We bring you an overview of the most important foreign events and something extra. Today, they were prepared for you by Barbora Libayová, the editor of the foreign department.

In this selection, we look at US President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to resume nuclear testing. We also return to the early elections in the Netherlands, which had an unexpected result. And finally, we look at the situation in the British royal family, which is still haunted by Andrew's connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein years later.

Donald Trump escalates tensions: US to resume nuclear tests

Just hours before a key meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, President Donald Trump sparked international concern by announcing that he had ordered the resumption of US nuclear weapons tests. But it certainly didn't help the tense atmosphere at the meeting.

According to a statement on social media, Trump instructed the Pentagon to"immediately" begin testing nuclear weapons to match the programs of other countries, explicitly referring to the nuclear arsenals of Russia and China.

“The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country. This is due in part to the complete modernization and refurbishment of existing weapons during my first term,” Trump wrote. “Russia is second and China is a distant third, but will be on par within five years.”

"Due to the testing programs of other countries, I have ordered the War Department to begin testing our nuclear weapons on the same basis," he added, confirming that the process would begin immediately.

Was it a show of force?

The decision, which foreign adversaries would likely view as a show of US military strength, comes after more than three decades, as the US has not conducted a nuclear test since 1992.

When Trump was asked by reporters during an official meeting with Xi Jinping to comment on his decision, the president simply paused and replied,"Thank you very much, everyone."

Trump's announcement came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Russia had successfully tested a nuclear torpedo capable of damaging entire coastal areas.

The dream of the European Union has become a reality in the Netherlands

Many European leaders are breathing a sigh of relief after Wednesday's snap election in the Netherlands. Despite pre-election polls predicting a clear victory for far-right populist Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV), someone else is celebrating.

The frontrunner for the prime minister's post is Rob Jetten, leader of the pro-European liberal party Democrats 66 (D66). Jetten, 38, could become the youngest prime minister since World War II and the first openly gay candidate to hold the post.

In contrast, Wilders has lost a large part of his support after 11 months in government, and his party, which, among other things, advocates leaving the EU, has lost almost a third of its voters. And even though the PVV and D66 have won the same number of seats in parliament, the other parties are not willing to cooperate with Wilders. It was he who brought down the government after presenting conditions on migration that were unworkable for the others.

According to the website Politico, the election results were received in Brussels with undisguised enthusiasm. Diplomatic circles promise that the return of the Netherlands to the center of EU events under the leadership of a pro-European prime minister will strengthen the country's influence and bring greater stability. Jetten openly speaks of his desire to move the Netherlands closer to the EU. He wants to stop saying"no" and start saying "yes" to deeper integration. The new Dutch administration is expected to promote budgetary restraint, a tightening of migration policy, support for trade and Ukraine, and a strengthening of common defense.

The pitfalls of coalition negotiations

Despite the optimism in the EU, centrists should not celebrate prematurely. Previous years have shown that it can take months to form a Dutch government and its program – for example, it took up to seven months after the 2023 elections for Dick Schoof to become prime minister.

Climate policy could also be a tricky topic if Jetten were to join forces with the Green-Socialist bloc of the Greens and the Labour Party. A key challenge for Brussels remains how Jetten's government will balance climate ambitions with economic growth, always a difficult process for a country with a strong agricultural sector.

Wilders on the hunt and worrying instability

Despite the centrists' joy over the result, the election results also showed the extraordinary polarization and volatility of the Dutch political scene, with Wilders going from winning 37 seats in 2023 to a projected 26, while Jetten's D66 jumped from 9 to 26 seats.

"This election shows that moods and trends can change – and a shift in either direction is always possible," says Professor Claes de Vreese of the University of Amsterdam.

And although most parties refuse to cooperate with Wilders, the PVV leader himself has announced a return to political struggle. In opposition, he can continue his harsh anti-immigration and anti-European rhetoric without restrictions.

Andrew is now stripped of his titles and banished from the royal residence

Buckingham Palace has announced a crackdown on Prince Andrew, in response to mounting public pressure and allegations of links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. King Charles III has initiated the formal process of stripping his younger brother of all remaining titles and honours, who will now be addressed only as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

The palace also confirmed that the former prince must move out of his Royal Lodge residence near Windsor Castle. The king's retaliation comes after Andrew was previously stripped of his title as Duke of York and other honors.

The case was fueled by posthumous memoirs

A new wave of attention has been sparked by the recent posthumous publication of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, who detailed alleged forced sexual intercourse with Andrew when she was a teenager. Andrew denies the allegations, but Buckingham Palace said that “these sanctions are considered necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”

Historians describe King Charles' move as a"huge moment in royal history." The last time a prince or princess was stripped of their royal title was in 1919, when Prince Ernest Augustus was stripped of his British title after siding with the Germans during World War I.

Andrew's"serious lapses in judgment" related to Epstein have been a long-standing source of anxiety, according to palace sources.

The scandal escalated after the publication of Giuffre's memoir, which, among other things, stated that she met Andrew three times, the third time allegedly at an"orgy" on Epstein's island. Andrew previously claimed in his disastrous 2019 BBC interview that he did not remember Giuffre. Although they reached an out-of-court settlement in the civil case without admitting guilt in 2022, the consequences for Andrew do not end there.

His daughters will retain their titles

As a result of the decision, Andrew will lose all of his titles – including Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh – as well as the title “His Royal Highness.” Unlike him, his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will retain their titles.

The strongest reaction came from Giuffre's family. Her brother, Sky Roberts, told the BBC that"he's just Andrew, he's no longer a prince, and she's celebrating from heaven right now." But he added that Andrew should face other consequences: "He should be behind bars - period."

What else awaits us:

• President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini is participating in the 43rd session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• The trial of a German citizen who drove his car into carnival parade participants in Mannheim on March 3rd, killing two people and injuring 11, begins.
• The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit begins. The summit is expected to feature a meeting between US and Chinese Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
• The launch of the Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou 21 with a three-member crew for the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) space station.