Europe’s political, business and cultural landscapes were shaped on Thursday by a sweeping set of developments — from fresh pledges of military support for Ukraine and a reprieve for Microsoft in Brussels to the death of a fashion icon.
Western allies commit troops to Ukraine post-ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 Western nations have pledged to send troops “by land, sea or air” to Ukraine once a ceasefire agreement is reached.
The decision, reached at a “Coalition of the Willing” summit involving 35 nations, comes amid stalled hopes of peace talks after Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska.
While Trump told allies US support would soon be confirmed, he also criticised European countries still buying Russian oil.
The EU aims to end such imports by 2027, but Hungary and Slovakia remain major buyers.
Microsoft avoids antitrust fine with Teams carve-out
In Brussels, Microsoft appeared to have defused a long-running antitrust clash, as per a Bloomberg report.
EU regulators are set to approve the company’s offer to unbundle its Teams video-conferencing app from its Office suite, after a market test showed no major objections from rivals or customers.
The move averts a potentially hefty fine and eases tensions in EU-US tech relations, which have been under strain following Trump’s sharp criticism of Brussels’ regulatory actions.
Giorgio Armani, titan of Italian fashion, dies at 91
Italy and the wider fashion world mourned Giorgio Armani, who died aged 91.
The designer built one of the world’s most influential luxury brands, synonymous with understated elegance and the “Made in Italy” ethos.
His empire generated about €2.3 billion in annual revenues, while Forbes valued his personal fortune at over $10 billion.
A funeral chamber will open in Milan this weekend, with a private service to follow.
European stocks edge higher as US jobs data boosts rate-cut hopes
European equity markets ended higher on Thursday, buoyed by weaker-than-expected US private sector hiring that bolstered hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September.
The Stoxx 600 closed 0.6% up, led by gains in media and telecoms stocks.
Orsted shares finished 0.7% higher after suing the Trump administration over its New England wind farm project.
Travel stocks lagged, with Jet2 warning that earnings could come in at the lower end of expectations.
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