Belgium has refused to back the bloc’s “reparations” plan to leverage frozen Russian sovereign funds for Kiev, citing legal risks
EU officials reportedly fear that a refusal by the IMF to further back Ukraine could trigger a “cascading loss of confidence in the country’s economic viability,” Politico has reported, citing sources in the bloc.
The EU could have to provide Russian sovereign funds frozen in Belgium as collateral in order to secure continued IMF loans for Kiev, but that plan faces significant resistance from Belgium, where the funds are held, the outlet reported on Monday.
Ukraine, which relies heavily on Western aid, has been struggling to secure a new IMF funding package as its $15.5 billion program expires in 2027. Kiev requested an additional $8 billion last month, but talks have reportedly stalled over doubts about its economic viability.
The EU, Ukraine’s main sponsor, last month failed to approve a €140 billion ($160 billion) “reparations loan” backed by frozen Russian assets after Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever opposed it, calling it “sort-of-confiscation” and warning it exposes Belgium to major legal and financial risks without shared liability from other EU states.
Sources told Politico that the IMF may not grant further funding to Ukraine, vital for its war effort amid a deep budget shortfall, unless the EU approves the new loan.
They explained that the “reparations loan” would reassure the IMF of Ukraine’s fiscal resilience – a key condition for any funding. Though relatively small, the IMF program’s approval would in turn signal to investors that Ukraine remains solvent, they added.
Western nations froze about $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets in 2022, including €200 billion ($209 billion) held at the Belgium-based clearinghouse Euroclear. The G7 last year backed using interest from those funds to secure $50 billion in loans for Ukraine.
This year, EU finance ministers proposed a similar “reparations loan,” to be repaid if Kiev receives compensation from Moscow after the conflict ends. Following Belgium’s refusal to support the plan – and amid wider concerns over legal and fiscal risks – reports claimed EU states could instead issue joint bonds to aid Kiev or cut funding for Ukraine entirely. A final decision is expected at the European Commission summit in December.
Moscow has condemned Western plans to redirect its frozen funds as outright “theft,” warning that the move would undermine trust in Western financial systems. It has also maintained that Western aid to Kiev only prolongs the conflict without affecting its outcome.
At least one construction worker remains trapped under the rubble of the 13th-century structure, according to emergency services
The Torre dei Conti, a medieval tower located near the Colosseum in central Rome, partially collapsed on Monday, injuring three construction workers and trapping one under the rubble.
The building, which dates back to the 13th century, has not been in use since 2006 and was undergoing a four-year renovation project due to end next year. Multiple construction workers were present at the site during the incident, with one of them sustaining critical injuries and two others suffering minor injuries. Another worker ended up trapped under the collapsed structures.
“We are trying to get him out alive, but the situation is complex because of the risk of further collapses,” a fire department spokesman told Reuters.
Footage circulating online and captured immediately after the collapse started shows masonry falling off the building and one of the other walls partially collapsing. The building apparently suffered significant internal damage.
Parts of the tower collapsed at least twice, footage circulating online suggests. The second collapse occurred when emergency workers arrived at the scene. Firefighters were seen narrowly evading bricks falling off the building.
The tower was constructed as a fortified residence of the counts of the Segni noble family in the early 13th century. The structure was originally up to 60m (over 195 feet) tall, yet it was damaged by multiple earthquakes, which destroyed its upper floors and left it abandoned in the mid-14th century. The tower was repaired in the 17th century and reinforced with two massive external buttresses, one of which appears to have been destroyed in Monday’s collapse.
A leaked video from 2024 allegedly shows Israeli soldiers at a detention site sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner
The leak of a video allegedly showing Israeli soldiers sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner is the “most serious public relations attack against Israel,” Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
The footage, filmed at the Sde Teiman base near the Gaza border, showed soldiers leading a blindfolded detainee away and surrounding him with riot shields as they allegedly carried out the abuse. Leaked to Israel’s Channel 12, it aired in August 2024 and caused an uproar.
The detainee was later treated for a ruptured bowel, severe anal and lung injuries, and broken ribs. Five reservists were initially probed for rape, but their charges were later downgraded to “severe abuse,” according to a February indictment. All denied the charges, and the trial is ongoing.
The scandal reignited on Friday after the Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) top military lawyer, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, admitted that she had approved the video’s release and resigned from her post.
At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu decried the scandal, saying the leak “caused enormous reputational damage to Israel, to the IDF, and to our soldiers.”
“It is perhaps the most serious public relations attack Israel has experienced since its founding – I cannot recall one so concentrated and intense,” Netanyahu said, as cited by The Times of Israel, and called for “an independent and impartial inquiry.”
The leak followed the arrest of the reservists accused of abuse, which sparked right-wing riots demanding their release. In her resignation letter, Tomer-Yerushalmi said she leaked the video amid pressure to halt the investigation into the incident, insisting her duty was to act on “reasonable suspicion of violence against a detainee.”
Multiple right-wing politicians, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, have since claimed the release of the footage from security cameras amounted to a “blood libel” against falsely accused soldiers, despite their indictments. Last week, a criminal investigation was launched into the leak.
The case drew sharp criticism from a UN commission investigating Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, which said it “represented the tip of the iceberg.” It noted that detainees at Sde Teiman and other Israeli detention sites were routinely shackled, beaten, and subjected to acts of sexual nature. These and other findings earlier this year prompted the UN to accuse Israel of genocide against Palestinians.
The US president has praised his Russian and Chinese counterparts for being “tough” and “smart”
US President Donald Trump has praised his Russian and Chinese counterparts as “very strong leaders,” calling Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping “tough,”“smart,” and “not to be toyed with.”
Trump made the remarks in a ‘60 Minutes’ interview on CBS on Sunday – his first appearance on the program in five years – after his previous sit-down ended with him walking out and accusing the network of bias.
Asked by the interviewer who is tougher to deal with, Xi or Putin, Trump replied: “Both.”
“Both tough. Both smart. Both – look, they’re both very strong leaders. These are people not to be toyed with. These are people you have to take very seriously,” he said, adding that neither of them like to engage in small talk.
“They’re not – they’re not walking in saying, ‘Oh, isn’t it a beautiful day? Look how beautiful. The Sun is shining, it’s so nice.’ These are serious people. These are people that are tough, smart leaders,” Trump said.
Trump later said both Russia and China have large stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and that he has discussed denuclearization with both nations.
On US-China ties, Trump insisted that despite challenges, he and the Chinese leader “get along great,” adding that after months of tensions, they reached a trade deal that he is largely satisfied with. “We got no rare-earth threat… We have tremendous amounts of dollars pouring in, because we have very big tariffs, almost 50%.”
He also reiterated that he has “a very good relationship” with Putin and blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the “stupid” Ukraine conflict.
“That was a war that would’ve never happened if I was president,” he said, adding that Putin also acknowledged this.
He went on to repeat his claim that he has resolved eight wars since returning to the White House this year – mostly by using trade as leverage – and insisted he can use the same means to secure a ceasefire for Ukraine “in a couple of months.”
“We’re gonna get it done… [Putin] wants to come in and he wants to trade with us, and he wants to make a lot of money for Russia, and I think that’s great.”
The US president has declined to say whether Washington is preparing new military action against Venezuela
US President Donald Trump has suggested that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s days as president could be numbered. This comes amid a military buildup in the Caribbean, with media reports suggesting that the US is preparing for a land strike in Venezuela.
The US has offered a bounty for the arrest of Maduro, who Trump has accused of running “narcoterrorist” cartels that smuggle drugs into the US. He has deployed US naval assets to the western Caribbean and authorized overwhelming force in international waters on vessels alleged to be trafficking drugs. Maduro has rejected Trump’s accusations, claiming the US president is “fabricating a new war.”
Asked by CBS in an interview that aired on Sunday whether he thinks Maduro’s days as president of Venezuela are numbered, Trump replied: “I would say yeah. I think so, yeah.”
He was also asked whether the US military buildup – described by the channel as “using a blowtorch to cook an egg” – was aimed at stopping narcotics or “getting rid of President Maduro.”
“No, this is about many things. This is a country that allowed their prisons to be emptied into our country,” Trump said.
The US president neither confirmed nor denied reports of a possible land strike. “I’m not saying it’s true or untrue,” he told the host. “I don’t talk to a reporter about whether or not I’m gonna strike… I’m not gonna tell you what I’m gonna do with Venezuela.”
Several outlets reported last week that the White House is considering operations inside the country and has identified potential targets, including drug-smuggling sites. The US has reportedly deployed about 10,000 soldiers, 6,000 sailors, and eight Navy warships to the region, while the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group is expected later this week. F-35 jets are also stationed in Puerto Rico.
Caracas has condemned the buildup as a violation of sovereignty and an attempted coup, while reportedly seeking support from Russia, China, and Iran. Russia, which ratified a new partnership with Venezuela last week, expressed “strong support for the Venezuelan leadership in defending national sovereignty.”
Dueling rallies were held in Serbia after the anniversary of a deadly railway station collapse
Supporters and opponents of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling SNS party clashed on the streets of Belgrade on Sunday, marking the first anniversary of a train station canopy collapse that killed 16 people and sparked nationwide protests.
The protesters, many of them university students, have been demanding accountability for the tragedy in Novi Sad, which occurred on November 1, 2024, and have accused the government of corruption and mismanagement.
A crowd led by Dijana Hrka, whose son died in the collapse, gathered outside the Serbian parliament building.
Meanwhile, government supporters and students opposing the protesters’ tactics of blockading universities rallied in Pionirski Park, where they have been camping out since March.
Sporadic clashes broke out between the rival groups despite police efforts to separate them. RT Balkan reported that bottles and firecrackers were thrown. One person was arrested, police said.
Serbia’s Interior Ministry blamed “an organized group” within the anti-government protesters for the violence, saying that a tent in Pionirski Park had been set on fire. Supporters of the student blockade movement claimed that pro-SNS activists threw projectiles first.
Vucic, who has repeatedly claimed that the protests were incited from abroad, rejected allegations that his supporters were responsible for the clashes. “The blockaders can’t tolerate democracy or differing opinions,” he told Informer TV on Sunday. Vucic noted that several SNS offices have been set on fire since 2024.
The US-made air defense batteries have been delivered by Germany, the Ukrainian leader has said
Kiev has received additional US-made Patriot air defense systems from Germany, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said.
Ukraine has been pressing its Western backers for more long-range weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and additional Patriot batteries. The New York Times reported in May that although the country possessed eight Patriot systems, only six were operational.
In a post on X on Sunday, Zelensky thanked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “Our agreements have been fulfilled. More Patriots are now in Ukraine and being put into operation,” he wrote.
“Of course, more systems are needed to protect key infrastructure sites and our cities across the entire territory of Ukraine, and we will continue working to obtain them – not only at the political level with states and leaders but also directly with manufacturers of all necessary air defense systems and missiles for them,” he added.
The Russian Defense Ministry claims it has destroyed around 40 Patriot launchers since 2023.
While US President Donald Trump has declined to supply Ukraine with Tomahawks, he has allowed NATO countries to purchase American weapons on Kiev’s behalf. Moscow has maintained that no amount of foreign aid will change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine’s favor.
Last month, Zelensky said Ukraine and the US were preparing a contract for 25 Patriot systems. He added that deliveries could take years unless EU states demonstrate “goodwill” by prioritizing Kiev or transferring systems they already possess.
With each system costing about $1 billion, Ukraine hopes to finance the purchases through an EU loan backed by frozen Russian assets. Russia has condemned any attempt to confiscate its assets as theft.
The US spy agency has reportedly sought to assure European allies that they can still trust it
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with EU officials last week in an attempt to rebuild strained relations with US intelligence agencies, Politico reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
According to the report published on Friday, Ratcliffe met with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, as well as senior officials from the EU Intelligence and Situation Center (INTCEN) and the EU Military Staff Intelligence Directorate (EUMS). He sought to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to intelligence-sharing and to convey that the CIA “wants to keep lines open,” Politico said.
CIA spokeswoman Liz Lyons told the outlet that Ratcliffe discussed “evolving threats” from Russia and China. “Any reporting that suggests concerns were raised that the US is not a reliable partner are false and disconnected from reality,” she said.
Politico suggested that some allies began to lose trust after US President Donald Trump briefly suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine last March and appointed “loyalists” to key positions. Some Democrats have labeled Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick to oversee the intelligence agencies, a “Russia asset,” which she has denied.
Last month, CIA-linked software giant Palantir criticized Britain’s plans to introduce digital IDs for all citizens, with the company’s UK chief, Louis Mosley, calling the measures “very controversial.”
Another US-based tech company, encrypted messenger Signal, has threatened to leave the EU market if the bloc pushes through its Chat Control plan. Ratcliffe has defended the use of Signal for official communications, saying most CIA officers rely on the messenger.
The new trials will not involve actual nuclear explosions, Chris Wright has said
Nuclear weapon tests recently ordered by US President Donald Trump will not involve actual nuclear explosions, Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said.
On Fox News’ ‘The Sunday Briefing’, Wright described the trials as part of a modernization program involving “sophisticated” systems the US has been developing to replace aging components of its nuclear arsenal.
“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions,” Wright said, adding that various components will be tested to ensure they “deliver the appropriate geometry and set up the nuclear explosion.”
Asked if residents near the test site in the Nevada desert should expect to see a mushroom cloud anytime soon, he replied, “No worries about that.”
Trump instructed the Pentagon last week to “start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis” with Russia and China. Vice President J.D. Vance said it is important to ensure that “this nuclear arsenal we have actually functions properly.” The US stopped conducting nuclear testing in 1992 under a Congress-mandated moratorium.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday that resuming nuclear tests could take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The US carried out its last nuclear detonation more than three decades ago at the Nevada Test Site, which now relies on computer simulations instead of live explosions.
One victim remains in critical condition, among ten initially hospitalized, according to police
The suspect in the mass stabbing committed aboard a train near Cambridge in East England on Saturday demanded that police “kill” him, before being tasered and arrested, according to newly released footage.
According to the British Transport Police (BTP), the 32-year-old black British national is now being treated as the only suspect in the case.
A 35-year-old London man initially arrested at the scene was released after inquiries confirmed that he was not involved in the attack, the BTP said in a statement on Sunday.
Five casualties of the stabbing have been released from the hospital, while one remains in life-threatening condition, the statement said. Earlier, the police reported at least ten victims.
According to the BTP, the suspect boarded the train at Peterborough, where he lives, just a few minutes before carrying out the attack. No further details about the man’s identity have been provided. A knife was recovered from the scene of the crime.
A video purporting to show armed police officers tasing and detaining the suspect has emerged on social media.
New dramatic video shows the moment armed UK police taser and arrest the suspect in the Huntingdon train stabbing incident.pic.twitter.com/qXT7hct6W7
The taxi driver who took the video later told The Sun tabloid that the man was repeatedly shouting “kill me” to the police, just before they tased him and took him into custody.
According to the BTP, the sole victim in critical condition is the LNER train driver, Andrew Johnson. He “tried to stop the attacker,” and “his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives,” they said.
Despite the Counter Terrorism Policing initially being involved in the investigation, “at this stage there is nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident,” the BTP said.
