July 15, 2025. International news round-up / last 24 hours

The crisis in Ukraine is back in the spotlight with an escalation in Donald Trump's rhetoric, as he threatens Russia with draconian tariffs and imposes a 50-day ultimatum for a deal. Another element of the conflict dynamics is the impact the reshuffle of the government in Kiev may have in the medium term. Another issue in the spotlight is the EU-US trade relationship. Israel's actions in Syria and plans for post-war governance of the Gaza Strip are sparking debates about the stability of the region.

Conflict in Ukraine

• Donald Trump has warned Russia of imposing 100% tariffs if it does not sign a peace deal in 50 days, a threat accompanied by more criticism of Vladimir Putin.
• Donald Trump has temporarily resumed arms deliveries to Ukraine, welcoming their funding by the US's European allies.
• The US president's statements postpone a vote in theUS Senate on whether to pass a new package of sanctions against Russia that would target companies that buy Russian hydrocarbons.
• Denys Shmyhal has been appointed Ukraine's defense minister, while Iulia Sviridenko has been nominated by President Zelensky for the post of prime minister. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to become Ukraine's new ambassador to Washington.

US-EU trade disputes

• The EU is warning of economic retaliation worth tens of billions of euros if Trump imposes 30% tariffs on European goods.
• Despite the threats, Trump says he is open to negotiations with Brussels.
• European producers, especially those in the agri-food sector, are looking for alternatives in Latin American and Asian markets.

Republic of Moldova

• Russian intelligence services accuse NATO of militarizing Moldova and pushing it towards conflict with Russia.
• Maia Sandu rejects the accusations, denouncing Moscow's disinformation campaigns.

Middle East

• In southern Syria, armed clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities have taken place, resulting in around 100 deaths.
• Israel has launched attacks on Syrian government positions, claiming to be defending the Druze population.
• The Israeli government's plans to build a "humanitarian city" in the Gaza Strip are being criticized by the military amid fears of violations of international law and high costs.

Other topics

• Wizz Air is closing its Abu Dhabi operations due to technical problems and high costs and will focus on European routes.
• Cameroon President Paul Biya (92) announces he will run for an eighth consecutive term, having been in power since 1982.
• In Germany, a doctor is on trial for the murder of 15 patients, including his mother-in-law, by administering a lethal mixture of drugs.
• Bulgaria expands the functionality of traffic cameras, and is to impose tougher penalties for speeding and other offenses.
• Hungary's oldest library is under threat from insect infestation, endangering 100,000 rare volumes.

Top entities mentioned

Donald Trump
• Russia
• Ukraine
• European Union
• Maia Sandu

*****Syndicated via a monitoring feed provided by NewsVibe Romania. The top international topics are identified from the automated monitoring of impactful media sources in Romania, as well as from the tracking of foreign policy topics in mainstream media sources and the pages of the main influencers. The analysis, data and images presented were enhanced with the help of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.