Category: Europe
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte outlined how Allies are shaping post-war security guarantees for Ukraine during joint press statements with Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in Bemowo Piskie on 18 December 2025. Rutte said NATO membership for Ukraine remains a long-term principle but is not currently achievable due to lack…
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said people in Europe are being “indoctrinated with fears of an inevitable confrontation with Russia” as he addressed an expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board at the National Defence Control Centre. Putin argued that warnings of a major war are being amplified by political figures acting in narrow interests, rather than those…
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a licence enabling the transfer of up to £2.5bn in frozen proceeds from Roman Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea Football Club to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, warning legal action if the funds are not released. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer said the government is prepared to go…
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The UK will rejoin the Erasmus student exchange programme from the 2027/28 academic year, marking a significant step in rebuilding relations with the European Union after Brexit. Erasmus previously enabled UK and EU students to study or train abroad without additional tuition fees. UK participation ended in 2021 and was replaced by the Turing Scheme.…
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the European Parliament on 17 December, ahead of an EU leaders’ summit on support for Ukraine, transatlantic relations, and EU strategic autonomy. She argued that Europe is operating in a world fundamentally reshaped by shifting economic power, warning against allowing external assumptions to define the continent’s future.…
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European and Ukrainian leaders have agreed to establish an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, aimed at assessing compensation for damage caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine. The commission was created under a treaty signed by 35 countries at a conference in The Hague and will be coordinated by the Council of Europe. It follows the…
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Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, has warned that defending the UK in a deteriorating global security environment may demand broader societal sacrifice, even as the likelihood of a direct Russian attack remains low. Speaking at RUSI in London, Sir Richard said UK assessments place the risk of a direct…
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Blaise Metreweli, the newly appointed Chief of MI6, has warned that Russia is intensifying both conventional and covert pressure on the UK and its allies, using tactics designed to remain below the threshold of open conflict. In her first public speech as head of the UK’s foreign intelligence service, Metreweli accused President Vladimir Putin of…
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The European Union is pushing to finalise its long-running EU–Mercosur free trade agreement by the end of 2025, despite a last-minute French push to delay its signing. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to travel to Brazil this weekend to sign the accord, pending approval from EU member states. The deal would create…
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Romania is facing a sixth consecutive day of protests on Monday (Dec. 15) as thousands rallied in Bucharest and other cities on Sunday, backing judges and prosecutors warning of systemic problems in the justice system. Around 700 Romanian judges and prosecutors have signed an open letter citing “profound and systemic dysfunction” within the judiciary. The…
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