Eurotopics.net

The US government published thousands of documents relating to the case of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday. However, not all the files were released and many documents had been redacted. Several Democratic and Republican MPs and senators have criticised the incomplete publication.

The US military has seized another oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. This vessel is believed to be the Panama-flagged Centuries. The Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro described the seizure as a "serious act of international piracy". Washington said that the US would continue to crack down on the illegal trade in sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

The EU member states have agreed on an interim solution in the dispute over a loan to Ukraine. Kyiv will receive an interest-free loan of 90 billion euros to continue its defence efforts against the Russian attack, however, the frozen Russian assets will not be used to finance it for the time being, although the option remains open for the future. Europe's press takes stock.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had hoped to sign a free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries this Saturday in Brazil. However, a minority led by France and Italy has formed in the European Council in Brussels and blocked the move in view of fierce protests from the agricultural sector. Now, the deal, which has been under negotiation for 25 years, has been postponed to January.