Author: staff

Published on 20/05/2025 – 19:41 GMT+2Ukrainians are pessimistic of an imminent peace deal after a long-awaited phone call on Monday between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin failed to make any significant breakthroughs.Residents in Kyiv were downbeat about the prospects of a peace deal before summer.”(Peace) is possible closer to the autumn, not now, (Putin) will stall for time,” one Kyiv resident told Euronews, adding that the Russian war machine needed to be worn down further before peace could be attained.Another resident of Kyiv expressed anger at the delay in the commencement of talks between Putin…

Trump’s social media posts have sounded hopeful at times that he would be able to broker a deal — one likely to favor Russia — but there was a hint of a shift after his latest exchange with his Russian counterpart. Instead of becoming infuriated with the obdurate Putin — something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been hoping would happen — Trump seems ready to give up and even walked back his persistent boasting that he can bring the war to a resolution. While Trump last week accepted Putin’s decision not to show up in Turkey and admitted that there’d…

Local officials said residential buildings were hit, with footage showing shattered windows and damaged walls. One local, wounded by shrapnel, said cushions placed against windows had likely saved his life.Ukrainian air defences shot down 93 drones over the eastern, northern, and central regions — 35 were confirmed destroyed, and 58 went off radar, officials added.In Sloviansk, drone strikes damaged civilian property and a factory, but no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, authorities are working to evacuate children from villages close to the front line in Donetsk due to increasing risk. Since 16 May, police and emergency teams have been visiting homes,…

Published on 20/05/2025 – 18:38 GMT+2ABBA front man Björn Ulvaeus warned MEPs in Brussels on Tuesday that he is concerned about “proposals driven by Big Tech” that weaken creative rights under the EU’s AI Act.“I am pro-tech, but I am concerned about current proposals that are being driven by the tech sector to weaken creative rights,” Ulvaeus told a hearing in the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education on Tuesday.The comments from the singer songwriter – who is the President of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) – add to concerns voiced by the creative industry,…

Romanian far-right leader George Simion announced Tuesday he will contest his defeat in last Sunday’s presidential election. Centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan won the second round of the vote, which was rerun after a first election last November was annulled over concerns about Russian interference. “We will contest the election at the Constitutional Court for the same reasons they annulled the elections in December,” Simion said. This story is being updated. Carmen Paun contributed reporting.

European leaders have been quick to congratulate centrist Nicusor Dan on Sunday’s dramatic victory in Romania’s presidential election over his hard-right rival George Simion.Dan won 53.6% of the vote, ahead of Simion, who during the campaign portrayed his movement as championing nationalist values and conservative policies similar to those of US President Donald Trump.By contrast, Dan — the pro-EU and pro-NATO mayor of Bucharest — had vowed to keep the nation in the European mainstream and maintain support for neighbouring Ukraine. His win is a huge relief for the EU and Ukraine at a time of crucial challenges for Europe. European Commission…

Published on 20/05/2025 – 17:31 GMT+2Kyiv is interested in a direct face-to-face meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in Brussels on Tuesday, confirming that the Vatican proposed to host the talks.“I can confirm to you that proposals to organise possible contacts, including at the level of leaders, were made by the Vatican”, he said to Euronews’ question, adding that Ukraine is ready to “consider potential venues for such a meeting.”The Ukrainian president also discussed a possible meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump, Sybiha said.After the phone calls with Putin and Zelenskyy on Monday,…

Published on 20/05/2025 – 17:10 GMT+2The EU needs to spend more on public goods to strengthen productivity and growth, said the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday.Speaking at the annual EU budget conference, Alfred Kammer, the IMF’s European department director, noted that “the scale and nature of the challenges ahead require a fundamental rethink”.Kammer suggested that the EU should raise its spending on public goods from 0.4% of GNI (gross national income) to at least 0.9%.Without cuts to existing programs, that would increase the bloc’s MFF spending to 1.7% of GNI in the period from 2028 to 2034. That’s up from…

“As the prime minister and fellow leaders said yesterday, we cannot stand by in the face of this new deterioration,” Lammy said. “It is incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship. Rejected by Members across this House and frankly it’s an affront to the values of the British people. “Therefore today, I am announcing that we have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement. We will be reviewing cooperation with them under the 2030 Bilateral Roadmap.” Lammy added that Israel’s ambassador to the U.K. had been summoned to the Foreign Office. The U.K.…

The European Commission this month pledged a new package of €500 million for the period 2025-2027, part of which will be specifically earmarked for research projects with industrial applications.President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc needs to “stand for science” in a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, adding that it’s “the fuel for growth and progress” but “is being questioned in today’s world”.US government budget cuts are seen as an opportunity to attract such talent to Europe, as Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for start-ups, research and innovation, acknowledged.”In Europe, we do things differently. We don’t tell researchers how…