Belgium

BRUSSELS (AP) — For the first time, Ukraine and the European Union are marking Europe Day, that celebration of “peace and unity,” together. Don’t let anyone be fooled too much, though.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive branch, made a special trip to Kyiv on Tuesday to deliver the warm words of common destiny face to face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Ukraine has been fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today to create lasting unity and peace,” von der Leyen said.

08 May 2023; AA: The European Union on Monday canceled its Europe Day diplomatic reception in Israel amid rising tensions between the bloc and Benjamin Netanyahu's government over West Bank policies.

“This year we have decided to cancel the usual diplomatic reception” for Europe Day on May 9, Peter Stano, lead spokesperson of the EU diplomatic service, said in a statement.

BRUSSELS, May 8. /TASS/: NATO has raised the readiness of its air policing units in the Black Sea region after a Russian fighter jet escorted a Polish warplane over the Black Sea last Friday, Reuters reported on Monday.

"NATO air policing detachments were put on higher readiness in response to the dangerous behavior of a Russian military plane in the vicinity of a Polish Frontex aircraft over the Black Sea near Romania," said the report that cited a NATO official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

BRUSSELS, May 8 (Reuters) - The European Union's executive has proposed blacklisting several Chinese companies and curbing exports to nations seen as involved in bypassing Russia trade restrictions under new sanctions against Moscow for the war against Ukraine.

The 27 EU member countries - which must all agree for new sanctions to be enacted - will have a first discussion on Wednesday on the proposal by the European Commission's foreign policy unit, several diplomatic sources said on Monday.

02 May 2023; MEMO: The European Union calls on Israeli authorities to investigate the death of Palestinian prisoner, Khader Adnan, an EU official said on Tuesday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

"The European Union has engaged with Israeli authorities on the case of Mr. Adnan, including the Ministry of Health, to inquire the Israeli state about his condition," Peter Stano, the European Commission's lead spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, told reporters.

27 Apr 2023; MEMO: The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has been slammed for repeating anti-Palestinian, far-right, Israeli talking points in a video message celebrating the 75-year anniversary of the apartheid state. Von der Leyen is a German politician who has been serving as the president of the European Commission since 2019.

BRUSSELS, April 21. /TASS/: All NATO member countries have agreed that Ukraine should join the alliance, but a meaningful discussion of the issue is possibly only after it wins in the armed conflict with Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

He made the statement as he arrived at US Ramstein Air Base in Germany before a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that will consider new supplies of weapons to Kiev.

BRUSSELS, April 21. /TASS/: The European Union has already provided training for 16,000 Ukrainian service members and sent various types of munitions, including missiles, worth 600 million euros, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter on Friday.

"At [the] Ukraine Defense Contact Group, I updated on EU military support. Over 16,000 Ukrainian soldiers already trained. Over €600 million of ammunition and missiles already delivered," said Borrell, who is attending a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein.

BRUSSELS, April 20 (Reuters) - The world could breach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024, fuelled by climate change and the anticipated return of the El Nino weather phenomenon, climate scientists say.

Climate models suggest that after three years of the La Nina weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, which generally lowers global temperatures slightly, the world will experience a return to El Nino, the warmer counterpart, later this year.

BRUSSELS, April 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Commission has rejected bans introduced by Poland and Hungary on Ukrainian grain imports.

The two countries said the measures were necessary to protect their farming sectors from cheap imports.

The ban applies to grains, dairy products, sugar, fruit, vegetables and meats and will be in force until the end of June.

The Commission said it was not up to individual member states to make trade policy.