The New York Times International Edition in Print for Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021

Highlights

1. Photo

   

   

   As Russian Threat Looms, Ukraine’s Government Is No Laughing Matter

   President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor, has surrounded himself with advisers from his old comedy troupe. No kidding.

    By Andrew E. Kramer

2. Photo

   

   

   Worldly, Charming, and Quietly Equipping a Brutal Military

   A Burmese-Irish family said all the right things, even as it helped Myanmar’s rulers avoid sanctions scrutiny in buying airplanes, defense radar and more.

    By Hannah Beech

3. 1. Photo

      

      Pedro Almodóvar Is Still Making Movies That Shock

      

      He built his reputation with raunchy farces. But in his new film, “Parallel Mothers,” the 72-year-old dredges up his country’s most painful history.

       By Marcela Valdes

   2. Photo

      

      Guest Essay

      Colombia Can’t Afford to Abandon Peace

      

      Key promises to address the conflict’s root causes have gone unmet.

       By Carolina Jiménez Sandoval