tag

The European Union's top diplomat Kaja ​Kallas and several EU foreign ministers ‌voiced their support for Ukraine's demand for accountability over Russian atrocities committed ‌in Bucha, as they visited ⁠the small town Tuesday on the fourth anniversary of a ‌massacre there.Ukrainian officials say Russian forces killed several hundred people in Bucha shortly after the ⁠start of the invasion in 2022. Kallas and around a dozen EU foreign ministers and other senior European officials made the trip there, amid tensions within the bloc over EU aid for Ukraine."This morning in Bucha we were reminded of what is at stake," Kallas said in Kyiv after the trip."There is no starker example of Russia's brutality than what happened there." Zelensky called on partners to remain focused on the war in Ukraine despite the widening ​impact of the US-Israeli war with Iran."You know, images from Bucha are very often compared to the horrific scenes of the Second World War, but there is a major difference," he said."Right now, that difference ‌does not reflect well on today’s world ⁠leaders, because Nazism ​was punished for its crimes, rather than receiving a partial easing of sanctions," ​he added, an apparent reference to a US waiver for some sanctions on Russian oil in the wake of the Iran war.Peace talks to end the war in Ukraine have been suspended due to the Middle East conflict, and officials in Kyiv have expressed concerns that weapons supplies could be diverted away from Ukraine as Western military resources are stretched.Europe is now the main backer for Ukraine as it fights on against a bigger and better-equipped Russian army along a frontline more than 1,200 kilometres (746 miles) long. However, a 90bn euro ($103bn) EU loan for Ukraine has been ‌blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister ‌Viktor Orban due to a dispute over ⁠Russian oil transit via Ukraine's Druzhba oil pipeline. Hungary is also blocking progress on talks about Ukraine's ⁠accession to the EU.Kallas said European ⁠ministers should work for Europe and not Russia in response to a leaked phone call which appeared to show Hungary's and Russia's foreign ministers discussing EU sanctions in 2024, 2-1/2 years after Russia invaded Ukraine."We must confront Russia, not bankroll it," she said.Ukrainian officials plan to use the visit of the senior EU officials to focus on increasing accountability for war crimes. Ahead of the ​meeting, Sybiha said eight countries confirmed their readiness to join the enlarged partial agreement for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine — a planned, ad hoc European international criminal tribunal. He said he hoped that number would grow."Perhaps more than anywhere else, it is here in Bucha that we feel the future of Europe and Europe's security are being decided right here — in Ukraine," Sybiha said. "The current frontline is also a line of international law and the shared values we uphold."Moscow has said it will refuse to recognise the special tribunal and will view ‌any country joining it ​as a hostile act. 

The European Union has condemned Iranian attacks on energy facilities in Qatar, warning that such actions risk plunging the region into further chaos.Speaking on the sidelines of a European Council meeting in Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the attacks exacerbate ongoing military conflicts in the region. "We need to exit this war, not escalate it further," she stated.Kallas noted that she has been in contact with Iranian officials regarding the situation and stressed that the EU is working closely with the United Nations to secure safe maritime corridors, as oil, gas, and fertiliser exports through the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted due to insecurity.She also emphasised that Europe is coordinating with partners to seek a resolution between the conflicting parties and bring an end to the ongoing hostilities in the region.  

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed suspending a trade arrangement affecting about 5.8 billion euros ($6.87 billion) of Israeli exports due to the Gaza war, although the measure does not currently have enough support among EU nations to pass.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also proposed a package of sanctions on two Israeli ministers, as well as "violent" Israeli settlers and 10 senior members of Hamas.The two ministers are far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an EU official said.Israel's nearly two-year offensive in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian situation has increased political pressure on European leaders to take action.The European Union is Israel's biggest trading partner, with trade in goods between the two amounting to 42.6 billion euros last year, according to the EU.If the free-trade arrangement is suspended, Israel would face duties at the same level as other countries without a trade accord with the bloc.In Israel's case, that would affect exports worth approximately 5.8 billion euros, resulting in an estimated 227 million euros a year in duties, a senior Commission official told reporters.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X that the European proposals are "morally and politically distorted, and it is to be hoped that they will not be adopted".The suspension of free-trade arrangements, first floated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week, would require the support of a qualified majority of EU governments - 15 out of 27 EU members representing 65% of the EU population.EU diplomats told Reuters that it is unlikely that the proposal would get the necessary support, with much depending on Germany, which has so far been reluctant to impose EU penalties on Israel.A German government spokesperson said on Wednesday it has not yet formed a final view on the EU proposals and Germany wants to keep the channels of communication with Israel open.Diplomats say the proposed measures against the Israeli ministers are also unlikely to pass as they require unanimous support from EU members.Kallas said that although public opinion has been shifting due to suffering in Gaza, she believes "the political lines are very much in the place where they have been so far".But the proposals mark a political shift in the EU's relationship with Israel.The Commission is also putting its bilateral support for Israel on hold, without affecting work with Israeli civil society and Yad Vashem, Israel's main Holocaust memorial centre.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met in Doha Friday with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.The meeting reviewed co-operation between Qatar and the European Union, as well as regional and international issues of common concern, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.During the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of unifying regional and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ensure the protection of civilians, secure the release of prisoners and detainees, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the catastrophic conditions in the Strip.