Mark Rutte

In the midst of local election tallies, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has engaged in diplomatic exchanges via telephone with several global leaders, including Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Uzbekistan leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Hungary has declared its opposition to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's candidacy for the next Secretary General of NATO, Politico reports. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced the decision, citing Rutte's previous stance towards Hungary as the reason behind the refusal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced criticism against former US President Donald Trump, suggesting that Trump's lack of military confrontation with Russia has led to a misunderstanding of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's intentions.

French President Emmanuel Macron has raised the prospect of Western ground troops potentially being deployed to Ukraine in the future, stating that while there is currently no consensus on the matter, all options should be considered to prevent Russia from prevailing in the ongoing conflict.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has garnered backing from over two-thirds of NATO's 31 member nations for the role of the alliance's next secretary general, according to sources cited by Politico.

Senior diplomats in Brussels revealed that Rutte's candidacy gained significant traction following extensive discussions and negotiations, making him the primary contender thus far.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov weighed in on the ongoing dispute between the leaderships of WCC-DB and GERB regarding the appointment of the next foreign minister after the rotational change.

During a meeting in The Hague, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed his strong support for Bulgaria's immediate acceptance as a full member of the Schengen area, including for land borders. Currently, Bulgaria is accepted into the "air and sea Schengen".

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov is set to embark on a one-day visit to The Hague for discussions with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The agenda for their meeting includes bilateral matters, European Union-related issues, and Bulgaria's strategic priorities, notably its aspirations to join the land Schengen and Eurozone.

DAVOS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is on a list of around thirty political leaders from around the world who will attend the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.

The forum will be attended by more than 300 participants, including Pristina's PM Albin Kurti, whose name is asterisked and footnoted.

Ukraine's military said it has shot down three Russian fighter-bombers in the south of the country.

Air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said the Su-34 jets were downed around noon on Friday.

In his nightly address on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the soldiers who shot down the Russian fighters in the Kherson region.