The EU has suspended its training missions in Mali after the military coup this month that removed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita from power, EU officials said on Wednesday, adding the suspension was temporary.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urged Greek and Turkish leaders on Tuesday to solve their dispute over overlapping resource claims in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, citing the risk of a military confrontation. "The current situation in the eastern Mediterranean is equivalent to playing with fire," he said after talks in Athens with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias. "Every little spark can lead to catastrophe."

Greece and Turkey conducted today rival naval exercises off the Greek island of Crete amid rising tension over claims to gas and oil in the Eastern Mediterranean, news wires reported. Greece announced its exercises after Turkey said it would extend a mission by a seismic research ship, while Turkey sent out an official warning to other vessels to avoid the area.

The preliminary test results from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin hospital in Berlin indicate that the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned during his stay in Siberia. The EU strongly condemns what seems to be an attempt on Navalny’s life, EU diplomacy head Josep Borrell stated on Monday urging Kremlin to start prompt and independent probe of the case.

The European Commission on Friday called on Moscow to allow swiftly for treatment in Germany of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as a probe into his suspected poisoning, Reuters reported.

The latest negotiating round between Britain and the EU on their future relationship after a post-Brexit transition period runs out at the end of 2020 brought no breakthroughs this week on the key sticking points, an EU official said on Friday cited by Reuters.

The UK believes it can agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU next month, according to Downing Street. The PM's spokesman said UK negotiators would "continue to plug the gaps" when talks enter their seventh round in Brussels on Wednesday. The two sides remain deeply divided over competition rules, fishing rights and how a deal would be enforced.

Sweden said on Tuesday it had temporarily withdrawn all its diplomats from North Korea, where its embassy also represents the interests of several other states, partly due to issues linked to the coronavirus pandemic, news wires reported. Most other Western nations which have diplomatic relations with Pyongyang have already pulled staff out temporarily, citing similar difficulties.

European Union leaders will send a message of solidarity to Belarusian protesters during an emergency video conference on Wednesday about the situation in the ex-Soviet republic, EU Council President Charles Michel said. "The people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and freely elect their leader. Violence against protesters is unacceptable and cannot be allowed," he pointed out announcing the emergency virtual summit.

Germany’s president on Monday urged the military in Belarus not to use violence as Belarusians protest against what demonstrators say was the fraudulent re-election a week ago of the country’s longtime president.