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Europe Today: NATO, Ukraine and the battle over Europe's future budget
NATO defence ministers are gathering to prepare for next month’s leaders’ summit in Ankara. Among those attending is Pentagon chief and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/06/18/europe-today-nato-ukraine-and-the-battle-over-europes-future-budget
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NATO defence ministers are gathering to prepare for next month’s leaders’ summit in Ankara. Among those attending is Pentagon chief and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/06/18/europe-today-nato-ukraine-and-the-battle-over-europes-future-budget
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:14Good morning, it is Thursday the 18th of June. I'm Maeve McMahon and this is Europe Today,
00:20bringing you all the news you need to start your day live here on Euronews.
00:24Coming up, NATO Defence Ministers are gathering in Brussels as we speak to scrutinise the US-Iran deal
00:31and prepare for the Leaders' Summit in Ankara. Among those attending is the Pentagon Chief and
00:36US Secretary of War, Pete Hegsen. We'll have all the details with our NATO correspondent,
00:41Shona Murray. Meanwhile, red carpet treatments for President Donald Trump at a gala dinner last
00:46night in Versailles. That after a successful G7 Summit, attention now turns to Brussels,
00:52where leaders of the EU's 27 member states will gather tonight for a working dinner.
00:58Joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the menu continued support for Ukraine,
01:03the constant conflict in the Middle East and the battle for the EU's seven-year budget.
01:08And after a whirlwind six months leading the EU's rotating presidency that was overshadowed by the
01:14conflict in Iran, Cyprus is getting ready to pass the baton to Ireland. We'll be joined here in the
01:20studio by the country's Minister for European Affairs to discuss the presidency's highs and
01:24lows and the work still left to be done. But first, to NATO, where Defence Ministers are meeting this
01:30morning with the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegsen, joining his counterparts. The tentative US-Iran deal
01:35ending several months of conflict is very much high on the agenda this morning. Your news is Shona
01:40Murray is following those talks for us and joins us now from NATO. Good morning, Shona. So a packed
01:46agenda in Brussels today. First, just bring us up to speed on what Defence Ministers there are saying
01:52at NATO, with various press conferences underway.
01:57Good morning, Maven. Pete Hegsen, the US Secretary of War, has gone inside. He didn't speak to the press,
02:01but we did hear from Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary-General, who confirmed to us that US cuts in
02:07contributions to NATO will be effective immediately. So essentially, the United States is saying it will
02:11no longer supply certain assets to NATO in the event of war, including things like certain F-16s,
02:18F-35s, certain bombers, submarines. And Mark Rutte making the point this morning that European and
02:23Canadian allies will have to fill that gap immediately. Also on the agenda, of course, is that
02:28Iran deal that the United States signed last night in Versailles and the implications that they'll have
02:33for NATO allies. Now, remember, NATO is not taking part in this war and is not taking part in the
02:38reopening formally of the Strait of Hormuz. But NATO countries led by France and the UK
02:43have signed up to a mission that will reopen and re-secure the Strait of Hormuz within the coming
02:48days and weeks. So the implications will be significant there. But also on the agenda is a
02:53major talking point of relation to Ukraine. And Vladimir Zelensky, the Ukrainian president,
02:58will be here. There is a hope from the Ukrainian perspective that there can be a refocus back into the
03:03war in Ukraine, given that hopefully the Iran deal could materialise and bring that conflict
03:09to an end. Maeve?
03:11And meanwhile, of course, Shona, this evening, EU leaders will be meeting with China,
03:15the Middle East and the EU budget, very much top of the agenda.
03:20That's right. And we know that budget discussions in the European Union are confrontational and
03:26rancorous at the best of times. And the beginning of these negotiations is no different. That budget needs
03:31to be sealed and done by the end of 2027. So that will be very much on the topic for
03:36discussion
03:37today. Also, there's a growing consensus within the European Union that the EU needs to be stronger
03:42when it comes to dealing with trade measures from China, in particular in relation to overcapacity
03:47that is really impacting the European markets and the European economy, also in relation to Chinese
03:52subsidies. And there will also be discussion on the Middle East and the decision whether or not to
03:57deal with occupied territories in Palestine. So there's a two-day summit beginning this evening
04:02and ongoing tomorrow. Maeve?
04:04Okay. Shona Murray, thank you so much for that live update. They're from NATO. And as you heard
04:08there from Shona, another key issue at that summit tonight is, of course, Ukraine, with President
04:12Zelensky joining leaders after having lunch with the Belgian King for the view from Cyprus, who's held
04:18the EU-rotating presidency for the past six months. I'm joined now here in the studio by Minister
04:23Mariana Rauna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs for Cyprus. Good morning, Minister.
04:28Good morning, Maeve.
04:29Good to have you here.
04:30I'm delighted to be here 12 days before the end of our province.
04:32I know. It's been quite a busy period for you. So we're thrilled that you made it here
04:35to Europe today. And of course, on the 15th of June there, you did manage to open the first
04:40accession negotiations cluster, the first step so to these talks that can kick off for the Ukraine
04:45to one day potentially enter the EU. Do you hope, though, to open the next cluster before
04:49you end the presidency? Indeed, we had this milestone step in the accession negotiations
04:55of Ukraine as well as Moldova this week. The second accession conference opening cluster one,
05:02we worked extremely hard to get to this day. We made it very clear from the beginning that
05:08supporting Ukraine on all fronts was a top priority of the Cyprus presidency. We were led to
05:15this milestone step after having done all the front-loading work, all the technical work
05:21on all the clusters. We completed them. We presented those results at the General Affairs Council
05:26in March.
05:29So do you want to open another one? Do you need two weeks to go?
05:32We will remain ambitious until the very last day of our presidency, and we will work with all
05:38member states and make all efforts to have even more positive developments. That I can say.
05:45But not over-promising something that perhaps you cannot deliver.
05:48I cannot prejudge, but what I can say is that we are working on it, and we will continue working
05:54on it.
05:54There is momentum that has been created by this accession conference, and we want to continue
05:59building on that.
06:00And your country is unique in the sense that you're the only EU country with a portion
06:04of a territory under occupation. How has that influenced your decisions when it comes to Ukraine?
06:09It has given us a very unique perspective, Maeve. Cyprus is the last member state under military
06:14occupation that has experienced the devastating effects of the Turkish invasion that are enduring.
06:20This has given us a unique perspective into what is happening in Ukraine. And it has really driven
06:28our commitment and our work for work. We delivered on the Ukraine support loan, the £90 billion loan.
06:35We delivered on the 20th sanctions package, and we're already working on the 21st sanctions
06:41package.
06:42And let's move on to the long-term budget.
06:44And the accession conference.
06:44Because everyone in town is talking about this long-term budget. Of course, it'll be up to the
06:48Irish presidency to really push it through. As you heard there from our correspondent,
06:51Shona Murray, the stakes couldn't be higher. Now, you've proposed a cut, a 2% cut to the budget.
06:57Why?
06:58So this was one of our most demanding files, our most challenging files. And that made us work
07:03extra hard with transparency, with inclusivity since day one of our presidency. On the volume of
07:11the... And we've put on the table the first revised negotiating box that actually has figures. And in
07:17addition to that, we delivered an agreement on the three important central files.
07:22This is the so-called Nego box.
07:24The Nego box.
07:24Nobody likes this box.
07:25Nego box.
07:26The Dutch have called it the no-go box.
07:28No one likes the first Nego box with figures. We were well prepared with that.
07:32We are, however, confident, having worked intensively with all member states, that we
07:38worked as true and as brokers, and that in this Nego box, which is a basis for negotiation,
07:44it is not the end of the road. There is something for every member state. We proposed a moderate
07:502% cut, bringing together as a compromise, and there were very opposing views on that, on some member states
07:58who wanted an ambitious budget, some member states wanted an even increased budget, and those member states who wanted extensive
08:05cuts.
08:05So, you know, the pressure will be on the Irish presidency now, with so many elections taking place next year.
08:09But just, you mentioned, you know, you're a small country, you're a so-called honest broker. Just on that point,
08:14you spoke last night to Bruno Le Maire, the former economy minister of France, and he had some suggestions on
08:20how the EU could work a bit better. Take a look.
08:22All the European leaders must draw from the past month, and I would say from the past two years, that
08:29if they want to be relevant and strong, they need to be united. And they don't need to be united
08:36with the 27 member states. They need to give a new impetus to the European construction by building a European
08:43with six core countries, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands.
08:49Six countries, instead of 27 countries, is the best way of reinforcing Europe, of facing the threats posed by many
08:59empires around the world, and to get some concrete results.
09:03Your reaction to that, Minister? How does that make small countries feel?
09:06I would say that the European Union is a union of 27, of 27 equal member states, bigger and smaller.
09:13Are decisions difficult to reach when you have 27 around the table? Absolutely.
09:18But unity is the greatest asset of the European Union. And particularly now, when we see the complexities and the
09:27multitude of challenges that we face. But we have also proven something made in the last two years. In the
09:34midst of truly unprecedented challenges that we have faced, the European Union was able to deliver on all fronts.
09:44And of course, unanimity has not been difficult, but we have always found a way and we need to maintain
09:51our unity.
09:51OK. And your presidency, of course, slightly overshadowed there by the US-Iran war. Minister, thank you so much.
09:57I wouldn't say overshadowed.
09:59Thank you so much for coming in to us. And just on that point of the US-Iran war, Pope
10:04Leo has welcomed the initial agreement that was electronically signed last night and is set to be officially sealed tomorrow
10:11in Lausanne, Switzerland.
10:12Lebanon, though, remains outside the scope of the deal.
10:15For more, we can bring in General Ben Hodges, who served as the commanding general of the US Army Europe.
10:20Good morning, General. Always great to have you with us on the programme. Curious to hear your thoughts on this
10:25deal.
10:25Is anyone in Washington satisfied with it?
10:28Well, I think the president probably is because it's going to, it gives him some reason to claim what he
10:37has done and to hopefully put it in the rearview mirror, which were his words.
10:42I don't think anybody else believes that this is a good deal or sustainable or one that's going to last.
10:50NATO defence ministers, they're breathing a slight sigh of relief, as our correspondent reported just earlier.
10:55What's the biggest red flag, though, in the draft that you have seen?
10:59Well, you just touched on it. Lebanon is left outside of it.
11:03And, you know, the Israeli objectives for this war have not always been aligned with the US objectives for the
11:12war.
11:12And the Iranians can see that.
11:13And so the fact that Israel and Lebanon are not in the deal means that the potential for Israel and
11:25the Hezbollah to resume fighting is really high.
11:28I think that's one thing.
11:30The second thing, the Iranians will always be able to stop traffic through the strait again.
11:36They've discovered that they have their own nuclear weapon and there's not much we can do about it.
11:42So we're in a much worse situation now than we were four or five months ago.
11:48And what if this collapses then? What's next?
11:51Well, the president said if the Iranians don't behave, then he'll resume bombing.
11:56I think this is he he said that to threaten the Iranians.
12:01But, of course, he will not want to do that right in the last five months before the midterm election.
12:06So the Iranians actually are the ones that have so much leverage right now.
12:12The Navy, the Navy, the US Navy has done a great job carrying out their assigned tasks.
12:17They could come back in and put the blockade back in, I guess.
12:20But this is this is exactly the thing that candidate Trump said he would not do.
12:25And now here we are. It's a it's a mess of his own making.
12:29And our allies are correct to be cautious about getting sucked into this.
12:34But I would imagine there is some relief, at least temporarily, because people are concerned about the NATO summit coming
12:41up in just a few weeks.
12:43And they're hoping that the president doesn't blow that up.
12:45Indeed, Ben Hodges. Temporary relief.
12:47I think that's a good way of putting it.
12:49Thank you so much for joining us here on the programme.
12:52And now for a deeper dive on what's happening tonight at the last EU summit before the summer break.
12:58Here's our Jakob Janus.
13:01Forget the dry press releases.
13:03The real action at this week's European Council summit happens behind closed doors on this Thursday night.
13:09Council President Antonio Costa is gathering all 27 national leaders for an exclusive high stakes working dinner.
13:15Sadly, he forgot to invite a reporter.
13:17But that doesn't stop us from seeing what will be said on the multi-course menu.
13:22So let's pull up a chair and look at the dishes driving the debate.
13:27First is Ukraine.
13:29Leaders will hear from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before discussing a major diplomatic milestone.
13:34Opening the first formal block of EU membership negotiations for both Ukraine and Moldova.
13:40Next is global economic survival.
13:42EU leaders are confronting unfair competition from China.
13:45aiming to build a unified European stance against Beijing state subsidies
13:49and to stop losing out on trade before European factories are forced to close.
13:55Finally, there will be a bitter roar over the next seven-year budget.
13:59Costa has delivered a blunt ultimatum.
14:01There will be no deal this year without new EU-wide taxes.
14:04And Brussels wants to raise billions through green duties, but also through fresh levies on big tech, crypto, and online
14:11dumbling.
14:12And the Cypriot presidency has pitched a compromise budget of 1.73 trillion euros.
14:17But the fiscal frugals, like Germany or Sweden, argue the total sum is still far too high.
14:23And there is a lot of political pressure to digest before dessert,
14:28especially as crushing energy bills from the war in Iran still hung over the table.
14:32Look, the official summit conclusions on Friday will no doubt look polished and uniform.
14:37However, the real messy fate of the European economy is being carved up across Thursday's dinner plates.
14:44And if history is any guide, expect the coffee to be strong,
14:47the knives to be out,
14:49and the negotiations to stretch long after the tables are cleared.
14:57Yeah, Copiana's reporting for us there.
14:59And now it's time for our FIFA World Cup update.
15:07Well, last night was another gripping one with Portugal facing off Congo in a one-all draw in Group K.
15:13England beating Croatia 4-2 and Ghana winning Panama in Group L.
15:18And then we saw, of course, Uzbekistan losing 1-3 to Colombia in Group K.
15:23For the view from Portugal on their very first game of this tournament,
15:26we can cross now over to Lisbon and bring in our correspondent, João Azevedo.
15:31Good morning, João.
15:32So tell us, in your view, how did Portugal do and how would you assess Ronaldo's performance?
15:39Good morning, Mev.
15:40Well, given the hype around this Portuguese squad, which is seen by many analysts as the most complete ever,
15:48it was a major letdown for the thousands of fans who flocked to this square here in downtown Lisbon.
15:55And, well, Portugal got off to a great start, which won't have rising for a spectacular header that put the
16:02team ahead just six minutes into the game.
16:05But then the Democratic Republic of the Congo pushed through.
16:08They're strong physically and managed to equalize before halftime with their first ever World Cup goal.
16:13Cristiano Ronaldo, well, he was nowhere to be seen in the first 45 minutes.
16:19And when he came back out for the second half, he missed two clear-cut chances.
16:25He's now gone 10 games in a row without scoring a single goal at European Championships and World Cups.
16:34And the debate is over whether he should be dropped for the next game against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
16:43He certainly confirmed the worrying signs that he had shown in the two warm-up matches prior to the team
16:50traveling over to the U.S.
16:53Also yesterday, England was in action.
16:57They bid Croatia 4-2 with the country's star striker Harry Kane delivering two goals that were crucial to the
17:08team starting the tournament successfully.
17:10First from a retaken penalty and then with a hatter from a coroner.
17:18He was unsurprisingly named man of the match.
17:22And I think, Maeve, that you got a clip showing the excitement of English fans, right?
17:26Absolutely. We sent our Adnan Leal to the streets of Brussels to hear some very excited England supporters. Take a
17:33look.
17:34This time we hope it's going to come home, obviously. Every time we do.
17:37It is coming home.
17:38Harry Kane, the big man. I think he's in the form of his life. So I think if there's a
17:43time to do it, it's now.
17:44Harry Kane, will you bring it home for England?
17:46Of course we will. Of course we will. You'll see, sir.
17:48After that, Bomans. Yeah, go on then. It's coming home.
17:51Yes, yes, yes, yes.
17:53Most definitely. Like, the game tonight was insane.
17:56Of course I think it's coming home. It has to come home.
17:59It's been since 1966. It's going to be immense if we win it.
18:03Like, the whole of England is going to be celebrating.
18:05Four goals, three words. It's coming home.
18:08Go on, England!
18:12You can always rely on the English there for some entertainment.
18:15That was, of course, Adnan Leal reporting for us.
18:17And Joe, just tell us now, by now all the big global stars have already played in this year's World
18:21Cup.
18:22What's your overview on the superstars? How are they doing?
18:27Well, first of all, Lionel Messi, two days ago, he took the World Cup by storm, scored the hat-trick
18:34against Algeria,
18:36and became the oldest man to score a World Cup hat-trick.
18:41And he also secured the all-time World Cup scoring record.
18:4716 goals drew level with Germany's Miroslav Klose.
18:52So Lionel Messi, also Francis, Kylian Mbappé, Norway's Erling Haaland, England's Harry Kane,
19:00as we just saw, all four-star forwards delivered important goals,
19:07and they played a key role in their team's opening wins.
19:12Cristiano Ronaldo and other big names, notably from Spain and Brazil, fell short.
19:17But you know what? World Cups are full of slow starts.
19:20But this is just the beginning.
19:23We'll see how they respond in the next two group stage games.
19:26On a personal level, I hope Portugal can perform much better, and we'll be back, I believe.
19:33OK, Jovava Zabeido, thank you so much for that live update there.
19:36And for more, of course, on the World Cup, visit Euronews.com.
19:38We'll also have a live blog on the EU Summit taking place tonight.
19:41Take care, though, and thank you so much for tuning in to Europe Today on Euronews.
20:00We'll see you next time.
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