Belgium

BRUSSELS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Belgium has taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) for a challenging six-month term in 2024. The road ahead is no easy feat, with the European Parliament entering an election period in June, intensifying the urgency for the presidency to conclude numerous legislative dossiers.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo revealed in December that around 150 legislative dossiers are on the table, a point reiterated at the official presentation of the program for the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO announced Wednesday that it would help buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles so that allies can better protect their territory as Russia ramps up its air assault on Ukraine.

NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency said it will support a group of nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, in buying the Patriots, which are used to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles as well as enemy aircraft.

According to industry sources, the contract could be worth around $5.5 billion.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union imposed sanctions on the world’s biggest diamond mining company and its chief executive officer on Wednesday as part of what it called its “unwavering commitment” to Ukraine in the war against Russia.

The move targeted Alrosa, which accounts for about 90% of Russia’s diamond production, and CEO Pavel Marinychev. The EU headquarters said the company “constitutes an important part of an economic sector that is providing substantial revenue” to Moscow.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday paid the final tranche of a multibillion-euro support package to Ukraine to help keep its war-ravaged economy afloat this year, leaving the country without a financial lifeline from Europe as of next month.

The EU has sent 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) each month in 2023 to ensure macroeconomic stability and rebuild critical infrastructure destroyed in the war. It’s also helping to pay wages and pensions, keep hospitals and schools running, and provide shelter for people forced from their homes.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) finance ministers reached a consensus on Wednesday regarding new budget regulations following compromises between the two factions led by France and Germany within the bloc.

The established targets of a maximum 60 percent debt-to-GDP ratio and a maximum 3 percent deficit remain unchanged. However, modifications have been introduced to permit EU members to gradually reduce deficits and debts from 2025 over four to seven years.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- More than two months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, violence in the Middle East has no end in sight and Europe as a neighbor is still struggling to unify around a call for ceasefire in Gaza.

The European Union (EU) summit ended on Friday without a much-expected tougher stance on the conflict or a call for immediate ceasefire, though 17 out of all its 27 members had voted for a resolution calling for a ceasefire at the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday. In October, only eight members voted for a UN resolution advocating for a truce.

BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - European Union leaders expressed confidence on Friday that they would clear a large package of aid for Ukraine early in 2024, despite a veto by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

All 27 EU states except Hungary agreed on Thursday to start accession talks with Ukraine despite its invasion by Russia, bypassing Orban's grievances by getting him to leave the room.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union failed to agree on a 50 billion-euro ($54 billion) package in financial aid that Ukraine desperately needs to stay afloat, even as the bloc decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with the war-torn country.

The aid was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, delivering another tough blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he failed this week to persuade U.S. lawmakers to approve an additional $61 billion for Ukraine, mainly to buy weapons from the U.S.

BRUSSELS, December 15. /TASS/: Austria has lifted its objections to the 12th package of anti-Russian sanctions, but it is yet to be adopted, a European source told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing EU summit in Brussels.

"Yes, it has withdrawn," the source said.

The diplomat emphasized that the document was still in the process of formal adoption.

Earlier, Reuters reported, citing EU sources, that the process was blocked by Austria, who demanded that Ukraine exclude its Raiffeisen Bank International from the blacklist of companies supporting Russia.

BRUSSELS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - European Union leaders made a historic decision on Thursday to open membership talks with Ukraine, bypassing objections from Hungary to give Kyiv a major political boost as its war against Russia's invasion grinds on.

Although membership would likely be many years away, the decision at a summit in Brussels takes Ukraine a step closer to its long-term strategic goal of anchoring itself in the West and liberating itself from Moscow's orbit.