FRANCE 24 explores events across Europe, including in the 27 member states of the European Union and the United Kingdom. Follow our on-the-ground reports, interviews and analyses of the events affecting social and political life on the Continent and Europe’s role in the world.
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Russia launches hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine in largest attack in weeks
21 August 2025
Russia lauched hundreds of missles and drones at Ukraine in an overnight attack, the Ukrainian air force said on Thursday. The attack is the largest Russia has launched in weeks and comes amid US-led efforts to kickstart peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
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French researcher in Russian jail faces new espionage charge
21 August 2025
A French researcher imprisoned in Russia is under new investigation for espionage, a court filing showed on Wednesday. Laurent Vinatier, already serving a three-year sentence, faces a hearing on August 25. The new charges carry a potential prison term of up to 20 years.
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Russia not vying for peace but seeking Ukraine's surrender, former NATO official says
20 August 2025
NATO chiefs have been discussing the security guarantees that could be provided to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to former NATO Assistant Secretary General Antonio Missiroli. He says that the conditions put on the table by Russia mean that it is not 'trying to have a peace agreement but to have a sort of surrender on the part of Ukraine'.
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‘Today it’s paper, tomorrow it’s nothing’: the perils of security guarantees for Ukraine
20 August 2025
Security guarantees have become a crucial part of discussions about a peace deal for Ukraine, with the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky saying they are “the key issue – the starting point for ending the war”. Integrating Ukrainian forces into the European defence architecture would be a way to deter Russians from fresh attacks on Ukraine, says one analyst.
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'Star factor of PSG appeals to int'l audiences' yet France's League 1 doesn't reap the rewards
20 August 2025
'HEGEMONY OF PSG': As Qatar's shining football jewel continues its dominance of both French and European football, France's League 1 'is struggling with an identity problem", explains Ed Dove, ESPN/North Star Network Journalist. And while PSGs wildly successful season and "star factor will make them a more appealing draw to international audiences, that might not translate into other teams in the division." While there are some highly competitive teams in the League 1, "when you see the giants of the French game encountering financial struggles," including Saint-Etienne and Olympique Lyonnais, "it makes the league less appealing to international audiences".
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Under Geneva Convention, Russia has no automatic claim to territory simply by virtue of occupying it
20 August 2025
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that discussing any Western security guarantees for Ukraine without Russian involvement was a "road to nowhere". NATO military chiefs were set to discuss the details of eventual security guarantees for Ukraine amid efforts to broker an end to Russia's brutal invasion. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Annette Young welcomes David Turns, Senior Lecturer in the Department of International and Operational Law at the Swedish Defence University.
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New disinformation operation targets Armenian government with corruption claims
20 August 2025
In mid-August, multiple accounts with ties to pro-Trump and pro-Russian networks alleged that Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan embezzled 3.4 million dollars in a children's cancer fund corruption scandal. However, their claims are based on a fake article published on a bogus news website created just a few days before.
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'In principle, there are always justifications for limiting & curtailing threats to nat'l security'
20 August 2025
A member of Irish rap group Kneecap was welcomed by hundreds of supporters as he arrived at a London court on Wednesday, charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah during a Kneecap concert in London in November 2024. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry welcomes Ethan Shattock, Expert in free expression and Lecturer in the School of Law at the Queen's University Belfast.
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Ukrainians flee front line amid Russian drone strikes
20 August 2025
As international efforts to kickstart Russia-Ukraine peace talks continue, increasing numbers of Ukrainian residents living near the front lines are fleeing to safety to escape ongoing Russian drone attacks. Numbers are currently so high they threaten to overwhelm transit centres that help evacuees find temporary accommodation, workers said.
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Russia, Switzerland, Austria: where might Ukraine peace talks take place?
20 August 2025
US President Donald Trump's recent efforts to broker peace in Ukraine has led to speculation over where a potential face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky might take place. While Putin has suggested meeting in Moscow, European leaders are pushing for a Austria of Switzerland to host talks.
