European Commissioner Thierry Breton abruptly resigned on Monday, accusing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of pressuring France to withdraw his candidacy for the next Commission “for personal reasons.” Breton, who was expected to secure a senior role, claimed that Paris was promised a more influential position in return for dropping his name. He announced his resignation in a scathing letter shared on social media, where he criticized “questionable governance” within the European Commission.

Breton’s resignation complicates von der Leyen’s ongoing efforts to finalize her new College of Commissioners, already delayed by political issues in Slovenia. The Frenchman had played a crucial role in the EU’s COVID-19 vaccine production, military support for Ukraine, and regulatory efforts to curb Big Tech excesses, but his departure has cast a shadow over the future composition of the Commission.

The European Commission declined to comment on the claims, with a spokesperson noting that discussions with EU leaders are confidential. Breton’s replacement is expected to be Stéphane Séjourné, France’s foreign affairs minister, though his lower profile raises concerns over the shift in influence.

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Nine European countries, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and Poland, have formally protested the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) decision to resume consultations with Russia. In a letter to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, the finance ministers of these nations expressed deep dissatisfaction with the plan, stating that it would severely damage the Fund’s reputation. The IMF had halted its annual consultations with Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The IMF’s Russian executive director, Aleksei Mozhin, recently announced that the Fund would re-initiate online consultations with Russia on September 16 and follow up with an in-person delegation visit to Moscow. The nine protesting nations argued that resuming dialogue with Russia, a country that has waged war against Ukraine, contradicts the values and principles of the UN Charter. They emphasized that Russia, as an aggressor state, should not benefit from IMF advice and warned that the move could undermine donor support for Ukraine.

The protesting countries also raised concerns that any data provided by Russia to the IMF would be manipulated to portray the Russian economy as resilient against Western sanctions, thus compromising the accuracy of the IMF’s assessments. Additionally, they cautioned that Moscow could use the mission for propaganda purposes. The IMF, however, defended its decision, stating that the planned visit was in line with its obligations to all member countries, including Russia.

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The UK has announced it will provide an additional 650 short-range Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) to Ukraine, aimed at bolstering the country’s air defences in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The £162 million aid package was unveiled by UK Defence Secretary John Healey during a defence summit at the Ramstein air base in Germany, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also made a fervent appeal for further support. Zelensky expressed gratitude for the aid received but stressed the urgent need for Western-supplied long-range missiles to target Russian positions.

The new missile supply, which is expected to offer a crucial boost to Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, has been met with mixed reactions. Professor Michael Clark, former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, warned that the missiles might be quickly depleted given the current intensity of the conflict. The UK has committed £12.7 billion in total support to Ukraine since the start of the invasion in February 2022, including £7.6 billion in military aid.

President Zelensky’s plea for long-range missile capabilities was reiterated at the summit, where he urged allies to reconsider restrictions on using Western-supplied weapons against targets within Russia. Despite the support, Western allies have so far restricted the use of long-range missiles to Ukrainian territory, a policy that Zelensky and others argue hinders Ukraine’s ability to end the conflict decisively.

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