Author: Press Room

The next MFF has sparked a high-stakes tug-of-war between the European Commission, which proposed an initial €1.8 trillion plan, the European Parliament, insisting on an additional €200 billion, and “frugal” member states determined to slash spending.

Good morning. I’m Angela Skujins and I’ll be holding the pen for today’s newsletter – the first in a week that’s shaping up to be big and juicy for geopolitical enthusiasts. ​ ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Two major events are taking place in Brussels today: a Foreign Affairs Council with a packed agenda, and the first high-level EU-Syria political dialogue. Let’s start with foreign affairs. ​ As Jorge Liboreiro reports, EU ministers will focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. The bloc is expected to expand its blacklist of Russian individuals responsible for the deportation and…

Published on 11/05/2026 – 10:23 GMT+2•Updated 12:53 During a live interview on Euronews’ flagship daily morning show, Sweden’s foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard has said Russia is “not really interested in peace”. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Malmer Stenergard dismissed rumours of possible mediators between Moscow and Kyiv, including former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The minister said the focus should remain on increasing pressure on the Kremlin rather than pursuing negotiations. “Sooner or later we will have to talk to Moscow,” Malmer Stenergard said. “But since Putin is not really interested in any serious peace talks, then I think we should focus on…

Published on 11/05/2026 – 11:12 GMT+2•Updated 11:21 Despite a massive Westminster majority, last Thursday’s local election battering has left Starmer “on notice.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Ironically, that majority makes him easier to criticise. His own MPs feel safe breaking ranks because the government is not at immediate risk of falling. And ousting a Labour leader is much harder than a Tory. According to the Labour party rulebook rivals need 81 MPs to go public just to trigger a vote. While the Trade Unions and party members stay quiet, Starmer holds a structural shield that makes him safer than the headlines suggest.…

Published on 11/05/2026 – 13:33 GMT+2 Sweden’s intelligence service said on Monday that it suspected two people of skirting sanctions and exporting “advanced products” to Russia, with media reporting it was industrial products intended for Moscow’s military-industrial complex. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Swedish Security Service (Sapo) said in a statement the two suspects had been arrested last week and were both remanded in custody. It added that several searches had been conducted in southern and western Sweden in connection with the arrests. “The Security Service has carried out several operations and house searches and an extensive investigation is currently under way,”…

US President Donald Trump’s comments on NATO, and specifically his criticism of European allies, have raised questions regarding the country’s commitment to the alliance. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT However, the Foreign Affairs Minister of North Macedonia, Timcho Mucunski, argued his presidency marks an all-time high for the defence coalition. “My view is that, thanks to President Trump, [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio, and the entire foreign policy apparatus of the United States, NATO is stronger than it has ever been,” he said during an interview for Euronews’ programme 12 Minutes With. He added that his was “undeniable” following last year’s summit in…

The European Union imposed sanctions on 16 Russian officials accused of helping Moscow in the abduction of tens of thousands of children from Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “Of all the horrors inflicted by Russia’s war, the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children is one of the worst crimes,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said following a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels where the sanctions were endorsed. The new sanctions target individuals responsible for the systematic and unlawful deportation, forced transfer, and forced assimilation of Ukrainian minors, including indoctrination and militarised education, as well as their unlawful adoption…

French President Emmanuel Macron urged investment in Africa on Monday as he co-hosted an economic summit in Kenya, after defending European involvement on the continent. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The European leader, speaking at the University of Nairobi, said Africa “needs investment to become more sovereign,” replacing aid with economic opportunities. Speaking in French, Macron said that previously European chiefs would lecture African leaders on what they needed, but, “this is no longer what Africa needs or wants to hear.” “That’s just as well, because we, too, no longer have the means, if we’re being honest,” he said. Ahead of the summit,…

Published on 11/05/2026 – 16:42 GMT+2 The EU agreed on Monday to sanction Israeli settlers over their violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, a move enabled by backing from Hungary’s incoming government. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “Today, we reached a political agreement to sanction Israeli extremists settlers and entities,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat told reporters following a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels. “We move from political deadlock that was there for a long time. Violence and extremism carry consequences.” Kallas added in an X post earlier on Monday that the measures, which include asset freezes and travel…

Poland’s former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted on several criminal charges in his home country, has fled Hungary to the United States, he confirmed on Sunday, following local media reports. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “I am in the United States,” Ziobro told right-wing broadcaster Republika. “I arrived yesterday and this is my third time travelling around the country.” Ziobro, who received asylum from right-wing ally Viktor Orbán’s government last year, faces up to 25 years in prison in Poland if convicted of the charges laid against him. They include abuse of power, leading an organised criminal enterprise and using funds meant for…