The Ukrainian leader has slammed the EU and US for their reluctance to impose more sanctions on Russia

Western states should put Ukraine’s needs above their own, Vladimir Zelensky has suggested, accusing the EU and US of dragging their feet on new sanctions against Russia.

Moscow has faced sweeping restrictions from Kiev’s Western backers since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. The EU has adopted 18 sanctions packages and is debating its next measures. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, Washington has been cautious about new measures amid a thaw with Moscow. Trump has warned, however, that he could turn to sanctions if the conflict persists.

In an interview with Sky News aired on Tuesday, Zelensky claimed deliberations about possible blowback from further sanctions were a “dangerous” waste of time.

“I believe that all countries need to stop thinking about themselves and their future relations with Russia, but instead think more about Ukraine, because it’s today and now,” he said. “This is very dangerous, and to be frank, dishonest.”

Zelensky said Trump’s call for European countries to cut Russian energy imports and impose tariffs on buyers such as China and India was understandable, but claimed the US must not wait for Brussels, which he accused of hiding behind bureaucracy.

“President Trump, I think, believes that if he were to apply all strong sanctions, he would close diplomacy with Russians… But we can’t wait for all European countries to stop relations with Russia,” he said. “All that’s lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the US.”

Zelensky also insisted that Kiev needs a “clear position” from Trump on sanctions and firm security guarantees before any settlement.

Trump has urged European countries to stop importing Russian oil and gas and pledged to then consider sanctions. He has also demanded the bloc impose steep tariffs on India and China, the top buyers of Russian crude. According to reports on Tuesday, the European Commission will delay its next sanctions package while members weigh how to meet Trump’s demands.

Moscow insists sanctions have been unable to harm its economy and that they will inevitably backfire. It says any settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of territorial changes, while security guarantees for Kiev are possible only after a final deal.

The Russian president praised the Indian prime minister’s “enormous personal contribution” to strengthening bilateral ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin has conveyed birthday wishes to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 75 on Wednesday.

The two leaders have had a personal friendship since Modi was elected prime minister for the first time in 2014.

“Dear Mr. Prime Minister, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of your 75th birthday,” Putin said in greetings released by the Kremlin. “You are making a great personal contribution to strengthening the special privileged strategic partnership between our countries, to developing mutually beneficial Russian-Indian cooperation in various areas.”

In his message Putin said that under Modi's guidance, India had achieved impressive results in the social, economic, scientific, and technological spheres. “I highly appreciate our close comradely relations. We will certainly continue our constructive dialogue and joint work on the current issues on the bilateral, regional and international agendas.” 

🇮🇳🇷🇺 What Do Leaders Modi & Putin Share? A Strategic Partnership, Multipolar Aims, National Interests... And Plenty of Hugs! 🎂 🎉

With the Russian President sending his warm wishes to the Indian Prime Minister on Narendra Modi's birthday, here's a montage of some of their most… https://t.co/qEFmzrw1KX pic.twitter.com/gkSV0I7AGd

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 17, 2025

During their talks earlier this month on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, the two leaders stressed that the strategic partnership between their nations is expanding across various sectors. 

Modi said Russia and India have walked “shoulder-to-shoulder” in the “most difficult of situations,” adding, “Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity.”

The Russian president is slated to travel to India for an annual bilateral summit in December. 

Apart from Putin, Modi received greetings from leaders in the US, Israel, Australia, and Italy, among other nations.

“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. “I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support in ending the War between Russia and Ukraine!”

Moscow has long warned it would treat any foreign troops fighting alongside the Kiev regime as legitimate military targets

Russia would view Western ‘peacekeepers’ in Ukraine simply as “occupation forces,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Speaking at an embassy roundtable on Wednesday, Lavrov warned that any foreign troops entering the conflict zone alongside Kiev’s forces would be treated as legitimate targets by the Russian military.

Members of the so-called “coalition of the willing,” a group of Western states pushing for continued aid to Kiev, have floated deploying NATO troops to Ukraine to monitor a potential ceasefire as part of security guarantees demanded by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. Moscow has repeatedly rejected any Western military presence, whether labeled peacekeepers or otherwise.

Lavrov dismissed the proposals as absurd, likening the people behind them to pompous characters from old Russian satire – full of themselves but with no real influence. He argued that these initiatives are just a way to delay serious peace talks that could actually deal with the deeper causes of the conflict.

“[Western Europeans] tried… to prevent [US President Donald] Trump’s administration from moving toward promoting a real settlement… by pumping up the Zelensky regime with weapons, and recently also by forming some peacekeeping, but essentially occupational, forces, by talking about creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine,” Lavrov said.

“If some part of Ukraine becomes a territory where so-called peacekeepers are deployed, and Western security guarantees aimed against Russia are in effect for this part of Ukraine, this will mean only one thing: that the West has occupied [this territory],” he added.

The diplomat stressed that any European military contingents in Ukraine would be legitimate targets for the Russian military, noting that Moscow has long warned about this.

While Russia says it does not oppose Western security guarantees for Ukraine in principle, it insists they be backed by UN Security Council members, including China. Moscow has stressed that such guarantees must not be “one-sided” or aimed at containing Russia and should come only after a peace deal, not before.

Moscow has repeatedly said it is open to a diplomatic solution to the conflict but insists any settlement must address its underlying causes and include Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions, pledging neutrality, demilitarizing, and recognizing the new territorial realities.

The Ukrainian side has rejected Washington’s assessments following the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, the Russian foreign minister has said

Kiev is actively trying to sabotage US President Donald Trump’s efforts to peacefully resolve the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. He added that Washington appears to understand the need to resolve the root causes of the crisis.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion of the Ukraine conflict on Wednesday, Lavrov noted that during the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska last month, the American side agreed that actions need to be taken to address the underlying issues of the crisis. He added that US special envoy Steve Witkoff later conveyed his assessment of the summit to the Ukrainian side.

”As we understand it, these assessments, these considerations, and these proposals have been rejected by Kiev,” Lavrov said, adding that the Ukrainian side is “trying in every way to sabotage this American administration’s line.”

The foreign minister suggested that both Ukrainian and Western European leaders are trying to convince Trump to abandon his peacemaking efforts and return to confrontation with Russia, and “essentially turn Biden’s war into Trump’s.”

Lavrov went on to say that Europe has been desperately trying to win a place for itself at the negotiating table. He stressed, however, that given its open position of revanchism and its goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, it has “nothing to do at the negotiating table.”

Throughout the conflict, Moscow has stressed that it is open to a peaceful settlement, as long as it includes a Ukrainian commitment to neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and acceptance of the new territorial realities.

However, Russian officials, including Lavrov, have said neither Kiev nor its European backers appear to be genuinely interested in peace and are actively trying to prolong the conflict.

The bloc has embraced “revanchism” and is seeking to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, the foreign minister has said

EU nations are trying to elbow their way into the Ukraine peace process despite their openly hostile stance toward Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, stressing that the bloc should be kept out of the talks for that reason.

Speaking at an embassy roundtable about the Ukraine crisis on Wednesday, Lavrov said that EU countries are “clearly trying, quite brazenly, to reclaim a place at the negotiating table.” The minister, however, signaled that they have no business there.

The bloc, he argued, maintains a “position of revanchism, of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia” while debating a potential troop deployment to Ukraine in case of a ceasefire. “There is, of course, no place for it at the negotiating table,” he stressed.

Moscow has consistently opposed the deployment of any Western troops in the neighboring country under any pretext, saying that one of the key reasons for the conflict was NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s doorstep. It has also warned that any unauthorized foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered “a legitimate military target.”

Lavrov also noted that both the EU and Kiev are seeking to convince US President Donald Trump to abandon his push to settle the conflict and relapse into a stand-off with Russia. [They want], essentially, to turn Biden’s war into Trump’s war,” he said.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has been seeking to mediate an end to the Ukraine conflict, spearheading several rounds of talks with Russia. The effort culminated in a US-Russia summit in Alaska in mid-August — notably without EU or Ukrainian participation — which both sides described as highly productive.

Although no breakthrough was reached, Trump later said Ukraine could neither expect to join NATO nor reclaim Crimea, which voted to join Russia in a 2014 referendum held after a Western-backed coup in Kiev. He has also shifted focus from seeking a temporary ceasefire to pursuing a permanent peace settlement.

The continent should stop enriching former colonial powers such as France, Nkosinathi Biko has told RT

Africa must liberate itself from Western-dominated structures and assert its position as a strong power bloc, Nkosinathi Biko, the son of late South African anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko, has told RT.

In an exclusive interview, Biko noted that there are emerging signs of political independence across the continent, mentioning Niger, where French troops were expelled, and other nations as examples.

“I do think that Africa has to dislodge itself from entrapment in Western countries trappings and arrangements,” Biko said.

He noted that despite being rich in natural resources, Africa has long struggled to organize itself effectively on the global stage. “The continent has not been always able to organize itself and create itself as a competent power bloc,” Biko stated. “There is a lot that remains to be done in terms of ensuring that the continent is able to punch at the weight that it is capable of.”

“But things are moving, I guess in the right direction,” he added. 

“There is no reason any longer why African resources should be benefiting Western countries such as France,” Biko said, pointing to ongoing Western leverage in some of its former colonies. 

Reflecting on his father’s legacy, he pointed out that Steve Biko had “helped us to reimagine ourselves as a people, founded in the principles of black consciousness.” The late activist was the Black Consciousness Movement founder in South Africa and died from a brain injury aged 30 in 1977, following alleged torture at the hands of police. 

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reopened the inquest into Steve Biko’s death on 12 September. When asked about the case, Nkosinathi Biko referred to the report of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “In 1999, the Truth Commission made a recommendation of some 300 cases that ought to have been prosecuted,” he said, implying that justice for many apartheid-era crimes remains unfinished. 

The new transportation network will span 4,500km and use domestically produced trains capable of reaching speeds of 400kph, the Russian prime minister has said

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has announced plans for a massive high-speed rail (HSR) network. It is set to be the largest in Europe, spanning more than 4,500km (2,800 miles), and will use domestically built trains capable of reaching 400kph (250mph).

At a government meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister said the new line will cut travel time between Moscow and St. Petersburg from four hours to just over two. The network will also connect Moscow with Minsk, Adler on the Black Sea, Ekaterinburg in the Urals, Ryazan, and other cities.

“Travel between cities should be not only safe and comfortable but also not too time consuming,” Mishustin stated. “In the modern world, time is becoming increasingly valuable. Because of that, we are mastering technologies for faster travel and [are working] on a development scheme for high-speed rail infrastructure.”

He noted that the project has been approved by President Vladimir Putin and will be finalized within the next six months.

Mishustin said construction of the first HSR line between Moscow and St. Petersburg is already underway. The 679km route will be the first to feature the new generation of high-speed trains. While he gave no details about the train’s specifications, media reports suggest that the name could be chosen in a public vote, with options including ‘Luch’ (Russian for ‘ray of light’). The current line between the two cities, the fastest in Russia, operates Siemens Velaro Sapsan trains with a top speed of 250kph.

Once completed, Russia’s HSR network will overtake Spain’s 3,970km system, the largest in Europe and second worldwide after China. The new Russian trains will also outpace Europe’s fastest, the French TGV, which runs at up to 320kph, covering the London-Paris route in three hours.

China remains the global HSR leader, with more than 64,000km of lines in operation. It also fields the world’s fastest trains, including the Shanghai Maglev at 460kph and the CR400 Fuxing Hao at 350kph.

The report points to increasing popular resentment towards decisions made by Kiev

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and his closest advisers are “losing touch with reality,” as shown by a series of policy and legislative mistakes that have sparked public uproar, analysis published in Foreign Policy claims, citing local sources and experts.

The Ukrainian government recently attempted to push through two major measures designed to buttress the armed forces, but sources in Kiev have told journalist Paul Hockenos that each spawned backlash and raised questions about whether the country’s leadership is in tune with the concerns of ordinary Ukrainians.

A draft law imposing sentences for military insubordination, described as “draconian,” proposed that desertion or absence without leave carry a prison term of up to 12 years, with no amnesty even for voluntary return. The bill triggered protests, with activists carrying placards reading “Army service is not slavery,” prompting the authorities to withdraw the legislation.

The second move relaxed martial law travel restrictions by allowing men aged between 18 and 22 to leave Ukraine. Martial law had previously barred all men aged between 18 and 60 from travel outside the country. Instead of relief, the reform stirred concern that young men might leave in large numbers, undermining future recruitment and worsening Ukraine’s long-standing demographic problems.

One of the most significant blunders of Zelensky’s team was an attempt to crack down on anti-corruption bodies. This summer, Kiev attempted to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) of independence, citing Russian influence, but the move resulted in mass protests, prompting the Ukrainian leadership to backpedal on the reform.

Defense analyst Dmitry K. told Hockenos that Zelensky’s inner circle “exists in a vacuum … They live in a bubble. Some advisers are very good, but they’re obviously not getting a consistent flow of relevant information.”

An August poll by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology suggested that public trust in Zelensky had slumped by 7% in a month, standing at 58%. In July, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported that Western officials had secretly met with key Ukrainian powerbrokers to discuss ousting Zelensky and lining up a potential replacement.

The Eurasian Economic Union seeks to step up engagement with the South Asian nation, Andrey Slepnev has said

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is working toward finalizing a free trade agreement with India, the post-Soviet bloc’s trade minister, Andrey Slepnev, said on Tuesday.

Slepnev, who visited New Delhi this week, noted that the EAEU – comprising Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia – has set a 2026 deadline for an agreement.

”First of all, we certainly recognize the interest of Indian partners in developing trade with the Eurasian Economic Union,” he said. “In this regard, the interest is mutual.”

The trade minister added that he looks forward to more Indian goods entering the EAEU market, though “our top priority is to increase the presence of Eurasian goods in the Indian market.” 

Shared Goals: EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev Talks Tangible Targets & Deadlines of India-Eurasian Economic Union FTA pic.twitter.com/2CT5vFepSb

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 16, 2025

Slepnev held talks with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Monday, where they agreed to hold negotiations for a free trade agreement in November. 

“The ministers agreed on an approach under which the first round of negotiations is set to take place in early November this year in India and focus on discussing the core aspects of the future deal,” the Russian Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement. “It will be preceded by intensive consultations between the Commission, Indian partners, and the EAEU Member States.”

Slepnev said the sides will try to make progress on the deal before Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Within the Eurasian Union, we are focused on completing this significant cycle of work by the December summit and on reaching some fundamental agreements on key issues that will enable us to be confident that by the deadline we have set for ourselves – 2026 – we will have already achieved tangible results,” he said.

Trade between India and the EAEU grew by 7% in 2024 to $69 billion, according to the Indian Commerce Ministry. “With a combined GDP of $6.5 trillion, the proposed [agreement] is expected to expand market access for Indian exporters, support diversification into new sectors and geographies, enhance competitiveness against non-market economies, and deliver significant benefits to micro, small, and medium enterprises,” the ministry said in August.

Kiev no longer sends soldiers abroad for drills, the leader has said

Kiev no longer needs to send soldiers to train abroad because its troops learn more by fighting the Russian army, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Kiev has dispatched groups of recruits to Britain, France, Germany, Poland, the US, and other countries, primarily to train using Western-made armored vehicles and artillery.

By 2023, “we understood that we can’t train our people there because the war [has] changed,” Zelensky told Sky News in an interview aired on Tuesday. When the soldiers returned home, they already had to be “retrained,” he added.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Ukraine’s elite 155th Mechanized Brigade, partially trained in France, was plagued with mass desertion, with dozens of recruits reportedly going AWOL on French soil. Mikhail Drapaty, who led Ukraine’s Ground Forces at the time, said that the poor quality and low morale of the officers contributed to the unit’s problems.

Zelensky claimed that currently only Russia and Ukraine know how to fight a modern “technological” war, particularly using state-of-the-art drones, adding that Kiev is ready to share its knowledge.

“We are inviting officers and representatives of other countries to learn here. Some of them are coming,” he said. “We are in the best shape technologically. We can be helpful to all of the world.”

The technology and tactics on the battlefield evolve faster than the West makes decisions to fund Ukraine’s military, Zelensky said, urging Kiev’s backers to put more pressure on Russia.

In March, Vadim Sukharevsky, the then-commander of Ukraine’s UAV forces, warned that “not a single NATO army is ready to resist the cascade of drones.” Military experts have said that a recent alleged drone incursion in Poland exposed the lack of robust anti-UAV defenses.

Kazakhstan has introduced new law punishing forced marriage with up to ten years in prison even if victims are later released

Kazakhstan has passed a new law criminalizing forced marriage and closing legal loopholes that previously allowed perpetrators of bride kidnapping to avoid punishment.

Bride kidnapping – the abduction of a woman or girl with the intent to force her into marriage – remains a longstanding problem in parts of the country.

Under the new legislation, offenders will face up to ten years in prison, even if they release their victims voluntarily, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. “Now this possibility is excluded: even with the voluntary release of the victim, the guilty person will be brought to justice,” according to the ministry.

The move follows years of criticism from human rights groups and officials, who say the practice often results in physical and psychological harm, including unlawful detention, sexual violence and, in some cases, suicide. The Ombudsman’s office had previously warned that many victims were unable to report the crime, while some perpetrators did not realize their actions were illegal.

The law also introduces a new provision into Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, specifically targeting forced marriage. It allows for prison terms of five to ten years in cases that result in serious consequences. Harsher penalties apply if the offence involves violence, minors, abuse of power or group participation, according to law enforcement officials.

The proposal to outlaw bride kidnapping was first introduced in 2023. At the time, officials said legal ambiguity and social stigma discouraged victims from coming forward.

Several neighboring Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, have already criminalized the practice.

The legislation is part of a wider legal reform package signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in July 2025. The reforms also cover related offenses such as stalking, coercion, and harassment.

The incident occurred as the US president arrived in Britain for a state visit

UK police have arrested four people on suspicion of projecting images of US President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle.

The incident occurred as Trump arrived in Britain for his second state visit on Tuesday evening. The president is scheduled to meet with King Charles III on Wednesday at the Windsor royal residence, west of London, according to Reuters.

The activist group Led by Donkeys claimed responsibility for the stunt, which also involved projecting Trump’s 2023 mugshot, taken after he was indicted for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“We take any unauthorized activity around Windsor Castle extremely seriously. Our officers responded swiftly to stop the projection, and four people have been arrested,” Thames Valley Police Chief Superintendent Felicity Parker said in a statement.

Democrats and some Trump allies have accused the president of covering up the Epstein case, arguing that the disgraced financier kept a client list of powerful people he allegedly trafficked women to.

The FBI and the Justice Department have denied that a list exists, while Trump has said he ended his friendship with Epstein in the 2000s before he was aware of the allegations against him.

The Zapad 2025 exercises were aimed at defending the borders using lessons from the Ukraine conflict, the president has said

The Zapad 2025 military exercises between Russia and Belarus were designed to repel attacks using lessons from the Ukraine conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The drills concluded on Tuesday, amid tensions between Russia and NATO.

Putin visited a command post in Mulino, northwestern Russia, where he met with Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.

“The purpose of the exercise is to rehearse all elements necessary to fully protect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and defend against any aggression,” Putin said.

He added that the planners of the drills “incorporated lessons learned from the special military operation” in Ukraine.

The drills involved 100,000 troops, 10,000 pieces of military hardware, including 333 aircraft, and around 250 naval vessels, the president said.

Last week, Poland closed its border with Belarus, calling the exercises “very aggressive.”

Earlier in September, Warsaw launched the Iron Defender-25 drills, involving 30,000 troops. Lithuania, another neighbor of Belarus, began the Thunder Strike national defense exercises last week.

Moscow has said it would not attack a NATO country unless it is attacked first.

Earlier this month, Poland accused Russia of violating its airspace with at least 19 drones, which Moscow has denied. NATO responded by deploying additional warplanes to patrol Polish skies.

Prosecutors say the alleged assassin “started to lean more to the left” over the past year

The man charged with killing conservative American podcaster and activist Charlie Kirk had embraced left-wing and pro-LGBTQ ideology over the past year, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has said.

Gray stated that he will seek the death penalty for Tyler Robinson, who was charged with aggravated murder on Tuesday. 

Kirk was killed by a sniper on September 10 while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Robinson was apprehended after a 33-hour manhunt.

Gray told reporters that the suspect’s mother said that over the past year, he had become “more political and had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans rights oriented.” He added that Robinson had begun dating his roommate, who was “transitioning genders.”

According to prosecutors, Robinson left a note for his roommate saying, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”

Prosecutors released text messages between the suspect and his roommate in which Robinson allegedly admitted to killing Kirk. “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” he wrote, according to the transcript.

A co-founder of Turning Point USA and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk was widely credited with popularizing conservative ideas among young Americans and helping Trump secure a second term.

The detained individuals are suspected of a careless attempt at film-making, according to officials

The Polish authorities have identified a Ukrainian man and a Belarusian woman as the two individuals previously reported as detained over a drone that was neutralized in the government district of Warsaw on Monday, local media have reported, citing officials.

The individuals were identified as a 21-year-old Ukrainian man and a 17-year-old Belarusian woman, Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the special services minister, told reporters on Tuesday. Investigators have reportedly searched their homes, while police are verifying their identities and legal status in Poland.

Dobrzynski downplayed speculation that this was “some sort of large-scale spy operation” but said it was too early to confirm any further details.

“These are young people – perhaps it was due to carelessness, perhaps ignorance, perhaps because they wanted to make a film,” he said, as quoted by Polsat News.

The incident follows earlier claims by the NATO state that at least 19 Russian drones had entered Polish airspace last week – allegations that Russian envoy to the UN Security Council Vassily Nebenzia dismissed as “unfounded.” Moscow countered that the accusations were being driven by what it called the “European war party,” noting that the Russian UAVs deployed in Ukraine did not have the range to reach Polish territory.

In a separate incident, NATO member Romania said its Defense Ministry had detected an alleged Russian drone entering the country’s airspace near the border with Ukraine on Saturday. Moscow dismissed the claim as “made up.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly said claims of a Russian “threat” are being used by Western European states to stoke fear and justify higher military spending.

The separate initiatives come from far-right and far-left parliamentary groups

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to face two separate no-confidence votes at the EU Parliament in early October, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing an internal email from the legislature’s president, Roberta Metsola.  

The motions of censure are scheduled to be debated during the plenary session from October 6 to 9. The motions submitted against von der Leyen, a divisive figure in Brussels, come from both right and left – the Patriots for Europe and The Left parliamentary groups.

The Patriots for Europe have accused her of lacking transparency and accountability, particularly in relation to the EU’s trade agreements with the United States and the South American trade bloc Mercosur. “The EU is weaker today than ever due to the persistent failure of the president of the Commission to cope with the most pressing challenges,” the group stated in its motion, as quoted by Politico.

The Left has also criticized von der Leyen’s trade policies but placed greater emphasis on the EU’s handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The group argued that the Commission has shown inaction and failed to hold Israel accountable.

Both motions were filed at midnight on September 10, which was the earliest opportunity following a previous no-confidence vote in July. Von der Leyen survived that vote, which was initiated by Romanian right-wing MEP Gheorghe Piperea and focused on the so-called Pfizergate scandal. The controversy stemmed from the disappearance of text messages between von der Leyen and Pfizer’s CEO during negotiations for a major Covid-19 vaccine procurement.

Von der Leyen, a former doctor and German defense minister, was accused of a lack of transparency in negotiating the multi-billion-euro deal. She dismissed the allegations against her as “simply a lie” and branded her critics “conspiracy theorists.”

The initiative ultimately failed, supported only by 175 MEPs with 360 voting against it. To pass, two-thirds of the 720 MEPs must vote in favor. No-confidence motions used to be quite rare at the EU Parliament. Prior to the July vote, such a motion was last tabled against Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014.

Officials from Washington visited New Delhi for negotiations on a bilateral trade deal

Indian and US negotiators held a new round of negotiations over a bilateral trade deal on Monday, just weeks after President Donald Trump slapped punitive 50% tariffs on Indian exports. US Trade Representative for South Asia Brendan Lynch headed up the American delegation in New Delhi.

Following the talks, India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry characterized the discussions as “positive and forward-looking.” Both sides agreed to intensify efforts to reach a “mutually beneficial” trade agreement as soon as possible, New Delhi added.

Although these were the first talks since the new tariffs on Indian exports took effect, Monday's negotiations mark a continuation of a process that started after Trump took office.

The new round of talks had initially been scheduled for August 25, but discussions had reached an impasse and the US delegation reportedly canceled the trip. This came immediately after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on India over the latter's purchases of Russian oil and defense goods. The levy was in addition to the 25% duty imposed earlier as part of the so-called Liberation Day tariffs, thus bringing the total to 50%. 

India and the US had agreed to finalize an interim trade deal by autumn, but talks stalled due to disagreements over US demands for greater access to India’s agricultural and dairy markets – which New Delhi considers economically and politically sensitive issues, according to Indian media reports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August vowed to “stand like a wall” to protect the interests of the nation’s farmers.

On Tuesday, Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told India Today that while New Delhi is confident of a good outcome of the ongoing negotiations, “an India-first approach will guide our discussions.” 

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been increasing pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil in return for allowing the South Asian nation access to its markets. Russia has emerged as a key oil supplier to India since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 – accounting for nearly 40% of India’s crude imports. India has also become a major exporter of refined fuels to Europe since 2023.

The 19th package of restrictions has reportedly faced resistance from Hungary and Slovakia

The EU has postponed presenting its new package of sanctions against Russia, Politico has reported, citing several EU diplomats. The outlet attributed the delay to pressure from the Trump administration to impose even tougher restrictions on Moscow, which has elicited resistance from Slovakia and Hungary.

The proposed 19th package of measures targeting Russian oil exports and the banking sector over the Ukraine conflict was due to be presented on Wednesday. However, it has been dropped from the European Commission’s agenda indefinitely, several EU diplomats told Politico on Tuesday.

According to the report, the suspension comes as Brussels is increasing pressure on Hungary and Slovakia to cut their energy reliance on Moscow in light of a fresh ultimatum to do so from Washington.

US President Donald Trump, who has so far refrained from imposing direct sanctions on Russia, reportedly said over the weekend he was ready “to move ahead” if Washington’s European partners halt Russian oil purchases. He has also urged the EU to slap tariffs of up to 100% on China and India – the key buyers of Russian oil since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western nations against adopting a “colonial” tone toward China and India and trying to “punish” them.

As part of its sanctions’ pressure, Brussels has pledged to phase out Russian fossil fuels entirely by 2027, but several member states – including Hungary and Slovakia – continue to oppose the move, citing risks to their national energy security. The European Commission has recently proposed scrapping unanimous voting on the bloc’s foreign policy decisions to sideline dissenting members.

Russia has denounced Western sanctions as “illegal,” stating that they have not only failed to derail the national economy, but have provided an impetus for domestic development. Russian officials maintain they seek a long-term peace, accusing Kiev and its Western backers of undermining the process.

Azerbaijan outlawed unions between close relatives in July

Azerbaijan has recorded a sharp decline in registered marriages following the introduction of a ban on unions between close relatives, local media has reported.

Amendments to the Family Code, which took effect on July 1, prohibit marital unions between cousins and other close blood relatives such as uncles and nieces. Officials argued the measure was necessary to protect public health, citing genetic risks associated with consanguineous marriages.

The number of marriages fell from 5,032 in June to 2,694 in July, according to figures recently published by local outlet Yeniavaz.

Authorities and medical experts have warned for years that marriages between cousins can increase the likelihood of hereditary diseases. Advocates of the ban say it will improve family health outcomes, as well as align family law with international standards.

The measure has, however, stirred cultural and social backlash. Critics argue that the law intrudes on personal choice and tradition. Marriages between cousins remain accepted in some communities, and stories have surfaced of young couples who were forced to cancel or postpone their weddings.