Asia, Europe, and the United States center on ongoing conflicts, political transitions, and seasonal disruptions

On December 28, 2025, major headlines across Asia, Europe, and the United States center on ongoing conflicts, political transitions, and seasonal disruptions.

In Asia, Myanmar's military junta has begun a phased general election amid the country's prolonged civil war and deepening humanitarian crisis. Voting started in some areas with reports of tepid turnout, as many participate out of fear rather than enthusiasm, and the process is widely dismissed by critics—including the United Nations—as a sham designed to legitimize the ruling regime. The polls, staggered through late January, unfold against a backdrop of massive displacement, acute hunger risks, and intense fighting that has devastated parts of the nation. Separately, Thailand and Cambodia have reached a second ceasefire agreement to halt recent deadly border clashes—the worst in years—following weeks of artillery, tank, and drone exchanges that killed dozens and displaced over a million people, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim welcoming the de-escalation.

In Europe, the Russia-Ukraine war remains the dominant story. Russian forces launched one of the year's most intense aerial barrages on Kyiv and surrounding regions just before key diplomatic moves, using hundreds of missiles and drones, killing at least two people, wounding dozens more, and leaving over 40 percent of residential buildings in the capital without heat amid freezing temperatures. This escalation precedes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's high-stakes meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a potential peace framework, including security guarantees, the status of occupied territories like Donbas and Zaporizhzhia, and Ukraine's possible concessions on NATO aspirations. Zelenskyy has described Putin as a "man of war" unwilling to pursue genuine peace, while Russia warns that any European troops deployed to Ukraine would become legitimate targets. Meanwhile, Kosovo held snap parliamentary elections to break a year-long political deadlock that has blocked government formation and delayed critical EU and World Bank funding for the young nation.

In the United States, attention focuses heavily on the Zelenskyy-Trump summit at Mar-a-Lago, where discussions aim to advance a slimmed-down peace plan amid concerns from Kyiv and European allies about potential U.S. pressure for concessions favoring Moscow. Domestically, a severe winter storm system has brought heavy snow, ice, and cold to the Northeast and Midwest, causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations—particularly at major hubs like New York’s JFK and LaGuardia—along with power outages and hazardous travel conditions. Other notable developments include California dropping its lawsuit against the Trump administration's cancellation of $4 billion in high-speed rail funding, ongoing political challenges for the administration heading into 2026 with narrow congressional majorities, and symbolic efforts to rename buildings and programs after Trump. These stories highlight interconnected global tensions, particularly the Ukraine conflict bridging Europe and the U.S., while Asia's regional issues remain more contained but no less severe.