Russia is ‘on the back foot,’ as ‘the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour,’ EU’s foreign policy chief says Kallas says that “the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour.” “Russia is on the back foot, militarily, economically, but also diplomatically, but as the latest strikes on Kyiv have shown, Russia still shows no genuine interest in peace, which was also the clear view of the ministers today.” She says the ministers had “a really thorough discussion” on what Europe should ask for from Moscow in any potential negotiations. She adds: “Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, because we are on Ukraine’s side, and we are defending our own core security interests.” She says that an unconditional ceasefire is “a prerequisite for any kind of peace negotiations,” and Russia “must stop sabotage operations, cyber-attacks, election interference, airspace violations across Europe” and “there can be no legal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territory.” Despite Russia’s Lavrov’s criticism (11:23), she repeats “there must be also limitations” on Russia’s military. Kallas also says that “too many countries continue to do business with Moscow, while simultaneously enjoying privileged access to European markets and investments, so Europe must use its leverage more effectively when it comes to trade, investment, market access, partnerships.” The EU is already working on another round of sanctions on Russia, she adds. Key events 8m ago EU fines Temu for failing to stop sale of illegal and dangerous products 55m ago Russia is ‘on the back foot,’ as ‘the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour,’ EU’s foreign policy chief says 1h ago Russia falsely alleges drone attacks on Russia from Europe are ‘increasing’ 1h ago Nato’s Rutte hosts Bulgaria’s Radev for talks on defence, security situation 2h ago Deal ‘also on how Sweden can learn from Ukraine,’ PM Kristersson says 2h ago ‘Diplomacy cannot stop Russia,’ Zelenskyy says as he confirms request to US for air defence support 2h ago ‘When we support Ukraine, we support Sweden and Europe,’ Swedish PM says 2h ago Ukraine to order ‘up to 20’ Swedish fighter jets; get 16 older models as ‘assistance’, Zelenskyy confirms 2h ago Talks on relaxing post-Brexit food safety rules ‘still ongoing,’ EU says despite UK’s claims of deal 3h ago EU prepares to make first loan payments to Ukraine next month 3h ago Hungary nearing a deal with EU to unblock funds, PM Magyar says 3h ago ‘Technical discussions’ between Brussels and Hungary to unblock frozen EU funds still on-going 3h ago Bulgaria’s Radev to meet EU’s von der Leyen this afternoon, Hungary’s Magyar tomorrow 3h ago Brexit rules on food exports to be scrapped, UK government says 4h ago Zelenskyy confirms plans for ‘major defence package’ deal with Sweden 4h ago Nato’s German-Netherlands Corp to take command role in Estonia, Latvia, Germany says 4h ago Russian foreign minister dismisses ‘idiotic’ demand to ‘mirror’ army restrictions in any Ukraine deal 5h ago Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Sweden for rumoured talks on air defence, fighter jets 5h ago ‘We need to find someone who does not need Nobel Peace Prize,’ ministers joke about Russia negotiator 5h ago Morning opening: Don’t walk into a Russian ‘trap’ on talks, EU’s chief diplomat warns Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature EU fines Temu for failing to stop sale of illegal and dangerous products Jennifer Rankin Brussels correspondent Meanwhile, EU regulators have fined the Chinese shopping website Temu €200m (£173m) for failing to stop the sale of illegal and dangerous products. The Chinese online marketplace Temu is displayed on a smartphone screen in front of European Union flags in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA The European Commission imposed the penalty after a 19-month investigation that found consumers were very likely to encounter illegal or unsafe products including baby toys and electronics on the firm’s website. An unpublished mystery shopping exercise carried out for the commission found a “high percentage” of unsafe baby products and a “very high percentage” of dangerous chargers for sale on the platform, as well as unsafe clothes and jewellery. Consumer groups across Europe have previously reported baby toys with loose parts presenting choking hazards, dummy chains long enough that they could strangle a child, jewellery laced with dangerous metals including lead, clothes made with banned chemicals and chargers that posed risks of burns, electric shocks or fire. The commission also criticised Temu over inadequate controls on the design of its website. Recommender systems and influencers’ promotions by influencers “could amplify dissemination risks of illegal products” it said. The €200m fine is the second and highest-ever imposed under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which has applied to the world’s biggest tech companies since February 2024. It follows a €120m penalty issued to Elon Musk’s X last December for “deceptive” verification badges and lack of transparency over advertising. A senior EU official said the commission had found a particularly serious breach of the act related to an inadequate risk assessment on unsafe products that Temu carried out in 2024. Kallas also says it’s “very important that we push Ukraine and Russia to talk to each other.” She explains that’s the case “because on there are so many issues where only they can decide, and nobody else.” “There can be countries that do this shuttle diplomacy, but in the end it has to be them who, who sit down on these issues that only they can decide.” Kallas also says the EU does not want to get into negotiations “instead of the US,” but to be ready to play a role in a “complimentary” way. Kallas also gets asked if the ministers progressed the debate on whether the EU should appoint a single lead negotiator to talk to Russia. She says “the broad consensus” was to focus on the existing European institutions, and she says that “it is much more important to be really ready on the issues” instead. Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos, who hosted the meeting, adds that the ministers had “a very, very honest discussion about the principles that should guide our position.” Otherwise he just echoes Kallas’s statement. Russia is ‘on the back foot,’ as ‘the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour,’ EU’s foreign policy chief says Kallas says that “the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour.” “Russia is on the back foot, militarily, economically, but also diplomatically, but as the latest strikes on Kyiv have shown, Russia still shows no genuine interest in peace, which was also the clear view of the ministers today.” She says the ministers had “a really thorough discussion” on what Europe should ask for from Moscow in any potential negotiations. She adds: “Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, because we are on Ukraine’s side, and we are defending our own core security interests.” She says that an unconditional ceasefire is “a prerequisite for any kind of peace negotiations,” and Russia “must stop sabotage operations, cyber-attacks, election interference, airspace violations across Europe” and “there can be no legal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territory.” Despite Russia’s Lavrov’s criticism (11:23), she repeats “there must be also limitations” on Russia’s military. Kallas also says that “too many countries continue to do business with Moscow, while simultaneously enjoying privileged access to European markets and investments, so Europe must use its leverage more effectively when it comes to trade, investment, market access, partnerships.” The EU is already working on another round of sanctions on Russia, she adds. Oh, that was quick. Kallas is speaking now. I will bring you the key lines here. We are expecting to hear from the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, soon with a press conference after the informal meeting of EU ministers any moment now. Russia falsely alleges drone attacks on Russia from Europe are ‘increasing’ Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has been raging against all sorts of enemies of Russia over the last hour. In the latest exchange, she claimed that “drone attacks on Russia from the direction of Europe and northern European states are increasing,” Reuters reported. It’s important to note that there is absolutely nothing to suggest that this is actually true, but it fits a broader pattern of Moscow’s lies pressure on the Baltics in recent weeks. Earlier, Zakharova also rejected the allegations that Moscow is jamming GPS signals in Europe demanding “some evidence” to prove it – despite literal examples of defence ministers of Spain or the UK facing GPS disturbances in recent months. Zakharova also criticised the US decision to deploy additional US forces to Poland, warning it could lead to an escalation of tensions between Russia and the west … … and also criticised US-Japanese military drills which could apparently threaten Russia’s eastern territories, and even blasted Armenia and Luxembourg for other issues. Nato’s Rutte hosts Bulgaria’s Radev for talks on defence, security situation Meanwhile, over in Brussels, Nato’s Mark Rutte has welcomed Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev for informal talks ahead of the upcoming Nato summit in July. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte receives the prime minister of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, at his official residence in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Olivier Matthys/EPA As you probably remember, there are some, erm, questions about Radev’s positions on Russia given his previous calls for “practical relations” with Moscow and the Kremlin’s warm reaction to his election win last month. But none of that came up during their doorstep comments today. Nato’s Rutte stressed Bulgaria’s role in “helping to defend the eastern flank of Nato,” including the Black Seam and praised Sofia’s increase in defence spending Radev praised his host for making all efforts to keep Nato together, admitting with smile that it is “quite a challenging job.” “Nato must have clear vision and feasible strategy, a realistic approach to the challenges we face right now,” he said. Deal ‘also on how Sweden can learn from Ukraine,’ PM Kristersson says Sweden’s Kristersson says the broader agreement between the two countries is “honestly, also on how Sweden can learn from Ukraine” drawing on its wartime experiences. He explains it as follows: “Ukraine right now has the most advanced capacity to deal with drone wars in Europe, and we are extremely eager to learn from Ukraine how to be able to handle such situations. I think when we talk about the need for kind of air defence in a very broad sense, most people perhaps think about the fighters, and they are extremely important … but the fighters are basically a part of a far bigger system of being able to defend yourselves from very different kinds of [threats], from the most expensive and advanced long range weapons to the, honestly, the most simple ones.” ‘Diplomacy cannot stop Russia,’ Zelenskyy says as he confirms request to US for air defence support Zelenskyy also gets asked about his letter to US president Donald Trump and the US Congress asking for help with air defence (Europe Live, Wednesday). He says that Ukraine is “very persistent” in asking the US to move quicker. “As of now, diplomacy cannot stop Russia. We are stopping them with our long-range [hits], and we very much ask our American partners to help us with allocating bigger numbers of anti-ballistic missiles … or [to] give Ukraine licences so that Ukraine can increase this capability on its own.” He says that “because of the war in Iran, the supply of missiles for Patriots has become more complicated,” and Europe “must have here at home on this continent all the capabilities necessary for protection.” Sweden’s Kristersson gets asked if he expects a hostile reaction from Russia to this deal. He says it’s “quite obvious,” as “we know quite well what Russia thinks about the countries providing help for Ukraine, so that won’t surprise us.” “I think all countries in our neighbourhood are very well prepared for different Russian reactions, for hybrid threats, and all these things going on, so it doesn’t really change anything in that sense.” Zelenskyy explains that the Gripens will be helpful as Ukraine faces a mix of “many different weapons, missiles, drones, aerial bombs” used by Russia, and it struggled at times with finding effective ways of defending against some of them. He says the Gripens – with appropriate weapons – will help to push Russian jets out and make it much more difficult for them to deploy aerial bombs. “These bombs, this is [the] number one [reason], and, [there are] a lot of [other] things, which I can’t share with you publicly, … but this is very important. “ Zelenskyy repeatedly thanks Sweden for signing off on the deal, but throws some shade on others, too: “It is exactly this kind of determination, the kind Sweden has shown, that can bring peace closer, and we very much wish that some of our other Ukrainian partners were equally consistent, principled, and willing to help within the limits of what they are truly capable of.” ‘When we support Ukraine, we support Sweden and Europe,’ Swedish PM says Sweden’s Kristersson is now speaking at a press conference with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Uppsala. He says he expects to complete the first delivery of older Gripen jets C/D in 2027, with new models to be delivered from 2030. The Swedish PM makes it very clear why he goes ahead with this deal and the support package, as he says: “When we support Ukraine, we also support Sweden and Europe, and to me and the Swedish government, no task is more important.” Ukraine to order ‘up to 20’ Swedish fighter jets; get 16 older models as ‘assistance’, Zelenskyy confirms We are now getting a bit more detail on the Ukraine-Sweden deal teased by Zelenskyy earlier. Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson receives Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit at the F16 air flotilla in Uppsala, Sweden. Photograph: Christine Olsson/EPA He just said in a statement that the two countries agreed on “a major defence deal, in which Ukraine acquires Swedish Gripen fighter jets.” Ukraine will order “up to 20” Gripen E/F fighter jets, spending €2.5bn from the €90bn loan issued by the EU. Sweden will also donate 16 older generation Gripen C/D jets as “bilateral assistance.” Separately, Sweden “presented its largest military support package to date,” which will include “long-range capabilities, ammunition, electronic warfare capabilities and support [for] innovation.” Talks on relaxing post-Brexit food safety rules ‘still ongoing,’ EU says despite UK’s claims of deal Interestingly, the European Commission struck a very cautious tone when asked about the UK’s claims that a deal has been reached on parts of the post-Brexit SPS rules (12:09). The EU’s spokesperson on the bloc’s relations with the UK relations, Balazs Ujvari, said: “On the SPS, of course there have been negotiations going on for quite a while, and to my knowledge these negotiations are still ongoing, and of course will not be commenting on them as long as they are not fully, fully completed.” EU prepares to make first loan payments to Ukraine next month There is also a bit more detail on the EU’s plans to pay out the first instalment of the much-awaited €90bn loan for Ukraine. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomes Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy prior to a meeting in Brussels, Belgium last year. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA The commission expects to make the first payment in June, but “there are a couple of procedural and technical steps yet to be completed,” a spokesperson said. For what it’s worth, Ukraine’s parliament ratified the deal on its side this morning. Post navigation এআই কম্পিউটেশন হান্ট কি পরবর্তী মস্তিষ্ক আবিষ্কার করেছে? | টেকক্রাঞ্চ প্রাক্তন সিআইএ অফিসার ডেভিড রাশের সাথে দেখা করুন যিনি ‘কাজের খরচের জন্য’ বাড়িতে 300টি সোনার বার রেখেছিলেন
Russia is ‘on the back foot,’ as ‘the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour,’ EU’s foreign policy chief says Kallas says that “the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour.” “Russia is on the back foot, militarily, economically, but also diplomatically, but as the latest strikes on Kyiv have shown, Russia still shows no genuine interest in peace, which was also the clear view of the ministers today.” She says the ministers had “a really thorough discussion” on what Europe should ask for from Moscow in any potential negotiations. She adds: “Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, because we are on Ukraine’s side, and we are defending our own core security interests.” She says that an unconditional ceasefire is “a prerequisite for any kind of peace negotiations,” and Russia “must stop sabotage operations, cyber-attacks, election interference, airspace violations across Europe” and “there can be no legal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territory.” Despite Russia’s Lavrov’s criticism (11:23), she repeats “there must be also limitations” on Russia’s military. Kallas also says that “too many countries continue to do business with Moscow, while simultaneously enjoying privileged access to European markets and investments, so Europe must use its leverage more effectively when it comes to trade, investment, market access, partnerships.” The EU is already working on another round of sanctions on Russia, she adds.
EU fines Temu for failing to stop sale of illegal and dangerous products Jennifer Rankin Brussels correspondent Meanwhile, EU regulators have fined the Chinese shopping website Temu €200m (£173m) for failing to stop the sale of illegal and dangerous products. The Chinese online marketplace Temu is displayed on a smartphone screen in front of European Union flags in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA The European Commission imposed the penalty after a 19-month investigation that found consumers were very likely to encounter illegal or unsafe products including baby toys and electronics on the firm’s website. An unpublished mystery shopping exercise carried out for the commission found a “high percentage” of unsafe baby products and a “very high percentage” of dangerous chargers for sale on the platform, as well as unsafe clothes and jewellery. Consumer groups across Europe have previously reported baby toys with loose parts presenting choking hazards, dummy chains long enough that they could strangle a child, jewellery laced with dangerous metals including lead, clothes made with banned chemicals and chargers that posed risks of burns, electric shocks or fire. The commission also criticised Temu over inadequate controls on the design of its website. Recommender systems and influencers’ promotions by influencers “could amplify dissemination risks of illegal products” it said. The €200m fine is the second and highest-ever imposed under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which has applied to the world’s biggest tech companies since February 2024. It follows a €120m penalty issued to Elon Musk’s X last December for “deceptive” verification badges and lack of transparency over advertising. A senior EU official said the commission had found a particularly serious breach of the act related to an inadequate risk assessment on unsafe products that Temu carried out in 2024.
Kallas also says it’s “very important that we push Ukraine and Russia to talk to each other.” She explains that’s the case “because on there are so many issues where only they can decide, and nobody else.” “There can be countries that do this shuttle diplomacy, but in the end it has to be them who, who sit down on these issues that only they can decide.”
Kallas also says the EU does not want to get into negotiations “instead of the US,” but to be ready to play a role in a “complimentary” way.
Kallas also gets asked if the ministers progressed the debate on whether the EU should appoint a single lead negotiator to talk to Russia. She says “the broad consensus” was to focus on the existing European institutions, and she says that “it is much more important to be really ready on the issues” instead.
Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos, who hosted the meeting, adds that the ministers had “a very, very honest discussion about the principles that should guide our position.” Otherwise he just echoes Kallas’s statement.
Russia is ‘on the back foot,’ as ‘the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour,’ EU’s foreign policy chief says Kallas says that “the dynamics of the war are shifting in Ukraine’s favour.” “Russia is on the back foot, militarily, economically, but also diplomatically, but as the latest strikes on Kyiv have shown, Russia still shows no genuine interest in peace, which was also the clear view of the ministers today.” She says the ministers had “a really thorough discussion” on what Europe should ask for from Moscow in any potential negotiations. She adds: “Europe will never be a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, because we are on Ukraine’s side, and we are defending our own core security interests.” She says that an unconditional ceasefire is “a prerequisite for any kind of peace negotiations,” and Russia “must stop sabotage operations, cyber-attacks, election interference, airspace violations across Europe” and “there can be no legal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territory.” Despite Russia’s Lavrov’s criticism (11:23), she repeats “there must be also limitations” on Russia’s military. Kallas also says that “too many countries continue to do business with Moscow, while simultaneously enjoying privileged access to European markets and investments, so Europe must use its leverage more effectively when it comes to trade, investment, market access, partnerships.” The EU is already working on another round of sanctions on Russia, she adds.
We are expecting to hear from the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, soon with a press conference after the informal meeting of EU ministers any moment now.
Russia falsely alleges drone attacks on Russia from Europe are ‘increasing’ Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has been raging against all sorts of enemies of Russia over the last hour. In the latest exchange, she claimed that “drone attacks on Russia from the direction of Europe and northern European states are increasing,” Reuters reported. It’s important to note that there is absolutely nothing to suggest that this is actually true, but it fits a broader pattern of Moscow’s lies pressure on the Baltics in recent weeks. Earlier, Zakharova also rejected the allegations that Moscow is jamming GPS signals in Europe demanding “some evidence” to prove it – despite literal examples of defence ministers of Spain or the UK facing GPS disturbances in recent months. Zakharova also criticised the US decision to deploy additional US forces to Poland, warning it could lead to an escalation of tensions between Russia and the west … … and also criticised US-Japanese military drills which could apparently threaten Russia’s eastern territories, and even blasted Armenia and Luxembourg for other issues.
Nato’s Rutte hosts Bulgaria’s Radev for talks on defence, security situation Meanwhile, over in Brussels, Nato’s Mark Rutte has welcomed Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev for informal talks ahead of the upcoming Nato summit in July. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte receives the prime minister of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, at his official residence in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Olivier Matthys/EPA As you probably remember, there are some, erm, questions about Radev’s positions on Russia given his previous calls for “practical relations” with Moscow and the Kremlin’s warm reaction to his election win last month. But none of that came up during their doorstep comments today. Nato’s Rutte stressed Bulgaria’s role in “helping to defend the eastern flank of Nato,” including the Black Seam and praised Sofia’s increase in defence spending Radev praised his host for making all efforts to keep Nato together, admitting with smile that it is “quite a challenging job.” “Nato must have clear vision and feasible strategy, a realistic approach to the challenges we face right now,” he said.
Deal ‘also on how Sweden can learn from Ukraine,’ PM Kristersson says Sweden’s Kristersson says the broader agreement between the two countries is “honestly, also on how Sweden can learn from Ukraine” drawing on its wartime experiences. He explains it as follows: “Ukraine right now has the most advanced capacity to deal with drone wars in Europe, and we are extremely eager to learn from Ukraine how to be able to handle such situations. I think when we talk about the need for kind of air defence in a very broad sense, most people perhaps think about the fighters, and they are extremely important … but the fighters are basically a part of a far bigger system of being able to defend yourselves from very different kinds of [threats], from the most expensive and advanced long range weapons to the, honestly, the most simple ones.”
‘Diplomacy cannot stop Russia,’ Zelenskyy says as he confirms request to US for air defence support Zelenskyy also gets asked about his letter to US president Donald Trump and the US Congress asking for help with air defence (Europe Live, Wednesday). He says that Ukraine is “very persistent” in asking the US to move quicker. “As of now, diplomacy cannot stop Russia. We are stopping them with our long-range [hits], and we very much ask our American partners to help us with allocating bigger numbers of anti-ballistic missiles … or [to] give Ukraine licences so that Ukraine can increase this capability on its own.” He says that “because of the war in Iran, the supply of missiles for Patriots has become more complicated,” and Europe “must have here at home on this continent all the capabilities necessary for protection.”
Sweden’s Kristersson gets asked if he expects a hostile reaction from Russia to this deal. He says it’s “quite obvious,” as “we know quite well what Russia thinks about the countries providing help for Ukraine, so that won’t surprise us.” “I think all countries in our neighbourhood are very well prepared for different Russian reactions, for hybrid threats, and all these things going on, so it doesn’t really change anything in that sense.”
Zelenskyy explains that the Gripens will be helpful as Ukraine faces a mix of “many different weapons, missiles, drones, aerial bombs” used by Russia, and it struggled at times with finding effective ways of defending against some of them. He says the Gripens – with appropriate weapons – will help to push Russian jets out and make it much more difficult for them to deploy aerial bombs. “These bombs, this is [the] number one [reason], and, [there are] a lot of [other] things, which I can’t share with you publicly, … but this is very important. “
Zelenskyy repeatedly thanks Sweden for signing off on the deal, but throws some shade on others, too: “It is exactly this kind of determination, the kind Sweden has shown, that can bring peace closer, and we very much wish that some of our other Ukrainian partners were equally consistent, principled, and willing to help within the limits of what they are truly capable of.”
‘When we support Ukraine, we support Sweden and Europe,’ Swedish PM says Sweden’s Kristersson is now speaking at a press conference with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Uppsala. He says he expects to complete the first delivery of older Gripen jets C/D in 2027, with new models to be delivered from 2030. The Swedish PM makes it very clear why he goes ahead with this deal and the support package, as he says: “When we support Ukraine, we also support Sweden and Europe, and to me and the Swedish government, no task is more important.”
Ukraine to order ‘up to 20’ Swedish fighter jets; get 16 older models as ‘assistance’, Zelenskyy confirms We are now getting a bit more detail on the Ukraine-Sweden deal teased by Zelenskyy earlier. Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson receives Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit at the F16 air flotilla in Uppsala, Sweden. Photograph: Christine Olsson/EPA He just said in a statement that the two countries agreed on “a major defence deal, in which Ukraine acquires Swedish Gripen fighter jets.” Ukraine will order “up to 20” Gripen E/F fighter jets, spending €2.5bn from the €90bn loan issued by the EU. Sweden will also donate 16 older generation Gripen C/D jets as “bilateral assistance.” Separately, Sweden “presented its largest military support package to date,” which will include “long-range capabilities, ammunition, electronic warfare capabilities and support [for] innovation.”
Talks on relaxing post-Brexit food safety rules ‘still ongoing,’ EU says despite UK’s claims of deal Interestingly, the European Commission struck a very cautious tone when asked about the UK’s claims that a deal has been reached on parts of the post-Brexit SPS rules (12:09). The EU’s spokesperson on the bloc’s relations with the UK relations, Balazs Ujvari, said: “On the SPS, of course there have been negotiations going on for quite a while, and to my knowledge these negotiations are still ongoing, and of course will not be commenting on them as long as they are not fully, fully completed.”
EU prepares to make first loan payments to Ukraine next month There is also a bit more detail on the EU’s plans to pay out the first instalment of the much-awaited €90bn loan for Ukraine. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomes Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy prior to a meeting in Brussels, Belgium last year. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA The commission expects to make the first payment in June, but “there are a couple of procedural and technical steps yet to be completed,” a spokesperson said. For what it’s worth, Ukraine’s parliament ratified the deal on its side this morning.