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G7 Foreign Ministers Meet in Niagara to Hear Ukraine’s Plea Amid Escalating War

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven (G7) nations gathered in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario , for high-stakes talks with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister as Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine’s power grid. The meeting, hosted by Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand , comes at a critical moment as rolling blackouts sweep across Ukraine ahead of winter. Foreign ministers from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union posed for a family photo before beginning discussions. Ukraine’s foreign minister is expected to brief the group on the humanitarian and security consequences of Russia’s latest attacks, which have left millions vulnerable to freezing temperatures. The summit is not limited to Ukraine. Ministers are also addressing broader geopolitical challenges, including instability in the Middle East and shifting trade relationships. Still, Ukraine remains the centerpiece of the agenda, with G7 leaders reaffirming ...
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Orban Rejects Euro Adoption, Calls EU a “Disintegrating Union”

 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again sharpened his criticism of the European Union, declaring that Hungary should not adopt the euro as the bloc faces what he described as “disintegration.”

In an interview with the economic news site EconomX, Orban argued that tying Hungary’s future more closely to the EU through euro adoption would be a mistake. “Hungary should not tie its fate closer to the European Union than now, and adopting the euro would be the closest possible link,” he said.

Hungary, which joined the EU in 2004, has benefited from billions of euros in development funds but has clashed repeatedly with Brussels over rule-of-law concerns. The EU has suspended significant funding to Budapest, citing democratic backsliding under Orban’s government.

Unlike Denmark, Hungary does not have a formal opt-out from the euro, but it has yet to meet the economic conditions required for membership. Several of its regional neighbors, including Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania, also remain outside the eurozone.

Orban’s remarks stand in stark contrast to the agenda of opposition leader Peter Magyar, who has pledged to unfreeze EU funds and move Hungary closer to adopting the common currency ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s central bank has kept one of the EU’s highest interest rates at 6.5%, a policy that has helped strengthen the forint against the euro but has also drawn criticism from Orban, who suggested the rate was “higher than it could be.”

The comments underscore the deepening divide between Budapest and Brussels, as Hungary positions itself as a reluctant member of a union it increasingly views with skepticism.


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