U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. January 4, 2025. Italian Government | Reuters Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, meeting incoming President Donald Trump for the second time since he won the U.S. election in November. … Read more
“As I travelled here, it was clear to me that there would obviously be no ordinary handshakes,” Baerbock told broadcasters Friday evening. “But it was also clear … that not only I but also the French foreign minister did not share this view. And accordingly, the French foreign minister did not extend his hands,” she … Read more
Flattery from Macron Musk hasn’t yet thrown his endorsement behind Marine Le Pen and the French far right. But President Macron — who, like Scholz in Germany, is politically fragile and facing domestic turbulence — is desperate to get him onside. He has been urging the tech entrepreneur, alongside Trump, to attend a major artificial … Read more
The Mitte Combined Heat and Power (CHP) natural gas power plant, operated by Vattenfall AB, in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Ukraine halted the flow of Russian gas to several European countries on New Year’s Day, bringing an end to Moscow’s decades-long dominance over Europe’s energy markets. … Read more
OK, Europe will have to endure again presidential histrionics and needling all-caps tweets, along with threats to withdraw from NATO and impose tariffs, but doesn’t that present an opportunity? Might now European leaders screw up their courage and loosen the apron strings? For years they’ve waffled on about strategic autonomy and sharing the burden more … Read more
And, no doubt, he’s now hoping history repeats itself. Hence, Merz is trying to curb his instincts and not snap at critics, not make any unguarded remarks. But the risk of him getting into trouble while pressing the flesh with voters is not insignificant. This is critical because while Merz dreams of an outright majority, … Read more
Critics claim that his public feuds with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (who is also from HDZ), his cozying up to war criminals, and his promises to cut support for NATO and Ukraine have caused significant damage to the international reputation of the largely uncontroversial Balkan country. Dragan Primorac from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), was left trailing in second place with 19.35 percent of the vote. … Read more
Officially, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated Biden’s decision as significant support for Ukrainian soldiers that would help to stabilize the frontlines. “Every additional supply from our partners means more saved lives of our soldiers. We are also working to ensure that other partners maintain their support at the necessary level,” Zelenskyy said in a … Read more
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is threatening retaliatory measures against Ukraine if Kyiv stops Russian gas transit to Slovakia as of Jan. 1. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week said his government “would not prolong the transit of Russian gas” once the current contract expires at the end of this year. Zelenskyy accused Fico of … Read more
NEW DELHI: Manmohan Singh believed India’s development priorities should shape its foreign policy and, in his own words, create a global environment conducive for India’s growth. It was with this in mind that he met President Bush in 2005 on the margins of the UNGA and asked him if the US could help India access … Read more
