… "Ministers discussed our plans for a new EU mission to advise and train the country's armed forces, including on border and maritime security," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of the bloc's defence ministers in Ireland. …
… muz reopening was "essential for regional stability and the global economy" and that a final deal "should end Iran's nuclear and ballistic programmes and its destabilising activities in the region." Heading into talks with the bloc's foreign ministers, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas …
… Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called it “shocking and unacceptable”, while the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the treatment of the detainees was “degrading and wrong”. …
European leaders rallied around Ukraine's Zelensky at an EU summit in Brussels as Kyiv's relations with US President Trump have soured over sanctions relief for Russia and disputes over Ukrainian military operations. EU officials called for increased support to Ukraine and heightened pressure on Russia amid Ukrainian concerns over disrupted US satellite access and Russian bombardments.
European leaders rallied around Ukraine's Zelensky at an EU summit in Brussels as Kyiv's relations with US President Trump have soured over sanctions relief for Russia and disputes over Ukrainian military operations. EU officials called for increased support to Ukraine and heightened pressure on Russia amid Ukrainian concerns over disrupted US satellite access and Russian bombardments.
Donald Trump announced a deal to import Russian diesel into the US, with Putin agreeing to release 300,000 tonnes immediately followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and further supplies. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the deal as a gift to Putin and an investment in prolonging war, calling instead for strong US support for Ukraine's defence.
Donald Trump called on Ukraine to "get a new leader" after President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Washington's easing of Russian diesel sanctions. Trump defended the deal allowing more Russian diesel onto global markets, citing Putin's desire for a Ukraine settlement, while accusing Zelensky of blocking negotiations and ignoring instructions not to strike Russian refineries; Kyiv and European allies warned the sanctions relief would help fund Russia's war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a US-announced diesel deal between America and Russia, saying Moscow was expressing "thanks" by attacking Ukraine, which killed 15 people according to authorities. EU officials also opposed lifting sanctions on Russian diesel, arguing it would fuel Russia's war effort.
US President Trump announced easing sanctions on Russian diesel, prompting criticism from Ukrainian leader Zelensky and EU officials, while Russian strikes on Ukraine killed at least 21 people including four children.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said it would continue targeted strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in response to what it calls Ukrainian terrorist acts, and warned foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Ukraine.
EU countries removed asset freezes and visa bans on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from a renewed sanctions list, a move Ukraine condemned as shameful and a concession to the Kremlin that signals impunity and division among Europeans.
Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on ending more than four years of war in Ukraine at the Kremlin on Saturday, ahead of their expected visit to Kyiv on Sunday. Both Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other's capitals for three days during the negotiations.
European Union foreign ministers discussed proposals to reform the bloc's diplomatic apparatus, with France and Germany suggesting a potential merger of elements into the European Commission to strengthen EU influence on the global stage amid growing international tensions.
The European Union has formed a new initiative bringing together military experts from Ukraine, Britain, and EU nations to advise European countries on addressing defence gaps. EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said the advisors will convene from next week as Europe seeks to strengthen its defences against Russian aggression.
The EU said Tuesday it was planning to launch a mission to train the Lebanese army in the coming months, but clarified it would not replace the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL. The EU is investing in Lebanon's capacity to provide security for itself, according to EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas.
Hamas said Friday it agreed to a US President Donald Trump–announced deal to end its war with Israel, under which it would hand over weapons to a Palestinian governing committee and Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from Gaza. Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir denounced the agreement as unacceptable, while a political source said there would be no Israeli withdrawal unless Hamas undergoes genuine disarmament.
A Russian court fined anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin $13 for displaying "extremist symbols" over a 2023 post linking to a video featuring late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Nadezhdin, one of few Russian politicians openly criticizing President Putin and Moscow's Ukraine offensive, was attempting to register for September parliamentary elections.
Russia banned diesel exports on Wednesday to stabilize a fuel crisis caused by weeks of intensifying Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure. More than 90 percent of Russian regions have experienced fuel rationing or shortages since June, according to local media reports and officials.
The European Union's top officials welcomed a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. EU leaders called for swift implementation of the deal and said Europe was ready to contribute to lasting peace in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Ukraine's increasing drone strikes on Russia aimed to "sow confusion" and damage the country's economy. Ukraine has hit deeper into Russia in recent months, regularly hitting oil refineries and export hubs, though Putin claimed damaged infrastructure is "quickly restored."
At Russia's St Petersburg International Economic Forum, President Vladimir Putin faced conflicting narratives from participants: some argued Russia should continue fighting and prepare for global confrontation with the West, while others highlighted economic benefits of ending the Ukraine war, which Ukrainian drones struck near the forum venue the previous day.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing detained activists from dozens of countries kneeling with hands zip-tied while being pushed and dragged by Israeli personnel after being intercepted on a Mediterranean flotilla. The video sparked international condemnation from Australian, EU, and US officials, with an international lawyer arguing that Israel violated international law obligations toward detainees.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to deepen their strategic partnership. The two nuclear powers' relations are underpinned by China's economic heft and Russia's vast oil production, likely central to this week's talks.
Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica, and the EU expressed intention to join a special tribunal to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the "crime of aggression" in the invasion Russia launched in 2022.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Ukraine war's dynamics are changing in Kyiv's favour, citing Moscow's record battlefield losses and Ukraine's deep strikes into Russia. Kallas stated that Ukraine is in a much better position than a year ago, and that Putin is in a weaker position than ever before.
US President Donald Trump said Friday he was "not satisfied" with a new Iranian negotiating proposal, citing "tremendous discord" within Iran's leadership as the reason for stalled peace talks. Trump said the options ahead were either to make a deal or to attack Iran, adding he would prefer not to take military action "on a human basis."