25 Democratic-Led States Sue Trump Administration Over New Global Tariffs 
Brown University President Christina Paxson to Step Down After Clashes With Trump Administration 
US Supreme Court Lets $655.5 Million Judgment Against Palestinian Authorities Stand During Appeal 
North Korea Rejects U.S. Cyber Threat Claims, Slams Allied Warning 
Trump Says Iran Talks to Begin as Strait of Hormuz Deal Nears, Oil Prices Fall 
DOJ Subpoenas New York Times Freelancer Over North Korea Military Report 
Russian Border Drone Strike Kills Child in Belgorod, Injures Two Others 
Capital One Says AML Review Led to Closure of Trump Organization Accounts 
US State Department Plans to Close Five Foreign Missions in Global Diplomatic Restructuring 
Trump Urges Exxon, Chevron to Cut Gas Prices After Record Oil Profits 
Trump-Backed Russia Sanctions Bill Faces House Hurdles Over Tariff Powers 
Iran Warns of Retaliation as Trump Threatens New Strikes, Oil Risks Intensify 
US Signals More Joint Yen Intervention With Japan if Currency Volatility Continues 
Israel Strikes Gaza Near Hospital as Uncertainty Grows Over Hamas Disarmament Deal 
Israel Strikes Gaza as Trump Ceasefire Push Faces Fresh Challenges 
Spain Deploys Troops as Ceuta Faces Major Migrant Surge From Morocco 
Trump Says U.S. ICC Campaign Aims to Protect Netanyahu, Not Himself 
The European Union’s foreign policy chief announced this week that the bloc’s defense ministers agreed to start working on an EU military assistance mission. The agreement comes as Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine for the seventh month this year.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday that the defense ministers of the bloc agreed to set up a military assistance mission for Ukraine. Borrell made the comments following the meeting among the bloc’s defense ministers in Prague.
“There are many training initiatives on the way but the needs are enormous and we need to ensure the coherence of these efforts,” said Borrell. “I can say that all members states agree clearly on that and on launching the work necessary to define parameters for a EU military assistance mission for Ukraine.”
Aside from starting on the work needed to set up an EU military assistance mission, diplomats also said Tuesday that the bloc’s foreign ministers likely agree with tightening visas for Russians.
The measure would suspend a visa facilitation agreement with Russia and make Russians pay more and wait longer for their visas to be issued.
This comes as the bloc remains divided over whether or not to issue a widespread visa ban for Russians, which Ukraine has called for. Some EU member countries have also backed a widespread visa ban for Russians.
Some countries, such as Germany and France, have cited that dissidents must be allowed to leave Russia. German foreign minister Anna Baerbock said a visa ban would only punish dissidents who seek to flee Russia.
“We caution against far-reaching restrictions on our visa policy, in order to prevent feeding the Russian narrative and trigger unintended rallying around the flag effects and/or estranging future generations,” said the two countries in a joint memo.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia fought a war with Georgia and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 since obtaining easier EU visas in 2007. Kuleba said travelling to Europe has no transformative effect on Russians.
Eastern and Nordic European countries have supported such a ban, with some saying they may resort to a regional one if no agreement is reached at an EU level.
