Video: Ukrainians protest in Kyiv as Zelensky passes bill on anti-corruption agency's independence
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Euronews
11 hours ago
- Euronews
What does France's decision to recognise Palestine mean?
Whether seen as reckless or bold, French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognise Palestine as a state could have some consequences in the future. The French president said in a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and posted on X that he will formalise the decision at the UN General Assembly in September. 'France will rally in favour of the implementation of the two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security,' Macron wrote. 'This solution is the only path forward which allows us to respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis as well as Palestinians,' he added. But what does recognising Palestine mean? Why does it matter? And what is likely to happen? What does it mean? France is the most powerful country in Europe to have said it would recognise a Palestinian state, soon joining 147 states that have already done so. It will also join the 11 European countries that officially recognise Palestinian statehood, including Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria. For many of these countries, the act of recognition means acknowledging the sovereignty and independence of Palestine within its pre-1967 borders (ie, in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem) and establishing full diplomatic relations with the country. France would then join the countries that already host a full-fledged Palestinian embassy. Why it (somewhat) matters? France has Europe's largest Jewish population, as well as the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. As one of the founding fathers of the European Union, its voice carries significant weight not only in Europe but also around the world. Its decision to recognise Palestine is likely to put additional pressure on Israel at a time when the word genocide is used by a growing number of historians and legal experts to designate Tel Aviv's war in the Gaza Strip. Earlier this week, more than 100 leading organisations including Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International and Oxfam said that famine is widespread across Gaza. Yet, the humanitarian situation on the ground is unlikely to improve. US-sponsored ceasefire talks in Doha failed after Washington withdrew, saying Hamas was not acting 'in good faith.' 'France's recognition of Palestine sends a signal to Israel that it is paying a political price among its allies for its actions in Gaza,' said Martin Konecny, who runs the European Middle East Project in Brussels. 'It also counters the Israeli effort to erase the possibility of a Palestinian state.' It is also unlikely that such a move would have any legal knock-on effect, including on trade relations with Palestine. But Konecny said it could be used in court procedures in the future, at the International Criminal Court or national courts 'where this argument could play a role.' Observers point out that Macron is hoping to pressure his European allies, including the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, to take a stance and revive the long-defunct two-state solution, whereby a Palestinian state would be created alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This arrangement had been the basis of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations since the 1993 Oslo peace accord. Macron's recognition makes the two-state solution 'even more urgent than before,' Konecny said, but 'additional measures on Israel' will be needed in order to end the war in Gaza as well as the settlement expansion in the West Bank. While the Palestinian Authority still advocates for two states, Israel no longer supports this solution to the conflict, nor does its US ally. In fact, settlement activity on the West Bank has further expanded in the past years, rendering the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state impossible. Add to that, US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017, prompting the US embassy to move there from Tel Aviv. The two-state solution advocated by Macron seems highly symbolic and unfeasible as things stand on the ground. On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also slammed Macron's move to recognise a Palestinian state, calling it a 'reckless decision' that 'only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.' By contrast, many EU governments already support a two-state solution but argue that official recognition of Palestine should go hand in hand with a long-term solution to the conflict in the Middle East. 'We can no longer accept massacres and famine,' Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told state news agency ANSA on Friday. 'Italy is favourable to the solution of two people and two states but the recognition of a new state of Palestine should be done at the same time as the recognition of a state of Israel by the Palestinians.' While the Palestinian Authority does recognise Israel, Hamas does not. 'What interests us is peace, not the victory of one over the other,' Tajani said. Pressure for the recognition of Palestine has intensified in the UK, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer scheduled to hold an emergency call with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later on Friday. What is next? But many political analysts also say Macron's move is a largely symbolic foreign policy tool that would boost the French president's profile but is unlikely to result in any changes to the situation on the ground. The once self-described, all-mighty 'Jupiterian' president has focused his last possible term on foreign policy, leaving his embattled prime minister dealing with France's mammoth budget deficit and controversial retirement reform. 'It is important for France's foreign policy but not for the Palestinians,' said Maria Luisa Frantappié, who heads the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa Programme at Italian Instituto Affari Internazionali think tank. 'It will mainly boost France's credibility,' she said, especially among the global South actors. 'The danger is that a lot of diplomatic energy will focus on something that is totally inadequate in the face of what we are seeing in the ground,' Konecny said. Both analysts agreed that a much more consequential action would be for Europe, which has been historically sidelined in attempting to mediate a political solution to the conflict, to review its trade ties with Israel through the EU-Israel association agreement. But the EU is far too divided on the issue. Earlier this month, the EU's foreign affairs ministers decided to delay agreeing on a list of 10 options to respond to Israel's action in Gaza during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. They also agreed to 'keep a close watch' on Israel's compliance with a recent agreement to improve humanitarian aid access into Gaza. Last but not least, a shift in position would need to come from Germany, a country that has so far been governed by the so-called 'Staatsraison,' a sense of responsibility towards Israel which comes from the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. So far, Germany has no plans to follow in Macron's footsteps in the short term. On Friday, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius told German media that Germany continues to regard the recognition of Palestine as "one of the final steps on the path to achieving a two-state solution." At the same time, the German government is also "prepared to increase the pressure" if no progress is made in resolving the conflict, Kornelius said.
Euronews
11 hours ago
- Euronews
Ukraine says it is holding back Russia's summer offensive
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian forces are holding back Russia's summer attempts to break through defences along parts of the front line. 'They are not advancing. It's very tough for our guys out there. And it's tough everywhere,' Zelenskyy told reporters. 'It's also very hard for the Russians — and that's good for us," he added. With the war now in its fourth year after Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of its neighbour, the effort is draining resources on both sides, although Russia has more resources and people to sustain its fight. Ukraine, meanwhile, is seeking further support from Western partners. Russia has claimed the capture of some villages and hamlets in recent weeks, but no defensively stronger urban areas have fallen to its troops. Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have repeatedly attempted to stage minor incursions near Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region to film symbolic footage, such as raising a Russian flag, but Ukrainian forces have repelled those efforts, Zelenskyy said. 'It happened five to seven times recently, sometimes with only two or six people. Once they tried to hold a position with 12 people — and all of them were eliminated by our defenders,' Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy described the situation in the northeastern Sumy border region as 'much better' than in recent months, noting progress by Ukrainian forces over the past six weeks. Ukraine seeking Patriot missile systems Russia has also intensified its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, with the second-largest city Kharkiv struck with a powerful glide bomb for a second straight day Friday. Seven people were injured, officials said. On Thursday, 42 were injured. Joyce Msuya, the United Nations' deputy humanitarian chief, told the Security Council on Friday that Ukraine's humanitarian situation is 'deteriorating' due to expanding Russian attacks on civilian areas across the country. 'There is no safe place left in Ukraine,' she said. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is working with international partners to secure 10 US-made Patriot air defence systems, which can shoot down missiles, with three already confirmed from Germany and Norway. The Trump administration will sell the systems, he said, but Ukraine's task is to find funding for all 10. Ukraine is also seeking to obtain a license to manufacture the Patriot systems itself. No summit meeting in sight, says Moscow The Ukrainian leader expressed little hope for progress in direct talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, though he said the Kremlin envoys have begun discussing the possibility of a leaders' summit with Ukraine. 'We need an end to the war, which probably begins with a meeting of leaders. It won't work any other way with (the Russians),' Zelenskyy said. The Kremlin, however, remained set against top-level talks before a potential comprehensive peace agreement is fleshed out. 'A high-level meeting can and must put a final point in the settlement and seal the modalities and agreements that are yet to be worked out by experts,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. 'It's impossible to act otherwise.'
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
EU keeps close eye as Zelenskyy U-turns to fix anti-corruption law
The European Union continues to keep a close eye on events unfolding inside Ukraine after a new law undermining the independence of two anti-corruption agencies prompted the bloc's first rebuke since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. The law, approved by the Ukrainian parliament and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a speed that caught Brussels off guard, has brought the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct oversight of the prosecutor general, a political appointee. The prosecutor general will now be allowed to select cases handled by NABU and SAPO and reassign them to other state entities, which critics say risks empowering the executive branch to sway and possibly derail high-profile investigations. The prosecutor general will also be able to give binding instructions to the agencies. The changes run counter to the views of the European Commission, which considers both NABU and SAPO cornerstones in the fight against corruption. Last year's enlargement report highlighted that SAPO had become a "separate legal entity" from the prosecutor general's office and recommended that the head of SAPO be allowed to open investigations into members of parliament "independently" from the prosecutor. In response to the backsliding, Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission president, personally reached out to Zelenskyy. "President von der Leyen conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested the Ukrainian government for explanations," a Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday. "The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise." Amid pressure from street protests across Ukraine and warnings from European officials, Zelenskyy made a U-turn and submitted a new bill with what he called "full-fledged guarantees of the independence of anti-corruption agencies". His proposal includes regular polygraphs for NABU and SAPO employees who handle state secrets. The text was presented to the country's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on Thursday. Chairperson Ruslan Stefanchuk confirmed it would be considered on 31 July. "During the consideration of this draft law, I will propose to adopt it immediately as a basis and in its entirety, as well as to support its urgent signature," Stefanchuk said. In a joint statement, NABU and SAPO said the new law would restore "all due process powers and guarantees of independence" and urged its approval "as soon as possible". Brussels cautiously celebrated the reversal. "We welcome the fact that the Ukrainian government is taking action and we'll work with them to make sure that our concerns, which have been clearly explained, are indeed taken into account," a Commission spokesperson said on Thursday afternoon, before the content of the presidential bill became accessible. The Commission is largely satisfied with the draft text, a source familiar told Euronews, but will not publicly endorse it until all objections have been properly mitigated. Brussels has offered technical assistance to Kyiv to fine-tune the legislative details. In the meantime, Zelenskyy made headlines after he vehemently denied that a phone conversation with von der Leyen had taken place. "I have not communicated with Ursula von der Leyen in recent days. Everything that was written about it, everything that she allegedly told me, is fake. We did not have a conversation," he said, according to the Interfax news agency. The Commission did not comment on Zelenskyy's remarks.
