Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar calls European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement that the Commission will propose sanctioning Israeli ministers and a partial suspension of the EU’s association agreement with Israel “regrettable,” saying her remarks strengthen Hamas and ignore Israel’s efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, The Times of Israel reports….
The EU will suspend its “bilateral support” with Israel and partially suspend the trade parts of its association agreement with Tel Aviv, Von der Leyen told MEPs during her State of the Union speech, Euronews reports. In an unusually tough-worded sequence, von der Leyen denounced a “man-made famine” in Gaza and “a clear attempt”…
French President Emmanuel Macron nominated Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister on Tuesday, Reuters reports. The 39-year-old, who has served as the defense minister for over three years, is a close associate of Macron, local media reported. Lecornu will be tasked with consulting political parties to “build the necessary agreements for decisions…
A tense confrontation erupted at Kakha Kaladze’s election headquarters on Melikishvili Avenue last night, involving members of the Georgian Dream youth wing and protesters, 1tv.ge reports. Both sides exchanged accusations over the attack, which escalated into a physical altercation resulting in injuries. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a statement urging protesters to…
The EU’s most senior sanctions envoy is holding talks in Washington with US officials after Donald Trump said he was ready to take further action against Russia over the war in Ukraine, The Guardian reports. David O’Sullivan, the EU sanctions envoy, is meeting US counterparts on Monday, as Europe and the US look for…
Venezuela pledged on Sunday to sharply boost troops in coastal states to tackle drug trafficking – a move that comes after the U.S. ordered the deployment of an additional 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to carry out operations against drug cartels, Reuters reports. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered more troops in the…
There was uncertainty on the streets of Paris on Monday (September 8) ahead of a confidence vote in the national assembly which Prime Minister Francois Bayrou looks certain to lose, deepening France’s paralysis at a critical time for Europe, Reuters reports. Should Bayrou fall, President Emmanuel Macron will likely face the task of finding…
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the €2.95 billion fine was “unfair” and “discriminatory” and later told reporters he will “be speaking to the European Union.” US President Donald Trump has threatened retaliation after the European Commission fined Google €2.95 billion for abusing its dominant position in the advertising technology industry,…
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday was appointed as the country’s new foreign secretary, replacing David Lammy, who becomes the new deputy premier, as well as the justice secretary in a major Cabinet reshuffle. Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet reshuffle came more than a year after becoming the prime minister following the resignation of…
The US is to phase out security assistance programmes for European armies along Russia’s border, as it pushes the continent to pay for more of its own defence, FT reports. Pentagon officials last week informed European diplomats that the US would no longer fund programmes that train and equip militaries in eastern European countries…
Reuters. Some 30 Western leaders were holding talks in Paris on Thursday (September 4) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal with Russia, hoping to do enough to persuade the United States to back their efforts. The summit, both in person and by video-link,…
Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (September 3) reiterated his calls for Hamas to release all hostages and suggested Israel’s war in Gaza would end if they did. “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!,” he said…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he is prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, provided there is adequate preparation. Putin stated that Zelensky could visit Moscow if there is a prospect of a favourable outcome, during a press conference in Beijing broadcast on state television at the conclusion of his four-day visit…
The Secretary General of Council of Europe Alain Berset welcomed the Washington Declaration by Armenia and Azerbaijan, describing it as a potential turning point. “Its implementation could transform the region through reconciliation, stability and development. This peace must be built on our values: democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,” he stressed. The Council of Europe…
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he was “very disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin and added without elaborating that his administration was planning to take some actions to bring down deaths in Russia’s war in Ukraine, Reuters reports. The Republican leader also said he was not concerned about warm ties between Russia…
Following a decision by the Government of Azerbaijan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will close its delegation in the country on 3 September 2025, the organization said in a statement. “The ICRC will continue to engage with the Azerbaijani authorities to support persons protected under international humanitarian law (IHL) in line…
Reuters. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday (September 2) he was grateful to Chinese President Xi Jinping, his “dear friend,” for the warm welcome he has received during his trip to China. “Dear friend, both I and the entire Russian delegation are pleased to meet once again with our Chinese friends and colleagues,”…
On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting. In addition to discussing the conflict in Ukraine, bilateral cooperation, and regional and global issues, the two leaders also addressed the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. President Erdoğan…
The Republic of Armenia and the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the “Parties”) based on the centuries-old friendship between the two peoples, sharing a common view that since the establishment of diplomatic relations on April 6, 1992, bilateral relations have been developing dynamically, and the cooperation between the two countries…
Three people died and five were injured in Indonesia after protesters set fire to a regional parliament building, authorities said on Saturday (August 30), as demonstrations pose the first major test to President Prabowo Subianto’s government. The Southeast Asian nation’s disaster management agency, in a statement, did not give the causes of the deaths…
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Friday during a parliamentary address on the Gaza crisis that Ankara has closed its airspace to Israeli official and military aircraft, Middle East Eye reports. “We have completely cut off our trade with Israel. We have closed our ports to Israeli ships and are not allowing Turkish…
Iran is ready to resume “fair ” negotiations over its disputed nuclear programme if the West shows goodwill, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said on Thursday, hours after three European powers triggered the process to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran, Reuters reports. “Araqchi reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to resume fair and balanced diplomatic negotiations, on…
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov received Magdalena Grono, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Report informs, citing the ministry, Azerbaijani media reports. During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Azerbaijan-EU cooperation, the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process, as well as regional and…
Russia has not reached any agreements with Ukraine on establishing an air ceasefire, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, TASS reports. “No agreements have been reached on this matter. I repeat: everything that can be discussed in the search for ways to reach a settlement must be discussed discreetly,” the spokesman said. Earlier,…
UN nuclear inspectors have returned to Iran for the first time since it suspended cooperation with them in the wake of Israel’s attacks on its nuclear sites, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday, August 26, Reuters reports. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told Fox News on Tuesday that…
Ukrainian strikes on 10 Russian oil refineries have disrupted at least 17% of the country’s refining capacity, equivalent to 1.1 million barrels per day, Reuters reported on Aug. 25, citing its own calculations. Kyiv has targeted dozens of refineries, oil depots, and military-industrial sites since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed claims in the Georgian media that the UK is allegedly training Georgian activists in Lithuania ahead of the country’s local elections on October 4 as “a coordinated information attack”. The online outlet Prime Time, described by Georgia’s opposition as pro-government, first published the claims on August 18 – less…
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is at a “point where words fail” and urged stronger international action following an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Turkish media reports. “From now on, different actions and measures need to be taken, and the international community needs to…
German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union Friedrich Merz is looking at nominating European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for German president in 2027, Der Spiegel magazine said, citing government sources. Although this move would hurt Germany’s position within the European Union, it would make it possible for the Christian Democrats…
EU countries will discuss further steps to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets in the West, as well as a 19th package of anti-Russian sanctions, this week, the European Politico edition reported. According to a letter from the Danish EU presidency seen by Politico, a meeting of heads of the Union’s foreign policy departments…
