European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius has called for the urgent establishment of a European Security Council to enhance the EU’s ability to take swift decisions on defence and security matters.
Speaking at a conference in Sweden on Sunday, Kubilius said the council should address Europe’s most pressing security challenges, starting with the war in Ukraine. He proposed a structure including permanent and rotating members, alongside the presidents of the European Commission and European Council, and suggested the UK could participate on broader security issues.
The council, expected to include 10 to 12 members, would be tasked with quickly preparing key decisions. Kubilius warned that Europe faces two major strategic challenges: the threat from Russia and the United States shifting focus towards the Indo-Pacific region.
He noted that Russia’s military spending now amounts to around 85 per cent of the combined defence budgets of all EU member states, and said there were no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks peace.
Kubilius added that Washington has called on Europe to assume greater responsibility for its own conventional defence, prompting the EU to launch its “Defence Readiness 2030” agenda. He concluded that Europe’s greatest weakness remains a lack of unity and stressed the need for coordinated action within NATO, even if the US reduces its military presence in Europe.
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Donald Trump said he is “in no hurry” to reach a deal with Iran, insisting the U.S. is slowly getting what it wants. He warned military action remains an option if talks fail. Meanwhile, U.S. forces said they fired a missile at a vessel trying to breach Washington’s blockade of Iran.
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing his family.
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar, according to local media reports.
Thousands of residents blocked Austria’s Brenner motorway on Saturday (30 May), shutting down a major north-south transport route through the Alps in protest against persistent congestion from heavy truck traffic and tourism.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Iranian-made Yassin missiles were spotted mounted on Armenian Air Force fighter aircraft during Armenia's latest military parade on Thursday (28 May), drawing attention from defence observers and regional analysts.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia has recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations, citing Yerevan's growing rapprochement with the European Union. The move is seen as the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the longtime allies ahead of Armenia's parliamentary election on 7 June.
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has secured a fourth successive election victory for his Labour Party, extending its hold on power, though with a reduced majority compared with previous polls.
Nicaraguan indigenous leader and former lawmaker Brooklyn Rivera has died in state custody at the age of 73, according to local media reports citing his family.
At least 46 people, including six children, have been killed in a powerful explosion at a building used to store mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar, according to local media reports.
South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
Five people have died after a mine shaft collapsed during an illegal mining operation in southwestern China, state media reported on Sunday (31 May), just days after the country's deadliest mining disaster in more than a decade claimed at least 82 lives.
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