Former Ukrainian presidential aide reportedly shot useless in Madrid – Europe dwell

Spanish newspaper El País is reporting that the police consider there have been “two or three” attackers, with “at least three” gunshot wounds found on the physique of the useless man.

The newspaper quotes sources near the investigation claiming that the person was driving a automobile on the time of the assault.

A member of the employees on the elite American College of Madrid instructed the newspaper that she didn’t know if there was any hyperlink between the sufferer and the college.

An unidentified gunman or gunmen shot and killed former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov exterior a faculty in a rich suburb of Madrid, Reuters reported, quoting a supply near the police investigation.

Police acquired a name in regards to the capturing of a Ukrainian citizen at 9.15 a.m. (0715 GMT) native time exterior the elite American College of Madrid, positioned in Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid police instructed Reuters, with out figuring out the sufferer.

Portnov was a senior aide to Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovich who was ousted within the 2014 Euromaidan revolution.

Reuters famous that because the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been a number of crimes involving high-profile Russian and Ukrainians in Spain, which has important expatriate populations from each nations.

In November and December 2022, six letter bombs had been despatched to excessive profile targets round Spain, together with to prime minister Pedro Sánchez, the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, authorities workplaces, a European Union satellite tv for pc firm and the U.S. Embassy. A 76-year-old retired Spanish civil servant whose social media searches prompt sympathy for Russia was jailed for the offences.

In April 2022, a Russian businessman tied to Russia’s fuel firm Novatek was discovered useless in an obvious suicide collectively together with his spouse and daughter who had suffered stab wounds.

In February 2024, a Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine together with his helicopter was discovered useless from a number of gunshot wounds within the parking storage of his residence block close to Alicante.

Prosecutors urged a French courtroom to hand a 10-year jail sentence to the principle suspect within the 2016 theft of US celeb Kim Kardashian in a Paris lodge after a trial that noticed the influencer testify, AFP reported.

“I know, just as you do, that among the 10 accused, eight proclaim their innocence,” prosecutor Anne-Dominique Merville instructed the courtroom on Wednesday.

“Yet my firm conviction is that they are all guilty.”

“They were masked, wearing gloves, they were going to sequester her and tie her up. They have no empathy for Kim Kardashian, for the receptionist,” she stated.

AFP stated she requested that the alleged mastermind behind the theft – Aomar Ait Khedache – be sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Talking of elections and the fallout from the European Tremendous Sunday…

The defeated ultranationalist candidate in Romania’s presidential election rerun has stated he will ask the nation’s high courtroom to annul the vote on the identical grounds – international interference – that led to the unique poll being cancelled final yr.

George Simion, who was defeated in Sunday’s runoff by the liberal mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, stated on Tuesday he would ask the constitutional courtroom to void the poll “for the same reasons they annulled the elections” final yr.

The election, which Dan gained by a margin of 53.6% to 46.4%, was the second time the vote had been held. The primary, final November, was cancelled by the courtroom after the primary spherical amid allegations of marketing campaign financing violations and a “massive” Russian interference marketing campaign.

Simion has repeatedly alleged electoral fraud with out offering proof. His belated choice to contest the election’s end result, whereas unlikely to succeed, will lengthen the political uncertainty in Romania, which is below a caretaker authorities.

The ultranationalist, whose supporters carried out a parallel depend at some polling stations, stated votes had been “correctly counted” however “international observers” had seen “foreign interference” and “social media and algorithms have been manipulated”.

He claimed there was “irrefutable evidence” of meddling by France, Moldova and others in “an orchestrated effort to manipulate institutions, direct media narratives and impose a result that does not reflect the sovereign will of the Romanian people”.

Elsewhere, the Polish parliament has rolled over its controversial legislation briefly suspending the suitable to assert asylum on the nation’s jap border with Belarus amid issues about unlawful migration flows being incentivised by Russia.

The restriction was as a consequence of expire on 26 Could, and can now be rolled over for one more 60 days.

In the present day’s choice was taken with cross-party help of 366 votes in favour, and simply 17 opposed, principally rebels from inside the governing coalition.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk stated on Tuesday that he recognised the significance of providing worldwide safety, however argued it was being intentionally abused by Russia, Belarus, and folks smugglers, forming a “form of aggression” on Poland.

The legislation consists of some very restricted humanitarian exceptions.

Poland’s response to migration flows continues to be one of many key subjects dominating the presidential marketing campaign, with the run-off between the highest two candidates within the first spherical final weekend – centrist Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and conservative Karol Nawrocki – scheduled for 1 June.

Morning opening: Simply cease it

Jakub Krupa

Finance ministers of the world’s seven largest economies – G7 – are assembly in Banff, Alberta in Canada to debate their concepts on Ukraine and issues about disruptions ensuing from Donald Trump’s unorthodox commerce coverage.

Earlier than the assembly, German finance minister Lars Klingbeil warned that commerce disputes with the US needs to be resolved as quickly as attainable, as he careworn they had been a burden on the economic system and job safety.

As a substitute of this infighting, G7 ought to make it clear that it “will continue to stand firmly by Ukraine’s side” and oppose “the terrible destruction caused by Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war,” Klingbeil stated.

Ukraine might be represented there, with the nation’s finance minister Sergii Marchenko in attendance.

These feedback come as Europe scramble to maintain stress on Russia with the most recent spherical of sanctions.

Even the Vatican is getting concerned with Pope Leo XVI confirming to Giorgia Meloni his willingness to host the following spherical of negotiations to attempt to finish the warfare between Russia and Ukraine.

I’ll deliver you all key updates from throughout Europe all through the day.

It’s Wednesday, 21 Could 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa right here, and that is Europe Reside.

Good morning.