1. A German magazine has obtained the transcript of a phone call between the leaders of Europe and Ukraine. The transcript reportedly quotes Emmanual Macron as saying, “There is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory, without clarity on security guarantees.”
2. Japan has sent a second letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rebutting China’s assertions regarding remarks that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae made about Taiwan. This comes after China sent Guterres a second letter about the issue. Takaichi told the Diet in November that a possible Taiwan emergency involving the use of force by China could be considered a situation that threatens Japan’s survival.
3. The governments of Japan and South Korea are making arrangements to hold a bilateral summit in Nara, western Japan, as early as mid-January. Nara is Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s home prefecture.