The most effective response to the resurgence of COVID-19 is vaccination, say MEPs, addressing the main topic on the agenda of the European Council. In a debate with Commission President von der Leyen and the Slovenian Presidency, they insisted that vaccination remains the strongest and most promising weapon available against the pandemic. Additional efforts are…
Earlier this month, President Biden organised a much-publicised conference on “democracy”. It was an event he’d promised on the presidential campaign trail. The aims were highly laudable, not least as the meeting with the heads of state of Australia, India and Japan was to ensure that “the way in which technology is designed, developed, governed and…
The North Atlantic Council has issued a toughly worded statement on the current tense situation in Ukraine.It reads,”We are gravely concerned by the substantial, unprovoked, and unjustified Russian military build-up on the borders of Ukraine in recent months, and reject the false Russian claims of Ukrainian and NATO provocations. We call on Russia to immediately…
Against the backdrop of increasing Russian military threats against Ukraine, MEPs say any aggression by Moscow must come at a high economic and political price. In a resolution adopted on Thursday by 548 votes in favour, 69 against and 54 abstentions, Parliament condemns the current large Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border. MEPs demand…
The European Parliament will this week debate and vote on a resolution on the situation at the Ukrainian-Russian border. The Greens/EFA Group calls on the EU to impose additional economic sanctions and to exclude Russia from the international payment system SWIFT if Russia continues to escalate tensions. Ahead of Wednesday’s Eastern Partnership Summit, the Greens/EFA…
The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has disbursed €600 million in macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Ukraine. This is the second and final tranche under Ukraine’s current MFA programme following the first €600 million disbursement in December 2020. With this disbursement, the outstanding amount of loans to Ukraine under its multiple MFA programmes reaches…
The EU has decided to prolong the sanctions targeting those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for a further six months until 15 March 2022. The existing restrictive measures provide for travel restrictions, the freezing of assets, and a ban on making funds or other economic resources available…
While the focus in the EU is on the New Green Deal and making sure that the policies and regulatory framework are in place to help the EU members on the pathway to net zero, on the EU’s borders the commitment to renewables and decarbonisation is less clear, writes Jock Mendoza Wilson. To the east…
Summer is traditionally a calm time in the political life of states. While the world is recovering from the next wave of coronavirus, politicians in some countries seek to shift the news emphasis from the pandemic to their own personalities. Europe never tires of “delighting” its citizens with new events in political life. The diplomatic…
Today, trust between the West and Russia is at its lowest level in recent history. Experts compare the current confrontation with the Cuban missile crisis. However, now the rhetoric and threats from the top leadership of the opposing sides have reached such an intensity that the timidly discussed possibility of a war between Russia and…
