Author: Press Room
While it was approved last Friday by a majority of EU member states, the European Union’s Mercosur free trade agreement is not yet out of the woods. Several countries, led by France, remain opposed to the deal, which would create a free-trade area between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. They argue it would expose EU farmers to unfair competition because of looser production standards in Latin America – and they are not finished with their efforts to stop it going ahead. “The signing of the agreement does not mark the end of the story,” French President Emmanuel…
Systematic and widespread attacks against unarmed civilians during protests in Iran have been insufficiently addressed by the European Union and its member states, according to former Iran hostage and humanitarian worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who urged the bloc to severe diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic. He said the sanctions and political isolation imposed on Tehran by Western powers have been insufficient and that Europe has collectively failed to stop Iran’s crimes. “The playbook scenario repeats itself with impunity: crackdown, blackout, killings, mass arrests, and executions. We need to change gear,” Vandecasteele told Euronews, arguing that a different and more decisive…
Published on 13/01/2026 – 11:53 GMT+1 Welcome to the ultimate game of Risk: a battlefield of diplomacy, conflict and conquest. With massive protests on the streets of Tehran, the die has been cast. Now, the players must choose their options. First, the US. Move one is to strike. Last year proved the US can hit Iranian nuclear facilities. Fresh from Venezuela, a targeted air campaign is the “Hard Power” option. Move two is about oil. Trump now controls Venezuela’s reserves, so he can drive Iran’s exports to zero without spiking global oil prices. There is also a technology card, so…
Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters has reignited a long-running debate within the European Union over designating the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — widely seen as a key force behind the repression — as a terrorist organisation. Placing the most powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces on the EU’s terrorist list would put the IRGC alongside groups such as Daesh, al-Qaeda, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. A terrorist group designation would subject its members to travel bans, asset freezes and “a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed”, according to rules established by the…
The European Commission on Wednesday put forward its legal proposal to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan, calling on the European Parliament and member states to approve it swiftly so Kyiv can start receiving the money it desperately needs in early April. Under the proposal, the money would cover Ukraine’s financial needs for the next two years, with roughly €60 billion earmarked for military spending and the remaining €30 billion intended to support Ukraine’s overstretched national budget. “We are aware of Ukraine’s both sizeable and urgent financing needs. That’s why we are aiming indeed to start with disbursing in…
Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has renewed threats to take control of Greenland, citing security concerns and the risk posed by Russian or Chinese influence on the Arctic territory. “I’d love to make a deal with them; it’s easier. But one way or the other, we’re gonna have Greenland,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday. In reality, Trump’s threats are nothing new, and they resurfaced following the United States’ intervention in Venezuela on 3 January. President Nicolás Maduro’s capture in a lightning overnight operation has sparked concern among European leaders over how far…
Published on 14/01/2026 – 7:39 GMT+1 •Updated 9:39 The US president has said Iran will ‘pay a huge price’ and has encouraged Iranians to topple the regime. In just a few days, thousands have been arrested, some face execution, and hundreds are reported dead. With this scenario, the European Union is preparing further sanctions on Iran following the ongoing brutal crackdown on protesters. Maria Tadeo, our EU Editor, reports on the latest, including an exclusive interview with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola on Iran, the protests, and what’s next. We are also at the NATO HQ in Brussels…
Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn. As you were sleeping, US President Donald Trump warned of “very strong action” if Iran carries through on its threat to execute protesters. The President earlier dismissed Tehran’s offer of talks and told Iranian citizens that “help is on its way.” The Wall Street Journal reports that Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia have been lobbying the US administration to refrain from intervening militarily as speculation over Trump’s next move mounts. The death toll from the regime’s brutal crackdown on demonstrators has now surpassed 2500 according to activist groups, dwarfing the death tolls from…
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called on EU leaders to increase the pressure on the Iranian regime as it cracks down on protesters, saying the days of “dictators will come to an end in 2026” in an interview with Euronews. Metsola has expressed some of the harshest condemnation aimed at the Iranian regime among the Brussels institutions, suggesting that further sanctions should be tabled immediately and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard be added to the EU’s terrorist list. “We are appalled by what is happening in Iran and we cannot stand idly when we see that the regime is using violence,…
Over the course of 2025, US President Donald Trump was consistently vocal about his desire to bag the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming to have ended eight wars since returning to office — an assertion which has been contested by war experts. Fast-forward to 2026, and the frenzy around the topical matter has already resurfaced, after Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Machado said she wanted to “share” her award with Trump following the US’s capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January. “I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him [Trump] that the Venezuelan people […] want to…