Also in this newsletter: JD Vance attacks the EU to boost Orbán’s campaign ahead of Hungarian vote.
Good morning from Brussels.
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The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire overnight, barely an hour and a half before Donald Trump's deadline for Iran to capitulate was set to expire, avoiding a military escalation.
Speaking to Europe Today, The Left group's member of the European Parliament Marc Botenga said: "We should celebrate this. The position of the EU on this has been horrible, ignoring the fact that Israel and the US are illegally attacking Iran.”Watch.
The agreement was announced by the US President on his social media platform Truth Social, and by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. It includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on transiting ships.
Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire would begin, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran, and across the Gulf region early on Wednesday, AP reported.
“I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE,” Trump said, claiming that US forces have already met and exceeded all military objectives.
The Iranian government said that negotiations towards a final peace with the United States will begin on Friday in Pakistan, framing the ceasefire agreement as “a massive victory.”
Israel also agreed to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that the ceasefire does not include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday.
This contradicted the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had been mediating talks, who posted on X that the ceasefire would be in effect “everywhere, including Lebanon."
The last-minute deal avoided a military escalation threatened by Trump. Before the deadline expired on Tuesday, he wrote on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
It followed a request by the Pakistani prime minister for a two-week extension of Trump’s deadline, along with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire by all warring parties during a corresponding period. Iran then proposed a 10-point plan as a basis for negotiations, which was initially called fraudulent by Trump.
Trump claimed the deal would entail the “complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the Strait would be allowed under Iranian military management.
Other terms of the agreement remain unclear. In the version of its 10-point ceasefire plan released in Farsi, Iran included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear programme, but that phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.
Oil prices plunged by more than 17% after the ceasefire announcement and stock prices also soared in early trading on Wednesday in Asia.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the two-week ceasefire and called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international law. "We thank Pakistan for its mediation. The aim now is to negotiate a lasting end to the war," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X.
Other signs of relief are expected from Europe today. Hours before the expiration of the deadline, the EU had urged Trump not to commit war crimes in Iran, while Pope Leo XIV had labelled his threat towards Iran as “unacceptable.”
Vance attacks the EU to boost Orbán’s campaign ahead of Hungarian vote
US Vice-President JD Vance accused the European Union of interfering in Hungary’s election campaign and imposing censorship during his visit to Budapest ahead of the crucial vote next Sunday, Sándor Zsiros reports.
Vance endorsed Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, telling reporters he wants to help as much as he can for the current prime minister to win the elections.
“The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary, they have tried to make Hungary less energy independent, they have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers,” Vance said, claiming that Orbán’s leadership “can provide a model for the continent.”
The US administration has often praised Orbán’s government. US President Donald Trump has also backed the Hungarian leader, describing him as “a true friend” and a supporter of his stance on migration.
In response to Vance’s visit and endorsement of Fidesz, opposition leader Péter Magyar warned against foreign involvement in the vote, urging all countries to respect Hungary’s sovereignty.
The opposition Tisza party is currently ahead of Orbán’s Fidesz in opinion polls. According to a survey published last week by the 21 Research Institute, Tisza leads among decided voters with 56% support, compared with 37% for Fidesz.
Sándor has more.
If you have any questions about the Hungarian elections, drop them below this post on our social media. Sándor will reply with another video on Friday.
Russia threatens Baltic states, claiming they help Ukrainian strikes
The Russian foreign ministry issued veiled threats to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, accusing them of assisting Ukraine in Kyiv’s campaign against Russia’s oil terminals, Sasha Vakulina reports.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Baltic states "have received an appropriate warning".
"If the regimes of these countries have enough sense, they will listen. If not, they will have to deal with a response," Zakharova said, without specifying what exactly the response will be.
Zakharova's comments came as Ukraine's military recently intensified strikes on Russian oil terminals on the Baltic Sea coast.
Moscow accuses Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania of opening their airspace for Ukrainian forces and drones and consequently helping Kyiv strike Russian ports in the region. All three Baltic states have repeatedly rejected these claims as disinformation.
Sasha has the story.
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We're also keeping an eye on
- US President Donald Trump to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington D.C.
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