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European Parliament Chief Visits Ukraine, Says 'We Stand with You'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola address the media during a joint statement at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (Michele Tantussi/Pool photo via AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola address the media during a joint statement at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (Michele Tantussi/Pool photo via AP)
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European Parliament Chief Visits Ukraine, Says 'We Stand with You'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola address the media during a joint statement at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (Michele Tantussi/Pool photo via AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola address the media during a joint statement at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (Michele Tantussi/Pool photo via AP)

The head of the European Parliament said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday that the people of Europe stand with Ukraine and will help rebuild its towns and cities after the war with Russia.

Roberta Metsola, who took over as the European Parliament's president in January, also said the assembly would support Ukraine's efforts to start the process of joining the European Union.

"Please believe me when I say that the European Parliament, the European Union and the people of Europe stand with Ukraine. That is why I am here today, because we stand with you," she said after arriving in the capital Kyiv.

Metsola, who is Maltese, made three promises to Ukraine.

"First, (President Vladimir) Putin's criminal invasion of Ukraine puts Russia in direct confrontation with Europe, the international community and the rules-based world order. That is not something that we will let him do unchallenged," she said.

"Second, the European Union recognizes your European ambitions and your aspiration to be a candidate country for succession. And you can count on the European Parliament's full support in achieving this goal."

"Third, we will help you rebuild your cities and your towns when this illegal, unprovoked and unnecessary war is over. We have already provided financial, military and humanitarian assistance. This will continue and it will increase," she told a joint briefing with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada, or parliament.

Stefanchuk said they had discussed continuing international sanctions on Russia, humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine and procedures for EU accession.

The prime ministers of EU member states Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia visited Kyiv last month in a show of solidarity with Ukraine. EU countries are among those that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion.

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World

Damaged Russian Tanker Days away from Libyan Shores, Italian Official Says

A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026. Marina Militare/Handout via REUTERS
A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026. Marina Militare/Handout via REUTERS
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Damaged Russian Tanker Days away from Libyan Shores, Italian Official Says

A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026. Marina Militare/Handout via REUTERS
A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026. Marina Militare/Handout via REUTERS

A damaged Russian LNG tanker that has been drifting unmanned in the Mediterranean for more than two weeks, risking a major ecological disaster, is four to six days from Libya’s shores, an Italian official said on Friday.

The Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, has been unmanned since early March, when it was hit by Ukrainian naval drones, according to Russia's Transport Ministry.

Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for any such attack.

The tanker is currently in international waters falling under Libya's search and rescue zone, some 53 nautical miles (98 kilometres) north of the capital Tripoli, Italian Civil Protection agency spokesman Pierfrancesco Demilito said.

Based on prevailing southbound winds and sea currents - assuming they do not change - it could take "four, five or six days, more or less," for the vessel to reach Libyan land, Demilito said.

Italy, France, Spain and six other southern EU members wrote last week to the European Commission warning that the Arctic Metagaz poses "an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster."

Demilito said the vessel is estimated to be carrying 450 metric tons of heavy oil and 250 tons of diesel as fuel supplies, and an "uncertain" quantity of LNG, which may have partly regasified and dispersed.

While it has a "large gash on its side" it does not appear to be at imminent risk of sinking, but the concern is that it may run aground or crash into an offshore oil platform, although none are currently nearby, the spokesman said.

Any intervention on the tanker would fall to Libya, since the vessel is in its search and rescue waters, but Italy would be ready to help if asked, Demilito added, indicating that coast guard and navy units were also monitoring the situation.

World

French FM Calls on Iran to Make 'Major Concessions'

FILE PHOTO: QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
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French FM Calls on Iran to Make 'Major Concessions'

FILE PHOTO: QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Friday on a visit to Israel that Iran must make major concessions as part of any long-term political solution following the Middle East war.

"Whatever the outcome of the ongoing military operations, it must be complemented by a political solution that produces lasting results," Barrot told journalists in Tel Aviv, AFP reported.

"In this regard, the Iranian regime must be prepared to make major concessions -- a radical change of stance."

Barrot repeated a European call for a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure after an Israeli bombardment of Iran's key gasfield pushed up energy prices.

France's top diplomat, who visited Beirut on Thursday, expressed France's "reservations" about Israel's ground operations to fight Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He called on Israel to seize an "historic opportunity" and hold direct talks with the Lebanese authorities, after French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to host negotiations.

"The Lebanese government has signalled its unprecedented openness to direct talks at the highest level with Israel," he said.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he had discussed with Barrot the "scope of attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory".

"Unfortunately, the Lebanese government and its army are not taking any meaningful action against Hezbollah, neither militarily nor in other aspects," Saar wrote on X.

He also called on the EU to list Hezbollah "in its entirety as a terrorist organization, not only its military wing, as several European countries already did".

Barrot said that regional stability in the Middle East also depended on the implementation of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza that halted two years of war in October.

The Trump plan envisions the disarmament of Hamas, the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli military and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force, with a transitional Palestinian technocratic committee overseeing day-to-day governance.

World

Swiss Will Not Export War Equipment to US during Mideast Conflict

A member of ground crew moves munitions towards a USAF B1 B bomber at RAF Fairford airbase, used by USAF personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Phil Noble
A member of ground crew moves munitions towards a USAF B1 B bomber at RAF Fairford airbase, used by USAF personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Phil Noble
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Swiss Will Not Export War Equipment to US during Mideast Conflict

A member of ground crew moves munitions towards a USAF B1 B bomber at RAF Fairford airbase, used by USAF personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Phil Noble
A member of ground crew moves munitions towards a USAF B1 B bomber at RAF Fairford airbase, used by USAF personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Switzerland decided Friday it will not authorize the export of war materiel to the United States during the Middle East conflict, in line with its long-standing principle of military neutrality.

Switzerland has already refused US requests for flights over its territory since the war erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel began attacks on Iran.

Following that decision, on Friday the Swiss government looked at applying neutrality to exports to states involved in the war.

"The export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorized for the duration of the conflict," said a government statement, AFP reported.

"Existing licences and exports of other goods will now be regularly reviewed by an interdepartmental group of experts, particularly with regard to their compatibility with neutrality.

"Exports of war materiel to the USA cannot currently be authorized," and existing US licences will now face regular review, it said, whilst adding that Switzerland has not issued war materiel export licences to Israel or Iran for years.

Since the conflict started, no new licences have been issued for exports of war goods to the United States, Bern said.

Existing US licences "have been determined to be of no relevance to the war at present and can therefore continue to be used", the statement said.

Nevertheless, an expert group drawn from the foreign, defense and economy ministries will regularly review developments in exports of the goods in question to the United States, and assess whether any action is required.

Swiss neutrality traces its roots back to 1516 and has been internationally recognized since 1815.