Talks with Putin
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he is ready for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in any format.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the ambassadors' conference "Diplomacy 30. A Strategy for a Strong State" in Huta, Ivano-Frankivsk Region, he said: "We say frankly, we are ready to meet with the Russian Federation. We are not afraid of it. In any format, with any of our partners, so that no-one is offended. But offences are the last thing we care about, so we are also ready for a direct one-on-one dialogue, regardless of format."
Poroshenko on treason charges
The fifth president of Ukraine and leader of the European Solidarity Party, Petro Poroshenko, is in Poland and will return to Ukraine in early January.
In a video message he said: "I would like to stress that I received a message from the presidential office that they would 'understand' if I stayed in Europe. I want to stress that I will not make them such a gift and that I will return to Ukraine in the first half of January. But according to my own schedule, not the schedule of the 'powerful video screenwriter' Mr Zelensky."
Zelenskyy on case against Poroshenko
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the treason case against his predecessor Petro Poroshenko will not affect the domestic political situation in Ukraine.
"If these are issues related to coal, trade with separatists, let the court and law-enforcement agencies sort it out," the president said.
Energy
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that the situation in the Ukrainian energy system is under control and the government knows how it will deal with problems if they arise.
He said that the Ukrainian energy system was showing a margin of safety even amid a significant cold snap. He insists that the problem of coal in Ukraine has been solved and its stocks are already increasing.
Court
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine has ruled that the provisions of the laws "On Television and Radio Broadcasting" and "On Cinematography" which prohibit the screening of Russian films in Ukraine and authorize the creation of a "black list" of Russian artists are constitutional.
Crime
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) counterintelligence has detained in Luhansk Region a former member of a separatist group involved in military actions against antiterrorist operation forces. The woman was trying to secretly enter the region's territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities in order to apply for pension.