Morning opening: The lull earlier than the storm
US President Donald Trump mentioned he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about subsequent steps within the peace course of on Ukraine on Tuesday, after “a lot has been done over the weekend.”
His feedback – significantly on “dividing up certain assets” – will make Europeans marvel what precisely he’s planning to suggest when he talks to Putin, and the way this aligns with their views on what ought to occur in Ukraine.
On Saturday, “the coalition of the willing” mentioned what they’ll do, as UK prime minister Keir Starmer talked the association up as shifting to “operational phase.”
However the very existence of the coalition gave the impression to be firmly opposed by Russia, as deputy international minister Alexander Grushko mentioned that any long-lasting peace treaty on Ukraine should meet Moscow’s calls for.
He warned that any deployment of international troops to Ukraine would include “all the consequences for these contingents as parties to the conflict.”
In response, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned Russia’s permission was not wanted as Ukraine was sovereign. “If Ukraine requests allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or reject them.”
As Washington gears up for Tuesday’s name between Trump and Putin, European leaders are scrambling to organize for what’s coming subsequent, fearing any kind of unpredictable and doubtlessly controversial concessions from Trump.
EU international ministers are assembly this morning in Brussels to debate what else they’ll do to assist Ukraine. EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas sought to ramp up stress on Russia as she arrived for the assembly this morning, insisting that “the ball is in Russia’s court and what kind of conditions they are presenting, which is [a] big question whether they want peace.”
“Those conditions that they have presented, it shows that they don’t really want peace, actually, because they are presenting as conditions all the ultimate goals that they want to achieve from this war,” she warned.
Let’s see what we hear over the following 24 hours, forward of that Trump-Putin name.
It’s Monday, 17 March 2025, and that is Europe reside. It’s Jakub Krupa right here.
Good morning.
Key occasions
Lithuania accusses Russia of the arson of Ikea retailer in 2024 to undermine assist for Ukraine
The Lithuanian prosecutor common has mentioned that Russian navy intelligence was behind the arson of an Ikea retailer in Vilnius in 2024.
In an replace into its investigation (in Lithuanian), the authorities mentioned the principle suspect engaged with Russian navy and safety providers and accepted cost for plans to assault purchasing centres in Lithuania and Latvia to “intimidate the societies of both countries” in a bid to cease their assist for Ukraine.
The suspect, a international citizen who was underage on the time, repeatedly visited Poland and Lithuania to assemble data and plan the arson.
The investigators imagine that the arson assault in Vilnius was carried out utilizing a timed fuse hidden within the retailer and set to activate in the midst of the night time. The suspect then left the scene, searching for to cowl up their tracks, and left for Warsaw to gather a premium automotive as a reward for the duty.
The suspect was detained per week later, when believed to be en path to commit one other arson, this time in Riga, Latvia.
The prosecutor common’s workplace mentioned that it secured “extremely detailed data” about communications relating to each arson assaults, together with “multi-level” schemes supporting the operation and hyperlinks in each Lithuania and Poland.
It prompt it will deal with the assault as an act of terrorism.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk beforehand prompt that the group concerned within the Ikea arson assault in Lithuania might even have hyperlinks to comparable incidents in Poland.
North Macedonia mourns victims of lethal fireplace at nightclub
Helena Smith
in Athens
North Macedonia has declared a seven-day interval of mourning after a hearth in a nightclub that left at the least 59 useless and scores injured, as authorities detained 15 individuals for questioning and the inside minister mentioned a preliminary inspection revealed the membership was working with no correct licence.
Inside minister Panche Toshkovski mentioned the venue within the japanese city of Kočani the place the pre-dawn blaze occurred gave the impression to be working illegally.
Greater than 20 individuals have been below investigation, 15 of whom have been in police custody, whereas others suspected of involvement have been in hospital, he mentioned.
Most of these killed by the blaze, which ripped by way of the Pulse nightclub throughout a hip-hop live performance, have been youngsters and younger adults. Over 155 have been injured, many critically.
Italy certainly one of 5 ‘dismantlers’ of democracy in Europe, report says
Jennifer Rankin
Brussels correspondent
Italy’s authorities has profoundly undermined the rule of legislation with modifications to the judiciary and confirmed “heavy intolerance to media criticism”, in an emblematic instance of Europe’s deepening “democratic recession”, a coalition of civil liberties teams has mentioned.
A report by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) mentioned Italy was certainly one of 5 “dismantlers” – together with Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovakia – that “intentionally undermine the rule of law in nearly all aspects”.
“Europe’s democratic recession has deepened in 2024,” Liberties mentioned in a press release. The report, shared with the Guardian earlier than publication, highlighted judicial methods topic to political manipulation, weak legislation enforcement towards corruption, overuse of fast-track legislative procedures, harassment of journalists and rising restrictions on peaceable protests.
“Without decisive action, the EU risks further democratic erosion,” the report – compiled by 43 human rights organisations in 21 EU member states – concluded.
Main protests towards Vucić’s guidelines in Serbia
Tens of hundreds of individuals from throughout Serbia joined an anti-corruption rally in Belgrade on Saturday, in what’s considered the end result of months of protest which have shaken the grip of the nation’s autocratic president, Aleksandar Vučić.
The anti-government rally is prone to be the largest ever held within the Balkan nation.
Between 275,000 and 325,000 individuals took half within the protest, in line with the Public Meeting Archive, an organisation that displays crowd measurement. That determine is way increased than the federal government’s estimate.
Morning opening: The lull earlier than the storm
US President Donald Trump mentioned he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about subsequent steps within the peace course of on Ukraine on Tuesday, after “a lot has been done over the weekend.”
His feedback – significantly on “dividing up certain assets” – will make Europeans marvel what precisely he’s planning to suggest when he talks to Putin, and the way this aligns with their views on what ought to occur in Ukraine.
On Saturday, “the coalition of the willing” mentioned what they’ll do, as UK prime minister Keir Starmer talked the association up as shifting to “operational phase.”
However the very existence of the coalition gave the impression to be firmly opposed by Russia, as deputy international minister Alexander Grushko mentioned that any long-lasting peace treaty on Ukraine should meet Moscow’s calls for.
He warned that any deployment of international troops to Ukraine would include “all the consequences for these contingents as parties to the conflict.”
In response, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned Russia’s permission was not wanted as Ukraine was sovereign. “If Ukraine requests allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or reject them.”
As Washington gears up for Tuesday’s name between Trump and Putin, European leaders are scrambling to organize for what’s coming subsequent, fearing any kind of unpredictable and doubtlessly controversial concessions from Trump.
EU international ministers are assembly this morning in Brussels to debate what else they’ll do to assist Ukraine. EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas sought to ramp up stress on Russia as she arrived for the assembly this morning, insisting that “the ball is in Russia’s court and what kind of conditions they are presenting, which is [a] big question whether they want peace.”
“Those conditions that they have presented, it shows that they don’t really want peace, actually, because they are presenting as conditions all the ultimate goals that they want to achieve from this war,” she warned.
Let’s see what we hear over the following 24 hours, forward of that Trump-Putin name.
It’s Monday, 17 March 2025, and that is Europe reside. It’s Jakub Krupa right here.
Good morning.
