Iceland to hold referendum on opening EU accession talks in ‘next few months,’ PM says
Jakub Krupa
Iceland is to hold a referendum on opening accession talks to be part of the European Union in “the next few months,” the nation’s prime minister Kristrún Frostadóttir mentioned at a press convention in Warsaw.
Speaking alongside the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, she mentioned that the federal government “has not decided finally on the date” but, however it goes to be “in the coming months.”
“We are going forward now in the next few months – possibly, as we haven’t decided finally on the date, but in the coming months … – to have a referendum on opening up the accession negotiations for Iceland for possibly joining the EU,” she mentioned.
She added that in her bilateral talks with Tusk, the pair “talked extensively about the importance of understanding that this is about opening an opportunity” and integrating Iceland extra with the EU, whereas preserving “the respect for Icelandic identity within Europe.”
She mentioned it can be essential for Iceland to see that its distinct Arctic identification is “taken into consideration,” as effectively as its personal “way of life or the way we use our resources.”
Tusk mentioned he can be “more than happy” to see Iceland be part of the bloc, drawing on Poland’s expertise as a “success story” in the European integration.
He additionally agreed with Frostadóttir on the significance of constructing positive the EU “show respect” to all international locations and “treat bigger and smaller countries equally.”
“I would be more than happy if Iceland [joined] part of our community, even if [the EU] needed to change a little bit for that, be more flexible, and I would be ready to work with Kristrún on this [as] it is in our common interest,” he mentioned.
Tusk additionally drew on his private expertise of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, pointing to the shifting attitudes in the British society ten years on from the Brexit referendum as the proof of belated appreciation of the worth of the EU membership.
“Maybe the best evidence that it makes sense to discuss integration is the situation in the UK. If you ask people … about Brexit … the latest polls are absolutely clear that 65% of the Brits would vote for the EU today; more than 80% of young people in the UK are in favour of a possible membership of the EU. [So,] if you have this very experience of Brexit, maybe you know much better than others that the membership of the EU is something really valuable,” he mentioned.
Responding, Frostadóttir diplomatically mentioned that her authorities would “listen to whatever the Icelandic population wants to do,” however thanked him for his feedback acknowledging Iceland’s personal identification.
Some 30,000 Poles reside in Iceland, making them by far the most important international born group in the nation, with Frostadóttir considerably touchingly paying tribute to their contribution and singling out her daughter’s “favourite teacher in the kindergarten” named Małgorzata.
As a present, Frostadóttir was additionally given a Polish chocolate wafer bar Prince Polo, which may be very standard in Iceland – and apparently is her dad’s favorite candy snack.
Key occasions
Closing summary
Iceland to hold referendum on opening EU accession talks in ‘next few months,’ PM says
Germany ‘appalled by Hungary’s behaviour’
First Ukrainian drone plant in UK begins operations
Former Polish intelligence chiefs face charges over Pegasus spyware
Orbán doubles down on attacks on Ukraine, EU, Hungarian opposition ahead of key elections
Switzerland and EU to finalise package of deals next week
EU exporters could face months of uncertainty on trade with US
Ukraine officials showed evidence of Russian damage to Druzhba pipeline, Poland’s Sikorski says
Repair works on Druzhba pipeline ongoing but in ‘very difficult circumstances’ amid Russian attacks, Ukraine tells EU
Orbán alleges Ukraine could seek to disrupt Hungary’s energy system
Repairing Druzhba pipeline ‘not that fast,’ Zelenskyy says
76th Italian song festival Sanremo gets under way
Germany’s Merz looks for opportunities with China, despite differences
Macron names new Louvre head to get it out of crisis after last year’s jewel heist
EU-UK post-Brexit reset needs to be ‘decisively accelerated,’ senior MEP says
Ukraine-US talks in Geneva on Thursday part of preparation for trilateral meeting with Russia, Zelenskyy says
‘Working very hard’ on Ukraine and pointed praise for Nato’s defence spending ramp up in Trump’s speech
Ukrainian negotiators to meet with US representatives on Thursday, Zelenskyy says
Morning opening
Closing abstract
Jakub Krupa
… and on that be aware, it’s a wrap for as we speak!
Iceland is to hold a referendum on opening accession talks to be part of the European Union in “the next few months,” the nation’s prime minister Kristrún Frostadóttir mentioned (17:18).
Her feedback seem to counsel the federal government will deliver ahead plans to organise the vote, beforehand rumoured to be deliberate for early 2027 (17:37).
In different information,
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán appeared to escalate his rhetoric in direction of Ukraine (14:32) as he made unsubstantiated claims alleging that Ukraine may very well be trying to disrupt its power grid, and ordered troopers to defend key power amenities (12:54), simply weeks earlier than a carefully contested parliamentary election in Hungary.
The two international locations stay at odds over their views on what is obstructing using the Druzhba oil pipeline, which continues to be affected by current Russian strikes (12:54, 13:06, 13:12).
Separately,
German chancellor Friedrich Merz for deepening ties with China, whereas pushing for fairer commerce guidelines between the 2 international locations and searching for Chinese assist on Ukraine as he continues his go to to the nation (9:51, 11:56).
Switzerland and the European Union will next week signal a package deal of agreements aimed toward simplifying and harmonising their ties, Berne and Brussels mentioned (13:50).
The 76th Sanremo Italian music pageant acquired beneath approach final evening on the iconic Ariston Theatre (12:37).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for as we speak.
If you’ve got any suggestions, feedback or recommendations, e-mail me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I’m additionally on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
The Icelandic referendum had beforehand been tipped for early 2027, so as we speak’s feedback from Frostadóttir seem to verify some media reporting that the federal government will attempt to deliver it ahead.
The formal proposal – anticipated to be drafted early spring, in accordance to native media – wants to be permitted by the parliament first, after which there’s a nine-month window for organising the precise vote.
The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service said in January that two opinion polls appeared to point out a slender choice for becoming a member of the bloc, however with the margins so skinny that it may go both approach.
“Two opinion poll surveys in 2025 suggested slim majorities for those who favour EU membership. In one by Prósent, 45% of respondents said they supported Iceland’s accession to the European Union, while 35% said they did not. A Gallup survey from the same year suggested similar results, with 44% of respondents saying they favoured Iceland joining the European Union, and 36% saying they were opposed.”
Iceland to hold referendum on opening EU accession talks in ‘next few months,’ PM says
Jakub Krupa
Iceland is to hold a referendum on opening accession talks to be part of the European Union in “the next few months,” the nation’s prime minister Kristrún Frostadóttir mentioned at a press convention in Warsaw.
Speaking alongside the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, she mentioned that the federal government “has not decided finally on the date” but, however it goes to be “in the coming months.”
“We are going forward now in the next few months – possibly, as we haven’t decided finally on the date, but in the coming months … – to have a referendum on opening up the accession negotiations for Iceland for possibly joining the EU,” she mentioned.
She added that in her bilateral talks with Tusk, the pair “talked extensively about the importance of understanding that this is about opening an opportunity” and integrating Iceland extra with the EU, whereas preserving “the respect for Icelandic identity within Europe.”
She mentioned it can be essential for Iceland to see that its distinct Arctic identification is “taken into consideration,” as effectively as its personal “way of life or the way we use our resources.”
Tusk mentioned he can be “more than happy” to see Iceland be part of the bloc, drawing on Poland’s expertise as a “success story” in the European integration.
He additionally agreed with Frostadóttir on the significance of constructing positive the EU “show respect” to all international locations and “treat bigger and smaller countries equally.”
“I would be more than happy if Iceland [joined] part of our community, even if [the EU] needed to change a little bit for that, be more flexible, and I would be ready to work with Kristrún on this [as] it is in our common interest,” he mentioned.
Tusk additionally drew on his private expertise of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, pointing to the shifting attitudes in the British society ten years on from the Brexit referendum as the proof of belated appreciation of the worth of the EU membership.
“Maybe the best evidence that it makes sense to discuss integration is the situation in the UK. If you ask people … about Brexit … the latest polls are absolutely clear that 65% of the Brits would vote for the EU today; more than 80% of young people in the UK are in favour of a possible membership of the EU. [So,] if you have this very experience of Brexit, maybe you know much better than others that the membership of the EU is something really valuable,” he mentioned.
Responding, Frostadóttir diplomatically mentioned that her authorities would “listen to whatever the Icelandic population wants to do,” however thanked him for his feedback acknowledging Iceland’s personal identification.
Some 30,000 Poles reside in Iceland, making them by far the most important international born group in the nation, with Frostadóttir considerably touchingly paying tribute to their contribution and singling out her daughter’s “favourite teacher in the kindergarten” named Małgorzata.
As a present, Frostadóttir was additionally given a Polish chocolate wafer bar Prince Polo, which may be very standard in Iceland – and apparently is her dad’s favorite candy snack.
Germany ‘appalled by Hungary’s behaviour’
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is not any stranger to criticism and the international ministers of Germany and Belgium have been laying it on thick.
“All I can say is that I remain appalled by Hungary’s behaviour,” mentioned Germany’s Johann Wadephul, after Orbán blocked a serious EU mortgage to Ukraine. He added that Hungary’s choice to veto the newest spherical of EU sanctions towards Russia “betrays its own struggle for freedom”.
Belgian international minister Maxime Prevot additionally warned that “Hungary must understand” that for different EU international locations “the patience is wearing thin very quickly”.
First Ukrainian drone plant in UK begins operations
Some information nearer to dwelling – the primary Ukrainian drone manufacturing plant in the UK has begun its operations as we speak.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK and former commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, made the announcement on social media, saying launching manufacturing in the UK “has a deep strategic logic”.
He mentioned:
This is just not a shift in the centre of gravity from Ukraine. This is an enlargement of our joint capabilities and the creation of a second resilience contour that ensures the continuity of manufacturing.
We are leaving the engineering experience centre in Ukraine and integrating manufacturing into the British defence area. We are creating a brand new high quality of partnership, the place allies not solely assist one another, but additionally kind a standard industrial safety base.
The drones manufactured by Ukrainian firm Ukrspecsystems “have long proven their effectiveness in hi-tech warfare”, Zaluzhnyi added.
He doesn’t say the place the plant relies, however Ukrspecsystems mentioned in September that it would set up a manufacturing and coaching hub in Suffolk.
Both Ukraine and Russia have utilised drones on an unprecedented scale in the now four-year war, filling a spot left by a scarcity of artillery and precision weapons.
Former Polish intelligence chiefs face costs over Pegasus spy ware
Former chiefs of Poland’s civil and army intelligence companies face costs of misconduct in public workplace as a part of a wider investigation into the earlier authorities’s use of the controversial spy ware Pegasus.
Pegasus is a strong device designed by Israeli firm NSO Group. It is able to taking management of a goal’s cell phone, accessing knowledge from safe messaging apps and even turning the gadget right into a recorder.
The two males, who led Poland’s Internal Security Agency and Military Counterintelligence Service, have been charged on Wednesday, Poland’s prosecutor common said in a statement.
The prosecutors allege, amongst others, that they allowed for the spy ware’s deployment regardless of not securing the high-level clearances required for intelligence operations. They may face up to three years in jail, the assertion mentioned.
For extra on the home political controversies about using Pegasus, see Shaun Walker’s story from 2024:
Orbán doubles down on assaults on Ukraine, EU, Hungarian opposition forward of key elections
Meanwhile, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has doubled down on his rhethoric towards Ukraine and the EU, claiming in a highly-confrontational social media post that “the Brusselian leaders” – his derisive time period for high EU officers – “reached an agreement with president Zelenskyy to continue the war.”
“This is bad news for Europe. A war is being prolonged that clearly has no solution on the battlefield, yet causes immense destruction,” he mentioned, stressing the excessive dying toll of the battle.
“This is what Brussels is supporting,” he claimed.
The pro-Russian chief, believed to be liable to shedding energy after 16 years in the upcoming parliamentary election, claimed that Ukraine and Europe have been shedding the warfare, and unnecessarily scary Russia right into a nuclear confrontation – primarily repeating a number of the most up-to-date Kremlin strains (Europe Live, Tuesday).
He additional made additional allegations – with none proof – that through the current Munich Security Conference the chief of the Hungarian opposition Tisza get together, Péter Magyar, concluded “a secret deal” with the EU, “under German patronage” and supplied his assist for the warfare.
“Hungary must stay out of this. The Hungarian government must safeguard the country’s security,” he mentioned.
His feedback want to be seen by way of the lens of the upcoming election in April, with polls suggesting Orbán is trailing behind Magyar’s Tisza by 10 proportion factors, as he’s searching for to ramp up his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in a bid to make electoral positive factors.
Switzerland and EU to finalise package deal of offers next week
Meanwhile, Switzerland and the European Union will next week signal a package deal of agreements aimed toward simplifying and harmonising their ties, Berne and Brussels mentioned, as reported by AFP.
The Swiss authorities said in a statement that it had been knowledgeable Wednesday that Swiss president Guy Parmelin and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen “would sign the Switzerland-EU package of agreements (Bilaterals III) in Brussels on Monday.”
EU-Swiss ties are presently ruled by a patchwork of agreements, and the 2 have for years been striving to nail down a broader cooperation settlement. Switzerland out of the blue walked away from greater than a decade of negotiations in May 2021, however the two sides picked up talks once more three years later, AFP defined.
“Switzerland and the EU will now sign the remaining agreements and protocols on 2 March, together with a joint declaration establishing a high-level dialogue,” Berne mentioned.
The deal will still have to be voted on by the parliament and permitted in a referendum, although.
EU exporters may face months of uncertainty on commerce with US
Lisa O’Carroll
in Brussels
Exporters from the EU might face months of uncertainty promoting merchandise to the US with some producers now going through increased tariffs than they did beneath the deal sealed final August with Donald Trump.
European commerce commissioner Maroš Šefčovič mentioned on Tuesday the EU mentioned it was going through “transitional period” of a few months in relations with the US with commitments from commerce consultant Jamieson Greer and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick that they stood by final yr’s settlement.
Šefčovič yesterday mentioned the transition interval may final 150 days, up to 24 July, when Trump’s newest 10% tariffs apply.
The EU’s commerce spokesperson Olof Gill mentioned as we speak that Brussels was ready to hear how that will transition would play out after the settlement involving tariffs of 15% on most exports was shot down by the US supreme courtroom.
“If the US has given dedication that it will honour its agreements, that it will honour the 15%, we’re ready for them to clarify in peer operational element how that may work.
As regards the authorized foundation [of the current and future deal], that’s what the Americans have to clarify to us. So we’ve this transitional part … We are participating with the US to be certain that in that transitional part the commitments made by the US or the joint statements are honoured.
We will proceed on our commitments, and in the meantime, there’s this deadline inside which the US has to clarify what comes next.”
The EU additionally confirmed that some items that have been tariffed at greater than 5% earlier than the deal would now face tariffs of greater than 15%.
Ukraine officers confirmed proof of Russian harm to Druzhba pipeline, Poland’s Sikorski says
For what it’s value, Poland’s international minister Radosław Sikorski said that in his go to to Kyiv on Tuesday, “the head of Ukraine’s Naftohaz showed me pictures of Russian damage to the Brody pumping station on the Druzhba oil pipeline,” siding with the Ukrainian rationalization of the scenario.
Repair works on Druzhba pipeline ongoing however in ‘very troublesome circumstances’ amid Russian assaults, Ukraine tells EU
Lisa O’Carroll
Meanwhile, the European Commission mentioned it was advised by Ukraine that its efforts to restore the Druzhba oil pipeline connecting Siberian oilfields with central Europe have been being hampered by heavy bombardment from Russia.
The fee’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, requested Ukraine to “accelerate” the works throughout her go to to Kyiv earlier this week.
But Ukraine advised the European Commission that “emergency preparatory work is ongoing, but in very difficult circumstances,” an EU spokesperson mentioned.
“We understand the point of view of President Zelenskyy, who says that the Ukrainian people are constantly repairing what Russia is systematically destroying, and some citizens are even losing their lives, [while] repairing critical energy infrastructure,” she mentioned.
“We condemn in the strongest terms Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure,” she added.
Orbán alleges Ukraine may search to disrupt Hungary’s power system
And in the final few minutes, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has escalated this conflict with Ukraine even further, claiming that Kyiv may very well be trying to “disrupt” the operation of Hungary’s power system.
He supplied no proof to assist the declare, however mentioned that Hungary would deploy troopers and tools to defend key power amenities.
The transfer comes as Orbán seeks to make his fiercly anti-Ukrainian stance one of many key factors forward of the important thing parliamentary election in April, which may see him ousted after 16 years in energy.
