Events in Washington DC over the weekend caught Brussels off guard as officials were enjoying the onset of spring. A 31-year-old man, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, was arrested after opening fire outside the reception hall of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) gala on Saturday evening. Donald Trump, attending the event for the first time after years of skipping it, was the apparent target. The White House described it as a deliberate attempt on the life of the president and his officials. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
European leaders quickly rallied behind the US president, despite strained relations between the White House and the press corps under his second term. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: “I just spoke to @POTUS Donald Trump to express my solidarity with him and @FLOTUS after the attempted attack. Political violence has no place in our democracies.” French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident “unacceptable,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated: “We decide by majorities, not by the gun.”
Transatlantic tensions briefly faded, even as Reuters reported that the US could seek to suspend Spain from NATO over its refusal to back US and Israeli military operations in Iran. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez downplayed the threat and joined EU leaders in condemning the attack. “Violence is never the answer,” Sánchez wrote on X. “Humanity will only move forward through democracy, coexistence and peace.”
Trump Rejects Link to Middle East Conflict
On Sunday, Trump rejected any connection between the armed intrusion at the WHCA dinner and the Middle East war. He asserted that the incident would not “deter” him from “winning the war.” Earlier in the weekend, Trump cancelled a planned trip to Pakistan by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, writing on social media: “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!” He added, referring to Iran: “There is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership’.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi, after visits to Oman and Pakistan, landed in Russia to meet Vladimir Putin. According to the Iranian news agency Fars, Tehran has sent written messages to Washington via Pakistan regarding its “red lines” in negotiations. After talks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Araghchi wrote on Telegram that he had briefed his French counterpart on ceasefire developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts “to end the imposed war.” He stressed “the importance of European countries playing a constructive role in this process.”
In Lebanon, the situation remains fragile. Over the weekend, Israel and Hezbollah accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Hezbollah released several statements on Sunday claiming its fighters targeted Israeli troops and positions in response to Israeli ceasefire violations and attacks on Lebanese villages. On Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a group of ministers and senior security officials to discuss both Iran and the situation in Lebanon, according to local media. One option under consideration is escalating strikes against Hezbollah, including targeting areas beyond southern Lebanon. At least 2,509 people have been killed and 7,755 injured in Lebanon since the start of Israeli strikes in early March, the country’s health ministry said.
Lebanon’s Minister for Displaced Persons, and Technology and AI, Dr. Kamal Shehadi, told Euronews' Europe Today that “the truce is not holding” but there are “clear signs that both sides are making an effort” to avoid escalation beyond the current level of violence. Shehadi said the government's most important leverage to help disarm Hezbollah is having the vast majority of the Lebanese people backing them and calling for Hezbollah to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese Armed Forces. “The international community is supportive of Lebanon's intention to control all the weapons on Lebanese territory. Now, that's not enough, clearly, and so what we need to do is continue to put pressure on Hezbollah to get Hezbollah to accept and to relinquish its weapons, because the weapons today are only going to bring more retaliation from Israel,” Shehadi said.
Brussels Prepares for Magyar Visit as Hungary Shifts
Brussels is preparing for the visit of Péter Magyar, whose opposition party won Hungary’s 12 April election. “I will travel to Brussels on Wednesday for informal talks with the President of the European Commission on unlocking EU funds,” he wrote on X. “We have no time to waste.” A honeymoon now begins between Budapest and Brussels after 16 years of tension under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who announced on Saturday he won't take up his seat in parliament after his Fidesz party suffered a heavy loss in the 12 April vote. Meanwhile, incoming Prime Minister Magyar said on Saturday he had information that wealthy figures linked to Orbán’s outgoing government were moving assets abroad and called on authorities to detain fleeing oligarch families. “I am aware that Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), based on reports from banks, has suspended several high-value transfers linked to Antal Rogán’s circle on suspicion of money laundering. I call on the leadership of NAV to immediately freeze these stolen funds,” Magyar wrote on X, referring to the outgoing top minister under Orbán’s administration.
On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “nuclear terrorism,” alleging it repeatedly sends attack drones over the site. On social media, Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has once again endangered the region. For more on this, see our coverage: Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Nuclear Terrorism on Chernobyl Anniversary.
