Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the United Kingdom an “Islamic republic” and reiterated his claim that it could become “the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.” The British government called his statements “absolutely unacceptable” and said it had raised the issue with Israeli authorities.
This statement was made on an Israeli Army Radio podcast, an episode of which was published on August 13, 2026. Speaking about the shift in attitudes toward Israel in the United Kingdom, Netanyahu used the phrase “Islamic Republic of Britain.” The host then asked him whether something similar was happening throughout Europe. The prime minister answered in the affirmative and cited a phrase previously used by someone else describing Britain as the future “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.”
However, the widely held interpretation that Netanyahu himself predicted Britain’s transformation into an Islamic nuclear republic is not entirely accurate. He did not present this phrase as his own prediction but explicitly stated that “someone had said” it. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer later told the BBC that Netanyahu was referring to current U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who made a similar statement back in 2024.
Vance said at the time that the United Kingdom could become the first “truly Islamist country with nuclear weapons.” However, he himself made a caveat regarding Pakistan.
The very claim about the “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons” is historically inaccurate. Pakistan is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and has possessed nuclear weapons since the late 1990s.
London’s reaction was harsh. A British government spokesperson stated that Netanyahu’s comments were unacceptable and that this issue had already been raised during discussions with the Israeli side.
The remarks came amid deteriorating relations between Israel and a number of European countries. In the interview itself, the host broadened the question to include Europe as a whole, to which Netanyahu responded in the affirmative.
According to the latest assessment by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2026, as of January 2026, nine states possessed or, as in the case of Israel, were considered to possess a total of approximately 12,187 nuclear warheads. About 9,745 of these were in military stockpiles and could potentially be used.
In order from the largest arsenal to the smallest:
Russia — about 5,459 warheads
United States — about 5,083
China—about 620
France—about 290
United Kingdom—about 225
India—about 190
Pakistan—about 170
Israel—about 90
North Korea—about 60
These are estimates of the total number of nuclear warheads, not just those deployed. The exact sizes of the arsenals are state secrets, so SIPRI emphasizes that the figures are approximate. Russia and the U.S. together continue to control about 86% of all nuclear warheads in the world.
China’s arsenal is growing particularly rapidly at the moment: SIPRI estimates it at approximately 620 warheads, up from 600 a year earlier. India has increased its estimated stockpile to 190, and North Korea, according to the institute’s assessment, may have assembled about 60 warheads and possesses fissile material for at least several dozen more.
The United Kingdom, at the center of the current diplomatic scandal, is estimated by SIPRI to have approximately 225 nuclear warheads. London has stopped publishing detailed data on the size of its operational nuclear stockpile, and British strategy provides for the possibility of increasing it.
ISRAEL, Netanyahu, nuclear weapons, PAKISTAN, UNITED KINGDOM
The pharmaceutical company “JSC Galichpharm” (Lviv) produced 3.934 million packages of finished pharmaceutical products in the second quarter of 2026, worth approximately 981.424 million UAH.
According to the company’s disclosure in the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) disclosure system, the average cost per package of medicines is 213.18 UAH for injectables, 52.11 UAH for infusions, 117.25 UAH for liquids and syrups, and 52.6 UAH for tablets.
Galichpharm’s total revenue for the second quarter of 2026 amounted to 354.394 million UAH. Total exports reached 115.4 million UAH, or 48.3% of total sales.
Currently, the company supplies products to the Ukrainian market and exports them to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Australia, and other countries.
As previously reported, “Galichpharm” (Lviv) produced 22.098 million packages of medicines in 2025 and sold finished products worth 1.774 billion UAH. The company then reported a net loss of 1.151 billion UAH, compared to a net profit of 13.705 million UAH in 2024 (-39% compared to 2023).
As previously reported, in May 2025, the Commercial Court of Lviv Oblast opened bankruptcy proceedings against the pharmaceutical manufacturer JSC “Galichpharm” based on claims filed by LLC “Sky-Development” in the amount of 479.262 million UAH. On April 21, 2025, Sky-Development LLC acquired from JSC “Bank Finansy i Kredit” the rights to claims against JSC “Galichpharm” under loan agreements and security agreements.
The investment company “Sky-Development” won an open auction organized by the Deposit Guarantee Fund for Individuals and acquired the claims of the insolvent JSC “Bank ‘Finansy i Kredit’” under ten loan agreements with leading Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies: JSC “Galichpharm” and JSC “Kyivmedpreparat.” According to Sky Development, the total amount of its claims exceeds 3.5 billion UAH.
For their part, “Kyivmedpreparat” and “Galichpharm” stated that the information disseminated by Sky Development Investment Company is “inaccurate, manipulative, and shows signs of a deliberate attempt to discredit the companies’ operations.” In particular, both companies denied having “multi-billion debts” to “Sky Development.” The pharmaceutical companies characterized the statements by “Sky Development” LLC as “an attempt to illegally and artificially create non-existent creditor debt for a possible future hostile takeover of the companies.”
EXPORTS, Galichpharm, MANUFACTURING, MEDICINES, PHARMACEUTICALS
The “Agrain” Group of Companies has begun sowing winter rapeseed for the 2027 harvest, for which it has allocated over 18,000 hectares this season, the company’s press service reported.
The farms in the Chernihiv cluster were the first to begin planting—work there started in early August. In the Odesa and Kharkiv clusters, they are waiting for sufficient productive moisture to accumulate in the soil.
“We only plant when there is sufficient moisture in the topsoil. We constantly monitor weather conditions and adjust the pace of work depending on the situation in each region. Our goal is to complete sowing within the optimal timeframe, ensure uniform emergence, and create the right conditions for plant development before winter sets in,” the press service quotes Chief Agronomist Taras Korniyenko as saying.
“Agrain” is engaged in the cultivation and storage of grain and oilseed crops, as well as livestock farming. Prior to the full-scale Russian invasion, the agricultural holding comprised 11 agricultural enterprises; that number has now grown to 13. The group of companies cultivates approximately 110,000 hectares in the Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, and Cherkasy regions.
The group includes two large grain elevators and two mini-elevators, with a combined capacity of 320,000 metric tons. The agricultural division comprises nine enterprises. Four enterprises are engaged in livestock farming. The beef cattle herd numbers 5,500 head, and the dairy herd numbers 1,750 head, including over 800 milking cows.
The holding company is owned by SAS Investcompagnie (France).
AGRICULTURAL HOLDING, GRAIN, HARVEST, planting season, RAPESEED
Finland is supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine’s war-torn energy sector by allocating 28.5 million euros from its development cooperation funds.
According to a press release from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total cost of the power plant technology is 46.5 million euros, with Ukraine financing the remainder of the project on its own.
Wärtsilä Finland Oy was selected as the supplier. The power plants will be manufactured in Vaasa, which will also contribute to job creation, the development of expertise, and exports in Finland.
The Ukrainian state-owned energy company Ukrnafta is purchasing these power plants to ensure energy production in the country. Reliable energy production is of vital importance, especially during the winter months, when Russian attacks on energy infrastructure complicate daily life in Ukraine.
According to Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio, this project combines Finland’s support for Ukraine with the advantages of Finnish technology.
“Finland possesses world-class expertise in the energy sector, which can be of great help to Ukraine in its recovery efforts. I am pleased that Finnish technology and Finnish workers are contributing to strengthening the security of Ukraine’s energy supply. At the same time, this project promotes Finnish exports and employment,” Minister Tavio noted.
Finland’s funding for the project is provided through the Finnish-Ukrainian Investment Fund (FUIF). The FUIF’s goal is to support public investments in Ukraine using Finnish technology, expertise, and services. Finland’s financial resources will be used to cover the interest expenses and principal amount of the investment loan that Ukraine will receive. Finvera is providing a 100% export guarantee for this loan.
The ongoing eruption of Mount Etna has evolved from a local problem in Sicily into a major transportation crisis for the central Mediterranean. As of the evening of August 14, 2026, Catania Airport remains closed until at least 2:00 a.m. on August 15; hundreds of flights have been canceled or rerouted; the problehave already directly affected Serbia and Malta; and the main burden has shifted to other airports in Sicily and southern Italy.
The current crisis is the most severe for Catania Airport in at least two decades and the longest-lasting since the 2002 eruption. From August 6 to 12, more than a third of the 1,974 flights scheduled for Catania were canceled, and approximately 630 planes were diverted to other airports. Italian sources estimate the total number of disrupted flights at approximately 700. Thousands of passengers were stranded in Sicily at the height of the summer season.
The restrictions are due not to the lava itself—which remains largely confined to the volcano’s vicinity—but to the ongoing ash emissions. The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) is monitoring Etna’s ongoing effusive and explosive activity, including ash emissions from the Voragine crater. In recent days, volcanic ash has spread primarily southward. This poses a particular danger to aviation, as fine particles can enter engines and damage aircraft systems.
Etna’s activity has affected more than just flights to Catania. On August 11, a cloud of volcanic ash moved approximately 220 km south and reached Malta. As a result, Malta Airport canceled 19 flights by midday, and a number of other departures and arrivals were significantly delayed.
Most of the planes unable to land in Catania are being rerouted to Palermo, Trapani, Comiso, and Lamezia Terme. However, the backup system has also proven vulnerable. Comiso Airport in southeastern Sicily temporarily suspended operations due to volcanic ash, so part of the traffic had to be rerouted even further.
As a result, the aviation crisis quickly turned into a ground transportation crisis. Passengers are forced to travel from one end of Sicily to the other by bus, train, and rental car.
Demand for taxis and rental cars has skyrocketed. Following complaints from passengers about price hikes, the consumer organization Codacons announced its intention to file a complaint with the Italian antitrust authority.
The eruption occurred at the worst possible time for the tourism industry—just before Ferragosto on August 15, the traditional peak of the summer vacation season in Italy. Catania is the main aviation hub in eastern Sicily and serves more than 12 million passengers a year.
The losses are felt throughout the entire tourism chain. A canceled flight means more than just a ticket refund. A tourist may be unable to check into a hotel or may have to cancel a car rental, restaurant reservation, tour, or transfer. On the other hand, tourists who are already on the island and cannot fly out are forced to pay extra for lodging and transportation.
Paradoxically, the eruption itself has simultaneously become a tourist attraction. In the evenings, crowds of people head to Etna’s viewing areas to see the lava, further congesting local roads. However, this local interest is incomparable to the damage caused by the disruption of operations at the main air gateway to the eastern part of the island.
If the wind direction changes again, the geography of the flight restrictions may also change.
Etna’s current phase of activity began on August 6 and is characterized by unusually prolonged ash emissions.
According to information from “Serbian Economist”, as of July 31, 2026, nearly 100,000 foreign citizens were legally residing in Montenegro, with Ukrainians remaining one of the country’s largest foreign communities, according to data from the Montenegrin Ministry of the Interior and previously published detailed statistics from the ministry.
According to data from the Montenegrin Ministry of Internal Affairs, 67,344 foreigners hold temporary residence permits, while another 29,783 hold permanent residence permits. Thus, the total number of foreigners with regulated status exceeds 97,000. Of those with temporary residence permits, 40,907 hold permits for temporary residence and work.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs identifies citizens of Serbia, the Russian Federation, and Turkey as the three largest groups of foreign residents. The ministry did not provide a complete breakdown by citizenship as of July 31, 2026, in its published response; therefore, it is currently impossible to determine Ukraine’s exact current ranking based on this data.
However, the latest available comprehensive table from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which allows for a comparison of the main national groups, shows that as of October 31, 2023, Ukrainian citizens ranked fifth among foreigners with temporary or permanent residence in Montenegro.
At that time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ records listed:
Russia — 27,032 people;
Serbia—22,661;
Turkey—9,467;
Bosnia and Herzegovina—7,733;
Ukraine—5,208;
Kosovo—3,821;
Albania—3,027;
Belarus—1,288.
At the same time, the size of the Ukrainian community has been growing since 2023. An article in the Montenegrin publication Dan, cited by Niksic Radio and Television in March 2026, reported that in December there were over 9,000 Ukrainian citizens in the country with residence permits. By comparison, the number of Turkish citizens was approximately 13,000.
Ukrainians residing in Montenegro under temporary protection should be considered separately. This status is legally distinct from a standard temporary residence permit; therefore, data on individuals granted temporary protection and those with standard residence permits cannot be mechanically combined when compiling a ranking of foreign residents.
In March 2026, the Montenegrin government extended temporary protection for individuals from Ukraine until March 4, 2027.
The scale of the Ukrainian presence is also clearly evident in migration statistics. From January through early August 2025 alone, 69,826 Ukrainian citizens entered Montenegro, while 67,561 departed.
Thus, based on the available data, it can be confidently stated that Ukrainians are among the largest foreign communities in Montenegro.
The growth in the number of foreign residents is of significant economic importance to Montenegro.
With a population of approximately 624,000, the nearly 97,100 foreigners with legal residency account for about 15–16% of the country’s population. Foreign residents are particularly noticeable along the coast and in Podgorica, and they influence the real estate market, the rental market, services, employment, and consumer demand.
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