Author: Press Room
By Jorge Liboreiro & Alice Tidey & Vincenzo Genovese & Eleonora Vasques & Peggy Corlin & Marta Pacheco Published on 18/12/2025 – 7:00 GMT+1 The 27 leaders of the European Union are gathering in Brussels to make a decision that could redefine the continent’s security architecture: how to raise at least €90 billion to meet Ukraine’s financial and military needs for 2026 and 2027. With the United States pushing for a fast deal between Ukraine and Russia, diplomats and officials are framing today’s summit as a make-or-break moment for Europeans to maximise their collective leverage and prove they still have skin in the game. “This…
European Union membership alone is insufficient to guarantee Ukraine’s future security as part of a peace settlement, although it’s “undoubtedly” a key part of the answer, Danish European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre has told Euronews’ flagship interview programme, 12 Minutes With. Ukraine would be slated to join the European Union as early as January 2027 as part of security guarantees reportedly put forward in peace negotiations mediated by the United States. However, the deadline has been met with scepticism by the EU, which repeatedly emphasises that accession is a “merit-based” process. “I think it is fair that EU accession is…
By Méabh Mc Mahon & Alice Carnevali Published on 17/12/2025 – 17:01 GMT+1 •Updated 17:29 If you are interested in European Union politics and international relations, you’ve probably come across the term “frozen Russian assets” multiple times over the past few weeks – and may have noticed that it is at the centre of an intense debate among EU member states. So what makes these assets so divisive, and why is it so crucial that Ukraine taps into this steam of revenue? In this special episode of our podcast, Brussels, My Love?, we sit down with Euronews’ EU politics reporter Jorge Liboreiro to…
European Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra defended a controversial decision to drop a planned ban of combustion-engine vehicles from 2035, calling it a “smart and wise compromise” for both climate and industry in an interview with Euronews. His comments follow the European Commission’s announcement on Tuesday that it would roll back a proposal to entirely ban the sale of cars powered by combustion engines from 2035. Instead, the executive said the ban would apply to 90% of new cars, down from 100%. The extra leeway could allow more polluting vehicles to enter the market. European automakers, facing a perfect storm…
By Euronews Published on 17/12/2025 – 20:30 GMT+1 With the new Migration and Asylum Pact not entering into force before 2026, are these latest measures a necessary response to security concerns — or a step toward a “Fortress Europe”? As irregular crossings remain deadly and far-right pressure grows across member states, the European Parliament now faces a decisive choice: double down on stricter border controls or reaffirm Europe’s commitment to human rights and international law. To debate the future of EU migration policy, we are joined by MEP Charlie Weimers, from the European Conservatives and Reformists, and MEP Li Andersson, from…
Published on 17/12/2025 – 18:37 GMT+1 •Updated 18:48 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “There can be no place for the poison of antisemitism” at a ceremony in Brussels on Wednesday which saw her light a Chanukiah to observe the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Von der Leyenslammed what she called the resurgence of the “old evil” across Europe and cited swastikas painted on Jewish homes, synagogues vandalised and Jewish children kept locked in schools over concerns for their safety. “Today, too many Jews do not feel safe to light a Chanukiah in the window. Or wear a kippah…
Published on 17/12/2025 – 17:39 GMT+1 The European Parliament has approved a non-binding resolution asking to establish a fund to help women with no access to safe abortions in their home country. This financial mechanism, which MEPs endorsed in a vote on Wednesday, would enable EU members to provide access to the termination of pregnancies for any woman who is legally barred from doing so in her home country, which is the case in several EU states. It would be open to all EU countries on a voluntarily basis and supported by European funds. Member states would provide abortion care…
Signing off the Mercosur trade deal between the European Union and Latin American countries is “imperative”, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told Euronews, as political divisions among member states could derail a crucial vote this week. The deal, more than 20 years in the making, has entered a decisive week, which could see the Mercosur accord finally signed off or have it derailed. Backers, which include the European Commission, Germany and Spain, argue that a failure to stamp the deal would present a setback as the bloc seeks new markets for exports. France is leading an opposition camp and is…
A video shared on X claims to show heavily armed police officers going from door to door registering young men for the German army in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district. “Military police are currently going from house to house and registering all young men between 18 and 35. I am not at war with Russia. You won’t get my grandson,” the caption reads under the video, which has been shared more than 281,000 times. But the claims in the video are false. While the footage is real, it can be geolocated to the Dutch city of Leeuwarden, not Berlin. Multiple local media…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has raised the stakes ahead of a crucial gathering of the European Union’s 27 leaders in Brussels on Thursday, framing the talks as pivotal for Europe’s security and independence. “Yesterday’s peace is gone. We have no time to indulge in nostalgia. What matters is how we confront today,” von der Leyen told the Strasbourg hemicycle on Wednesday morning. “We know the urgency. It is acute. We all feel it. We all see it.” The EU is reaching a decision point on two critical issues that could shape its global image and international standing.…