EU hails turning tide for Ukraine, yet membership path remains uncertain

EU member states applauded what they see as a favorable turn for Kyiv and agreed to extend sanctions against Russia. Despite efforts by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he failed to persuade EU leaders to accelerate membership negotiations for his country.

Ukraine urges EU to pressure Russia to end war before winter

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy say his country will need help if the war with Russia continues into the winter.

Macron and Merz criticise European Council president's attempts to engage with Russia – Politico

Politico has reported that French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised European Council President António Costa at a closed-door meeting of EU leaders over his contact with the Kremlin.

By Olha Kovalchuk,Anastasia Protz

EU leaders ask Brussels to come up with new trade weapons to counter China shock

European Union national leaders have asked Brussels to come up with new trade instruments to deal with the economic threat posed by China, following a rare summit debate about Beijing late on Thursday night. After a two-hour discussion, the EU’s executive branch was told to engage with China to try to fix the persistent trade problems, according to a Brussels official. But it was also instructed “to develop and eventually complement the toolbox in the area of trade defence and industrial poli...

By Finbarr Bermingham

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Two dead in Russian strikes as Putin warns of ‘massive’ retaliation for refinery attack

Russia threatens ‘coordinated strikes on a regular basis’ after Ukraine’s biggest assault on Moscow

By Bryony Gooch and Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Zelenskiy: Best way to guarantee Europe's future would be fast-track EU membership for Ukraine

EU leaders set to clash over bloc’s next seven-year budget

European Union leaders headed for a clash over the bloc’s budget on Friday after both net contributors and beneficiaries criticised an initial proposal on what the EU should pay for from 2028 to 2034 – and where the money should come from. The EU budget is how the 27-member bloc finances all of its policies […]

Seoul expects favorable EU response on steel quota concerns: Lee

President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that Seoul expects a favorable outcome from the European Union over concerns about the bloc’s planned steel tariff-rate quota measures, which could affect South Korea's steel industry. Lee said he raised the issue directly with EU leaders during his recent visit to Brussels. Earlier, a senior presidential official said Brussels had responded that it would take Seoul’s request into full consideration. He made the remarks during a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on th

By The Korea Herald

Mitsotakis Raises Stray Ukrainian Drone Incident With Zelenskyy at Brussels Summit

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the European Council summit, addressing a recent diplomatic episode in which an uncrewed Ukrainian naval drone washed up in Greek waters even as he reaffirmed Athens's continued support for Kyiv. Mr. Mitsotakis raised the May incident, in which a stray Ukrainian military sea drone was found in a cave near Lefkada, an episode for which Kyiv has already issued a formal apology. He stressed the need to p...

By ANTHEE CARASSAVA

Robert Service: Vladimir Putin can no longer hide the catastrophic costs of his failing war from Russians

By Robert Service

Macron’s Versailles diplomacy wins mixed results over decade in power

The French president's efforts have often failed to yield lasting strategic gains, though his vision of European Union "strategic autonomy" is gaining traction.

EU should fast-track membership for Ukraine - Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing an EU summit, said the future of Europe was being shaped by the defence of Ukraine and ⁠the best guarantee for the future would be to grant Kyiv fast-track EU membership.

AI-generated ads should be exempt from EU transparency rules, retail association says

INQToday: 24 Filipinos detained in Russia coming home – Marcos

24 Filipinos detained in Russia coming home – Marcos | INQToday  Twenty four Filipinos detained in Russia will be released and repatriated to the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Friday. He made the announcement in a social media post on Friday at the conclusion of his two-day working visit in Kazan, Russia, for

By cmiranda

EU leaders agree to extend sanctions on Russia for a full year — the first time they have done so

European Union leaders have agreed to extend sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine for a full year, Reuters reported.

Marcos thanks Putin for ordering release of 24 Filipinos held for 9 months

Russia will deport 24 Filipinos who have been detained for nine months, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, June 19, after he raised their case with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to the country.

Suckers? 44% Of EU Citizens Feel Well-Protected In The Digital World

Suckers? 44% Of EU Citizens Feel Well-Protected In The Digital World While the European Union has taken a global lead in regulating the digital economy, survey data paints a mixed picture of the effectiveness of those efforts. As Statista's Felix Richter details below, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey, 83 percent of EU citizens consider it important for authorities to ensure that AI and digital technologies respect European rights and values, suggesting broad public su...

By Tyler Durden

Anwar praises Putin, Xi for condemning Gaza, Iran attacks

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has commended Russian President Vladimir...

Vietnam and Russia advance talks on nuclear power plant

Vietnam's Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Russia's President Vladimir Putin have agreed to accelerate negotiations for the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear facility, aiming to begin construction shortly.

Macron, Merz criticize Costa over talks with Putin – Politico

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the decision by European Council President António Costa to establish dialogue with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Democracy Digest: Suspect Arrested in Killing of Russian Artist and Putin Critic in Poland

Elsewhere, Robert Fico is the great political survivor as he celebrates 20 years since winning his first election; strike by Czech public media staff called after government unveils reforms to funding model; and Hungarian PMs current and former in Brussels.

By Edit Inotai

Experts: Russia's fuel crisis keeps getting worse

Ukrainian drones are systematically attacking Russian oil refineries, creating a shortage of motor fuel across Russia. Ordinary car owners are bearing the brunt of the crisis, but ultimately the entire economy is suffering.

Ekiti election: EU, CSOs unveil election monitoring hub

The EU and CSOs launch a Joint Election Observation Hub to monitor the Ekiti election in real-time, boosting transparency and public confidence in the poll Read More: https://punchng.com/ekiti-election-eu-csos-unveil-election-monitoring-hub/

By Punch Newspapers