👨‍🚒 Driving home to Brussels from Germany and saw going in the other direction Bonn’s fire brigade, en route home after participating in an EU mission to fight wildfires in Spain. 🇪🇸 🇩🇪 🇧🇪 🇪🇺 Somehow cool to see that solidarity out and about in the real world 😎

I’ve just had my say on our future banknotes. Have your say too! surveys.ecb.europa.eu/10b/neweuro/

Musical chairs in the Ukrainian government: Europe minister and EU ambassador directly swap jobs. kyivindependent.com/deputy-prime...

Deputy Prime Minister Kachka, EU ambassador Chentsov swap roles in Ukraine government reshuffle

President Volodymyr Zelensky has swapped the roles of the two men overseeing Ukraine's relations with the EU.

kyivindependent.com

BOOM. Another week another cluster kyivindependent.com/next-step-fo... Partytime for Ukraine and Moldova next Tuesday

Next step for Ukraine's EU membership talks unlocks July 14

The next step unlocks a to-do list of reforms to align Ukraine and Moldova's foreign policies with EU norms.

kyivindependent.com

youtu.be/thBXNhZfqQc

Peter Pomerantsev: How Ukraine Is Experimenting with Communication Strategies • Ukraїner

YouTube video by Ukrainer in English

youtu.be

⚡️New EU steel quotas set to eliminate over half of Ukraine's exports. The EU's new steel allocation, set to enter into force on July 1, was introduced in response to global steel overcapacity, which has been hurting EU producers.

New EU steel quotas set to eliminate over half of Ukraine's exports

The EU's new steel allocation, set to enter into force on July 1, was introduced in response to global steel overcapacity, which has been hurting EU producers. The measure aims to restrict tariff-free...

kyivindependent.com

The Last Frontier: European Manufacturers Move Ahead on Ballistic Missile Defense open.substack.com/pub/missilem...

The Last Frontier: European Manufacturers Move Ahead on Ballistic Missile Defense

After FirePoint, Estonian missile house Frankenburg Technologies seeks to enter the ballistic missile defense market

open.substack.com

Surprised to come across a guy needing two hands to watch a video on his phone while using zero hands to pee. The European Parliament contains all sorts.

Today it's ten-years since the UK held the Brexit referendum. Thankfully I don't need to say much about it because @katiewestwood.bsky.social did so better than I ever could over at @brusselstimes.com us8.campaign-archive.com?e=349ef79e27...

⚡️ In joint appeal, Ukrainian and Polish media sound alarm over crisis in relations. Six Polish and Ukrainian media outlets issued a rare joint appeal on June 23, warning that escalating tensions between the two countries risk playing into Russia's hands.

In joint appeal, Ukrainian and Polish media sound alarm over crisis in relations

Six Polish and Ukrainian media outlets issued a rare joint appeal on June 23, warning that escalating tensions between the two countries risk playing into Russia's hands.

kyivindependent.com

Watch out Western Balkans, where the EU Council conclusions talk about Ukraine and Moldova needing to follow the "merit-based process", the conclusions for the Balkans describe the process as "reversible".. 🥶 www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

European Council conclusions on the next multiannual financial framework, migration, illicit drugs, enlargement and reforms, the Republic of Moldova, Western Balkans and other items.

On 19 June, the European Council adopted conclusions on the next multiannual financial framework, migration, illicit drugs, enlargement and reforms, the Republic of Moldova, Western Balkans and other ...

consilium.europa.eu

What this means for the opening of the 5 remaining clusters is anyone’s guess, but there have been a whole range of political objections and issues raised. Ukraine isn’t going to have it easy. kyivindependent.com/hungarys-mag...

Hungarian PM Magyar pushes EU to water down stance on Ukraine accession

The conclusions of the meeting of EU leaders on June 18 have been watered down, at the insistence of Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, to reduce the urgency of advancing Ukraine's EU accession pr...

kyivindependent.com

🤡 🫠 kyivindependent.com/trump-thanks...

Trump thanks Putin for Iran 'neutrality,' immediately challenging G7 claims of tone shift

U.S. President Donald Trump, fixated on Iran in a one-hour press conference at the end of the G7 summit, thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for supposedly not helping Iran as much as he could ha...

kyivindependent.com

Horrible news to start the day :-(

It's important when big declarations come out to keep an eye open not only for what is mentioned, but also for what is not mentioned that perhaps should have been. kyivindependent.com/g7-set-to-le... Ukraine has a budgetary black hole which I hear will remain unplugged. Let's see..

G7 set to leave Ukraine with $52 billion budget black hole despite EU push

One G7 diplomat told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen raised Ukraine's remaining budgetary gap, but they said G7 leaders did not t...

kyivindependent.com

I may be sitting in a bus next to Lake Geneva but that doesn’t mean I can’t still find out what’s going on in the European Parliament. Check out this one: kyivindependent.com/exclusive-eu...

Exclusive: European Parliament to scrutinize its most pro-Russian member

A special committee of the European Parliament is set to investigate its pro-Russian Luxemburger, Fernand Kartheiser, for potential breaches of parliamentary rules linked to his ties to Russia, accord...

kyivindependent.com

EU Enlargement Commissioner @martakos.ec.europa.eu right now celebrating "Mega Monday" where Ukraine, Moldova, and Montenegro all make significant progress on their EU membership bids. She wants all six clusters open by summer. Holds out hope for a "Terrific Tuesday" in July!

My latest from over at the G7 in Evian! The EU is now in the driving seat on Ukraine, but the expectation is others should play their role too. Eyes open to see if any new commitments come out of the next couple of days..

The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · 2mo ago

⚡️ EU to call on G7 to step up Ukraine budget support, von der Leyen says. G7 countries should fund the remaining third of Ukraine's budgetary needs over the next two years, and the EU is going to ask them to do so, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on June 15.

Was happy to visit Berlin last week, even if for just a day. And I learned a lot, some of which you can find in this article! :-)

The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · 2mo ago

In a former hangar at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport, German and Ukrainian drone companies turned out in force at a new defense conference to cut deals, discuss their role in shaping the future of warfare, and make clear their needs from the EU and national governments.

⚡️Irish alumina exports to Russia escape latest EU sanctions, but political pressure is growing. The EU's next sanctions package won't include Ireland's alumina exports to Russia, but a new letter by members of the European Parliament shows the issue is not going to disappear over the summer.

Irish alumina exports to Russia escape latest EU sanctions, but political pressure Is growing

The EU's forthcoming sanctions package won't include Ireland's alumina exports to Russia, but a new letter by members of the European Parliament (MEPs), combined with pressure from Estonia's foreign m...

kyivindependent.com

Today’s big day for Ukraine and Moldova’s EU path ! 🇺🇦🇲🇩🇪🇺 If you have no idea what ”opening cluster one” in their EU accession negotiations means but would like to understand what it’s all about, listen to our Mildly Alarmed episode from last week where @powers.eurosky.social explains it all:

Inside the dramatic politics of Ukraine's EU accession | Mildly Alarmed

YouTube video by Mildly Alarmed

youtu.be

Ursula von der Leyen@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 2mo ago

Tomorrow, Ukraine and Moldova will take a major step on their EU journey. The first Intergovernmental Conference will take place in Luxembourg. We will begin work on the Fundamentals cluster, which deals with values, democracy and the rule of law. The foundation of our Union.

Russia has attacked Kyiv’s equivalent of Paris’ Notre Dame during the night, along with multiple residential buildings. There was some talk of G7 leaders walking on eggshells about Ukraine this time to avoid triggering Trump. Less chance of that now. kyivindependent.com/russian-atta...

Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra burns as Russian rains ballistic missiles on capital

"We ask for prayers for the salvation of the shrine from destruction. Another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity," Metropolitan Epiphanies, head of the Orthodox Chur...

kyivindependent.com

A very rustic evening in the hills above the G7 at Evian. The water is good, the wine too 🥂 Not to mention, the local cheeses 🧀

The week closes with the European Council summit on June 18–19. Zelensky addresses EU leaders directly, invited by Council President Antonio Costa. Accession progress is expected to be endorsed. #EuropeanCouncil 6/🧵

June 15 marks a historic milestone: Ukraine formally opens negotiations on the first EU accession cluster, "Fundamentals", in Luxembourg. #Hungary lifted its veto. More clusters are expected to open in July, ahead of the original schedule. #EUEnlargement 5/🧵

EU foreign ministers meet for the Foreign Affairs Council on June 15. Watch for the 21st sanctions package: Russian energy price freeze through end-2026, new crypto and financial services restrictions, and visa bans for Russian soldiers. #EUSanctions 4/🧵

The G7 summit in France (June 15–17) is the diplomatic centerpiece of the week. Zelensky is expected to attend at Macron's invitation. The backdrop: recent Ukrainian battlefield gains and stalled Moscow talks held by ambassadors from the UK, Germany, and France. 3/🧵

Ukraine's EU accession takes a historic step forward this week as the "Fundamentals" cluster formally opens in Luxembourg. G7 leaders gather in France with Zelensky expected. What else to watch next week? 👇🧵 #KIweekahead #UkraineUpdate Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Wow some important tone shifts in latest episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. Realising now that Germany is spending, that Europe is doing way more now, and that Ukraine is “winning”. 💪 As the panel says, time for America to back a winner.

"We will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on June 12. "It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions."

EU confirms launch of formal accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, on June 15

"We will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on June 12. "It covers the core values and principles on whic...

kyivindependent.com