World
Newsletter: Energy shock has Brussels on edge
Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn with your last Europe Today newsletter before we go on a short break. We’ll be back next Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The EU’s energy chief Dan Jørgensen has warned member states that energy prices could remain high even if a peace deal to end the war in Iran is struck swiftly, urging capitals to prepare for the “potentially prolonged disruption.”
Euronews’ Marta Pacheco reports that EU countries may consider fuel rationing, remote work, and even “car-free Sundays”— a measure from the 1970s energy crisis — to curb oil and gas demand, as prices have surged 70% and 50%, respectively.
The warnings from Brussels suggest an increasing sense of nervousness over the economic repercussions of the conflict, as the reality of the looming crisis sets in. Marta has this handy explainer on the possible ramifications for Europe, and how countries are preparing.
Speaking to Europe Today earlier, Poland’s Secretary of State for Energy Wojciech Wrochna said his country had already reined in prices by introducing a price cap and slashing fuel taxes, and said Brussels should give EU capitals “flexibility” to “drive the measures”. Watch.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said countries which had dismissed earlier US requests for support to re-open the Strait of Hormuz – and which now face potential jet fuel shortages – should “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just take it (the oil)”.
It’s awakening fears that the US could withdraw from the conflict without a settlement that would guarantee the safe re-opening of the Strait to international trade. Trump said overnight from the Oval Office that the war could end in “two or three weeks” and is due to address the nation with an update late on Wednesday.
Trump has also lashed out at France, despite heaping praise on the country for its position on the war in recent weeks, claiming Paris had prevented US planes headed to Israel with military supplies from flying over its territory.
“France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the “Butcher of Iran,” who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement that it was “surprised” by the US President’s remarks, but insisted that the decision was in line with “the French position since the start of this conflict”. Since early March, the French armed forces have said it would only authorise the use of US bases on French territory for defensive purposes.
Speaking from Japan earlier today, Macron hailed Europe’s “predictability” despite its perceived “slowness”, criticising countries which may go faster but could “hurt you without even informing you”, in an apparent jab at the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News last night that the US will need to “examine” its relationship with NATO in the aftermath of the war, amid signs that the existing fractures between Washington and other allies have deepened dramatically since the start of the Iran conflict.
Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers held symbolic talks in Ukraine on Tuesday as they scramble to keep attention on the war-torn country amid the conflict in the Middle East, which risks out draining out military stockpiles and fueling Moscow’s warchest as countries look for alternatives amid global oil and gas disruption.
Speaking to Europe Today from Kyiv, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said the relationship between Ukraine and the EU is a “good” and “strong partnership”, despite President Zelenskyy recently drumming a series of deals with Gulf countries amid uncertainty over Western support.
With the EU’s pivotal €90 billion loan for Ukraine still in deadlock due to Hungary’s veto, Țoiu said that the EU needs “better instruments” to enable “faster decisions” on foreign policy.
Kallas insists Russian assets are an option if Orbán doesn’t lift veto on Ukraine loan
Using Russia’s frozen assets to finance Ukraine remains an option if Viktor Orbán refuses to lift his veto on the €90 billion loan after the 12 April elections, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday, Jorge Liboreiro reports.
Orbán has blocked the financial lifeline over an unrelated dispute with Kyiv regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline, after initially giving his political blessing to the loan in December when he, along with the Czech and Slovakian leaders, negotiated an exemption from any loan payments.
Kallas pointed out that the loan was a compromise deal when leaders failed to agree on leveraging Russian state assets immobilised within the EU due to scepticism led by Belgium, where a vast majority of the assets are held. Crucially, she said the assets should remain an option on the table if the loan continues to be blocked.
“Plan A was the use of frozen assets. So, we should also keep in mind that if plan B does not work, let’s go back to plan A, but we definitely need to deliver Ukraine the financing that they need to resist the Russian aggression,” Kallas said.
Standing alongside Kallas, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed the message, saying the immobilised assets are “not off the table” and “cannot be taken off the agenda until and unless Russia pays all the reparations”.
Jorge has more.
Frustration with Hungary mounts after leaked call shows foreign minister discussing EU sanctions removal with Russian counterpart
An explosive investigation released Tuesday by a group of European outlets showing the extent of the Hungarian Foreign Minister’s coordination with Moscow is exacerbating frustration in Brussels with the Orbán-led government.
The investigation includes a recording of a 2024 phone call between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in which Szijjártó offered to lobby to remove a Russian oligarch’s sister from EU sanctions at Lavrov’s request.
“I am calling at the request of Alisher, and he just asked me to remind you that you were doing something about his sister,” Lavrov told Szijjártó, referring to Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov and his sister Gulbahor Ismailova.
The Hungarian minister responds by saying that “together with the Slovaks, we are submitting a proposal to the European Union to delist her.”
Asked about the investigation in a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas said: “European ministers should work for Europe not for Russia.”
Speaking beside Kallas, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for a “proper reaction” from the EU.
Our correspondent Sándor Zsiros writes that the scandal has emerged as Hungary prepares for parliamentary elections on 12 April, with foreign interference and the government’s close ties to Moscow among the key campaign issues.
Szijjártó has defended his actions, arguing that speaking with Russian officials before and after such meetings is part of routine diplomatic practice.
Sándor has more on the allegations.
More from our newsrooms
Should you book holiday flights now considering jet fuel price spikes? Jet fuel prices have more than doubled in recent weeks amid the ongoing Iran war. Airlines have responded with fare increases and temporary surcharges, so should you secure tickets now or wait? Quirino Mealha has the answers.
US wrong to negotiate, Iranian regime ‘not trustworthy,’ Iranian opposition leader says. Speaking to Euronews, the exiled leader of the Kurdish Iranian opposition said that no one in the Iranian regime was “trustworthy”, downplaying claims from the US administration that Iranian officials were “reasonable” negotiators. Maria Tadeo and Estelle Nilsson-Julienhave more.
We’re also keeping an eye on
- US President Donald Trump to address the nation on the Iran war at 21.00 local time. The address will take place in the early hours in Europe (03.00 in Brussels).
That’s it for today. Marta Pacheco, Jorge Liboreiro and Sandor Zsiros contributed to this newsletter.
Europe Today is taking a break until Tuesday, April 7. We’ll see you then. Remember to sign up to receive Europe Today in your inbox every weekday morning at 08.30.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A massive ruby unearthed in Burma is being hailed as the second-largest ever discovered in the conflict-ridden country.
The ruby weighs about 11,000 carats — about 4.8 pounds — and was unearthed near Mogok in the Mandalay region, the center of Burma’s gem industry and an area affected by ongoing conflict, according to The Associated Press, citing state media.
The stone was found in mid-April, shortly after the country’s traditional New Year celebrations.
MAN STUMBLES ONTO RARE DIAMOND TREASURE DURING ARKANSAS PARK TRIP WITH FAMILY: ‘KNEW IT WAS DIFFERENT’
Burma’s newly discovered ruby is displayed at the president’s office in Naypyitaw on May 7, 2026. (Myanmar Military True News Information Team/AP)
Although it is roughly half the size of a 21,450-carat ruby discovered in 1996, experts say the new find could be more valuable because of its higher quality, the outlet reported.
It has a purplish-red color with slight yellow tones, moderate transparency and a highly reflective surface.
Burmese President Min Aung Hlaing and his cabinet have already inspected the stone in the country’s capital of Naypyidaw.
ONCE-IN-A-CENTURY TREASURES DATING BACK 4,500 YEARS UNEARTHED IN LEGENDARY CITY
Burmese officials inspect a newly discovered ruby at the president’s office in Naypyidaw on May 7, 2026. (Myanmar Military True News Information Team/AP)
Burma produces up to 90% of the world’s rubies, mostly from Mogok and nearby Mong Hsu.
The gem trade — both legal and illegal — is a major source of income in the country.
However, rights groups, including Global Witness, have long urged jewelers to avoid buying Burmese gemstones, saying the trade helps fund the country’s military governments, according to The Associated Press.
RARE 10-CARAT BLUE DIAMOND AMONG $100M WORTH OF GEMS GOING UP FOR AUCTION
This photo taken on May 16, 2019, shows miners working in a ruby mine in Mogok, north of Mandalay. (Ye Aung Thu/AFP via Getty Images)
Gem mining also finances ethnic armed groups fighting for autonomy, contributing to Burma’s long-running conflicts.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The mining regions remain unstable.
Mogok was seized in July 2024 by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic armed group. Control later returned to the military under a ceasefire deal brokered by China late last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The European Union is still struggling to decide if, how, and when it wants to talk directly with Russia to advance negotiations towards a lasting peace in Ukraine, as member states remain split on whether the benefits would outweigh the risks.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The absence of political unity, an indispensable precondition for such a significant undertaking, was laid bare on Monday during a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, where several representatives urged fresh sanctions rather than dialogue.
“(Vladimir) Putin is really not interested in real peace talks yet. So we need to put more pressure on Russia in order to change the calculus and make him interested,” Sweden’s Maria Malmer Stenergard said upon arrival.
“What will we discuss? What will be our demands? Can we agree on our demands on Russia?” said Lithuania’s Kęstutis Budrys. “What is our strategy and agenda, and what’s the goal? What’s the end state? It’s not dialogue as dialogue per se.”
Italy’s Antonio Tajani said the EU was “not at war” with Russia and it was “important” to be part of the ongoing negotiations, while Austria’s Beate Meinl-Reisinger noted it was time for Europeans to become active participants through their own team.
“We need to make up our mind,” said Finland’s Elina Valtonen.
The only point on which ministers agreed was that Europeans themselves should pick their envoy. The Kremlin’s suggestion to nominate Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor who has worked for Russian energy firms, was unequivocally dismissed.
At the end of the meeting, High Representative Kaja Kallas acknowledged that the topic was not yet mature and required further reflection among governments.
“The EU has always supported attempts to achieve a just and lasting peace,” Kallas said.
“For Europe to take a more active role, we must agree amongst ourselves what we want to talk to Russia about and what our red lines are.”
The High Representative, who previously said the EU should not “humiliate” itself by seeking direct talks with Russia, has been trying to bridge gaps among capitals with a draft document outlining the concessions Moscow should make.
The confidential document will be discussed later this month when foreign ministers meet again for an informal gathering in Cyprus. However, given the considerable divergences, a unified position is unlikely to emerge any time soon.
“We are not there entering the negotiations in any way,” Kallas cautioned. “Right now, we don’t see that Russia is really negotiating in good faith.”
If, how and when
The question of whether the EU should engage directly with Russia to end its war of aggression has been popping up in and out of the conversation since US President Donald Trump unilaterally launched a diplomatic process to end the war in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron, who last spoke with Putin in July 2025, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly called on the bloc to change policy, arguing the fate of European security could not be left in American hands.
The debate lost traction after Macron’s advisor, Emmanuel Bonne, travelled to the Kremlin for exploratory talks and was given the cold shoulder.
But it has once again risen to prominence as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, which has shifted Washington’s focus and slowed down the mediation in Ukraine.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who seems increasingly frustrated with the White House’s course of action, asked Europeans to take a more active role.
“We need to find a workable diplomatic format, and Europe must be at the table in any talks with Russia,” Zelenskyy said at a summit in Armenia. “It would be good to develop one common European voice for talks with Russia.”
A few days later, European Council President António Costa said there was “potential” for the bloc to negotiate one-on-one with the Kremlin.
“I’m talking with the 27 national leaders to see the best way to organise ourselves and to identify what we need effectively to discuss with Russia when it comes to the right moment to do this,” Costa said in Florence, Italy.
The European Commission also weighed in. “We can see the merit of having one single figure speaking on behalf of the 27,” a spokesperson said.
Both Costa and the Commission were quick to note that direct talks would only make sense once the Kremlin showed willingness to compromise and make concessions. Putin insists that Kyiv give up the entire Donbas region and that the West recognise the occupied territories aslegally Russian — both demands that Zelenskyy firmly rejects.
Brussels is keen to avoid creating the impression that it is attempting to replace Washington, which might give Trump a reason to walk away for good.
On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the EU should not pursue “alternative peace talks” but rather play a “complementary” role in the ongoing process.
Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten last week, is another factor that makes officials and diplomats think twice.
Instead, some capitals prefer to wait and weaken Russia’s hand at the negotiating table. The country has begun to show signs of economic strain after 20 rounds of sanctions and was forced to pare down its Victory Day parade over fears of Ukraine’s strikes.
At the same time, Kyiv’s standing has been reinforced by the approval of the EU’s €90 billion assistance loan and the signing of multiple defence deals with Gulf countries.
“Russia must be pushed back to Russia,” Estonia’s Margus Tsahkna said. “Putin is not ready to talk about a lasting and just peace at all.”
Poland will soon host production lines for South Korean tanks. Australia is buying warships from Japan. Canada will send uranium to India, while India offers cruise missiles to Vietnam, and Brazil builds military transport planes for the United Arab Emirates.
All of these deals were sealed in the past few weeks. Each one represents an attempt by middle powers to protect themselves as the conflict in Iran throttles global energy supplies, and as a high-stakes summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping of China looms.
Global polls show the world has little trust in the United States and China. Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi have both used their enormous leverage over trade and security to coerce or punish. And in response, smaller nations are behaving as if they are stuck in “Godzilla” or “Dune” — moving quietly in small groups, trying not to provoke the wrath of petulant giants.
“It’s fifty shades of hedging,” said Richard Heydarian, a Filipino political scientist at Oxford University. Or, as Ja Ian Chong, a security analyst in Singapore put it, “No party wants to cross Beijing and now Washington, too.”
For countries watching from afar, dread and hope hover over the Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, which is scheduled for this week. In Asia, which has been hit hardest and fastest by oil shortages caused by the war and China’s tight control of oil-product exports, the mood is particularly grim. Interviews with officials, and statements from leaders traveling the globe to secure trade and defense deals, suggest that most middle powers feel overwhelmed by the deteriorating world order.
Many believe the summit carries more potential for harm than help. And Mr. Trump’s gut-driven approach to complex issues is the main source of anxiety.
For months, officials in Asia have worried that the president might be too eager to make a deal with Mr. Xi, ending weapons sales to Taiwan or agreeing to softened policy language that could make it easier for China to undermine the democratic island.
“That would be the biggest nightmare,” said one Taiwanese official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government matters. He insisted that reduced support from the U.S. was unlikely.
But any concession on Taiwan could lead other American partners to fear abandonment. Beijing’s push for compliance on contested territory elsewhere would be bolstered, from the border with India to the South China Sea.
Vietnamese officials said that if President Trump makes a conciliatory gesture or flatters Xi, even without bigger compromises, China will gain leeway to press harder on smaller countries.
Another concern being discussed across the region: that Mr. Trump might alter long-term security plans in exchange for better economic terms with China.
Mr. Trump’s decision to redirect a carrier strike group from the Pacific and munitions from South Korea for the war in Iran may have created momentum for broader redeployments. When the Pentagon announced it would pull at least 5,000 troops from Germany after Mr. Trump expressed annoyance with the German chancellor, allies in Asia were again reminded how quickly collective deterrence can be weakened.
Mr. Trump has threatened in the past to make troop withdrawals from Japan, which hosts around 53,000 American military personnel — more than any other country — and South Korea, where another 24,000 Americans are stationed. If he could get something big from Mr. Xi for a drawdown, would he turn down the deal?
Analysts noted that plans opposed by China, such as AUKUS, a pact between Australia, England and the U.S. designed to counter Beijing’s influence by equipping Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and advanced technology, could also be suddenly canceled.
“The sense that U.S. allies have to look to one another because they can no longer look to America is very real,” said Hugh White, a former Australian intelligence official who teaches strategic studies at the Australia National University.
That sentiment is much stronger than “the cautious public language” of national leaders might suggest, he added.
European and Asian officials often talk privately in frank terms about giving up their faith in America, prompting a no-turning-back effort to diversify away from the United States. In casual discussions with reporters, they can sound a lot like Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, who received a standing ovation in Davos this year for a speech that declared, “We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”
But in public, they’re more circumspect. Some officials admit their countries are trying to buy time and evade Mr. Trump’s fits of pique, while continuing the performance of imperial fealty.
South Korean officials have simply expressed resignation over American military diversions, after making clear they felt betrayed in 2004, when President George W. Bush announced plans to move troops from Asia to the war in Iraq. Australia, Taiwan and Japan publicly and repeatedly stress the value of American leadership without caveats — even as U.S. tariffs and the war Mr. Trump started with Iran kneecap their economies.
Walking with Caution
No one wants to be seen stepping out of line.
Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has been bolder than most in trying to foster stronger relationships with other countries. Yet even as she crisscrossed the region promoting military cooperation, officials in Tokyo worried about how Washington would view her efforts.
“The Japanese don’t want Takaichi’s security cooperation and tour, especially to Australia, to be seen as a version of Mark Carney,” said Michael J. Green, the author of several books on Japan, and chief executive of the United States Study Centre at the University of Sydney.
Others have apparently reached the same conclusion. Mr. Carney’s recent visits to India and Australia did not yield strong statements from their leaders echoing his criticism of great power rivalry or his warning that if middle powers are “not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
At the same time, many countries — including some that are benefiting from the thickening of middle-power bonds — have been careful not to anger the world’s other hegemon, China.
Nations managing their own disputes with Beijing, such as Indonesia, have done less to rally around Japan than some in Tokyo would have liked, since Ms. Takaichi became embroiled in a diplomatic crisis after telling her Parliament that if China attacked Taiwan, Japan could respond militarily.
Vietnamese officials even pressed Ms. Takaichi to avoid directly criticizing China in her speech at a university on May 2 in Hanoi, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions. It is not clear if adjustments were made. Chinese officials later condemned her diplomatic efforts as “war preparation.”
And yet, in a sign of how middle powers are still doing more while saying less, the two countries signed six cooperation agreements, including one on satellite data sharing and another to secure deliveries for Vietnam’s largest oil refinery, potentially easing shortages.
“The U.S. has become more unreliable, so it makes sense to try to develop alternatives,” said Robert O. Keohane, an international relations professor at Princeton University. Even if what’s been formed so far is insufficient, he added, “having a weak alternative is better than having no alternative at all.”
Reporting was contributed by Tung Ngo from Hanoi, Vietnam; Javier C. Hernández from Tokyo; Amy Chang Chien from Taipei, Taiwan; Jim Tankersley from Berlin; Ian Austen from Ottawa; and Matina Stevis-Gridneff from Toronto.
-
Milwaukee, WI4 minutes agoSame name keeps coming up in mock drafts as possible Bucks selection
-
Atlanta, GA10 minutes agoFire at Chamblee apartment complex displaces more than 75 residents, closes businesses
-
Minneapolis, MN16 minutes agoMinneapolis grocer charged in $1.1 million SNAP fraud scheme
-
Indianapolis, IN22 minutes agoMartindale-Brightwood neighbors sue to stall Metrobloks data center
-
Pittsburg, PA28 minutes agoDragon softball sweeps Kansas City Piper
-
Augusta, GA34 minutes agoBrent McMillian named as Augusta University’s new Athletics Director – AOL
-
Washington, D.C40 minutes agoNonprofit sues the federal government over plans to paint Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue
-
Cleveland, OH46 minutes agoPaint the Town: Sherwin-Williams Opens Massive 36-Story Headquarters in Cleveland – Scioto Post