France and Poland are growing closer, including on nuclear issues

On Monday, Gdańsk hosted the first Franco-Polish intergovernmental summit, the first meeting of its kind since the ratification of the enhanced cooperation treaty signed in Nancy in May 2025. On the shores of the Baltic Sea, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk displayed unity both in appearance and in substance, placing European sovereignty and support for Ukraine at the heart of their discussions.

The Polish Prime Minister stated: “The world has changed and Europe needs maximum unity in these difficult times.” A phrase that sums up the summit’s ambition, which saw the two countries align their positions on defence, digital networks, artificial intelligence and Ukraine.

A concrete agreement marked the day: Airbus, Thales Alenia Space and the Polish company Radmor formalised the construction of a geostationary telecommunications satellite dedicated to the Polish armed forces, offering secure and resilient communications in the face of cyber threats and space interference. The French Minister of Defence, Catherine Vautrin, was present to sign the agreement.

On energy, Donald Tusk confirmed that France was among the serious contenders for the construction of Poland’s second nuclear power station. “We need partners we can trust in a timeless sense,” he declared, citing the Rafale jets deployed by Paris following the incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace last September as tangible proof of this reliability.

Macron, for his part, praised a “partnership of historic significance”, referring to comprehensive cooperation encompassing scientific research, industry, training and security. The Franco-Polish alliance is part of a broader movement to reshape European defence, as NATO redefines itself and the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. Euronews

🌍 Migrations • According to the UN, some 7,900 people died or went missing on migration routes in 2025. The Central Mediterranean remains the deadliest route, with 1,330 deaths recorded. This figure is falling, partly due to a reduction in attempts to reach the Americas as a result of the Trump administration’s migration policies, but also due to financial constraints that limit the ability of humanitarian organisations to document deaths.

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🇪🇺 European Union • The European Commission today unveiled its “AccelerateEU” plan, a series of measures designed to address the energy disruptions caused by the war in Iran. Brussels proposes to prioritise taxation on electricity over gas, to facilitate the removal of taxes for vulnerable households, and to coordinate the replenishment of gas stocks this summer. These measures are considered relatively moderate, as the EU has chosen not to cap prices or impose taxes on energy windfall profits, as it did during the 2022 crisis.

🇪🇺 European Union – 🇮🇱 Israel • EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg remained divided over the suspension of the Association Agreement with Israel. Spain, Ireland and Belgium argued for at least a partial suspension, citing the settlements in the West Bank, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the new law on the death penalty. Germany resisted, and no qualified majority emerged, despite proposals from France and Sweden to tighten trade restrictions linked to the settlements.

🇪🇺 European Union – 🇺🇦 Ukraine • The release of the €90 billion loan to Ukraine, long blocked by Viktor Orbán, is currently being approved. The Hungarian Prime Minister’s election defeat has paved the way for a vote by the ambassadors of the 27 member states, with the first tranches potentially being paid out in late May or early June. Germany has called for action not to be delayed until the change of government in Budapest, emphasising the urgency of Kyiv’s funding needs.

🇺🇦 Ukraine – 🇷🇺 Russia • Kyiv has asked Ankara to host a summit between Zelensky and Putin, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirming that similar requests had been made to other capitals. Ukraine says it is open to any neutral venue, excluding Russia and Belarus. Turkey has not yet officially responded to this request.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom • The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) estimates that around 100 countries have acquired spyware capable of hacking into UK infrastructure, businesses and private networks. Incidents of “national significance” have doubled in a year, with the majority now attributed to states rather than criminal groups. The authorities highlight in particular China’s “staggering” level of cyber sophistication and are calling on businesses to take the threat seriously.

🇮🇷 Iran – 🇺🇸 United States • Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, but is maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports, which Tehran describes as an “act of war”. The Revolutionary Guards seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and shots were fired at three container ships in the same area. Iran has not officially responded to the extension, with the peace talks scheduled for Islamabad remaining on hold.

🇮🇷 Iran – 🇺🇸 United States • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent justified the 30-day extension of sanctions waivers on Russian and Iranian oil by citing requests from around ten countries vulnerable to shortages, expressed during meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. This marks a notable U-turn for Bessent, who had stated the previous week that he did not wish to renew these waivers.

🇱🇧 Lebanon – 🇮🇱 Israel • Three people were killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes, and a second French UNIFIL soldier has died from his injuries following last weekend’s ambush, which Paris has attributed to Hezbollah. Lebanon has announced that on Thursday it will ask Washington for a one-month extension of the ceasefire, as well as a halt to Israeli demolition operations in the occupied areas.

🇯🇵 Japan • Japan yesterday lifted the last remaining barriers to arms exports, a historic U-turn for this country with a pacifist constitution. From now on, lethal defence equipment may be exported, subject to case-by-case reviews. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi defended this move as a means of bolstering national defence and economic growth, but a majority of public opinion remains opposed to the change, and China has expressed “grave concerns”.

🇹🇼 Taiwan • Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has been forced to postpone his official visit to Eswatini, his only African ally, after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked overflight permits for his plane under pressure from Beijing. Taiwan has condemned this as “virtually unprecedented” economic coercion, with China having threatened the three countries with the suspension of debt relief and funding. A special envoy will represent Taipei at King Mswati III’s celebrations.

🇲🇾 Malaysia • Australian firm Lynas, the leading producer of rare earths outside China, is continuing to expand its plant in Gebeng, Malaysia, with the aim of reducing global dependence on Chinese supplies. Beijing controls around 60% of the mining and 90% of the refining of these critical minerals, used in magnets, electronics and defence. Lynas has just secured a ten-year licence from the Malaysian government and intends to diversify its production into catalysts for green hydrogen within the next decade.

🇺🇸 United States – 🇨🇺 Cuba • US representatives met discreetly with their Cuban counterparts in Havana on 10 April, for the first time since 2016. Washington called on Havana to implement economic reforms, whilst noting that a window of opportunity existed “before circumstances worsen irreversibly”. Cuba made the lifting of the US oil embargo its top priority during these talks. Trump suggested that intervention in Cuba would be “the next” step in the absence of an agreement, following on from the operation in Venezuela.