World
EU will approve Ukraine aid with or without Hungary: von der Leyen
The European Union will, if needed, find a way to bypass Viktor Orbán’s veto and approve the €50-billion special fund for Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
The package, which is designed to provide Kyiv with financial support until 2027 and plug the government’s ballooning public deficit, is being held up by Hungary, an impasse that has left Brussels effectively without any money for the war-torn nation.
Following a dramatic summit in mid-December, where Orbán made good on his threat and derailed the unanimous vote, EU leaders are set to reconvene again on 1 February to give the so-called Ukraine Facility a second try.
“I think it’s very important to engage with all 27 member states of the European Union to get the €50 billion for four years for Ukraine up and running,” the president of the European Commission told a group of media, including Euronews, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
“This is the phase we’re in right now. It’s the preparation for the extraordinary European Council on the 1st of February. It’s hard work. We have discussed many different issues.”
Ahead of the meeting, Hungarian officials have floated two key demands in exchange for lifting the veto: splitting the Facility into four annual tranches, which would allow Orbán to block the cash at a later stage, and extending the deadline to spend COVID-19 recovery funds, which would give Budapest more time to unlock the frozen money.
Von der Leyen did not comment on these requests but made it clear the bloc would find a way to approve the €50-billion fund – with or without Hungary’s blessing.
“My personal priority is to have an agreement by 27 (countries). And if this is not possible, we are prepared for an agreement by 26,” the Commission chief said.
“But I strongly support and prefer an agreement by 27.”
Although EU officials have avoided publicly discussing such Plan B, von der Leyen’s words reflect that work is well underway to avoid a repeat of the December fiasco. The Financial Times previously reported Brussels was crafting an alternative that would allow the Commission to borrow €20 billion on the financial markets.
During a bilateral meeting in Davos, von der Leyen promised Volodymyr Zelenskyy that her executive would strive towards “securing the means to recover, rebuild and reform” through the proposed Facility.
“We focused on the need to unblock the decision to provide Ukraine with €50 billion in long-term EU assistance at the (February) summit. Ukraine is hoping for a consensus on this issue,” Zelenskyy said after the meeting.
Earlier on Tuesday, von der Leyen gave a speech at the World Economic Forum underlining the urgent need to provide Ukraine with “predictable financing throughout 2024 and beyond.” The goal has become even more pressing in the face of the legislative deadlock in Washington, where fresh funding is obstructed by Republicans.
“Ukraine can prevail in this war. But we must continue to empower their resistance,” von der Leyen told the audience in Davos.
“They need a sufficient and sustained supply of weapons to defend Ukraine and regain its rightful territory. They need capabilities to deter future attacks by Russia. And they also need hope,” she went on.
“They need to know that, with their struggle, they will earn a better future for their children. And Ukraine’s better future is called Europe.”
World
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations
World
Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure
British PM Keir Starmer could face leadership challenge amid internal troubles
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces significant internal pressure following Andy Burnham’s special election win, potentially triggering a leadership contest. Starmer is under fire for economic pressures, illegal immigration issues, and controversies surrounding his previous role in prosecuting grooming gangs. Elon Musk also accused Starmer of complicity.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.
Britain’s Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.
The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.
A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.
AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer awaits Switzerland’s Federal President Guy Parmelin on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. (Isabel Infantes/Pool Reuters via AP)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister’s office for comment.
Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government’s handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.
The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.
LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY
Britain’s Labour party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, Friday. (Jon Super/AP)
Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, “chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.”
When asked about Burnham’s apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.
“I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that,” Starmer said.
UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP
Sir Keir Starmer is battling to save his position and refusing to stand aside despite dozens of Labout MP’s demanding he resigns. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.
Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.
The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks a news conference at Downing Street in London, March 5. (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Starmer’s popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.
Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.
World
Trump vows Iran will not charge Strait of Hormuz tolls, but says US might
United States President Donald Trump has pledged there will be no tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, unless they are collected by his own country.
Trump’s statement, made in a Saturday afternoon post on Truth Social, is the latest sign that a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) may be unravelling.
list of 3 itemsend of listRecommended Stories
“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired,” Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America.”
Since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, Iran has successfully used the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point, closing the strategic waterway to traffic.
But under the terms of Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum, the strait is supposed to reopen for an interim period of 60 days. During that time, Iran is barred from charging vessels for passage.
On Saturday, however, Iran’s joint military command said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing a “clear breach” of the memorandum’s commitments.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency that oversees military operations in the region, denied that report and maintained that the traffic continues to flow through the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between the US and Iran. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas is transported through the strait, as well as about 30 percent of the global fertiliser trade.
Closure of the strait has caused global fuel costs to soar and has tested agricultural sectors across the world.
Trump had responded to Iran’s chokehold over the strait by imposing a US naval blockade on Iran’s ports in the region.
But that naval blockade was lifted under the terms of Wednesday’s memorandum. The deal also paused fighting on all fronts in the regional conflict, including in Lebanon.
The memorandum, though, was not intended as a long-term deal. It serves as a launching point for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Several points of divergence also went unaddressed in the memorandum. Nowhere does the memo say that future tolls cannot be collected from the strait after the 60-day period expires.
Before the war, there was no charge for passage through the strait. Trump himself said in an interview with The New York Times that the waterway should remain “permanently toll-free”.
But he appeared to reverse course in Saturday’s post, once again floating the possibility that the US could extract tolls in the strait, while barring Iran from doing so.
No fees should be levied, Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed”.
He explained that such a charge would compensate the US “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs”.
Trump used similar language in his New York Times interview earlier this week, floating the US becoming “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20 percent of its revenue.
Saturday’s post is not the first time Trump has mused about the US imposing tolls in the strait, either.
In April, for instance, he discussed the idea with reporters, saying, “What about us charging tolls? I’d rather do that than let them have them. Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won.”
There has been no indication that Trump’s plans have been officially presented to countries in the region, many of whom have struck a careful balance in their dealings with both the US and Iran during the war.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly said they will not rule out imposing tolls in the strait, framing the issue as a matter of sovereignty and regional negotiation. The strait sits between Iran and Oman.
Further discussions are expected on the matter in the coming weeks.
But such negotiations have been thrown into jeopardy amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which threaten to violate Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum.
Iran claimed that Saturday’s closure of the strait was a result of new Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, which killed dozens of people after the ceasefire was announced.
Iranian officials have also said that any upcoming talks should focus on proper implementation of the initial memorandum, and that the 60-day negotiating period stipulated in Wednesday’s deal would begin after that was settled.
Pakistan, a top mediator between the US and Iran, has said that follow-up talks are set to begin in Switzerland on Sunday.
Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Iranian delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has already arrived for the negotiations.
On the US side, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend.
Vance departed for Switzerland late Saturday.
-
Pittsburg, PA3 minutes agoSouth Side Street Fest opens to largely positive reviews
-
Augusta, GA10 minutes ago2nd annual Juneteenth trail ride draws crowds in Augusta
-
Washington, D.C13 minutes agoDouble shooting reported near U Street corridor
-
Cleveland, OH18 minutes agoOhio’s 2nd Buc-ee’s approved in Richland County amid neighbor opposition
-
Austin, TX25 minutes agoMissing Austin woman Ghadah Alharbi found Safely, APD confirms
-
Alabama28 minutes ago
FOX54 News Huntsville
-
Alaska33 minutes agoDFFP Responds to Joaquin Fire 31.5 Miles Southwest of McGrath
-
Arizona40 minutes agoArizona Lottery Powerball, The Pick results for June 20, 2026