
Europe's support for Ukraine flags after three years of war
Although European leaders have regularly reiterated their support for Kyiv against Moscow, that support now seems less resolute. Faced with a war at Europe's borders that has dragged on since February 2022, the rise of nationalist parties across Europe, numerous uncertainties tied to Donald Trump's return to the White House and increased attention on the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine is no longer the absolute priority.
Still, the European Union's 27 member states can't ignore the conflict, as Vladimir Putin's expansionist aims could one day affect them as well. On Thursday, June 26, during a meeting in Brussels, European leaders want to signal their unwavering commitment to Kyiv.
But for the third time since early March, they have to do so as 26, without the pro-Russian Hungary, making it a symbolic – but empty – gesture. This highlights Budapest's increasingly rigid stance, as Hungary has for three years driven a hard bargain in return for joining Europe's consensus on helping Ukraine. With a year to go before Hungary's elections, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is becoming tougher in negotiations, with some at the table fearing the consequences.

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Euronews
22 minutes ago
- Euronews
Anti-government protest in Serbia calls for early elections
Tens of thousands of student-led anti-government demonstrators gathered in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Saturday, calling for early parliamentary elections after nearly eight months of protests. The students have been a key force in driving anti-corruption protests across the nation following the deadly collapse of a newly renovated train station awning in the city of Novi Sad which killed 16 people. Many Serbians blamed the collapse over alleged government corruption and negligence in state infrastructure projects, leading to recurring mass protests. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party have rejected calls for early elections and accused protesters of seeking to incite unrest under foreign influence, without providing evidence. Authorities have responded with pressure on striking universities, opposition groups and independent media in an effort to crack down on the movement. Despite the government crackdown, the large turnout at Saturday's rally suggested sustained public anger. Hours before the student-led rally, Vucic's party bused in scores of its own supporters to Belgrade from other parts of the country, many wearing T-shirts reading: 'We won't give up Serbia.' They were joining a camp of Vucic's loyalists in central Belgrade where they have been staying in tents since mid-March. Presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia are scheduled for 2027. Though Vučić formally says he wants Serbia to join the European Union, critics say he has stifled democratic freedoms as he strengthened ties with Russia and China.


France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Irish rappers Kneecap perform controversial Glastonbury set
The group has made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance, and one of their members has been charged with a "terror" offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man", said Liam O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying "Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah" at a London concert last year. The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to express support for them. O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has denied the charge. "This situation can be quite stressful but it's minimal compared to what the Palestinian people are (facing)," O'Hanna, wearing his trademark keffiyah and black sunglasses told thousands of cheering supporters, many waving Palestinian flags. O'Hanna also gave "a shout out" to Palestine Action Group, which interior minister Yvette Cooper announced last week would become a banned group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. 'Playing characters' Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group, whose prohibition comes after its activists broke into a British Royal Air Force base and vandalised two planes. Before Kneecap took to the stage, rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of "Death, death to the IDF", a reference to the Israeli Defence Forces. Later, Kneecap led the crowd chanting abuse directed at Starmer. Formed in 2017, Kneecap is no stranger to controversy. To their fans they are daring provocateurs who stand up to the establishment; to their detractors they are dangerous extremists. Their Irish and English lyrics are filled with references to drugs, they repeatedly clashed with the UK's previous Conservative government and have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. Two MPs have been murdered in Britain in the past nine years and many of them worry about their safety. But Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hezbollah flag has been taken out of context. Asked whether he regretted waving it, and other comments caught on camera, Chara told the Guardian in an interview published Friday: "Why should I regret it? It was a joke -- we're playing characters." Glastonbury rejects criticism Since O'Hanna was charged, the group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany. But Glastonbury organisers defied Starmer who had said it was not "appropriate" for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, one of the country's biggest and most famous music festivals. "People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else," Michael Eavis, co-founder of the festival said in AN article published in a free newspaper for festival-goers. Public broadcaster the BBC faced pressure not to air the concert. In statement Saturday, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said the performance would not be shown live but would likely be available on-demand afterwards. © 2025 AFP


Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Poles on cooperation between Nawrocki and Tusk: 'Two different worlds'
The victory of conservative Karol Nawrocki's victory in Poland's weekend presidential runoff is likely to cause further division and political instability between the centrist government and the new president, according to analysts and citizens alike. Nawrocki, who was backed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party at home and endorsed by US President Donald Trump, won 50.89% of votes in Sunday's race against Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%, according to election commission data published on Monday. The 42-year-old nationalist has pledged to hinder Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist, pro-EU government until its term ends in late 2027, just as the outgoing President, Andrzej Duda, has done during his presidency. Nawrocki is set to take office on 6 August. Tusk announced on Monday that he will call for a parliamentary vote of confidence in his coalition government. While his government exists separately from the presidency, the president holds power to veto laws, and Nawrocki's victory will make it extremely difficult for Tusk to press his pro-European agenda and push through key promises including a civil union law for same-sex couples and a less restrictive abortion law. Nawrocki opposes such measures. Euronews spoke to several residents of Warsaw about whether relations between Tusk's government and the new president-elect would improve compared to the current reality. "There is no agreement between the government and the president. There are two different worlds," one resident of Warsaw told Euronews. Another person said: "They are on opposite sides and don't agree. But Nawrocki is a big unknown." However, another individual said: "I hope, however, that wisdom will win out and somehow these relations will settle down. And this nation will not be as divided as it is at the moment." 'Deeply divided' Election data results show that he difference between Nawrocki and Trzaskowski was fewer than 370,000 votes, or 1.78 percentage points — the smallest gap in a presidential run-off since 1989. "Poland remains a deeply divided country," said Jacek Kucharczyk, the president of the Polish Institute of Public Affairs. "Although the electoral turnout was highest ever in history of presidential elections, Nawrocki's margin of victory is very small, which means that half of Poland will be cheering his presidency, whereas half of Poland, the other half, remains deeply worried or even disturbed," he added. Nawrocki, a conservative historian and amateur boxer with no prior political experience, had presented the election as a referendum on Tusk's 18-month-old government. In his first public comments since his victory was announced, Nawrocki thanked those who voted for him and said he would work for the causes that are important to them "We want to live in a safe country with a strong economy, one that cares for the most vulnerable. A country that matters in international, European, and transatlantic relations. A country that cherishes its centuries-old traditions and respects its history," he wrote on social media. Trzaskowski conceded defeat and congratulated Nawrocki. "I fought for us to build a strong, safe, honest, and empathetic Poland together," he wrote on social media. Speaking on Monday, President Duda said he hoped the election result would be "an unambiguous signal" to Tusk and the government that the majority of Poles expect to see the "kind of policy ... that Nawrocki proposes and preached during his campaign". Following the election result, Nawrocki has received congraulations from leaders including Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.