Brussels, Belgium, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels police detentions totalled nine following confrontations between officers and demonstrators on Saturday, 24 October, as approximately 400 people gathered in the Belgian capital to protest against government reforms, education … Read more
Brussels, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels police are closely monitoring anonymous social media accounts promoting demonstrations across the Belgian capital, amid concerns about misleading information, unidentified organisers and potential public safety risks. The Brussels TikTok protests … Read more
Ganshoren, Brussels, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Five people were hospitalised following a Ganshoren CO poisoning incident on Sunday, 25 October, after emergency services detected dangerous carbon monoxide concentrations inside a residential apartment. One person reportedly
Brussels, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The City of Brussels has announced a major Brussels square redesign following a tree collapse during Storm Austen that injured three people near the historic Grand-Place. The redevelopment will introduce … Read more
Brussels, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels school dropouts are at the centre of a €1.54 million education funding initiative announced by the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) and the Brussels-Capital Region. The investment will support 33 … Read more
Brussels, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Storm Boelo has caused serious public transport disruption in Brussels after powerful winds brought down a tree and damaged overhead electrical cables, forcing the suspension of tram Line 44. Brussels public … Read more
Brussels, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A major Brussels data centre development in Neder-Over-Heembeek has prompted growing concerns over electricity consumption, water demand and pressure on the Belgian capital’s energy infrastructure. Figures disclosed in a regional parliamentary … Read more
Brussels, Belgium, 26 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels police seizures of protective equipment during anti-government demonstrations have triggered a dispute over policing powers and the right to peaceful protest. Officers confiscated swimming goggles, saline solution and medical … Read more
President Volodymyr Zelensky's planned Oct. 26 trip to Brussels descended into a diplomatic guessing game, with conflicting signals from his own team leaving EU and NATO officials scrambling to establish whether he was coming — and who was supposed to meet him.
At the center of the confusion
Ukraine, the US, the EU, and NATO plan to meet in Brussels this week to discuss security for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Ukrainian TV. The meeting would follow last week’s talks in Oslo and a US envoy’s visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Guarantees are what would oblige Ukraine’s allies to act if Russia attacks again. The Paris Declaration laid plans for that commitment in January. Kyiv had a briefing from the Americans, and now the partners want a broad discussion of security and guarantees, Zelenskyy said. Brussels comes ahead of three-way talks with Russia, which the Kremlin says Putin is ready in principle to resume in mid-November.
The meeting is planned for Tuesday or Wednesday, 27 or 28 October, Zelenskyy said in the interview, aired on 25 October. The EU would take part at the presidential level and NATO at the level of its secretary general. He did not know whether anyone else would join. He also said Ukraine’s neutrality and limits on its army are not up for discussion.
Earlier, on 20 October, Zelenskyy met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre present. According to Zelenskyy, a wider round there included national security advisers from Germany, the UK, France, and Italy, the chief of staff of the European Commission president, and NATO representatives.
A day later, Witkoff met Putin in St. Petersburg and said he had brought papers setting out possible paths to a settlement. He told Putin the Oslo talks had been productive. However, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov claimed the new ideas from the Europeans and Kyiv that Witkoff relayed held little of use for a settlement.
Brussels, Belgium, 23 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A Brussels student blockade disrupted access to the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Solbosch campus in Ixelles on Thursday, 22 October, as demonstrators protested rising university tuition fees and proposed … Read more
Brussels, 23 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Brussels drugs commissioner role has been filled for the first time, with the Brussels-Capital Region appointing criminologist Miran Scheers to coordinate its response to drug trafficking, organised crime and violence … Read more
Brussels, 23 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels park closures are taking effect on Friday afternoon as Storm Austen approaches Belgium, bringing potentially dangerous winds, heavy rainfall and disruption across the country. Authorities have ordered public parks, cemeteries … Read more
Brussels, Belgium, 23 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgium’s independent police oversight body has received 26 Brussels police complaints following violent youth demonstrations on 9 and 17 October, raising concerns about the use of force against protesters, including … Read more
Brussels, 22 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Senzanome closure will bring an end to one of Brussels‘ best-known Italian fine-dining establishments, with chef Giovanni Bruno preparing to close the restaurant on 31 October and launch a … Read more
Brussels, 22 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brussels riot fears have prompted retailers in the Belgian capital to board up shop windows and strengthen security following violent demonstrations, looting and vandalism. Several businesses along Rue Neuve, one of … Read more
Brussels, 22 October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Brussels scooter ban has been introduced across 19 drug-trafficking hotspots as regional authorities intensify efforts to tackle shootings, organised crime and public disorder. Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès signed the new … Read more
Brussels, 2o October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Brussels police transport unit has reported 110 arrests since January 2026, as authorities intensify operations against drug trafficking, fugitives and criminal activity across the Belgian capital’s public transport network.
The … Read more
Brussels, 2o October, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ryanair has announced significant reductions to its Belgian flight network, with 20 routes and approximately 1.1 million passenger seats being removed from its winter 2026–27 schedule. The decision affecting Ryanair Belgian … Read more
The European Commission is checking whether laws Ukraine’s parliament passed last week earn it a €3.7 billion ($4.3 billion) EU payment, spokesperson Balázs Ujvári told reporters in Brussels on 19 October. He also said Ukraine’s 2027 funding gap stands at about €70 billion, and that the EU “cannot do this all alone.” How Ukraine pays for Russia’s war next year now depends on reforms in Kyiv and on money from Europe and beyond.
Russia keeps striking Ukraine’s power grid and cities, and Kyiv already faces a hole in next year’s war budget before any new military spending. Foreign money keeps salaries, pensions, and repairs flowing while Ukraine spends its own revenue on defense. So each delayed payment is felt at home while Russia hits the energy system again.
The payment is the second tranche of the EU’s macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, and each one depends on reforms, Ujvári said at the Commission’s midday briefing.
“We saw that last week some important laws were adopted in the Rada, and we are in the process of analyzing these laws and we will formulate our assessment thereafter,” he said.
On its third attempt, parliament passed a law on 15 October ending the VAT exemption for foreign parcels worth up to €150 from 1 July 2027, and making online marketplaces collect the tax. The Commission had warned the law was one of 12 conditions for the tranche. Fewer than 1% of the 75 million parcels Ukrainians receive each year were taxed, and lawmakers had rejected the measure twice despite IMF pressure.
About €30 billion is in the pipeline for Ukraine this year, mostly under the EU’s €90 billion support loan, if reforms continue, Ujvári said.
Current pledges leave a gap of about €70 billion for 2027, Ujvári said, even counting the €45 billion ($52 billion) the EU has set aside for next year and some partners’ commitments.
“We cannot do this all alone. Therefore, our partners in general must step up,” he said. “They have to come forward with pledges, and they have to deliver on those commitments.”
On 16 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked EU leaders for at least €70 billion more for 2027. They tasked the Commission with a proposal but set no deadline. Asked whether it would revisit using frozen Russian assets, Ujvári said it was “a little bit early” to discuss options in that detail. New EU borrowing has also grown costlier: 10-year rates rose from 3.2% to just above 4% in six months, he said.
The €90 billion loan was designed on the assumption that the war would end in 2026. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia and Hungary would opt out of new aid but would not block others.
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