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Euronews
10 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Meloni meets Macron and Fico in Rome with Ukraine war topping agenda
Meloni first received Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico who arrived at the prime minister's residence, the Chigi Palace, at around 4pm. According to a statement released by the Slovak government, the two leaders discussed the development of bilateral relations and the possibility of further cooperation in the field of energy. "I really appreciate the pragmatic approach of your Prime Minister. I really like your pragmatic way of dealing with issues," Fico told reporters following the meeting. "We focused on the war in Ukraine. The President of the Council was very interested in my position, since Slovakia is a neighbouring country, of course," he said. "We discussed the issue of repowering, that is, what will happen in Europe when all energy supplies from Russia will no longer reach the European Union." "I think there are countries in the EU that want to prolong this war with the idea that this is the way to harm Russia. I don't think this strategy works," Fico stressed. Fico is a divisive figure at home with his critics accusing him of being pro-Russia. In January, Fico threatened to cut financial aid for more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees living in the country as part of a set of retaliatory measures against Kyiv over its decision to halt the flow of Russian gas through its territory to Slovakia. He has also said that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO, stopped military aid to Ukraine and criticised EU sanctions on Russia, all views which are largely at odds with the European mainstream. Fico and Meloni "discussed their support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and their commitment to the reconstruction of the country in view of the Ukraine Recovery Conference that Italy will host in July 2025," a joint government statement said. Later on Tuesday, Meloni welcomes France's President Emmanuel Macron to the Chigi Palace for talks which covered Ukraine, Gaza and relations with the European Union and the Trump administration. "Prime Minister Meloni is part of the collective format of the Coalition of the Willing. She was present in the meetings in Paris and London, Italy is an important partner," the Elysée Palace said in a statement released on Monday. That was a reference to a group of European countries spearheaded by Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer primarily to continue support for Ukraine's armed forces. The group is also working on the creation of a reassurance force that could be deployed to Ukraine as an additional security guarantee in a post-war scenario. In addition to Italy, the coalition also includes Germany, Denmark, Greece, Portugal and Romania among others. Italy's government said that both countries have "common positions" on many issues and expectations were high for productive talks but the leaders' opinions don't align on all issues. There have been differences of position regarding military support for Ukraine with Macron adopting a more aggressive stance while Italy has generally remained cooler. Macron has hinted at western boots on the ground in Ukraine while Meloni favours extending NATO's mutual defence agreement under Article 5 to Kyiv, an idea which hasn't found much support among allies. Meloni was noticeably absent from Macron's mid-May trip to Kyiv with Starmer and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz. And a week later she also didn't attend a working meeting of the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing in Tirana on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit. Tuesday's meeting and working dinner were expected to bridge some of those gaps and see discussions on economic cooperation between Italy and France, with Meloni hoping to find common ground with Macron on addressing migration and transatlantic relations. The Court of Justice of the European Union on Tuesday ruled in favour of migrants' rights in a case filed by an Italian court regarding what can be considered aiding and abetting illegal immigration. The court ruling noted that, in the case of a third-country national entering the EU irregularly accompanied by a child in their care, their conduct "cannot be regarded as aiding and abetting illegal immigration." "In fact, the parent in this case assumes an obligation related to his or her personal responsibility towards the child in accordance with fundamental rights, in particular respect for family life and the child," the president of the EU's highest legal authority, Koen Lenaerts, explained in his judgment. With this preliminary ruling, the court agrees with the Court of Bologna, which filed the proceedings in July 2023 following the entry into Italy of a Congolese citizen in 2019. The woman entered the country at the airport border of Bologna with two minors — her daughter and niece, over whom she had actual care following the death of the niece's mother — using false documents. She said she fled Congo after receiving threats from her ex-partner and took the two minors with her because she feared for their physical well-being. She was arrested and is being prosecuted for facilitating unauthorised entry into Italy. The Italian court had asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) whether the 2002 directive on the facilitation of illegal immigration was compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The referring court doubted whether the directive provides for humanitarian assistance as a justification for making the crime of aiding and abetting not punishable. In other words, it was asking the EU court about the scope of the general offence of facilitation of unauthorised entry, provided for by EU law. "The court answers that the conduct of a person who, in breach of the rules governing the movement of people across borders, brings into the territory of a member state minors who are third-country nationals and are accompanying him or her, and over whom he or she exercises actual care, does not fall within the scope of that offence," the ruling on Tuesday said. It added that this conduct "does not constitute facilitation of illegal immigration, which EU law seeks to combat" but rather "the exercise by that person of his or her responsibility stemming from the family relationship and the actual care over those minors." Lenaerts went further, stating that the interpretation is necessary, also in light of the fundamental right to asylum. He explained that, because the woman had made an application for international protection, she could not be regarded as staying illegally on the territory. This is the case so long as no decision has been given on her application at first instance, Lenaerts explained.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Is Ukraine's Spider's Web operation Russia's ‘Pearl Harbor' moment? The debate explained
Ukraine stunned Moscow on Sunday with its drone strike on multiple air bases deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv claims to have destroyed 41 warplanes as it launched 117 drones in the operation codenamed 'Spider's Web'. Some military commentators and pro-Russia bloggers have called the drone assault Russia's 'Pearl Harbor'. Here's a comparison read more This photo released by Governor of Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev Telegram channel on June 1, 2025 shows a truck apparently used to release Ukrainian drones seen burning in the Irkutsk region. Governor of Irkutsk via AP Russia and Ukraine held direct peace talks on Monday (June 2) in Turkey, a day after Kyiv's surprise drone attacks against air bases deep inside Russian soil. The shadow of the operation, codenamed 'Spider's Web', loomed large as the warring sides met for just over an hour amid little hope for a breakthrough. Some military commentators and pro-Russian Telegram channels are dubbing Ukraine's weekend drone attack as Russia's 'Pearl Harbor' moment. As speculation over Moscow's expected response grows, we take a look at the similarities and differences between Ukraine's Spider's Web operation and America's Pearl Harbor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine's drone attack stuns Russia Ukraine on Sunday (June 1) attacked strategic bomber aircraft at several Russian air bases, using explosive-laden drones to hit the targets. According to the Ukraine's Security Service, Kyiv hit 41 Russian warplanes at military airfields, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, reported Associated Press (AP). The Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic long-range strategic bombers are housed at the Belaya air base in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, over 4,000 kilometres from Ukraine. This was the first time Ukraine launched a drone attack so far from the front lines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the drone assault, calling it an 'absolutely brilliant outcome'. 'And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently,' he wrote on Telegram. 'This is our longest-range operation.' Later, in his nightly video address, he said 117 drones were used in Operation Spider's Web. Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces suffered 'very tangible losses, and justifiably so', as per Reuters. He claimed the operation had been headquartered near a regional office of Russia's FSB intelligence service. As per the Ukrainian president, it took more than a year and a half to prepare for the complex operation. Ukraine smuggled hundreds of drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds, which were loaded onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases, Reuters reported, citing a Ukrainian security official. 'At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers,' a Ukrainian military source told AP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine struck four air bases deep inside Russian territory in the operation personally supervised by Zelenskyy. The Security Service claims to have destroyed 34 per cent of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers with damages estimated at $7 billion. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the drone assault, which damaged aircraft and ignited fires on air bases in the Irkutsk region and the Murmansk region in the north. Strikes were also reported in the Amur region in Russia's Far East and the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan. How Ukraine's drone attack compares to Pearl Harbor Some pro-Russia bloggers are calling Ukraine's large-scale drone strikes on Russian air bases the country's Pearl Harbor – a reference to Japan's attack in 1941 that triggered the United States' entry into World War II. 'We hope that the response will be the same as the US response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, or even tougher,' Roman Alekhin, a Russian military blogger, said on the messaging app Telegram. All eyes are now on Russia's retaliation to Ukraine's most damaging strikes of the war yet. Meanwhile, the similarity between Ukraine's strikes on Russia and the Imperial Japanese Navy's attack on the US naval base in Hawaii is the element of surprise. Both Russia and the US were caught off guard by the attacks, respectively. These assaults also showed the might of their adversaries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is where the similarities end. A major difference is that Russia and Ukraine are already at war. The neighbouring countries have been fighting since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. However, when Japan struck the US naval base more than eight decades ago, America was not at war with the East Asian country. In fact, the attack led the US to declare war on Japan. The Pearl Harbor attack On December 7, 1941, Japan hit Pearl Harbor , the US naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. After months of planning and practice, the Japanese forces launched a surprise attack to destroy the US Pacific Fleet. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes rained bombs, bullets and aerial torpedoes on the Pacific Fleet. The attack damaged or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes, as per Over 2,400 US sailors, soldiers and civilians were also killed. About half of those who died at Pearl Harbor were on the battleship USS Arizona, which was struck by a 1,800-pound bomb. Also, 1,178 people were wounded, while 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. This file photo shows the US Pacific Fleet as it burns in its home base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, after 360 Japanese warplanes made a massive surprise attack on December 7, 1941. File Photo/AFP The Japanese forces sank four of the eight US battleships at Pearl Harbor, while damaging the remaining four. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The day after the attack, the then-US President Franklin Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress, seeking a declaration of war. The Senate unanimously supported the declaration. After the president signed the declaration, the US officially entered World War II, more than two years after the conflict had begun. While Japan's attack on the US was a surprise, the two sides had been moving closer to war for decades. America had imposed economic sanctions on Japan to stop its expansionist agenda in Asia. This affected Japan's access to aircraft exports. Japanese forces attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor to prevent the US challenge as Japan's armed forces spread across the South Pacific. With inputs from agencies
6 days ago
- Business
Slovakia's central bank chief convicted of bribery and fined $225,000
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- Slovakia's central bank chief, who is a member of the European Central Bank committee that decides monetary policy for 20 countries, was convicted of bribery and fined 200,000 euros ($225,000) on Thursday. The verdict against central bank Gov. Peter Kažimír was issued by Judge Milan Cisarik at the country's Special Criminal Court in Pezinok. Kažimír's attorneys argued that he should have been acquitted because of the recent changes in Slovakia's penal code, which reduced punishment for corruption and that recently ended a number of corruption cases and trials. Kažimír wasn't present at the court. He said in a statement that he would appeal. His six-year term in office expires on Sunday. Kažimír was accused of paying a bribe of 48,000 euros ($54,000) at the turn of the year in 2017-18 to the head of the country's tax office in connection with a tax audit of several private companies. At the time, Kažimír was acquiring a luxury villa located in an upscale neighborhood of Bratislava, the capital, from the owner of the companies. Kažimír, who pleaded not guilty, had previously said that he considered the charges to be illegal and fabricated. The case dates to when Kažimír served as finance minister in the leftist government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico from 2012 to 2019. He was a member of Fico's Smer, or Direction, party before taking the central bank job. Smer lost the 2020 general election and was replaced by a coalition government whose parties campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket. Since that government took power, a number of people linked to Fico's party faced prosecution in corruption scandals. Kažimír was the first minister of Fico's government to stand trial. Slovakia is one of 20 countries that use the euro currency, and Kažimír is a member of the ECB's governing council, its main decision-making body. A number of people linked to the prime minister's party faced prosecution in corruption scandals. Fico returned to power for the fourth time in 2023 after his leftist party Smer won the Sept. 30 parliamentary election on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. In February 2024, lawmakers loyal to Fico's new coalition government approved changes to the penal code and eliminated the office of the special prosecutor that deals with major crime and corruption. The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad while thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest. The changes include a reduction in punishments for corruption and some other crimes, including the possibility of suspended sentences, and a significant shortening of the statute of limitations.
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First Post
6 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Slovakia's central bank chief convicted of bribery and fined $225,000
Slovakia's central bank chief Peter Kažimír was convicted in a bribery case in 2017 for acquiring a luxury villa. He is planning to apply for an appeal. Read on for more details. read more Slovakia's central back chief, Peter Kazimir convicted of bribery said he will apply for an appeal. (Photo: AP) Slovakia's central bank chief, who is a member of the European Central Bank committee that decides monetary policy for 20 countries, was convicted of bribery and fined 200,000 euros ($225,000) on Thursday. The verdict against central bank Gov. Peter Kažimír was issued by Judge Milan Cisarik at the country's Special Criminal Court in Pezinok. Kažimír's attorneys argued that he should have been acquitted because of the recent changes in Slovakia's penal code, which reduced punishment for corruption and that recently ended a number of corruption cases and trials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kažimír wasn't present at the court. He said in a statement that he would appeal. His six-year term in office expires on Sunday. Kažimír was accused of paying a bribe of 48,000 euros ($54,000) at the turn of the year in 2017-18 to the head of the country's tax office in connection with a tax audit of several private companies. At the time, Kažimír was acquiring a luxury villa located in an upscale neighborhood of Bratislava, the capital, from the owner of the companies. Kažimír, who pleaded not guilty, had previously said that he considered the charges to be illegal and fabricated. The case dates to when Kažimír served as finance minister in the leftist government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico from 2012 to 2019. He was a member of Fico's Smer, or Direction, party before taking the central bank job. Smer lost the 2020 general election and was replaced by a coalition government whose parties campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket. Since that government took power, a number of people linked to Fico's party faced prosecution in corruption scandals. Kažimír was the first minister of Fico's government to stand trial. Slovakia is one of 20 countries that use the euro currency, and Kažimír is a member of the ECB's governing council, its main decision-making body. A number of people linked to the prime minister's party faced prosecution in corruption scandals. Fico returned to power for the fourth time in 2023 after his leftist party Smer won the Sept. 30 parliamentary election on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In February 2024, lawmakers loyal to Fico's new coalition government approved changes to the penal code and eliminated the office of the special prosecutor that deals with major crime and corruption. The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad while thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest. The changes include a reduction in punishments for corruption and some other crimes, including the possibility of suspended sentences, and a significant shortening of the statute of limitations. (Except headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff)
The Hill
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Slovakia's central bank chief convicted of bribery and fined $225,000
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia's central bank chief, who is a member of the European Central Bank committee that decides monetary policy for 20 countries, was convicted of bribery and fined 200,000 euros ($225,000) on Thursday. The verdict against central bank Gov. Peter Kažimír was issued by Judge Milan Cisarik at the country's Special Criminal Court in Pezinok. Kažimír's attorneys argued that he should have been acquitted because of the recent changes in Slovakia's penal code, which reduced punishment for corruption and that recently ended a number of corruption cases and trials. Kažimír wasn't present at the court. He said in a statement that he would appeal. His six-year term in office expires on Sunday. Kažimír was accused of paying a bribe of 48,000 euros ($54,000) at the turn of the year in 2017-18 to the head of the country's tax office in connection with a tax audit of several private companies. At the time, Kažimír was acquiring a luxury villa located in an upscale neighborhood of Bratislava, the capital, from the owner of the companies. Kažimír, who pleaded not guilty, had previously said that he considered the charges to be illegal and fabricated. The case dates to when Kažimír served as finance minister in the leftist government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico from 2012 to 2019. He was a member of Fico's Smer, or Direction, party before taking the central bank job. Smer lost the 2020 general election and was replaced by a coalition government whose parties campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket. Since that government took power, a number of people linked to Fico's party faced prosecution in corruption scandals. Kažimír was the first minister of Fico's government to stand trial. Slovakia is one of 20 countries that use the euro currency, and Kažimír is a member of the ECB's governing council, its main decision-making body. A number of people linked to the prime minister's party faced prosecution in corruption scandals. Fico returned to power for the fourth time in 2023 after his leftist party Smer won the Sept. 30 parliamentary election on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. In February 2024, lawmakers loyal to Fico's new coalition government approved changes to the penal code and eliminated the office of the special prosecutor that deals with major crime and corruption. The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad while thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest. The changes include a reduction in punishments for corruption and some other crimes, including the possibility of suspended sentences, and a significant shortening of the statute of limitations.
