TIG Post

Tag: Romania

  • Stay away – Alleged victims in Andrew Tate’s case warn US against interference

    Stay away – Alleged victims in Andrew Tate’s case warn US against interference

    Four women who say they were sexually abused by social media influencer Andrew Tate have asked the US not to get involved in his case in Romania.

    The women are worried because they heard that US officials asked Romania to ease travel restrictions on Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, who have both UK and US nationality. Their lawyer, Matthew Jury, told the BBC that they are confused about why the Trump administration is interfering, but Romania says it is not being pressured by the US.

    Tate, 38, and his brother were arrested in Romania three years ago and are facing trial for rape, trafficking minors, and money laundering, which they deny.

    In the UK, the brothers are also wanted by police for rape and human trafficking, which they also deny. Their extradition to the UK will be handled after the Romania case is over.

    Tate’s representatives had no comment on the new development. The Financial Times reported that US officials mentioned the case to the Romanian government last week, and Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell followed up over the weekend. A source said the US asked for the brothers’ passports to be returned so they could travel while waiting for their trial.

    The Tate brothers are not allowed to leave Romania but are no longer under house arrest.


    Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu confirmed to Euronews that Grenell had raised Tate’s case with him, and that Grenell had said he was “interested in the fate of the Tate brothers”. The minister denied this amounted to pressure from Americans.
    A spokesperson for Mr Hurezeanu told the Financial Times: “Romanian courts are independent and operate based on the law, there is due process.”
    Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also denied the reports on X, writing: [The US] has not made any requests to [Romania] upon the legal situation of well-known foreign influencers investigated by the Romanian authorities.


    “There were no demands either during the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Richard Grenell discussion or after it. Romania and USA share the same values regarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.”
    According to the FT, Grenell said he had no “substantive conversation” with Hurezeanu, but added: “I support the Tate brothers as evident by my publicly available tweets.”
    The US State Department has been approached by the BBC for comment.

    The Tate brothers have wide support on right-wing social media, and supported Trump during the US election campaign.
    Lawyer Mr Jury said: “It’s very clear from members of the Trump administration’s social media posts and public statements that there is a great deal of support for Tate.
    “Either they don’t know or they don’t care about the nature of the allegations and how serious they are,” he told BBC Newsnight.
    He said the women he represented were “absolutely distraught”.
    “To see the most powerful man in the world support their alleged abuser, is incredibly traumatising… it’s gaslighting of a sort.”
    And he called the reported US actions a “gross interference in my clients’ right to a fair trial and due process”.

  • Internet celebrity Andrew Tate detained in Romania

    Internet celebrity Andrew Tate detained in Romania

    Andrew Tate, an online influencer, was reportedly served with legal documents by British authorities while in Romania, as stated by his spokesperson on Tuesday.

    Tate, who is 37 years old, and his brother Tristan Tate were arrested on Monday evening for 24 hours. They are accused of sexual assault in a case that happened in the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2015, according to spokesperson Mateea Petrescu.

    She said the Bucharest Court of Appeal will decide on Tuesday whether to execute the warrants issued by the Westminster Magistrates Court in London. This decision could start the process of sending someone to another country for trial.

    Four women told the U.K government that Andrew Tate hurt them in a sexual way and physically, but the government did not decide to put him on trial. The people who say they were hurt asked for donations to help pay for their legal fees while they take legal action against him.

    “We gave our proof about the terrible violence we suffered and waited for something to be done. ” But four years later, the U. K authorities said they would not punish him,” they say on their campaign page. “This is our only way to make him responsible. ”

    It wasn’t clear right away what Tristan Tate is being accused of in the U.K

    Petrescu said on Tuesday that the Tate brothers, who have citizenship in both the United Kingdom and the United States, deny the charges and are very disappointed that such serious accusations are being brought up again without any new evidence.

    Andrew Tate is accused of committing serious crimes in Romania, including rape, human trafficking, and leading a criminal group that exploits women sexually. In December 2022, he and his brother were caught by the police near Bucharest. They were with two Romanian women at that time. In June, Romanian prosecutors charged all four people, but they say they didn’t do it.

    The lawyers for four British women who say Andrew Tate hurt them asked the police to find him and bring him back to Britain. They’re worried he might try to leave Romania.

    “Matthew Jury, a boss at the law firm, said he was very happy to hear the news today. Many people were worried that Tate would not face punishment in Romania and other countries. ” “We are thankful to the British authorities for listening to our worries and issuing an arrest warrant. ” “Tate is being blamed for doing really bad things to a lot of people and he needs to take responsibility for it. ”

    Jury said that Tate has been telling a lot of lies about the criminal charges he’s facing in the UK in interviews with famous media people like Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. He’s been doing this since he got arrested in Romania.

    “Tate has 8. 9 million followers on X, also known as Twitter. He says the prosecutors in Romania have no proof against him and are trying to silence him for political reasons. ” He was banned from popular social media sites before for saying mean things about women and spreading hate.

    On Tuesday, Tate posted on his social media account, saying, “I’m not scared of the Matrix, I only fear God. ” He uses the word “Matrix” to talk about a big conspiracy he thinks is against men.


    After the Tate brothers were taken by the police in Romania, they were kept in a police station for three months before being told to stay inside their house. They were later told they could only go to certain areas in Bucharest and nearby Ilfov County. Right now, they are not allowed to go out of Romania. The court case in Romania is still in the early stages, where the people accused can argue against the evidence that the prosecutors have against them. A date for the trial has not been decided yet.

    In October, lawyers for people who say they were hurt held a meeting in Bucharest. They said Andrew Tate and his group tried to scare their clients into not speaking up.

    In January, Tate won a case to get his things back from the police in Romania. They took his things right after they arrested him.

    The Romanian government took 15 fancy cars, 14 expensive watches, and money in different types worth about 3. 6 million euros (3. 9 million dollars)

  • The Hague to host cross-border homicide investigation team

    The Hague to host cross-border homicide investigation team

    A group of investigators from different countries will have a meeting in The Hague to discuss the murder of a woman in Limerick. This was mentioned in a court in Belfast.

    Organizations from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are part of the global effort to bring the man accused of killing Geila Ibram to trial.

    Habib Shamel, a 32-year-old man, has been accused of stabbing a 27-year-old person to death during a sexual encounter on April 4th.

    He is being kept in prison at Maghaberry Prison.

    A person’s badly injured body was found at an apartment building in the Dock Road area of Limerick.

    Ms Ibram, who came from Romania, was killed by being stabbed multiple times in the neck, face, and stomach. The police said it was a very violent and chaotic attack.

    Mr Shamel is a person from Afghanistan who lives on Cecil Street in Limerick. He was caught by the police in the Malone area of south Belfast.

    He was accused of killing Ms Ibram based on a law that lets officials in Northern Ireland punish someone who came from a different area.

    There was a meeting in The Hague.

    On Tuesday, the person who is being accused appeared in court through video connection. A lawyer who is representing the prosecution revealed new information about their ongoing communication with the Department of Justice in Dublin.

    “A group of different agencies from both areas has come together to form a team that will investigate together in order to try to make things go faster,” she explained.

    District Judge Steven Keown was also informed that the process will be taken to the Dutch city where the International Criminal Court is located.

    “The prosecutor said that there was a meeting planned in The Hague, but it hasn’t happened yet. ”

    Despite understanding that the case is complicated, the defense lawyer Chris Sherrard doubted that much progress was being made.

    “He said that it’s really just a bunch of noise and commotion that doesn’t result in anything significant. ”

    Mr Shamel didn’t request to be released on bail at this time and will remain in jail.

    The judge said the case will be put on hold until October. He wants to hear about the meeting in The Hague and what happened there.

  • Russian official summoned by Romania for drone parts that fell on its land

    Russian official summoned by Romania for drone parts that fell on its land

    Romania’s foreign ministry called in Russia‘s representative after pieces of drones were discovered inside Romania’s borders, which is a member of NATO. This is the second time such incidents have occurred within a week.

    For a long time, Vladimir Putin has been using Iranian Shahed drones to attack Ukraine’s biggest ports that are used to export grain.

    Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, keeps saying that the attacks happening nearby are a big threat to the Black Sea’s safety.

    However, Russia has still been attacking buildings and ports that are used by regular people and located near the Danube River in the Odesa region. These places are only a short distance away from a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

    During the explosions in Ukraine’s river ports, Romanian authorities found another set of broken drone pieces that had crashed on its shores within a week.

    The attacks have made the military alliance, whose members promise to protect each other, more vulnerable to security threats.

    The head of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest was called in for an urgent meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    ‘The State Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Iulian Fota, expressed Romania’s concern about a violation of our country’s airspace. This happened after finding some drone pieces near the border with Ukraine. These drone pieces were similar to the ones used by Russian forces in the attack on Ukraine. ’

  • Romania claims Russian drone parts landed on its territory

    Romania claims Russian drone parts landed on its territory

    The defense minister of Romania said that they found parts of a drone used in a Russian attack on a Ukrainian port on Romanian land.

    His comments come after two days of him and other important people saying without any doubts that there was no incident that happened between countries.

    Ukraine was adamant that it had proof of the explosion.

    The president of Romania is saying that if the attack is proven to be true, it would be a very serious breach of Romania’s control over its own territory.

    Klaus Iohannis said that it would be absolutely unacceptable for Romania, as a member of NATO, to be attacked.

    On Sunday night, after Russia attacked the Ukrainian port of Izmail, the Shahed drones fell and exploded in Romania. Ukraine’s foreign ministry reported this on Monday.

    This incident is more evidence that Moscow poses a big danger to Ukraine’s neighboring countries.

    Romania’s Defense Minister, Angel Tilvar, recently visited the Danube Delta area near the Ukraine border. During the visit, it was revealed that several parts of a drone had been discovered.

    Currently, there is an investigation happening to find out if the fragments are from a weapon made in Russia. The authorities are studying the fragments to gather information.

    It became hard to argue against what Kyiv said after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba publicly announced that he had pictures proving the incident.

    He said it was very clear what had happened and that there was no reason to deny it.

    Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s port areas on the River Danube for a few weeks. This happened after they backed out of an agreement which would have let Ukraine transport its grain through the Black Sea.

    Oleh Kiper, who is in charge of the military administration in the Odesa region, stated that the person who died was a farmer and that there was damage to the port and grain facilities.

    Romanian officials are not saying why they previously strongly denied the drone incident. However, the defense minister is admitting that he gave incorrect information to the president.

    The minister said in a TV interview that the discovered remains were not dangerous.

    He said that the people in charge are being very careful and will do more things to make sure the sky is safe. “We will have more places to watch, more people walking around. ”

    We are not sure if the drone was shot down and pieces fell in Romania, or if it just crashed on the border of Romania.

    The Romanian defense ministry previously said they were keeping a close eye on what was happening in Ukraine and on the border.

    The ministry said in a statement that the Russian Federation did not directly threaten Romania’s land or water with their attack methods.

  • House arrest against Andrew Tate lifted

    House arrest against Andrew Tate lifted

    Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer, has been released from house arrest in Romania while awaiting trial on charges of rape and human trafficking.

    In March, Andrew and his brother Tristan were arrested and subsequently charged in June with these offenses, which they both deny.

    Under the current arrangement, the siblings are permitted to move freely within the city of Bucharest and the adjacent Ilfov district where they reside.

    However, they are required to adhere to certain conditions, including reporting to the police as directed and informing them about any changes in their address.

    Additionally, the brothers are prohibited from contacting their two Romanian associates who are also implicated in the case, as well as the witnesses, alleged victims, or their families.

    Non-compliance with these stipulations could result in a return to house arrest or preventative detention.

    For the next 60 days, a judge will monitor their adherence to these conditions.

    “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Romanian judicial system for their fair consideration,” a spokesperson for the brothers said in a statement after the ruling.

    “This positive outcome gives us confidence that more favourable developments are on the horizon.”

    Tate, a Muslim convert, also tweeted in response to the ruling, condemning charges that were “based on nothing” and which a judge had deemed “weak and circumstantial”.

    The brothers were initially taken into custody at their residence in December and then placed under house arrest after three months.

    According to the indictment, Andrew and Tristan, along with two female Romanian associates, allegedly formed an organized criminal group in 2021 with the intent to engage in human trafficking activities within Romania and other nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

    The indictment specifies seven purported victims who were allegedly recruited by the Tate brothers under false pretenses of love and marriage.

    In 2016, Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, was removed from the British TV show Big Brother due to a video that appeared to depict him assaulting a woman.

    He later gained notoriety online and faced Twitter suspension for making controversial statements suggesting that women should share responsibility for instances of sexual assault. His Twitter account has since been reinstated.

  • I ‘believes in God and the legal system’ – Andrew Tate

    I ‘believes in God and the legal system’ – Andrew Tate

    The self-described “misogynist” online personality Andrew Tate made an appearance in court in Bucharest on Wednesday with his brother on allegations of rape and people trafficking.

    As he arrived at the Bucharest Tribunal, Tate told reporters that he believes “in God and I believe in the justice system, and we are going to be OK.”

    Four bodyguards were around him and his brother Tristan as they entered the courthouse, shooing reporters out of the way.

    Andrew Tate replied to a reporter who inquired if he had committed rape: “Of course not, don’t ask me stupid questions.”

    The pair looked in good spirits as they smiled and waved despite the seriousness of the charges that were laid against them on Tuesday, which include human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women.

    The judge is expected to rule on the pair’s house arrest and set a trial date.

    The Tate brothers are the highest-profile suspects to face trial on human-trafficking charges in Romania.

    They were placed under house arrest alongside two Romanian female suspects pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women – accusations they have denied.

    Andrew Tate has also been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence.

    Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.

    The Tate brothers’ legal team said it “will embrace the opportunity to fight in court and present arguments and evidence” to prove their innocence, according to a statement obtained by CNN affiliate Antena3 in Romania.

  • World Bank maintains moderate growth forecast for Romania

    World Bank maintains moderate growth forecast for Romania

    A recent opinion poll published by the European Parliament on Tuesday, suggests that there has been a notable increase in interest regarding the European elections in recent years.

    The survey comes one year ahead of the next European Parliament elections, which are to be held on June 6-9, 2024, when the current five-year term ends.

    Some 56% of respondents were interested in the elections and two thirds were likely to vote if the elections were held next week, the survey said.

    Both figures are up compared with a similar poll carried out ahead of the previous elections in 2019. Final election turnout in 2019 was at 50.7%.

    The higher interest is probably linked to the increased visibility of the EU in recent years due to multiple crises including the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine, European Parliament spokesman Jaume Duch Guillot said.

    A recent scandal in which former and sitting lawmakers were charged with corruption and money laundering did not impact the poll’s results, Duch Guillot said.

    But 60% of respondents said they were not satisfied with the bloc’s fight against corruption, including 22% who were “not at all satisfied.”

    More respondents approved of the EU’s support for Ukraine, with an average of 76% across the bloc. Approval rates however differed between member states.

    Survey results were based on interviews with over 26,000 people aged 15 or older from the bloc’s 27 member states.

    The European Parliament has fewer powers compared to national ones, as the European Parliament cannot propose laws.

  • Russian fighter jet nearly crashes into a Polish airplane in its path

    Russian fighter jet nearly crashes into a Polish airplane in its path

    After ‘five metres’ of a Russian fighter jet, a military plane with the EU border agency nearly crashed.

    According to Poland’s border force, an L-410 Turbolet used for surveillance was out on a patrol for Frontex on Friday over the Black Sea.

    Unable to communicate with the Polish plane via radio, a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet allegedly flew three times dangerously near to the aircraft.

    The dangerous manoeuvres by the Russian jet allegedly caused the Polish pilots to lose control, forcing them to make an emergency landing in Romania. 

    Government spokesperson Piotr Muller told local media: ‘It looks like a planned provocation by Russia, the crew acted responsibly and luckily nothing happened.’

    He added: ‘We can see that Russia is trying to draw international attention by such provocations.’

    Romanian and Spanish planes have reportedly been put on ‘pre-alert’ by NATO following the incident. 

    Russian jet
    The Russian fighter jet came dangerously close to the Polish surveillance plane three times (Picture: Reuters)

    The perceived provocation came two days before Putin launched a fresh wave of missile attacks against various locations in Ukraine, ahead of tomorrow’s celebration of Victory Day in Moscow, the annual commemoration of Russia’s triumph over Nazi Germany.  

    These included strikes on multiple locations in the capital of Kyiv, as well as in the southern port city of Odessa, the southern region of Kherson, the Zaporizhia region to the southeast and the Sumy region in the northeast. 

    Attacks against Russian targets in Ukraine have also intensified of late, particularly in the Russian-occupied territory in Crimea.

    Though Ukraine has not formally claimed responsibility for these strikes, officials say they’re nevertheless seeking to destroy key enemy infrastructure ahead of launching an imminent large-scale counteroffensive against Russian forces.

    Ukraine hopes this counteroffensive, aimed at liberating remaining territories controlled by Russia, will decisively turn the tide of a war that has lasted 15 months, seen thousands killed and millions displaced.

    During a visit to the Hague, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russian forces had committed more than 6,000 war crimes on Ukrainian soil in April alone.

  • Jose Mourinho’s new demand from Roma bosses hints an extended stay with club

    Jose Mourinho’s new demand from Roma bosses hints an extended stay with club

    One of the greatest and most effective coaches of his time is Jose Mourinho. In the media, he is not afraid to explain his position to players and club executives.

    He unexpectedly agreed to a three-year contract to manage the Italian club AS Roma in 2021, just a few months after being fired by Tottenham.

    After Roma qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League in his first season as manager and after they had placed seventh in Serie A the year prior, he took home the championship.

    He is approaching the end of his contract with Rome and drawing interest from elite European teams, including former clubs Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Brazil national team, according to GIFN.

    Mourinho’s demands from Roma bosses

    The Special One has received limited backing in the transfer market. Despite winning a trophy and qualifying for Europa League in his first season, Transfermarkt reports that he spent €9m on improving the team while recouping €67m from sales.

    Paulo Dybala, Nemanja Matic, Andrea Belotti and Ola Solbakken were free transfers while securing loan moves for Georgino Wijnaldum and Mady Camara.

    According to Sky Sports, Mourinho has issued demands to the Roma bosses, which could influence his stay at the club.

    He demanded a new centre-back, a new midfielder and a new striker to take Tammy Abraham’s place as he could return to England.

    Mourinho’s message to Roma board

    Sports Brief earlier reported that Mourinho sent a transfer message to the Roma board with his comments about Bayern Munich’s squad depth.

    Speaking to the media after Roma’s 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, the former Chelsea boss compared his bench to that of the German giants.

    He further said he only needs one of the Bavarian’s attacks comprising Sadio Mane, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and others to improve his team.

  • Andrew Tate to suffer additional 30 days in Romanian captivity

    Andrew Tate to suffer additional 30 days in Romanian captivity

    Investigations into allegations of sexual assault and exploitation against Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, both of whom reject the allegations

    For an additional 30 days, self-described sexist influencer Andrew Tate will be detained in Romania.

    Authorities in the nation of eastern Europe are still looking into accusations of rape, human trafficking, and joining an organised crime ring made against Tate and his brother Tristan.

    The two men have maintained their innocence on all the charges.

    A pair of women who were detained at the same time, former police officer Luana Radu and model Georgiana Naghel, will now be held under house arrest.

    Tate, a former kickboxer, was taken into custody on December 29 last year alongside his brother.

    This is the third time their detention has been extended: they were initially detained for 24 hours, which became 30 days. Another 30 days were added last month.

    Earlier this month, Tate, 36, said as he left court: ‘Ask them for evidence and they will give you none, because it doesn’t exist.’

    Prosecutors say the pair recruited their alleged victims by seducing them, and then forced them to produce pornographic content under duress.

    FILE - Police officers escort Andrew Tate, third from left, handcuffed to his brother Tristan, to the Court of Appeal after they appealed the decision to extend their arrest by another 30 days term in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. A court in Romania's capital ruled on Tuesday, Feb. 21 to extend by another 30 days the arrest of the divisive internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, who are held on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre, File)
    Andrew Tate, wearing the navy blue hoodie, was escorted to the Court of Appeal while handcuffed to his brother Tristan on February 1

    The two women are alleged to have been their accomplices by helping to ‘coerce’ and ‘control’ at least six women.

    According to Romanian news site Gandul, the men’s lawyer Eugen Vidineac said they would ‘challenge’ a decision for them to remain in detention.

    Tate’s arrest came just 24 hours after he got into a high-profile spat with environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg on Twitter.

    Speaking about the matter for the first time yesterday, Greta told ABC News: ‘There are many, many problems in the world that we need people dealing with.

    ‘But it seems like they feel so threatened or they feel like their worldview is so threatened by people like me – climate activists and environmental activists – speaking up that they feel like they need to silence us and mock us.’

  • Andrew Tate to appear in court Romanian court as his lawyers argue he should be released

    Andrew Tate to appear in court Romanian court as his lawyers argue he should be released

    The alleged rape and human trafficking charges against the former kickboxer turned influencer, which he denies, have him in custody. Defense attorneys will attempt to counter that there is not enough evidence to keep him and his brother Tristan in custody today.

    Additionally, two female suspects from Romania have been detained.

    According to allegations, the Tate brothers lured their victims into relationships or marriages by seducing them.

    Prosecutors say the women were then forced to produce pornographic content under duress.

    Kickboxer turned influencer, Andrew Tate, is also accused of raping one of the victims last March. All four deny the allegations.

    Police officers escort Andrew Tate handcuffed to his brother Tristan Tate Pic:AP
    Image:Police officers escort Andrew Tate handcuffed to his brother Tristan Tate. Pic: AP

    Earlier this month, a court extended their preventative custody period to 27 February.

    Today, defence teams will try to argue that there is not enough evidence to continue to hold them.

    Following the arrests, Romanian authorities said they seized goods and money worth almost £3.25m ($4m) including luxury cars.

    The brothers’ legal team is also fighting for these items to be returned.

    Romanian officials transport the cars seized from the Tate compound to an undisclosed storage location. Pic: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/Reuters
    Image:Luxury cars were seized from the influencer’s villa earlier this month

    Last week, Andrew Tate made his first comments since his detention.

    “They know we have done nothing wrong,” he told reporters as he was brought in for further questioning by anti-organised crime prosecutors. “This file is completely empty. Of course it’s unjust, there is no justice in Romania unfortunately.”

    Famous for misogynistic content, Tate has a huge following despite being banned from most mainstream social media platforms.

    His Twitter account was reinstated in November after Elon Musk took charge of the company.

  • French battlegroup conducts NATO combat drill in Romania

    French battlegroup conducts NATO combat drill in Romania

    It is reported that about 600 French soldiers were deployed to take part in a military drill at a NATO battlegroup in Romania.

    The aim was to test the 30-nation military alliance’s readiness on its eastern flank amid Russia’s war in neighbouring Ukraine.

    The drill at a training range near Romania’s eastern town of Smardan on Wednesday involved some 200 military vehicles, including four French Leclerc battle tanks that practiced firing live ammunition.

    A French serviceman takes part in an exercise at a training range in Smardan, eastern Romania
    A French serviceman takes part in an exercise at a training range in Smardan, eastern Romania (Vadim Ghirda/AP)

    Romania’s defense ministry said the main purpose of the exercise was to train the battlegroup “on the rapid deployment capability and execution of a combat mission” within a collective NATO defense operation.

    The Leclerc tanks used are the same model French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he asked his defence minister to “work on” possibly sending to Ukraine.

    Kyiv has persistently requested tanks from its western allies to help its war efforts.

    After much hesitation, that request was finally granted by Germany on Wednesday when Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government would provide German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks and also approve requests by other countries to do the same.

    A French serviceman stands on a Leclerc main battle tank during the exercise
    A French serviceman stands on a Leclerc main battle tank during the exercise (Vadim Ghirda/AP)

    In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, Nato bolstered its presence on Europe’s eastern flank, including by sending additional multinational battlegroups to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

    This month, the alliance deployed two surveillance planes to Romania, from where they will fly missions for several weeks to monitor Russian military activity near Nato’s borders.

    The Awacs aircraft, which Nato refers to as its “eyes in the sky”, belong to a fleet of 14 usually based in west Germany.

    Since the war started, Awacs have patrolled regularly over eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region to track Russian warplanes.

  • EU monitor : Warns of new wildfire record this year in Europe

    More than twice the size of Luxembourg has been burned down this year.

    This summer, most of Europe has been a tinderbox, making it easy for fires to spread. This is due to a combination of repeated heat waves, which are a result of a rising trend brought on by climate change, and a continuous lack of rainfall.

    The most recent report from the European Forest Fire Information System shows that since the start of 2022, flames have destroyed approximately 660,000 hectares of EU land, an area that is more than twice the size of Luxembourg (EFFIS).

    In 2017, the bloc’s worst wildfire year, about 420,000 hectares had been burnt by mid-August before a devastating October pushed it up to 988,087 hectares for the whole year. With the fire season far from over, the EFFIS warned that this year could set a new record.

    This year so far is “just below 2017,” EFFIS coordinator Jesús San-Miguel told Agence France-Presse on Sunday. “The situation in terms of drought and extremely high temperatures have affected all of Europe this year and the overall situation in the region is worrying, while we are still in the middle of the fire season.”

    Spain, Romania, and Portugal are the worst affected EU members. France has also been hit hard, with more than 60,000 hectares burnt as of this week, far surpassing the country’s previous record of 43,600 hectares for the entire year of 2019.

    French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with firefighters, farmers, EU emergency responders, and officials to discuss future strategies for wildfire prevention and response once the fires have died down, according to the president’s team cited in Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.

    Firefighters in France this weekend managed to halt the spread of a vast fire that ravaged 6,000 hectares of pine forest within 24 hours in the southwestern region of Gironde. Hundreds of firefighters from other EU countries had rushed to France’s aid over the past week to help contain the blaze.

    But with Europe heating up, wildfires are increasingly erupting farther north, too. The EFFIS‘s San Miguel said that since 2010, there had been a trend toward more fires in central and northern Europe.

    With this week’s heat wave subsiding and rain bringing some relief, EFFIS said on Sunday that the wildfire situation was improving. However, the risk remains high for the Iberian Peninsula and from eastern France across Belgium into Germany.