Foreign Policy

• Spain plans to request that its North African exclaves, Ceuta and Melilla, be recognized as outermost regions of the EU to integrate them into the bloc's financial and security architecture. • Two Spanish cities are targeted for this special legal status to grant them access to the EU's economic zone. • This move would shift the security and economic landscape of North African territories by formally incorporating them into European legal frameworks.

• France, Germany, and eight other EU member states, including Austria and Spain, have signed a letter calling for faster and more efficient decision-making in foreign and security policy. • The initiative is a direct response to repeated blocking of EU decisions by Hungary under the leadership of former PM Viktor Orbán. • This move matters as it signals a growing frustration with the current consensus-based system, which allows a single member state to veto critical collective actions.

• Eleven EU member states, including France, Germany, and Spain, are demanding an end to the requirement for unanimity in foreign policy decisions. • The group is pushing to transition toward a "qualified majority" voting system to prevent individual countries from using vetoes to obstruct collective action. • This move matters because the current unanimity rule often leads to diplomatic paralysis, hindering the European Union's ability to respond swiftly to international crises.

• Eleven EU member states, including France, Germany, and Spain, are urging the European Union to reform its veto rules regarding foreign and security policy. • The group argues that the current system allows individual nations to block critical decisions, hindering the bloc's ability to respond rapidly to geopolitical crises. • This push for reform matters as the EU seeks to strengthen its collective strategic autonomy and efficiency in an increasingly unstable global environment.

• Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel criticized the European Union for "barking loudly" but lacking the actual power or "teeth" to influence Israel's actions. • Bettel revealed that Luxembourg is currently examining potential national measures to address the situation in Israel independently of the EU. • The Minister warned against rushed EU enlargement and expressed concern over the rise of far-right figures, specifically citing Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage in Britain.

• A new Verasight poll conducted from August 14–19, 2026, reveals a significant decline in President Trump's approval ratings across key policy areas. • Trump has hit new lows regarding prices and foreign policy, and has now become net negative on border security, which was previously his last positive issue. • The data shows a stark divide in public sentiment, with strong disapproval now outweighing strong approval by nearly 3-to-1 (50% vs 17%).

• Capital market leaders and financial executives gathered at the 20th anniversary of the Thailand Focus conference to discuss strategies for reigniting foreign investor confidence. • Experts including Asadej Kongsiri of the Stock Exchange of Thailand and representatives from UBS, CLSA, and DBS highlighted that attractive valuations and emerging growth engines place the country in a "sweet spot" for investment. • The panel emphasized that achieving sustained growth depends heavily on political stability and the effective execution of government policies.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, threatens harshest sanctions yet on Russia after strike on Kryvyi Rih, the home town of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Russian drones have slammed into a busy shopping centre in central Ukraine, killing 16 people in an attack that Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “cynical and despicable”.The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, condemned Friday’s attack on Kryvyi Rih – the president’s home town – as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month. Continue reading...

• India is evolving its foreign policy from a historical stance of Non-Alignment toward a strategy of "Strategic Autonomy" to better navigate 21st-century geopolitics. • The Indian government is actively lobbying for a permanent seat on an expanded UN Security Council, arguing that the current structure fails to reflect modern global realities. • New Delhi has positioned itself as a primary advocate for the Global South, focusing on critical issues like climate finance, food security, energy access, and technology transfer.

Statement by Israeli embassy in Canberra challenges proposed positions on settler violence and annexation of Palestinian territoryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIsrael has made an intervention into the Labor party’s internal processes, publicly criticising a draft policy platform that it claims risks blaming Israel for the Gaza conflict while giving “insufficient attention” to the role of Hamas.The Israeli embassy in Canberra issued a four-page statement on Monday challenging the proposed positions on Palestine, Hamas and settler violence in the West Bank, due to be debated at this week’s Labor national conference. Continue reading...

• Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, called for a complete cessation of all German support for Ukraine during a speech in the Bundestag. • Weidel specifically demanded that Berlin stop providing financial funding and arms supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. • The proposal reflects a broader push by the AfD to review Germany's foreign policy and block Ukraine's potential accession to both the European Union and NATO.

• NATO allies, Ukraine, and Israel have issued tributes to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, praising him as a steadfast friend and advocate for trans-Atlantic security ties. • The tributes highlight Graham's long-standing commitment to a foreign policy centered on strong international alliances and support for democratic partners. • This recognition comes amid a shifting political landscape in Washington, where the traditional vision of American global leadership and interventionism is increasingly fading.

• Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a key Trump ally and foreign policy hawk, died Saturday night at age 71 following a "brief and sudden illness." • Graham had a long legislative career, serving in the House from 1995 to 2003 before succeeding Strom Thurmond in the Senate, where he was recently reelected for a fifth term. • His passing, combined with Mitch McConnell's current hospitalization, significantly narrows the Republican margins needed to pass legislation and confirm judicial and executive nominees.

• India continues to implement its "Neighbourhood First" foreign policy, focusing on regional stability, economic cooperation, and preventing hostile security alignments near its borders. • The policy emphasizes India's role as a primary first responder for disaster relief and a driver of regional development projects. • Despite these efforts, several immediate neighbors are increasingly seeking new strategic alignments, particularly with China.

• The Biden administration has focused on adapting U.S. power to navigate a dangerous global landscape, though this strategy is facing internal criticism. • Progressives, as noted by Duss in a conversation with Ezra Klein, support the shift away from neoliberal economics but oppose the administration's heavy emphasis on competing with China. • These critics argue that the U.S. should instead collaborate with China on global initiatives, such as establishing a global minimum wage.

• South Korean leader Lee Jae-myung has adjusted the foreign policy approach of his predecessor to correct previous excesses without shifting toward a pro-China or anti-US stance. • Lee warns that a potential conflict over Taiwan could escalate military threats from both North Korea and China, potentially leading to joint military operations against South Korea. • This strategic vulnerability is viewed as a major existential threat to the nation's security and stability.

• France and Germany are seeking a radical reorganization of the EU's foreign policy service to better address current geopolitical challenges. • Proposed changes include limiting the powers of EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas and her department, potentially returning those authorities to the European Commission. • Simultaneously, a financial dispute has emerged as Poland demands the return of approximately 450 million euros spent on military aid for Ukraine.

Former Labor foreign affairs minister says belief US would defend Australia in event of an existential attack is a ‘ludicrous delusion’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAukus will prove to be one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions ever made by an Australian government and is only being permitted by Donald Trump in order to destroy Chinese nuclear threats to the US mainland, former foreign affairs minister Gareth Evans says.Giving evidence to an independent public inquiry into the $368bn nuclear agreement with the US and UK on Thursday, Evans, a cabinet minister in the Hawke and Keating governments, will warn the transfer and construction of submarines to Australia from the early 2030s is effectively only an extension of the American military fleet. Continue reading...

Orbán is out in Hungary and talks have failed to end the war in Iran – ill-fated roadtrip has been setback for Maga aimsShortly before JD Vance’s ill-fated week crisscrossing the world, Donald Trump asked him during a private Easter brunch about how the Iran negotiations were shaping up. “If it doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance,” Trump said to laughs in the room. “If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.”The joke at Vance’s expense contained an unfortunate nugget of truth: this is not an administration that rewards failure. Continue reading...

Badr Albusaidi claims Israel convinced Donald Trump to make the ‘grave miscalculation’ of waging war on IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesOman’s foreign minister has claimed the US has “lost control of its own foreign policy” and accused Israel of persuading Donald Trump’s administration to go to war with Iran – a conflict he described as a “catastrophe” and “grave miscalculation”.Writing in the Economist, Badr Albusaidi, the Omani minister who mediated the latest nuclear talks between Iran and the US, offered an unusually damning assessment of events leading up to the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran and the war that it has triggered across the Middle East. Continue reading...

Stanley McChrystal said White House has a ‘we should do because we can’ approach to international relationsThe retired US army general who once led Nato forces in Afghanistan says the bellicose foreign policy Donald Trump has pursued during his second presidency can be summed up as “we should do because we can” – invoking the lyrics of the Dolly Parton classic Jolene to emphasize the point.Stanley McChrystal delivered those remarks on Friday at Tulane University’s New Orleans book festival during a fireside chat hosted by the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, who asked in part about US military strikes Trump has ordered in Nigeria, Venezuela and Iran since Christmas. Continue reading...