Negotiations have been launched on the EU's 'safe country' concepts that critics say will spell the end of asylum rights in Europe. The vote in the European Parliament sparks further alarm at how in migration and other policies, the centre-right European People's Party has shifted towards working with MEPs hailing from the far-right Alternative for Germany.

EU leaders decided to use joint borrowing instead of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine, in a big win for Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever, who had long opposed the idea of a reparations loan amid fears of retaliation from Russia.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated to EU leaders that there are bigger risks than lawsuits if Europe doesn't act against Russia by using its frozen assets, at the at the December European Council summit.

EU states are struggling with upcoming border rules that critics say could led to detention-like centres. Under the new regime authorities will have only seven days to screen a prospective asylum seeker.

A French banker inside Euroclear, who flew to Russia 155 times for "private" reasons, allegedly tried to connect the company's CEO, Valérie Urbain, with Russian spies and threatened her when she declined, according to an investigation by EUobserver, Humo, De Morgen, and Dossier Center.

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