Europe

Hard Numbers: EU bans (most) Russian oil, Israel-UAE trade deal, crowdfunded drone for Ukraine, Pokemon zero-COVID protest

Hard Numbers: EU bans (most) Russian oil, Israel-UAE trade deal, crowdfunded drone for Ukraine, Pokemon zero-COVID protest
Models of oil barrels seen in front of a "stop" sign and the EU and Russia flag colors.
REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

2/3: After weeks of tense negotiations, EU leaders agreed late Monday to an embargo on two-thirds of the oil the bloc now imports from Russia. But there's a catch: holdout Hungary will likely get an indefinite exemption in order to drop its veto.

96: On Tuesday, Israel and the UAE will sign a landmark free trade agreement, Israel's first with an Arab country. The agreement will eliminate 96% of tariffs between the two countries, which normalized ties less than two years ago under the Abraham Accords.

5 million: Lithuanians chipped in 5 million euros ($5.4 million) in an online crowdfunding drive to buy a Bayraktar TB2 military drone for Ukraine. The Turkish-made UAVs are making a difference on the battlefield for the Ukrainians because they enable high-precision airstrikes.

200: A Pokemon character who always has a headache has become one of China's most in-demand toys because people are using it to vent about the government's zero-COVID policy. Plastic figures of Psyduck, given away in KFC children's meals, are being resold for $200 after going viral on social media.

This comes to you from the Signal newsletter team of GZERO Media. Subscribe for your free daily Signal today.

    More For You

    - YouTube

    In this episode of GZERO Europe, Carl Bildt reflects on how Russia's war in Ukraine has lasted longer than World War I and the role an underachieving military campaign and international politics have played in putting pressure on Putin.

    European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde speaks to reporters following the Governing Council's meeting, in Frankfurt, Germany June 11, 2026.
    REUTERS/Heiko Becker

    The ECB raised interest rates for the first time since 2023, becoming the first G7 central bank to act against inflation driven by the war in Iran. With the Bank of Japan poised to follow suit, pressure mounts on the US Federal Reserve to respond.