European Union

The new US defence secretary Pete Hegseth did not mince words at the Nato meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. He ruled out both Ukraine's accession in the near future and the deployment of US troops to secure a ceasefire. He also called on Europe to assume more responsibility for its own security through various measures. Commentators see a clear break with the past.

US President Trump has had a phone call with Russian leader Putin. In Trump's words, they agreed that peace talks to end the war in Ukraine would happen 'immediately'. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed Moscow's willingness to negotiate. Trump then spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky - a 'good and detailed discussion', the Ukrainian president later commented. Europe's press questions whether Kyiv and Europe will have enough say in the outcome.

Coalition negotiations between Austria's ÖVP and FPÖ parties have failed, with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl citing a dispute over the distribution of ministerial posts as the main reason. This comes after coalition talks between the SPÖ, ÖVP and Neos parties were also unsuccessful. Commentators analyse the causes and anticipate what will come next.

The French president has long advocated for Europe's defence industry to become more self-sufficient.

The current business-as-usual approach to renewable deployment overlooks environmental, social, and institutional factors, causing permitting bottlenecks and project delays. A new toolkit by the Energy Community Secretariat and The Nature Conservancy aims to streamline deployment through better coordination, data management, and conflict-sensitive planning.

The line from Brussels appears to have hardened since its response to Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs earlier this week.

Germany wants businesses to be "freed" from the from "the shackles of unnecessary bureaucracy".

In today's edition of the Capitals, read about how the US opened Ukraine peace talks with Russia without EU allies, Germany’s AfD steps up far-right diplomacy with Orbán love fest, and so much more.

Multiple drones crossed into Moldovan territory following a large-scale drone attack on Ukraine’s Reni port.

Russian gas flow via Bulgarian pipeline surges 26.7% year-on-year.

He could now face up to three years in prison.