Europe ‘in most difficult and dangerous situation since second world war,’ Danish PM warns
Frederiksen also says that Europe is “in the most difficult and dangerous situation since the second world war,” saying it’s worse than during the cold war.
“I think it is serious. I think the war in Ukraine is very serious. When I look at Europe today, I think we are in the most difficult and dangerous situation since the end of the second world war – not the cold war.”
Asked about drone incursions, she says that she is generally in favour of shooting them down, but caveats it that “it has to be done in the right way.”
And that ends her briefing.
Key events
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Germany arrests three men suspected of belonging to Hamas, planning attacks in Germany
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France investigates oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet
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EU informal summit in Copenhagen – in pictures
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Oktoberfest to reopen later today after bomb scare
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Oktoberfest site continues to be searched after security alarm
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‘No membership at all,’ Hungary’s Orbán says as he continues to block Ukraine’s accession talks
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Decision on Oktoberfest’s opening expected this afternoon
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‘We are not machines!’ – workers in Greece protest plans to extend working hours
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Situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant ‘under control’, Russian-installed operator says, after Zelenskyy warning
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France investigating Russia-linked tanker for ‘serious offences’
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Europe will not let Russia ‘sow division and anxiety’, says von der Leyen
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EU working as fast as possible on Ukraine reparation loan, Kallas says
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Finland backs using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine
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EU leaders stress need to cut red tape in business side meeting before Copenhagen summit
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Luxembourg has doubts about EU proposals on using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine
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‘Timely meeting’ to agree on how to respond to drone incursions, Latvian PM says
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Europe ‘in most difficult and dangerous situation since second world war,’ Danish PM warns
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We have to leave national perspective behind and unite to take Russia on, Danish PM Frederiksen says
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Oktoberfest site temporarily closed as police investigates explosions in residential flat
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Poland extends border checks with Germany, Lithuania until April 2026
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Copenhagen sees largest security operation since COP15 in 2009 as EU leaders meet amid drone threat
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Gaza flotilla sees approach by patrol vessels, submarine as it nears ‘critical zone’
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Morning opening: Things can only get worse
It’s looking increasingly unlikely that we will hear from the leaders before their royal dinner, which is scheduled for 7pm local time.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark are now waiting for them outside the Amalienborg Palace, so we can only assume that they are expected there shortly.
Albanian prime minister Edi Rama is one of the first guests to show up (he’s not wearing his signature sneakers, but he’s got a funky tie). Albania is not (yet?) part of the EU, but he is here for tomorrow’s summit of the European Political Community.
We are hearing from EU sources that the leaders’ talks in Copenhagen are progressing a bit slower than expected.
We understand that they have only just finished their first agenda item – a debate on Europe’s defence – and are now moving on to Ukraine.
However, the delay means the closing press conference could be moved to late evening, as they will first have a hard stop for a formal dinner with Denmark’s royals.
We will keep an eye on this and let you know as soon as we know what the plan is.
Germany arrests three men suspected of belonging to Hamas, planning attacks in Germany
Germany arrested three men suspected of being members of Hamas and planning a terrorist attack on Jewish and Israeli site in Germany, the country’s federal prosecutor said in a statement.
The men – two German nationals and the third one described only as born in Lebanon – were allegedly involved “in procuring firearms and ammunition” to conduct “attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions in Germany.” An AK-47 assault rifle and several firearms were found with them, the prosecutor said.
France investigates oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet
Dan Sabbagh
Defence and security editor
French authorities are investigating an oil tanker that is subject to sanctions and suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which may have been a launchpad for mystery drone flights that forced the closure of airports in Denmark last week.
The tanker, known as the Boracay, has used numerous identities and was one of four Russia-linked vessels in the seas near Denmark at the time of the drone sightings on 22 and 24 September, which so far have not been fully explained.
It was sailing from the Russian oil terminal in Primorsk near St Petersburg, carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil, to Vadinar in India, but was intercepted by a French naval vessel on Sunday and diverted towards Saint-Nazaire in western France while inquiries continue.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said it “was a good thing” that the oil tanker was under investigation by the public prosecutor – while the Kremlin said it had no information about the tanker or the incident when asked.
Stephane Kellenberger, the public prosector in Brest, in western France said an investigation was taking place after the crew’s “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel” and “refusal to cooperate”.
Boracay, a Benin-flagged tanker, had just changed its name from Pushpa. Under that name, it was monitored sailing west around Denmark last week, and was cited by naval experts as one of a handful of Russia-linked vessels that may have been involved in the drone incidents.
Copenhagen airport was closed for four hours in the evening of 22 September and Aalborg airport two days later, after drones were sighted in Danish airspace. None, however, were shot down.
EU informal summit in Copenhagen – in pictures
The summit in Copenhagen continues behind the closed doors.
We should hear from the leaders in just over an hour – 5.30pm local time, 4.30pm BST – when they take part in the closing press conference.
Oktoberfest to reopen later today after bomb scare
Munich mayor Dieter Reiter has just confirmed on social media that Oktoberfest will reopen at 5.30pm local time (4.30pm BST) after the earlier bomb scare, as police searches of the site didn’t find anything of concern (14:18, 15:23).
Oktoberfest site continues to be searched after security alarm
The search of the Oktoberfest site continues (14:18), and the final decision will be made later today with no immediate threats identified so far, a police spokeperson told reporters in the latest update, according to Bild and SZ.
‘No membership at all,’ Hungary’s Orbán says as he continues to block Ukraine’s accession talks
Arriving at the Copenhagen summit, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said that Budapest remained opposed to the idea of accepting Ukraine as a member of the European Union.
“The Hungarians would not like to belong to the same integration format, even a military one like Nato, [or] a political economic one like European Union, with the Ukrainians. So my proposal, the Hungarian proposal is to have [a] strategic agreement [with Ukraine], not [a] membership,” he said.
“Ukraine is a heroic country. We have to support them. No question of that. The question is the form how we do that. Membership is too much,” he said.
Orbán stressed that it wasn’t his view, but “a decision of the Hungarian people.”
Repeatedly asked about his opposition, he insisted his view was there should be “no membership at all.”
“Nobody knows what will happen in 100 years … but today is obviously no, no membership, … [it] would mean, first, that war would come into the European Union; second, the money from European Union would go to Ukraine. Both [would be] bad,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the bloc could change its rules on opening negotiations with new member states to circumvent the Hungarian veto.
“There is a legal, strictly settled procedure how to do it. We have to stick to that. It means unanimous decision,” he stressed.
Orbán also defended his earlier comments, in which he argued that Ukraine is no longer a sovereign country.
He said:
“They don’t have money to maintain themselves. We pay the army, we pay the public bureaucracy, we pay the pension, we pay everything. If you are paid [for] by somebody else, you’re not a sovereign country. It’s not a moral statement, it’s just a financial fact.”
The Hungarian PM also offered a bit of advice to Denmark over recent drone incursions, saying his advice would be to “shoot them down.”
Back to Copenhagen, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico is skipping today’s meeting due to ill health, his office said, saying it was related to an assassination attempt last year.
Dennik N online newspaper reported that Fico had attended a morning government session. Fico has cancelled other appearances in recent months, Reuters noted.
Decision on Oktoberfest’s opening expected this afternoon
A decision on whether the Oktoberfest in Munich can safely reopen today is expected to be taken in the next hour, with local authorities set to hold a press conference at 3pm, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.
After this morning’s explosions and fire at a residential address (11:21), a badly injured person believed to be the main suspect was found nearby and had since died, AFP reported.
Two other people were also injured, and one person is missing, SZ said.
But the investigators have found a letter setting out a further bomb threat against the Oktoberfest, prompting the authorities to delay the opening of the site today.
“Security sweeps are currently underway in the restricted access areas around the festival grounds,” the police said, adding that all staff there were requested to leave the festival grounds.
‘We are not machines!’ – workers in Greece protest plans to extend working hours
Elsewhere in Europe… thousands of workers in Greece have marched to parliament in Athens during a one-day general strike against a government plan to allow employers to extend working hours.
Trains, ferries and taxis came to a halt while teachers and seafarers joined those protesting a bill which – according to Greece’s largest trade unions – would allow employers to seek up to 13 hours of work a day from their staff compared with the current eight.
“We are here to say no to a monstrous bill,” Dimitra, a 24-year-old sales assistant who joined the demonstrations in capital Athens told Reuters. “Stop it! We are not machines.”
The draft law, which also gives employers more flexibility on short-term hirings and amends rules on annual leave in the private sector, is expected to be submitted to parliament for approval this month.
The government says the planned reform is not obligatory and will apply only for up to 37 days a year. It says that it offers workers the chance to get 40% overtime payments and that it comes following employers and workers’ demands for a more flexible labour market.
But unions say it will increase pressure on workers in Greece. Public sector workers say the government should increase wages instead.
Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson has backed calls to use frozen Russian assets in a “more offensive way” to support Ukraine.
“I am very much in favour of that,” he said before a meeting of EU leaders in Denmark. “It is simply not acceptable to have all these frozen assets and regard them as Russian equity with no chance to use them in favour of Ukraine”.
Earlier Kaja Kallas said the EU is working as fast as possible to reach an agreement on using Russian assets to finance a reparation loan for Ukraine, and there is support for the plan, however France, Belgium and Luxembourg are among those who have voiced concerns.
