Robin Emmott

European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday another 500 million euros ($504 million) of EU funding to supply arms to Ukraine, taking the bloc's security support to 2.5 billion euros since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb.

NATO leaders have agreed to put over 300,000 troops on high alert from mid-2023, up from 40,000 currently, to counter Russia, the country designated by the alliance as posing the greatest threat over the next decade.

NATO allies expect Finland and Sweden to apply to join the alliance in the coming days and will grant membership quickly, five diplomats and officials said, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine forces a radical rethink of European security.

An international donor conference raised $6.7 billion for Syria and its neighbours on Tuesday despite what the European Union's foreign policy chief said was "a certain fatigue" with the conflict there, now its 12th year.

European Union leaders were quick to congratulate French President Emmanuel Macron for his election victory over his far-right rival on Sunday, reflecting relief at avoiding a political shock in one of the bloc's most pivotal countries.

European Union leaders were quick to congratulate French President Emmanuel Macron on his election victory over his far-right rival on Sunday, reflecting relief that one of the bloc's most pivotal countries had avoided a political shock.

Australia will impose financial sanctions and travel bans on an additional 67 Russians over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday, taking the total number of people and entities sanctioned to almost 600.

Ukraine will keep up demands for an oil and gas embargo on Russia after its invasion of the country, the Ukrainian foreign minister said on Thursday, as the EU promised a fifth round of sanctions by Friday.

Ukraine on Thursday reiterated a demand that the EU impose a full oil and gas embargo on Russia and called for weapons deliveries to be speeded up, as the bloc promised a fifth round of sanctions against Moscow by Friday.

Russia is likely to launch a new offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region in the next few weeks, NATO Secretary-General Jensen Stolen said on Tuesday, adding that allies had time to help prepare the Ukrainian military.

NATO is set to tell its military commanders on Wednesday to draw up plans for new ways to deter Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, including more troops and missile defences in eastern Europe, officials and diplomats said.

NATO is set to tell its military commanders on Wednesday to draw up plans for new ways to deter Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, including more troops and missile defences in eastern Europe, officials and diplomats said.

NATO on Thursday ordered its military commanders to intensify preparations to defend allied territory after Russia invaded Ukraine, putting hundreds of warplanes and ships on alert and agreeing to increase troop numbers on its eastern flank.

Russian military exercises are at their peak stage and the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine will remain high for the rest of February, a senior Western intelligence official said.

The European Union should consider sanctions on Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic (RS) and also withhold financial support if the Balkan country's crisis continues to worsen, according to an internal EU document seen by Reuters.

In meetings in Brussels, Berlin and Beijing, senior Chinese officials have proposed an alliance between the two economic powers and offered to open more of the Chinese market in a gesture of goodwill.