Author: staff
Volodymyr Zelenskyy told EU leaders at a Brussels summit that Ukraine’s process to join the European Union must be fast-tracked as the country has paid the ultimate price for it. “Ukraine merits it because it has paid more than any other European country for its right to be free, independent and European,” he said. “It is also the right of other nations to be independent from Russia,” he added. Addressing European leaders, Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s military experience, arguing that its defence capabilities are crucial for Europe’s future and could become a key factor in accelerating Kyiv’s path towards EU membership.…
Standing in the city that became the symbol of Europe’s division and reunification, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama delivered a sweeping vision for the continent’s future, urging the European Union to show the same strategic courage that enabled German reunification more than three decades ago. Addressing senior German business leaders at the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations in Berlin, Rama argued that Europe is approaching a defining moment in its history. One, that requires leadership rather than bureaucracy. “Berlin, the place where perhaps the greatest geopolitical transformation of our lifetime became reality. And not only because a wall…
A judge investigating Spain’s former Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling has expanded his politically explosive probe to the Socialist’s daughters, a court said on Thursday. The investigation into a titan of the Spanish left comes as a string of other graft probes into Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s family and former top political allies have threatened to topple the government. Zapatero, who governed Spain from 2004-2011, was placed under formal investigation last month suspected of influence peddling in connection with the €53 million bailout of small airline Plus Ultra in 2021. Investigating judge José Luis…
The Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — in particular were “furious” about the Russia outreach, according to a European diplomat working on the issue. Several leaders learned about the calls only after they appeared in media reports and were angry about it, a further three diplomats said. The all spoke to POLITICO on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. The Costa team did inform Germany, France and the U.K. — known as the E3 — and the European Commission before the calls took place, one of the diplomats said. Two other diplomats, however, said…
Brussels welcomed the new Hungarian Prime Minister looking to a no-drama summit. Péter Magyar made his debut promising a change in tone and substance, returning to the conservative European mainstream space and seeing a return to unanimity. “We will represent Hungary in a different way. We will certainly not agree on everything. I can promise one thing: I will represent only the interests of Hungary and the Hungarian people. We will not oppose or veto proposals for domestic political or party-political reasons,” Magyar told reporters on his arrival at the summit in Brussels Thursday. He also participated at a gathering…
Cuba’s communist model needs “urgent changes” to overcome a major crisis which cannot be blamed solely on a crippling US oil blockade, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in his frankest admission yet of the need for radical reforms. While Havana’s impulse has been to blame its problems on a more-than-six-decade US trade embargo and more recent blockade, Díaz-Canel admitted in remarks broadcast on Thursday there were “obstacles that don’t come from outside, nor the blockade.” He called out “slowness, bureaucracy and norms that impede those who want to produce” as well as “decisions that we have put off” for contributing to…
By David del Valle Published on 18/06/2026 – 22:30 GMT+2 Europe currently has a unique opportunity to attract investment and strengthen its strategic autonomy, but it will have to cut regulatory red tape and speed up reforms if it is to compete with the United States and Asia. That was one of the key messages to emerge from the FII Institute (Future Investment Initiative Institute) summit in Rome, which brings together political leaders, business figures and investors from around the world. While the G7 was dominated by geopolitics, Rome has put the spotlight firmly on the economy. As the leaders of…
“Dear Gideon, as you know, the EU and Israel have a lot that binds us,” she wrote on X. “Dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise.” Kallas also reiterated the EU’s support for a two-state solution and condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank, describing them as an obstacle to peace. But the olive branch did not land. “With all due respect, even in your remarks here you refrain from denying or condemning what has been attributed to you and published publicly,” responded Sa’ar. “If you did indeed make these vile and defamatory statements, stand behind them.…
Published on 18/06/2026 – 17:40 GMT+2 Switzerland’s parliament approved a divisive government plan to build new nuclear power stations on Thursday, overturning a 2018 ban and putting the country on course for a referendum. The lower house of parliament joined the upper chamber in backing a government proposal to reverse the ban put in place following a referendum won by anti-nuclear campaigners in 2017. During the debates in parliament, energy minister Albert Rosti stressed the need to keep the nuclear power option open to guarantee the country’s long-term energy supply. Both houses say authorisation for new nuclear plants can only…
The two leaders visited the Indian pavilion at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, where they met entrepreneurs, spoke with exhibitors and greeted attendees, underscoring the growing focus on cooperation in innovation and business. Their appearance came during the Franco-Indian Year of Innovation, launched in Mumbai in February 2026 to promote collaboration in research, technology and entrepreneurship. At VivaTech, one of Europe’s leading tech gatherings, the visit also drew attention to India’s expanding role in the global start-up ecosystem and to efforts by both countries to deepen ties in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and advanced technologies. The visit also highlighted India’s…