After Russia issued a warning to foreign diplomats, telling them to leave the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha has urged the Western partners not to yield to "Russian threats". Late on Saturday night Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on the greater Kyiv area. Commentators, however, see the strikes as a sign of the Kremlin's weakness.
Cuba faces a "humanitarian catastrophe", its Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. The Communist Caribbean state has been struggling under a US oil blockade for months. President Trump has threatened to "take" Cuba and charges have also been brought in the US against the 94-year-old former president, Raúl Castro. The media discuss how this crisis could unfold.
The birth rate in the EU has dropped to a record low. The statistical average number of children per woman is now 1.34, compared to 2.62 in 1964. This downwards trend is making it increasingly difficult for governments to maintain stable tax revenues and sustain pension and healthcare systems. Commentators look into how to make Europe more family-friendly.
In Sweden, the price of monthly travel passes for public transport is due to be halved in the second half of 2026. The decision by the right-wing government is expected to cost 6.5 billion kronor (around 605 million euros). Ebba Busch, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, justified the move citing "the worst energy crisis the world has ever seen".
In his first encyclical, presented in the Vatican at the weekend, Pope Leo XIV focuses on the risks posed by artificial intelligence. Titled Magnifica Humanitas, the document warns of the consequences of uncontrolled use of AI. Commentators praise the relevance of his analysis and call for more such clear positioning.
The traditional Sudeten German Congress was held for the first time in the Czech city of Brno over Whitsun weekend. The meeting of Germans who were displaced after the end of World War II took place under the slogan "Alles Leben ist Begegnung" [Life is about encounters] and was intended to foster reconciliation. There were critical voices in the run-up to the event and protests over the weekend. But the press is positive in its assessment.
In the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Cyprus, the conservative DISY and the left-wing AKEL remained the strongest parties, with 27 and 24 percent of the vote respectively. However, right-wing populists and two new political movements that entered parliament for the first time made significant gains. This will likely make it harder for the directly elected conservative president, Nikos Christodoulidis, to secure a majority for his proposals, notes the country's press.
Incursions by large drones are causing concern in the three Baltic states: on Tuesday, for the first time, Nato fighter jets shot down a drone over a lake in Estonia. On Wednesday, there was an official air raid alert in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. A row over drone strikes in Latvia in the early May even led to the collapse of the country's coalition government.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed that Ukraine become an 'associate member' of the EU, as a kind of preliminary step towards full membership. Kyiv would, for example, be allowed to attend the meetings of EU decision-making bodies, albeit without voting rights. Reactions to the idea have been mixed – also in Europe's opinion sections.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has drawn international criticism for his treatment of several activists who had been detained by Israeli forces on board the Gaza aid flotilla Global Sumud. A video posted by the far-right politician shows him mocking the activists, who are on their knees with their hand tied behind their backs, and waving an Israeli flag. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has distanced himself from the incident.
Following parliamentary elections in Slovenia in March which failed to deliver a clear majority, a group of MPs has proposed electing Janez Janša, leader of the conservative SDS, as Prime Minister and the formation of a centre-right coalition. If his nomination is successful, Janša will become head of Slovenia's government for the fourth time.
The US last week called off plans to deploy 4,000 US troops to Poland. According to the Pentagon, the number of US combat brigades in Europe will be reduced from four to three. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on Washington not to jeopardise its friendship with Warsaw. At the beginning of May, the US had also announced the withdrawal of around 5,000 troops from Germany.