More stories

  • in

    The Guardian view on the EU and Ukraine: a moment of truth for Brussels and Kyiv | Editorial

    The plan to mobilise Russia’s frozen assets is morally compelling and ingenious. The problem is that its enemies will never see it that wayMorally, the decision facing the European Council in Brussels this week has been a no-brainer. Russia invaded Ukraine illegally and unilaterally. Moscow shows no sign of wanting peace. It actively threatens other countries too, including Britain. Ukraine is running out of money. Yet £184bn worth of Russian assets remain frozen in Europe, notably in Belgium. That money should therefore be mobilised to fund Ukraine. To many, this would be the enactment of a clear and present duty, proof positive that Europe can still be a heavy hitter.In the messy reaches of the real world, however, things have not been straightforward. Law, economics and politics all managed to insinuate themselves, sometimes venomously, into the intense buildup to Brussels. Reparations can have lethal political consequences. Seizure of assets will undoubtedly face legal challenge. It is also bitterly opposed by Donald Trump, who wants the unfreezing of assets to form a key part of his pro-Russian peace plan. Mr Trump is pressing hard for a quick deal, and US and Russian negotiators are poised to meet again in Miami at the weekend.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading… More

  • in

    The Battle Over Euroclear and Russia’s Frozen Billions

    As the war in Ukraine grinds toward its fourth winter, a parallel conflict is being fought not in the trenches of the Donbas, but in Brussels. The weapon of choice is neither artillery nor drones, but sovereign debt and international banking law. At the center of this financial storm lies a cache of wealth: nearly… Continue reading The Battle Over Euroclear and Russia’s Frozen Billions
    The post The Battle Over Euroclear and Russia’s Frozen Billions appeared first on Fair Observer. More

  • in

    The Guardian view on combating Europe’s national populists: protect the less well-off from the winds of change | Editorial

    As EU countries face multiple challenges in a new era, they must fight to preserve the continent’s social model. That means a new economic approachMore than a year after the election that handed Donald Trump a decisive comeback victory, the Democratic party has still not released its postmortem analysis. But last week, an influential progressive lobby group published its own. Kamala Harris’s campaign, its authors argued, failed to connect with core constituencies because it did not focus enough on addressing basic economic anxieties. By prioritising the menace to democracy that Maga authoritarianism represented, progressives neglected the bread-and-butter issues that were uppermost in many people’s minds.As the EU braces for a tumultuous period of politics between now and the end of the decade, that is a lesson that needs to be fully absorbed in Brussels, Paris and Berlin. The White House, as its recently published national security strategy makes clear, is hopeful that “patriotic” parties in Europe will soon replicate Mr Trump’s success. In the EU’s Franco-German engine room, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) and Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) lead the polls, backed by large swaths of blue-collar voters. But among mainstream leaders and parties, it is hard to discern a response that is adequate to troubling times. Continue reading… More

  • in

    Belarus releases 123 prisoners including opposition leaders after US lifts sanctions

    Nobel prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava among those freed after US talks with Alexander LukashenkoThe Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel peace prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, after the US lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key export.The announcement came after two days of talks with an envoy of the US president, Donald Trump, the latest diplomatic push since the Trump administration started talks with the autocratic leader. Continue reading… More

  • in

    Donald Trump is pursuing regime change – in Europe | Jonathan Freedland

    The US made it clear this week that it plans to help the parties of the European far right gain power. Keir Starmer and his fellow leaders have to face this new realityWhen are we going to get the message? I joked a few months back that, when it comes to Donald Trump, Europe needs to learn from Sex and the City’s Miranda Hobbes and realise that “He’s just not that into you”. After this past week, it’s clear that understates the problem. Trump’s America is not merely indifferent to Europe – it’s positively hostile to it. That has enormous implications for the continent and for Britain, which too many of our leaders still refuse to face.The depth of US hostility was revealed most explicitly in the new US national security strategy, or NSS, a 29-page document that serves as a formal statement of the foreign policy of the second Trump administration. There is much there to lament, starting with the sceptical quote marks that appear around the sole reference to “climate change”, but the most striking passages are those that take aim at Europe.Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading… More

  • in

    Why Is Canada Involved in the Russia–Ukraine War?

    Canada’s Prime Minister (PM) Mark Carney has often vociferously and unequivocally voiced Canada’s support for Ukraine in their war with Russia: “Canada’s support for Ukraine is unwavering”; “We are with you every step of the way”; “Your fight is our fight”. In chorus, other prominent Canadian politicians (e.g., Anita Anand, Lloyd Axworthy, Donna Dasko) have… Continue reading Why Is Canada Involved in the Russia–Ukraine War?
    The post Why Is Canada Involved in the Russia–Ukraine War? appeared first on Fair Observer. More

  • in

    Trump turns on Europe: will he pull support for Ukraine? | The Latest

    Donald Trump has loomed large over Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with European leaders, after the US president took aim at the Ukrainian leader once again. It comes in the wake of a new White House national security strategy that has caused fear in Europe, but drawn praise from the Kremlin. Lucy Hough speaks to our Europe correspondent Jon Henley. Continue reading… More

  • in

    Militant Democracy in Germany: Balancing Protection and Freedom

    Germany’s approach to militant democracy offers a striking example of how a country with a difficult past attempts to defend its democratic values against internal threats. Rooted in the aftermath of World War II, militant democracy holds that democracy must act decisively to protect itself from forces seeking to undermine it through violence, hate or… Continue reading Militant Democracy in Germany: Balancing Protection and Freedom
    The post Militant Democracy in Germany: Balancing Protection and Freedom appeared first on Fair Observer. More