EU external relations, diplomacy, and security
Recovery in Ukraine is unfolding not in diplomatic halls but in classrooms, hospitals and local communities where ordinary people refuse to stop living. From Kharkiv to Kherson, the rebuilding has already begun.
Donald Trump has pulled back from planned strikes on Iran, saying the US will hold off if a deal can be reached quickly. But Israel’s silence on the announcement is raising questions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared Friday that “the fighting must stop” as civilian casualties mounted across Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank. Israeli airstrikes, ground operations and settler violence pushed the humanitarian crisis to new extremes.
Trump says Hamas has agreed to a landmark disarmament deal as part of his 20-point peace plan, promising a phased rollout. But Israel’s far-right is already calling the agreement unacceptable.
The UN’s human rights office says settler attacks on Palestinians hit a record 900-plus incidents in 2024, with soldiers and settlers often acting together. International calls to end the decades-long occupation are growing louder but concrete action remains elusive.
MEPs have obtained a draft letter accusing FIFA President Gianni Infantino of using the organisation as a “political career ladder”, as European football associations threaten a World Cup boycott. The European Parliament is now demanding he appear before lawmakers to explain a secretive $25 billion private investment deal.
Trump publicly contradicted Zelensky on Friday, denying that Washington agreed to let Ukraine manufacture Patriot missiles domestically. The dispute exposes a significant gap between the two leaders just days after their high-profile talks.
UN experts are demanding urgent action after two boats carrying over 500 Rohingya refugees reportedly capsized off Myanmar’s coast in mid-July. The week’s global briefs also cover intensifying persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and a stalling disarmament process in the Central African Republic.
A reported deal involving Hamas disarmament has been called the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since January’s ceasefire. But Israel’s public silence and unanswered questions about implementation are keeping expectations firmly in check.
Ukraine’s missile interception rate has fallen from around 90% in March to just 70-75%, a defense expert warns, as a Russian overnight barrage killed at least 10 civilians including children. The growing use of advanced ballistic missiles is stretching Ukraine’s air defenses to their limits.
