Category: European Union

President Donald Trump said Monday he’s nearing a deal with Ukraine and with Russia to end the war in Ukraine after a packed day of meetings at the White House with French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump urged Europe to take a bigger role in funding, and Paris pushed for more assurances from Moscow. The U.S. president pushed his desire for a deal to end the war, which struck its grim third anniversary Monday. He has said this will include an agreement with Ukraine for its critical minerals — a deal he hinted could be signed as soon as next week by Ukraine’s president. “There’s tremendous distrust on both sides,” Trump said. “That’s why it’s good that I’m coming in now. But I think it’s to the very much benefit of Russia to make a deal and to go on with leading Russia in a very positive way. That’s what you have to do. But I really believe that he wants to make a deal. I may be wrong, but I believe he wants to make a deal.” Macron was more circumspect, correcting Trump in the Oval Office when Trump said Europe supported Ukraine with a loan. Macron then warned against trusting Moscow. “Let’s try to get something first which … can be assessed, checked and verified,” he said in English. “And let’s be sure that we build sufficient guarantees in the short run. And this is where we are ready to be engaged. As for France, a lot of my European colleagues are ready to be engaged. But we do need this American backup, because this is part of the credibility of the security guarantees. And this is our collective deterrence capacity. And I have the feeling that the president has this capacity.” Analysts spoke of what the two leaders accomplished in their meetings. “It looks like they agreed to have European peacekeepers enforce the peace between Russia and Ukraine,” said William Pomeranz, a senior scholar at the Wilson Center Kennan Institute. “There are a lot of other side issues that I haven’t really been able to get a hold of, but yes, there are attempts to have a peace agreement and a use of peacekeepers to enforce the agreement between Russia and Ukraine.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope and emphasized the importance of Washington’s role. “Our teams are already working productively with the U.S. on an economic agreement, … “Trump hosts French leader to discuss Ukraine endgame” →

STATE DEPARTMENT — Three years into Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, China is closely monitoring U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy to end the war, as Beijing calculates its moves to position itself as a strategic partner for Ukraine while maintaining a no‐limits partnership with Russia, according to experts and former officials.  This week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to hold in-person meetings in Washington, following the Feb. 18 direct talks between senior U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.  Macron met with Trump Monday morning at the White House for a meeting that lasted nearly two hours. Both leaders participated in a videoconference with other G7 leaders about Ukraine.   Earlier on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who updated Xi on the Riyadh talks and reaffirmed the “comprehensive strategic partnership” between Russia and China. A Chinese readout said, “China welcomes the positive efforts made by Russia and relevant parties to resolve the crisis.”  ‘Crisis’ but not war  For three years, Chinese officials have said Beijing will “play a constructive role” in the “political settlement of the crisis,” refraining from using the term “Ukraine war” to describe Russia’s aggression since Feb. 24, 2022.  Beijing also commended the recent U.S.-Russia talks, during which Ukraine was not present.  China and Ukraine “established a strategic partnership in 2011. … In recent years, China has been Ukraine’s largest trading partner,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Feb. 15 on the margins of the Munich Security Conference.  “Regarding the Ukrainian crisis … China has always worked for peace and promoted talks,” Wang said. Notably, the Chinese readout of the meeting made no mention of Ukraine’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.  On Feb. 20, two days after the U.S.-Russia talks, Wang held in-person discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the G20 ministerial meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Lavrov briefed him on the Riyadh talks. Wang reaffirmed China’s “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia.  Wang said China “supports” all efforts dedicated to peace, including “the recent consensus reached between the United States and Russia” in Riyadh.  Talks, not negotiations  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Riyadh talks — the first between Washington and Moscow in years — were not negotiations aimed at striking any deal on Ukraine, despite concerns from Ukraine and European countries that they were … “China eyes Trump’s Ukraine strategy, strengthens ties with Russia” →

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has ruled the republic since 2007, said he wants to remain in power for life. VOA Russian spoke to regional experts who believe that despite this being illegal according to Russian laws, Kadyrov will resist stepping down in 2026 when his term ends. Oleg Orlov from the Nobel Prize-winning Memorial group draws parallels between Kadyrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both relying on repression to continue their rule. Click here for the full story in Russian. …

VOA Russian spoke to independent analyst Jakub Janovsky who documents Russian military equipment losses in the war with Ukraine. He noted that Russia has lost 136 military planes and 151 helicopters in three years of the war, reducing its aviation fleet so Moscow now relies more on long-range missiles and drones. Janovsky also said Russia has noticeably reduced the use of the heavy military equipment, such as tanks and armored fighting vehicles, on the frontline in Ukraine in the past several months, though the reasons for that are unknown. Click here for the full story in Russian.   …

Dr. Nelson Castro, a close friend of Pope Francis and author of The Health of the Popes, told VOA that the pontiff’s health has worsened and his medical team is on high alert. Click here for the full story in Spanish. …

Russian forces have been shelling Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine almost daily since the start of their invasion three years ago. Despite the constant bombardment, local business owners continue working, and volunteers from all over the world are on hand to offer support.  Anna Kosstutschenko has the story. VOA footage and video editing by Pavel Suhodolskiy. …

Moscow — A Russian court on Monday upheld a three-year prison sentence for French researcher Laurent Vinatier, one of several Westerners jailed by Russia during the Ukraine offensive. France condemned the sentence as “arbitrary” and demanded Vinatier’s “immediate release,” after accusing Russia of taking Westerners hostage. Vinatier, who works for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, was arrested last summer as tensions with France and other Western countries soared over Ukraine. In October, Russia found Vinatier guilty of gathering information on the Russian military and of violating its “foreign agent” law — which has usually been reserved for Russian nationals. “The sentence… against Laurent Vinatier is left unchanged,” judge Tatyana Sokolova said at an appeal hearing, an AFP reporter in court heard. After the sentence was upheld, tears welled in Vinatier’s eyes. Speaking in Russian in a video link from prison, Vinatier had earlier told the court: “I fully admit my guilt. I repent.” The researcher has said he was not aware that he should have registered as a “foreign agent.” The label, which has Stalin-era connotations, has mainly been used against domestic Kremlin critics. Vinatier worked as an adviser with the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and is a veteran researcher on Russia and other post-Soviet countries. Vinatier has said in court that in his work he always tried to “present Russia’s interests in international relations.” “Everything I did in Russia together with its representatives was only for the sake of peace,” Vinatier said. His lawyer Oleg Besonov said the sentence was “too severe” and told the court that Vinatier had two dependent minor children, one of whom is disabled. The French foreign ministry in a statement repeated a demand for Russia to release Vinatier and repeal its “foreign agents” law, which it said goes against Russia’s human rights commitments. French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly called on Russia to free Vinatier, saying that he is unfairly detained and that the “propaganda” against him “does not match reality.” Paris is one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters and Russia has singled out France as a particularly hostile state during the conflict. Russia has arrested several Westerners since its offensive in Ukraine and held several prisoner exchanges with the United States, including the biggest East-West swap since the Cold War in August 2024. Tensions between Europe and Moscow remain high, while US President Donald Trump meanwhile has warmed U.S. ties with the Kremlin in … “Russian court upholds French researcher’s jail sentence “ →

MARSEILLE, France — Two projectiles were thrown at the perimeter wall of Russia’s consulate in the southern French port city of Marseille on Monday, one of which exploded, a French security source said. It was not immediately clear if the projectiles cleared the wall. BFM TV said the projectiles were Molotov cocktails and that they landed in the consulate’s garden. Russia demanded a full French investigation and said the incident looked like an act of terrorism, state news agency TASS reported. No one was injured, the security source said. Consulate staff were kept indoors and police set up a security perimeter around the consulate. The incident in the southern French city took place on the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war. “The explosions on the territory of the Russian Consulate General in Marseille have all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack,” TASS quoted Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. …

ROME — Pope Francis was resting Monday morning after a quiet night, on the 10th day of his hospitalization for a complex lung infection that has provoked the early stages of kidney failure, the Vatican said. The one-line statement didn’t say if Francis, 88, had woken up. “The night passed well, the pope slept and is resting,” it said. Late Sunday, doctors reported that blood tests showed early kidney failure that was nevertheless under control. They said Francis remained in critical condition but that he hadn’t experienced any further respiratory crises since Saturday. He was receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen and, on Sunday, was alert, responsive and attended Mass. They said his prognosis was guarded. Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease. They have warned that the main threat facing Francis is sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. To date there has been no reference to any onset of sepsis in the medical updates provided by the Vatican, including on Sunday. Monday marks Francis’ 10th day in the hospital, making this equal to the longest hospitalization of his papacy. He spent 10 days at Rome’s Gemelli hospital in 2021 after he had 33 centimeters of his colon removed. In New York on Sunday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan acknowledged what church leaders in Rome weren’t saying publicly: that the Catholic faithful were united “at the bedside of a dying father.” “As our Holy Father Pope Francis is in very, very fragile health, and probably close to death,” Dolan said in his homily from the pulpit of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, though he later told reporters he hoped and prayed that Francis would “bounce back.” Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease. His condition has revived speculation about what might happen if he becomes unconscious or otherwise incapacitated, and whether he might resign. …

BERLIN — Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz will start trying to form a coalition government on Monday after his conservative bloc won a national election that saw far-right and far-left parties hoover up support from disaffected voters. Merz, who has no previous experience in office, is set to take charge with Europe’s largest economy ailing, its society split over migration and its security caught between a confrontational U.S. and an assertive Russia and China. The 69-year-old faces lengthy coalition negotiations after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to a historic second place in a fractured vote, following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unloved three-way alliance. In an early indication of his policy intentions, Merz also took aim at the U.S. after his win, criticizing the “ultimately outrageous” comments flowing from Washington during the campaign, comparing them to hostile interventions from Russia. “For me, the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can achieve real independence from the USA, step by step,” Merz said on Sunday. His conservative CDU/CSU bloc came in first place on 28.6%, ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany on 20.8%, its best-ever result, according to provisional results. Mainstream parties, however, rule out working with the AfD, a party which is monitored by German security services on suspicion of extremism but has been endorsed by U.S. figures including billionaire Elon Musk. That means Merz will have to negotiate with Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) to form a coalition in talks that are likely to take months following a bruising campaign that highlighted policy differences. Merz will, however, not have to rely on support from the Greens for an outright parliamentary majority, after the new BSW party founded by Sahra Wagenknecht, a former leader of the Left party, just missed the 5% threshold required to enter the lower house. …

A resolution drafted by the United States and another drafted by Ukraine and backed by the European Union calling for an end to the war in Ukraine are set for votes Monday at the United Nations. The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on the Ukrainian resolution, followed by the U.S. resolution. The U.N. Security Council is expected to hold its own vote on the U.S. resolution later in the day. The U.S. calls for “a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.” The U.S.-drafted measure does not mention Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began three years ago Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the resolution would “affirm that this conflict is awful, that the U.N. can help end it, and that peace is possible.” “This is our opportunity to build real momentum toward peace,” Rubio said in a statement. The more extensive Ukrainian resolution says the Russian invasion “has persisted for three years and continues to have devastating and long-lasting consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for other regions and global stability.” It calls for “a de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine” and highlights the need for the war to end this year. The Ukrainian draft says earlier resolutions adopted by the General Assembly need to be fully implemented, including those calling for Russia to fully withdraw from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do carry the moral weight of the international community. At the Security Council, a resolution needs the support of at least nine of the 15 members, with none of the permanent members—Britain, China, France, Russia, or United States—using their veto power. The U.S. measure is expected to have enough support Monday. The votes come as French President Emmanuel Macron visits the United States for talks with President Donald Trump that are expected to include the war in Ukraine. Macron said last week that he planned to tell Trump the U.S. leader “cannot be weak” in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is due to visit Washington later this week for similar talks, and like Macron has emphasized the need for Ukraine’s sovereignty to be at the center of any peace effort. A group of leaders including … “UN to vote on Russia-Ukraine war resolutions” →

UNITED NATIONS — The United States is urging the United Nations General Assembly to back its resolution to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday, oppose any amendments and vote no on a rival text drafted by Ukraine and European allies. In a diplomatic note sent on Sunday and reviewed by Reuters, the United States described its brief resolution as “a forward-looking resolution focused on one simple idea: ending the war.” “Through this resolution, Member States can build real momentum towards international peace and security, the maintenance of which is the principal purpose of the United Nations,” it said, asking countries to “vote no on any other resolution or amendments presented” during Monday’s meeting. The U.S. draft resolution, put forward on Friday, pits it against Ukraine and the European Union, which have for the past month been negotiating with U.N. member states on their own resolution on the war in Ukraine, which repeats the U.N. demand that Russia withdraw its troops and halt hostilities. The 193-member U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly repeatedly backed Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders since the war began. The U.S. draft makes no reference to that. The U.S. text mourns the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukraine conflict,” reiterates that the U.N.’s main purpose is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes. It “implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.” Proposed amendments The 15-member Security Council is also set to vote on the same U.S. text later on Monday, diplomats said. A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, Britain or France to be adopted. The U.S. push for U.N. action comes after President Donald Trump launched a bid to broker an end to the war, sparking a rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and raising concerns among European allies that they could be cut out of peace talks. U.S. and Russian officials met on Tuesday. The General Assembly is set to vote on several proposed amendments to the U.S. draft resolution. Russia has proposed amending the U.S. draft to reference addressing the “root causes” of the war. Russia called its 2022 invasion a “special military operation” designed to “denazify” Ukraine and halt an expansion of NATO. Britain and 24 European Union states have also … “Ahead of UN action on Ukraine, US urges countries to vote no on rival European resolution” →

VATICAN CITY — While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms outlining what happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church if a pope becomes totally incapacitated. As a result, even though Pope Francis remains hospitalized in critical condition with a complex lung infection, he is still pope and very much in charge. Still, Francis’ hospital stay is raising obvious questions about what happens if he loses consciousness for a prolonged period, or whether he might follow in Pope Benedict XVI’s footsteps and resign if he becomes unable to lead. On Monday, Francis’ hospital stay will hit the 10-day mark, equaling the length of his 2021 hospital stay for surgery to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon. His age and prolonged illness have revived interest about how papal power is exercised in the Holy See, how it is transferred and under what circumstances. And it points to the legislative loophole that currently exists in what to do if a pope gets so sick that he can’t govern. The Vatican Curia Francis may be in charge, but he already delegates the day-to-day running of the Vatican and church to a team of officials who operate whether he is in the Apostolic Palace or not, and whether he is conscious or not. Chief among them is the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Other Vatican functions are proceeding normally, including the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year celebrations. What happens when a pope gets sick? Canon law does have provisions for when a bishop gets sick and can’t run his diocese, but none for a pope. Canon 412 says a diocese can be declared “impeded” if its bishop — due to “captivity, banishment, exile, or incapacity” — cannot fulfil his pastoral functions. In such cases, the day-to-day running of the diocese shifts to an auxiliary bishop, a vicar general or someone else. Even though Francis is the bishop of Rome, no explicit provision exists for the pope if he similarly becomes “impeded.” Canon 335 declares simply that when the Holy See is “vacant or entirely impeded,” nothing can be altered in the governance of the church. But it doesn’t say what it means for the Holy See to be “entirely impeded” or what provisions … “What happens to the leadership of the Catholic Church when a pope becomes sick or incapacitated?” →

MADRID — Spanish police have smashed a human trafficking ring that lured more than 1,000 women to the country over the past year with false job offers before forcing them into sex work, police said Sunday. The women, who were mainly from Venezuela and Colombia, were told they would be working in the beauty or cleaning sectors, Spain’s National Police said in a statement. “On arrival in Spain they were transferred to clubs where they were sexually exploited and forced to work all hours,” police said. The women were only allowed out for two hours per day and were kept under video surveillance. Three alleged ring leaders — two Colombian women and a Spaniard — were among 48 suspects arrested in raids in Alicante and Murcia, in southeastern Spain, and three strip clubs were closed as part of the operation. Police also seized more than $157,000 in cash, blocked bank accounts containing $980,960 and seized 17 properties. Six of the suspects were held in pre-trial detention, police said. The others were released on bail to face trial at a later date. …

Brussels — Estonia has launched a new push to get fellow EU members to agree to seize frozen Russian assets and use them to help Ukraine, dismissing a Russian idea on how the money could be used as part of a peace deal. The Baltic country has sent a discussion paper on the issue to European Union partners and will raise it at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, officials said. Some 210 billion euros ($219.62 billion) in Russian assets are immobilized in the EU by sanctions as part of an international crackdown on Moscow for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Last year, the G7 group of nations – including the EU – agreed to use profits from frozen Russian assets to fund a $50 billion loan for Ukraine. But the assets themselves remain untouched. “The decision to use the windfall profits was a step in the right direction. I see that the time is ripe now to take the next step,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told Reuters. On Friday, Reuters reported that Moscow could agree to allow Russian assets frozen in Europe to be used for reconstruction in Ukraine but would insist part of the money is spent on the part of the country controlled by its forces. Tsahkna dismissed that idea. “Giving Russia some of the assets to use in the occupied areas means accepting Russia’s occupation of some parts of Ukraine,” he said. The EU has insisted Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be respected in any peace deal. Several EU countries, including Baltic states and Poland, have said they are ready to consider seizing the assets. But Germany, France, Belgium and the European Central Bank have been wary, warning of legal challenges and undermining the euro as a reserve currency. Belgium-based clearing house Euroclear holds most of the Russian assets frozen in Europe. But the issue has resurfaced on the political agenda, particularly as the Trump administration has said it expects Europe to take on a larger share of support for Ukraine. The Estonian paper, seen by Reuters, tries to address its partners’ concerns. It says asset seizure can be justified under international law, as a countermeasure to Moscow’s war and because “Russia refuses to engage in reparations.” It also says joint action by the EU and international partners could mitigate any risk to the euro as a reserve currency. …

Rome, Italy — An American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi, India, landed safely in Rome on Sunday afternoon after it was diverted due to a security concern , which later proved to be “non-credible,” the airline said.  American Airlines said Flight 292 “was inspected by law enforcement” after landing at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport and “cleared to re-depart.”  It didn’t clarify the cause of the security concern, but added an inspection was required by protocol before the flight could land in New Delhi.  “The flight will stay in Rome overnight to allow for required crew rest before continuing to Delhi as soon as possible tomorrow,” the airline said.  An Associated Press reporter filmed two fighter jets flying over the airport shortly before the unscheduled landing. Fire trucks were visible on the landing strip on one side of the plane after it landed.  The airport continued to operate normally, a spokesman with Rome’s airport said. …

Brussels — The leaders of the 27 European Union countries will have an emergency summit on March 6 about next steps for Ukraine and Europe’s security. European Council President Antonio Costa announced Sunday that he is convening the summit in Brussels. “We are living a defining moment for Ukraine and European security,” Costa said in a post on social media. Since the EU leaders last met Feb. 3, the Trump administration has upended years of U.S. support for Ukraine and decades of commitment to defending European allies. The leader of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and other members of the EU’s executive branch, will visit Kyiv on Monday to show support for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion. …

Paris — Police have arrested 10 suspected accomplices of a suspected gangland killer described as France’s “public enemy number one,” the Paris chief prosecutor said Sunday, as Romania prepares to hand him over following his arrest in Bucharest. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the 10 are alleged to have helped in the escape of Mohamed Amra in an ambush nine months ago in which two prison officers were shot dead and three wounded. Amra, who is accused of gangland murders and drug trafficking, was arrested near a shopping center in Bucharest on Saturday. Romania will hand him over to France within 30 days, his lawyer said after a court hearing in Bucharest. He had vanished after the attack with military-style assault weapons on a prison van carrying him in northern France last May. The brutality of the ambush, which was caught on CCTV, shocked France and Amra instantly became the country’s most wanted man. The authorities tasked more than 300 investigators with finding Amra, who is known as “La Mouche” (The Fly), and has a long history of convictions for violent crimes that started when he was in his early teens. According to a 2024 judiciary report, he started out with aggravated robberies and progressively “slid towards violence,” eventually entering the world of organized crime. The report found that authorities underestimated for some time just how dangerous he had become. Amra is suspected of pursuing his drug-related activities from his prison cell, and even of ordering hits from detention. Facial recognition, fingerprints Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Sunday published an open letter to prison officers, promising them better working conditions. He also vowed the creation of “prison police” units and a “high security prison,” in response to concerns that it has become too easy for convicted criminals to continue their business despite being locked up, thanks notably to access to mobile phones. Such a supermax prison, to be completed within months, would keep France’s “100 biggest drug traffickers” in complete isolation — using Italian anti-mafia laws as a model — so that “a case like Amra’s can never happen again,” Darmanin said. At the time of his escape, Amra was facing one charge for attempted murder and another for participation in a gangland killing in the southern city of Marseille, a hub for drug trafficking and gang violence. The Paris prosecutor said in a statement that his 10 suspected accomplices had been … “France arrests 10 linked to escape of gang leader with Romania set to extradite him “ →

Paris — Four people were in custody Sunday after a deadly stabbing in eastern France that authorities linked to Islamic extremism, according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.  A Portuguese man was killed in the Saturday attack in the city of Mulhouse, near the border with Germany. Seven police officers were wounded, including a parking control agent hospitalized with grave injuries, the prosecutor’s office said.  Those detained include the suspected assailant, a 37-year-old Algerian man identified by prosecutors as Brahim A. The interior minister described him as an Islamic extremist with a schizophrenic profile. Two of the suspect’s family members and a person who lodged him were also detained, the prosecutor’s office said.  French President Emmanuel Macron said the government has “complete determination” to respond to the attack, which he blamed on “Islamist terrorism.” France has been on high alert for extremist threats.  The suspect repeatedly said, “Allahu Akbar” — “God is great” in Arabic — during the attack, the prosecutor said. He was armed with a knife and a screwdriver.  The suspect arrived in France without papers in 2014 and was arrested and convicted of glorifying terrorism in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told reporters Saturday night. Police experts had ″detected a schizophrenic profile″ in the suspect, he added.  After several months in prison for that conviction, the suspect was confined to house arrest as authorities sought to expel him to Algeria. Retailleau criticized Algeria for resisting the return of criminals France is seeking to deport.  The French government will convene a special meeting Wednesday about immigration in the wake of the attack, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Sunday. They will notably study 19 countries “where we have the most difficulty in returning people without papers,” Barrot said on Europe-1 radio.    …

Moscow — The Kremlin on Sunday hailed dialogue between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin — two “extraordinary” presidents — as “promising,” and vowed it would “never” give up territory seized in eastern Ukraine. Trump broke with Western policy earlier this month by phoning Putin to discuss how to end the Ukraine conflict — a call hailed by Moscow as ending three years of isolation for the Kremlin leader since he launched his full-scale offensive in February 2022. Top Russian and U.S. officials then met in Saudi Arabia last week to discuss a “restoration” of ties and start a discussion on a possible Ukraine ceasefire — all without the involvement of Kyiv or Europe. “This is a dialogue between two extraordinary presidents,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state TV on Sunday. “That’s promising,” he added. “It is important that nothing prevents us from realizing the political will of the two heads of state.” Trump’s overtures to Moscow have triggered alarm in Kyiv and across Europe. But it is unclear whether his moves will be able to bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to a truce. Peskov on Sunday ruled out any territorial concessions as part of a settlement. “The people decided to join Russia a long time ago,” he said, referring to Moscow-staged votes in eastern Ukraine held amid the offensive that were slammed as bogus by Kyiv, the West and international monitors. “No one will ever sell off these territories. That’s the most important thing.” ‘God willed it’ Putin said God and fate had entrusted him and his army with “the mission” to defend Russia. “Fate willed it so, God willed it so, if I may say so. A mission as difficult as it is honorable — defending Russia — has been placed on our and your shoulders together,” he told servicemen who have fought in Ukraine. Russia was on Sunday marking Defender of the Fatherland Day — a holiday hailing soldiers and veterans — a day before the three-year anniversary of the start of its full-scale offensive. “Today, at the risk of their lives and with courage, they are resolutely defending their homeland, national interests and Russia’s future,” Putin said in a video released by the Kremlin. Moscow’s army had overnight launched a record 267 attack drones at Ukraine, Kyiv’s air force said. Among them, 138 were intercepted by air defense and 119 were “lost.” Ukraine did … “Kremlin hails Putin-Trump dialogue as promising “ →

Moscow — Myanmar and its close ally Russia signed a memorandum on investment cooperation in a special economic zone in Dawei, including construction of a port and an oil refinery, Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development said on Sunday.   The document was signed by the head of the Russian ministry, Maxim Reshetnikov, and Myanmar’s minister for investment and foreign economic relations, Kan Zaw, during a visit of a Russian delegation to the Southeast Asian country.   “The text of the memorandum contains the basic parameters of several large infrastructure and energy projects that are being implemented jointly with Russian companies in Myanmar,” the Russian ministry cited Reshetnikov as saying in a statement.   “We are talking about projects to build a port, a coal-fired thermal power plant and an oil refinery.”  He added that “oil refining is still the most complex element,” and there was no final decision on construction of a refinery.  “As for the refinery — there is a desire of the Myanmar side to have a refinery. Our companies are still studying the economics of such a project, it is very complicated from the point of view of economic feasibility,” Interfax news agency cited Reshetnikov.   According to the Russian ministry, the Dawei special economic zone is a 196 square-kilometer project in the Andaman Sea which is planned to house high-tech industrial zones and transport hubs, information technology zones and export processing zones.   Russia has become Myanmar’s closest ally since the military coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government in February 2021.  Moscow and Naypyidaw have been discussing a deeper energy cooperation, including Russia’s participation in the construction of a gas pipeline to the Myanmar’s main city Yangon. Russia has also had plans for a nuclear research reactor in the country.  …

ROME — Pope Francis, in critical condition with a complicated lung infection, rested well during a peaceful night following a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions, the Vatican said Sunday. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni’s one-line statement didn’t mention if Francis was up or eating breakfast. “The night passed quietly, the pope rested.” The brief update came after doctors said the 88-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, was in critical condition. On Saturday morning, he suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection. The pope received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update. The Saturday statement also said that the pontiff “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday.” Doctors said the prognosis was “reserved.” Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease. Main threat facing pope is sepsis They have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition. Saturday’s blood tests showed that he had developed a low platelet count, a condition called platelopenia or thrombocytopenia. Platelets are cell-like fragments that circulate in the blood that help form blood clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal. Low platelet counts can be caused by a number of things, including side effects from medicines or infections, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Francis, who has chronic lung disease and is prone to bronchitis in winter, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Speculation that Francis might resign Meanwhile, the Vatican hierarchy went on the defensive to tamp down rumors and speculation that Francis … “Vatican: Ailing Pope Francis ‘rested during a peaceful night’” →

BERLIN — German voters are choosing a new government in an election Sunday dominated by worries about the yearslong stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy, pressure to curb migration and growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States. The center-right opposition is favored to win, while polls point to the strongest result for a far-right party since World War II. Germany is the most populous country in the 27-nation European Union and a leading member of NATO. It has been Ukraine’s second-biggest weapons supplier, after the U.S. It will be central to shaping the continent’s response to the challenges of the coming years, including the Trump administration’s confrontational foreign and trade policy. What are Germans voting for? More than 59 million people in the nation of 84 million are eligible to elect the 630 members of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, who will take their seats under the glass dome of Berlin’s landmark Reichstag building. Germany’s electoral system rarely produces absolute majorities, and no party looks anywhere near one this time. It’s expected that two or more parties will form a coalition, following potentially difficult negotiations that will take weeks or even months before the Bundestag elects the next chancellor. This election is taking place seven months before it was originally planned after center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition collapsed in November, three years into a term that was increasingly marred by infighting. There’s widespread discontent and not much enthusiasm for any of the candidates. Who could take charge? Center-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s Union bloc has consistently led polls, with 28-32% support in the most recent surveys, and Merz is favored to replace Scholz. Scholz’s Social Democrats have been polling between 14% and 16%, which would be their worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election. The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has been running in second place with around 20% of the vote — well above its previous best of 12.6% in a national election, from 2017 — and has fielded its first candidate for chancellor in Alice Weidel. But other parties say they won’t work with it, a stance often known as the “firewall.” The environmentalist Greens also are running for the top job, with outgoing Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, but have been polling a little behind Scholz’s party. Merz has pledged “stability instead of chaos” after Scholz’s three-party coalition … “Discontented Germany votes in an election with economy, migration and far-right strength in focus” →

WARSAW, POLAND — Poland said Saturday it has been paying for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription and will continue to do so despite sources saying the United States could consider cutting Ukraine’s access to the satellite internet system.  U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.  Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to the war-torn country and its military.  “We pay and will continue to pay a subscription fee for satellite internet for Ukraine,” Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said in a post on Musk-owned social media platform X.  “I cannot imagine that someone could decide to terminate a business contract for a commercial service to which Poland is a party,” added Gawkowski, who is also Poland’s digital affairs minister.  SpaceX, which operates Starlink, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.  Ukrainian military officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment.  Poland has delivered 20,000 Starlink units to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and has been funding their maintenance to support internet connectivity, according to information on the Polish presidency’s website.  President Andrzej Duda will meet Donald Trump later Saturday during a visit to the United States, amid a widening rift between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that has alarmed Kyiv’s European allies.  …

STRASBOURG, FRANCE — One person died and two police officers were seriously injured in a knife attack in eastern France on Saturday that occurred during a demonstration, the local prosecutor said. Three more officers were lightly wounded in the attack in the city of Mulhouse, carried out by a 37-year-old suspect who is on a terror prevention watchlist, prosecutor Nicolas Heitz told AFP. The list, called FSPRT, compiles data from various authorities on people with the aim of preventing “terrorist” radicalization. It was launched in 2015 following deadly attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo’s offices and on a Jewish supermarket. The suspect attacked local police officers in Mulhouse shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) Saturday afternoon, France’s national antiterror prosecutors’ unit PNAT said in a statement. A passerby was killed trying to intervene and help police, the prosecutor’s office said. One of the seriously wounded police officers sustained an injury to the carotid artery, and the other to the thorax, Heitz said. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was expected to travel to the scene of the attack later Saturday. Police established a security parameter after the attack, which happened shortly before 4 p.m. local time during a demonstration in support of Congo. According to union sources, the suspect, born in Algeria, has been under judicial supervision and house arrest, and under an expulsion order from France. “Horror has seized our city,” Mulhouse Mayor Michele Lutz said on Facebook. The incident was being investigated as a terror attack, she said, but “this must obviously still be confirmed by the judiciary.” French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that the deadly knife attack was “Islamist terrorism,” after France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office confirmed it was investigating the case. “It is without any doubt an act of Islamist terrorism,” Macron told reporters on the sidelines of the annual French farm show, adding that the interior minister was on his way to Mulhouse. The suspect has been arrested, the prosecutor’s office said. Some information in this report is from Reuters. …

PARIS — Mohamed Amra, a French fugitive known as “The Fly,” who was freed by gunmen in a brazen attack against a prison van in May, was arrested in Romania on Saturday, the French interior minister said. French police had launched a massive manhunt for the fugitive, whose escape resulted in the deaths of two prison guards and was seized upon by right-wing politicians as evidence that France had lost its grip on drug crime. Three officers were wounded in the attack, which was caught on CCTV and shocked France because of its extraordinary violence. France had tasked more than 300 investigators with finding Amra and had requested an Interpol red notice, hoping for foreign assistance. “I congratulate all forces which made Mohamed Amra’s arrest in Romania today possible. A warm thank you to Romania for its decisive cooperation,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on X. Amra is a 30-year-old from northern France, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. Police sources said he was involved in drug trafficking and accused of being a major drugs gangland figure. Amra has a long history of convictions for violent crimes that started when he was 15. He was also suspected of ordering hits while in prison. At the time of his escape, Amra was facing two fresh charges, one for attempted murder and another for participation in a gangland killing in the southern city of Marseille on the French Riviera, a hub for drug trafficking and gang violence. But despite the government labelling him “public enemy number one,” and the deployment of massive means, Amra was not captured as quickly as the authorities had hoped. The Paris prosecutor’s office said he had been convicted of burglary by a court in Evreux on May 10 and was being held at the Val de Reuil prison until his escape on May 14. He had also been indicted by prosecutors in Marseille for a kidnapping that led to a death, it said. On Saturday, the government reacted with relief that the chase was over. “After a manhunt lasting several months, Amra has been arrested, finally!” Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on X. President Emmanuel Macron hailed Amra’s capture as “a formidable success.” Some information in this report is from Agence France-Presse. …