29 h. ago Macron says ‘Coalition of the Willing’ will finalise ‘robust’ Ukrainian security guarantees – Europe live

Leaders who are gathered in Paris are expected to speak to Donald Trump this afternoonThe Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof is next.Belgium’s Bart de Wever, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, and the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa are the first leaders arriving at the Élysée Palace, welcomed by Macron on the doorstep. Continue reading...

Politics

29 h. ago Leaders gather for ‘Coalition of the Willing’ talks on Ukraine security guarantees – Europe live

Emmanuel Macron says Europe ready to provide such guarantees at meeting in Paris todayRutte gets also asked about his views on Russia’s opposition to the deployment of any Nato troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.He says:“But why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide. Russia has nothing to do with this. Ukraine is a sovereign nation. If Ukraine wants to have security guarantee forces in Ukraine to support the peace deal, it’s up to them. Nobody else can decide about it. “Do you really think if he would not have been elected president united states, that Italy, Canada, Spain, Slovenia, Belgium and Luxembourg would have committed to do 2% this year? Do you really think that the whole of Nato would have committed to 5% committed to 5% including 3.5% core defence spending at the Nato Summit in The Hague?”“He took that leadership role, and it is not easy to solve this, but he is absolutely commi...

Politics

2 w. ago Moscow demands veto over support for Ukraine under any peace deal and questions Zelenskyy’s legitimacy – Ukraine war live

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, says European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would amount to ‘foreign intervention’We have just heard from the European Commission, confirming that the EU and the US have now agreed on the much-awaited “joint statement” advancing the political commitments on trade agreed by Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in Scotland last month.The commission’s press release says the statement “lays out in detail the new US tariff regime towards the EU, with a clear maximum, all-inclusive, tariff rate of 15% for the vast majority of EU exports, including strategic sectors such as cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber.” Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Moscow must have effective veto over any measures to support Ukraine after potential peace deal, says minister – Ukraine war live

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, says European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would amount to ‘foreign intervention’We have just heard from the European Commission, confirming that the EU and the US have now agreed on the much-awaited “joint statement” advancing the political commitments on trade agreed by Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in Scotland last month.The commission’s press release says the statement “lays out in detail the new US tariff regime towards the EU, with a clear maximum, all-inclusive, tariff rate of 15% for the vast majority of EU exports, including strategic sectors such as cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Zelenskyy says he wants to see an agreement on security guarantees before meeting Vladimir Putin – Ukraine war live

Amid US offering minimal security a group of allies led by Britain and France are putting together a military coalitionWe have just heard from the European Commission, confirming that the EU and the US have now agreed on the much-awaited “joint statement” advancing the political commitments on trade agreed by Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in Scotland last month.The commission’s press release says the statement “lays out in detail the new US tariff regime towards the EU, with a clear maximum, all-inclusive, tariff rate of 15% for the vast majority of EU exports, including strategic sectors such as cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber.” Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago US will only offer minimal security guarantees for Ukraine, says defence adviser – Ukraine war live

Elbridge Colby, US undersecretary of defence for policy, tells European allies that the bulk of responsibility will fall on Europe, say reportsIf you followed the blog yesterday, you know we looked at an incident with an allegedly Russian drone that crossed into Poland and exploded in a cornfield, some 100 km from Polish-Belarusian border.A regional prosecutor issued an update today, saying that “there is a very high probability that the object probably came from Belarus.” Continue reading...

Events