Angelique Chrisafis

Ten European nations agreed to build a shared ballistic missile defence system, drawing on Ukraine’s experience resisting Russia’s invasion. The UK joined the EU’s €90bn support loan for Ukraine, enabling British firms to supply more weapons. Emmanuel Macron announced upcoming exercises for the Multinational Force for Ukraine and warned against fragmented national defence strategies. Zelenskyy urged enhanced European air defence cooperation ahead of winter as Russia continues missile attacks. The initiative reflects renewed EU‑UK alignment and broader European efforts to strengthen collective defence amid ongoing Russian threats.

Marine Le Pen’s decision to run for the 2027 French presidency is overshadowed by her upheld conviction for embezzling European parliament funds and the possibility she may still be required to wear an electronic monitoring tag during the campaign. Although appealing to delay enforcement of the sentence, uncertainty looms over her ability to campaign freely. Her opponents draw parallels with Donald Trump, criticizing her refusal to step aside despite legal rulings. While her core voter base appears supportive, the conviction may hinder efforts to broaden her appeal to mainstream right‑leaning voters. Le Pen aims to focus on policy, but persistent scrutiny of the embezzlement case threatens to dominate the campaign narrative.