EU-Russia
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Hungary’s Orbán travels to Moscow, days after Kyiv trip
Est. 4minHungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán travelled to Moscow on Thursday (4 July) to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, only a few days after his visit to Kyiv, on a trip that earned him stern rebukes from EU officials and diplomats.
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Ahead of second round, Russia tries to weigh in on French snap elections
Est. 4minAmid the historic lead for the French far-right Rassemblement National in the first round of snap legislative elections, Russia weighed in on Wednesday (3 July), throwing its support behind the far-right party days before the decisive second round.
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Poland, Baltics call for ‘defence line’ along Europe’s Eastern border
Est. 3minThe EU should establish a jointly funded ground defence line on Europe's eastern border, according to a call from Poland and the three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. "Extraordinary measures need to be employed as the EU's external border must …
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EU must think how to counter Russia’s hybrid attacks on its soil, Lithuania warns
Est. 5minThe EU should draw up possible responses against Russia's growing hybrid and physical attacks inside its territory, Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrelius Landsbergis told Euractiv, advocating a more pro-active approach to security.
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EU approves 14th Russia sanctions package, includes first-ever LNG sector measures
Est. 4minEU member states on Thursday (20 June) approved a 14th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, which for the first time included a ban on re-exports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the EU. "This package …
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EU’s 14th package of Russia sanctions held up by Germany
Est. 2minBRUSSELS, June 14 (Reuters) - The European Union failed on Friday to agree a 14th package of sanctions against Russia, EU diplomats said, as Germany held out over the extent to which EU companies would be responsible for sanctions violations.
Officials from the 27 EU countries have been debating for more than a month on a package including a ban on Russian LNG trans-shipments and a plan to make EU operators responsible for sanctions violations by subsidiaries and partners in third countries.
Ambassadors were set to discuss and decide on the issue on Friday evening, but the sanctions topic was withdrawn from the meeting agenda at the last moment. The ambassadors are next due to meet on Wednesday.
The late Friday meeting had been meant to reach an agreement before a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland this weekend.
Hungary, Russia's closest EU ally, was previously holding out, but appeared willing to accept the sanctions package, which requires EU unanimity.
However, EU diplomats said that Germany expressed reservations about the impact on its industry of the clause on third country subsidiaries and partners.
Under the sanctions package, the EU was also set to ban from its ports ships that have contributed to Russia's war effort.
This could include the transport of goods generating significant revenue for Russia, goods or technology used in the defence and security sector or shipment of fuels outside the G7 price cap system. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Jan Strupczewski and Julia Payne; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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In Paris, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy draws parallel between D-Day and Kyiv’s fight
Est. 4minCalling for greater unity of the international community, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (7 June) drew a parallel between the Allied D-Day landings in Normandy and Russia's war in Ukraine.
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NATO must look at containment strategy towards Russia, beyond ad hoc solutions, Czech FM Lipavský says
Est. 4minEurope should have a containment strategy towards Russia, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told Euractiv as his country prepares to host NATO foreign ministers on Thursday (30 May) to work on a new kind of support package for Ukraine.
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G7 ministers cite ‘progress’ but no deal on Russian assets for Ukraine
Est. 5minG7 finance ministers cited "progress" on Saturday (25 May) in finding ways to use profits from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, envisioning a concrete proposal to present to a leaders' summit next month.I’m
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Yellen urges ‘more ambitious’ G7 plans for Russian assets
Est. 5minStresa, Italy, May 23, 2024 (AFP) - US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday urged G7 ministers meeting in Italy to work on "more ambitious options" to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
The ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven world powers are meeting in Stresa, on the shores of northern Italy's Lake Maggiore, to prepare for a summit of G7 heads of state next month in Puglia.
Top of the agenda is a plan to finance crucial aid to Ukraine using the interest generated by the 300 billion euros ($325 billion) of Russian central bank assets frozen by the G7 and Europe.
The European Union took a first step in agreeing a deal this month to seize revenues from frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine, a windfall that will reach 2.5 to three billion euros ($2.7-$3.3 billion) a year.
In a press conference before the meeting, Yellen welcomed this plan but added: "We must also continue our collective work on more ambitious options, considering all relevant risks and acting together."
She said she wanted "concrete options" to present to G7 leaders, adding: "Failure to take additional action is not an option -- not for Ukraine's future and not for the stability of our own economies and the security of our peoples."
The United States has proposed granting Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion for more than two years, up to $50 billion in loans secured by this interest.
The details of the US plan have not yet been finalised, including who would issue the debt -- the US alone or G7 countries as a whole.
But it will serve as a basis for G7 discussions, according to a Treasury source in Italy, which as G7 president this year is hosting the Stresa talks.
The US proposal is an "interesting way forward" but "any decision must have a solid legal basis", the source said.
Time is of the essence, as the slow speed of European material reaching Kyiv and the near-halt in US aid for months during wrangling in Washington have strained Ukraine's capabilities just as Russia has regained the initiative on the ground.
In addition to the United States and Italy, the G7 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Japan.
- Legal issues -
Yellen had initially advocated a more radical solution -- the confiscation of the Russian assets themselves.
But European countries worried about creating a precedent in international law and the risk of serious legal disputes with Moscow.
Stresa host Giancarlo Giorgetti, Italy's economy minister, has made no secret of the complexity of the issue.
He said Rome would be an "honest mediator" in discussions but said the task was "very delicate".
In April, Moscow sent a thinly veiled warning to Italy in its capacity as G7 chair, taking "temporary" control of the Russian subsidiary of the Italian heating equipment group Ariston in retaliation for what it called "hostile actions" by Washington and its allies.
Experts warn that any further G7 action against Russia could lead to similar reprisals hitting other European companies still operating in the country.
John Kirton, director of the University of Toronto's G7 Research Group, said that tapping just the interest on Russian assets "would considerably reduce the legal problems".
"Legally, it would not be confiscating the 'assets'," he told AFP.
France on Wednesday welcomed the US plan, saying it was hoping the G7 finance ministers would reach a deal this week.
"The Americans have made proposals that fall within the framework of international law, and we are going to work on them openly and constructively," Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said.
- China overproduction -
Yellen said the Stresa meeting would consider "additional action" against Moscow for its war in Ukraine, including to restrict its access to critical goods that support its military.
She also said the G7 ministers would discuss responses to what she called China's "overcapacity" of key green technologies such as electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels.
The US is concerned that Chinese government support is leading to more production capacity than global markets can absorb, driving cheap exports and stifling growth elsewhere.
"Overcapacity threatens the viability of firms around the world, including in emerging markets," she said.
She added: "It's critical that we and the growing numbers of countries who have identified this as a concern present a clear and united front."
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Russia’s push to change Baltic Sea border sparks concern in the region
Est. 4minA Russian defence ministry proposal to revise Russia’s maritime border in the eastern Baltic Sea created concern among NATO’s Northern members on Wednesday (22 May).
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France, Hungary, Slovakia to send representatives to Putin’s inauguration
Est. 3minWhile most EU members, as well as the US, UK and Canada, are expected to boycott the fifth inauguration ceremony of President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (7 May), France, Hungary and Slovakia are set to send representatives.
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EU, NATO condemn cyberattacks against Germany, Czechia, blame Russia as perpetrator
Est. 3minThe EU and NATO on Friday (3 May) condemned "malicious cyber activities" against Germany and Czechia, which they say were likely carried out by a Russian cyber espionage group.
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Europe ministers say more resources needed to combat Russian disinformation online
Est. 4minMinisters from France, Germany, and Poland revealed on Monday (29 April) that the Russian disinformation network "Portal Kombat" has continued growing, with new websites targeting 19 member states and the Western Balkans, and called for more resources to tackle online disinformation ahead of June's EU elections.
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‘Strategic failure’: France’s Raphaël Glucksmann takes aim at Macron’s geopolitics
Est. 4minFrench socialists’ lead candidate Raphaël Glucksmann set out his vision for the future of the EU at a political rally in Strasbourg on Wednesday, hoping to pull the rug under Emmanuel Macron’s ‘Sorbonne II’ speech the next day and establish himself as the only credible left-wing force ahead of June’s EU elections.
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European Parliament demands action over Russian interference allegations, worry about election fallout
Est. 4minPolitical groups in the European Parliament on Friday (29 March) said they will demand swift action over Russian interference allegations and are planning to hold a debate on the issue, fearing the scandal’s effect on the upcoming June’s EU elections.
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Europeans keep away from Russia’s blame game over Moscow terror attack
Est. 5minWhile European countries sent condolences and largely stayed away from commenting further on its implications, some fear the Russian terrorist attack could lead Putin to a more forceful response in Ukraine.
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Two years of war in Ukraine: The world without rules
Est. 7minThe truth behind all of Vladimir Putin’s current rhetoric is that if Ukraine falls, he will not stop there, writes Alexander Temerko. Alexander Temerko is a British-Ukrainian businessman who held senior posts in the Russian Defence Ministry in the Yeltsin era. The …
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Is Russia outperforming the EU or simply borrowing from its own future?
Est. 6minLeo Tolstoy’s famous maxim about families could easily be adapted to express an important truth about contemporary geopolitics: the economies of the EU and Russia are both unhappy, but each in its own way.
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France to hold parliamentary debate on Ukraine support amid backlash
Est. 4minFrance’s government announced it will hold a parliamentary debate on the situation in Ukraine, with President Emmanuel Macron under heavy fire after he claimed on Monday (26 February) that no options - including sending troops on the ground - should be excluded in ensuring Ukraine’s victory against Russia.
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Kremlin pushes to smother grieving for Navalny as election nears
Est. 7minThe Kremlin is working to suppress memorials for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a bid to prevent his death from spoiling President Vladimir Putin’s expected re-election next month.
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EU targets Chinese firms, North Korea in new Ukraine war anniversary sanctions package
Est. 3minEU member states on Wednesday (21 February) agreed to ban exports to three mainland Chinese firms and blacklist North Korea's defence minister in new sanctions for the second anniversary of Russia's war on Ukraine.
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Saddened and outraged, exiled Russians mourn Navalny’s death across Europe
Est. 4minHundreds of exiled anti-war Russians rallied across European capitals, often in front of Russian embassies, to mourn the death of Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic, Alexei Navalny, and vent their anger at what they said was a murder of their pride and hope.
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Editor’s take: Putin killed Navalny on second attempt
Est. 4minIf anyone had any hesitation about whether Russia was a ‘demokratura’ or a totalitarian regime, the answer today - following the death in prison of opposition leader Alexei Navalny - is clear.