Global Europe
China imposes sanctions on 28 Trump-era officials including Pompeo
China’s move to sanction former Trump administration officials was “unproductive and cynical”, a spokeswoman for President Joe Biden’s National Security Council said on Wednesday (20 January), urging Americans from both parties to condemn the action.
Turkish FM on charm offensive in Brussels
The European Union will on Thursday (21 January) press Turkey to make good on recent gestures from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to calm tensions, as Ankara's foreign minister visits Brussels.
Portuguese minister: Vaccination certificate to abolish testing at EU borders
A vaccination certificate under discussion in the EU should act as proof of safety and lift certain requirements at the EU's internal borders, Portugal's Minister of the Interior Eduardo Cabrita has said.
Biden rolls back Trump policies on wall, climate, health, Muslims
US President Joe Biden signed 15 executive actions shortly after being sworn on Wednesday (20 January), undoing policies put in place by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, and making his first moves on the pandemic and climate change.
World leaders congratulate US President Biden
World leaders said they were looking forward to working with Joe Biden, the Democrat sworn in as US president on Wednesday (20 January) after four turbulent years under Donald Trump.
Trump ends tumultuous term under cloud, faces uncertain future
President Donald Trump leaves the presidency under a dark cloud of his own making, ending his single four-year term stained by two impeachments, deep political divisions and his handling of a pandemic that has caused 400,000 U.S. deaths.
What we might learn from the Trump administration’s downfall
The siege of the Capitol was one of the darkest moments, but not the last hour of modern democracy, writes Anna Donáth.
EU calls on Biden to form ‘new transatlantic pact’
Hours before Joe Biden was to be sworn in as the next US president on Wednesday (20 January), EU leaders extended the invitation to cooperate more closely but also warned that four years of the Trump administration had changed the nature of transatlantic ties.
Covid pandemic ‘could be WHO’s Chernobyl moment for reform’
The COVID-19 pandemic could be the catalyst for much-needed reform of the World Health Organization just as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 forced urgent changes at the UN nuclear agency, an independent review panel said on Tuesday (19 January).
Navalny makes allegations of Putin wealth ahead of protests
Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic who was jailed at the weekend, released a video in which he and his allies alleged that an opulent palace belonged to the Russian leader, a claim the Kremlin denied.
Athens seeks explanation for German FM’s silence over Turkey’s threats
Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas needs to explain why he remained silent after his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu threatened Greece at a joint press conference earlier this week, former FM Dora Bakoyanni has said.
Trump pardons ex-aide Bannon but not himself or family
US President Donald Trump granted clemency to former White House aide Steve Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office, but did not pardon himself.
EU needs a strong partnership with the US to tackle global challenges
New opening in the EU-US relations is currently viewed to be one of the top priorities of EU’s foreign policy. Poland advocates and supports a special kind of relationship with the US by focusing on the issues that unite both...
Turkey blocks Cyprus from joining UN disarmament talks
Talks aimed at overcoming a years-long deadlock over disarmament at the United Nations began in acrimony on Monday (18 January) with two countries blocking rivals from taking part in widely criticised manoeuvres that sparked concern about the forum’s future.
The Brief, powered by VDMA – A declaration of self–reliance
It’s probably fair to say that most European leaders greeted Joe Biden’s victory in last November’s presidential elections with a huge sigh of relief. After four years of isolationism, bombast and unpredictability, Biden’s presidency, if nothing else, heralds a return to government by professionals, and an end of diplomacy by Twitter-rant.
EU warns Iran nuclear deal at ‘critical juncture’
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned the Iran nuclear deal is at a "critical juncture", as Tehran's moves to breach it threaten efforts to get the US back on board.
Gazprom bond prospectus acknowledges risk over Nord Stream 2
Russian gas producer Gazprom has acknowledged in a Eurobond prospectus seen by Reuters on Tuesday (19 January) that there are risks that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project may be suspended or scrapped amid political pressure.
As Russia’s repression grows, the West needs to react
There needs to be a change in strategy towards Russian repressions and brutality both inside and outside of its borders, writes Pavel Havlicek. The new US administration of Joe Biden is an opportunity in this context, he argues.
Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi laptop to Russians, FBI says
US law enforcement is investigating whether a woman took a laptop from US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the 6 January siege of the Capitol and tried to sell the device to Russian intelligence.
Belarus stripped of ice hockey world championship over unrest, Covid
Belarus was on Monday (18 January) stripped of its role as co-host of the 2021 ice hockey world championship over "growing safety and security concerns related to both the rising political unrest and Covid-19".
Navalny arrest could prompt inauguration of EU Magnitsky-style sanctions regime
The EU's recently approved Magnitsky-style law allowing the 27-member bloc to impose sanctions on human rights abusers could soon come to life as calls grow in Europe to apply the new punitive measures to Russia over the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Facing Biden, Erdogan extends olive branch to EU
Facing a potentially hostile US administration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is trying to break his isolation by mending EU relations, torn by what the bloc views as his bellicose foreign policy.
Trump, in wave of Tuesday pardons, so far not planning to pardon himself
US President Donald Trump at this point is opting not to issue a pardon for himself as he prepares an expansive list of more than 100 pardons and commutations, a source familiar with the effort said.