标签： Europe

In a surprising turn that carries notable political implications for U.S. political discourse, controversial pro-Donald Trump commentator Laura Loomer has held a face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, just days after she publicly reversed her long-stated position that downplayed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A high-stakes power struggle between Ukraine’s recently removed defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov and President Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to be resolved, days after Fedorov’s dismissal sparked widespread public unrest across the country. Fedorov, a 35-year-old reformer widely credited for overhauling Ukraine’s military capabilities amid the ongoing war with Russia, has rejected a proposed alternative cabinet position from Zelensky, and is demanding his former post as defense minister be restored.

In an official statement released to journalists this week, Fedorov confirmed he turned down Zelensky’s offer of deputy prime minister for military innovation. The ousted minister argued that only three state positions directly shape the trajectory of Ukraine’s war effort: the presidency, the defense minister role, and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. No other post, he insisted, would give him the authority needed to continue advancing the strategic plan his team developed to bring the war to a successful conclusion.

Fedorov was appointed defense minister in January 2025, and quickly emerged as a popular figure for his data-driven military reforms, anti-corruption initiatives, and the widely successful Army of Drones program that has transformed Ukraine’s strike capabilities against Russian targets. In his statement, he outlined that his six-month tenure has already shifted battlefield momentum in Ukraine’s favor, opening a rare window of opportunity to force Russia into negotiated peace through military strength. “I have never sought any personal post or status,” Fedorov emphasized. “I only want the opportunity to really influence the outcome and bring Ukraine’s victory closer.”

Zelensky’s decision to remove Fedorov from his post last week triggered mass street demonstrations across Ukraine. Public pressure later forced Zelensky to dismiss commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, a 60-year-old veteran officer who had publicly clashed with Fedorov over the need for radical military reform. Syrskyi, who led the successful 2022 defense of Kyiv during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, had grown increasingly unpopular among many Ukrainians who viewed his Soviet-era command style as incompatible with modern, innovation-driven warfare. He was replaced by the younger, highly regarded Mykhailo Drapatyi.

However, protesters have rejected this step as insufficient, vowing to continue demonstrating until Fedorov is reinstated. While the public broadly welcomed Syrskyi’s removal, widespread frustration remains over Zelensky’s original decision to oust the popular defense minister. Fedorov has already been replaced in the role by Yevhenii Khmara, a former senior official with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

It remains unclear whether the standoff can still be resolved through negotiation. Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn confirmed that discussions between Fedorov and Zelensky’s team are still ongoing, noting that “it would be inappropriate to disclose details at this stage.”

Political observers note that the current impasse highlights growing divisions within Ukraine’s wartime leadership over military strategy and reform. While Fedorov and his supporters credit his reforms for Ukraine’s recent battlefield gains, some analysts push back, noting that current advances like deep drone strikes into Russia were rooted in planning developed more than a year ago during Syrskyi’s tenure. Even so, polling and public protests make clear that Fedorov retains broad popular support, with many Ukrainians viewing him as indispensable to the country’s war effort. The unresolved battle of wills between Zelensky and Fedorov leaves a major leadership gap at a critical moment when Ukraine is capitalizing on newfound battlefield momentum, creating uncertainty for the country’s wartime leadership.

Diplomats from 125 member nations of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will convene at United Nations headquarters in New York this Friday for an unprecedented vote that will determine whether Karim Khan, the court’s embattled chief prosecutor, is permanently removed from his post. The two-year-long scandal surrounding Khan has thrown the already strained 24-year-old global tribunal into deeper crisis, at a moment when the institution faces coordinated external attacks designed to undermine its legitimacy.

The core of the controversy stems from sexual misconduct allegations brought against the 56-year-old British barrister by a female former aide, which were first detailed in a series of reports by The Associated Press. Khan has repeatedly and vehemently denied all claims against him. In June, the ICC’s oversight executive committee concluded in a formal ruling, documented in materials reviewed by AP, that Khan had committed “serious breach of duty and serious misconduct” by engaging in a gradually escalating sexual relationship with the subordinate and subsequently attempting to interfere with her ability to file official complaints. Khan rejects the validity of these findings entirely.

The upcoming special session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), the ICC’s governing body, will close with a secret majority vote on the removal resolution, a historic first for the court. Khan will not attend the closed-door proceedings: the United States imposed sanctions on him during the Trump administration over the ICC’s Gaza war investigation, barring him from entering the country. His legal team has decried his absence as a fundamental violation of procedural fairness. “We know of no court or tribunal in any proper and fair legal system that bars a person facing the gravest professional sanction from being heard,” lawyers Tayab Ali and Sareta Ashraph wrote in a letter to the ASP obtained by AP. Khan also remains suspended from practicing law in his home country of the United Kingdom, where the British Bar Standards Board has launched its own independent investigation into the allegations.

To date, the Netherlands—the ICC’s host nation—is the only country to publicly confirm its position. Foreign minister Tom Berendsen confirmed in a letter to Dutch parliament that the country will vote in favor of removing Khan. The overall outcome of the vote remains uncertain, as most member states have not publicly disclosed their voting intentions.

The controversy around Khan has become deeply intertwined with the ICC’s high-stakes investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the ongoing Gaza conflict. In 2024, the court issued historic arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of crimes against humanity, triggering fierce backlash from Western allies of Israel, including the United States which had already levied sanctions against Khan over the probe earlier.

Iva Vukusic, an international courts researcher at Utrecht University who has closely followed the disciplinary process, told AP that political considerations have become inextricably tied to the removal vote. “Political considerations have been folded into this, especially as it is the first time a prosecutor has pursued warrants against a western ally,” Vukusic explained.

The drawn-out saga has exposed deep internal divisions within the ICC at a time when the institution already faces existential pressure. Earlier this month, the United States—one of the ICC’s most longstanding critics—launched an explicit campaign to dismantle the court entirely. Inside the institution, leadership splintering has worsened amid the scandal. In April, a cohort of prosecutor’s office staff sent an open letter to the ASP warning that Khan’s return to office would be untenable, noting his “leadership has been materially diminished.” On the other side, a coalition of Palestinian human rights organizations issued a public statement last week raising alarms that the disciplinary process has been tainted by “unwarranted political interference” that risks undermining the Gaza investigation.

Khan’s office is currently being managed on an interim basis by his two deputy prosecutors. If the removal resolution passes, member states will launch a new process to elect a permanent replacement. Analysts warn that regardless of the vote’s outcome, the ICC will emerge from the crisis significantly weakened. Vukusic noted that “the court is going to walk away bruised and battered and wounded and less able to face the greater threats” already aligned against it.

KYIV, Ukraine – Just one week after being removed from his post as Ukraine’s defense chief, Mykhailo Fedorov has publicly rejected a major overture from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, turning down an offer to rejoin the Ukrainian government in a different role and doubling down on his refusal to accept any position other than the defense minister portfolio.

Fedorov, a 40-something reformist who held the defense minister role for only six months before last week’s dismissal, had built a widespread reputation as a transformative leader in Ukraine’s war effort. His tenure was marked by sweeping modernization of Ukraine’s armed forces, pioneering the use of innovative drone and digital technology that gave Kyiv a critical asymmetric edge against invading Russian forces, and aggressive anti-corruption crackdowns on the opaque military procurement system. The young, popular official’s sudden ouster last week already sent shockwaves across Ukraine, spurring spontaneous street demonstrations in multiple cities that have piled new political pressure on Zelenskyy’s administration, while drawing open approval from Russian officials in Moscow.

In an official statement released Thursday, Fedorov laid out his uncompromising position, arguing that the role of defense minister is one of only three positions in the Ukrainian state that directly “shape the course of the war” — alongside the presidency and the post of armed forces chief. Earlier the same day, Zelenskyy confirmed he had offered Fedorov a newly created role as deputy prime minister for military innovation, a position designed to keep the popular reformer in government while accommodating the recent leadership reshuffle.

But Fedorov made clear the new role lacks the authority he needs to continue his work. “No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army’s transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy, root out a culture of lies and unaccountability within the system,” he wrote, referring to the defense ministry post.

Friction that led to Fedorov’s ouster has been linked to his tense relationship with Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, a Soviet-trained military veteran who is widely seen as a representative of the country’s old guard military establishment. When Fedorov took over the defense ministry in January, he inherited a war that by then had been raging for more than four years, and immediately laid out an ambitious strategic plan: end the conflict by strengthening Ukraine’s air defense networks, holding stable frontline positions against Russian advances, and weakening Moscow’s war capacity through targeted long-range strikes on Russian military and economic infrastructure.

“Our collective results created something unprecedented, a window of opportunity to force Russia into peace through strength. And we cannot afford to lose it,” Fedorov added, emphasizing that his unfinished reforms at the defense ministry are critical to securing a favorable end to the war. The political standoff comes as Zelenskyy is already navigating a sweeping reset of Ukraine’s top military and defense leadership, a shakeup that has exposed internal rifts as Kyiv continues its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

LONDON – Fresh crime data showing a sharp drop in common street offenses has given London’s top city officials a platform to push back against a widespread, politically charged online narrative that frames the British capital as a lawless, unsafe destination for visitors and residents alike. Mayor Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley outlined the new figures during a press briefing Thursday, arguing that viral negative claims about London’s crime crisis are amplified by bad actors seeking to undermine the city’s progressive, multicultural identity.

According to data released by the Metropolitan Police, neighborhood crime – a broad category covering phone theft, pickpocketing, residential burglary and motor vehicle offenses – fell 14% across the capital in the 12-month period ending in June. In two of London’s most visited tourist areas, the declines were even steeper: the crime category dropped more than 33% in Westminster, which hosts major attractions including the Houses of Parliament, Soho and Leicester Square, and fell 25% in neighboring Camden, another popular destination for international visitors.

Despite these measurable improvements, Khan noted that negative claims about London’s safety have exploded across social media platforms over the past two years. He reported a 200% jump in social media posts claiming London is in “decline” or overrun by danger, with many of these claims pushed by right-wing politicians and tied to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric. As London’s first Muslim mayor, who has held office since 2016, Khan has himself been a frequent target of these attacks: he has been publicly insulted by X owner Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly labeled Khan a “terrible” mayor and a “stone-cold loser.”

Khan blames this coordinated negative campaign on what he calls an online “outrage economy,” where content creators and bad actors monetize fear and negativity to drive engagement and profit. “We know there are bot farms making money from negative stories about London,” Khan told the Associated Press in an interview. “We know that there are state actors in Russia and China and MAGA-backed influencers in the USA who want to do London down. Why? Because we’re liberal, we’re progressive, we are multicultural and we’re incredibly successful.” Khan added that if social media platforms fail to crack down on coordinated misinformation, new regulation will be necessary to curb the spread of harmful false content.

Broader crime trends support officials’ claims that London is far safer than viral narratives suggest. Like most major urban centers across Europe and North America, London has seen a steady decline in violent crime in recent years. The city recorded 97 homicides in 2023, the lowest annual total since 2014, and its homicide rate per capita is lower than that of Paris, Berlin, or New York City. Even so, Khan acknowledged that London still faces pressing public safety challenges: he specifically highlighted a worrying rise in hate crimes targeting Muslim and Jewish communities, a surge fueled in large part by ongoing geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. “We’ve got to make sure we give these communities the confidence to report these crimes,” Khan said. “We’ve also got to be sure we support them to make their places of worship safer, so nobody’s scared to practice their faith.”

The Metropolitan Police has focused on cracking down on non-violent but quality-of-life eroding offenses, such as phone snatching, shoplifting and subway fare evasion – crimes that many Londoners report encountering in their daily lives. Police leaders credit the recent drop in these offenses to a multi-pronged strategy that combines increased high-visibility patrols in high-risk tourist and residential areas, intelligence-driven operations targeting repeat offenders, and integration of new technology into policing work.

Rowley, who took over as commissioner in 2022, highlighted the force’s controversial but “innovative and creative” use of facial recognition technology as one tool driving recent progress. “There’s classic police work, officers on the streets, supported by the best of 21st century technology that’s making a difference,” he said. Rowley’s leadership has come as the Met works to rebuild public trust after a string of high-profile scandals, which culminated in an independent public review that found the force was deeply institutionalized with sexism, homophobia and racism. The force also faces separate criticism from right-wing groups that claim it practices a “two-tier” policing model biased against white people. Rowley pushed back against that narrative, saying the force is committed to impartial policing that serves all communities equally. “We’re routinely invited to join either side of the culture wars. We’re politely declining those invites,” Rowley said. “We operate under the law without fear or favor. We’re here to protect every citizen and we do that with equal vigor.”

Many visitors and long-term residents echo officials’ reassurances about London’s safety. Julianne Sweeten, a 21-year-old American university student studying abroad in London from Chesapeake, Virginia, said the capital “feels a lot safer than the U.S.,” noting that the near absence of gun violence eliminates a major source of fear, and she has not experienced the phone theft that many online warnings warn about. Vicky Hawkins, a 78-year-old artist who has lived in London her entire life, said she sees little change in overall crime levels from decades past. “I know people feel more unsafe, I think, these days. But I don’t,” she said. “But I know not to push my luck.”

A prominent Turkish provincial governor’s passion for cycling has unexpectedly landed him at the center of a fierce national political debate, resulting in his dismissal by presidential decree and spurring a widespread public campaign demanding his reinstatement.

Mehmet Fatih Cicekli, who had served as governor of the remote eastern province of Ardahan since his January appointment by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was removed from his post on July 17 via an official presidential order signed by Erdogan. No formal justification was publicly released alongside the dismissal, but the decision followed sharp criticism from several Turkish politicians over Cicekli’s choice to wear form-fitting cycling tights during a public sports promotion event, followed by his posting of photos from the outing to his social media accounts.

Inan Akgun Alp, a lawmaker from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), opened the parliamentary criticism, claiming Cicekli prioritized social media engagement over his official governance duties and arguing that the tight athletic wear was inappropriate for a sitting provincial governor. Speaking during a recent parliamentary debate, Alp told attendees, “He goes around in tights, spends all day cycling, with bodyguards in front of him, cycling in tights until the evening. A governor cannot wander around the city center like this,” according to reporting from Turkish independent outlet T-24.

Samil Tayyar, a former lawmaker from Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which draws its ideological roots from Turkey’s Islamic political movement, echoed the criticism, saying the attire clashed with deeply held local cultural norms, particularly in Ardahan, a strongly conservative and traditional region bordering Armenia and Georgia. Tayyar noted that other Turkish politicians opt for loose sweatpants when cycling, and emphasized on the social platform X that public officials face different standards than private citizens.

“People can wear whatever they want in their private lives, but a governor cannot visit the public in tights while on duty; it does not align with the seriousness of the state. In a traditional social setting like Ardahan, it is completely unacceptable,” Tayyar wrote.

Cicekli has pushed back firmly against the criticism, framing his cycling attire as standard professional sportswear for the activity. A lifelong athlete who participates in sailing and rowing in addition to cycling, Cicekli told T-24, “(We will) keep pedaling. I am an athlete who practices sailing, rowing and cycling. The clothes I’m wearing are sportswear.”

In the wake of his dismissal, public support for Cicekli has surged rapidly. A grassroots online petition calling for his reinstatement has already collected more than 10,000 signatures from supporters across Turkey, who highlight the governor’s popular work in Ardahan to expand access to sports, develop youth programming, and grow bicycle tourism as a new economic driver for the province, opposition-aligned Halk TV reported.

During an emotional farewell gathering with supporters in Ardahan earlier this week, Cicekli expressed gratitude for the public backing he has received. “I believe that I have not let down those who vouched for me and stood by me throughout my journey until now. I believe that this is the greatest honor of all,” he said. As he departed the province, a large group of local cyclists rode alongside his vehicle to the provincial border as a visible show of solidarity, Halk TV added.

The dismissal has also drawn international attention from European lawmakers monitoring Turkey’s political progress. Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Spanish Member of the European Parliament who serves as the EU’s rapporteur on Turkey, publicly voiced support for Cicekli, arguing that the criticism from Alp and AKP figures advances what he called the ruling party’s “Islamist conservative agenda” at the expense of personal choice.