Brussels

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has canceled his trip to Brussels for a meeting on aid to Ukraine after being hospitalized over the weekend for bladder problems.

The number of deals that European Commission officials must review under new rules restricting the activities of companies receiving state subsidies has increased to 50, while they were initially expected to review only 30 deals a year.

Hungarian farmers began a protest near the border with Ukraine, blocking the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, demanding that EU rules apply to imports from non-EU countries.

The European Union hopes to disburse the first tranche of a new €50 billion financial support package to Ukraine within weeks, but further disbursements will depend on Ukraine's compliance with reform requirements.

Pentagon Secretary Lloyd Austin will chair a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on February 14 to discuss the war in Ukraine and the international support needed to defend its territory.

NATO-Ukraine Council to meet on February 15 in Brussels.

The European Commission is preparing for a possible increase in trade restrictions and a more aggressive political style if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election.

U. S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov discussed developments on the battlefield and the upcoming meeting on the defense of Ukraine, with Austin reaffirming U.S. support for Russian aggression.

The nineteenth meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense will be held in Brussels on February 14 to discuss further support for Ukraine in the context of the war with Russia.

The European Commission recommends a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

European aluminum producers call on the EU to impose an embargo on russian aluminum imports as part of the 13th package of sanctions against russia.

During a meeting in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal emphasized their continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The EU intends to unveil its climate goals for 2040 and a roadmap for the next stage of the energy transition. It is assumed that by 2040, the European Commission intends to achieve a net reduction in emissions by 90%.

Hungarian Prime Minister Orban explained that he did not block the EU's allocation of 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine because EU leaders would have sent the money anyway, including the money belonging to Hungarians.

The IMF Managing Director said that European governments should be more resistant to demands to increase financial support for protesting farmers.

Next week, Hungarian farmers plan to protest on the border with Ukraine against the extension of the EU's preferential trade regime for Kyiv.

Polish farmers are planning to block the border with Ukraine again to protest the European Commission's decision to extend trade privileges for Ukrainian agricultural exports.

Biden thanked von der Leyen for the EU's allocation of €50 billion in additional financial assistance to support Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he has received guarantees that Hungarian money will not go to Ukraine after the EU agreed to provide 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine.

Farmers in Brussels protest outside the European Parliament, setting fires, setting off fireworks, throwing eggs and stones, leading to clashes with police who used water cannons and tear gas.

EU leaders are gathering for an emergency summit where they are expected to confront Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over his refusal to authorize a new €50 billion aid package for Ukraine, with efforts to persuade Orban doubling in the last 24 hours but failing as Hungary has demanded an annual veto on the funding, The Guardian reports.

Five EU leaders call on the bloc to fulfill its promises and provide Ukraine with enough weapons.

Ukraine needs more ammunition to defend itself against a Russian invasion, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said before a meeting with EU defense ministers.

Due to production delays and stockpile issues, the EU will only be able to deliver about 600,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by March, falling short of the promised 1 million rounds.

At a summit on February 1, EU leaders will reaffirm their commitment to continue providing military support to Ukraine and emphasize the urgent need to speed up the supply of ammunition and missiles, according to a draft document obtained by Reuters.

The Polish minister answered the question whether the government is considering imposing unilateral restrictions on imports from Ukraine if the decision of the European Commission, which may decide to extend the rules of trade liberalization with Ukraine this week, is not enough.

Russia believes that its growing ties with China and emerging economies allow it to challenge the US-dominated financial system and the West. Russian documents indicate plans to undermine the dollar and create a new financial order that is not dominated by the United States.

Channel 24 journalist Oleksiy Pechiy fled to Europe after the EU summit in Brussels and did not return to Ukraine, which caused shock and disapproval from his employer, the Lux media holding.

The Baltic states are planning to disconnect their energy systems from russia's earlier than planned - in February 2025, not at the end of 2025. These efforts are aimed at ending their energy dependence on russia.

The European Commission is planning to lower the protected status of wolves by allowing hunting. This is the result of pressure from farmers and hunters