On October 17-18, 2024, NATO Defense Ministers will meet in Brussels. This will be the first meeting chaired by the new Secretary General of the Alliance, Mark Rutte.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considered a potential editor-in-chief of The Daily Telegraph. Nadhim Zahavi discusses this idea with investors during negotiations to buy the newspaper.
Hungary's Foreign Minister reacted sharply to the European Commission's response to oil transit. Szijjarto called it a scandal and criticized the proposal to use an alternative route through Croatia.
The European Commission has formed a special group to develop strategies in case Trump wins the US election. The team is analyzing potential consequences for trade, support for Ukraine, and relations with NATO.
Hungary's Foreign Minister accused the EU of cutting off Russian oil supplies through Ukraine. Hungary is demanding the resumption of transit, which accounts for a third of its oil imports.
The Polish Foreign Minister said that Hungary did not receive support at the EU Council meeting. Its position between Moscow and Brussels irritates other members, and the proposal to hold the meeting in Ukraine was vetoed by Hungary.
Hungary borrowed €1 billion from three Chinese banks in the spring of 2024. This is the largest loan in the country's history, to be repaid within three years, and is aimed at financing infrastructure and energy.
The EU countries have rejected a call by Hungary and Slovakia to lift sanctions against Lukoil in order to resume oil transit through Ukraine. The European Commission said that additional time was needed to assess the situation.
Radoslaw Sikorski called on the EU to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons for self-defense. He also suggested holding an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Lviv as a sign of solidarity.
Georgian NGOs and media organizations, along with the president, have filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court against the controversial Law on Foreign Agents, which requires NGOs and media outlets receiving foreign grants to register as foreign agents, citing violations of citizens' rights and Georgia's integration into the EU and NATO.
Some European countries are considering reopening their embassies in Afghanistan, which would mean diplomatic recognition of the Taliban almost three years after the fall of the previous government.
Volkswagen is considering closing its plant in Brussels due to low demand for electric vehicles, which could be the first plant closure for the automaker since 1988, when it stopped production in Alabama.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's "peacekeeping mission" visits to Moscow and Beijing during Hungary's EU presidency have angered the EU, which may strip Hungary of its presidency within weeks because Orbán's diplomacy undermines the bloc's unity against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine and the European Commission have started bilateral meetings as part of the process of assessing the approximation of Ukrainian legislation to EU law, an important step on the road to EU membership.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky, speaking about Georgia, said that EU leaders have decided to freeze the accession process and are patiently waiting for more clarity from the Georgian government.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted to Zelenskyy's statement that Hungary would be "an important tool to make the first step towards peace" in Ukraine. Tusk wondered in whose "hands is this instrument".
British investors have suspended several significant deals in Georgia due to political instability caused by the adoption of the law on foreign agents, which jeopardizes Georgia's EU accession process and foreign investment.
Several European countries are negotiating to continue receiving Russian gas through Ukraine after the current transit contract expires in 2024, despite the ongoing war.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Ukraine to understand how to help the country in the next six months, to discuss the prospects for peace, and the situation of the Hungarian community in Ukraine.
Hungary takes over the presidency of the EU Council for 6 months amid serious disagreements with the EU leadership on issues such as the war in Ukraine and migration.
Right-wing parties in Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have announced the creation of a new far-right faction, Patriots for Europe, in the European Parliament, which will fight against the Brussels establishment.
EU leaders express serious concerns about Georgia's law on "foreign agents," saying it deviates from EU recommendations and de facto halts Georgia's accession process.
President Zelenskyy met with Slovenian Prime Minister Golob in Brussels, thanking Slovenia for its support of Ukraine's sovereignty, defense assistance and humanitarian projects, and discussing further steps to secure a just peace for Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy discussed with Czech Prime Minister Fiala the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine, Ukraine's applications for EU and NATO membership, and preparations for a bilateral security agreement.
President Zelenskyy met with European Commission President von der Leyen in Brussels to discuss Ukraine's EU accession negotiations, strengthening sanctions against Russia, using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's defense, and trade and transport liberalization.
Slovakia's new president, Peter Pellegrini, met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, discussing his plans to visit Ukraine and assuring Zelenskyy of Slovakia's support for a quick and just peace for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Warsaw to meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ahead of the upcoming NATO summit to discuss Ukraine's defense and path to EU and NATO membership.
President Zelenskyy said that within a few months, before the second Peace Summit, as a next step after the first summit, a detailed plan should be prepared to address each crisis caused by Putin's war in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Scholz called on the EU to provide financial support to countries such as Germany, which are hosting large numbers of Ukrainian refugees, to finance social assistance, vocational training and language courses for them.
Arriving at the European Council meeting in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his desire to discuss with EU leaders the next steps after the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc, as well as pressing issues such as air defense and the need for urgent delivery of military aid packages.
