Author: Press Room
Published on 12/05/2026 – 12:00 GMT+2 Speaking live on Euronews’ morning show Europe Today, Ireland’s minister of state for EU Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne said that Ukraine remains “very strong and forward in people’s minds in Europe.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT His comments come as EU defence ministers meet in Brussels to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. “The question is how do we best help Ukraine,” Byrne said. “Whether it’s provision of military material, whether it is through sanctions on Russia, whether it’s through peace talks or indeed the enlargement of the European…
Published on 12/05/2026 – 11:50 GMT+2 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that he intends to stay in office as he met with members of his Cabinet in crunch talks that could determine his future. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Starmer is trying to shore up support within his Cabinet following hefty losses for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power. The meeting was taking place after more than 70 Labour backbenchers, representing nearly a fifth of the party’s representation in Parliament, said that Starmer should…
Published on 12/05/2026 – 11:29 GMT+2 UK Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty said Prime Minister Keir Starmer has “accepted responsibility” for Labour’s disastrous local election results, while accusing the hard-right Reform UK party of misleading voters with “false promises”. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Speaking on Euronews morning show Europe Today, Doughty blamed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for promoting what he described as unrealistic claims about Brexit. “He said Brexit would make us richer — it hasn’t. He said it would bring down migration. In fact, migration went up,” Doughty told Euronews. Reform added more than 1,300 council seats across England and…
The demand is sparking a clash between the Parliament and Ursula von der Leyen’s strict 1.26 per cent GNI spending cap – the budgetary mechanism that limits a government’s spending to a percentage of its total Gross National Income. Net contributors like Germany and the Netherlands argue it’s already too high. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The Commission wants to fund new defence and AI priorities by streamlining existing funds. The Parliament insists that these needs mustn’t come at the expense of farmers or regional aid. Following a vote (370 to 201), Parliament demands a 10 per cent budget increase, seeking 1.27 per…
Good morning. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Defence – be it military, political or strategic – sits at the heart of Tuesday’s conversations in Brussels. Angela Skujins in the trenches for you, ready to lay out the war plans for today’s newsletter. Like a loaded gun: EU defence ministers are meeting for high-level talks focussing on security across three major areas, spanning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and its ongoing implications, and European defence readiness. Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov will connect via videolink to provide an on-the-ground update to his counterparts of how Russia’s invasion, grinding into…
The European Union and Mercosur trade relationship connects over 700 million consumers across Europe and South America. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The EU is Mercosur’s second-largest partner in trade in goods, accounting for almost 17% of Mercosur’s total trade in 2024. Meanwhile, Mercosur, which counts Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay among its members, is the EU’s tenth-largest partner for trade in goods. In 2024, the EU’s trade with Mercosur was worth more than €111 billion: €55.2 billion in exports and €56 billion in imports. More than 80% of the trade flow was between the EU and Brazil. Between 2014 and 2024,…
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.…