EU’s Russia sanctions deal collapses over business loophole spat – POLITICO

EU’s Russia sanctions deal collapses over business loophole spat – POLITICO

The rest of the package focuses mostly on sanctioning companies and vessels involved in circumventing existing EU penalties on Russia. A draft list seen by POLITICO shows plans to more than double the number of oil and gas tankers on its blacklist, bringing the total to 75. Yet talks fell apart, two of the diplomats said, after … Read more

Unprecedented protests sweep Georgia after government scraps EU bid – POLITICO

Unprecedented protests sweep Georgia after government scraps EU bid – POLITICO

A string of top officials including the Georgian ambassadors to Italy, the Netherlands and Lithuania have resigned in protest at the move, as well as Deputy Foreign Minister Temur Janjali. “What we see is this resistance has really gone beyond previous public demonstrations,” said Tinatin Akhvlediani, a senior researcher with the EU foreign policy unit … Read more

Stockholm urges Chinese ship suspected of sabotage to return to Swedish waters – POLITICO

Stockholm urges Chinese ship suspected of sabotage to return to Swedish waters – POLITICO

Denmark’s navy said it was shadowing the ship, which is currently anchored in international waters between Denmark and Sweden. “From the Swedish side, we have had contact with the ship and China and stated that we want the ship to move towards Swedish waters,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday, while stressing that he was … Read more

Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged – POLITICO

Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged – POLITICO

This marks the second time in a year that Baltic Sea infrastructure — which includes communications cables and energy pipelines such as Nord Stream — has been damaged, raising concerns over security and sabotage. Another telecom cable in the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island was damaged Sunday morning, telecom company Telia Lietuva, … Read more

Most affordable Christmas break named as European capital with £2.47 beers | Travel News | Travel

Most affordable Christmas break named as European capital with £2.47 beers | Travel News | Travel

Christmas is almost upon us, and Brits looking for a winter getaway that won’t break the bank might want to look outside of the usual hotspots. To help travellers choose an affordable destination wisely this year, the Post Office has released new data ranking affordable city breaks in Europe. Crowned as the most-budget friendly spot … Read more

Vatican and Israel implicated in Italian hacking scandal, leaked files reveal – POLITICO

Vatican and Israel implicated in Italian hacking scandal, leaked files reveal – POLITICO

Other countries are likely to be pulled into the Italian investigation. Calamucci, who previously boasted of penetrating the Pentagon with the Anonymous hacktivist collective, frequently referenced dozens of hackers working for him in Colchester, England. The firm also made use of servers in the United States and Lithuania, where they felt they were less vulnerable, according … Read more

Sergey Lavrov to visit Malta next month, Russian media reports – POLITICO

Sergey Lavrov to visit Malta next month, Russian media reports – POLITICO

Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Lavrov intended to make the trip to Vedomosti, while Malta’s Embassy in Russia said invitations to the Dec. 5-6 meeting “will be sent to all OSCE delegations in due course.” The last time Lavrov visited an EU country was a trip to Stockholm for an OSCE gathering … Read more

Lithuanian election winner rejects PM role – POLITICO

Lithuanian election winner rejects PM role – POLITICO

Prior to Lithuania’s run-off election on Sunday, Blinkevičiūtė had confirmed she was ready to lead the country’s next government. After the election results came in, however — and again on Monday — she avoided answering the question of whether she still wanted to lead the country. Blinkevičiūtė on Wednesday finally suggested Gintautas Paluckas, a former leader … Read more

On Sunday, she won Lithuania’s election. Now, she’s not sure she wants the job. – POLITICO

On Sunday, she won Lithuania’s election. Now, she’s not sure she wants the job. – POLITICO

Local media reported that health problems could be behind the party leader’s decision. Although it there were question marks from the beginning of the Lithuanian election campaign of whether she would take on the role, Blinkevičiūtė confirmed in the run-up Sunday’s run-off election that she would become the prime minister.  However, after the results of … Read more

Lithuania’s top diplomat Landsbergis to step away from politics after election defeat – POLITICO

Lithuania’s top diplomat Landsbergis to step away from politics after election defeat – POLITICO

Landsbergis, who has been Lithuania’s foreign minister since December 2020, has vocally supported Ukraine’s resistance against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion. Lithuania’s opposition Social Democratic Party (LSDP) won parliamentary elections Sunday, pushing out Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and her incumbent Homeland Union — Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD). The center-left LSDP secured a decisive 52-seat … Read more