Yesterday morning, Finland and Sweden simultaneously handed in their official letters of application to join NATO, a momentous step for the two historically militarily non-aligned countries. The decision was a direct reaction to Russia’s war in Ukraine. According to Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, “a chain of events leading to the applications had begun last December, with a statement […]
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The Government of Spain supports Finland and Sweden’s future NATO membership
The Government of Spain supports the decision of the governments of Finland and Sweden to apply for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the result of a profound debate of their political and social forces and of a calm and responsible evaluation of the situation of the security architecture in Europe following Russia’s military […]
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Ukraine’s financing gap and longer-term reconstruction
The Commission has set out plans in a Communication for the EU’s immediate response to address Ukraine’s financing gap, as well as the longer-term reconstruction framework. This Communication follows from the European Council call to address the consequences of the war in Ukraine via a dedicated Europe-led effort. Immediate response and short terms needs Since […]
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Spain’s position on the expulsion of 27 employees of the Embassy in Russia
Spain rejects the decision taken by the Russian Federation to expel a total of 27 staff members of the Spanish Embassy in Russia. The Russian authorities justify this decision on the basis of reciprocity for the expulsion of 27 officials of the Russian Embassy in Madrid notified last April. However, the expulsion decided then by […]
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Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council – 17 May 2022
Current affairs The High Representative updated the Council about the situation in Mali. In light of the lack of guarantees by the Transition authorities on non-interference by Russian mercenaries with the Malian Armed Forces trained by the EU Training Mission, and the increasing pattern of collusion and allegations of grave human rights abuses, the Council decided […]
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Suspension of EU import duties on Ukrainian exports set for fast-track approval
The International Trade Committee gave their green light on Monday for a one-year suspension of all EU import duties on Ukrainian exports to support the country’s economy. MEPs in the International Trade Committee approved a proposal of the temporary trade liberalisation of Ukrainian products, in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression that is hampering Ukraine’s ability […]
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Main results of the Foreign Affairs Council – 16 May 2022
Western Balkans During a working lunch EU Foreign Affairs Ministers were joined by their counterparts from the six Western Balkans partners, and discussed the future of the region on its path to the European Union. The Council welcomed the choice of those partners who aligned fully with the EU’s foreign policy and sanctions, and expressed its […]
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Space: EU carries out Space Threat Response Architecture Exercise 2022 (STRA-22)
From 10 to 13 May, the EU carried out the Space Threat Response Architecture (STRA-22) exercise in the European External Action Service Headquarters in Brussels. This exercise tested the EU´s response capacity to a situation in which an EU space asset is subject of an attack targeting essential or critical services. These situations can take […]
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European Union Supports National Police and State Border Guard Service in Ukraine
The European Union (EU) donated communication equipment to the National Police of Ukraine (NPU) and the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) worth over EUR 200,000 through the PRAVO Police Programme. This donation help these institutions improve their operational capacity at a time when they are protecting Ukraine and its citizens against Russia’s aggression. The National […]
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