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People are ‘sh*t-scared‘ For the people targeted by private intelligence work — including journalists, whistleblowers and dissidents — the activity can be life-altering. POLITICO spoke to two targets who said that surveillance, hacking and intimidation by such outfits had hit their finances, wellbeing and personal safety.  In one case, contractors working for a private intelligence company misrepresented themselves to the victim’s bank to obtain confidential information, filmed him inside his house, and then paid someone to access his phone. Yet many of the targets simply will not have the money to push back against the intelligence firms. “That’s what they…

The EU and China “have reached an inflection point” in their relations, von der Leyen told Xi in her opening remarks in Beijing. “As our cooperation has deepened, so have the imbalances.” She added that “it is vital for China and Europe to acknowledge our respective concerns and come forward with real solutions.” In his opening remarks, Council President Costa also noted the imbalance in economic relations, saying “we need concrete progress on issues related to trade and economy. And we both want our relationship to be balanced, reciprocal and mutually beneficial.” And he jabbed Beijing over the role it…

Zelenskyy argued that the radical move was needed to block Russian interference — and on Wednesday said he had “heard the public opinion” and promised to fix the situation with a new bill that he pledged would preserve the agencies’ independence. But there is growing worry that Zelenskyy and his entourage might be using the authority granted him under martial law to concentrate power in a bid to keep the country fighting — in a way that raises fears over the country’s democratic credentials. Svitlana Matviienko, executive director of the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, a Ukrainian NGO, warned that there is…

For the past three years, the European Union has invoked the mantra of “as long as it takes” to reaffirm, time and time again, its unyielding, all-encompassing support for Ukraine as it fights against Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion. That pledge was not merely rhetorical. It translated into financial assistance, weapons and ammunition, energy security, roaming services, a free-trade deal and temporary protection for refugees. The bloc’s proposed seven-year budget features a separate, tailor-made fund worth €100 billion to help the country’s long-term reconstruction. But this week, that unbroken front cracked for the first time when the European Commission slammed, in…

Beim EU-China-Gipfel in Peking ist die Stimmung angespannt. Kommissionschefin Ursula von der Leyen und Ratspräsident Antonio Costa treffen auf einen selbstbewussten Xi Jinping. Hans von der Burchard analysiert die besonders strittigen Themen: Chinas Unterstützung für Russland, unfaire Handelspraktiken und die wachsende technologische Abhängigkeit Europas.  Im 200-Sekunden-Interview: Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. Die FDP-Europaabgeordnete spricht darüber, wie die EU sich gegenüber China neu positionieren muss und warum Europa mehr Selbstbewusstsein braucht.Außerdem: Jonathan Martin berichtet aus Washington über den wachsenden Druck auf Donald Trump in der Epstein-Affäre. Neue Fotos belegen die Nähe des US-Präsidenten zu dem verurteilten Sexualstraftäter, und selbst aus den eigenen Reihen kommen…

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor and a foreign affairs columnist at POLITICO Europe. As a democratic state, Ukraine is under assault from two sources. Its first and most obvious adversary is Moscow, which has long wanted to return the country to the days of being a Kremlin plaything, a mere Russian satellite. But arguably there’s another insidious and corrosive adversary from within — the country’s own semi-autocratic leadership. This is what opposition lawmakers and civil society activists have been arguing for months, as Ukraine’s presidential administration has been grabbing more power, weakening other governing and regional institutions — including the…

Some were quick to claim victory. “I am very pleased that the ECB addressed Polish concerns and adjusted the design of [the] new €20 bank note to reflect Marie Skłodowska-Curie’s Polish heritage,” exulted conservative MEP Janusz Lewandowski, speaking to POLITICO. But the reality is somewhat more complex. For one thing, even the great woman herself had trouble making up her mind, signing herself as Skłodowska-Curie for much of her married life, but increasingly using the simplified “M. Curie” after Pierre’s death, especially in professional contexts. Moreover, European cultural figures may not even feature on the banknotes if a rival design, featuring…

AI weapons for Westminster? ‘Defense disruptor’ Anduril trains its sights on the UK – POLITICO Skip to main content

That left a huge gap. The world’s two top-polluting countries had for many years set the course for the rest of the world — albeit at a pace far too slow to avoid warming the planet to catastrophic levels.  Even in the hours before its leaders were to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, there was no guarantee of a deal. But on Wednesday afternoon EU diplomats were told the statement would go ahead, according to two of those informed, who were granted anonymity in order to discuss the talks. If an agreement comes, there’s no certainty it will…

BRUSSELS — The European Union is eyeing a Japan-style deal with the Donald Trump administration that sets a 15 percent U.S. baseline tariff — but is ready to retaliate if no agreement can be reached by an Aug. 1 deadline, according to EU diplomats briefed on the talks. If Trump blocks a deal now in the works, the EU is ready to launch two separate countermeasures, three diplomats told POLITICO. One would impose tariffs on €93 billion worth of U.S. goods. A vote to finalize this part of the retaliation is due on Thursday, with the Commission expected to garner broad support…