Germany's Scholz Says EU Firmly on Ukraine's Side

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)
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Germany's Scholz Says EU Firmly on Ukraine's Side

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not pictured), at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2022. Vucic and Scholz met for bilateral talks. (EPA)

The European Union is united in its support for Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German parliament, adding, with apparent reference to Hungary, that attempts to undermine the bloc's values by blocking foreign policy measures would fail.

"Anyone who thinks he can undermine the values of the EU, to which every member state has committed itself, by blocking its foreign and security policies, will fail," he told legislators on Wednesday.

Budapest earlier this week dropped its objections to an EU loan to Kyiv after the partial unfreezing of financial support for Hungary. The EU had blocked the funds over rule of law concerns, The Associated Press said.

Support for Ukraine, including sanctions against Russia, would be maintained and intensified for as long as President Vladimir Putin kept up his war against Kyiv, Scholz added.

"Nobody is suffering as much from Russia's war as the Ukrainians - and we stand firmly by their side," he said.



UK Warns of Iranian Attempts to Bring Ships into its Waters

Illustrative: The oil tanker Mercer Street, which came under attack last week off Oman, is seen moored off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 (AP)
Illustrative: The oil tanker Mercer Street, which came under attack last week off Oman, is seen moored off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 (AP)
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UK Warns of Iranian Attempts to Bring Ships into its Waters

Illustrative: The oil tanker Mercer Street, which came under attack last week off Oman, is seen moored off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 (AP)
Illustrative: The oil tanker Mercer Street, which came under attack last week off Oman, is seen moored off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 (AP)

A warning has gone out to seafarers in the Arabian Gulf over what appear to be attempts by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to compel ships to enter Iranian waters.

A notice from the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center on Friday said that there had been “several incidents involving VHF radio challenges to vessels.”

“It is assessed that these are most likely part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ large-scale exercise, Great Prophet XVIII,” the UKMTO said.

Iran has been engaged in an extraordinary two-month-long military exercise across the country after being twice hit by Israel in retaliation for attacks against it during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

While Iran has a history of harassing and impounding vessels, it hasn’t directly launched many such attacks recently. Instead, the Iran-backed Houthi group have been attacking ships since November 2023, a campaign that now appears to be winding down after the ceasefire in Gaza.

Iranian media reported a likely Guard exercise in the Arabian Gulf coming this weekend as well.