This year, Ukrainians are seeing something familiar in the Christmas story.

She was giving birth and putting the child in the manger.

There was no comfort.

There was darkness, danger, uncertainty.

I'm Carolyn Beeler.

And I'm Marco Wurman.

Today we check in on the holiday mood in Ukraine.

Also, the Trump administration has recalled career diplomats from their posts abroad.

A former ambassador is worried about what U.S. officials have done.

You can get a situation where you're left leaderless in many parts of the world.

I hope that they'll understand that.

Plus, tips from a real globetrotter on being a polite dinner guest.

It's okay if you don't eat everything.

So maybe you can kind of cover the remaining eyeballs and a bit of rice and say,

hey, I'm full.

All that and more today, here on the world. This is the world. I'm Marco Wurman. And I'm

Carolyn Beeler. Thank you for being here. We begin today in Ukraine where Russian missiles and drones

killed three people overnight, including a small child. Each winter throughout this war has brought dire

challenges for Ukrainians. This one comes against a backdrop of new uncertainties. Russian troops

continue to advance in the Donbass region. A peace plan proposed by Washington asked Ukraine to

concede land for shaky security guarantees. Meanwhile, temperatures have fallen below freezing in much of the

country. And Ukraine prepares for another Christmas at war. Maya Mihaluk hunkered down in Kiev during

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