Save the date: the Icelandic government is proposing to hold a referendum on 29 August on whether the country should restart talks to join the European Union.
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Meanwhile, Scott Bessent says the US might remove sanctions from more Russian oil. “There are hundreds of millions of sanctioned barrels of sanctioned crude on the water and in essence, by unsanctioning them, Treasury can create supply, and we are looking at that.”
Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, @apnews.com reports.
The Hungarian goverment releases pictures after seizing two vehicles heading to Ukraine carrying $40 million, €35 million and 9 kg of gold.
Kyiv has accused Budapest of "state banditism".
The Commission confirmed that it's considering:
- Providing financial assistance to accelerate the repairs on Druzhba
- Arranging a meeting between Ursula von der Leyen and Robert Fico
In a noteworthy rebuke, Brussels also censured Zelenskyy after he suggested giving Orbán's phone number to Ukrainian soldiers to lift his veto.
"We are very clear, as the European Commission, that that type of language is not acceptable. There must not be threats against EU member states."
The European Commission has urged Orbán and Zelenskyy to "calm down" and "dial down" their "inflammatory rhetoric" over the Druzhba pipeline.
"Such rhetoric from all sides is neither helpful nor conducive to achieving the common goals."
Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Greece have formed the first-ever group to build deportation camps (aka "return hubs") outside of EU territory.
What you need to know.
Travel advisory: the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry "recommends that Ukrainian citizens refrain from travelling to Hungary due to the impossibility of guaranteeing their safety against the backdrop of the arbitrary actions of the Hungarian authorities".
New escalation: Ukraine accuses Hungary of unlawfully detaining seven employees of the Oschadbank at the border and stealing two vehicles carrying $40 million, €35 million and 9 kg of gold.
"The whereabouts of Oschadbank employees are currently unknown," the bank says in a statement.
Meanwhile, Orban says: “There will be no deals, no compromise. We will break the Ukrainian oil blockade by force. Hungary’s energy will soon flow again through the Friendship pipeline.”
This is a rather baffling remark by Zelenskyy, given that Ursula von der Leyen is *on the record* asking Ukraine to accelerate the repair works on Druzhba.
Privately, EU officials and diplomats all agree that Zelenskyy needs to "make a move" to de-escalate. This seems to be the exact opposite.
Zelenskyy: "Ukraine can repair the Friendship oil pipeline in a month or a month and a half, although it sees no technical or safety reason to do so."
"I will be frank: my position, which is shared with European leaders, is that I would not repair the pipeline."
The dispute over the Druzhba pipeline is seriously spiralling out of control.
Zelenskyy threatens to give Viktor Orbán's phone number to Ukrainian soldiers to convince him to lift his veto. Budapest condemns it as a death threat.
Slovenia joins Spain as one of the few European nations to condemn the US-Israeli strikes on Iran as an “unacceptable” violation of international law.
It also condemns Iran’s retaliatory strikes on neighbouring countries.
It must be noted that, despite the hype and the headlines, "reversed" membership never had a chance of succeeding. Capitals have privately been expressing strong reservations.
Von der Leyen was aware of the feedback and last week told Zelenskyy she couldn't endorse 2027 as the accession date.
As expected, EU countries have largely rebuffed the idea of granting “reversed” membership to Ukraine as part of the ongoing peace negotiations.
But the debate is not yet over. Ambassadors want to see credible options to fulfil Kyiv’s aspirations and preserve the integrity of the accession process.
Mark Carney says Canada’s support for the US-Israeli strikes on Iran comes “with regret, because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order.”
“The Spanish government’s position on the war in the Middle East, the bombing of Iran and the use of our bases has not changed at all,” says Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. “Our position of 'no to war' remains clear and unequivocal.”
Albares said he had “no idea” where her words came from.
Messy: Karoline Leavitt plays down the threat of an trade embargo against Spain and says the country has agreed to cooperate with the US army.
Shortly after, Spain categorically denies it.
It's "too early" to set a specific date for Ukraine's EU accession, says Rob Jetten. "Moving too fast is not the way to move forward."
Kallas on Orban's veto: "A broken pipeline should not hold Ukraine's defence hostage."
Kallas: "We cannot let Ukraine slip off the agenda. Moscow might have lost an ally in Tehran, but the same drones that are hitting Dubai are also hitting Kyiv."
"What is worrying is that all these (military) capabilities that are needed in the Middle East are also needed in Ukraine."
Kaja Kallas: "Of course, the dream scenario would be a democratic Iran that poses no threat to its neighbours, but this outcome is far from certain. Right now, no one can predict which direction this war will take."
"For Europe, it's a dangerous moment."
The war in the Middle East conjures a ghost that Europe thought it had banished: the energy crisis.
Qatar has declared force majeure to halt LNG production and avoid being sued.
If the shutdown continues, Qatar's top clients (China, South Korea, Japan and India) might soon be competing with Europe for US-made LNG.
Watch: The EU needs “less and less” decisions by unanimity, says Rob Jetten, the new prime minister of the Netherlands.
Jetten also called on Viktor Orbán to abide by the leaders’ agreement and lift his veto on the €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
I have just held a call with President Pedro Sánchez to express the EU’s full solidarity with Spain.
The EU will always ensure that the interests of its Member States are fully protected.
Just in: Emmanuel Macron has called Pedro Sánchez to "express France's European solidarity in response to the recent threats of economic coercion, of which Spain was the target yesterday," says l'Élysée.
"The EU and the United States concluded a major trade deal last year. The European Commission expects the United States to fully honour the commitments undertaken in our Joint Statement."
