Footage shows activists handcuffed and lying on the ground with their heads down
→ Israeli occupation forces attacked 50 vessels carrying 428 people from 44 countries in international waters
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>Czechia will oppose any further EU trade sanctions against Israel, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said on Wednesday after talks in Prague with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar.
>Speaking alongside the Israeli foreign minister in Prague, Macinka said Czechia had serious reservations about last week’s EU sanctions package targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
>“We got into a situation where we would have been completely alone and blocking all 27 member states,” he said, adding that Prague ultimately backed what he described as a compromise because it did not include Israeli politicians.
>“But from now on, our position can be more self-confident”, he said.
>Czech support for Israel has long stood out within Europe, rooted in historical ties dating back to former Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and reinforced after the fall of communism. Last year, Czechia abstained in a UN General Assembly vote backing a two-state solution.
>Research by Prague’s Herzl Centre for Israel Studies found Czech society remains broadly pro-Israel, though views on the Gaza war are increasingly divided, particularly among younger voters and women.
>Macinka also ruled out supporting any suspension – partial or full – of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. “On this, our position will be a clear no,” he said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on EU leaders to discuss a new additional membership status for Ukraine and other candidate countries to maintain momentum until they're full members of the bloc, in a letter seen by the Kyiv Independent dated May 18.
Ukraine has been a candidate country since 2022, but further progress on EU accession has been blocked for almost a year.
The letter notes that "the enlargement process takes much too long" and that "understandably, this creates frustration."
'Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro condemned Israel’s actions against activists aboard a humanitarian flotilla headed to Gaza to deliver aid, and said Portugal may support a partial suspension of the European Union’s agreement with Israel.
“Portugal has already expressed its willingness to support a partial suspension of the agreement with Israel. We will see in the upcoming meetings whether there is any progress in that regard,” he said in remarks recorded by RTP during an official visit to Andorra.
Earlier on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel condemned what he described as the “intolerable behavior” of Israeli minister Ben-Gvir after images were shared showing activists being forced to kneel by Israeli authorities.
“Portugal strongly condemns the intolerable behavior of Israeli Minister Ben Gvir and the treatment inflicted on the flotilla activists in a humiliating violation of human dignity. The Portuguese government has remained in permanent contact with the Israeli authorities to ensure the immediate release of the Portuguese citizens, with guarantees of protection, which has now become even more urgent,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli Armed Forces concluded on Tuesday the interception of the final vessels in the humanitarian flotilla after two days of operations against nearly 50 boats attempting to reach the Gaza Strip carrying more than 400 activists, including two Portuguese doctors.'
The European Union and its member states are the largest providers of support to Ukraine, mobilizing approximately €200.6 billion in total assistance since 2022. This includes €75.2 billion in military aid, €104.6 billion in economic and financial assistance, and €17 billion to support refugees..This is what THE LEADER of their entire delegation had to say at the UN security council a few hours ago..
While Downing Street insisted the decision to allow the temporary import of Russian oil and jet fuel was only one element of a tougher overall sanctions package, a British minister conceded that the matter had been handled “clumsily” [...]
However, Ukrainian officials expressed disappointment at the decision. One former senior government figure described western sanctions policy against Russia as “too little too late”. They added: “I’m not sure I understand the logic behind this British decision. The only way Ukraine can stop the war is to put physical sanctions on Russia and destroy its infrastructure.”
Parliament backed mandatory screening across all EU countries for investments linked to areas such as defence, AI, critical raw materials, semiconductors (microchips and chip technology) and financial services.
The new rules strengthen cooperation between EU countries and the European Commission, streamline procedures and help address security risks linked to foreign-controlled investments in the EU.
And why we have to be very careful with how "European sovereignty" is understood