About: USA
Starbucks set to hire 2,500 refugees in Europe
US coffee chain Starbucks Corp said yesterday (20 June) it will hire 2,500 refugees in Europe as part of a wider worldwide hiring plan, months after the policy prompted a backlash from some customers.
New US sanctions threaten EU firms involved in Nord Stream 2
The US Senate voted nearly unanimously on Thursday (15 June) for legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia and force President Donald Trump to get Congress' approval before easing any existing sanctions on Russia.
Germany voices ‘great concern’ over Hungarian NGO law
Germany voiced "great concern" yesterday (14 June) over Hungary's crackdown on foreign-backed civil society groups approved by parliament the previous day. In the meantime the Commission said it will “carefully analyse it”.
Republicans push back against Trump plan to cut foreign aid
US President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress on Tuesday (23 May) assailed his proposed cuts in the diplomatic and foreign aid budget, making it unlikely the cutbacks in global health, peacekeeping and other programs will take effect.
Europe braces for laptop ban on US-bound flights
US and EU officials meet in Washington this week for further talks on aviation security, as the European Union braces for an extension of a cabin ban on large electronic devices to US-bound flights from Europe.
Saudi Arabia, Russia agree oil output cuts to push up prices
Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's two top oil producers, agreed today (15 May) to extend oil output cuts for a further nine months until March 2018 to rein in a global crude glut, pushing up prices.
US Defence Secretary criticises Russian build-up near Baltic states
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said yesterday (10 May) that a Russian missile deployment near the Baltic states was "destabilising", and officials suggested the United States could deploy a Patriot missile battery in the region for NATO exercises in the summer.
American OSCE monitor killed in rebel east Ukraine
An American monitor with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe died after a mission patrol vehicle hit a landmine in the Russian-backed separatist east, eliciting sharp words towards Moscow from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday (23 April).
Western pressure builds on Russia to break ties with Assad
British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke yesterday (10 April) to US President Donald Trump and agreed that "a window of opportunity" exists to persuade Russia to break ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her office said.
Trump orders toughest US military action in six-year Syria war
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (6 April) that he ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airfield from which a deadly chemical weapons attack was launched, declaring he acted in America's "national security interest" against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Tillerson urges Senate ratification of Montenegro’s NATO membership
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has written to the leaders of the US Senate urging the ratification of Montenegro as the newest member of the NATO alliance, saying it is "strongly in the interests of the United States."
Suspend visa-free EU travel for US citizens, MEPs say
United States citizens should be denied visa-free access to the European Union before summer because Washington does not allow some EU nationals to enter there without visa, EU lawmakers said in a vote today (2 March).
Trump suddenly likes the EU?
Donald Trump expressed support for the European Union on Thursday (23 February), which is surprising against the background previous remarks.
NATO, the Middle East and Eastern Europe
Interests within NATO diverge, particularly between the United States and many European countries. George Friedman takes a closer look.
Montenegro seeks assurance Trump won’t derail its NATO accession
Stuck in a geopolitical tug of war over its NATO bid, Montenegro wants the United States to guarantee that it will ratify its accession protocol. American diplomats told EURACTIV that the process will take time but that US policy should not change.
Montenegro’s parliament ‘will vote for NATO by 59%’
Montenegro will finish the ratification procedure of its NATO accession with a vote in parliament in the coming months. Public opinion is evenly divided for and against NATO membership, but it is unlikely that a referendum will be called over the issue.
EU calls for rapid investigation into Montenegro ‘coup’
Montenegro, which broke away from a union with Serbia to become independent in 2006, has been engulfed in a coup drama since the 16 October general election when authorities arrested 20 Serbians accused of planning armed attacks against government institutions.
France and Germany frown at Trump’s Middle East policy
France and Germany consider the US position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict confusing and risking ending the prospect of a two-state solution and fuel conflict in the region, the two leading EU countries said yesterday (16 February).
Juncker: Europe must not bow to Trump’s demands on NATO
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said yesterday (16 February) that Europe must not cave in to US demands to raise military spending, arguing that development and humanitarian aid could also count as security. His chief spokesperson however said different things.
Chief prosecutor overrules jailing of Montenegro opposition leaders
Montenegro's chief prosecutor, Ivica Stanković, issued yesterday (15 February) binding instructions to his special prosecutor not to arrest two opposition MPs, although the parliament stripped them of their immunity on charges of having participated in the plotting of a coup d’état.
Swiss voters soundly reject corporate tax overhaul
Swiss voters clearly rejected plans to overhaul the corporate tax system yesterday (12 February), sending the government back to the drawing board as it tries to abolish ultra-low tax rates for thousands of multinational companies without triggering a mass exodus.
Trump’s Muslim travel ban inspires EU initiative
Current and former EU government ministers, academics and editors will propose to EU leaders meeting today (3 February) in Malta that the Union set up a “rule of law” mission to assist EU citizens stranded in US ports and airports, following Donald Trump’s 'Muslim ban'.
US Vice President to visit Brussels, Munich security conference
US Vice President Mike Pence will visit Brussels and a security conference in Munich this month, the White House said yesterday (2 February), amid jitters about the health of the trans-Atlantic relationship.
Germany to teach Trump’s inner circle how EU works
The inner circle of US President Donald Trump has little knowledge about the European Union and Germany is having to explain how the world's biggest trading bloc does business, the German government's transatlantic coordinator said today (2 February).