The European Union

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EU leaders urge Trump to defend Europe's security interests at his upcoming summit with Putin The Europeans are desperate to exert some influence over a Friday meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that they have been sidelined from. It remains unclear whether even Ukraine will take part. Read more.

Why this matters: The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Putin might secure favorable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them. Their overarching fear is that Putin will set his sights on one of them next if he wins in Ukraine.   Trump has disappointed U.S. allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it remains unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Trump lowers expectations for what he's calling a 'feel out meeting' with Putin on Friday   On the front lines in eastern Ukraine, peace feels far away   Finland charges top officers of Russia-linked vessel that damaged undersea cables

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Zelenskyy meets with European and US leaders in Berlin ahead of the Trump-Putin summit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is joining German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday for talks with European and U.S. leaders ahead of a Trump-Putin summit Friday, the German government said. Read more.

Why this matters: Merz has convened a series of virtual meetings in an attempt to have the voice of European and Ukraine’s leaders heard ahead of a summit that they have been sidelined from. Zelenskyy is due to meet with European leaders first, in preparation for a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance about an hour later.   Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that it still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the leader categorically rejected. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not give up any territory it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ In his words: Trump's rhetoric about Zelenskyy and Putin has evolved   North Korean and Russian leaders in call reaffirm their alignment over Ukraine   China targets 2 Lithuanian banks in response to new EU sanctions

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European postal services suspend shipment of packages to US over tariffs

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule.

https://apnews.com/article/us-tariffs-goods-services-suspension-85c7b36b9e92c0e640dfe2ac418cd907?

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EU Leader Calls to Sanction Israel as U.S. Progressives Push to End Arms Sales

The president of the European Union Commission called for sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel on Wednesday, as international outrage grew over the country’s strikes on Qatar and Yemen and its ongoing starvation of the Palestinian people in Gaza. 

https://theintercept.com/2025/09/10/eu-us-gaza-israel-qatar-bombing/?

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How 4 key infrastructure projects centered in Italy will reshape the European transit map

MILAN (AP) — A hydraulic rock drill broke open a tunnel connecting Austria to Italy 1,400 meters (nearly 4,600 feet) beneath the Alps on Thursday, marking a major milestone in a series of ambitious European Union projects that will accelerate passenger train travel between metropolitan centers and shift freight off the roads and onto rails.

https://apnews.com/article/italy-infrastructure-projects-tunnels-bridge-railways-europe-66ac44bb4ff4cf4c76bf600ac9b00a78?

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Europe's Border System

The European Union began implementing its new border screening process yesterday. The updated protocol involves taking non-EU passengers’ photographs and fingerprints upon arrival, and will replace manually stamping passports beginning April 10. Twenty-nine countries are adopting the new system: most Schengen Area countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The process involves passengers using a kiosk to register biometric information (children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting). The data will be kept for three years by default and can be shared with other countries or international organizations under certain conditions. Passengers who refuse to participate will be denied entry. Estonia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic have begun applying the new system to all passengers, with other countries updating their protocols in a phased process. France—the world’s leading tourist destination—is hiring hundreds of new staff to help manage the rollout.

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Thousands of Africans returned home through an EU program. Many say they’ve been abandoned

The European Union has given a U.N.-affiliated body hundreds of millions of dollars to help thousands of African migrants return from failed journeys to Europe and support them back home. But The Associated Press interviewed several of the returnees and saw a WhatsApp group of dozens more who say they've received little or nothing. The International Organization for Migration says it is concerned to hear that people are left waiting but can't speak about individual cases. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

WATCH: Guinean migrants return home with broken dreams and little support after failed journeys to Europe Sudan relief operations are ‘on the brink of collapse,’ UN migration agency warns

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EU renews demand that Ukraine crack down on corruption in wake of major energy scandal

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — European Union officials warned Ukraine on Thursday that it must keep cracking down on graft in the wake of a major corruption scandal that could hurt the country’s ability to attract financial help. But they also offered assurances that aid will continue to flow as Kyiv strains to hold back Russia’s invasion.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-corruption-scandal-pokrovsk-a25b76c6c9830baafcf16ac5648bdd4c?

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Officials say progress made on amending US peace plan for Ukraine

Officials on Monday said progress was made in urgent weekend talks on amending the U.S. peace proposal for Ukraine that many saw as favoring Russia, but the Kremlin said it hadn’t seen the changes.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-talks-geneva-82df43cdad38d81cd86b1907b25436da?

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EU hits Elon Musk’s X with 120 million euro fine for breaching bloc’s social media law

LONDON (AP) — European Union regulators on Friday fined X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, 120 million euros ($140 million) for breaches of the bloc’s digital regulations, in a move that risks rekindling tensions with Washington over free speech.

https://apnews.com/article/x-elon-musk-twitter-european-union-regulations-0a135601e050518d5aa0a0155f973177?

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? Europe's drone panic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

The latest in a string of mysterious incursions into high-security European airspace: French forces responded Thursday night to unknown drones flying over a military base that hosts nuclear-armed submarines, Axios' Colin Demarest and Dave Lawler report. The big picture: The incidents have sparked suspicions of Russian hybrid warfare — but Moscow has not been directly implicated and little is known thus far about the incident in western France. ? Three days earlier, five large drones were spotted near Dublin Airport along the flight path of the arriving Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Irish media. Drone sightings forced airspace closures in Belgium in November and in Denmark, Norway and Germany in September. Reality check: Critical infrastructure — military bases, power stations, airports and more — is largely unprepared for today's drone threat. Stateside drone mania this time last year underscored just how fragmented policy, communications and countermeasures are. Keep reading.

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EU indefinitely freezes Russian assets so Hungary and Slovakia can’t veto their use for Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Friday indefinitely froze Russia’s assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, can’t prevent the billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine.

https://apnews.com/article/eu-russia-frozen-assets-ukraine-war-a65c92625cab565da7b8e07013dead05?

EU to freeze €210bn in Russian assets indefinitely

The EU has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russia’s sovereign assets in the bloc, as Moscow stepped up its threats to retaliate against Euroclear, the keeper of most of the Kremlin’s immobilised money.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/12/eu-to-freeze-210bn-in-russian-assets-indefinitely?

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Russia wants to drain Europe's investigative resources with its sabotage campaign, officials say The Associated Press has documented 145 incidents in what Western officials say is a campaign of disruption across Europe masterminded by Russia. Officials say the campaign — waged since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — aims to deprive Kyiv of support, create divisions among Europeans and identify the continent’s security weak spots. The Kremlin denies any connection with it. Read more.

What to know: So far in this hybrid war, most known acts of sabotage have resulted in minimal damage — nothing compared to the tens of thousands of lives lost and cities decimated across Ukraine. But officials say each act sucks up valuable security resources. The head of one large European intelligence service said investigations into Russian interference now swallow up as much of the agency’s time as terrorism.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Officials say Russia wants to drain Europe investigative resources with sabotage campaign - AP Explains

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EU leaders agree on 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine after a plan to use Russian assets unravels European Union leaders agreed on Friday to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine, where the government is on the verge of bankruptcy, to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years. But they failed to bridge differences with Belgium that would have allowed them to use frozen Russian assets to raise the funds. Read more.

What to know: The plan had been to use some of the 210 billion euros ($246 billion) worth of Russian assets that are frozen in Europe, mostly in Belgium. But as the talks bogged down, the leaders eventually opted to borrow the money on capital markets.   Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever rejected the scheme as legally risky, and warned that it could harm the business of Euroclear, the Brussels-based financial clearing house where 193 billion euros ($226 billion) in frozen assets are held.   Belgium was rattled when Russia’s Central Bank launched a lawsuit against Euroclear to prevent any loan being provided to Ukraine using its money.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Putin tells his annual news conference that the Kremlin’s military goals will be achieved in Ukraine   Belarusian leader says Russia deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile to the country

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Bulgaria to become the 21st country to join the euro, deepening EU ties despite fears

On New Year’s Day, Bulgaria becomes the 21st country to join the euro currency union. But the historic milestone arrives amid political instability and skepticism among ordinary people fueled by fears of price rises. Supporters praise the move as one of the greatest achievements since the 1989 transition from a Soviet-style economy to democracy and free markets. But many people are uneasy in a country where corruption is rife and trust in the authorities is low. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Russian drone attack injures 3 Ukrainian children as Putin expresses confidence in victory German prosecutors will drop probe of Russian magnate Usmanov after he agrees to pay nearly $12M

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European Union and Mercosur bloc of South American nations sign landmark free trade agreement

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries formally signed a long-sought free trade agreement on Saturday, strengthening commercial ties in the face of rising protectionism and trade tensions around the world.

https://apnews.com/article/mercosur-european-union-trade-agreement-south-america-b779460da4b7ecb6aa15d322976fa70d?

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Europe warns of ‘dangerous downward spiral’ after Trump threatens tariffs over Greenland

The eight European countries targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump for a 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland blasted the move Sunday, warning that the American leader’s threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Trump’s protectionist trade policies allow China to swoop in Analysis: Canada’s leader leaves China pronouncing success, but Trump lurks in the background Thousands march in Greenland to support Arctic island in the face of Trump’s threats to take it over AP obtains documents showing Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez has been on DEA’s radar for years Here’s where Trump’s most jaw-dropping promises stand a year into his second term Trump issues a flurry of pardons, including for a woman whose sentence he commuted in his first term

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EU lawmakers vote to hold up Mercosur trade agreement over legal concerns

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers on Wednesday voted to hold up ratification of a major free trade agreement with the Mercosur group of South American countries over concerns about the legality of the deal.

https://apnews.com/article/mercosur-eu-deal-vote-court-36db5285a4b22c61da15c5bee02ef43e?

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UK and EU to explore renewed talks on defence cooperation

The UK and the EU are exploring the prospect of new talks on closer defence cooperation, as Keir Starmer stressed on Friday that he wanted to “go further” in the UK’s relationship with Brussels.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/31/uk-and-eu-to-explore-renewed-talks-on-defence-cooperation?

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EU’s foreign policy chief says a Europe-wide army could be ‘extremely dangerous’

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday rejected calls for a Europe-wide army, warning that it could be “extremely dangerous” as the bloc considers ways to provide its own security after the United States warned that its priorities lie elsewhere. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

United Nations faces ‘imminent financial collapse’ without urgent action, UN chief says NATO’s ability to deter Russia has taken a hit with trans-Atlantic infighting Balloons from Belarus cross into Polish airspace for a third night UK expels a Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat move Tens of thousands of Czechs rally in support of President Pavel over dispute with foreign minister

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European Union citizens want more unified and bold leadership, survey suggests

BRUSSELS (AP) — Citizens across the European Union want more unified, stronger and ambitious leadership of the 27-nation bloc as it faces military threats, economic pressures and climate instability, according to an official EU poll.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-brussels-eu-poll-mood-26957d4abd8e1d562c54680c43e6124c?

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Europeans seek clarity about Trump’s Iran war aims before agreeing to his warship demands

European countries on Monday sought more details about U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for the war on Iran and warned that NATO must not become involved in it, as they weighed whether to agree to his call to send warships to help shore up security in the Persian Gulf. The cool response to Trump’s demand reflects wide caution about the U.S.-Israeli war among allies kept in the dark before, and largely since, it was launched on Feb. 28. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Why France is bolstering military presence in the Middle East, as Macron prepares for postwar talks Israel steps up campaign in Lebanon, as Iran keeps stranglehold on shipping Live updates: Israel-Hezbollah fighting drives over 1 million Lebanese from their homes Artillery attack on a Yemen village kills at least 10 as government blames Houthi rebels What to know about the Jones Act as Trump considers a waiver during the Iran war