Region

EU plus

Stories in this section cover the EU-27 countries plus the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and the Balkan Countries (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia).

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EU to push for sanctions on Israel ministers and suspend bilateral support

EU to push for sanctions on Israel ministers and suspend bilateral support

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated she would push to sanction "extremist" Israeli ministers and curb trade ties over Gaza, as she warned famine should not be used as a "weapon of war". Addressing the European Parliament on 10 September in the annual State of the Union, von der Leyen lamented that divisions among member states were holding back a European response but insisted the European Commission "will do all that it can on its own". "What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People killed while begging for food. Mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic," von der Leyen said. The German politician said the Commission would put its bilateral support to Israel on hold, stopping all payments, but without affecting work with civil society groups and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
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Opinion
What role for the EU in the post-Washington South Caucasus?

What role for the EU in the post-Washington South Caucasus?

The agreements reached in the US-mediated summit of the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Washington on August 8 are poised to fundamentally reshape the region's future. Particularly, the deal concerning the Zangezur corridor – rebranded as the “Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) – holds significant geopolitical importance. If implemented, the TRIPP agreement would deal a severe blow to the regional standing of Russia and Iran. More importantly, it would pave the way for a strategic U.S. presence in this critical geography. This outcome represents a success that few would have predicted for the United States, especially for the Trump administration, given the region's notoriously complex and volatile geopolitics.

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News
Lavrov snubs OSCE efforts to mediate in the Belarus crisis

Lavrov snubs OSCE efforts to mediate in the Belarus crisis

In a telephone conversation on Thursday (20 August) the Russian Foreign Minister told the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE that "it was necessary to give the Belarusians a chance to resolve their issues themselves without interference".
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News
EU tiptoes into Belarus crisis

EU tiptoes into Belarus crisis

EU Council president Charles Michel spoke to president Putin on Thursday (20 August), informing him of the EU's position agreed yesterday by the leaders of the 27 member states.
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News
Was this Lukashenko's "Ceucescu moment"?

Was this Lukashenko's "Ceucescu moment"?

On a visit to the MZKT Tractor factory on Monday Lukashenko expected to be cheered. Instead he was jeered, bringing back images of the fall of the Romanian dictator in 1989.
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Editorial
Editorial: Belarus awakens

Editorial: Belarus awakens

Lukashenko promised stability but delivered stagnation. Defying fear, the people of Belarus now see hope and their aspirations must be respected
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News
Solidarity - De-escalation - Dialogue

Solidarity - De-escalation - Dialogue

EU foreign ministers discussed the situation in Eastern Mediterranean and Belarus in a video conference on Friday (14 August), ahead of their meeting in Berlin at the end of the month.