Two Ukrainian men believed to be working with Russia identified as suspects in Polish rail sabotage attacks – Europe live

4.51pm GMT Macron and Merz call for European response to US, Chinese dominance in tech French president Emmanuel Macron said that Europe does not want to be a “vassal” that is dependent on US and Chinese tech companies, calling for a “European preference” in the sector, AFP reported. “Europe doesn’t want to be the client of the big entrepreneurs or the big solutions being provided either from the US or from China, we clearly want to design our own solutions,” Macron told a Berlin summit, adding that this stance represented “a refusal of being a vassal”. AFP noted that Macron was speaking at the European Summit on Digital Sovereignty that has brought together tech leaders and ministers from across the continent, including German chancellor Friedrich Merz. “I strongly believe that European preference needs to become our guiding principle, starting with public procurement,” Macron said. “Because guess what? The Chinese have a Chinese exclusivity … and the Americans have a very strong American preference,” he said. Germany’s Merz also said “the tectonic shifts we are currently witnessing in the world, in the political and economic centres of power, demand swift action in the digital sphere,” Reuters reported. “The questions of the future will be decided predominantly in the digital realm,” and the US and China, two digital superpowers, are vying for technological leadership, he said. “Europe must not cede this field to them,” he added. 4.21pm GMT Thousands join protest in Greece to mark anniversary of the 1973 student revolt in Athens It’s not only Czechs (10:45) and Slovaks (10:34) who have used an anniversary to take to the streets in protest. Over in Greece, mass rallies have been held to mark the 52nd anniversary of the student uprising at the Athens polytechnic, an event that set in motion the collapse of right-wing military rule. In what has become a tradition, as many as 25,000 people participated in the annual march to the heavily guarded embassy of the United States, accused by Greeks of supporting the 1967-74 dictatorship. Many chanted slogans calling for Greece’s withdrawal from Nato, the closure of US military facilities from the country and “freedom” for Palestine. Twenty-five students died in the November 1973 revolt, quashed when the then junta ordered tanks to smash through the polytechnic’s gates. The anniversary typically draws the young and old – many leftists – wanting to vent their spleen with government policies. Ironically, Greek-US relations have never been as good with Athens’ centre-right government on Sunday signing a landmark deal which will see the Mediterranean country become a hub for LNG imports that not only replace Russian gas deliveries but supply the broader region, including Ukraine, in the winter months ahead. Tellingly, Greek police took the unprecedented step of making dozens of arrests before the otherwise peaceful rally while also prohibiting protesters from continuing on to the Israeli embassy in a further display of solidarity for the Palestinians. 3.53pm GMT Donohoe's departure will trigger race for new Eurogroup head with Spain's Cuerpo seen as contender Paschal Donohoe’s departure from Irish politics to become managing director of the World Bank will trigger another race for his second job as head of the Eurogroup, an influential alliance of countries that use the euro. According to the Business Post’s Brussels correspondent Sarah Collins, Spanish economy minister Carlos Cuerpo almost got the numbers the last time around and could lead the field of contenders. Donohoe, was reappointed for a third term in July. His other challenger last summer, Lithuania’s Rimantas Šadžius, is no longer a minister. 3.10pm GMT Ireland's new foreign minister will be 'calm voice for diplomacy and dialogue,' deputy PM says Helen McEntee, Ireland’s new foreign affairs minister, will be a “calm voice for diplomacy and dialogue”, the deputy prime minister and outgoing foreign minister Simon Harris has said. McEntee, who is known on the European circuit for her years as minister for European Affairs in Leo Varadkar’s government, got the job as part of the major reshuffle caused by the resignation of finance minister Paschal Donohoe. “This appointment will come at a time when Ireland’s place in the world, our relationships in Europe, the US, our nearest neighbours in the UK and further afield, have never been more important,” Harris told the Dail. “It is a moment of great geopolitical upheaval and instability, but one in which Ireland has been a calm voice for diplomacy and dialogue, and I know that minister McEntee will continue to be a strong voice for that approach,” he said. 3.01pm GMT Harris named Ireland's new finance minister, with McEntee taking foreign affairs Simon Harris, Ireland’s ebullient deputy prime minister, will be the country’s new finance minister in a major reshuffle that sees him drop his foreign affairs portfolio. Helen McEntee, the current education minister, will be the new foreign affairs minister, attending council meetings in Europe and dealing with US foreign and tariff policy. She is best known internationally as part of the team who helped negotiate Brexit under former taoiseach Leo Varadkar. The reshuffle was triggered by the surprise news on Tuesday that the longstanding cabinet minister Paschal Donohoe was quitting to go to the World Bank in Washington as managing director. Finance is considered one of the top portfolios in any country along with foreign affairs and home affairs. But it has taken on huge importance this year in Dublin as the country came under relentless attack from Donald Trump which accused Ireland of “stealing” US pharma companies. 2.58pm GMT As we wait for more updates from Poland, let’s get a bit more on Ireland’s government reshuffle taking place after finance minister Paschal Donohoe’s resignation announced earlier today (11:52). 2.41pm GMT Poland rail sabotage attacks are 'extremely alarming,' Czech PM says, warning against Russia's 'openly hostile' behaviour Outgoing Czech prime minister Petr Fiala said the reports of Russian rail sabotage attacks in Poland were “extremely alarming.” In a post on X, he added: “Russia is behaving in an openly hostile manner towards us and has long been undermining the security and stability of Europe. We must not be naive or underestimate the risks we are facing. It is our duty to strengthen our defence, invest in security, cooperate with our allies, and be prepared to confront similar attacks. The incoming government should keep this firmly in mind.” 2.09pm GMT Poland's 'Russophobia' behind allegations over Moscow's role in rail sabotage attacks, Kremlin says The Kremlin accused Poland of Russophobia after Warsaw blamed an explosion on a railway route to Ukraine on two Ukrainian citizens whom it said were recruited by Russian intelligence, Reuters reported. “Russia is accused of all manifestations of the hybrid and direct war that is taking place,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state television reporter. “In Poland, let’s say, everyone is trying to run ahead of the European locomotive in this regard. And Russophobia, of course, is flourishing there,” he said. 2.05pm GMT Tusk’s comments about the role of two Ukrainian men will reignite the debate about Moscow’s use of foreign agents recruited, often online, for specific acts of sabotage among Ukrainian, Belarusians and other nationalities. The choice of Ukrainian mercenaries in particular is deliberate, as can help with stoking anti-Ukrainian sentiments, as Tusk explained (13:58). As my colleague Shaun Walker explained, on the ground, the acts are often carried out by people who are recruited online and often paid in cryptocurrency. Interactive Some know exactly what they are doing and why, others do not realise they are ultimately working for Moscow. The professional intelligence officers who direct the operations never need to leave Russian territory. Read more: Related: ‘These people are disposable’: how Russia is using online recruits for a campaign of sabotage in Europe Updated at 4.24pm GMT 1.15pm GMT Poland identifies suspects behind rail sabotage incidents — what we know Two Ukrainian men have been identified as main suspects behind the rail sabotage incidents in Poland over the weekend, Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk said (13:34). The perpetrators are believed to be working for Russian intelligence services, who had crossed into Poland from Belarus this autumn and fled to Belarus following the attacks. One of the suspects was previously convicted of sabotage in Ukraine. The main incident in the village of Mika involved the use of a military-type C-4 explosive intended to blow up a train, it is believed (13:40). Speaking in the Polish parliament, Tusk said the two incidents were “unprecedented” and “perhaps the most serious, when it comes to the security of the Polish state, incidents since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Ukraine” (13:46). He further warned that “these acts of sabotage and actions of Russian services across … Europe, not only in Poland, are unfortunately gaining momentum,” calling it “an escalation” and an attempt to sow chaos and anti-Ukrainian sentiment (13:58). In response, Poland will raise the threat level to protect selected rail routes, but it will stay unchanged in the rest of the country, Tusk said (13:56). 12.58pm GMT Tusk warns of 'escalation' by Russian intelligence services as he warns about intention to sow chaos Discussing the wider effects of the alleged Russian activites, Tusk says that Russia is interested “not only about in the direct effect of this type of actions, but also the social and political consequences,” such as “disorganisation, chaos, panic, speculation, uncertainty,” and “the stirring up of possibly radically anti-Ukrainian sentiments.” “This is particularly dangerous in countries like Poland, where we have enough burdens that we bear due to over a million Ukrainian refugees in Poland,” he says. Tusk says that authorities get dozens of alerts – both genuine and false – every day, putting increasing burden on services investigating these reports. “These acts of sabotage and the actions of Russian services across the whole of Europe, not only in Poland, are unfortunately gaining momentum. We are dealing with an escalation,” he says. He also asks for vigilance so people report any suspicious incidents to authorities, and for cross-party support for the services investigating these issues. And that ends his statement. Updated at 1.09pm GMT 12.56pm GMT Poland raises alarm level on rail in response to rail incidents Tusk says that in response to the incident, Poland will raise the threat level to its third level out of four with regards to some parts of the rail infrastructure across the country. The overall threat level will remain unchanged at the second level, he says. Relevant regulations will be issued later today. 12.46pm GMT 'Perhaps most serious ... incident since beginning of full-scale invasion on Ukraine,' Tusk says Tusk says the rail sabotage incidents were “unprecedented” and “perhaps the most serious, when it comes to the security of the Polish state, incidents since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Ukraine.” He says that “a certain line has been crossed” as the incident could have been much more serious if it wasn’t for an errorenous execution of the attack by the perpetrators. He then recalls that Poland has faced serious sabotage incidents over the last few years, with 55 people detained in total. But he also talks about a broader pattern of attacks, as he references other acts of Russian sabotage in Europe, including in Moldova, Romania, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Updated at 1.27pm GMT 12.40pm GMT C-4 explosives used in rail attack in Poland, PM Tusk says Revealing more details about the first explosion in the Mika village, Tusk says that it has now been confirmed that the perpetrators used a military-type C-4 explosive with a 300m cable attached to it. Interactive The explosive went off under a freight train, which suffered minor damage to its undercarriage, but seriously damaged the tracks, posing further risks for next trains going on this route, Tusk says. The next train that stopped had been briefed on the problem and was travelling slowly enough to stop in time. 12.34pm GMT Two Ukrainian men identified as suspects in Polish rail sabotage attacks Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has just told lawmakers that the authorities investigating the rail sabotage incidents over the weekend identified two main suspects. He says the suspects are Ukrainian men, who crossed into Poland from Belarus this autumn, and are believed to have been working for Russian intelligence services. One of the suspects was previously convicted of sabotage by a court in Lviv. After the incidents, they both fled back to Belarus, Tusk says. Updated at 1.10pm GMT 12.27pm GMT Tusk addresses parliament on rail sabotage incidents Back to Poland, prime minister Tusk is now addressing the parliament on the rail sabotage incidents over the weekend. I will bring you all the key lines here. Updated at 12.27pm GMT 12.14pm GMT Spain to offer 'substantial' aid package for Ukraine during Zelenskyy's visit Spain promised to roll out an unspecified “substantial” aid package for Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Madrid and met Spanish defence sector executives, aiming to bolster Kyiv’s air defences against Russia’s invasion, Reuters reported. Zelenskyy, who was due to meet prime minister Pedro Sánchez later, visited the headquarters of radar and anti-drone specialist Indra, which is part-owned by the Spanish state, along with other defence firms and Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles. He also visited the Spanish parliament. The Ukrainian leader’s European trip comes amid a surge of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. 10.53am GMT Polish PM to address parliament on rail sabotage incidents Heads up: Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk will address the Polish parliament around 1pm local time (midday UK) to give lawmakers an update on the latest on the rail sabotage incidents over the weekend. I will bring you all the key lines here. 10.52am GMT Ireland's longstanding finance minister Donohoe steps down to join World Bank Ireland’s longstanding finance minister Paschal Donohoe is to step down to join the World Bank. Donohoe, who has been in finance or public expenditure departments for the past 10 years, will also step down from his job as head of the Eurogroup, the alliance of member states who use the euro currency. The Irish cabinet was given the surprise news on Tuesday and was told that the appointment of Donohoe as the managing director of World Bank, the second most important job in the institution, had been approved on Monday night. Donohoe has been a stalwart of Irish politics during Brexit years, Covid and beyond and his steady hand made him seem as a potential frontrunner for taoiseach. But he lost out on a key opportunity last March 2024 when the leadership of his Fine Gael came up with Simon Harris quickly amassing enough support within the party to take over following the resignation of the former taoiseach Leo Varadkar. He has been tipped for international jobs, including the head of the International Monetary Fund, ever since. However, he has always professed loyalty to his position in the Irish cabinet or missed out to other candidates. His resignation could trigger a cabinet reshuffle but it will also prompt what is likely a hard byelection in Dublin central, a constituency shared in the multi seat system by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and in which Gary Hutch who had links with the Hutch criminal gang also ran in November general election. Donohoe’s departure is a significant blow to the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil partnership and to the EU as one of the longest serving ministers attending EU summits. He played a significant role in protecting Ireland’s economic strategy in relation to foreign investment and corporate tax when under serious international attacks from the likes of France and a court case, which Ireland ultimately won, over the Apple’s corporate tax. Updated at 11.04am GMT 10.33am GMT Zelenskyy visits Spain before flying to Turkey to 'reinvigorate' peace talks Ahead of his talks in Spain today, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he was hoping that after talks with the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, “another strong country will increase its support” for Ukraine, “helping us protect lives and bring the end of the war closer.” He also confirmed that he would go to Turkey on Wednesday and try to “reinvigorate negotiations” over a potential peace deal ending the war as “we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners.” “Doing everything possible to bring the end of the war closer is Ukraine’s top priority. We are also working to restore POW exchanges and bring our prisoners of war home,” he said. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that no Russian representatives would be involved in talks in Turkey, even as he insisted that Moscow was ready to negotiate. But Reuters reported that US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to come to Turkey and join the talks, according to a Turkish source. 9.57am GMT 'Everything indicates' Russian intelligence commissioned rail sabotage incidents in Poland, government spokesperson says In a further confirmation of the inquiry lines in Poland, the Polish security services minister’s spokesperson Jacek Dobrzyński has just confirmed that “everything indicates” that Russian intelligence services were behind the rail sabotage incidents in Poland over the weekend. “The fact is that everything indicates that this ... we can already confidently call it a terrorist attack, was initiated by special services from the East,” he later added. But he insisted that the investigation into the two incidents needed to be kept confidential at this stage to ensure it can be effective. “I cannot say what stage the officers are [at] or [what they are] currently working on and what threads they are connecting or what threads they are analysing. The Russian services would very much want to have this information: where our officers are or in which direction they are heading,” he said. 9.45am GMT Czechs join protests against incoming Babiš government as they mark anniversary of Velvet Revolution Similarly, Czechs also took to the streets to use the anniversary of the 1989 events to protest against controversial populist billionaire Andrej Babiš, who is expected to lead the next government after last month’s parliamentary elections. Large crowds flooded Prague’s historic Old Town Square at a rally called “Czechia is not for sale”, carrying banners criticising Babiš and chanting “Throw away Babiš”, an AFP journalist observed. The billionaire’s appointment as the next prime minister continues to be delayed amid his unresolved conflicts of interest, which the country’s president, Petr Pavel, insists need to be addressed before he can take the top job. Related: ‘Trumpist’ Czech PM-elect refuses to sell business empire amid conflict-of-interest row Joining the official commemorations earlier in the day, Babiš was reportedly booed by some in the corwd. Later in the evening, some 100,000 people took part in an official commemorative concert at the Wenceslas Square in central Prague. 9.34am GMT Tens of thousands of Slovaks protest against Fico as they mark Velvet Revolution anniversary Last night, tens of thousands of Slovaks protested against the country’s populist and pro-Russian prime minister Robert Fico, marking the 36th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution which had ended the communist rule in the country in 1989, but which his government has recently removed from the list of national holidays. Despite torrential rain, protesters gathered across the country, including the capital, Bratislava, and the eastern city of Košice. Fico remains a deeply divisive figure in Slovakia, which regular protests against his government and policies. Critics say he risks undermining the country’s pro-western course since 1989, jeopardising its relations with the EU and Nato, as he insisted on keeping close relations with Russia – visiting Vladimir Putin in Moscow three times since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – and opposed further EU sanctions on Russia or aid for Ukraine. Most recently, Fico angered many by telling students in the city of Poprad that they should go to fight for Ukraine if they don’t agree with his pro-Russian views, AP noted. The next parliamentary election in the country should be held by 2027. 9.15am GMT Morning opening: 'All traces lead to Russia,' Poland says Poland’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, said that looking at the rail sabotage incidents over the weekend in the broader context of hybrid threats facing European countries “all traces lead east, to Russia.” Speaking on Radio Zet this morning, he also confirmed media reports that investigators were looking at a device was found near the blast site which they believe may have been intended to capture “the explosion or observe the site” of the blast. Related: Poland railway blast was unprecedented act of sabotage, says Donald Tusk Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland and Europe faced “a state between war and peace, where we have attacks, acts of sabotage, disinformation on a gigantic scale on the internet, the destruction, or attempts at destruction, of critical infrastructure across the whole of Europe.” On Monday night, public prosecutors in Poland said an investigation had opened “regarding acts of sabotage of a terrorist nature […] committed on behalf of a foreign intelligence service against the Republic of Poland.” This morning the Polish government will convene its national security committee to discuss the next steps in its response to the rail incidents. I will keep an eye on what comes out of it. Elsewhere, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, meets the German prime minister, Friedrich Merz for talks in Paris, where they will be later joined by the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Spain for talks with the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, before going to Turkey on Wednesday in a bid to reinvigorate peace talks to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Separately, senior representatives of the EU candidate countries meet in Brussels at the EU Enlargement Forum, and Danes go to the polls in local elections, as the centre-left could lose control of Copenhagen for the first time in the city’s electoral history. Related: Centre-left tipped to lose Copenhagen for first time in electoral history There is lots for us to cover. I will bring you all the latest updates here. It’s Tuesday, 18 November 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning. Updated at 9.16am GMT