The European Commission (EC) greeted Ukraine's joining of the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) programme of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), “the EU's primary tool for investing in people.” “This week has been significant for Ukraine's future, with social rights and education central to that future,” stated Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu.  “The EC announced in a press...

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France's defense spending will increase twofold by 2027 compared to the budget at the time he assumed office in 2017. “The budget will amount to €64 billion, thereby doubling from 2017, and by 2027, rather than by 2029 as initially scheduled,” Macron stated.  The French leader indicated that to reach the intended amount, it will be essential...

Bloomberg reported that starting in 2028, the European Union is contemplating establishing a dedicated €100 billion fund to assist Ukraine. The report stated that the European Union is contemplating the establishment of a €100 billion ($117 billion) fund to aid Ukraine as its conflict with Russia appears to be ongoing.  The agency, referencing sources, reports that the funds may be...

According to Bloomberg, the European Union is nearing the finalization of a trade deal with the US following a phone call between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump. “We are nearly at the final phase, at least regarding a preliminary agreement,” EC spokesperson Olof Gill informed reporters in Brussels, emphasizing that this was because von der Leyen...

Anouar El Anouni, spokesperson for EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas, stated that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons and that its nuclear program does not demonstrate that it is intended for peaceful purposes. El Anouni stated during a briefing in Brussels when questioned if the EU's criticism of Iran implied that Tehran had a peaceful nuclear program as outlined in the Joint Comprehensive Plan...

The U.S. President Donald Trump announced that beginning Monday, his administration will start dispatching letters to nations exporting products to the US, detailing import tariffs, according to Axios. Trump informed reporters late Friday while on the presidential plane that approximately twelve letters would be dispatched on Monday. The newspaper indicates that the U.S. leader did not clarify...

Reuters reports, referring to a study by Allianz Research, that unusually high temperatures in Europe might lower the economic growth rate of the area by 0.5 percentage points in 2025. Analysts suggest that the most significant impacts will occur in Southern Europe: Spain may experience a GDP growth reduction of 1.4 percentage points because of heat, while Italy and Greece could see a decline of...

US President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order that relaxes certain sanctions on Syria, as stated by the White House on Monday. The executive order, the wording of which was released by the US government, states that “sanctions on Syria are being removed, but actions against Bashar al-Assad, his affiliates, human rights abusers, and those involved in the chemical weapons program (...)...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union is reviewing the document it obtained from the US containing suggestions for a trade agreement, anticipated by July 9. “Today we obtained the final document from the United States for ongoing negotiations. We are evaluating it. Our message today is straightforward: we are prepared for an agreement. Simultaneously,...