France

Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors' summit in Brazil.

"I met with Minister Mehmet Şimşek to discuss how Türkiye and the United States can work together to address crucial regional issues," Yellen wrote on the social media platform X.

In a hearing at the National Assembly, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Defense Minister Todor Tagarev assured deputies that Bulgaria has neither discussed nor intends to send troops to Ukraine. The hearing was prompted by concerns raised after French President Emmanuel Macron's comments suggesting the possibility of sending ground troops to Ukraine.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has joined the debate over the possibility of sending ground troops to Ukraine, stating that Western leaders should not dismiss the option. Kallas' comments come in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron's recent controversial suggestion, which sparked widespread discussion among allied governments.

In a stern warning to French President Emmanuel Macron, allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned against any potential deployment of foreign troops into Ukraine, drawing parallels to Napoleon Bonaparte's ill-fated invasion of Russia in 1812.

Economic sentiment in both the European Union and Bulgaria experienced some turbulence in February, reflecting ongoing uncertainties surrounding economic recovery and global challenges. According to the latest monthly survey by the European Commission, while consumer sentiment showed marginal improvement, economic attitudes unexpectedly deteriorated.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued a scathing rebuke to European leaders, particularly targeting French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of deploying NATO ground troops to Ukraine.

In this attempt, he encounters resistance from French politicians, writes Politico.
With Ukrainian forces pushed back on the battlefield and uncertainty over further Western military aid, Macron said Monday that Europe was at stake and said the possibility of European nations sending troops to Ukraine in the future should not be ruled out.

Mediator Qatar expressed hopes Tuesday that a new truce between Israel and Hamas could be secured within days, after U.S. President Joe Biden said a ceasefire could start next week and last through Ramadan.

As a dire humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza, the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA and the United States appealed for aid to be allowed into the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has expressed apprehension regarding Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov's recent remarks suggesting the possibility of Bulgaria signing a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine. BSP Chairperson Kornelia Ninova raised concerns during a briefing, calling for Denkov to address the National Assembly on the matter.

He thus responded to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that the possibility of sending forces to Ukraine cannot be ruled out so that Russia does not win the war.