This is a good idea: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in kyiv on Sunday to show his support as Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities. Merz said he visited the Ukrainian capital on his second trip as chancellor to demonstrate his country’s continued solidarity with Ukraine, highlighted by a recently announced 1.3 billion euro support package for the country’s defense and energy needs.
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“If Russia is not stopped, its war machine will sooner or later turn against us,” Merz said in a statement on Sunday, adding that he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “You can continue to count on our help.” »
Team A: Zelensky thanked the German chancellor for his visit and his words, reiterating that Ukraine is not fighting alone. “Russia must be stopped together,” he said in a post on the X social media platform.
Former President of the European Council Charles-Michel I just said it Europe today that the 1.3 billion euros package recently announced by Germany for kyiv does not only support Ukraine on the battlefield. “It’s for our common future,” he said. Watch.
The visit comes as the air war has intensified, with Moscow bombarding Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles and jet drones that are hard to shoot down. In retaliation – drawing the ire of US President Donald Trump amid escalating energy shocks – kyiv hit the Russian oil industry and businesses. (More on the energy crisis later.)
After Russia once again warned its diplomats to leave Ukraine or risk continuing to put their lives in danger from Moscow’s relentless bombing, ambassadors around the world have shown defiance. This includes the EU ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova who offered a firm response: “We stay,” Mathernová said.
Da haben wir den Salat: But some on the sidelines of Merz’s visit are wondering whether it is intended to overshadow a recent acrimonious meeting between German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York.
The meeting was seen as controversial by some in Brussels: although the gist of Wadephul’s message during the bilateral meeting was for Russia to end the invasion and come to the negotiating table with Ukraine, it represented a potential thaw of isolation around the Kremlin’s top leadership.
Steering wheel diplomacy: The meeting comes as the war in Iran and reduced refining capacity have reduced supply, leading to sharp rises in prices for businesses and consumers. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously urged Europe to make new stockpiles available “immediately” to reduce costs, saying “American farmers, truckers and businesses should not be left to carry the burden.”
A virtual G7 meeting on Friday, attended by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, brought the energy crisis to a head. As a result, the G7 announced the release of 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil after Trump threatened to ban diesel exports.
Charles Michel has just said Europe today that it is “absolutely important” that Europe has “more ambition” when it comes to strengthening diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, particularly with regard to Iran. “We are not seen as a decisive player, as a decisive player,” he said.
His call comes as 20 senior international figures call on the EU to explore “new options” regarding the war in Iran. “We tried appeasement and diplomatic engagement,” Michel said.
“We observe that the United States and Israel are attempting military intervention. We believe that other options should be developed with the ambition of putting the Iranian people at the heart.” Watch.
Lula against Bolsonaro: Nearly 159 million eligible Brazilians voted Sunday in a crucial presidential election dominated by incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his ideological opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro. Neither candidate was strong enough to win a majority, meaning the duo will head to a runoff on October 25.
Bolsonaro is an ally of US President Donald Trump and son of ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, and said he was “very happy” to lead the first round.
What does this mean for Europe? A Bolsonaro victory would mean Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, would join Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru in electing Trump-friendly governments in recent years. Lula made Brazilian sovereignty a major issue in his campaign.
João Albuquerque is a former MEP, who served as vice-president of the EU-Brazil delegation. He is now director of advocacy and policy affairs at the lobby group EuroCommerce. He just said Europe today that it is a “sad morning” for Brazilian politics.
“Lula had a very significant impact in approving the Mercosur (trade) agreement, but also in ensuring that we had – on cultural issues, on progressive and democratic issues – a rapprochement between the two parties. I think it was very important that the two sides managed to come closer. I think that is in danger now.” Watch.
Electoral fever has not only gripped Rio de Janeiro, it has shaken Paris. After three days of silence, the National Rally’s French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, responded to media reports of alleged new evidence of anti-Semitic remarks by party leader Jordan Bardella.
“Just madness”: The presidential candidate told La Tribune on Sunday that she had “total confidence” in who will become her Prime Minister if she wins the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen had already defended Bardella when French media outlet Mediapart first published the allegations. “You’re not going to make anyone believe that,” she told reporters during a trade show crowd, ending the exchange. “It’s just crazy,” she added.
From Sarajevo to Riga: Elections also took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Latvia over the weekend, with the presence of Russian-backed parties predominant in both polls.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’ Joint List won parliamentary elections in the Baltic state, dominated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, according to preliminary results released on Sunday. Jérémie Fisayo-Bambi has the latest news on this story.
Bosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik on Sunday declared his party’s victory in Bosnia’s elections marked by economic pressures and the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union. This situation has been accentuated by the ethnic tensions which have divided the country since the war of the 1990s.
‘We don’t feel any concern’ in Europe, says Muslim World League president
Dialogue. This is the word repeated by the Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Dr Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, during his visit to Brussels on Friday.
During his stay in the Belgian capital, the Saudi religious leader met with political figures and representatives of the country’s religious communities and civil society gathered for a high-level meeting on dialogue and social cohesion.
Al-Issa stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving conflicts, saying it requires sincere intentions and effective leadership. “Of course, we always believe in dialogue and place great trust in it,” he said, adding that “dialogue is the language of reason and wisdom.”
Grégoire Lory has the scoop.
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Spanish police begin clearing Ceuta’s largest migrant camp ahead of the king and queen’s visit. Police launched Operation Trampolín on Sunday to clear a makeshift encampment on Ceuta’s Trampolín beach, where around 3,000 people have been living in poor conditions for more than two months. More reports from the field Jesus Maturana.
Has the plague returned to Siberia? Panic in Russia after the death of a laboratory employee. Residents of Russia’s Irkutsk region are deeply concerned about rumors of a possible outbreak of pneumonic plague in the Siberian region. Alexei Doval reports if there is anything more sinister to the allegations.
Student demonstrations in France: 400 to 500 schools totally or partially closed on Monday. Up to 500 secondary schools in France are expected to be fully or partially closed on Monday due to student protests. The protests – fueled by poor school conditions and a lack of teachers – follow several days of protests marked by clashes with police. Nina Borowski And Alexander Kazakevich I have more to say about this story.
We also monitor
- The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, co-chairs the meeting of the EU-Moldova Association Council in Brussels with Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan.
- EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič holds a video conference with BMW Group CEO Milan Nedeljković.
- EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra attends a ministerial meeting and pre-COP31 leaders’ event in Fiji.
- European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen receives Egbert Laege, CEO of Securing Energy for Europe.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Strasbourg for the first day of this week’s plenary.
- European Council President António Costa meets Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.
That’s all for today.
Gn world
