Early Bird: According to Sybiha, Ukraine has the strongest position on the battlefield in the last year. Magyar wants to strengthen Central Europe.
According to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the current Ukrainian successes on the battlefield are evidence of the strengthening of his country's negotiating position. This is happening, according to him, particularly thanks to drones, air defense, and asymmetric steps. The winner of the elections in Hungary, Péter Magyar, wants to create a Central European alliance composed of the V4 countries and Austria.
Ukraine Claims It Can Resist Russian Aggression
Ukraine holds the strongest position on the battlefield against Russia in the last year, thanks to drones, air defense, and asymmetric measures.
"In my opinion, our situation can be described as follows. We are holding our positions. In fact, the position on the battlefield is the strongest or firmest in the last year. Truly the strongest,"
said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha.
"We minimized the Russian numerical advantage thanks to drones,"
he stated, adding that the Russian superiority in the number of soldiers is no longer a decisive factor on the front.
Since February 2022, Ukraine has been defending against the Russian invasion. Russia currently occupies about 19 percent of Ukrainian territory, wrote the website Ceskenoviny.cz.
Magyar Bases His Foreign Policy on the Legacy of Austria-Hungary
Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar wants to restore Central Europe's influence in Brussels by leaning on its past, as reported by ČTK on the Politico website. The leader of the winning Tisza party states that he intends to deepen relations with neighboring countries, particularly with Austria, based on strong economic ties and a shared history from Austria-Hungary. He proposes linking the Visegrád Group, which informally unites Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, with the so-called Slavkov format, whose members are the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia. As a clear signal of this strategy, he announced that his first visits will be to Vienna and Warsaw.
EU needs a clear procedure on how to help members facing aggression, claims Cypriot President
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides stated that European Union leaders must begin preparing a plan for what should happen if a member country requests help from the bloc's partners when facing an external attack. He disclosed in this context that EU leaders will discuss "fulfilling" Article 42.7 of the treaty, which obliges all 27 member states to mutual assistance in times of crisis. Last month, Cyprus requested help from other EU countries when a drone launched from Lebanon struck a British air base on the southern coast of the island, reported the agency AP.
British Law to Ban People Born After 2008 from Buying Tobacco Products
A new bill approved by the British parliament will prevent people born on or after January 1, 2009, from purchasing tobacco products. The aim of the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarettes Act is to protect public health and reduce the harm caused by smoking. Additionally, local politicians will be able to ban smoking in playgrounds, in front of schools, and hospitals. Advertising of nicotine products targeted at children will also be prohibited, reported Al Jazeera.
Historic Golden Helmet Returned to Romania After Theft
Some of Romania's most revered national treasures, which were stolen from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands last January, have been returned to their homeland. These include the ornate Cotofenesti helmet, which is 2,500 years old, and three gold bracelets. The events followed a 14-month investigation that led to the capture of three suspects. A trial is currently underway with them, reported the AP agency.
Sources: Ceskenoviny.cz, Al Jazeera, AP
