Turning Point For Europe’s Relations with Russia

Bütikoferspeaks out against Russia

Commenting on Russia invading Ukraine, Reinhard Bütikofer, foreign policy coordinator of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, has spoken out against countries being under the “Soviet yoke.” He said on the sanctions policy against the new Russian aggression against Ukraine, “Putin’s official invasion of Ukraine under the pretext of having to protect the extremist separatists…

Commission President Issues Robust Statement on Russia

Ursula von der Leyen

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has issued a robust statement in response to latest developments in the Ukraine crisis. She said, “EU Member States have given their political agreement for a new package of sanctions against Russia. I welcome this. Russia’s decision to recognise the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk is illegal and…

Russia’s Hostile Strategy And Invasion of Ukraine Continues

RUSSIA'S AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE

MEPs have responded to news that Russia has moved troops into the occupied territories of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine’s East. ECR Coordinator on Foreign Affairs, Anna Fotyga,said: “Russia recognising its own fabrications is not only a violation of Ukraine‘s sovereignty and integrity, and a breach of international law, but also a harbinger of further…

Europeans Believe Russia Will Invade Ukraine

Russian Invasion of Ukraine

An ECFR survey says Europeans believe Russia will invade Ukraine this year.  In every surveyed country – apart from Finland (a plurality, 44%) – a majority of respondents think Russia will invade Ukraine this year. The breakdown for each country is as follows: Finland (44%), France (51%), Germany (52%), Italy (51%), Poland (73%), Romania (64%) and Sweden (55%)….

ICAN Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons

ICAN Nuclear Disarmament Campaign

Lack of medical care and beds, overwhelmed hospitals and millions of unattended injured with serious injuries: this is the grim reality of what world capitals would face amidst a nuclear denotation, according to new report by the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons – ICAN.  The new report evaluates the immediate health response capacity to…

Geopolitical Mood Change In Europe

Ukraine Crisis

Russia’s military build-up on Ukraine’s border has triggered a mood change in Europe. Against a backdrop of rapidly escalating tensions, majorities in Europe now believe that Russia will invade Ukraine in 2022, and hold the view that the EU and NATO should stand behind Kyiv in such a scenario, according to a new polling-backed study…

ECHR Issues Annual Report

ECHR

The European Court of Human Rights has issued a review of 2021. In 2021 the Court ruled on more than 36,000 applications. The number of Grand Chamber or Chamber judgments rose to 428 (relating to 1,037 applications), an increase of 9% compared to 2020. At the end of 2020 there were 62,000 pending applications. At…

Threats to the EU from Autocratic Regimes

Dictatorships

MEPs finalised 18 months of inquiry by the INGE committee and adopted its final recommendations. The European public and government officials are “overwhelmingly” unaware of the severity of the threat posed by foreign autocratic regimes, in particular Russia and China, MEPs say in the text. Insufficient defence made it easier for malicious actors to take over…

EU-Russia Trade Dispute on Wood Products

Lumber products

The EU is requesting consultations with Russia at the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning export restrictions placed by Russia on wood products. The export restrictions consist of significantly increased export duties on certain wood products and a drastic reduction in the number of border crossing points through which exports of wood products can take place….

Court Rules Closure of Respected Russian NGO “Memorial”

Closure of Russian NGO Memorial

“By liquidating Memorial, the Kremlin wants to liquidate the history of thousands of millions of victims of the political terror of the Soviet Union. It also wants to liquidate the records about hundreds of political prisoners in present day Russia.”  “We demand that the Russian authorities reverse this decision and stop the ongoing crackdown on…