Jean-Noël Barrot
Photo: Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 from Belgium, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- 3d ago
French foreign minister accuses Elon Musk of online harassment against European leaders
Speaking at an OECD conference on Tuesday, 13 October, Jean-Noël Barrot also warned that foreign actors are trying to destabilise France before its 2027 presidential election.
- 5d ago
EU foreign ministers approve a three-year military and civilian mission in Lebanon
Foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, 12 October, created the EU Support Mission Lebanon, which will advise and train the Lebanese army and internal security forces. The EU says the mission will not replace the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, whose mandate runs until 31 December 2026.
- 5d ago
EU adopts about 1,600 new sanctions listings targeting Russia's war-linked military industry
The EU's foreign ministers formally approved the listings on Monday, 12 October 2026, lifting the total of people and entities sanctioned over the war in Ukraine to nearly 4,600. The move follows a US-Russia diesel arrangement that European governments criticised.
- Oct 7
France summons Iranian ambassador over disinformation campaign on high school protests
The French foreign ministry summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Amin-Nejad on 7 October 2026, rejecting official Iranian claims regarding nationwide high school demonstrations and police actions.
- Oct 6
European Parliament investigates MEP Rima Hassan over toppled Israeli and EU flags at memorial
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola initiated a disciplinary inquiry after French MEP Rima Hassan removed an Israeli flag and knocked over an EU flag at an October 7 memorial in Strasbourg.
- Sep 25
Kremlin condemns European Union sanctions against Russian commentator Xenia Fedorova
Moscow denounced the European Union on 25 September 2026 after Brussels placed former Russia Today France executive Xenia Fedorova on its sanctions list, enacting an asset freeze and travel ban across member states.
- Sep 23
Tech leaders urge UN Security Council to establish global controls on frontier AI
Executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face testified alongside researchers in a session convened by France, warning of risks from autonomous, self-improving systems.
- Sep 23
Lavrov rejects fighting pause during potential Ukraine talks at UN Security Council
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that Moscow will not pause military operations during any peace talks, dismissing European proposals for a temporary truce.
- Sep 8
Israel closes British consulate in Jerusalem after UK and 11 allies sanction West Bank settlements
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced four retaliatory measures against London after 12 Western nations restricted trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
- Sep 2
Germany blames Russia for Leipzig airport drone attack and shuts Bonn consulate
German authorities identified two Russian-linked suspects behind an explosive drone plot targeting a Ukrainian Antonov transport plane at Leipzig/Halle airport, prompting Berlin to close Russian diplomatic offices.
- Aug 12
France opens disciplinary proceedings against ambassador to Central African Republic over sex scandal
France's foreign ministry confirmed on 11 August 2026 that it has launched disciplinary proceedings against Bruno Foucher, ambassador to the Central African Republic, after an inspection found he brought roughly 30 young women to his private residence over two years.
- Jul 27
Iran summons French ambassador Pierre Cochard after two diplomats were detained and one was physically assaulted in Tehran
The Iranian foreign ministry summoned French ambassador Pierre Cochard on 26 July to protest what it called interference in its internal affairs, one week after two French diplomats were held for hours and one was beaten.
- Jul 24
Two French diplomats beaten in Tehran return to Paris; France evaluates 'all options' for response
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot says the two embassy staff were detained for nearly four hours on Sunday, one beaten, and calls the incident a 'premeditated aggression' that 'cannot remain without consequence'.
- Jul 4
Ukraine chooses Kyiv Pechersk Lavra as site for National Pantheon amid Polish historical dispute
The Ukrainian government has designated the UNESCO-listed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra as the location for its National Pantheon, a memorial to national heroes that has reignited tensions with Poland over the possible inclusion of Stepan Bandera.
- Jun 16
Russian drone strike sets UNESCO-listed Pechersk Lavra cathedral ablaze in Kyiv, drawing global condemnation
A Russian kamikaze drone struck the Dormition Cathedral of the Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the early hours of Monday, triggering a large fire and prompting swift condemnation from European leaders.
- May 31
Israel captures Crusader castle Beaufort in deepest Lebanon push in 26 years, expert calls it a 'turning point'
Israeli troops have captured the strategically vital Crusader-era Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon, marking their deepest advance into the country in over a quarter-century and drawing sharp international condemnation as a US-brokered ceasefire unravels.
- May 31
Israel Seizes Crusader Castle Beaufort in Deepest Lebanon Incursion Since 2000, Complicating Iran Truce Talks
Israeli forces seized the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, marking their deepest incursion into the country in over a quarter-century and threatening to unravel a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
- May 31
Israel seizes Crusader-era Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, raising flag as France demands emergency UN Security Council session
Israeli forces have captured the medieval Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, crossing the Litani River and raising their flag over the strategic Crusader fortress, prompting France to demand an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
- May 31
Israeli forces seize Crusader-era Beaufort Castle in deepest Lebanon push since 2000, triggering UN Security Council emergency session
Israeli troops captured the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, marking their deepest incursion into the country since withdrawing in 2000 and prompting France to call an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
- May 29
Russian Drone Strikes Romanian Apartment Building, Injuring Two in 'Most Serious' Incident Since Ukraine Invasion Began
A Russian drone crashed into a residential building in Galati, Romania, early Friday, injuring two people and triggering a fire that forced 70 evacuations, in what Bucharest called the most serious security incident on its territory since the war in Ukraine began.
