BRUSSELS — Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton wants to set up a massive €100 billion EU defense fund, he said on Tuesday. He’s slated to present the European Defence Investment Program (EDIP) on February 27, a cash pot aimed at boosting joint weapons procurement and putting the EU on more of a war footing by … Read more
BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to put added pressure on EU partners to deliver more weapons to Ukraine by raising the issue at a special summit of EU leaders next month. Politicos will meet in Brussels on February 1, where they plan to adopt a €50 billion financial aid package for Kyiv. Scholz … Read more
TAIPEI — The stakes for Taiwan’s democracy could hardly be higher in a tight presidential election on January 13, with Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering an ominous New Year address in which he insisted “reunification of the motherland is a historical inevitability.” The vote cuts to the heart of a battle for regional influence between … Read more
An Israeli drone attack in Jenin City in the occupied West Bank killed at least seven civilians in the early hours of Sunday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The attack followed a raid by the Israeli army in Jenin City and a refugee camp, Al Jazeera reported. A border police officer also was killed … Read more
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said North Korea will pay a “high price” for supporting Russia, a day after the U.S. accused Moscow of using Pyongyang-supplied missiles in its war on Ukraine. “The world has turned its back on Russia, forcing Putin into the humiliation of going cap in hand to North Korea to keep his illegal … Read more
BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to get to a deal on new Ukraine aid “as quickly as possible,” she said on Friday. The issue of the €50 billion aid package for Ukraine landed back on her plate at the occasion of the start of the Belgian presidency of the Council … Read more
Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said Russia “will not stop” after the war in Ukraine and that NATO needs a “long-term strategy” to contain Moscow. “Russia will not stop, Russia can only be stopped,” Kariņš told the Financial Times in an interview published Friday. “Stopping Russia in Ukraine does not mean that it is over. It simply means … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe. Back in November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the far-right and religious nationalists in his coalition government to pipe down and “be careful with their words” when talking about their desired outcomes for the war … Read more
This isn’t just any new year — 2024 in the political calendar means mega elections in Europe, the U.S., the U.K. and beyond. Our EU Confidential crew predicts how these elections could impact pressing issues around the European Union. Bringing together the collective knowledge of some of POLITICO’s best and brightest reporters — Barbara Moens, … Read more
03 January 2024, Lebanon, Beirut: The destroyed Hamas’ office that was attacked by Israel on 02 January killing Palestinian leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others pictured from shattered glass in Beirut southern suburb. Photo: Marwan Naamnai/dpa (Photo by Marwan Naamnai/picture alliance via Getty Images) Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The killing of … Read more
