Full ban on Israeli settlement trade gets ‘most support’ from EU countries, Kallas says

Copyright FREDERIC SIERAKOWSKI/

By Mared Gwyn Jones

Published on 13/07/2026 - EURONEWS

EU foreign ministers overwhelmingly backed clamping down on EU trade with Israeli settlements during closed-door discussions on Monday, with an official source saying the biggest cohort of countries supported passing new measures without requiring the unanimous backing of all member states.

A full ban on EU imports of goods made in Israeli settlements extracted "most support” from EU foreign ministers during a meeting on Monday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, after the European Commission last week presented a range of options to restrict settlement trade, the boldest of which was a full trading ban.

“The option that got the most support was banning the trade with the illegal settlements,” Kallas told reporters in Brussels on Monday evening. Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law and by the EU.

EU ambassadors will now be tasked with putting meat on the bone of the Commission’s initial proposal, a two-page “options paper” shared with EU capitals last week and first reported by Euronews.

Kallas also said that an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers could be convened to ensure further progress. The next formal ministerial gathering is scheduled for October, weeks before Israel is due to hold legislative elections, with several diplomats expressing fear that the sensitive timing could further scupper any progress.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, whose backing is considered pivotal if any proposal is to reach the necessary support threshold, suggested that no measures should be taken in advance of the ballot ealier on Monday.

Crucially, on Monday a majority of member states also backed framing the measures as a trade rather than as a foreign policy tool, which would avoid the need for all EU governments to unanimously back the move.

Proponents of the trade ban – including Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden – had pushed back against the European Commission for arguing that any measures taken should be framed as a foreign policy tool, requiring the unanimous backing of all member states.

These countries say such trading restrictions should instead inevitably be considered trade policy, therefore requiring the backing of 15 member states representing 65% of the EU population, known as qualified majority – a benchmark that many feel could be achieved.

“These are trade measures, so that means that, as far as we are concerned, that should be possible with a qualified majority,” Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said earlier on Monday.

Ministers earlier on Monday also expressed frustration at the EU executive led by Ursula von der Leyen for the lack of detail in the proposal, and the delay in its presentation.

“It gives me the sense that it’s more a bone to chew on, than a desire to really move forward,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot told reporters earlier on Monday.

“I am concerned that we are engaging in delay tactics, debating endlessly without taking action, when such debate is not actually necessary. A decision not to trade would simply be an application of international law,” Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said.

The EU already pursues a policy of "differentiation" when it comes to settlement-manufactured goods, meaning they are exempt from preferential tariffs given to products made within Israel and fall outside the scope of the EU-Israel trade and cooperation agreement, known as the Association Agreement.

But political calls to fully ban such trade have been gaining momentum given the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank.

A 2024 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on the illegality of the Israeli settlements, which obliges states to abstain from economic dealings that could entrench the unlawful situation, has also added legal weight to those calls.

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has been accused by critics of obstructing a decision on banning settlement trade, by suggesting that the ban needs the unanimous backing of member states.

Kallas, however, cited an oral opinion by the Council of the EU's legal services, which found that member states could restrict or ban the trade of settlement goods with qualified majority support.

Asked about the clash of opinions, Kallas said: "We need to have a unified position, and so far we have not been able to have that unified position."

There is a legal opinion that we can do this also with the qualified majority," she added "And, you know, if there is a will, then we can move forward."

Exclusive: Brussels puts trade ban with Israeli settlements on the table

Copyright Ohad Zwigenberg/Copyright 2026 The AP. All rights reserved.

By Mared Gwyn Jones & Maïa de la Baume & Luca Bertuzzi

Published on 09/07/2026 - EURONEWS

The EU executive has laid out several options to further restrict EU imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, after a majority of EU foreign ministers called for clarifying what restrictive trade measures could be taken during a meeting in June.

Brussels has proposed fully or partially banning imports of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements, alongside additional options to further restrict EU trade with settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to diplomatic sources.

The proposals come after a majority of member states urged the EU executive to propose tighter trading restrictions in response to the continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

An "options paper" circulated by the European Commission to EU member states on Wednesday, and seen by Euronews, outlines three measures to further tighten restrictions on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements, which are already excluded from preferential EU tariff treatment.

They include a full or partial ban on the import of settlement-made products but also stricter export licenses, as well as prohibitive tariffs. EU ambassadors are expected to provide their initial feedback in a closed-door meeting in Brussels on Friday before EU foreign ministers gather for further discussions on Monday.

However, the paper only outlines options, not actual proposals, and no formal decision is expected on this matter next week. The next formal Foreign Affairs Council is only expected in October, which for some member states will further delay the measures.

"The Commission is quite clearly buying time, but there is also no consensus within the Council," an EU diplomat told Euronews under the condition of anonymity, adding that, while they did not see the initiative as ideal, maybe it set the ball in motion.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights are considered illegal under international law.

The first option would require companies importing goods from Israeli settlements to apply for an export license, which was among the solutions pitched by the French and Swedish governments in a joint letter to the European Commission in April.

Yet the Commission’s options paper warns that such a system remains vulnerable to circumvention.

Recent investigations have found that exporters in Israeli settlements continue to sell their goods in European markets free of tariffs despite existing restrictions, using methods such as mislabeling and mixing of settlement goods with products made inside Israel.

Secondly, the Commission has proposed introducing higher tariffs to make the import of goods from settlements prohibitively expensive, but acknowledges that this option is also vulnerable to circumvention methods.

The third option is a full or partial ban on imports from illegal settlements, which would require customs officers in national authorities to identify goods from Israeli settlements at the EU borders.

The paper leaves open the issue of the legal basis, whether it should be commercial policy, on which a qualified majority suffices, or the common foreign and security policy, which requires unanimity.

The Council legal services, the influential legal advisory branch of the institution, told EU countries in an oral opinion that using the commercial policy legal basis should be possible, depending on the details of the proposal.

By contrast, the Commission reiterated in its paper that it considers the foreign policy legal basis is required, which would make any proposals extremely difficult to pass.

Euronews understands that at least 20 member states called on the Commission to outline the options available to further restrict settlement trade when foreign ministers gathered for talks in Luxembourg in June.

Political momentum behind the move has increased since France and Sweden urged the Commission to put forward a proposal in April, citing the 2024 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on the illegality of the Israeli settlements.

Several UN resolutions spanning from the late 1970s to today also state that settlement activity in the Palestinian territories is illegal.

By contrast, the Israeli government rejects the designation of those settlements as illegal, classifying them as "temporary sites."

Speaking to Euronews in May, France’s deputy minister for foreign trade, Nicolas Forissier, said that calling for tighter restrictions was “"not an aggressive position”. “In terms of [international] law and human rights, it's normal that we say that,” he added.

Israel has recently introduced measures aimed at strengthening its control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem in areas including property law, planning and licensing. Those moves appear to contravene key agreements that were signed under the Oslo peace agreement in 1993.

 

UK foreign policy to remain unchanged despite government transition, deputy PM Lammy says

By Maria Tadeo & Mared Gwyn Jones

Published on 26/06/2026 - EURONEWS

The UK's deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has told Europe Today that his country's foreign policy — including its support for Ukraine and efforts to restore EU ties — will remain unchanged when a new Prime Minister takes the reins after Keir Starmer's exit.

The United Kingdom will ensure a continuation in its foreign policy when a new Labour leader and Prime Minister is nominated, deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has told Europe Today, after outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured an "orderly transition" to a new Labour government.

"There's absolutely no question of a change in our foreign policy," Lammy said in an interview at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, where the UK pledged an additional £290 million (€340 million) to support Ukraine's recovery and energy security.

"We have remained committed to Ukraine through successive governments, and that will continue," he added. "And we have been absolutely clear, reconnecting with the global community, a European reset, all of that continues."

Keir Starmer set out a timetable for his resignation on Monday amid mounting calls for a change in leadership from within the Labour party as it loses support at the expense of Nigel Farage's far-right Reform UK party, which is topping opinion polls.

Former Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, is currently tipped to run uncontested for the role and could be in post as early as 17 July. Starmer is understood to be allowing Burnham to receive government briefings in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Lammy, who served as the UK's foreign minister until last September, was a Starmer loyalist but has said that Burnham would have his "full support".

A Burnham government is widely expected to maintain Starmer's key foreign policy principles, including on deepening trading and economic ties with the European Union in a bid to tear down the barriers to cooperation created by the Brexit referendum.

The EU-UK summit due to take place on 22 July — and where both sides where expected to seal deals on agri-food imports, emissions trading and youth mobility — has now been postponed in response to the political transition in London.

Time to 'keep Ukraine in the fight'

Lammy told Europe Today that he expected "momentum" on Ukraine to be carried into the NATO summit taking place in Ankara on 7-8 July, following a rare moment of transatlantic unity on Ukraine during last week's G7 summit in France.

A joint statement on Ukraine endorsed by all G7 leaders, including US President Donald Trump, has revived European hopes that Washington could firm up his support for Kyiv and ramp up pressure on Moscow.

"I think we'll see in NATO in the coming weeks that the United States is seeing Europeans step up in terms of our commitments to defence and to spend across Europe," Lammy said.

Yet Trump's frustration with European allies over their reluctance to come to his aid in Iran, with many countries denying US use of their military bases, has fuelled fears that the US could retreat from Ukraine in retaliation.

Yet Lammy called for "recognition" European bases were used, including in the UK, to "support efforts in the Strait of Hormuz". He also cited the work of Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in assembling the Coalition of the Willing, a group of allies that have been preparing to de-mine and ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once a permanent peace pact is in place.

"For all of those reasons I expect to see a successful NATO conference," he said.

He also vowed to continue to sanction the Russian economy by "bearing down on (...) dirty Russian money that's financing this war", saying that this is the "moment to keep Ukraine in the fight".

Watch the full interview in the video 

EU countries agree to unblock accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova

Copyright European Union

By Jorge Liboreiro

Published on 12/06/2026  EURONEWS

Friday's agreement allows Ukraine and Moldova to formally open the first cluster of accession negotiations, known as "Fundamentals".

The 27 countries of the European Union have reached an agreement to open the first cluster of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, building on the momentum created after Hungary lifted its two-year veto last week.

The breakthrough was achieved on Friday evening by ambassadors in Brussels, who endorsed a common position to go ahead with the next phase of negotiations.

The position comes with a rule-of-law roadmap and an action plan on minority rights, the main bone of contention between Budapest and Kyiv. The action plan was amended to reflect the outcome of the consultations between the two sides.

The formal step will take place on Monday 15 June in Luxembourg, where the EU will hold separate intergovernmental conferences with the two candidates.

"This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa said in a joint statement.

"Enlargement is a strategic choice. By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across our continent."

Responding to the statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the decision provided "significant political and moral support" for his people.

"Ukraine is defending itself and, in doing so, all of Europe – the idea that European nations can live united, free, and in peace," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

"As we have said, Ukraine is doing what is necessary, and it is important that the EU is also keeping its word."

In total, the road to accession consists of six thematic clusters and 33 chapters.

The first cluster, known as "Fundamentals" because it covers the rule of law, human rights and the judiciary, marks the start of the complex process.

Ukraine is keen to open all the clusters this summer to show its war-weary population that the prospect of EU membership is within reach.

The ambitious goal is shared by the European Commission and several member states. Cyprus, the country holding the rotating presidency, aims for an additional cluster before the end of the month.

"The quicker we open the other clusters, the better it is," a senior EU diplomat said.

"Despite the difficult circumstances that Ukraine finds itself in, it's important that the progress on reforms is maintained, because in the end, that's the best guarantee for a smooth and quick accession process."

However, the unlocking of the first cluster does not mean Ukraine's accession will be fast-tracked to compensate for the two years under Hungary's veto.

Member states want to preserve the integrity and credibility of the negotiations, which are supposed to be "merit-based", and avoid experimental ideas like the "associate membership" recently proposed by the German Chancellor.

Friday's decision also raises the question of how long Ukraine and Moldova will remain coupled as candidates.

Any change to EU protection scheme for Ukrainians should be 'gradual', UNHCR deputy chief says

By Mared Gwyn Jones

Published on 12/06/2026 - EURONEWS

Kelly Clements tells Euronews that any planned changes to EU protections for Ukrainian refugees should be carried out "very gradually", as some EU capitals push for excluding military-age men from the scheme.

Any tweaks to the EU's current protection scheme for those fleeing war in Ukraine should be implemented "very gradually", the UN's Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly Clements has told Euronews, as EU capitals reportedly mull removing protections for Ukrainian men of conscription age.

"The war has not abated. It has become more intense, with more civilians caught in the middle," Clements explained. "The circumstances that created the conditions for the European Union to issue temporary protection have largely not ended."

It comes as a handful of EU countries, including Poland and Germany, are pushing to exclude men of military age from the temporary protection scheme triggered by Brussels in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The scheme, which allows Ukrainians to secure refugee-like protection without applying for asylum, currently provides refuge for 4.37 million Ukrainians across the EU.

EU home affairs ministers last week held an initial discussion around narrowing the scheme, with a proposal to exclude Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 who are eligible for military service gaining most traction.

Nonetheless, most Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 are currently barred from leaving the country, with certain exemptions for certain groups such as people with disabilities, those deemed unfit for military service, fathers of three or more children under 18, and individuals providing full-time care for sick relatives.

Ukraine’s formal conscription age begins at 25.

Adult men account for 26.6% of Ukrainian refugees in Europe, although there are no figures showing how many are of military age or how many arrived irregularly.

"I realise it's an active debate," Clements said, "but hopefully, until the war ends, there would be an opportunity to keep those temporary protections in place so that people can support themselves and so that the responsibility doesn't fall unduly on other nations."

"Until then, if there's any sign of (the protection scheme) lifting, it should be done very gradually with other options for those that need to take care of themselves when it's not possible to go back safely or voluntarily."

Last November, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that he needed to curb the number of young Ukrainian men fleeing to Germany, saying that they were "needed there".

The German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has since said that Berlin has noticed an uptick in Ukrainians of "compulsory military age" in Germany in recent months.

Clements told Euronews that the priority should be to "find peace" so that "people don't have to flee".

 

Albania protests against Kushner-linked resort enter 10th day

/ Lëvizja BASHKË via Facebook

Feedly

By bne IntelliNews June 9, 2026

Demonstrators marched through the streets of Tirana on June 9 after gathering outside the prime minister's office, extending protests against a planned luxury tourism development linked to Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, into a 10th consecutive day.

What began as a local campaign against a proposed tourism project in the coastal area of Zvërnec has evolved into a broader protest movement targeting Prime Minister Edi Rama's government. 

Protesters chanted slogans including "Rama in prison, [opposition leader Sali] Berisha in prison" and called for the government's resignation.

The protesters have presented five demands: the resignation of the government, the repeal of legislation governing strategic investors, the cancellation of the so-called Mountain Package, the reversal of amendments to the Law on Protected Areas and the repeal of changes to the Law on Cultural Heritage.

Speaking from a stage outside the government headquarters before the march began, activist Alben Kola urged supporters to continue their campaign.

"It is important to be patient, even though this battle will last several days," Kola said, as reported by Top-Channel TV, adding that Albanian diaspora communities were organising support for the demonstrations.

The protests have been fuelled by opposition to plans backed by a company associated with Kushner to develop tourism projects in the Narta Lagoon area near Zvërnec and on Sazan Island, a former military base off Albania's southern coast.

The Albanian government has granted the investment strategic investor status, arguing that it could attract international capital and boost the country's tourism sector.

Environmental groups and local activists, however, say the developments threaten protected habitats in one of Albania's most important coastal ecosystems. The Narta Lagoon area is a key stopover point for migratory birds and is known for its flamingo populations.

The controversy intensified after video footage circulated online showing a security guard allegedly assaulting a protester near the development site.

Rama acknowledged that the incident had helped broaden public opposition to the project. "This protest was provoked by an ugly act of violence by a security guard against a protester," he told foreign journalists on June 9, according to a transcript posted on his website. 

While acknowledging public concern, Rama argued that criticism of the project had become detached from the facts.

"Something changed because suddenly there is no project," he said. "The protest turned into a mass protest with the refrain 'cancel the project, cancel the project'. I said we are canceling it at this moment, but show me the project. There is no project."

The prime minister has repeatedly defended the development plans, describing them as an opportunity to raise Albania's international profile and attract major investors.

When asked whether the government might reconsider its support for the investment, Rama replied: "Step back from what?"

Rama said Albania's environmental record should be taken into account, pointing to hunting and logging restrictions introduced during his years in office.

"We have fantastic documentation of how the wildlife in Albania came back thanks to the 10 years moratorium of hunting," he said.

The dispute has also attracted the attention of Albania's anti-corruption authorities, which have launched an investigation into aspects of the project, including questions surrounding land ownership and privatisation procedures.

‘Act without delay’: Brussels warns Albania over Trump-linked resort project

By Mared Gwyn Jones
Published on 09/06/2026 - EURONEWS

A spokesperson for the European Commission has said that Tirana must “refrain from actions that could undermine” its bid to join the European Union, amid concerns that a sprawling coastal development linked to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is in breach of EU environmental standards.

The European Commission has issued a veiled warning to the Albanian government over a €1.4 billion real-estate project linked to US President Donald Trump’s family, as protests over the plans for an ecologically protected area on the Adriatic coast enter their second week.

Responding to a question by Euronews on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the EU executive urged Albanian authorities to “act without delay” in order to avoid jeopardising the country’s bid to join the EU, which will require it to align with the bloc’s environmental rules.

“Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfilment of the closing benchmark, in this case Chapter 27, and so we expect the Albanian authorities to act without any delay,” spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said, referring to the chapter of EU accession talks which requires a candidate country to align with environmental rules.

He added that the Commission has “expressed concerns to (Albania’s) Minister of the Environment about the potential shortcomings of the project,” and that the minister had assured Brussels that construction work has been “suspended”.

Yet Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the project, telling Euronews on Friday that resistance to the plans formed part of a “hybrid war” wielded by actors that are “using the sentiments of some well-meaning people about the environment.”

Demonstrators have gathered in Albania’s capital of Tirana and the protected Vjosa-Narta lagoon on the country's Adriatic coast for the past nine days, demanding the cancellation of a luxury real-estate project planned for an ecologically protected coastal area.

The pink flamingo, one of the species threatened by the plans, has emerged as a symbol of the resistance, with protesters seen wielding inflatable versions of the animal, many of them calling for Prime Minister Rama’s resignation.

The plans would involve two protected areas: the Narta Lagoon area, a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan. Affinity Partners, the investment firm behind the project which has been granted special access by the Albanian authorities, is linked to Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

His wife, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, described to an US podcast show last week how she and her husband had discovered Sazan island.

“We were on a friend’s boat, and we stopped for a swim. Effectively, that’s how we found it,” Ivanka Trump said. “We swam to the island. We went on a hike, barefoot all the way up to the top, and we were just captivated.”

‘Concerns are not new’

A 2015 Albanian law on strategic investments, which Brussels has long called for to be scrapped, is believed to have made it possible for the investment firm linked to Kushner to acquire special authority.

In its annual temperature check of candidate countries’ progress towards becoming EU members last year, Brussels raised concerns about an amendment made to the law in February 2025 which included special exemptions for any investment worth €50 million or more.

“While these measures are designed to boost economic activity, they have also raised concerns about transparency and equitable access, favouritism and lack of competitive processes,” the Commission’s report said.

In the same report, Brussels cautioned Albania against amendments to a law on protected areas which had led to the “unravelling of their protection”, raising concerns over environmental crimes.

Crucially, Albania is considered a frontrunner behind Montenegro in its bid to join the EU. Accession negotiations, which are split into 33 chapters under four thematic clusters, are currently ongoing, including on the chapter related to environmental standards.

Closing the chapter will be critical if the country is to sustain its momentum in its accession bid.

The project is currently being probed by Albania's independent anti-corruption and anti-mafia prosecution body, SPAK. The agency is believed to be investigating changes made to a 2024 Albanian law which removed long-standing protections from the country’s most sensitive ecosystems.

  

Amid widespread protests, Albanian island project also sparks flood of fake claims

By Estelle Nilsson-Julien & Noa Schumann

Published on 09/06/2026 EURONEWS

The heated controversy surrounding the multi-billion-euro property development project across various Albanian beauty spots has triggered a stream of misleading online claims.

A raft of false claims has emerged around the controversial Albanian property development project linked to Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, concerning the uninhabited island of Sazan, as well as an area of the Vjosa-Narta coastal landscape.

Supporters say the project could boost tourism and investment. Critics argue it risks damaging one of the country's most important natural habitats, as well as selling the country out to foreign investors.

Among the false allegations, one video circulated across social media claimed to depict the home of Albania's prime minister, Edi Rama, burning during the protests in the country.

In reality, the footage can be traced back to February 2026 and displays protesters linked to the Democratic Party burning the former villa of Enver Hoxha, the communist leader who ruled Albania for more than 40 years.

One of the most widely circulated claims alleges that the Albanian real estate project is backed by or tied to the state of Israel.

However, there is no available information to support these theories, which have been fuelled by misleading connections with Kushner's Jewish background, his past role in peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and investments by his hedge fund Affinity Partners in Israel.

Social media users have falsely alleged that the state of Israel is behind the real estate project X

One widely circulated social media image depicting a barbed-wire fence, with two flags — one Israeli and one Albanian — has been presented as a new border on the Zvërnec Island. This is false; in reality, the image was digitally manipulated to include the signs with the flags denoting the supposed border.

Other videos claim to show "Israeli settlers" taking over land in Albania, who are chased out by locals. The viral social media clip actually shows protestors in northern Albania, protesting against a separate luxury resort in Baks-Rjoll in Velipojë, and dates back to February 2026.

Prime Minister Rama also denied false allegations that the development project is part of a plan to relocate Palestinians — a claim which has repeatedly surfaced over the years.

He told Euronews, "There is a narrative in the whole thing that this is about a hidden deal between [Israeli Prime Minister] Bibi Netanyahu and I, through Jared Kushner, to bring the Palestinians in that part of Albania, which is a total fantasy."

Amid the misinformation, the resort project backed by Kushner's Affinity Partners firm has sparked a real anti-corruption probe.

Albania's anti-corruption prosecutor has opened an investigation into controversial legislation voted in 2024, loosening protections around the country’s most sensitive ecosystems.

Specifically, the investigation centres on the rapid regulatory approvals, potential fraudulent property titles, and questionable land transfers tied to the project, which is slated for the ecologically sensitive Vjosa-Narta wetland area — an important habitat for nesting sea turtles and migratory birds

Albania's PM posts AI video of himself in miniskirt in swipe at online influencers

Copyright Instagram/ediramaal

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 09/06/2026 - EURONEWS

In a speech, Rama argued that many influencers make money by promoting themselves on social media while paying no taxes to the state.

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama reposted an AI video of himself wearing a leather mini skirt and bra on his Instagram profile in an apparent swipe against influencers.

“Whoever made this, well done,” he wrote in the post accompanying the video.

The video refers to remarks Rama made during a public event on 7 June, where he mocked bloggers and influencers who supported ongoing protests against a controversial luxury development linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kusher, part of which is due to be built in a conservation area.

In that speech, Rama argued that many influencers make money by promoting themselves on social media while paying no taxes to the state.

Rama said that “bloggers should challenge each other, one dressed as a flamingo and another dressed as me and see who wins.”

Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of pink flamingos, one of the protected migratory bird species, at rallies in the capital Tirana.

Earlier, Rama claimed that influencers joined the protests mainly for attention and lacked a real understanding of the situation.

The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.

But the venture, spanning a protected island and a nearby stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of long-time Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The luxury project has two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base.

Protesters with a poster depicting Prime Minister Edi Rama take part in a rally in Tirana, 6 June, 2026 AP Photo

The planned development of hotels, apartments, villas and a marina is linked to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.

An investment firm linked to Kushner has been granted special investor status by Albanian authorities.

Albania has 450 kilometres of coast that remained largely underdeveloped during decades of communist rule.

Protest groups fear the sections of that pristine coastline could be snapped up by powerful investors. And public anger grew after video showed an activist being dragged by a private security guard while demonstrating at the site.

The development is planned within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most valuable biodiversity areas, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast.

Protesters take part in a rally in Tirana, 6 June, 2026 AP Photo

Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the area, opening access routes, digging into the sand, clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing.

Environmental groups from Albania and elsewhere in Europe condemned the work, with one prominent local group charging that long-protected habitats are being "irreversibly destroyed.”

Europe should prepare to talk to Russia but 'priority' is supporting Ukraine, French minister says

 By Mared Gwyn Jones

Published on 27/05/2026 - EURONEWS

France's EU Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad tells Euronews that Europe should not let others negotiate its security architecture on its behalf, but warns that Moscow is "not interested in a ceasefire or peace".

Europeans should be "ready to have their own diplomatic track" to Moscow, but the "priority" should be supporting Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia, France's EU Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad has told Euronews as the European Union mulls naming an envoy to talk to the Kremlin.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Haddad said Russia is "not engaging seriously in diplomacy" and "not interested in a ceasefire or peace", adding that Moscow is also "losing ground" both on the battlefield and diplomatically.

"It (Russia) was hoping for a long time to divide Europeans, that we would weaken our resolve. We've seen exactly the opposite," Haddad said.

"What we've seen is Europeans stepping up and providing the bulk of the support to Ukraine. And we see Russia losing ground everywhere diplomatically," he added, citing Armenia as one of the countries traditionally in Moscow's orbit which has shifted towards Europe in the wake of the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday, EU foreign ministers are expected to raise the question of whether the bloc should break the diplomatic isolation imposed on Russia in early 2022 and engage in direct peace talks.

The French President Emmanuel Macron, along with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, had initially endorsed direct European involvement in the talks, saying dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be "useful".

Europeans had been excluded from US-brokered talks, which have stalled in recent months, raising concerns that Europe's future security was being negotiated by the US on its behalf.

Macron also sent his diplomatic advisor, Emmanuel Bonne, to the Kremlin in February for negotiations, only to be rebuffed by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Yet Haddad's comments suggest a more cautious approach from Paris, which aligns more closely with that of eastern nations more sceptical of sitting around the table with Putin.

On Tuesday, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna pointedly warnedthat direct talks would turn the EU into a “neutral mediator” expected to provide sanctions relief to Moscow. Meanwhile, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said that Russia would try to turn any outreach into a “PR game” and the EU would “end up more or less with nothing”.

Haddad also voiced support for Ukraine's EU membership bid, which President Zelenskyy has framed as a key component of the country's future security guarantees.

A proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to provide Kyiv with "associate" status - such as a seat at the table during Council discussions without full voting rights - has been met with scepticism, as officials in Brussels continue to try to square the circle of offering swift integration without reneging on the strict accession criteria that has long been championed by France.

"I understand the need to send a message, to send a signal to the Ukrainian population that we want Ukraine down the road to be a member, a full member of the European Union," Haddad said.

"So we're ready to work also on how to (...) perfect that gradual integration. And I think opening the debate, and opening the conversation on this is positive."