Global Europe
Lavrov says EU becoming ‘aggressive, militant, NATO appendage’
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday (13 May) said he doubted the motives of Ukraine's intention of joining the European Union, while accusing Brussels of ambitions beyond the European continent.
Veterans, propagandists in Russia start criticising the stuttering Ukraine war
Vladimir Putin's faithful propagandists, as well as a former commander of pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, have openly criticised Moscow's stuttering military campaign in Ukraine in recent days, in a sign that the presumed iron-cast internal support for the Russian president may be eroding.
Erdogan says Turkey not supportive of Finland, Sweden joining NATO
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday (13 May) it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries were “home to many terrorist organisations”. Finland’s plan to apply...
Swedish security report says NATO membership would deter conflict
A day after Finland’s leaders said the country must seek NATO membership for its own security’s sake, Sweden published a revised security policy review from parliamentary parties on Friday (13 May), highlighting the advantage of becoming a member of the...
Ukraine’s integration can start today, EU Parliament chief says
The EU should open its doors to Ukraine, paving the way for immediate access to trade, programs, funding, transport, movement, and more, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Asked by EURACTIV what her thoughts are...
Czech EU presidency to prioritise fight against hybrid threats, deputy minister says
The Czech EU Council presidency will put the focus on hybrid threats, by accelerating discussions about disinformation and interference set out in the EU’s Strategic Compass, Deputy Minister of Defence Jan Havranek told EURACTIV.
Putin says sanctions hurting West more than Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Western countries were worse hit by sanctions imposed on Moscow over Ukraine than Russia, which he insists has been resilient in the face of "external challenges".
Swiss release some frozen Russian assets
The Swiss government on Thursday (12 May) reported 6.3 billion Swiss francs (€6.05 billion) worth of Russian assets frozen under sanctions to punish Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a drop from early April as around 3.4 billion francs in provisionally blocked assets were released.
Qatar, EU say pushing stalled Iran nuclear talks
Qatar's emir and the EU on Thursday (12 May) said they are working to push forward stalled negotiations aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers.
Pushing Finland and Sweden into NATO was Putin’s key geopolitical miscalculation
What advocates of NATO membership in both Sweden and Finland failed to do in seven decades, Vladimir Putin achieved in a couple of weeks, and the geopolitical impact of their accession to NATO should not be underestimated, writes Tomi Huhtanen.
Kuleba: No to EU candidate status would ‘kill our hope’
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasised on Thursday (12 May) the importance of reaching EU-candidacy status for its morale in the war, while German economy minister Robert Habeck warned of giving “false promises.”
The Brief – The cost of not solving the Bulgarian veto
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is reshaping how the EU conducts its enlargement policy. That will put additional pressure on Bulgaria to lift its veto on neighbouring North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations.Editor's picks
Serbia reacts strongly to Kosovo Council of Europe application
Following Kosovo’s submission of an application to the Council of Europe (CoE) on Thursday (12 May), Serbian President Aleksander Vučić called an urgent meeting of the National Security Council for Friday, claiming Pristina has violated a number of agreements.
Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay, leaders say
Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday (12 May) officially endorsed the idea that their country should join NATO.
Romania to ease Black Sea gas extraction conditions
Romanian senators on Wednesday (11 May) passed a bill the government hopes will encourage gas extraction in the Black Sea as the European Union looks to reduce its dependency on Russian gas.
NATO to welcome Nordic members as Ukraine pushes back Russian forces
Finland is expected to announce on Thursday (12 May) its intention to join NATO with Sweden likely to follow soon after, diplomats and officials said, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reshapes European security and the Atlantic military alliance.
Russia ‘most direct threat to world order’, von der Leyen says at EU-Japan summit
Russia is the "most direct threat" to the international order because of its invasion of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday (12 May) in Tokyo.
UK ‘formalises’ mutual security assurances with Sweden, Finland
The UK signed agreements confirming mutual security assurances with Finland and Sweden after Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both Helsinki and Stockholm on Wednesday. On Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson signed a “political declaration of...
Russia puts sanctions on Gazprom subsidiaries in Europe
Moscow has imposed sanctions on 31 companies, including the owner of the Polish part of the Yamal pipeline, as well as the former German unit of the Russian gas producer Gazprom, whose subsidiaries service Europe's gas consumption.
LEAK: Russia main focus of upcoming transatlantic TTC summit
The confrontation with Russia will be at the centre of the next high-level meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), according to the draft conclusions obtained by EURACTIV.
EU urges independent probe into Al Jazeera reporter’s West Bank killing
The European Union on Wednesday (11 May) condemned the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances of her death.
The Brief – Don’t count on Mercron II
For all the talk about the so-called Franco-German axis, Russia's war on Ukraine has hardly seen German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron emerge as a 'power couple'. At best, they are an uneven tandem.
Companies hire more lawyers to avoid sanctions-related fines
The deployment of unprecedented sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war has left companies with a complex legal minefield to navigate, prompting them to hire more lawyers to avoid costly missteps.