European foreign ministers will meet at the end of January to discuss the lifting of sanctions on Syria, the EU foreign policy chief said on Sunday in Riyadh ahead of a meeting of top Middle Eastern and Western diplomats and Syria’s new foreign minister. Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, said the foreign … Read more
The two developments are viewed as a direct challenge to the delicate geopolitical balance that Serbia’s Vučić has spent more than a decade crafting, whereby he has signaled approval of Western values and EU policies while also maintaining strong ties with Russia and China. “We love Moscow and Washington, and everyone in the world, but … Read more
The European Union is considering easing sanctions on Syria to facilitate humanitarian aid and recovery efforts, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Wednesday. For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot suggested that sanctions obstructing aid delivery and the country’s rebuilding could be lifted swiftly, though … Read more
Europe’s next national leader looks likely to come from the far right. With Herbert Kickl in pole position to become chancellor of Austria, the European Union’s establishment is bracing for fresh torment ― and another punch in the guts in its stand against Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Kickl, who would become Austria’s first far-right leader since … Read more
“The United States will not hesitate to hold accountable individuals, like Rogán, who use the power of their office to illicitly enrich themselves and their cronies at the expense of their country and their fellow citizens,” declared Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter … Read more
The US is set to imminently announce an easing of restrictions on providing humanitarian aid and other basic services such as electricity to Syria while still keeping its strict sanctions regime in place, according to people briefed on the matter. The decision by the outgoing Biden administration will send a signal of goodwill to … Read more
Salome Zourabichvili’s term in office ends on Sunday — but Georgia’s pro-Western president says she’s not going anywhere. Zourabichvili on Saturday joined thousands of people across the country forming human chains to protest against the installation of a new president — far-right firebrand and former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili — set to take place Sunday. Speaking … Read more
Four other telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia and between Finland and Germany were also damaged. “We’ve decided to send our navy close to Estlink 1 to defend and secure our energy connection with Finland,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a post on X. Speaking on a morning local radio show, Pevkur said … Read more
Europe should rally behind the reality that a successful transition will not only help Syrians but is the only means of addressing the full range of its interests — such as cementing democratic governance, securing sustainable conditions to allow significant Syrian refugee returns, and diluting Iranian and Russian influence in the country. If the transition … Read more
The Iranian rial fell to an all-time low on Wednesday, trading at 777,000 rials to the US dollar, a sharp decline from 703,000 in November after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org Central Bank Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin announced measures to stabilize … Read more
