Europe

Trump’s latest comments come as China, North Korea, Russia say the Golden Dome missile defence system will create ‘space arms race’.

United States President Donald Trump says he has told Canada it will have to pay $61bn to be part of his proposed Gold Dome missile defence system “if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation”.

In a post on TruthSocial, Trump claimed Canada “very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System” and would gain free access if it joins with the US.

Participating in the proposed defence system would cost Canada “ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State”, Trump said, adding, “They are considering the offer!”

Trump’s post came just hours after Canada’s parliament hosted the UK’s King Charles III for a rare royal speech in which the monarch emphasised Canada’s sovereignty in “dangerous and uncertain” times, and amid the US president’s exhortations for the country to become part of the US.

Following the king’s speech, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Canadian Public broadcaster CBC that he hopes Canada will join ReArm Europe by July 1, in an effort to reduce dependence on the US for weapons.

Canada did not immediately respond to Trump’s latest comment, but Carney has previously confirmed his country has held “high-level” talks on the defence system issue with the US.

Funding, timeline uncertain

In total, Trump has claimed the Golden Dome system will cost some $175bn and would be completed by the end of his current term in 2029, although defence industry experts have questioned the feasibility of this timeline and budget.

Trump is hoping to secure an initial $25bn funding for the system through the sweeping “Big, Beautiful Bill” which is next to go up for a vote in the Senate after narrowly passing the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives last week.

The bill boosts spending on the military and border enforcement while cutting funding for social programmes, including Medicaid and food assistance that helped tens of millions of low-income Americans.

The Golden Dome is modelled after Israel’s Iron Dome, which also receives significant funding from the US, including $500m per year for its upkeep.

It is unclear how Trump would scale up the Iron Dome to cover the entire US, since Israel is only about the size of New Jersey, one of the smaller states in the US.

The Iron Dome is also designed to target short-range missiles, with a range of 1,000km (about 620 miles), while the main threat to the US would likely come from long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

Golden Dome will create ‘space arms race’

China, North Korea and Russia have all criticised Trump’s plan to put weapons in space, which the US president described in detail for the first time last week.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly responded, with spokeswoman Mao Ning saying the plan “heightens the risk of space becoming a battlefield, fuels an arms race, and undermines international security”.

“The United States puts its own interests first and is obsessed with seeking its own absolute security, which violates the principle that no country’s security should come at the expense of others,” Mao Ning said.

North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded, saying the US is “hell-bent on the moves to militarise outer space”.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that the Golden Dome project undermines the foundations of “strategic stability” as it involves the creation of a global missile defence system.

According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Zakharova said developing the Golden Dome would also lead to development of the “means of pre-launch missile destruction and infrastructure that ensures their use”.

“This is already a literal manifestation of the US’s highly dangerous doctrinal course toward delivering so-called preventive, but essentially first strikes,” she said, warning it would turn space into a “weaponised environment” and an “arena of armed confrontation”.

Russia has launched its largest drone and missile attack on Ukraine since the war began more than three years ago.

After the missiles came a war of words as United States President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media.

And he criticised Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s remarks after the Ukrainian president condemned what he called “the silence of America”.

So was that a warning the US may be ready to walk away from the talks on a ceasefire?

And is a decision by Ukraine’s allies to scrap range restrictions on arms sent to Kyiv, a “dangerous” move as Moscow claims?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Mark Storella – former US ambassador and deputy assistant secretary of state in the first Trump administration

Alexey Muraviev – associate professor of national security and strategic studies at Curtin University

Aaron Gasch Burnett – senior fellow at the Democratic Strategy Initiative, a political think tank

US President Donald Trump says Russia’s Vladimir Putin is ‘playing with fire’ and Russia has so far been shielded from ‘really bad things’.

A senior Moscow security official has rebuked United States President Donald Trump and raised the danger of another world war breaking out after Trump said Russian leader Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire” by refusing to engage in Ukraine ceasefire talks with Kyiv.

Dmitry Medvedev said World War III was the only “REALLY BAD thing” in a response, late on Tuesday, to Trump, who had earlier posted a message to Putin on social media saying that “really bad things would have already happened in Russia” without his intervention.

“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened in Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire,” Trump said in a post on his platform Truth Social.

Medvedev responded on the platform X: “Regarding Trump’s words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII.”

“I hope Trump understands this!”

Regarding Trump’s words about Putin “playing with fire” and “really bad things” happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII.
I hope Trump understands this!

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 27, 2025

Currently the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a key Putin ally, Medvedev served as the Russian president between 2008 and 2012, and is known for his sabre-rattling comments.

He has repeatedly warned throughout the course of Russia’s war on Ukraine that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenal.

Putin also raised the possibility of nuclear confrontation in a state of the nation address in March 2024, warning Western powers of Russia’s nuclear capabilities should any decide to deploy troops in support of Ukraine.

“Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilisation,” Putin said at the time.

Medvedev’s public rebuke of Trump also comes after the US president said in a post on Sunday that Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY” by carrying out extensive aerial attacks on Ukraine despite widespread calls for a ceasefire and Washington’s frustrated attempts to broker a peace accord.

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him,” Trump posted on Sunday.

Trump also told reporters he was considering new sanctions on Russia amid the impasse in ceasefire talks.

The war of words on social media comes as hopes for a swift end to Russia’s war on its neighbour dim. Kyiv suffered another battlefield setback on Tuesday, with Russian forces capturing four villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.

Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov wrote on Facebook that the villages of Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka and Zhuravka had been occupied by Russia, although residents had long been evacuated.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday that it had also taken the nearby village of Bilovody, implying a further advance into Ukrainian territory, as the more than three-year war grinds on.

Ukrainian officials have said for weeks that Russian troops are trying to make inroads into the Sumy region, the main city of which lies less than 30km (19 miles) from the border with Russia.

Russian forces, attacking in small groups on motorcycles and supported by aerial drones, have been widening the area where they have been carrying out assaults on the front line, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s border guard service said.

Ukrainian forces last year used the Sumy region as a launchpad to push into Russia’s neighbouring Kursk region, where they captured a vast area of territory before being driven out by Russian forces last month.

Here’s where things stand on Wednesday, May 28:

Fighting

• Russian air defences destroyed or intercepted 112 Ukrainian drones over a three-hour period, most of them over central or southern regions of the country, the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a post on Telegram early on Wednesday, as the two countries continue to trade drone attacks.
• Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said six Ukrainian drones were repelled while heading for the Russian capital. Recovery crews were examining fragments on the ground, he said.
• Russia deployed 60 drones across multiple regions of Ukraine through the night, injuring 10 people, Ukrainian Air Force officials said.
• More than 850 residents were left without power in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, after three Russian air strikes hit the city late on Monday night.
• Russia’s military said in a post on Telegram that it had begun naval drills in the Baltic Sea with more than 20 warships, boats and support vessels, 25 aircraft and helicopters, and 3,000 servicemen.

Politics

• United States President Donald Trump suggested that he has protected Russia from “really bad things”. In a post on TruthSocial, he said: “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD.”
• Responding to Trump’s remarks, Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev said in a post on X: “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”
• Trump’s comments came after the the Kremlin said the US president may be experiencing “emotional overload” after Trump’s earlier remarks that Putin was “absolutely crazy” over the scale of Russian air attacks on Ukraine’s cities.
• Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine, told Al Jazeera that the US is waiting for a response from Russia after Trump gave Putin “some guidelines a week ago”.
• Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “pretentiousness” after Merz said that France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the US had lifted range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine.

Energy

• The New York Times reported that satellite images suggest Russia is building new electricity lines in occupied southeastern Ukraine, connecting the grid to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant captured by Russia.
• Ukraine’s energy regulator said in a post on Facebook that a gas import mechanism will avoid high transit fees when supplying gas through the Trans-Balkan pipeline from Greece to Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s Minister of Energy German Galushchenko said he hoped all participating countries would agree that the Trans-Balkan Route from Greece to Ukraine would meet “common strategic goals”, as Ukraine continues to explore gas supply routes not involving Russia.

Global football giants Barcelona have announced a new six-year deal with 17-year-old Spanish international Lamine Yamal.

Spanish teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has signed a new six-year deal with Barcelona, the Catalan football club have announced.

The 17-year-old was an integral part of Barcelona’s domestic treble-winning season and helped to guide Spain to the Euro 2024 title.

Barca won La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey this season, which dethroned Real Madrid in the league, while also defeating their fierce rivals in the finals of both the cup competitions.

Yamal, who came through the ranks of the club’s famed La Masia academy, has quickly become renowned for his dribbling, playmaking and goalscoring.

The Barca-born forward scored the decisive goal to clinch his side’s 28th Spanish league title in a 2-0 victory at crosstown rival Espanyol in mid-May.

In 2031, Lamine Yamal is only gonna be 23. 😳 pic.twitter.com/TPNgRloGaH

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 27, 2025

Barca, who are managed by former German national team coach Hansi Flick, also reached the semifinals of the Champions League, where they were eliminated after extra time by Inter Milan.

Yamal scored 18 goals in the past season, and his tally of 13 assists was a league best in the Spanish top flight.

The winger, who can play on either flank, played a significant role in Spain’s 2-1 win against England in the final of the European Championship last summer. He also scored in the 2-1 semifinal victory against France.

Barcelona handed Yamal, who turns 18 in July, his debut in April 2023, and he has already made 106 appearances for the team.

“In 2031, Lamine Yamal is only gonna be 23,” the club said in a post on social media platform X, in a statement regarding how far the player, who joined his hometown club at the age of seven, has come.

Legislation likely to eventually pass as polls say 90 percent of French in favour of laws that give people with terminal diseases the right to die.

France’s lower house of parliament has approved a right-to-die bill in the first reading, taking an initial step in the lengthy process to pass legislation.

A total of 305 lawmakers in the National Assembly approved the legislation on Tuesday while 199 deputies voted against the bill to grant patients medical assistance to end their lives in defined circumstances.

The text has the backing of President Emmanuel Macron but is opposed by some conservative groups.

In a statement on X, Macron praised the approval of the bill as “an important step” on “the path of fraternity”.

“The National Assembly’s vote on legislation concerning the development of palliative care and assisted dying is an important step,” Macron posted. “With respect for sensitivities, doubts and hopes, the path of fraternity that I hoped for is gradually opening up.”

The legislation will be sent to the French Senate for further debate. Months could be required to schedule a definitive vote on the measure, given France’s long and complex parliamentary process. The National Assembly has the final say over the Senate.

The legislation is expected to eventually pass as polls indicated that more than 90 percent of French people are in favour of laws that give people with terminal diseases or going through interminable suffering the right to die.

The proposed measure defines assisted dying as allowing people to use lethal medication under certain conditions. They may take it themselves, or those whose physical conditions don’t allow them to do so alone would be able to get help from a doctor or nurse.

Strict conditions

To benefit, patients would need to be over 18, be French citizens or live in France.

A team of medical professionals would need to confirm that the patient has a grave and incurable illness “at an advanced or terminal stage”, is suffering from intolerable and untreatable pain, and is seeking lethal medication of their own free will.

Patients with severe psychiatric conditions and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease will not be eligible.

A person would initiate the request for lethal medication and confirm the request after a period of reflection.

If approved, a doctor would deliver a prescription for the lethal medication, which could be taken at home, a nursing home or a healthcare facility.

A 2023 report indicated that most French citizens back legalising end-of-life options, and opinion polls showed growing support over the past 20 years.

Initial discussions in parliament last year were abruptly interrupted by Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly, plunging France into a months-long political crisis.

US President Donald Trump has backed away — for now — from imposing steep levies on the European Union, two days after he threatened the bloc with 50 percent tariffs.

On Sunday, Trump agreed to extend his deadline for trade talks until July 9, from the June 1 deadline he set on Friday, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc needed more time to “reach a good deal”.

Von der Leyen reportedly told Trump during a phone call that the EU needed more time to come to an agreement and asked him to delay the trade duties until July, the deadline he had originally set when he announced his “reciprocal” tariffs on almost all countries around the world in April.

Trump said that he had granted the request, and that von der Leyen told him, “We will rapidly get together to see if we can work something out.” Von der Leyen said in a social media post that the EU was ready to move quickly in trade talks.

During a trip to Vietnam on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he hoped Washington and Brussels could achieve a deal with the lowest tariffs possible. “The discussions are advancing,” he told reporters.

The US president’s latest salvo comes amid Washington’s stop-and-start global trade war that kicked off in April. Trump’s moves have unnerved markets, businesses and consumers and raised fears of a global economic downturn.

But while his approach has yielded a trade deal with the United Kingdom, and negotiations are believed to be progressing with a range of other nations — from India to Vietnam to Japan — key sticking points complicate the prospects of an agreement with the EU.

Here’s what the tiff is about, and why the US and EU are struggling to reach a trade deal:

What’s the backdrop?

Trump’s recent broadside against the EU was prompted by the White House’s belief that negotiations with the bloc are not progressing fast enough. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States,” he wrote last Friday.

By Sunday, however, Trump had changed course. He welcomed von der Leyen’s assertion that the bloc was willing to negotiate but that it needed more time. He added that it was his “privilege” to delay the increased tariffs.

Trump said, “[von der Leyen] said she wants to get down to serious negotiation. We had a very nice call … she said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” he told reporters.

Trump is thought to be opposed to the idea of mutually cutting tariffs to zero – an EU proposal. The US president has insisted on preserving a baseline 10 percent tax on most imports from America’s trading partners.

On May 8, the UK agreed to a trade deal that kept Trump’s 10 percent reciprocal tariff rate in place.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said the European Commission – the EU’s executive arm – remains committed to securing a deal that works for both sides. But he warned that EU-US trade “must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.”

In 2024, EU exports to the US totalled about 532 billion euros ($603bn). Pharmaceuticals, cars and auto parts, chemicals and aircraft were among the largest exports, according to EU data.

What is the EU offering?

Last week, the US rejected a proposal sent by the European Commission. The EU had offered to remove tariffs on industrial goods, boost access for some US agricultural products and co-develop AI data centres, Bloomberg reported.

It also proposed enhancing economic cooperation in areas like shipbuilding and port infrastructure, as well as by establishing an EU-US energy partnership covering gas, nuclear power and oil.

In exchange, Brussels wants the Trump administration to have more flexibility on lowering the 10 percent baseline tariff — including by potentially lowering it in phases over time.

While the EU has said it wants to find a negotiated solution, it has also been preparing to retaliate if necessary.

Member states have approved a 50 percent tariff on a batch of US products worth 21 billion euros ($23.8bn), including maize, wheat and clothing, which will kick in on July 14 without a deal.

The bloc is also preparing tariffs on other imported products totalling 95 billion euros ($107.8bn), targeting industrial goods like Boeing aircraft and cars, as well as bourbon.

What does the US want?

Trump has long accused the European Union of “ripping off” the US, and is determined that Brussels will adopt measures to lower its 198.2-billion-euro ($225bn) goods trade surplus with the US.

Washington has repeatedly raised concerns over Europe’s value-added tax, as well as its regulations on IT and food exports. Trump contends that these controls act as de facto trade barriers to the EU.

For his part, Sefcovic recently told the Financial Times that he wants to slash the US-EU trade deficit by buying more US gas, weapons and agricultural products.

In addition, the bloc is reportedly open to reducing its dependence on Chinese exports and on erecting tariffs against subsidised Chinese exports, which Trump is keen on.

Sefcovic and his US counterpart, Jamieson Greer, are scheduled to meet in Paris next month to discuss ways of de-escalating the ongoing US-EU trade dispute.

How badly would Trump’s tariffs affect both economies?

In 2024, the EU exported 531.6 billion euros ($603bn) in goods to the US and imported products worth 333 billion euros ($377.8bn), resulting in a trade surplus of almost 200 billion euros ($227bn).

On the flip side, the US runs a surplus of more than 109 billion euros ($124bn) in services as of 2023, with notable IT exports, led by large American tech companies, charges for intellectual property and financial services.

Trump’s tariffs would, in turn, hit both economies hard. According to a 2019 study by the International Monetary Fund, a full-scale US-EU trade war could cost 0.3-to-0.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on both sides.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are on their first official visit to Canada since Charles became the British monarch in 2022.

The two-day trip, though brief, carries symbolic weight at a time when Canada has faced tariffs and threats from US President Donald Trump.

Here’s what you need to know about the visit.

What do we know about the ‘Speech from the Throne’?

A major highlight of Charles’s visit is his scheduled address on Tuesday from the Canadian Senate.

Often referred to as a “Speech from the Throne”, the address is traditionally used to open a new session of Parliament and is usually delivered by the governor general on the monarch’s behalf.

The speech is ceremonial and not tied to any new legislative session. It is expected to include reflections on Canada’s democratic institutions, messages of unity, and an emphasis on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Although symbolic, the speech is a rare opportunity for Canadians to hear directly from the monarch in a parliamentary setting. It also serves as a public reaffirmation of the king’s role as head of state in Canada.

It is the first such address to be delivered by a British monarch in Canada since 1977.

In a statement on Monday, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said the speech will outline the government’s plan to deliver the change Canadians “want and deserve”.

This includes defining “a new economic and security relationship with the United States … to bring down the cost of living, and to keep communities safe,” Carney said.

What time is the speech?

Charles is set to deliver the speech shortly after 11am local time (15:00 GMT).

How long are the king and queen in Canada?

The royal couple are in Canada for a two-day tour, which began on Monday.

They came at Carney’s invitation. While the visit is short, it has included several important engagements that reflect Canada’s historical ties to the monarchy.

The itinerary features official ceremonies, cultural events, and meetings with Indigenous leaders, according to the Canadian government’s official website.

Why is the king visiting?

Charles’s visit to Canada serves multiple purposes, both symbolic and practical. Primarily, it aims to reinforce the enduring relationship between Canada and the Crown, highlighting shared values and historical ties.

The timing of the visit is particularly noteworthy as it coincides with heightened tensions following US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs as well as controversial remarks suggesting the annexation of Canada.

Carney’s invitation for Charles to deliver the “Speech from the Throne” has been viewed as seeking to reaffirm Canada’s sovereignty and constitutional framework.

Barbara Messamore, professor of history at the University of the Fraser Valley, said Canadians have found comments by Trump about turning the country into the 51st US state “deeply offensive”.

“I think it is a good moment to show the world that we are a distinct nation with a distinct history, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Messamore told Al Jazeera. “We value, of course, our relationship with our American friends and neighbours, but we don’t want to join them.”

Is a visit by the monarch rare?

While members of the British royal family have frequently toured Canada over the years, visits by the reigning monarch are relatively uncommon. Queen Elizabeth II, for example, visited Canada 22 times during her seven-decade reign.

This is Charles’s first time visiting the country as monarch. He last visited in 2022, when he was still the prince of Wales.

What is Canada’s connection to the monarchy?

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, which means the country recognises the king as its official head of state.

While the role is largely ceremonial, the Crown plays a critical function in Canada’s political system. The king’s duties are carried out in Canada by the governor general, currently Mary Simon, who represents the monarch at the federal level.

The monarchy is built into Canada’s constitutional framework. The Constitution Act of 1867 established the king – or queen – as part of the Parliament of Canada, alongside the House of Commons and the Senate.

Beyond politics, the Crown holds particular importance in Indigenous relations. Many historical treaties were made directly with the British Crown, not with the government of Canada.

This has been largely highlighted in local media coverage, Messamore said.

“Indigenous nations are front and centre, and they value that kinship relationship,” she said.

Although support for the monarchy varies across Canada, with many Canadians questioning its relevance, the institution remains embedded in the nation’s political and legal foundations.

This is because it has always provided a “bulwark against American ambitions”, Messamore said.

“These moments are really important ones about Canadian patriotism. The reaction to the king’s visit has been very positive,” she said.

“We don’t always all agree on our form of governance, but we’ve made it very difficult to change that fundamental aspect of our Canadian Constitution.”

London, United Kingdom — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has proudly described a new deal with the European Union spanning defence, security, and trade as a “win-win” pact that puts the nation “back on the world stage”.

But nine years after Britain narrowly voted in favour of leaving the EU, the deal announced on May 19 has prompted a sigh of relief for some and stinging criticism from others, underscoring just how divisive the legacy of Brexit remains in the country.

While many sections of British society have welcomed the agreement, Richard Tice, an MP for the anti-immigration party Reform UK, responded to the deal with a single-word post on social media: “Betrayal.”

The deal offers concessions on European visas for British citizens, shorter queues at European airports, and possibly cheaper food in the UK. But on the flip side, the UK has agreed to allow European fishing fleets access to British waters for an extra 12 years.

‘Best news in nine years’

Phil Rusted, who runs a firm called Practical Plants in Suffolk that imports plants from Europe, is among those who are delighted.

“My instinct is it is the best news we have got in nine years,” he said. “It almost gets us back to where were before Brexit. It helps me to take on more staff, to develop my business. The last few years have been very unpredictable; I will be more assured about what my costs are going to be.”

The business sector, more broadly, has also largely responded positively to the agreement.

“In a world where higher US tariffs are threatening to throw globalisation into reverse, trade deals, even if relatively minor, are generally good news,” said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Bank. “The obvious gainer is the food sector, which will benefit from a reduction in checks at the EU border, which could make a material difference to exporters’ and importers’ costs.”

The Federation of Small Businesses, a group that represents small- and medium-sized firms in the UK, described the EU deal as “genuine progress”, crediting it for “untangling the rules for small exporters of plant and animal products”.

“For too long, small businesses have shouldered the burden of unpredictable customs rules and red tape that sap confidence and ambition,” it said.

And popular opinion in the UK appears to be behind the agreement. Polling by YouGov shows that 66 percent want to have a closer relationship with the EU, compared with just 14 percent who do not.

To be sure, experts say the UK has to compromise too. “The devil in a trade deal is of course always in the detail,” said Paul Dales, chief economist at Capital Economics. In addition to accepting EU access to British waters for fishing, the UK has also agreed to pay an unspecified “appropriate financial contribution” to join the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, Dales pointed out.

‘Nothing of value in return’

But the deal has also faced strong pushback.

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, in a statement on May 19, said the agreement “surrenders the best prospect that the fishing industry and coastal communities had for growth over the coming decade”.

Three days later, it issued a more biting statement, saying the deal “drags UK fishing back into a past we thought had been left behind”.

Shaw conceded that if the food industry had benefitted from the deal, the fishing sector stood “at the other end of the scale”.

And it is not just fishers. The deal has also revived a broader debate over whether the UK, in seeking to realign itself with elements of the EU’s rules and regulations, is violating the mandate of Brexit.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under whom Britain formally withdrew from the EU in 2020, described the deal as an “appalling sell out” in a post on X.

Tony Gabana, a web developer from London who was too young to vote in 2016, holds that view.

“Whether it’s a good deal or not, it does seem an attempt to reverse what a lot of people voted for,” Gabana said. “It doesn’t sit right with me. It feels like a step to further concessions, which, again, no one voted for.

“Are we a democracy or not?”

Russia and Ukraine have launched a wave of drone attacks against each other overnight, even as Moscow claimed it was finalising a peace proposal to end the war.

Ukrainian air force officials said on Tuesday that Russia deployed 60 drones across multiple regions through the night, injuring 10 people. Kyiv’s air defences intercepted 43 of them – 35 were shot down while eight were diverted using electronic warfare systems.

In Dnipropetrovsk, central Ukraine, Governor Serhiy Lysak reported damage to residential properties and an agricultural site after Russian drones led to fires during the night. In Kherson, a southern city frequently hit by Russian strikes, a drone attack on Tuesday morning wounded a 59-year-old man and six municipal workers, officials said.

The barrage came days after Ukraine endured one of the heaviest aerial offensives of the war. On Sunday night alone, Ukraine’s air force claimed Russia launched 355 drones, a record number.

That escalation prompted United States President Donald Trump to declare that Vladimir Putin had “gone absolutely CRAZY” and to threaten new sanctions. The Kremlin brushed off the remarks, accusing Trump of suffering from “emotional overload”.

Russia said on Tuesday that its huge aerial assaults in recent days were a “response” to escalating Ukrainian drone attacks on its own civilians, accusing Kyiv of trying to “disrupt” peace efforts.

“Kyiv, with the support of some European countries, has taken a series of provocative steps to thwart negotiations initiated by Russia,” the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The ministry said its forces had shot down 99 Ukrainian drones on Tuesday, including 56 over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

It claimed that from May 20 to 27, air defence units intercepted more than 2,300 Ukrainian drones – 1,465 of them outside active conflict zones.

Russia seizes more territory

In a further setback for Kyiv, Russian troops have captured four villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, the local governor confirmed on Tuesday.

Oleh Hryhorov said Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka and Zhuravka were now under Russian control, though civilians had already been evacuated. “The enemy is continuing attempts to advance with the aim of setting up a so-called ‘buffer zone’,” he wrote on Facebook.

Russia’s Defence Ministry also claimed it had taken the nearby village of Bilovody, pointing to further advances near the border.

Though Moscow’s main offensive remains in Donetsk, its push into Sumy shows how Russian forces are stretching Ukraine’s army thin across multiple fronts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned again this week that new Russian offensives were likely in Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia.

Russian troops have been attacking in small groups on motorcycles, backed by drones. Ukrainian forces say they’re holding the line and targeting enemy positions with precision fire.

Military blog DeepState reported over the weekend that Russia now holds about 62.6 sq km (24 square miles) in the region – the first time it has secured a strip of border villages there.

Last month, a Russian missile killed 36 people in the city of Sumy.

Europe undermining peace talks, says Russia

Amid new territorial gains and escalating violence, Russia has shifted blame for the lack of diplomatic progress onto European leaders.

Putin met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to a source from Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fidan also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday as part of his two-day trip to Moscow.

During the meeting, Lavrov took aim at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suggesting his recent comments on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons for strikes deep inside Russia reveal that the decision to greenlight such attacks was made long before it was made public.

Lavrov said Merz’s statement was telling – not only for what it implied about policy but for what it revealed about the current crop of Western leaders.

“This shows what sort of people have come to power in key European countries,” Lavrov said.

Merz had earlier stated that weapons supplied to Kyiv by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the US were no longer bound by range restrictions, clearing the path for deeper attacks into Russian territory.

On Tuesday, while on an official visit to Finland, Merz said Western allies had lifted restrictions on the range of weapons sent to Ukraine. He warned the war could drag on, citing Russia’s refusal to engage in meaningful talks. “We may have to prepare for a longer duration,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Moscow accused Ukraine and its European allies of deliberately undermining efforts to revive peace talks. “Since 20 May, Ukraine has ramped up strikes on Russian territory using Western-supplied weapons, deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure,” it said.

Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed on May 16 – the first in more than three years – but failed to result in a ceasefire. Russia has since insisted it is working on a serious draft agreement to end hostilities.

“This is a serious draft, a draft of a serious document that demands careful checks and preparation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, adding it had not yet been submitted.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the draft would lay out key terms for a political settlement and potential ceasefire, and would be presented to Kyiv once finalised.

Moscow has accused Ukraine of escalating attacks in recent days to derail the negotiations. In response to media reports about possible new US sanctions, Peskov claimed Washington was trying to sabotage the diplomatic process.

A car ploughed into a crowd of Liverpool fans on Monday evening, injuring 47 people, including four children. The incident took place during a Premier League victory parade through Liverpool’s city centre by the city’s official football team.

Here is what we know about the incident, victims, suspect and rescue efforts.

What happened?

Just after 6pm (17:00 GMT) on Monday, a car crashed into a crowd of Liverpool fans who were celebrating Liverpool’s victory in the Premier League football title.

The fans had gathered to catch a sight of the Liverpool football team, who had paraded the trophy through the area in an open-top bus moments before the incident. The car crash took place about 1 mile (1.6km) before the finishing point of the 10-mile (16km) parade.

Videos circulating on social media showed the car zigzag through the crowd of fans ostensibly clad in Liverpool FC merchandise. Several people were thrown into the air as they were hit by the car.

The Merseyside Police said they were called soon after the incident.

As the car came to a stop, angered members of the crowd swarmed towards it, smashing its windows. The police had to intervene to prevent them from getting to the driver.

Who was driving the car in Liverpool?

The police said they arrested a “53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area” who they believed was driving the car.

They have not released any additional details about the driver or his motivations yet.

Where in Liverpool did the crash take place?

The crash took place on Water Street, which is in the city centre and near the Strand. The street is home to historic buildings, including the office block, Oriel Chambers, built in 1864. Liverpool is located towards the northwest of England.

What do we know about the victims?

Dozens of people, including four children, were injured in the incident.

Out of the victims, 20 people sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene, not requiring hospital treatment. Another 27 people were taken to a hospital by ambulance. Authorities said two of the people hospitalised, including one child, have sustained serious injuries.

Is the incident being treated as ‘terrorism’?

The police said the incident was not being treated as a “terrorism case”.

“We believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism,” Jenny Sims, temporary deputy chief constable, told reporters.

“I would urge people not to speculate as to the motives behind this appalling incident and to allow Merseyside police to conduct their investigation,” Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson said during a news conference late on Monday.

What action did the authorities take?

Late on Monday, police officer Sims told a media briefing that several people were treated at the scene and many were taken to hospital.

She added that the police force’s emergency services colleagues from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) were also present at the scene.

NWAS officer Dave Kitchin said ambulances were dispatched, as well as a hazardous area response team, an air ambulance, doctors and senior clinicians to the site.

“Our emergency ambulances took patients to our NHS colleagues at Royal Liverpool, Alder Hey, Arrowe Park and Aintree Hospitals,” Kitchin said, referring to the hospitals the injured were taken to.

Nick Searle, MFRS chief fire officer, told the news conference that, after learning about the incident, they promptly dispatched three fire engines to Water Street. “Our crews rapidly lifted the vehicle, removed people from beneath and passed them to our ambulance colleagues.”

Liverpool City Council leader Robinson told the news conference that the incident “cast a very dark shadow over what had been a joyous day”.

“We are working closely with Merseyside Police to support their investigation, and with other relevant organisations to make sure those affected get the appropriate support,” he added.

What is the latest on the ground?

In an update on X on Monday evening, NWAS wrote that it had “cleared the scene following the incident in Liverpool”.

“Specialist officers have been put in place to support the injured and their families,” Sims said.

She requested people to refrain from sharing the “distressing footage” of the incident, adding that information, including video footage, can be submitted to the Major Incident Police Portal (MIPP).

“My fire crews will maintain a visible and reassuring presence in the coming days and weeks,” MFRS’s Searle said.

What are the reactions to the Liverpool crash?

“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in an X post. “I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.”

The scenes in Liverpool are appalling — my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.

I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.

I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 26, 2025

Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Our hearts go out to all of those affected, especially those who have been injured. Thank you, as ever, to the first responders for their professionalism and swift action.”

Our hearts go out to all of those affected, especially those who have been injured.

Thank you, as ever, to the first responders for their professionalism and swift action.

This is a difficult day for our city region, but we stand together. https://t.co/ua4xSY2UjX

— Steve Rotheram (@MetroMayorSteve) May 26, 2025

By Tina Teng

Published on
27/05/2025 – 7:49 GMT+2

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Shares of BYD, the largest Chinese electric vehicle brand, tumbled 8.6% on Monday following news that the company offered steep discounts in some models, sparking concerns about a fresh price war in China’s EV markets.

The decline continued in Tuesday’s Asian session, with BYD shares falling a further 4% in Hong Kong as of 5am CEST. Despite the drop, the stock remains up more than 50% year-to-date on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In contrast, global competitor Tesla saw little change in its share price on Monday, but remains down 13% year-to-date in 2025.

The aggressive pricing strategy has raised concerns over slowing EV demand amid persistent weakness in the Chinese economy and heightened US-China trade tensions. Other major Chinese EV makers also saw declines on Monday, with shares of Geely, Great Wall Motor, and Xpeng falling between 4% and 9% due to fears that deeper discounts could squeeze sector profit margins.

A sweeping price cut

BYD announced broad price reductions across 22 electric and plug-in hybrid models, effective until 30 June, according to a post on the company’s official Weibo account. The discounts, which range from 10% to 30%, apply to vehicles from its Ocean and Dynasty series. The most significant cut was for the Seal 07 DM-i model, with a discount of 53,000 yuan (€6,460), or 34%.

Analysts expect rival Chinese carmakers to follow BYD’s lead as domestic competition intensifies. The pricing strategy also appears aimed at reducing the excess inventory of older models. In the first four months of 2025, BYD’s dealer inventory rose by approximately 150,000 units, equal to around half a month’s worth of retail sales, according to CnEVPost.

Citi analysts estimate that the price reductions could drive a 30% to 40% weekly surge in sales. This may potentially offset margin pressure.

BYD growth remains robust, surpassing Tesla in European sales

Despite investor concerns, BYD remains on a strong growth trajectory and continues to challenge Tesla in global markets. In April, BYD reported 380,089 sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), a 21% year-on-year increase. Overseas sales also set a new record for the fifth consecutive month.

In a key milestone, BYD outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time last month, with 7,231 new battery-electric vehicles registered, a 169% year-on-year jump. By comparison, Tesla’s sales have fallen across Europe in 2025, a trend attributed in part to growing anti-Tesla sentiment linked to CEO Elon Musk’s political involvement.

During the first quarter, BYD sold nearly 1 million vehicles, placing it firmly on track to achieve its 2025 target of 5.5 million annual vehicle sales. The company reported a net income of 9.15 billion yuan (€1.11 billion), with a gross profit margin of 20%. This compares with Tesla’s $409 million (€359 million) and a 16% margin over the same period.

BYD is also investing in advanced driver-assistance systems. The company’s adoption of DeepSeek’s R1 AI model is expected to rival Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, potentially at a significantly lower cost.

In addition, BYD is China’s second-largest battery manufacturer after CATL, giving it a competitive edge in cost control and vertical integration.

BYD is likely to remain less impacted by US tariffs as it does not sell passenger vehicles to the US. Instead, it is focusing on Southeast Asia and South America for international growth. The company is also establishing a manufacturing plant in Hungary, which is expected to boost European sales.

Here’s where things stand on Tuesday, May 27:

Fighting:

• Ukraine says Russia launched a record number of drones overnight on Monday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing the attacks as a sign that Moscow is “acting with impunity”.
• Ukrainian air defences downed most of the 355 drones, but several broke through defences, causing casualties, according to authorities. Two elderly women were killed in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional governor said.
• Russia, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of launching aerial attacks on its “social infrastructure”. The Ministry of Defence said it shot down at least 48 Ukrainian drones on Monday, after shooting down 96 overnight.
• Russia’s state TASS news agency, citing the Defence Ministry, reported that Russian forces have taken over the villages of Volodymyrivka and Belovody in the northeastern region of Sumy.
• The governor of Sumy said Russian forces had captured four other villages as part of an attempt to create a “buffer zone” on Ukrainian territory. He identified them as Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka and Zhuravka, and said that residents had long been evacuated.
• The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said Russian attacks have killed 630 Ukrainian children and wounded 1,960 since the beginning of the war.
• Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs special envoy Rodion Miroshnik has accused the Ukrainian military of causing more than 400 civilian casualties in April, including with “inhumane methods of warfare”.

Military aid

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Ukraine’s key Western allies are no longer limiting the range of weapons they supply, a move the Kremlin said would be “dangerous”.

• Ukraine says it has confirmed information that China is supplying a range of important products to Russian military plants, including tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder and components specifically to defence manufacturing industries.

Politics and diplomacy

• The Kremlin responded to United States President Donald Trump’s remark that Putin has gone “absolutely crazy” over the scale of Russian air attacks, suggesting the US leader may be experiencing “emotional overload”.
• It also said that serious work on Russia’s proposal for a possible peace deal for the war in Ukraine was ongoing and that a draft had not yet been submitted. “This is a serious draft, a draft of a serious document that demands careful checks and preparation,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
• Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 900 drones as well as missiles towards Ukraine over three nights, and again called for intensified pressure on Moscow. “There is no military sense in this, but it is an obvious political choice – a choice by Putin, a choice by Russia – a choice to continue the war and destroy lives,” the Ukrainian leader said in his nightly video address.
• French President Emmanuel Macron said he believes Trump is beginning to see that Putin “lied” to him about the war in Ukraine. He also called for the imposition of a deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, backed up by the threat of “massive sanctions”./li>
• Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericton also said that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine over the weekend proved that Moscow is not interested in peace.
• Finland summoned Russia’s Helsinki ambassador to ask for an explanation regarding a suspected violation of Finnish airspace which took place last week. The NATO member said on Friday that it believed two Russian military aircraft entered its airspace off the coast of Porvoo in the southern part of the country.

Pro-European Nicusor Dan faces big challenges after defeating pro-Russian George Simion last week in a tense run-off.

Pro-European Nicusor Dan has been sworn in as Romania’s new president amid persisting claims from the far right that his election was illegitimate.

The centrist promised on Monday to usher in a “new chapter” in Romania amid hopes that his inauguration could help bring an end to months of political crisis. However, his pro-Russian and nationalist rival George Simion maintained that the May 18 election represents a “coup d’etat”.

In the run-up to the election, which was marred by the annulment of November’s initial vote due to Russian interference, Dan promised to quash corruption and reaffirm Romania’s commitment to the European Union and NATO.

In his inauguration speech, he said he would fix Romania’s economic and political woes and be a president “open to the voice of society”.

“The Romanian state needs a fundamental change within the rule of law, and I invite you to continue to be involved in order to put positive pressure on state institutions to reform,” he said. “I call on political parties to act in the national interest.”

‘National treason’

The May election rerun was held months after the Constitutional Court voided the previous election.

Far-right, pro-Russian Calin Georgescu had won the most votes in the first round of November’s vote but was thrown out of the race after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.

Simion, leader of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), took his place and led the polls for weeks before a surge in the final days of the campaign pushed Dan past the post.

Since the result was announced, Simion has repeatedly alleged, without providing evidence, that the election was rigged through foreign interference.

However, the Constitutional Court validated the results on Thursday after rejecting an appeal from Simion to annul the vote.

Lawmakers from the AUR boycotted the swearing-in ceremony, calling it “legitimising a national treason” while Simion condemned the court’s decision as a “coup d’etat”.

Authorities remain on alert with protests expected by supporters of the far right.

Dan’s victory over Simion was heralded around Europe with the outcome viewed as crucial to maintaining Romania’s place within Western alliances, especially as the war continues in neighbouring Ukraine.

“We won the Romanian presidential elections. People rejected isolationism and Russian influence,” Dan said on Sunday at a rally in Poland for liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who will face nationalist Karol Nawrocki in a presidential run-off on June 1.

However, significant challenges lie ahead for Dan as Romania faces political and economic crises.

He must first nominate a prime minister who can garner the support necessary to form a new government as widespread rejection of the political class has propelled figures like Georgescu and Simion into leading challengers.

Dan is expected to meet Ilie Bolojan, who had been serving as interim president. The member of the pro-EU National Liberal Party has been tipped as a possible prime minister.

As for Romanians struggling economically, Dan made few promises on Monday.

“Put simply, … the Romanian state is spending more than it can afford,” the new president said.

“It is in the national interest for Romania to send a message of stability to financial markets,” he said. “It is in the national interest to send a signal of openness and predictability to the investment environment.”

Police say a male suspect is taken into custody after a car collides with several pedestrians in Liverpool.

A man has been arrested after driving a car into a crowd in Liverpool during a parade to celebrate Liverpool FC’s Premier League football title, emergency services say.

Merseyside Police in northwest England said they were contacted just after 6pm (17:00 GMT) on Monday “following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians”.

The PA Media news agency, quoting police, reported the arrested man is a “53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area”.

“Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision,” police said. “We would ask people not to speculate on the circumstances surrounding tonight’s incident.”

There was no immediate word from authorities about how many people were injured.

Social media footage appeared to show a dark-coloured car swerving into the dense crowd at the end of the celebrations as players showed off the trophy on an open-topped bus through the city.

Harry Rashid, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, told The Associated Press news agency the car began ramming people about 3 metres (10ft) away from him.

“It was extremely fast,” Rashid said. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”

Crowds and uniformed police officers quickly surrounded the vehicle and several people lying on the ground.

Cordons were put in place, and a fire engine was also at the scene.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being kept updated about the incident.

“The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected. I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident,” Starmer said on social media.

The incident followed a large celebration in the city centre, where tens of thousands of dancing, scarf- and flag-waving fans braved wet weather to line the streets and watch Liverpool’s players display the Premier League trophy atop two buses bearing the words “Ours Again”.

The hours-long procession – surrounded by a thick layer of police and security – crawled along a 10-mile (16km) route and through a sea of red smoke and rain. Fireworks exploded from the Royal Liver Building in the heart of the city to seemingly signal the end of the parade.

Rashid said after the car struck its initial victims, it came to a halt and the crowd charged the vehicle and began smashing windows.

“But then he put his foot down again and just ploughed through the rest of them. He just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”

Rashid said it looked deliberate and he was in shock and disbelief.

“My daughter started screaming, and there were people on the ground,” he said. “They were just innocent people, just fans going to enjoy the parade.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool said in a post on X that it was in direct contact with police about the event. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident,” the team said.

The Madrid Group has convened in Spain’s capital for a fifth time, in a meeting attended by major European and Arab nations.

Pressure on Israel this year has been ramped up, with Spain calling for an arms embargo on Israel and the imposition of sanctions on individuals who obstruct a two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The United Kingdom has paused trade talks and sanctioned a number of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Canada and France have also threatened punitive measures.

And the European Union – Israel’s biggest trade partner – is reviewing its landmark Association Agreement covering trade and political dialogue.

But after 20 months of Israel’s destruction of Gaza, why is this happening now?

And without changes on the ground for Palestinians, are these actions anything more than diplomatically symbolic?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Lynn Boylan – Member of European Parliament, and chair of the delegation of relations with Palestine

Mouin Rabbani – Non-resident fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies

Saul Takahashi – Former deputy head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in occupied Palestine

A car hit multiple pedestrians during Liverpool FC’s victory parade on Monday evening in Liverpool, UK. Police say a 53-year-old British man has been arrested. The parade was to celebrate Liverpool FC winning the Premier League title.

Kyiv’s intelligence chief ‘confirms’ that China is directly aiding Russia’s arms industry.

Ukraine has data that confirms China is supplying Russia’s arms industry, according to the head of Kyiv’s foreign intelligence service.

Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview published by the Ukrinform news agency on Monday that Ukraine can “confirm” that China is providing important materials and equipment to 20 Russian military factories.

Beijing has regularly denied accusations from Kyiv that it is aiding Moscow’s war against its neighbour.

Last month, Ukraine accused China of direct military assistance to Russia’s arms industry. Ivashchenko said that the country’s intelligence agency can now confirm those reports.

“There is information that China supplies tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder, and components specifically to defence manufacturing industries,” he said. “We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories.”

‘Groundless’

Although China has sought to project an image of neutrality and denies any involvement in the war, it has increased trade and economic cooperation with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Meanwhile, Western countries have imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow.

Ukraine has regularly suggested China is supporting the war, and has said that Beijing has sent soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces.

Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first public accusation that China is supplying gunpowder and materials to Russia’s arms manufacturers, while also accusing Chinese citizens of helping in the production of drones.

China rejected the claim as “groundless,” but Kyiv has since imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities.

Ivashchenko said that Ukrainian intelligence had information on at least five cases of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the aviation sector between 2024 and 2025, including the transfer of equipment, spare parts and technical documentation.

He added that there were six cases involving “large shipments” of specialty chemicals, but did not provide further details.

“As of early 2025, 80 percent of critical electronic components found in Russian drones originated in China,” Ivashchenko added.

“At the same time, there are facts of product substitutions, deceptive product names; there are shell companies through which everything necessary for the production of microelectronics is supplied.”

The comments came as Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia had launched a record number of drones against Ukraine overnight on Sunday.

Russian forces deployed 298 drones and 69 missiles, according to the report, but the Air Force said it was able to down 266 drones and 45 missiles.

Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify the figures. Ukraine said that the attack was the largest of the war in terms of weapons fired.

The layoffs come days after US President Donald Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on EU goods.

Swedish automaker Volvo is set to cut 3,000 white-collar jobs amid restructuring efforts as prices begin to rise due to tariff-driven uncertainty.

The company announced the news on Monday. The layoffs come as the Swedish automaker tries to resurrect its rock-bottom share price and drum up better demand for its cars by restructuring part of its business and cutting costs.

CEO Hakan Samuelsson, who was recently brought back to the role after heading the company for a decade until 2022, unveiled a programme in April to slash costs by $1.9bn (18 billion Swedish crowns), including a substantial cut to Volvo’s white-collar staff, who make up 40 percent of its workforce.

“It’s white collar in almost all areas, including R&D  [research and development], communication, human resources,” Samuelsson told the Reuters news agency.

The layoffs represent around 15 percent of the company’s office staff, Volvo Cars said in a statement, and would incur a one-time restructuring cost of $160m (1.5 billion crowns).

Volvo Cars’ new CFO Fredrik Hansson told Reuters that while all of its departments and locations would be impacted, most of the redundancies will happen in Gothenburg.

“It’s tailored to make us structurally more efficient, and then how that plays out might vary a bit depending on the area. But no stone is left unturned,” Hansson said.

With most of its production based in Europe and China, Volvo Cars is more exposed to new United States tariffs than many of its European rivals, and has said it could become impossible to export its most affordable cars to the US.

The company said in a press release that it would finalise a new structural setup by the third quarter of this year.

Volvo withdrew its financial guidance as it announced its cost cuts last month, pointing to unpredictable markets amid weaker consumer confidence and trade tariffs causing turmoil in the global auto industry.

The layoff announcement comes only days after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on imports from the European Union from June 1. On Monday, however, he backed away from that date, restoring a July 9 deadline to allow for talks between Washington and Brussels.

As a result, Volvo’s CEO said the move would make it harder for it to sell one of its electric vehicles (EVs) — the EX30 EV that is made in Belgium — in the US market.