Should Europe talk to Putin?
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Europe is still reeling from the recent drone incursions into Baltic airspace. In a show of solidarity, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Defense...
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Baltics turn to Ukraine for bomb shelter expertise amid drone fears
PRAGUE — As drones from the war in Ukraine increasingly stray into the airspace of EU countries and Moscow’s war machine churns out mass aerial barrages, the Baltics are seeking Ukrainian know-how on...
View ArticleDutch government gives green light to establish migrant ‘return hubs’ outside EU
The Netherlands is pushing ahead with plans to set up Europe’s first “return hubs” outside the bloc where migrants who have been denied the right to stay in the EU can be deported — with “concrete...
View ArticleLithuania calls for frozen Russian assets to return to Ukraine funding debate
PRAGUE — Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Europe should put frozen Russian assets back on the table as it looks for ways to sustain Ukraine financially and increase pressure on Moscow...
View ArticleMagyar to visit Brussels next week to discuss unfreezing funds for Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar will travel to Brussels next week to discuss unlocking billions in frozen EU funds with the European Commission, the country’s foreign minister said Saturday....
View ArticleNATO allies downplay US troop withdrawals
PRAGUE — U.S. allies in Central Europe are playing down the impact of Washington’s decision to pull troops from the continent — insisting the transatlantic relationship remains strong despite the...
View ArticleWhy are drones suddenly terrifying Europe?
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music With drone alerts, emergency shelters and fighter jets over the Baltics, Europe’s security fears suddenly feel much less theoretical at the GLOBSEC forum in...
View ArticleBudapest and Kyiv break the ice
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music After years of Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocking Ukraine’s path to join the EU, Budapest and Kyiv are talking again. That has Brussels...
View ArticleKyiv and Budapest launch talks on the rights of Hungarian minorities in Ukraine
Kyiv and Budapest have agreed to hold talks regarding the rights of Hungarian minorities in Ukraine, Hungary’s foreign minister announced Monday in an upbeat sign for Ukraine’s EU membership bid....
View ArticleWhy Brussels is getting tougher on China
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music The European Commission is preparing to take a much tougher line on China, we hear on this episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast, with Zoya Sheftalovich...
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EU foreign service’s ‘existential’ race for new top official
BRUSSELS — The departure of one of the EU’s most senior diplomatic officials has sparked a search for a successor who can “rescue” the bloc’s foreign service. Spanish envoy Belén Martínez Carbonell,...
View ArticleCould influencers crash future EU summits?
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Ukraine wants Europe more involved in peace efforts with Russia — but who exactly would represent Europe in those talks? After Vladimir Putin floated former...
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Ukraine asks Europe to broker ‘airport ceasefire’ with Putin
BRUSSELS — Ukraine wants Europe to help revive stalled peace efforts with Russia by pursuing a narrow first step: a mutual halt to attacks on each side’s airports. The idea, floated by Ukrainian...
View ArticleEU’s Kallas rejects Gerhard Schröder as Russia-Ukraine negotiator
BRUSSELS — Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is unfit to represent Europe in any peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said Monday. Russian President...
View ArticleFrench cinema is spooked by the far right
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music When foreign ministers meet in Brussels today, Israel and Russia will likely dominate the agenda. Today on the pod, Zoya and Nick discuss why the bloc might...
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Putin’s shadow fleet faces fresh EU sanctions blitz
BRUSSELS — Moscow’s shadow fleet is back in the EU’s crosshairs. Brussels sees the opportunity to prepare another round of sanctions against Russia, and the loose network of aging, opaquely owned...
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Luxembourgish MEP leads recruitment drive for trip to Russia
BRUSSELS — A right-wing Luxembourgish politician is leading a drive to recruit fellow members of the European Parliament to travel to Russia, according to a letter seen by POLITICO. In the letter,...
View ArticleTop official to leave EU’s diplomatic service
BRUSSELS — One of the top officials in the European External Action Service is set to leave her post after just over a year in office. Belén Martínez Carbonell is to stand down as secretary general of...
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Europe fears Putin’s ‘window of opportunity’ is now
BRUSSELS — European governments worry Vladimir Putin will see this as his moment to strike. Defense officials and lawmakers fear the Kremlin will consider the next year or two, while Donald Trump is...
View ArticlePutin’s ‘window of opportunity’ to test NATO
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Europe yet again finds itself on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s ire. On Friday, the U.S. president threatened to raise tariffs on European cars to 25...
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