3 d. ago Europe ready to lead ‘multinational force’ in Ukraine as part of US peace plan

Proposal is part of new package of security guarantees, backed by the White House, that could mark breakthrough in reaching agreementEurope is ready to lead a “multinational force” in Ukraine as part of a US proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, European leaders have said.In a statement, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and eight other European countries said that troops from a “coalition of the willing” with US support could “assist in the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine”. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago European leaders propose ‘multinational force’ and hail ‘significant progress’ on Ukraine talks – Europe live

Statement suggests force to ‘provide robust support’ and enforce a potential peace deal in UkraineSeparately, the commission’s deputy chief spokesperson Olof Gill has just confirmed that commission president Ursula von der Leyen will attend the Berlin talks this evening.Not a surprise at all, but good to have it formally confirmed. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Ryanair vows to cut seat numbers as fliers to European spot face higher costs

A proposed tax increase in one European country has sparked concern

Politics

9 d. ago EU proposes exempting AI gigafactories from environmental assessments

Latest package in rollback of green rules also suggests repealing hazardous chemicals database Europe live – latest updatesDatacentres, AI gigafactories and affordable housing may be exempt from mandatory environmental impact assessments in the EU under a proposal that advances the European Commission’s rollback of green rules.The latest in a series of packages to cut red tape calls for permitting processes for critical projects to be sped up and reducing the scope of environmental reporting rules for businesses. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago EU proposes loosening rules on AI gigafactories in green rollback

Latest package in dismantling of environmental rules also suggests repealing hazardous chemicals databaseEurope live – latest updatesDatacentres, AI gigafactories and affordable housing may be exempt from mandatory environmental impact assessments in the EU under a proposal that advances the European Commission’s rollback of green rules.The latest in a series of packages to cut red tape calls for permitting processes for critical projects to be sped up and reducing the scope of environmental reporting rules for businesses. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago The Guardian view on Trump and Europe: more an abusive relationship than an alliance | Editorial

The White House is aggressively seeking to weaken and dominate the United States’ traditional allies. European leaders must learn to fight back.Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz have become adept at scrambling to deal with the latest bad news from Washington. Their meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Downing Street on Monday was so hastily arranged that Mr Macron needed to be back in Paris by late afternoon to meet Croatia’s prime minister, while Mr Merz was due on television for an end-of-year Q&A with the German public.But diplomatic improvisation alone cannot fully answer Donald Trump’s structural threat to European security. The US president and his emissaries are trying to bully Mr Zelenskyy into an unjust peace deal that suits American and Russian interests. In response, the summit helped ramp up support for the use of up to £100bn in frozen Russian assets as collateral for a “reparations loan” to Ukraine. European counter-proposals for a ceasefire will ...

Politics

2 w. ago European Commission plans ‘reparations loan’ to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets

Leaders focus on bolstering Ukraine’s finances as US-Russia talks to end war make little progressThe European Commission will move ahead with controversial plans to fund Ukraine with a loan based on Russia’s frozen assets, but in a concession to concerns raised by Belgium, which hosts most of the assets, the EU executive has also proposed another option: an EU loan based on common borrowing.The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Wednesday the two proposals would ensure “Ukraine has the means to defend [itself] and take forward peace negotiations from a position of strength”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Nato ‘ready to do what it takes’ to protect Europe, as Russia denies rejecting Ukraine peace plan – Europe live

Mark Rutte’s response comes after Vladimir Putin’s comment that Russia was ‘ready’ for war with EuropeEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is now briefing the media after the commission’s weekly meeting, presenting the bloc’s plan to help fund Ukraine’s continuing fight against Russia.I will bring you the key lines here. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago EU pushes ahead with plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine as Moscow denies rejecting US peace plan

Kremlin says Putin did not reject peace plan but found some parts of the deal ‘unacceptable’European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is now briefing the media after the commission’s weekly meeting, presenting the bloc’s plan to help fund Ukraine’s continuing fight against Russia.I will bring you the key lines here. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Obvious’ Putin does not want peace in Ukraine, say Nato ministers, as Russia denies rejecting US plan

Kremlin says Putin did not reject peace plan but found some parts of the deal ‘unacceptable’We also got more reactions from the Kremlin this morning, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting that Russia was ready to continue engagement with the US on Ukraine peace deal for as long as it takes to get an agreement – even as he branded some of the proposals “unacceptable”.Peskov insisted that Putin had not rejected any proposals, but merely “some things were accepted, some things were marked as unacceptable – this is a normal working process of finding a compromise.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago BREAKING: Putin sends chilling 'we are ready to fight' warning to Europe

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has accused European leaders of “hindering” US proposals for an agreement of Ukraine and insisted they “do not have a peaceful agenda”

Events

2 w. ago Putin sends chilling 'we are ready to fight' warning to Europe

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has accused European leaders of “hindering” US proposals for an agreement over Ukraine and insisted they “do not have a peaceful agenda”

Events

2 w. ago Legendary hatchback to be brought BACK from the dead after 4 years under new plans – and will be just as cheap too

A MUCH-loved hatchback might be making a return - just four years after it was discontinued. Peugeot is weighing the possibility of re-entering the city-car game with a model in the mould of the discontinued 108. But according to Autocar, this will only come about if a proposed new European Union regulatory category for small...

Events

2 w. ago Amazing 'European tube' will link 39 holiday destinations and slash travel speed

A new trainline proposal could see 39 major European cities linked, potentially cutting carbon emissions for travellers and slashing journey times exponentially

Politics

3 w. ago Russia dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal in Ukraine after rejecting European proposal

Kremlin says European counterproposal for Ukraine was not constructive

Politics

3 w. ago Moscow dashes Trump’s hope of quick peace deal in Ukraine after rejecting European proposal

Kremlin says European counter-proposal for Ukraine was not constructive

Politics

3 w. ago US and Ukraine promise ‘updated’ peace framework after criticism of pro

US-Ukraine statement comes hours after European countries propose their own alternative peace The US and Ukraine said they had created an “updated and refined peace framework” to end the war with Russia, hours after European countries proposed their own radical alternative that omitted some of the pro-Russia points made in an original US-backed document that was leaked last week.The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, emerged from a meeting in Switzerland late on Sunday with a Ukrainian delegation led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, saying he was “very optimistic” about the progress of the talks. A joint statement between the two countries said that any eventual deal would “fully uphold” Ukraine’s sovereignty. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago European countries propose radically different Ukraine peace plan from Trump’s version

New proposals drawn up at summit in Switzerland omit some of the pro-Russia points in US documentEuropean countries on Sunday proposed a radical alternative Ukraine peace plan, which rejects some of the pro-Russian points made in the original US-backed document, and calls for Kyiv’s sovereignty to be respected.The counter-proposal emerged as American, Ukrainian and international negotiators met in Switzerland. The 28-point US document leaked last week demands Ukraine hands over territory to Russia, limits the size of its army and agrees not to pursue the Kremlin for alleged war crimes. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago European countries propose radically different Ukraine peace plan to US

Document omits some of Washington’s pro-Russia points and calls for Kyiv’s sovereignty to be respectedEuropean countries proposed a radical alternative Ukraine peace plan on Sunday that omits some of the pro-Russia points made in the original US-backed document and calls for Kyiv’s sovereignty to be respected.The counter-proposal emerged as US, Ukrainian and international negotiators met in Switzerland. The 28-point US document leaked last week demands Ukraine hand over territory to Russia, limits the size of its army and agrees not to pursue the Kremlin for alleged war crimes. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago COP30 climate talks in Brazil ‘reach tentative deal’ as negotiators overcome EU concerns

The European Union's climate commissioner said on Saturday that the proposed accord was acceptable

Economics