Author: Anadolu Agency

Arms support to Ukraine will bring more destruction, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Friday. Arguing that many European leaders are wrong to think that pouring more weapons to Ukraine would force peace through strength, he said: “It is clear that this will not happen, and that it will lead to more destruction, more casualties, more distancing from peace and the loss of even more territory by Ukraine,” during in his address at the meeting of Aqaba Process for the Balkans Forum in Sofia, according to state-run BTA news agency. Radev warned that regional conflicts can swiftly escalate to global…

Russian President Vladimir Putin supports a ceasefire in Ukraine, but numerous factors must be addressed before taking this step, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. In a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov talked about media reports, claiming that advisers to US President Donald Trump advised him not to call Putin until Moscow agreed to a complete ceasefire. Peskov dismissed the reports, saying: “A lot of different fakes, rumors, conjectures, and outright lies are being published in the media.” “President Putin supported the idea of a ceasefire. At the same time, he noted that many nuances must be understood before…

Germany on Friday criticized Israel’s military airstrikes on Syrian territory and called on Israel to halt actions that are not permitted under international law. At a Berlin press conference, German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Amelie Tittel emphasized that neighboring countries should not compromise Syria’s political stability and national transition process. “Armed forces can only take military action on foreign territory in the exercise of the right to self-defense,” Tittel said. “Until Israel explains how these military measures comply with international law, we urge Israel to refrain from these military operations.” She reaffirmed Germany’s support for Syria’s stability and its ongoing national…

Türkiye has officially joined the Safe2Eat campaign, launched by the European Union’s European Food Safety Authority, to empower consumers with reliable information for making informed food choices. According to a statement from Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture, the campaign, which was previously limited to EU member states, now includes candidate countries starting this year. The initiative aims to provide consumers with up-to-date, science-based information on food safety. Since 2020, the campaign has aimed to ensure that consumers make informed choices and prevent food waste. Under the Safe2Eat campaign, which reached more than 45% of the target audience across Europe last year,…

Industrial producer prices in the eurozone rose at their fastest pace in two years, climbing 3% year-on-year in February, driven primarily by surging energy costs, according to data released on Thursday. Energy prices soared 7.4% compared to the previous year, accelerating from a 3.4% increase in January, according to figures from Eurostat. Price rises for intermediate goods also accelerated on an annual basis, rising to 0.9% in February from 0.5% in the previous month. Across the European Union, industrial producer prices rose 3.1% year-on-year in February. On a monthly basis, producer prices climbed 0.2% in the eurozone and 0.3% across…

Annual consumer inflation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area eased to 4.5% in February from 4.7% in January, according to data released on Thursday. Inflation declined in 15 of the 38 OECD countries and remained stable or broadly unchanged in another 15. However, eight OECD countries saw inflation rise, with notable increases exceeding 1.0 percentage point in Estonia and Norway. OECD energy inflation dropped to 3.6% in February from 4.0% in January, with declines in 23 member countries, while 12 saw increases. Food inflation remained constant at 4.4% across the OECD, though prices rose in 24…

Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide raised concerns Thursday that newly-imposed tariffs by the US may contradict NATO’s founding principles, particularly Article 2, which emphasizes economic cooperation among allies to prevent conflict. “If you want a strong NATO, you should ensure that there is as much economic growth as possible in the NATO countries,” Eide said during a visit to Brussels for a NATO meeting, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “That was the insight of those who established NATO, that economic cooperation would be good for the entire alliance.” He suggested that economic measures undermining trade between NATO members could…

The US on Thursday underlined that NATO member states should spend up to 5% of their gross domestic product on defense. In doorstep remarks at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “(The) ground war in the heart of Europe is a reminder that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent, and so we do want to leave here with an understanding that we are on a pathway, a realistic pathway to every single one of the members committing and fulfilling a promise to reach up to 5% (of GDP) of spending.”…

Global markets came under pressure on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs, as Washington’s protectionist trade policies impact the world economy. Reciprocal tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% were imposed on products that the US imports from many of its trading partners. The EU received 20%, China 34%, Vietnam 46%, Taiwan 32%, Japan 24%, India 26%, South Korea 25%, Thailand 36%, Switzerland 31%, Indonesia 32%, Malaysia 24%, Cambodia 49%, South Africa 30%, Bangladesh 30%, and Israel 17% in reciprocal tariffs. Some countries, such as Türkiye, the UK, Brazil, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Egypt,…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the international community Thursday to increase support for Myanmar following last week’s devastating earthquake. He called for immediate humanitarian assistance and a political solution to the ongoing crisis in that country. “This disaster has laid bare the deeper vulnerabilities facing people throughout the country,” Guterres said at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York. “Myanmar today is the scene of utter devastation and desperation.” Guterres said the earthquake, which hit parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, had exacerbated an already dire situation in Myanmar as it grapples with political turmoil and humanitarian challenges.…