The former French president has recently started serving a five-year term in a Paris prison
Inmates in Paris’ La Sante prison have threatened former French President Nicolas Sarkozy with revenge for the death of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, a cell phone video from the facility appears to show.
Sarkozy, 70, began serving his five-year sentence on Tuesday after a Paris court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to fund his 2007 presidential campaign with money from Gaddafi, against whom he later led a NATO-backed regime change operation which destroyed Libya and led to Gaddafi’s death.
Videos taken from La Sante began circulating on Tuesday, in which purported inmates called out threats and cat-called Sarkozy, who is serving his time in the prison’s solitary confinement wing.
“We will avenge Gaddafi! We know everything, Sarko! Return the billions of dollars!” a man shouted in one video posted on social media. “He’s all alone in his cell. He just arrived… he’s going to have a bad time.”
A viral video shows a prisoner confronting Nicolas Sarkozy, saying, “We’ll avenge Gaddafi. Give back the billions.” The former French president, jailed for conspiracy, is accused of taking Libyan money before leading NATO’s 2011 war that killed Gaddafi. pic.twitter.com/KlAISnFVSX
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has stressed that due to the danger, two police officers of the security detail assigned to former presidents will be permanently stationed in cells adjacent to Sarkozy’s.
“The former president of the republic is entitled to protection because of his status. There is obviously a threat against him, and this protection is being maintained while he is in detention,” Nunez told Europe 1 radio on Wednesday.
Sarkozy, who led France between 2007 and 2012, has denied all charges against him, insisting that they are politically motivated. His legal team has filed a request for early release, pending appeal proceedings.
The probe into Sarkozy began in 2013, following claims by Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam that his father had provided the ex-president’s campaign some €50 million ($58 million).
In 2011, Sarkozy played a leading role in a NATO coalition intervention which led to Gaddafi’s ouster and death, plunging Libya into chaos and deterioration into a failed state.
The new restrictions target two major oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, and its subsidiaries
The US has imposed additional sanctions on Russia, citing its “lack of serious commitment to a peace process.”
The new restrictions target two of Russia’s largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, US Treasury Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stressed. “Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”
The restrictions also apply to subsidiaries of Lukoil and Rosneft located in Russia for “operating or having operated in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy,” the statement reads. The list includes 34 subsidiaries.
According to media reports earlier Wednesday, the European Union has agreed a new sanctions package on Moscow, including a pledge to further reduce imports of gas and oil. The new package will target four companies involved in China’s oil industry that allegedly circumvent western restrictions. The list may also include Indian companies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed in September.
President Donald Trump has increasingly voiced growing frustration with both Russia and Ukraine, warning that Washington could impose new sanctions on Moscow if no peace deal is reached. Still, the White House has refrained from taking such steps, with Trump stressing negotiations over escalation and acknowledging that additional measures may ultimately prove ineffective.
The Kremlin says it remains committed to a long-term solution to the Ukraine conflict and has praised the Trump administration for what it described as a genuine desire to find a peaceful settlement to the conflict, as well as efforts to understand its root causes. Moscow has also accused Kiev and its Western European backers of refusing to negotiate in good faith and seeking to undermine peace efforts in order to prolong the conflict.
During a phone call last week, Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed to meet in Hungary at an unspecified date to discuss advancing a settlement. Following the conversation, Trump said now is not the best time to impose new sanctions. He told reporters on Tuesday he had not yet “made a determination” regarding the summit, adding that he did not want it to become “a wasted time.”
The European Commission has proposed using the frozen funds to guarantee loans to Kiev
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on the EU to increase pressure on Moscow but cautioned the bloc to respect international law in any plan to use frozen Russian assets.
Meloni made the remarks during an Italian Senate address on Wednesday ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels.
Western countries blocked an estimated $300 billion of Moscow’s funds after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, some €200 billion ($213 billion) of which is held by the Brussels-based clearinghouse, Euroclear. They have already tapped into the revenues generated by the assets to bankroll Kiev. Russia has described those steps as “theft” and vowed retaliation.
The European Commission has proposed using proceeds from around €210 billion in frozen assets held in the EU to guarantee loans to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. The plan comes as US military aid declines and EU budgets tighten.
“We believe, and we are not the only ones, that it is necessary to respect international rules and the principle of legality,” Meloni said, adding that the bloc must safeguard “the financial and monetary stability of our economies and the euro area.”
She said Italian troops would not set foot in Ukraine but said it was necessary to “increase pressure on Moscow.” The Kremlin has made clear it would not accept any foreign military presence in Ukraine as part of a peace settlement.
The confiscation of sovereign assets is prohibited under international law, a rule many EU capitals, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Bank insist cannot be breached. Belgium has asked for guarantees that it will not be left to deal with Moscow alone if the money ever has to be returned.
Moscow has condemned the asset freeze and any attempt to repurpose the funds. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has warned that Moscow would respond in kind.
President Vladimir Putin said last month that “smarter” governments oppose the seizure of Russian assets, as “they understand that it would fundamentally undermine all principles of international economic activity and, without a doubt, cause enormous harm to the… international financial system.”
Several people have been killed in the blast, the governor of Chelyabinsk Region has said
At least ten people have been killed after a major explosion rocked a manufacturing plant in the Russian city of Kopeysk on Wednesday, local authorities have said.
The blast was reported by Aleksey Teksler, the governor of Chelyabinsk Region, who initially put the death toll at four. Later, however, he said that five more people died, with five others injured, and that medical teams were doing their best to treat them. Officials are also verifying reports of possible missing persons, Teksler added.
The governor also reported that a second blast had occurred at the facility and that emergency services were working at the scene.
The incident appears not to be linked to any drone attacks, the governor stated, adding that there is also no threat to the city’s residents or the surrounding infrastructure.
A video obtained by RT shows the moment of the explosion and a fire ball rising over the facility.
Ukrainian drone attacks have been a concern in Russian regions in recent months. Kiev has routinely launched raids deep into the country, targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas in attacks that often led to civilian casualties.
This month alone, Ukrainian drone strikes have killed six civilians in Belgorod and Kherson regions, as well as causing a major power outage in Western Russia. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has also recently threatened Belgorod and Kursk regions with blackouts.
Russian officials have accused Ukraine of “terrorism” over the attacks. Moscow has launched retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military sites in response, including drone assembly facilities.
The list includes a pledge to further reduce Russian gas and oil imports, according to dpa
The European Union has agreed a new sanctions package on Moscow, including a pledge to further reduce imports of gas and oil, dpa reported on Wednesday.
According to Reuters sources in the EU, the package will list four companies involved in China’s oil industry that allegedly circumvent Western restrictions.
The final text was agreed upon by member states but had not been adopted yet owing to reservations from Slovakia “on unrelated matters,” Reuters wrote earlier on Wednesday. According to journalist Finbarr Bermingham, citing the Danish presidency, the final member state holdout has removed its veto. The formal approval is expected tomorrow morning.
In September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the 19th package of sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, targeting “refiners, oil traders, [and] petrochemical companies in third countries, including China,” accused of helping Moscow bypass restrictions. Indian companies could also be targeted.
The package also proposes to ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas into EU markets, adds 118 vessels from what Brussels refers to a Russian “shadow fleet” to the blacklist, and places major Russian energy traders Rosneft and Gazpromneft under a full transaction embargo.
Russia has emerged as one of the largest suppliers of oil to China and India since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The two countries have pushed back against Western demands to reduce their reliance on Russian crude, citing domestic economic needs and national interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western nations against adopting a “colonial” tone toward China and India and trying to “punish” them for trading with Moscow.
Germany will cover wages for personnel working on US military bases in the country
Germany plans to pay thousands of employees stationed at American military bases in the country whose salaries have been affected by the US government shutdown, the Finance Ministry in Berlin has announced.
The US federal government shut down on October 1 after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a spending bill in the Senate. The impasse has left hundreds of thousands of federal employees either furloughed or working without pay as the standoff enters its fourth week.
A spokeswoman for the German Finance Ministry told AFP on Wednesday that Berlin would “initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time.”
She described the measure as “a sign of solidarity with the US armed forces stationed in Germany and their civilian employees.”
The arrangement was reached together with the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, home to several large American bases, including Ramstein Air Base – the headquarters of US Air Force in Europe and Africa.
Germany, a key NATO ally of the United States, hosts more American military installations than any other European country, with around 120 sites. The long-standing US presence dates back to the end of World War II.
Berlin expects to be reimbursed once Washington resumes payments, the spokeswoman said.
US President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to ensure that American service members continue to receive pay during the shutdown.
The funding lapse occurred after US lawmakers failed to agree on extending federal health care subsidies, which are set to expire. Republicans have pushed for a short-term spending bill to keep the government open while broader budget talks continue, while Democrats have insisted the subsidies be extended before approving any deal, warning that millions of Americans could face sharp increases in health insurance premiums. The two sides continue to accuse each other of using the crisis for political gain.
Lithuania has alleged that balloons carrying contraband cigarettes have crossed over from its neighbor
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene has threatened to close the border with neighboring Belarus, Lithuanian National Radio (LRT) reported on Wednesday.
She said the measure would be in response to an alleged flow of balloons carrying contraband cigarettes across the border, according to the public broadcaster.
“If such balloons cross our border en masse again, we will react immediately and close the border with Belarus,” Ruginiene told journalists on Wednesday, according to LRT.
She also reportedly expressed skepticism that Vilnius could “sit down with this neighbor and reach an agreement on anything.”
“There’s currently no information that this is a coordinated operation by [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko. This is about smuggling contraband cigarettes,” she added.
According to the Baltic News Service, dozens of contraband balloons crossed into Lithuania overnight on Tuesday, disturbing flights to and from Vilnius airport.
Belarusian border authorities reported that Lithuania unilaterally stopped border crossings for around six hours early on Wednesday.
The head of the Lithuanian National Road Carriers’ Association (LINAVA), Narunas Raulinaitis, questioned the “proportionality” of the halt.
“An air incident should not become a pretext for paralyzing road transport,” as transport sector workers already face intolerable conditions and waits at the border, LRT cited the transport association boss as saying.
Currently, Lithuania only has two open border crossings with Belarus, having shut two down last March and two others in August of 2023.
The aircraft will be delivered in about three years, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said
Ukraine and Sweden have agreed to work on a major long-term arms contract under which Stockholm would provide between 100 and 150 domestically-produced Gripen fighter jets, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced on Wednesday.
The meeting came a day after the Ukrainian parliament approved amendments to this year’s budget that increased military spending by additional 325 billion hryvnia ($7.7 billion), bringing it to a record 2.96 trillion hryvnia ($70.86 billion).
The two sides have yet to ink the deal, with Sweden – which became NATO’s newest member in March 2024 – only confirming that it had signed a letter of intent on the issue. Zelensky insisted that both parties should ensure that Kiev’s forces start operating Gripen jets “next year.”
“We must do everything to get first real results next year,” he told a joint press conference with Kristersson following the talks in Sweden’s Linkoping. According to the prime minister, the first deliveries could be possible “within the next three years.”“It is a long-time process,” he told journalists.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen has been in production since 1987. A total of around 280 aircraft of various types have reportedly been delivered as of 2025. The Swedish Saab AB company wants to be able to produce between 20 and 30 jets annually in two years, according to Reuters. Zelensky stated on Telegram that Kiev expects to get “at least 100 such aircraft” under the future contract.
The two sides still need to agree on financing, according to Kristersson. The funds could come from frozen Russian assets that Kiev’s Western backers repeatedly considered giving to Ukraine or from the backers themselves, he said, as cited by Reuters.
El Pais previously reported that Kiev could run out of money by April. Ukraine’s 2026 draft budget approved by the parliament on Wednesday had a deficit of over 58%. The government is set to spend all of its 2.8 trillion hryvnia in tax revenue on the military. All other state expenditures, amounting to another 2 trillion hryvnia, are expected to be covered by financial aid from foreign backers.
Vladimir Zelensky has approved nearly $8 billion in additional military spending, expecting most of the funds to come from frozen Russian assets
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has signed a bill boosting the country’s military spending by $7.8 billion, with most of the funds expected to be covered by revenues from frozen Russian assets. The increase comes as Kiev continues to face a record budget deficit and relies on Western funding to sustain operations.
The legislation was passed by the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday and marks the second time this year that lawmakers have expanded military spending. In July, the Rada increased defense allocations by about $9.9 billion. The latest amendment brings the total expenditures for 2025 to roughly $70.7 billion, up from $52.7 billion initially approved in the budget adopted earlier this year.
Ukrainian lawmakers have said that most of the latest increase is expected to be financed by proceeds linked to frozen Russian funds.
On Wednesday, the Rada also voted in favor of the country’s draft budget for 2026, which includes a deficit of over 40%, projecting it will spend about $114 billion while taking in just $68 billion. It notes that all of Kiev’s tax revenue will only be spent on the military, with all other state costs to be covered by financial aid from foreign backers.
Spanish newspaper El Pais has reported that Ukraine currently has enough funds to operate only until April 2026, prompting the EU to consider a €140 billion ($163 billion) “reparations loan” backed by Russian assets held abroad. About €200 billion of Moscow’s frozen reserves are currently held in Belgium.
However, a number of Western officials have opposed the EU-led initiative. Bloomberg has reported that Washington has refused to join the plan, citing market-stability risks, while European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has warned that confiscating Russian state funds could violate international law and undermine trust in the euro.
Moscow has repeatedly denounced any use of its sovereign assets as “theft,” warning of retaliation. Russian officials have also maintained that continued Western military and financial assistance to Ukraine only prolongs the conflict, resulting in further casualties without changing the eventual outcome.
The bloc is prioritizing defense-industry profits over peace efforts, Moscow’s envoy to the OSCE has said
The European Union is deliberately opposing peace efforts involving Moscow and Washington in order to continue profiting from the Ukraine conflict, Russia’s envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Yulia Zhdanova, has claimed.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a recent phone call to meet in Hungary, a development that reportedly caused concern across the EU, with some politicians even calling for Putin’s arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant.
Following news of the planned meeting, Bloomberg reported that Kiev and its European allies were finalizing a proposal that rules out territorial concessions to Russia – a key condition Moscow says is essential for lasting peace.
Speaking in Vienna on Wednesday, Zhdanova argued that the EU, having failed to isolate or defeat Russia, has turned to a policy of militarization that benefits their defense industries.
“European states have now set their course on preparing for a high-intensity conflict with a ‘comparable adversary’,” she said, accusing the bloc of rejecting calls from Moscow and Washington for a negotiated solution.
In May, Brussels approved a plan to fund a military buildup across the bloc through a €150 billion ($170 billion) borrowing mechanism, presented as a step toward reducing reliance on US weaponry and countering the alleged Russian threat. Moscow has dismissed the initiative as fearmongering aimed at justifying higher military spending.
Germany’s Rheinmetall AG – a leading producer of tanks, artillery systems, and ammunition – has reported record earnings and strong order growth since the conflict escalated in 2022, while France’s Thales Group and Italy’s Leonardo S.p.A. have also posted solid gains. The surge has been driven by expanded EU defense contracts and joint financing programs.
Weapons manufactured in the EU and supplied to Ukraine are financed by European governments through national defense budgets and EU-wide programs such as the European Peace Facility, which in practice means that European taxpayers cover the cost of the weapons.
