Good morning from Brussels.
ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING
The two-week truce agreed by Washington and Tehran on Tuesday evening has left the world on edge.
A meeting between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and US President Donald Trump in Washington overnight failed to ease pressure on the transatlantic alliance, after several NATO countries resisted Trump’s calls to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz over the last weeks.
After more than two hours at the White House, Rutte told CNN that Trump was “clearly” disappointed with many NATO allies, adding: “I can see his point.” The NATO chief said, however, that even if “some” allies had failed to meet their commitments in the Iran operation, “the large majority of Europeans” had been helpful.
In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to withdraw from the 32-member alliance.
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump posted on Truth Social overnight after meeting Rutte.
Speaking to Europe Todayformer US ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder said threats by Trump to pull out of NATO, alongside disputes with European allies over their reluctance to participate in the Iran war, have triggered the “worst crisis” the alliance has ever experienced.
“The last six weeks have been extraordinarily damaging to NATO,” he said, adding: “We see a divided NATO, which has been the goal of first the Soviet Union and then Russia for the better part of 80 years.” Watch.
Meanwhile, the terms of the agreement between the US and Iran remain contested by both sides, with Lebanon’s fate still unclear after Israel carried out a new wave of heavy strikes in the country of the cedars, killing 182 and injuring 890, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
In a call on Wednesday evening with French President Emmanuel MacronIranian President Massoud Pezeshkian stressed the need for a ceasefire in Lebanon, calling it a key condition of Iran’s ten-point plan.
But US Vice President JD Vance earlier denied Lebanon was included in the deal, saying the US position focused on Iran and its allies, including Israel and the Gulf Arab states. Macron, who also spoke with Trump, expressed hope Lebanon would be part of the agreement.
Vance will lead a US delegation to Pakistan for talks with Iran starting Saturday.
Israeli bombings in Lebanon amid the regional ceasefire sparked sharp international reactions. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the scale of the killing and destruction was “nothing short of horrific,” adding that “such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief.”
European leaders also reacted. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot was at the Belgian embassy in Beirut a few hundred meters from where missiles struck.”This must stop,” he wrote on X saying the ceasefire must include Lebanon.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sancheza staunch opponent of the war in Iran, also said on X that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law is intolerable,” calling for the EU to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajaniwho spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aounwarned that Italy does not want “a second Gaza.” Tajani also summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Farnesina.
After US-Iran ceasefire deal, Europe faces tough questions
European leaders were quick to hail the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran as a “much-needed de-escalation,” as Ursula von der Leyen put it.
The breakthrough, however, leaves several major questions unanswered for Europeans, who have been largely sidelined from the diplomatic process, Jorge Liboreiro writes.
Chief among them is the Strait of Hormuz, which used to carry a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies before the war erupted. Europeans have repeatedly voiced their readiness to help secure the waterway, but only after the hot phase of the conflict is over. Now, with the ceasefire deal on the table, they will be asked to make good on their promise. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, a group of about 15 countries is preparing to deploy a “strictly defensive mission” to the Strait.
Tehran, however, has indicated it wants to retain tight control of Hormuz, and Donald Trump has floated a “joint venture” to charge vessels for transit, which Brussels considers unlawful.
Besides freedom of navigation, Europeans face the prospect of granting sanctions relief to Iran, which could be hard to stomach given Tehran’s support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. And there are serious concerns about Lebanon’s exclusion from the ceasefire deal.
Read Jorge’s full analysis.
Leaked audio reveals Szijjártó calling Lavrov ahead of crucial EU summit
Several Hungarian investigative news outlets revealed that Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in 2023 to brief him on a debate among EU leaders about whether to open access talks with Ukraine at a key summit in Brussels.
“Sometimes good-willed direct blackmailing is the best option,” Lavrov said as Szijjártó stepped out of the meeting to call him, according to transcripts of the audio recording, which was leaked days before Hungary’s pivotal general election on Sunday.
The call took place before Orbán lifted his veto and stepped out of the leaders’ meeting for a coffee break, enabling the other 26 EU leaders to approve the start of Ukraine’s membership talks. Szijjártó remained in the room, continuing to observe the negotiations after Orbán left.
Sandor Zsiros has more.
If you have any questions about the Hungarian elections, drop them below this post on our social media. Sándor will reply with another video on Friday.
More from our newsrooms
Two French nationals return to France after four years in Iranian prisons. President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French citizens who arrived back in the French capital on Wednesday after nearly four years in detention in Iran on espionage charges.
Investigation reveals major global router breach by Russian GRU. After a major investigation in collaboration with international partners, the FBI has uncovered a large-scale operation by Russian hackers targeting data from governments, armed forces, and critical infrastructure.
We’re also keeping an eye on
– Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for the Economy, holds an exchange of views with MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.
– Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addresses the Italian parliament.
That’s it for today. Remember to sign up to receive Europe Today in your inbox every weekday morning at 08.30.