Author: Press Room
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković insisted on Monday that the European Union’s position on the events unfolding in the Middle East was “very clear and unified” despite the negative reaction that greeted a statement released by Brussels on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “We shall continue consultations,” Plenković told Euronews’ flagship morning programme Europe Today. **”**I think that all the statements which were issued so far, but for maybe one or two (member states) were very, very clear and unified.” Following a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on Sunday afternoon, the bloc’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja…
The United States and Israel’s “unilateral action” in Iran “doesn’t have backing from the United Nations’ Charter or international law,” Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has told Euronews’ flagship morning programme Europe Today. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Speaking live on Monday morning, Albares also condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes against several other nations in the Middle East as “unjustified”, calling on the European Union to be a “voice of reason” amid a dangerous escalation. “We have condemned every human rights violation from the Iranian regime and we are with the people of Iran. We want to protect them, we want to protect…
Published on 27/02/2026 – 12:13 GMT+1•Updated 02/03/2026 – 8:01 GMT+1 Card payments are gaining ground among Europeans: they accounted for 57% of non-cash payments in 2025. Yet the EU’s level of dependency on foreign-owned payment schemes has never been higher. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The non-interoperability of national payment schemes leaves 13 out of 21 eurozone countries highly dependent on US giants, most notably Visa and Mastercard, which processed 47% of the eurozone’s card payment value in 2025. The lack of a pan-European payment system contributes to the single market’s fragmentation, heavily affecting Europe’s competitiveness and impacting citizens’ day-to-day transactions. As EU-US…
Israeli minister Gideon Sa’ar said Europe “does not have unified position” on what role it should play in Iran as European ministers sought to establish a joint approach Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT As Israel and the United States conducted a joint military strike on Iran, leading to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Europe was kept on the sidelines. EU member states did not participate in the operation and, in some cases, they were not informed prior as it is customary among strategic allies. Asked whether Israel sought to keep Europe on the margins, Sa’ar said internal divisions within…
Published on 01/03/2026 – 21:42 GMT+1•Updated 21:54 The Foreign Ministers of the European Union said they are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of EU citizens in the Middle East and warned that further escalation could threaten the region. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The ministers participated in a video call with High Representative Kaja Kallas and released a joint statement after the three-hour-long conversation. An unknown number of European nationals are stranded in Iran and in the wider region, as Israel and the US started bombing Iran on Saturday. In retaliation for the attack and the death of Ali Khamenei,…
Published on 01/03/2026 – 15:58 GMT+1 The Belgian navy has intercepted and seized a tanker suspected of forming part of Russia’s shadow fleet, used to circumvent EU sanctions, Euronews has learned. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The operation was carried out by the Belgian Ministry of Defence in the country’s exclusive economic zone. Authorities say the vessel was sailing under a false flag and that its ship documents had been falsified. The tanker was identified as the Ethera, registered under the flag of Guinea. “Belgium may be a small country, but we are among the founding fathers of NATO and the EU, and…
By Лилия Сергеева Published on 01/03/2026 – 14:16 GMT+1 Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences over the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Putin called the act “a murder committed in cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.” ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “In our country, Ayatollah Khamenei will be remembered as an outstanding statesman who made a huge personal contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Iranian relations, bringing them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Russian president said. The Kremlin press service published this message on its official Telegram account, addressed to the…
Published on 28/02/2026 – 13:11 GMT+1•Updated 13:24 European leaders reacted with a mix of alarm and caution to news of joint U.S.–Israeli military strikes on Iran — operations the Pentagon has referred to as “Operation Epic Fury” — warning that the offensive risked widening the conflict across the Middle East. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT French president Emmanuel Macron called the strikes an “outbreak of war” that “carries serious consequences for international peace and security.” France, he said, will call for an “urgent meeting” of the United Nations Security Council. In a joint statement, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European…
Women’s rights groups and activists hailed the European Commission’s decision on accessible abortion across Europe, calling it a “historic” move for women’s rights and European democracy. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The move marks an unusual step taken by the European Union, as healthcare policy is typically determined at a national level. On Thursday, the European Commission confirmed member states can use an EU social fund to provide access to safe and legal abortion for women who are barred from doing so in their home country. Member states can make use of the bloc’s existing European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), which contributes to…
Published on 27/02/2026 – 12:42 GMT+1 The spending plans of France and the Czech Republic for their slices of a €150 billion European defence programme have been finalised and are expected to be endorsed by the Commission shortly, diplomats have confirmed to Euronews. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Yet, while the plans are cleared, a row between Hungary and Ukraine over a damaged pipeline risks spilling over to the loan scheme and interfere with the timeline. Diplomats familiar said they expect the two to be treated separately, as Budapest tussles for the loan while threatening a veto over two critical aid packages for…