Minister of Foreign Affairs, Linas Linkevičius, during his working visit to Kiev on 20 June, had a meeting with the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. The Minister expressed unwavering support to Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemned Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine.

On 22 June 2018, the Council adopted the negotiating mandate for the future agreement between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Formal negotiations will start by the end of August 2018, as provided by the current agreement, the Cotonou Agreement.

MEPs will visit Venezuela’s borders with Colombia and Brazil next week to assess the humanitarian situation of people fleeing Venezuela.

The European Commission adopted the regulation putting in place the EU's rebalancing measures in response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium. The measures will immediately target a list of products worth €2.8 billion and will come into effect on Friday 22 June.

Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström together with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Trade Minister of Australia Steven Ciobo officially launched negotiations for a comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement between the EU and Australia in the Australian capital of Canberra.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands paid a visit to Dutch soldiers serving at the NATO’s Forward Presence Battalion.

The European Commission today cleared all air carriers from Indonesia from the EU Air Safety list. In addition, a new system, warning the Air Traffic Controllers of all Member States has being deployed to prevent unsafe aircraft from entering European airspace.

On 14 June, the Council transposed into EU law sanctions adopted by the United Nations on 7 June, imposing a travel ban and an asset freeze on six human traffickers and smugglers operating in Libya, four of Libyan nationality and two of Eritrean nationality. The individuals targeted by the sanctions are key figures in human trafficking and migrant smuggling activities in and around Libya.

MEPs condemn detention of human rights defenders and breaches of free expression and assembly in Russia and Bahrain, and ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine State.

A €1 billion macro-financial loan to help Ukraine cover part of its external financing needs in 2018-2019 was approved by Parliament on Wednesday.