Eurotopics.net

With all ministers sworn in at Prague Castle on Monday, the formation of the new right-wing populist government consisting of ANO, the Motorists' Party as well as Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) in the Czech Republic is now formally complete. Commentators discuss how the cabinet under Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will position itself, particularly vis-á-vis Russia and Ukraine.

After two days of talks aimed at finding a peaceful solution for Ukraine, the participants at the meeting in Berlin were optimistic: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke of a "real chance" for peace, saying that the US had offered "considerable legal and material guarantees". And Ukraine's European allies proposed a "multinational force" to secure peace with Russia.

Belarus's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has released 123 political prisoners. Among those pardoned were civil rights activist Maria Kolesnikova, former presidential candidate Viktor Babaryko and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Beliatski. The freed prisoners were taken out of the country and are not allowed to return. The move comes after the US announced it was lifting its sanctions on the Belarusian potash industry.

Berlin is currently the main venue of the West's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky's talks with US negotiators at the Chancellery in the German capital will resume today. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited European, EU and NATO leaders to attend a meeting this evening. Europe's press takes a closer look.