Author: Press Room

EU ambassadors will examine a Dutch proposal for a fresh package of sanctions against Iran following the country’s crackdown on protesters, two diplomats told Euronews. The proposed sanctions would fall under the EU’s human rights sanctions regime against Iran and would come on top of a wide range of travel bans and asset freezes that are already in place. “They will include the freezing of assets for new individuals,” one of the diplomats said, adding that the issue would be discussed as early as later today, when the 27 ambassadors from the Political and Security Committee meet in Brussels. The…

Published on 13/01/2026 – 9:53 GMT+1 •Updated 10:24 Former European Commission Margrethe Vestager cautioned “even for President Trump, for one NATO country to attack another NATO country to acquire territory is really far reaching” in an interview with Euronews as the White House piles on pressure on Denmark to cede the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland “one way or another.” Vestager, who rose to prominence as EU chief for competition, echoed a severe warning made by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius against a US takeover of the territory rich in critical minerals. “For one…

Published on 13/01/2026 – 7:38 GMT+1 •Updated 8:17 All eyes on Greenland. The government has said it cannot accept Donald Trump’s desire to take control of their island. For now, NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte is avoiding the issue, piling praise on Donald Trump and insisting the alliance is working on ways to bolster Arctic security. This as -US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to meet Danish and Greenlandish diplomats tomorrow. Our EU editor Maria Tadeo explains what all this means for NATO. Then we are joined by former EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, the ‘tax lady’, as…

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, combined with constant pressure from the US have left the European Union with the single choice of addressing its defence and security capacity. The stakes are high, as here is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine. At the same time, trust is low because Europe appears vulnerable, and both militarily and diplomatically unprepared. Europe’s main imperative is protecting itself while supporting Ukraine. EU leaders agreed last December on a new €90 billion loan for Ukraine, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new defence initiatives in October, presenting them as…

The European Commission has effectively stopped making decisions over files related to Hungary, two sources familiar with the matter told Euronews. The reason for putting sensitive decisions on hold is simple: the Commission does not want to be seen as interfering in the Hungarian election campaign and does not want to give ammunition to Orbán’s anti-EU rhetoric during the hot phase of campaigning. “With the Hungarian dossiers, the front lines are frozen, and nothing is happening. The Commission is waiting for April to happen and is watching opinion polls in Hungary very closely,” an EU diplomat told Euronews, speaking on…

Published on 12/01/2026 – 18:05 GMT+1 The far-right group Patriots for Europe will table a new vote of no-confidence against Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission as soon as this week, several sources from the group told Euronews. The text is under preparation and could be finalised at the group’s bureau meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, according to party sources. Patriots will table the motion in retaliation for the signature of the Mercosur trade deal approved by member states last week and expected to be sealed at a formal ceremony on January 17. Jordan Bardella, who chairs the group and leads…

Published on 12/01/2026 – 18:49 GMT+1 The simplification of rules in the upcoming EU budget in the field of research may put undermine the bloc’s ability to control how allocated funds are spent, the European Court of Auditors said in a report published on Monday. The court, which is responsible for auditing how EU funds are collected and spent, has conducted an assessment of the next EU budget for competitiveness and research, which as written totals €409 billion – about one-fifth of the overall €2 trillion EU budget for 2028-2034. The auditors’ report stresses that the field of research is…

All the Iranian diplomats and representatives will be banned from the European Parliament’s premises as a response to Iran’s crackdown on protesters, the Parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola, announced on Monday. “This House will not aid in legitimising this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression, and murder”, Metsola wrote on X. The ban will apply to all the Parliament’s premises in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg, and will remain in place until revoked by another president’s decision. In the meantime, the European Union is prepared to push for fresh sanctions on the country after the repression of the protesters. Earlier…

The European Commission has publicly raised the prospect of engaging in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, while cautioning that Moscow’s relentless bombing campaign makes such a move impossible at this stage. “We’re working very, very hard for peace in Ukraine,” Paula Pinho, the chief spokesperson of the European Commission, said on Monday afternoon. “Peace in Ukraine depends on one single person. That person is, as you know very well, President Putin. So obviously, at some point, there will have to be talks also with President Putin. In the meantime, a lot of…

Tens of thousands of households in southwest Berlin were left without electricity, heating and, in some cases, mobile communications after a suspected arson attack on 3 January damaged high-voltage cables on a bridge over the Teltow Canal. It took four days to authorities to start reconnecting houses to electricity, making it the longest blackout in the German capital since World War II. A far-left group calling itself the “Vulkangruppe” claimed responsibility for the attack in a letter published online, a claim German prosecutors are now investigating as suspected arson and sabotage. As repairs dragged on in freezing winter conditions, frustration…