# European Union
Tusk called on Poland to refrain from making any new financial commitments to Ukraine
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged the Polish delegation not to agree to any new financial commitments regarding Ukraine during the NATO summit. According to him, Warsaw is already spending significant resources on supporting Kyiv and defending the European Union’s eastern border
Tusk: Ukraine is looking for ways to ease tensions with Poland
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that Ukraine is seeking ways to ease tensions in its relations with Warsaw. According to him, this is indicated by signals following talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers
In Germany, around 20,000 people are protesting against the AfD party conference
The federal party conference of the far-right party ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) began in Erfurt, Germany, on the morning of 4 July. Despite large-scale protests, the event got underway on schedule
Ukraine and Germany are discussing the return of Ukrainian men of conscription age
Ukraine and Germany are working within a joint working group to explore possible mechanisms for the return of Ukrainians of conscription age who have left the country illegally. However, no details have been disclosed as yet
Russia is planning a military provocation in Poland to test NATO’s resolve and try to blame Ukraine — media reports
The US has warned Poland that Russia is planning an armed provocation on its territory in order to test NATO’s resolve. In particular, the Russians may attack Poland’s critical infrastructure with missiles or cross the border and enter the territory of one of the Alliance’s member states.
The Russian Embassy in Sweden has reported a ‘drone attack’
The Russian Embassy in Sweden reported that, on the night of 2 July, it was ‘attacked’ by two quadcopters. One of them dropped a container of red paint onto the embassy grounds, whilst the other, with a mock-up of a homemade explosive device attached, crashed near the embassy building.
New duties of €3 on small items from Shein, Temu and AliExpress have come into force in the EU
From today, 1 July, a new €3 duty on low-cost parcels comes into force in the EU — this is the European Union’s way of tackling unfair competition from major online retailers such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
EU gas storage facilities could head into winter with their lowest stocks in 15 years
The European Union risks starting the heating season with critically low gas reserves, which could trigger a further surge in energy prices.
‘Slovakia will not pay for the war’. Fico spoke out against large-scale aid to Ukraine at the NATO summit in Ankara
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has spoken out against the allocation of further financial and military aid to Ukraine. He stated that he intends to send a Slovak delegation to the forthcoming NATO summit in Ankara on 7–8 July without the authority to approve such decisions.
Europe is breaking temperature records. In France, a thousand heat-related deaths have been recorded over three days
The French health service has reported that between 24 and 26 June, at the height of a record-breaking heatwave in the country, around a thousand additional deaths were recorded. Over the weekend of 27–28 June, new temperature records were set in several countries.
Sandu: The withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria is a priority in negotiations with the EU
Moldova’s President Maia Sandu has stated that the illegal presence of Russian troops in Transnistria remains one of the key issues in Chisinau’s negotiations with its European partners. According to her, Moldova is counting on the EU’s support in finding a peaceful resolution to this issue
A plane carrying parachutists has crashed in France: 11 dead
A civil aircraft used for skydiving crashed today in north-eastern France. All 11 people on board were killed
