Author: staff

The EU has retaliated after being hit hard by the US tariffs. But with US president Donald Trump’s threats to slap more tariffs, the bloc could step up the fight with its anti-coercion instrument, a tool that was put in place in 2023. Earlier this week, the EU launched import duties on €26 billion worth of American goods to respond to the US’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump responded to the EU countermeasures by threatening to impose a 200 percent tariffs on all wines, champagne and alcoholic products from France and other EU countries.So what to expect from a trade war that appears to have already…

LONDON — Keir Starmer has enjoyed mixed fortunes since becoming prime minister. But on matters of war and peace he may have just picked a winner. When Starmer chose Jonathan Powell as the latest U.K. national security adviser — effectively the PM’s top lieutenant on foreign policy — his credentials were obvious. As Tony Blair’s chief of staff from 1997 to 2007, Powell played a key role for the then-prime minister in hammering out the Good Friday Agreement, which helped establish peace after decades of violence in Northern Ireland. Powell’s skills as a negotiator have already been put to the…

In dieser Extra-Ausgabe besprechen Gordon Repinski und Michael Bröcker, Chefredakteur der Table Briefings, die zurückliegende Woche der Verhandlungen zwischen Union und SPD um eine neue Regierung und des Streits um milliardenschwere Sondervermögen.   Sie sprechen über die Zwickmühlen von Friedrich Merz und seine ersten Fehler, das Stühlerücken in den Parteien, die vorerst endgültige Niederlage von Sahra Wagenknecht und ihres Bündnisses und das künftige Fehlen der FDP im Bundestag.  Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in Sachen Politik — kompakt, europäisch, hintergründig. Und für…

Gold prices reached a new high, while equity markets and crude oil continued to decline on Thursday amid an escalating global trade war. Risk-off sentiment prevailed in the financial markets due to economic and political uncertainties, shifting funds away from riskier assets. Gold prices reached a new high on Thursday, with gold futures at Comex surging 1.5%, briefly surpassing a new milestone of $3,000 (€2,764) per ounce for the first time in history. Spot gold prices jumped 1.9% to $2,988 (€2,752) per ounce, making another all-time high.Gold is seen as a typical haven asset, with its prices rising more than…

VW and Rheinmetall are heading in different directions. The arms-maker is benefiting from the surge in European defense spending as the bloc rearms to deter Russia, support Ukraine and ensure its security amid fears that Trump will back away from the continent, while Volkswagen battles headwinds caused by problems in China, Trump’s tariffs and a bumpy transition to electric vehicles. Cars powered Germany’s post-World War II recovery, making it the EU’s economic powerhouse and allowing defense to take a back seat — especially after the end of the Cold War. Now Germany’s economy could rely on tanks for growth. “An…

Crucial elements of the new EU policy include favoring weapons production within the bloc and “like-minded third-country companies,” encouraging joint purchases of arms, making it easier to finance defense projects, focusing on key areas where the bloc has a capacity shortfall like air defense and military mobility, and slashing red tape on defense investments. Russia’s actions are the driving force behind the new policy. “Russia is an existential threat to the Union and given its past record of invading its neighbours and its current expansionist policies, the need to deter from Russian armed aggression will remain even after a just…

“He thinks he can achieve his goals through fighting. I think he feels quite confident,” said Bondarev, who worked for Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, adding that the Russian leader is likely calculating that “Trump is much more concerned about a peace deal than about Ukraine.” Trump said many of these details for the final agreement “have already been discussed,” but he threw the onus on Russia to make the deal. “Now we’re going to see if Russia is there and, if not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world,” he said. When asked if…

“The world has changed … and this ally of ours … could bring limitations to use, maintenance, components, and everything that has to do with ensuring that aircraft will be operational and used in all types of scenarios,” Melo said. He added: “There are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said earlier this week that the Netherlands would not cancel its contract for the jets. However, Lisbon hasn’t signed a deal yet. Portugal is holding a snap election after the collapse of its center-right government.

According to the latest surveys, the center right is once again projected to win the most votes, narrowly ahead of the Socialist Party. Although support for the far-right Chega party has fallen slightly, it is still likely to remain the third-largest group in the parliament and will therefore be positioned to act as kingmaker during the next term. With the country’s two largest parties neck-and-neck in the polls, participation is expected to be a decisive factor in the results, but it is feared that fatigue will keep electors from voting. The snap elections are being wedged into the middle of a year…

Rutte, for his part, said he did not “want to drag NATO” in the discussion, but acknowledged Greenland’s importance for Arctic security in light of Chinese and Russian interests.  Trump caused a stir in January when he said the Danish territory and world’s largest island is an “absolutely necessity” for American security, and refused to rule out economic or military coercion to gain control of it. Greenland has been a part of the Danish Commonwealth since 1953, when it was upgraded from colony status after over 200 years. “Denmark is very far away,” Trump said, adding that Copenhagen is not…