Meeting of EU ministers in Cyprus delayed after last night's drone incident
Cyprus has confirmed that the meeting in Lefkosia has been postponed following a drone incident last night at the British military base RAF Akrotiri.
Czech Republic, Slovakia looking to run limited evacuation flights from Middle East
The Czech Republic is among the EU countries actively planning to evacuate some of its citizens from the region. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš confirmed intentions to operate initial evacuation flights in the coming hours.
Speaking to reporters after the morning security council meeting, Babiš detailed plans for three evacuation flights: two departing from Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh and one from Amman in Jordan.
Czech airline Smartwings is expected to operate four flights to evacuate customers from Muscat and Salalah in Oman, which borders the United Arab Emirates. These flights are planned to depart for Prague, Bratislava, and Warsaw, Babiš added.
As of Sunday morning, over 3,500 Czechs had registered for evacuation from the UAE, with another 900 in Oman, “hundreds” in Jordan and Israel, and about a hundred in Saudi Arabia.
Neighboring Slovakia is also preparing evacuation efforts and could assist in transporting some Czech tourists. However, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico issued a caution on Sunday, warning that
Morning opening: EU meets to consider its response as countries look at feasibility of evacuation plans
A so-called “security college” of the European Commission is scheduled to meet today as the EU considers its options amid the escalating situation in the Middle East.
The bloc’s foreign ministers held an online emergency meeting last night. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, spoke about the potential for further escalation in the region. She also emphasized the importance of keeping critical waterways, such as the Strait of Hormuz, open.
Several countries are simultaneously drafting plans to evacuate some of their citizens from the region, where hundreds of thousands are believed to be stranded either in transit or on holiday in the broader affected area.
It is anticipated that some countries may collaborate to coordinate evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, life continues across Europe. Key updates will be provided from across the continent, including coverage of French President Emmanuel Macron’s much-anticipated speech on nuclear deterrence scheduled for this afternoon.
For comprehensive coverage of the Middle East situation, follow this blog.
It is Monday, 2 March 2026. Jakub Krupa reporting, and this is Europe Live.
