3 d. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ demand peace talks must include Kyiv

Europe promises to ‘stand firmly’ with Ukraine as Trump and Putin prepare to meet for summit on FridayThe Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ insistence on Ukraine role at peace talks

Ukrainian leader ‘fully supports’ statement before Trump-Putin summit that Kyiv must be part of ‘path to peace’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies that insists the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Zelenskyy welcomes European leaders’ statement on Ukraine role in peace talks

Ukrainian leader ‘fully supports’ insistence before Trump-Putin summit that Kyiv must be involved in ‘path to peace’The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has welcomed a statement from European allies insisting that the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”, before a planned summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.In a joint statement issued on Saturday night, leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland and Finland, along with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that Kyiv must be included in any peace talks with Russia. Continue reading...

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9 d. ago Investor confidence in EU drops after Trump’s Brussels trade deal

Agreement is said to ‘dampen the mood’, with the US viewed as the winner at the expense of the eurozoneInvestor confidence in the EU has fallen sharply after Donald Trump’s trade agreement with Brussels, amid mounting concern about the economic hit from the US president’s tariff war.The latest snapshot from the Sentix index showed that investor sentiment fell significantly at the start of the month after the deal last week between Trump and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Von der Leyen calls for new EU taxes on big firms in €2tn budget proposal

Plan, which also includes levies on tobacco and electronic waste, ignites major political scrap to define bloc’s futureThe European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for new EU taxes on large companies, tobacco and electronic waste as part of a proposed €2tn (£1.7tn) budget.Announcing the planned EU budget for 2028 to 2034, she effectively fired the starting gun on a major and complex political fight to define the EU’s future. Continue reading...

Economics

4 w. ago Von der Leyen botches €2tn EU budget proposal with chaotic infighting

Centralised and chaotic process has compromised launch of commission president’s spending plan, colleagues say

Politics

4 w. ago In Trump’s game of chicken, the EU cannot afford to back down | Nathalie Tocci

When threatened with US tariffs, Europe was initially bullish. But the influence of nationalist leaders sympathetic to Trump has caused a splitDonald Trump’s trade policy has been labelled “Taco” – “Trump always chickens out” – by his critics. But when it comes to his latest trade war with the EU, it’s Brussels that risks chickening out. The US and the EU have been negotiating for months on an agreement. This week Trump made the shock announcement that the US would hit the EU with punitive tariffs on goods at a crippling 30% rate from 1 August. This was in addition to separate steel and aluminium tariffs, and cars at even more punitive rates.Blindsided Brussels negotiators calculated the economic damage, and ministers talked about retaliation. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, warned that “all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests” would be taken. But so far, despite the tough words, the EU is holding back.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist Cont...

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last month The Guardian view on Europe’s Trump challenge: Brussels must hold its nerve and think big | Editorial

A renewed threat of punitive tariffs from the White House is a reminder that the EU must invest in its own values in a volatile and transforming worldAs the world has grown used to Donald Trump delivering aggressive ultimatums that are then revised or watered down, the shock-and-awe effect of a presidential edict on Truth Social has somewhat diminished. On Saturday, Mr Trump unexpectedly announced that the United States would hit the European Union with swingeing tariffs on goods of 30% from 1 August. That certainly prompted urgent weekend discussions in Brussels, Paris and Berlin. But for now, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, is placing all countermeasures on hold, in the hope that what the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, described as “reasonable solutions” can be found.Given the stakes, betting on the success of a softly, softly approach to trade negotiations remains sensible. Mr Trump’s previous imposition of 25% tariffs on European carmakers ...

Politics

last month EU scrambles to respond to US tariff threat as Trump promises ‘major statement’ on Russia – Europe live

EU ministers meet for urgent talks after US president threatens 30% tariffs on blocA show of unity is expected publicly with German chancellor Friedrich Merz saying he will work “intensively” with Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen and Trump to try and rescue the agreement in principle that was put on Trump’s desk last week involving tariffs of 10%. Over the past three months Germany has urged a quick UK style deal while Macron has favoured a tougher stance to face down Trump, given average tariffs before his presidency were 2.5% and they breach WTO rules.The EU’s continued and future reliance on the US for security and defence is influencing the position with member states accepting a trade off between business and arms and military intelligence Trump provides.If stock markets fall that puts at risk the pensions and the savings of the Americans. Continue reading...

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