Eurotopics.net

During German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Ankara, he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed the similarities between the two countries. Differences in their respective positions on the Middle East conflict were discussed but not considered problematic. Berlin's approval of the delivery of Eurofighter jets to its strategically important Nato partner is seen as an important step for Turkey.

King Charles has stripped his scandal-ridden brother Andrew of all his royal titles and evicted him from his residence at Windsor Castle. The king's decision comes in response to revelations in the posthumously published memoirs of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused the British prince of repeatedly abusing her as a minor under the aegis of Jeffrey Epstein.

The US has announced it is withdrawing some of its soldiers from Romania. In an attempt to allay fears, the Ministry of Defence in Bucharest said the decision had not come as a surprise and takes account of the fact that Nato has boosted its overall presence on the eastern flank. Press commentaries nonetheless reflect a sense of foreboding.

According to a report by the Politico news website, Hungary is planning to forge an anti-Ukrainian bloc in the European Union with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The new Czech government has also said it wants to revitalise the cooperation between the four Visegrád states - although Poland has so far shown no interest in such plans. Could this be the birth of a pro-Russian lobby in the EU?

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to resume nuclear weapons testing. On his Truth Social platform he justified the move citing tests carried out by other countries. China has reminded the US of its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing and to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The last US nuclear test was carried out in September 1992 under former president George H. W. Bush.