Author: Press Room

The European Union’s failure to sanction Israel over its military action in Gaza and Lebanon weakens the collective “credibility” and “legitimacy” to defend Ukraine against Russia’s full-scale invasion, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “Something that is delegitimising us, not only in the eyes of the outside world but also in the eyes of our own societies, is this double standard, this double yardstick that Europe is using in Ukraine and the Middle East,” Sánchez said on Friday. His warning comes a few days after Spain’s renewed push to terminate the EU-Israel Association Agreement in response to…

Russian soldiers who took part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine should be barred for life from the passport-free Schengen area, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal has told Euronews, as he seeks to turn the proposal into EU-wide policy. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Estonian government argues that the Kremlin’s expanded mobilisation — aimed at sustaining its assault on Ukraine and replenishing battlefield losses — raises the likelihood that, even after hostilities end, former combatants could pose a risk for the EU. “What will those people do? Most of them are criminals, but they have to be treated as heroes inside Russia,”…

Good morning from Brussels. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT EU leaders are meeting for a second day of an informal summit in Cyprus today, after making history on Thursday with the adoption of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Hungary’s election outcome last week helped clear the path for the move, lifting Budapest’s veto and giving Kyiv additional resources to continue resisting Russian forces. Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, long one of the EU’s main disruptors, did not travel to Cyprus, leaving heads of state and government also celebrating a new package of sanctions against Russia adopted earlier in the day. That…

Arctic sea ice, which has been monitored by satellites since 1978, has beenshrinking dramatically in recent decades. On 22 March, with winter already over, the period of greatest accumulation, the maximum extent for 2026 is thought to have been reached – 14.33 million square kilometres, according to the United States (US) National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). It is the lowest peak since records began, something now seen for the second consecutive year. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT With this region warming almost four times faster than the rest of the planet, new sea routes and business opportunities are opening up for…

With a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and a new round of sanctions against Russia now unblocked and finally approved, the focus at an informal summit in Cyprus is rapidly shifting to Hungary’s long-standing veto on Kyiv’s EU accession amid hopes of using political momentum in Budapest as a new government prepares to take office. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT But Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted on Thursday that what Ukraine needs is full membership and not any kind of partial participation. Speaking with the reporters on the presidential WhatsApp chat on his way to Cyprus, Zelenskyy rejected the idea of partial EU membership for…

Good morning from Brussels. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The leaders of the European Union are meeting today in Cyprus for an informal summit that will consider, among other things, how to strengthen European defence. The meeting kicks off with a dinner in a resort, and on the menu is Article 42.7 of the EU treaties, a mutual assistance clause that could one day stand in for NATO’s Article 5, meaning that all countries have to assist one when it comes under attack. Speaking to Europe Today, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: “I think we in Europe have to be…

Published on 23/04/2026 – 17:09 GMT+2•Updated 17:41 French liberal MEP Christophe Grudler told Euronews the Commission’s proposed European preference, once adopted, covering public procurement in strategic sectors such as clean tech, cars and energy-intensive industries (aluminium and steel) should be limited to a core group of non-EU countries. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The “Made in Europe” provisions of the so-called “Industrial Accelerator Act” have triggered a fierce political battle between supporters, led by Germany and Nordic countries, of a broad definition including “like-minded” partners, and those, led by France, pushing for a narrower approach. In its proposal unveiled on 4 March, the…

Lower speed limits in cities are reducing road deaths and injuries without increasing congestion or journey times, a new Eurocities survey reveals. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Around 75% of European cities which have introduced 30 km/h limits in targeted areas have reported fewer road deaths and injuries. The study was based on responses from 38 cities in 19 European countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Germany. These figures come as the EU aims to reach zero road deaths by 2050, in an initiative known as “Vision Zero”. Most cities have prioritised reduced speeds in specific zones, such as residential areas, historic…

The US and its NATO allies have, on “a practical and military level”, an “excellent relationship” and cooperate continuously, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds told Euronews’ flagship morning programme, Europe Today. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “I see that the alliance remains strong, that it is one for all, all for one, that it is beneficial for all member states, including the United States,” Sprūds said, adding that he prefers to focus more on “practical cooperation” rather than the denigrating public statements coming from the White House. Minister Sprūds also affirmed that he has “no doubt that the US would come to help”…

After several months of negotiations, France and the United Kingdom have agreed to renew the Sandhurst Treaty for the next three years. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The agreement signed in 2018, which aims to prevent illegal crossings of the English Channel, was extended for the first time in 2023 and expires in 2026. British authorities will be able to provide funding of up to €766 million over three years, but this will include a so-called “flexible part” valued at €186 million, conditional on the effectiveness of the measures taken. London is therefore guaranteed to pay €580 million, an increase on previous contributions…