WNTab has compiled the most significant global events of May 20 in the selection below
Trump: The U.S. Will Not Increase Sanctions Against Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump sees no need to toughen sanctions against Russia, as he believes “there is a chance for progress.” However, the White House leader did not rule out the possibility that Washington could withdraw from the negotiation process on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict if no tangible results are seen. Trump stated that an assessment of the process could be made within the next 2–4 weeks.
The U.S. president also added that the conflict should remain Europe’s problem, not America’s, and promised that no American soldiers would be deployed to Ukraine under any circumstances.
UK, France, and Canada Threaten Israel With Sanctions
These countries called on Jerusalem to stop its military operation in the Gaza Strip and to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.
EU Announces 17th Sanctions Package Against Russia
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced the introduction of new restrictions. According to him, the new sanctions target Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet” and its energy revenues. Tsahkna also stated that Brussels is preparing an 18th sanctions package.
Hungarian Parliament Makes Final Decision to Withdraw from ICC
The adopted bill states that Budapest will no longer participate in international organizations used as tools for political pressure, including the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Kallas: EU Plans to Agree on Lifting Sanctions on Syria
According to the head of the EU’s foreign affairs department, the decision is to be made by the foreign ministers of member states. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had also expressed support for such an initiative.
Spain Suffers Another Major Infrastructure Outage
Users began reporting loss of mobile and internet connectivity. The disruptions were recorded in all major cities of the kingdom — Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Bilbao, and Murcia.
According to media reports, the outage was again caused by a power failure that occurred around 5 a.m. local time.
Simion Appeals to Romania’s Constitutional Court to Annul Presidential Election Results
Romanian presidential candidate George Simion, who came in second in the presidential race according to the local Central Election Commission, announced that he had filed a petition with the country’s Constitutional Court to annul the results of the presidential election. He justified his position by citing foreign interference in the electoral process.
Notably, pre-election polls consistently showed Simion far ahead of his rival. Several media outlets reported instances of election fraud, particularly during voting by citizens in neighboring Moldova.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov also stated that French intelligence had demanded he block the accounts of Romanian opposition politicians on the platform. Paris denied the allegations. In response to Simion’s statement, Durov expressed his willingness to travel to Bucharest and testify in support of democracy.
Previously, WNTab reported on the top events of May 19.
