The most intense armed clashes between separatists and Ukrainian government forces since the beginning of this year have taken place in Avdiyivka.

In the election to choose the party leaders ahead of the election campaign for the Bundestag, the Green Party opted for Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Cem Özdemir.

On 24th January, the SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel announced that he would not stand for the position of chancellor and would also step down as the party’s chair.

On 18 January, Russia signed two new agreements with the Syrian government on the Russian military presence in Syria.

On 21 January, the Turkish parliament passed a package of controversial constitutional amendments.

Recent acquisitions of German companies by Chinese investors indicate that Germany is struggling to defend its interests.

The United National Movement, Georgia’s largest opposition party which governed the country during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili underwent a split on 12 January.

The dispute inside the Czech government coalition has escalated nine months ahead of the parliamentary election.

The record volumes of gas supplied via the OPAL and Nord Stream pipeline have been accompanied by controversy over the rules for utilisation of the OPAL pipeline’s capacity.

On 4 January, the Romanian Parliament gave a vote of confidence to the centre-left cabinet of Sorin Grindeanu.