Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap!
The unprecedented blackout that brought the Iberian peninsula to a standstill at the end of April was caused by surging voltages triggering “a chain reaction of disconnections” that shut down the power network, an expert report commissioned by the Spanish government has found (13:32, 14:21, 16:31)
Russia launched a sustained missile and drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 156 in what the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called “one of the most horrific attacks” on the Ukrainian capital since the full-scale war began in spring 2022 (9:26, 11:55).
US president Donald Trump blasted his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for “publicity seeking” behaviour after he had claimed that Trump was considering the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran before leaving the G7 summit early. His comments come after he left the G7 summit in Canada early.
I will be back tomorrow with more updates from across Europe.
But for now, that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
EU proposes to include Ukraine in EU Roaming area
The European Commission has proposed to integrate Ukraine into the EU Roaming area from January 2026, making it easier to call and text with millions of Ukrainians resident across the bloc.
As the EU explains in its press note,
“Roaming is the first area where the EU would extend internal market treatment to Ukraine.
In practice, this means that travellers from Ukraine visiting the EU, and travellers from the EU visiting Ukraine will not pay any extra roaming fees.
The use of all mobile services, including calls, SMS messages and data will be charged at domestic rates. The agreement also ensures consumers are entitled to the same mobile network quality and speed as at home and that access to emergency services is free of charge.
Moreover, the current agreement between EU and Ukrainian telecommunications operators will be extended until 31 December 2025. This will ensure that Europeans and Ukrainians can continue to enjoy the benefits of the common roaming area until Ukraine effectively joins the EU Roaming area.”
The Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said:
“We want Ukrainian citizens to stay connected to their loved ones across the EU, as well as in their home country. That’s why we propose that Ukraine join our roaming family. Once more, we reaffirm our continued commitment to stand by Ukraine and its citizens.”
