Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides speaks about his vision for the future of his country, the European Union and peace in Gaza. Cyprus is ready to resume talks about a reunification of the island immediately, eight years after the last round of UN-backed negotiations collapsed in Switzerland in 2017. “I’m ready...
EU leaders commit to addressing Ukraine’s financial needs for 2026-2027
EU leaders will commit to addressing Ukraine's pressing financial needs for 2026-2027, a draft text to be approved at a European Council summit in Brussels. A source told the news agency that the draft had been backed by Belgium, which holds Russian frozen assets that had been planned to be...
Spain deploys fighter jets to Poland to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank
Spain is to deploy fighter jets to Poland in November to bolster NATO’s eastern flank following a series of Russian airspace violations, reported on Thursday that the contribution will include Eurofighter jets and an A400M transport aircraft previously stationed in Lithuania. The move, which will make Madrid one of the...
Belgian finance Minister warns of economic risks due to stalled budget talks
Addressing the Chamber of Representatives, he described the ongoing negotiations as “complex and far-reaching,” emphasising that “what Europe demands of us will be the bare minimum.” While Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) attended a European summit, Van Peteghem faced scrutiny from MPs regarding the stalled discussions. He noted that...
America’s sanctions boomerang – why Europe should fire back
Tenex, Rosatom’s export arm, pumps roughly a quarter of America’s reactor fuel across the Atlantic while the U.S. targets Russian oil. When Washington slapped sanctions on Lukoil yesterday, Bulgaria’s only refinery didn’ just feel the squeeze – it saw the spectre of shutdown. A single U.S. decision in a Maryland...
Bulgaria stalls multi-billion Rheinmetall gunpowder and shell plant deal
Institutional hurdles and a prosecutor’s probe delay the signing of a landmark joint venture with the German defence giant. Bulgarian institutions are delaying the implementation of a key multi-billion-euro defence investment to build two factories for gunpowder and artillery shell production in partnership with the German defence corporation Rheinmetall. The...
Trump-Putin Budapest summit in limbo
European nations are working with Ukraine on a new proposal for a ceasefire in Russia's war along current battle lines. A planned Budapest summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was put on hold on Tuesday (21 October), as Moscow’s rejection of an immediate ceasefire in...
New sanctions on Russian energy sector
Oil prices surged following the United States’ announcement of new sanctions targeting Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, the first such measures since Donald Trump resumed the presidency. This action aims to stifle essential revenue streams to Moscow amidst renewed Western efforts to compel Russia to reconsider its ongoing invasion...
The mirage of sndependence: Europe’s clean energy built on dirty imports
On 20 October two refineries linked to Russian oil - Hungary’s MOL Danube facility and Romania’s Petrotel-Lukoil plant- went up in flames, almost simultaneously. Budapest called its refinery blaze a “technical failure” and Bucharest said “no scenario can be ruled out,” outside analysts raised their weary eyebrows. At 1 a.m....
EU faces geopolitical challenges as Von der Leyen urges action
Amid shifting global dynamics, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the urgency for Europe to assert its place in a world increasingly characterized by ambivalence and hostility from major powers. This statement came during her address to the European Parliament on Tuesday, where she highlighted recent developments such...