacities to boost the alliance's
09:09strength following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
09:17Berlin's Kormaschau Opera House is likely to continue renovations despite drastic culture
09:22budget cuts across the city.
09:25The opera house has found a temporary new home at the nearby Schiller Theater, which
09:28has 20% fewer seats than its original home and means fewer ticket sales.
09:33Director Philipp Broeking says that the upcoming budget cuts are extremely painful and for
09:38many theaters difficult to implement.
10:25Berlin is regarded as extremely progressive and unique because of its generous art funding.
10:38But even if the renovation of the Kormaschau Opera that is due to take six years continues,
10:43the budget cuts still affect Germany's image.
10:55Berlin's Kormaschau Opera House is one of the few places in the world where you can
11:02find a place where you can talk to each other, where you can meet people, where you can
11:07talk to each other, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can
11:12meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people,
11:15where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you
11:17can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet
11:19people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people,
11:21where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you
11:23can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people, where you can meet people,
11:25But it is not just the culture that will be
11:33affected by the cuts. The German economy as it continues to splutter could use a little
11:39bit of acceleration from the arts and culture, which brings in tens of millions of euros
11:44worth of revenue per year.