The EU is one of UNRWA’s top donors. Following Israeli allegations that some staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attack, the EU announced to review its support. While some believe this to be an urgent measure, others warn of collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Plans to increase EU spending to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression have stalled because of reluctance at EU level to commit to more funds. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell remains optimistic, saying it is up to member states to mobilise their industries if the EU is to keep its promise to deliver a million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by next spring.
On Wednesday, the EU Commission recommended granting Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) the much-awaited EU candidate status. As recently as mid-June, when Ukraine and Moldova were given the prospect of EU membership, however, the EU had still been cautious regarding Bosnia. Geopolitically, the move comes at the right time, as it could not only prevent the Serb-dominated entity of Republika Srpska (RS) from seceding, but also put a stop to Moscow’s ambitions in the region.