Russia has dampened hopes of a quick Ukraine ceasefire by rejecting a key US and European project on security guarantees.

This week, the European Commission visits Nicosia to help launch Cyprus' EU Council presidency, signs the Mercosur deal, and updates cybersecurity and anti-racism strategies. While transatlantic tensions over Greenland continue, housing plans and budget scrutiny will also dominate Brussels meetings with commissioners.

The EU’s trade agreement with Mercosur, a bloc of six South American countries, was finally given the green light following a vote by ambassadors in Brussels on Friday — despite continued opposition from France. 

Across Europe, mayors and local councillors are facing a disturbing rise in harassment, threats, disinformation, and even physical violence. These aren’t isolated incidents — they are a growing pattern. And they’re not 'just politics'. They are deliberate attempts to silence, intimidate, and push people out of public life, warns the Council of European Municipalities and Regions.

A French banker inside Euroclear, who flew to Russia 155 times for "private" reasons, allegedly tried to connect the company's CEO, Valérie Urbain, with Russian spies and threatened her when she declined, according to an investigation by EUobserver, Humo, De Morgen, and Dossier Center.

Today, we kick off an anniversary campaign to convince new supporting members to join EUobserver's mission of providing the information citizens need to safeguard EU democracy.