Author: staff
Asked whether the Russian assets should be used to repay the €90 billion loan for Ukraine agreed by leaders so capitals don’t have to foot the bill, Weber said: “That’s my understanding, that finally, at the end, Russia has to pay for what they did in Ukraine.” In the run-up to the leaders’ summit, the U.S. had pushed European governments to reject the plan to use the Russian assets to fund Ukraine because Washington wanted to use part of those assets to fund U.S.-led reconstruction efforts. Weber said that option is completely “off the table.” “The idea from the Americans to…
By Euronews Published on 19/12/2025 – 17:48 GMT+1 Denmark accused Russia on Thursday of cyberattacks in 2024 and 2025 against a water utility company that caused pipes to burst and targeting government websites ahead of the November elections, marking the first time Copenhagen has publicly attributed such attacks to Moscow. Pro-Russian hacking group Z-Pentest attacked the Tureby Alkestrup Waterworks in late 2024, altering water pressure and causing at least three pipes to burst in Køge, 35 kilometres south of Copenhagen, Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service said. Around 50 households were without water for seven hours while 450 homes lost supply for one…
Contrary to the Kremlin’s promises, President Vladimir Putin’s annual question and answer session is never really a moment for Russians to share what’s on their chest. In reality, it works the other way around: The event offers Putin a platform to relay what’s top of mind for him. With U.S. President Donald Trump angling for an elusive end-of-year peace deal, keeping his counterparts in Brussels and Ukraine in a state of anxious anticipation, the geopolitical stakes this year were heightened. To ensure unity of message, the Friday presser was, as per tradition, carefully choreographed, and questions — according to the…
Updated: 19/12/2025 – 18:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this December 19th, 2025 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
However, Michael Forsyth, a long-serving Conservative peer currently standing for the position of House of Lords Speaker, announced the anticipated cost at a recent hustings. He told peers “the latest proposal would cost £15 billion” before adding: “I believe that’s secret, by the way.” Two people with knowledge of the proposals told POLITICO they believed the figure cited by Forsyth was accurate, but sat within a range of official estimates. One said the upper estimate was likely to be higher. Forsyth was referring to the plan known as “full decant”, under which MPs and peers would move out of parliament…
France’s President Emmanuel Macron discovered news of his own supposed overthrow, after he received a message of concern, along with a link to a Facebook video. “On Sunday [14 December] one of my African counterparts got in touch, writing ‘Dear President, what’s happening to you? I’m very worried’”, Macron told readers of French local newspaper La Provence on 16 December. Alongside the message, a compelling video showcasing a swirling helicopter, military personnel, crowds and — what appears to be — a news anchor delivering a piece to camera. “Unofficial reports suggest that there has been a coup in France, led…
Families and friends posed for photos and short videos along decorated streets, near illuminated trees, reindeer figures and tunnels of light. The scenes felt relaxed, even cheerful, despite ongoing worries about insecurity and rising living costs across the country. Christmas light displays have spread across the city. Eko Hotels & Suites and Maltina are hosting large festive attractions with illuminated installations, while smaller light displays have appeared in streets and shopping centres across Lagos. Whilst national insecurity lingers, events in Lagos have experienced no significant disruptions, bolstered by government illuminations and a strong police presence. Travellers ought to remain in…
The spread of Big Brother-style conspiracy theories, meanwhile, has forced policymakers to take extra precautions to reassure the public that authorities will not use the digital euro to snoop on people’s payment habits. “You cannot disregard” the concern of “many millions of citizens,” Fernando Navarrete, the center-right MEP shepherding the bill through the Parliament, told POLITICO in November. “In China, it’s explicit that they wanted to build [a digital yuan] in order to increase control over the people. I’m scared of this.” Navarrete, who hails from the European People’s Party, is highly skeptical of the initiative but is comfortable with…
By Alexei Doval & Euronews Published on 19/12/2025 – 16:08 GMT+1 Ukraine struck a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, marking the first time it has targeted vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet outside the Black Sea, an official from Ukraine’s security service SBU said. The Oman-flagged tanker Qendil was hit by aerial drones more than 2,000 kilometres from Ukrainian territory in what an SBU source described as “an unprecedented special operation”. The vessel sustained critical damage and can no longer be used, the source said. The attack occurred in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean. Ship tracking data showed the…
The EU began the gradual rollout of its new Entry/Exit System (EES) in October this year, requiring third-party nationals to navigate new technology at borders where it is in place. Despite the current threshold for use set at 10 per cent of eligible travellers, the new requirements have already been causing significant delays for air passengers. A report from Airport Council International (ACI) Europe has highlighted the extent of this disruption and is calling for an urgent review of the system. In the coming months, more and more airports will be introducing the EES, which aims to be fully operational…