Latest news bulletin | February 24th – Evening
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/02/24/latest-news-bulletin-february-24th-evening
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00EU leaders have arrived in Ukraine in a show of support on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
00:12Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to step down as President if it meant peace in Ukraine and NATO membership.
00:20Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia's attack on Saturday night was the largest drone attack on the country since Russia's war began.
00:31CDU Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz declares victory in federal elections as Scholz's SPD appear on track to have their lowest ever result.
00:40Pope Francis remains in critical condition and has shown early signs of kidney insufficiency as the 88-year-old pontiff battles pneumonia and a complex lung infection.
00:51European leaders including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev on Monday to show support on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
01:06The visit comes at a time when US policies on Russia and Ukraine shift under President Donald Trump.
01:12The visit of Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners comes at a critical time for Ukraine.
01:21Donald Trump's big push to launch negotiations with Russia has upended three years of political unity between Western allies.
01:29Can Brussels catch up with the fast-paced diplomacy of Washington? So far the question remains unanswered.
01:35However, Ursula von der Leyen is determined to keep support for Ukraine going.
01:39First, financial support for the budget. Second, military support for the Ukrainian army.
01:45And third, emergency assistance to repair the energy infrastructure which Russia continues to bombard.
01:52Jorge Liboredo, Euronews, Kiev.
01:58I walked exactly same streets of Kiev three years ago in the first hours of Russia's full-scale invasion.
02:05The atmosphere back then was completely different from the way it feels now.
02:10There was lots of shock, there was lots of frustration and there was lots of fear.
02:15The streets here in Kiev were empty as people were hiding and staying in the bomb shelters.
02:22Now, today in February 2025 the atmosphere is completely different.
02:27Kiev is welcoming today 13 world leaders and the European Commission who are here to show their support to Ukraine.
02:37What has not changed is this feeling of resilience and also the feeling of determination of the Ukrainians
02:45to continue to defend their country from Russia's war of aggression three years on.
02:52Sasha Vakulina from Kiev for Euronews.
02:58Speaking on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,
03:06President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to step down if it meant peace and NATO membership.
03:12He also called for further security guarantees from both Europe and the US.
03:17Several top European and international leaders including President of the European Commission
03:23and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will commemorate three years of war in Kiev on Monday.
03:31When asked by Euronews which decisions would be made during this visit,
03:37the Ukrainian leader did not give away any details but said he was adamant over certain decisions to be made regarding support for the country.
03:44I am watching the support packages and there are specific things, specific amounts, specific weapons, specific sanctions against Russia.
03:55French President Emmanuel Macron, UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on the other hand,
04:00will have separate meetings at the White House to put Europe back at the centre of Ukraine's peace talks.
04:05Zelensky admitted that Ukraine may be forced to sign an economic agreement with the US
04:09if it would ensure continued aid for the country,
04:13but said he would not sign a deal that will be paid off by 10 generations of Ukrainians.
04:20Authorities in Ukraine say Russia attacked the country on Saturday night with a barrage of drones
04:26that President Zelensky called the single biggest assault since Moscow's invasion began almost three years ago.
04:33A record 267 Russian drones were launched according to Ukraine's Air Force Command.
04:39Emergency services reported destruction in several regions overnight.
05:01The strikes came on the eve of the third anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
05:07Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was the largest drone attack on the country
05:13since Russia began using Iranian-made drones.
05:22More than 80% of Germany's almost 60 million eligible voters cast their ballots in Sunday's federal election.
05:29Exit polls released shortly after vote counting began
05:32indicated that front-runner CDU candidate Friedrich Merz was on course to win 28.5% of the vote.
06:02The big disappointment of the night was reserved for outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz,
06:07whose party, the Social Democrats, secured only 16% of the vote,
06:11their lowest ever result in a federal election.
06:33Far-right AfD candidate Alice Weidel is on course to win just over 20% of the vote,
06:40making significant gains and doubling their results from the last election in 2021.
07:03Friedrich Merz will be given the mandate to govern when official results are announced.
07:08And with no candidate securing an absolute majority,
07:12Germany is headed towards another coalition government.
07:16Over the coming days and weeks, the CDU-CSU union candidate will engage in talks with other parties
07:22to establish a coalition government.
07:25Over the coming days and weeks, the CDU-CSU union candidate will engage in talks with other parties
07:32to establish a coalition and lead a new government.
07:54Only the Social Democrats.
07:56If the Bündnis Sarah Wagenknecht will not enter the parliament,
08:00it's maybe enough to have 29 and 16% to get the majority of the seats in the parliament.
08:07And that could be the fundament of a quick coalition.
08:12George Papandreou?
08:14I would say speed too, but at the same time, do it in a strategic way for Europe.
08:20We are facing major challenges and the issues of our European existence are on the table.
08:32This is necessary to really think about how Europe is going to be moving forward.
08:40So yes, a government in Germany, but this also has to mean big issues that we really have to deal with in changing.
08:47Changing Europe for the better, more unified, more strong and more confident.
08:54This is a very paradoxical election because at once it is more or less business as usual
09:04in the sense that we are going to have a change of chance, but more or less the same quasi-permanent coalition
09:09of Christian Democrats, Social Democrats with the splattering of the Greens.
09:12The same coalition that, in my estimation, in my judgement,
09:18put Germany on a long road towards stagnation for the last 15-20 years.
09:23Our European leaders, including your guest, resemble headless chickens running around in panic,
09:29in total and utter disarray.
09:32That was an inevitable outcome of 15-20 years of paying lip service to solidarity
09:38when all they were doing was imposing harsh austerity on the peoples of Europe.
09:44One thing is absolutely certain. There are mistakes made in Europe, for sure.
09:48But it is also clear that this particular project is a project that is giving more prosperity,
09:54more social cohesion to our people.
09:56But it doesn't mean that everything is perfect, not at all.
10:00And it means that today, and we made this point several times tonight,
10:03today, again, we need to make clear choices, we need to make clear decisions on the future.
10:09And again, I am absolutely convinced on my side that economic development, industrial base,
10:15indeed, less regulation, a better regulation, this is the choice we have to make.
10:20And certain elements, if we want not only to be a playground for others,
10:25but if we want to be masters of our European destiny in the future,
10:29we need to invest much more in defence and security,
10:31and we need to make it together.
10:36Pope Francis remains in critical condition and has shown early signs of kidney insufficiency,
10:42said the Vatican on Monday.
10:45The 88-year-old pontiff is battling pneumonia and a complex lung infection,
10:50but remains alert and was able to attend Mass on Sunday.
10:54In their latest update, the Vatican said he hadn't had any more respiratory crises since Saturday night,
10:59but was still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen.
11:04Some blood tests showed initial mild kidney failure, but doctors said it was under control.
11:12They said Francis' condition is touch and go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease,
11:19and that the main threat facing the Pope is sepsis,
11:22a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia.
11:26Meanwhile, prayers for Francis poured in from around the world over the weekend,
11:31from his native Argentina to schoolchildren in Rome.