Serbian foreign minister proposes hosting Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations amid ongoing conflict

EXCLUSIVE: Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Belgrade is willing to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

"Serbia is also among the countries that are offering their good services, given our background, given the fact that we are friends with all the parties involved, to try and, if needed or if there's an interest, host any kind of talks … on how to bring this horrible tragedy, which has resulted in so many deaths and so much destruction to an end," the foreign minister said.

He said the war in Ukraine needs to come to an immediate end. "Serbia is, in principle, supportive of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states in line with their U.N. borders," including Ukraine.

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The foreign minister’s offer to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia comes after a proposed summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to be held in Hungary had been shelved.

Some analysts say Serbia would be a surprising choice to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Serbia, given the historic ties Russia and Serbia share, rooted in cultural and religious connections through the Serbian Orthodox Church.

While Serbia joined U.N. resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the referendums annexing parts of Ukrainian territory, Belgrade has refused to join Western sanctions targeting Russia over the invasion. Yet Djuric points out that both Ukraine and Russia support Serbia's territorial integrity regarding Kosovo.

Djuric was in New York for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Kosovo. In 1999, a nearly three-month NATO bombing campaign ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. Serbian forces were pushed out, but Belgrade still considers Kosovo a Serbian province.

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Some European officials have questioned Serbia’s commitment to European unity. Foreign Minister Djuric countered that Serbia values its place in Europe between East and West, while also noting the country’s close relationship with the U.S.

"Serbia is very proud of its independent foreign and security policy, which has been deeply rooted in the history of our nation and has enabled us to remain independent for centuries, although we are small," he said. "We value very much our strategic partnership growing with the United States, for which there is bipartisan consensus in this country," he said.

Djuric continued, "We value very much our strategic partnership growing with the United States, for which there is bipartisan consensus in this country. But also, we should bear in mind the fact that President Trump is by far the most popular foreign leader in our country and is the most popular leader for Serbs. I mean, in comparison to all other European countries, President Trump's popularity in Serbia is unparalleled. More than 71% of the Serbs have a very favorable opinion of the U.S. president and of his policies, which really gives a very fertile ground for the further growth of our relationship."

Yet Serbia’s ties with China, widely viewed as the United States’ main economic and military competitor on the world stage, have caused some concern in Washington.

The U.S. recently sanctioned Serbia's Russian-owned oil company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), which is Serbia's main supplier of oil and gasoline.

China conducted military exercises in Serbia in July despite stern warnings from the European Union, and Belgrade provides Beijing with a security foothold in Europe. Serbia has also purchased medium- and short-range surface-to-air missile systems from China.

Beijing's biggest penetration into Serbia is in the economic space, as it has invested more than $10 billion in infrastructure projects over the last 15 years, according to the Center for European Policy Analysis.

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"I also have to admit that we have very good economic relations with China, and China also supports our position on Kosovo in the sense that it recognizes Serbia and its U.N. borders. So they are, as a U.N. Security Council member, also an important partner for us," Djuric said.

Djuric said great power competition between the U.S. and China is "above the pay grade of a small Balkan nation" and that the Serbian government will continue to focus on its economic development.

Domestically, Serbia has been roiled by student-led anti-corruption protests for nearly a year, demanding justice and accountability after the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a railway station in the Serbian city of Novi Sad. Critics across the European Union have called out Serbian security forces for a heavy-handed response against the protesters.

Djuric said he wants to establish an honest dialogue with the protesters and find a way to de-escalate tensions.

"We treat the views of our citizens who disagree with the government with respect, and I don't want to label any of them in any way. I believe that we are mature enough to have a dignified, decent, democratic dialogue, and we will always stand for democracy in Serbia," Djuric said.

He continued, "Serbia's government has shown accountability in the wake of the tragedy that happened in Novi Sad. Ministers have been replaced. Some of them have been called, held to account and even imprisoned. We've changed the government since then and included Professor [Djuro] Macut, who is our current prime minister, into the government, a university professor, and the vision of President Vucic remains to unify the people of Serbia, to overcome political divisions, and to create a society based on dialog and social cohesion rather than polarization."

The Associated Press contributed to this article. 

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German chancellor defends remarks on migrants suggesting citizens 'afraid to move around in public spaces'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has doubled down on comments he made about migration, saying many Germans and Europeans are "afraid to move around in public spaces."

Merz has rejected criticism from some German political circles over his government’s tough stance on illegal immigration.

"But we still have this problem in the cityscape, of course, and that’s why the federal interior minister is facilitating and carrying out large-scale deportations," he said during a visit to Potsdam last week.

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The statement prompted backlash, some accusing the German leader of being racist. He rejected the criticism while on the sidelines of a summit on the Western Balkans in London, saying migrants were "an indispensable part of our labor market," German-based DW News reported.

He also claimed that many people in Germany and across Europe are nonetheless "afraid to move around in public spaces" because of migrants "who do not have permanent residence status, do not work and do not abide by our rules," the outlet reported.

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"I don’t know whether you have children. If you do, and there are daughters among them, ask your daughters what I might have meant. I suspect you’ll get a pretty clear and unambiguous answer. There’s nothing I need to retract," he said when asked if he would withdraw his earlier remarks.

Some have signed a petition disputing Merz’s comments. The signees include actor Marie Nasemann and environmental activist Luisa Neubauer.

"There are approximately 40 million daughters in this country. We have a genuine interest in ensuring that our safety is taken seriously," Neubauer wrote on Instagram. "What we are not interested in is being misused as a pretext or justification for statements that were ultimately discriminatory, racist and deeply hurtful."

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Rubio slams UNRWA as a 'subsidiary of Hamas,' vows it will not 'play any role' in delivering aid to Gaza

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Israel shortly after Vice President JD Vance left for Washington, railed against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) amid the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

"UNRWA's not going to play any role in it," Rubio said when asked about whether the controversial agency would assist in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. "The United Nations is here. They're on the ground. We're willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas."

UNRWA demanded in a post on X that it be allowed to do work in Gaza.

"As the largest U.N. agency operating in the Gaza Strip, by far, UNRWA has an unparalleled logistical network, longstanding trust from the community, managing the distribution of supplies based on vulnerability and clear criteria. Our teams are ready, inside and outside Gaza. Let us work," the agency wrote.

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On Oct. 17, days after world leaders backed a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) opened a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), which is where Rubio spoke on Friday.

The CMCC is located in southern Israel and will serve as the main hub for Gaza stabilization efforts. It will also oversee implementation of the ceasefire agreement and has an operations floor designed to track real-time developments in Gaza.

During the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) last month, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres spoke at a meeting in support of UNRWA, saying that the agency has "made invaluable contributions to development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security, including for Israel."

"UNRWA is vital to any prospects for peace and stability in the region," Guterres added.

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However, the U.S. and Israel have taken hard stances against the agency, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

President Donald Trump in February reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to not fund UNRWA. 

In the executive order, Trump said that "UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel."

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In April 2025, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanded Israel work with UNRWA, Washington backed Jerusalem, saying it was under no obligation to work with the agency and had "ample grounds to question UNRWA’s impartiality."

UNRWA announced in August 2024 the end of an investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services into whether its staff participated in the attacks, as Israel claimed. Following the probe, which looked into 19 UNRWA staff members, nine staff members were fired over evidence that "could indicate" they were involved in the attacks.

The investigation found one case in which there was no evidence to confirm the staffer's involvement and nine other cases in which "the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient" to prove their participation, according to UNRWA.

Fox News Digital reached out to UNRWA and Israel's mission to the U.N. for comment.

Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

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US kills 6 suspected narco-terrorists in overnight strike on alleged drug smuggling boat, Hegseth says

President Donald Trump directed a nighttime U.S. strike on a suspected Tren de Aragua vessel in the Caribbean Sea, killing six alleged narco-terrorists, officials say.

"The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route and carrying narcotics," War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on X. 

"Six male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters — and was the first strike at night," he said. "All six terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike."

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Hegseth warned other smugglers that they will learn the same fate if they try and bring drugs into the United States. 

"If you are a narco-terrorist smuggling drugs in our hemisphere, we will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda. Day or NIGHT, we will map your networks, track your people, hunt you down and kill you," Hegseth wrote.

The strike marks the 10th operation targeting suspected drug traffickers since Trump returned to office in January and the president has made combating the nation’s drug crisis a central policy focus.

The first strike took place on Sep. 2 and since then, 43 suspecteddrug traffickers have been killed and two have ssurvived. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Reporter’s Notebook: A Paris jewel heist straight out of the movies

Sometimes you get assigned stories that are different enough to make even veteran journalists raise their eyebrows. Sunday’s jewel heist at the Louvre in Paris is definitely one of them.

Four guys, using a cherry picker truck to scale the side of the museum, break through a second-floor window, scoop up to $100 million worth of French crown jewelry, and make off with the loot on motor scooters in under 10 minutes. Something out of the movies. Pink Panther. You name it.

I used to live in Paris. I’ve covered many front-page stories during my time there and after — from the death of Princess Diana to several deadly terror attacks, and the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Now, this.

'BRAZEN' LOUVRE THIEVES MADE TARGETED HEIST, JEWELS COULD BE MELTED DOWN: EXPERT

Luckily, I had an ace team with me: professional cameraman and producer John Templeton and Simon Owen, seasoned Paris producer since the 1990s, Cicely Medintzeff, and a handy big Mercedes van and driver

The trip didn’t start that well — losing a few production bags on the flight from London to Paris. But cameraman John made do. As we chatted with folks at the airport, including a nice American couple from Washington state. The robbery was already the talk of the town.

Our next challenge was finding a spot to do our live shots. Arriving by night, the road near the museum was blocked by police on one side, so we ended up backing our way in on the other side. We found a place in front of the iconic pyramid-shaped entrance to the museum. Night or day, it’s one of the great backdrops around — as we talked about a terrible crime.

The next morning, we went straight to the scene of the crime — the back side of the museum. We saw the narrow sidewalk where the thieves parked their truck, the flimsy window they cut through, and a piece of wood now covering the gap. Except for a parked police car, even at that time, there wasn’t a lot of security around. There was no museum video of the break-in. The crooks beat the alarms.

LOUVRE MUSEUM CLOSED AFTER ROBBERY, FRENCH OFFICIAL SAYS

We weren’t the only ones gawking. A small crowd, including American tourists, stared up and wondered. "It looks incredibly easy," one told us. "Weird," another sighed.

But the big crowds were back in front of the museum. Even though it was closed that day (it had been shut following the robbery), throngs were there — many wondering about the crime. Many more just taking the usual Instagram-style selfies with the Louvre.

With our TV equipment spread on the pavement for live shots, we became another source of attention. "Where did it happen?" one person asked. "When is the museum opening again?" asked another. One more American tourist came up and described how he and his wife had been to the museum the day before the robbery and could already tell the security was terrible.

LOUVRE DIRECTOR GRILLED ON SPECTACULAR SECURITY FAILURES, INCLUDING CAMERA POINTING AWAY FROM KEY BALCONY

As more details of the crime emerged, the story only got stranger. How the thieves picked up their truck just 25 miles outside Paris. How were they in such a rush they left behind a crown studded with more than 1,300 diamonds (they got eight other pieces). And how Police — making up for lost time — gathered evidence, including a construction-style vest, a glove, a license plate and video of the suspects making their getaway on a highway outside Paris.

And the French were doing another thing they’re good at — finger-pointing and blame-casting. President Emmanuel Macron has enough political headaches these days. The last thing he needed was a high-profile catastrophe. He promised the culprits would be caught. To her credit, the director of the museum offered her resignation (it was declined) but got a good grilling by the French Senate.

All of this, as we noted, was a race against time for a team of 100 French police investigators — one of the biggest manhunts in French history — to catch the thieves before they had a chance to break up the jewelry, re-cut the gems and melt down the gold and silver to be sold off. Part of a growing trend of museum heists.

In addition to hearing my on-air colleagues express their astonishment about the crime, we also took our share of ribbing about the "tough" assignment of being sent to Paris. And, indeed, it was lovely seeing my old hometown again. Paris is stunning. But I also must note, aside from a fine brasserie wrap dinner, the trip was more about crowding onto café chairs to write scripts and use facilities — plus Uber Eats, French style.

So now we wait to see how this incredible French crime caper pans out. Most people we heard from were pretty sure the bandits would get caught and the museum’s security would be updated. But they had their doubts that the priceless jewelry — described as France’s "soul" — would ever be retrieved. The Louvre has reopened. Let’s just hope this film-style story has a happy ending.

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NATO fighter jets scrambled after Russian planes allegedly violate airspace

Two Spanish fighter jets were scrambled while on NATO air policing missions after Russian aircraft violated Lithuanian airspace.

The Lithuanian armed forces said that at approximately 6:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, two Russian aircraft — an SU-30 and an IL-78 — flew about 765 yards into Lithuanian airspace, The Associated Press reported. The aircraft allegedly flew away after approximately 18 seconds.

"This evening, Russian military planes violated Lithuanian airspace. This is a blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity of Lithuania. Once again, it confirms the importance of strengthening European air defense readiness," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda posted on X.

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Nausėda announced that the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs would summon representatives from the Russian embassy in Vilnius "to protest against reckless and dangerous behavior." The ministry later confirmed on X that the Russian charge d‘affaires was summoned in protest of the airspace violation.

"Russia must cease its aggressive behavior, respect international law and the borders of neighboring states," the ministry said in a post on X.

Russia's defense ministry denied Lithuania's claim, saying that SU-30 fighter jets were conducting training flights over the Kaliningrad region in strict compliance with the rules, the AP reported.

"The aircraft did not deviate from their flight route or violate the borders of other states, as confirmed by objective monitoring means," the ministry said, according to the AP.

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Baltic nations have been on heightened alert amid Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine, according to the AP. The outlet added that the recent airspace incursions have fueled fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be testing NATO, though Moscow has denied this.

Poland, Denmark and Romania, which are all NATO member states, reported airspace violations by Russian drones in the last few months. In August, Romania was forced to scramble F-16 jets after Russia carried out a strike just half a mile from its territory as U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin ahead of the Kremlin leader's Alaska summit with President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, Trump called off a meeting with Putin that was set to take place in Budapest, Hungary. While the White House did not rule out the possibility of a future summit, Trump has criticized Putin for his lack of action to move toward peace with Ukraine.

Trump "feels as though, unfortunately, from the Russian side as of late, he has not seen enough interest in enough action in terms of moving the ball forward toward peace," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday. 

"And so a meeting between these two leaders is not completely off the table. I think the president and the entire administration hope that one day that can happen again, but we want to make sure that there's a tangible positive outcome out of that meeting, and that it's a good use of the president's time," she added.

While sitting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that the meeting was canceled and that "it didn't feel right" to him.

"It just didn't feel right to me," Trump said Wednesday. "It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get, so I canceled it, but we'll do it in the future."

No plans for a future meeting have been announced since the cancellation of the summit in Hungary.

Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

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Louvre director grilled on spectacular security failures, including camera pointing away from key balcony

The director of Paris’ iconic Louvre Museum is facing scrutiny over apparent security failures that allowed thieves to make off with more than $100 million worth of jewels.

In her first public address since the heist, Louvre Museum director Laurence des Cars acknowledged there was a "terrible failure" and said, "Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on a daily basis, we failed," The Guardian reported.

Des Cars admitted that security around the Louvre's perimeter was an issue and that the only camera monitoring the outside of the museum was facing away from the balcony that led to the gallery where the precious jewels were kept, according to reports. The Guardian also noted that des Cars confirmed all the museum's alarms were functioning during the burglary.

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"We failed these jewels," des Cars said, according to the BBC. The outlet also quoted the director as saying that no one is safe from "brutal thieves — not even the Louvre."

On Sunday, burglars appeared to use a truck-mounted electric furniture lift to conduct the heist, Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, said in an interview with RTL radio, according to The New York Times. She added that the thieves obtained the lift by pretending it was for a move. Additionally, Beccuau noted that it would not be easy for burglars to sell the stolen jewels for what they're worth if they tear the pieces apart or melt them, according to the Times.

HOW LOUVRE BURGLARS OBTAINED TRUCK-MOUNTED LIFT TO MAKE OFF WITH JEWELS WORTH MORE THAN $100M

The thieves got away with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring from a set linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. They also stole an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, and a reliquary brooch. Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch — an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship — were also part of the loot.

"The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish, for it is our history," French President Emmanuel Macron said in an X post on Sunday. "We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office."

The heist has prompted a national reckoning, with some officials comparing the shock to the 2019 burning of Notre Dame cathedral. Beccuau told RTL radio that the team investigating the heist had grown from 60 investigators to 100, underscoring the importance of the case on national and international levels.

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

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