Newsletter
Newsletter
EUROPE
European politicians slams Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities: Mass bombardments of Ukrainian cities by Russia constitute war crimes under international law, the presidents of the Bucharest Nine group of countries, accompanied by the presidents of North Macedonia and Montenegro, said on Tuesday. „What is happening is sickening this indiscriminate attack on children, the people going by their daily lives, going to school civilians being killed … is absolutely reprehensible,“ EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola said. EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen backed the creation of an international tribunal to investigate possible war crimes committed in Ukraine. euronews.com, euractiv.com
- Ukrainian President Zelensky said Russia is „trying to wipe us off face of the earth.“ independent.co.uk
- French President Macron said civilian strikes are big change in Ukraine war. euractiv.com
- EU foreign policy chief Borrell said Russia’s acts had „no place in the 21st century.“ reuters.com
- Brussels extends Ukrainian refugee rights to live and work in EU until 2024. euronews.com
EU Council President Michel calls for genuine energy union: Charles Michel has called on EU countries to “take a quantum leap” and act more collectively ahead of an EU summit focused on the ongoing energy crisis next week. “By launching a war on Ukraine, Putin has also fired an ‘energy missile’ at Europe,” Michel wrote in an opinion article published on Monday. euractiv.com
- To circumvent EU sanctions: Hungary and Serbia plan new pipeline for Russian oil. reuters.com
- Putin extends food embargo against EU and other states. handelsblatt.com
- Hungarian President Orban says only Trump can end Ukraine war. ft.com
EU states to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers: The EU states want to train around 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers. According to EU sources, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) reached an agreement to this effect. The PSC brings together the ambassadors of the EU states under the chairmanship of the EU’s External Action Service. The decision still needs to be formally confirmed by EU countries. table.media/europe
German court allows placing wrecked Russian tank outside embassy: Two Berlin museum operators have won a court appeal after their initial bid to place a destroyed Russian tank outside Russia’s Embassy in central Berlin was refused by local authorities. Kyiv’s outgoing ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, had voiced support for the idea, saying that it would make Germans face the „brutal war of destruction“ Ukraine is suffering. dw.com
NATO doubles presence in Baltic and North Sea after Nord Stream incident: Allies have also increased security measures around facilities and strengthened intelligence sharing, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Further steps are being planned. Because of the ongoing Ukraine war, NATO states want to increase production capacities for ammunition and equipment. Next week, NATO will begin its manoeuvres to defend the alliance area with nuclear weapons. Soldiers from Germany are also involved. cnbc.com, rp-online.de, wiwo.de, merkur.de
France warns Belarus not to enter the war: Belarus could face more sanctions if it gets more and more involved in the Ukraine conflict, French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna told French radio on Tuesday. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday that he had ordered troops to deploy with Russian forces near Ukraine. reuters.com
Austria launches legal challenge over EU’s ‚greenwashing‘ of nuclear and gas: Austria has filed a legal challenge over the inclusion of nuclear energy and natural gas on the European Union’s list of „green“ investments. „What I oppose with all my might is the attempt to greenwash nuclear power and gas via the backdoor of a supplementary delegated act,“ Leonore Gewessler, Austria’s Federal Minister for Climate Protection, Environment and Energy, told reporters. „I think it is irresponsible and unreasonable. From our point of view, it is also not legal,“ she added. euronews.com
Brexit: EU lawmakers endorse Brexit infringements bill euractiv.com
Nicaragua: Head of mission to the EU declared persona non grata consilium.europa.eu
Trade defence instrument supported by broad coalition euractiv.com
Draft regulation: MEPs sceptical on EU proposal to fight online child sexual abuse euractiv.com
EU Parliament rapporteur: Croatia meets all Schengen criteria euractiv.com
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell criticised European foreign policy and lamented Europe’s dependence on China, Russia and the US. tagesschau.de
NATION
French government will order fuel workers back to work: France will order striking workers at Esso-ExxonMobil refineries and fuel depots back to their posts in order to end shortages causing headaches for millions of motorists, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Tuesday. Labour unions representing a majority of Esso’s overall staff agreed to a salary deal with management on Monday, but the CGT and FO unions, the largest at most refineries, voted to pursue the blockage. france24.com
- Protesters block two TotalEnergies facilities in Belgium. euronews.com
German experts release plan to curb gas prices: A newly created expert commission has presented a two-stage plan to alleviate the impact of gas prices on consumers and industry. The experts propose a two-stage plan. For consumers, the government is asked to cover one month’s gas bill in December, followed up by subsidising 80% of normal September consumption at €0.12 per Kilowatt hour (KWh) beginning in spring. Industry, on the other hand, will receive 70% of 2021 gas use at a price of €0.07 per KWh starting in January. Gas power plants won’t be subsidised whatsoever. euractiv.com
Van der Bellen re-elected Austrian president in first round: Austria elected its federal president on Sunday, choosing to keep the incumbent Alexander Van der Bellen, who won a clear majority against the other six candidates in the first round. With about 56% of the votes, Van der Bellen won his second six-year term, according to projections by the SORA institute Sunday evening. euractiv.com
UK Supreme Court begins hearing on Scottish independence: Judges at the UK’s highest court began hearing evidence Tuesday on whether Scotland’s Parliament can legislate to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants to hold a new independence vote in October 2023, despite opposition from the Conservative UK government in London. apnews.com
King Charles III to be crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6th 2023: King Charles III’s coronation is to be held on Saturday 6 May, at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace has announced. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be alongside the King and will also be crowned in the historic ceremony. bbc.com
Spanish top court chief’s resignation nudges parties to end 4-year stalemate: The head of Spain’s supreme court stepped down on Monday, creating a vacuum at the helm of one of the country’s key institutions and nudging the two main political parties towards ending a four-year stalemate over judicial appointments. reuters.com
Ten die at petrol station explosion in Ireland: Ten people, including two teenagers and a younger girl, were killed in an explosion at a petrol station in the Irish county of Donegal, police said on Saturday, adding that the incident appeared to be “a tragic accident”. euronews.com
Germany: Cybersecurity chief faces dismissal over Russia contacts euractiv.com
Serbia: President Vucic lays out €12bn energy investment plan after oil ban euractiv.com
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Election commission orders recount of votes for Bosnian Serb region’s president reuters.com
After the Italian election: South Tyrol’s suspicion of Meloni tagesschau.de
Catalan government crisis as key party leaves coalition euractiv.com
NUMBERS
Europe’s gas prices have reached a three-month low, as demand from industry and households declines. Prices at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility, Europe’s leading trading hub, hovered on Monday around €150 per megawatt-hour, falling at times below that mark. euronews.com
AT LAST
Larry the cat takes on fox outside No 10: Larry the cat has been in residence at Downing Street since 15 February 2011 and was the first cat at No 10 to be bestowed with the official title chief mouser. Now Larry has been captured on camera chasing a fox from outside the British prime minister’s residence. theguardian.com