European Union

Trump changed his position on Ukraine to please Putin. The White House hopes that Putin will take steps towards an agreement, despite the reluctance of the Russian Federation to make concessions.

The Prime Minister of Hungary stated that the EU's plan to ban energy imports from Russia must be prevented. Hungary and Slovakia oppose a complete ban.

The Trump team's frustration is caused by the EU's unwillingness to impose tariffs on Chinese industry. The US wants trade partners to impose sanctions on China.

The European Union plans to disconnect more than 20 Russian banks from SWIFT. Lowering the oil price ceiling to $45 and banning the Nord Stream gas pipelines are also being considered.

When traveling in Europe, take care of your health insurance. Gather a first-aid kit with medicines and buy labeled products.

The European Union plans to impose sanctions against the "Nord Stream-2" gas pipeline to prevent the return of Russian gas. Germany supports this step to completely abandon gas imports from Russia by 2027.

U. S. President Donald Trump has stated that he has no intention of making deals with the EU. He noted that on June 1, a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union will come into effect.

Serhiy Yanyuk is on hunger strike, demanding a meeting with the President regarding the construction of the National Military Memorial Cemetery. He insists on an independent examination of the land.

The President of Ukraine has instructed to provide additional funding for the production of artillery shells and drones. Two-thirds of the funds for shells have already been secured.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that Russia is trying to withdraw the United States from the negotiation process. He emphasized the importance of US participation in any security structure.

The Finnish Ministry of Defense has proposed a complete ban on the acquisition of real estate by citizens and legal entities from Russia and Belarus. Applications submitted before the date of the decree will be processed.

Donald Trump stated that negotiations with the EU are leading nowhere. He recommends introducing a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union starting June 1, 2025.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland stated that the EU must be prepared for the US to lose interest not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe. American leaders are openly declaring a change of priorities.

The introduction of EU duties on Ukrainian agricultural products may cause economic damage to Ukraine and undermine confidence in Europe. This will reduce Ukraine's export revenue to 3.5 billion euros.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will participate in the Ukraine – Southeast Europe summit. Zelenskyy also discussed with him the preparations for negotiations with the Russian Federation.

Russian "Gazprom Neft" suffered losses of 21. 3 billion rubles in the first quarter of 2025 due to sanctions, expensive services and logistical problems. Another giant, Gazprom, is also suffering losses and asking for help.

Leaders of nine EU countries have called for a revision of the European Convention on Human Rights. The reason is the difficulty in deporting migrants who have committed crimes.

German company Kontron, through its Slovenian subsidiary Iskra Technologies, exported telecom technologies to Russia, despite EU sanctions. The export lasted from July to November 2023.

On May 27, the EU Council will discuss the suspension of Hungary's voting rights due to violations of EU values. This is the eighth hearing within the framework of the procedure initiated by the European Parliament in 2018.

Brent and WTI crude fell more than 2%, weekly decline for the first time in three weeks. OPEC+ is considering increasing production by 411,000 barrels per day.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that "Nord Stream-2" will not receive a license for exploitation. The German government is ready to counteract attempts to restore the project after the damage.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Netherlands and 7 other EU countries have called for an urgent strengthening of civil preparedness for man-made and natural disasters. They insist on accelerating work on threat analysis.

The Russian military-industrial complex plant "Energiya" in the Lipetsk region, which supplied power elements for UAVs and other equipment of the Russian army, was attacked by drones. Due to the attack, the plant is suspending its operations.

Alexander Stubb stated that the future of Ukraine is key to the security of Europe and stability in the Middle East. This issue was discussed during a meeting with the President of Cyprus.

According to Stefanishyna, Ukraine and the EU have started a dialogue on trade. The European Commission's decision on transitional measures for export is intermediate.

The EU Council has decided to open another 8 chapters of membership negotiations with Albania within the "Competition and Inclusive Growth" cluster. Benchmarks have been set for the provisional closure of these chapters.

Italy fully supports EU efforts to stop importing Russian gas by 2027. The country has already achieved energy independence from Russia by minimizing gas imports.

Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko stated that the expenses for the Ukrainian army for the EU are a small percentage of GDP. He emphasized that this will help to strengthen Europe's defense faster.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha held negotiations with the head of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand. They discussed peace for Ukraine and sanctions against the Russian Federation.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conversation with the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Robert Golob, and invited him to the Ukraine - Southeast Europe summit. Slovenia will be represented at the summit.