Morning opening: Focus on Ukraine

Jakub Krupa

Several EU ministers are expected in Bucha, Ukraine, today to mark the fourth anniversary of the town’s liberation and the massacre that became one of the early symbols of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The anniversary marks a rare moment in recent weeks when the EU’s attention focuses back on Ukraine amid growing concerns about fallout from the Iran war. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, leads the delegation.

The ministers will discuss what needs to be done to ensure accountability for war crimes committed during the war through a special tribunal, which still needs more political backing and funding to come into existence.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said in a post on social media:

“The scale of Russian atrocities in the course of its aggression is unseen on European soil since WWII. The crime of aggression is the root cause of them all. There must be accountability and there will be no amnesty for Russian criminals, including the highest political and military leadership of the Russian Federation.”

He drew a comparison with the Nuremberg trials against leaders of defeated Nazi Germany, saying the new tribunal was needed to “prevent such horrible crimes from repeating again in the future.”

But no progress is expected to be made on thorny issues of the EU’s €90bn loan to Hungary and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, both of which continue to be blocked by Hungary.

Let’s see what the day brings.

Separately, EU energy ministers are holding a call later today to discuss the impact of the crisis in the Middle East on energy prices as some countries push with unilateral measures that they argue are needed to limit the impact on their economies.

I will also keep an eye on Denmark where the coalition talks continue after last week’s parliamentary election, which ended with a political deadlock.

It’s Tuesday, 31 March 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.

For those just joining our live coverage of the Middle East war, here’s a snapshot of the latest:

• Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai. Local authorities later said response teams contained the incident with no oil leakage and that no injuries had been reported

• Donald Trump warned that the US would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it did not open the strait of Hormuz.

• The Israeli military said four soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, where its forces are clashing with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

• Two giant Chinese container ships have sailed through the strait of Hormuz on their second attempt to leave the Gulf after turning back on Friday, ship-tracking data shows. The transit signals a diplomatic breakthrough between Beijing and Tehran as Iran widens its list of approved nations for transiting the vital route, Lloyd’s List reported.

• Indonesia’s foreign minister called for an emergency UN security council meeting and a thorough investigation” into a “heinous attack” after three UN peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in southern Lebanon.

• Blasts were heard in Tehran and power cuts hit some areas of the capital, Iranian media reported on Tuesday. Israel earlier carried out missile strikes on what it called military infrastructure in Tehran and infrastructure used by Hezbollah in Beirut.

• Japan and Indonesia agreed to step up coordination on energy security, Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday.

• Two Iranian missile launches targeted central Israel, Israeli media reported, with the emergency service saying it had not received reports of any injuries.

• Turkey reported a ballistic missile launched from Iran had entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by Nato air and missile defences.

• An earlier summary of key developments is here.