Summary of the day
A fire that broke out at the Rouen cathedral in France has been contained.
The archbishop for Rouen cathedral said workers who were on site when the fire started are safe.
The mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, said “all public resources are mobilised.”
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, has said Russia should work towards the “disappearance” of both Ukraine and Nato, Reuters reported.
The head of the liberal Renew Europe group, Valérie Hayer, has called on the European Council to explore all means to stop Hungary’s ongoing presidency of the Council of the EU.
Here’s another photo from earlier today.
Fire at Rouen cathedral contained: emergency services
Firefighters told French media that the fire has been contained.
🔴 ALERTE INFO
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 11, 2024
Rouen: l'incendie de la cathédrale est circonscrithttps://t.co/q9obgwrQWj pic.twitter.com/82l0wpnDLo
Firefighters are in the process of extinguishing the fire at Rouen’s cathedral.
A local emergency services official told reporters that the risk is to wooden construction site floors, whereas the structure itself is metal.
Incendie de la cathédrale de Rouen: les pompiers, au nombre de 70, "sont en train de parfaire l'extinction" pic.twitter.com/OiR2suIr8E
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 11, 2024
Updated
The archbishop for Rouen cathedral said workers who were on site when the fire started are safe, Reuters reported.
Here are some images from Rouen today.
“All public resources are mobilised,” wrote the mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, sharing a photo of the fire at the cathedral.
Début d'incendie en cours sur la flèche de la cathédrale de @Rouen. Origine inconnue à ce stade. Tous les moyens publics sont mobilisés. Merci de faciliter leur intervention. pic.twitter.com/Lnu1vMrw5p
— Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol (@NicolasMayerNMR) July 11, 2024
Rouen cathedral's spire on fire
A fire has broken out at the Rouen cathedral in France.
Around 63 firefighters have been mobilised, BFMTV reports.
🔴 EN DIRECT
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 11, 2024
Incendie à la cathédrale de Rouen: l'édifice évacué, un périmètre de sécurité établi pour faciliter l'interventionhttps://t.co/IL2ihyFwjj pic.twitter.com/m7NIcrvpjc
Updated
The Kremlin said it was watching as NATO’s military infrastructure moved closer towards Russia’s borders and that Moscow would need to act to contain the Western military alliance, Reuters reported citing TASS.
Medvedev says Russia 'must do everything' for 'disappearance' of Ukraine, Nato or 'both'
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, has said Russia should work towards the “disappearance” of both Ukraine and Nato, Reuters reported.
Medvedev quoted from Nato’s declaration at its Washington summit: “We will continue to support (Ukraine) on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership.”
He then commented: “The conclusion is obvious. We must do everything so that Ukraine’s ‘irreversible path’ to NATO ends with either the disappearance of Ukraine or the disappearance of NATO. Or even better - the disappearance of both.”
The Ukrainian defence ministry said it is grateful to the Netherlands for its decision on ammunition for F-16s.
“The Netherlands is purchasing more than €300 million worth of ammunition for the F-16s. We are grateful to our Dutch friends and partners,” the Ukrainian ministry said.
The Netherlands is purchasing more than €300 million worth of ammunition for the F-16s.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) July 11, 2024
We are grateful to our Dutch friends and partners from @defensie for this important decision.
Thank you for your co-leadership in the Air Force Capability Coalition and the previously… pic.twitter.com/57wCrYLo3U
French left pushes back against Macron's messaging
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said in a letter to the public yesterday that “no political force has a sufficient majority, and the blocs that have emerged are all minorities.”
The president called on all parties “that identify with republican institutions, rule of law, parliamentarianism, a pro-European stance and French independence to have a sincere, loyal dialogue to build a solid – necessarily plural – majority for the country.”
But his letter fuelled further debate.
Sandrine Rousseau, from an Ecologists, said the letter was “worrying.”
“It is the letter of someone who does not accept defeat,” she said.
Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist party, said this morning that “those who seek to divide the left are really seeking to ensure that the left never governs.”
🎙️ L’invitée du jour
— RMC (@RMCInfo) July 11, 2024
🎙️ @sandrousseau, députée NFP de Paris : "La lettre d'Emmanuel Macron est inquiétante... C'est la lettre de quelqu'un qui n'accepte pas la défaite ! C'est dans ces moments que l'on voit les grands chefs d'État et là on ne le voit pas..."#ApollineMatin pic.twitter.com/8xGu8Fqqn0
J’ai fait le choix du rassemblement de la gauche depuis que je suis Premier secrétaire, et je n’en bougerai pas.
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) July 11, 2024
Ceux qui cherchent à diviser la gauche cherchent en réalité à ce que la gauche ne gouverne jamais.#Levenement pic.twitter.com/dzOJqO8RVj
'It is time to rein in Viktor Orbán’s rogue presidency': Renew Europe calls for action to stop Hungary
The head of the liberal Renew Europe group has called on the European Council to explore all means to stop Hungary’s ongoing presidency of the Council of the EU.
Hungary took over the rotating presidency on 1 July for a period of six months, but has the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has already fuelled controversy with a trip to visit Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Valérie Hayer, the president of Renew Europe and an ally of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said today that “the Hungarian prime minister is undermining positions adopted by the European Union and acting contrary to our interests and it has to stop.”
“It is time to rein in Viktor Orbán’s rogue presidency of the Council.,” she said, adding:
His pretend peace mission is a security threat, his isolated communication is only a smoke screen for his own interests and fails miserably. Russia’s recent attacks, including on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, 48h after a supposed peace mission, are simply sickening.
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Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog.
Send thoughts and tips to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
