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Politico EU

Politico EU

Newspaper | Belgium | Centre

European political journalism covering EU policy, elections, and politics.

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Articles

Discussions from Politico EU

Geopolitics

How should European leaders respond to Zelensky's concerns about their actions in the ongoing conflict?

DAVOS, Switzerland — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began his address at Davos on Thursday with a stinging rebuke for European leaders over their reluctance to use hard power to punish Russia or defend the continent. Why it matters: European countries often see themselves as keeping Ukraine afloat while President Trump pulls back. But Zelensky made clear he thinks the Europeans are too risk-averse and slow to react — and that the wake-up call Trump has given the continent was long overdue. "If Europe is not seen as a global force, if its actions do not scare bad actors, Europe will always be reacting, catching up to new, dangerous attacks," he said.Zelensky called on the European leaders to use frozen Russian assets and take bold steps like seizing Russian tankers, as Trump has done over Venezuela. Driving the news: Zelensky made news in the Q&A portion following his speech, announcing U.S., Ukrainian and Russian officials will hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday and Saturday. His remarks came shortly after an hourlong meeting with President Trump.Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Moscow for a meeting with Putin, who has signaled no desire for a truce any time soon. State of play: The U.S. is close to agreement with Ukraine on the terms of a peace plan. While Putin hasn't outright rejected it, his public comments have been unenthusiastic. Meanwhile, Russia has been pummeling Ukraine's energy infrastructure at a time of brutal winter conditions. What he's saying: Zelensky said "every European leader" is currently wondering whether the U.S. would help them in the event of a conflict. "Europe must learn how to defend itself. Sending 14 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that meant to achieve? What message does that send to Putin? To China? And perhaps most importantly, what message does it send to Denmark?""Europe looks lost trying to convince the U.S. president to change. But he will not change. President Trump loves who

Global
Geopolitics

What should be the role of European countries in addressing trade with Israeli settlements?

BRUSSELS, July 13 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers will on Monday explore whether there is enough support for new measures to curb trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to diplomats and officials. The discussion will be based on a confidential paper by the European Commission that floats three different options - an import licensing system, prohibitive tariffs or a ban, a senior EU diplomat and a European official said

Belgium
Politics

How might Le Pen's presidential run affect France's political future and her relationship with Bardella?

French hard-right leader Marine Le Pen has decided to run for president despite her conviction on embezzlement charges and she is counting on her political heir Jordan Bardella to run alongside her, casting him as her future prime minister. But how aligned are Marine Le Pen and Bardella? Do they think alike? Increasingly, the answer is no and the number of issues they express differences on is growing

France
Geopolitics

What are the benefits and challenges of the EU engaging with leaders in Russia?

On today’s episode, we take a closer look at the busy life of António Costa’s right-hand man, Pedro Lourtie. The European Council President’s head of cabinet was recently thrust into the limelight for opening backchannels with Moscow on his boss’s behalf. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur dig deeper into who this man is and how he does his job. […]

Belgium