Author: staff

The meeting would take place on Monday, according to two EU officials. It was not immediately clear whether the meeting would involve all EU leaders, or only a smaller group of countries, and if other European leaders like U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also be invited. A French spokesperson was not immediately able to comment. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who was on the panel with Sikorski in Munich, didn’t confirm or deny the emergency summit. Sikorski said later that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will travel on Monday at Macron’s invitation to the meeting. “We need to show…

– JD Vance: Auf der Bühne konfrontativ, in Hintergrundgesprächen diplomatisch. Was vom Auftritt des US-Vizepräsidenten am ersten Tag der Sicherheitskonferenz bleibt. – Jens Spahn im POLITICO Pub im Gespräch, wie die deutsche und europäische Politik der Regierung Trump gegenübertreten sollte und welche Möglichkeiten Friedrich Merz hat, sollte er wirklich Kanzler werden.  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 alle Hauptstadt-Profis:Unser Berlin Playbook-Newsletter liefert jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Hier gibt es alle…

The future target should be agreed at NATO leaders’ summit in June in The Hague. “Over the next couple of months we will get convergence” on the budget goal, Rutte said, adding that to increase spending “we will have to prioritize defense over other stuff.” That’s a reference to governments having to make difficult decisions on military spending over popular social welfare programs. The alliance is setting new capability targets that will define where the extra cash should be directed. Rutte said it’s already clear that there’s a lack of air defense systems, long-range missiles and tanks to sustain armies.…

The EU is one of America’s largest economic partners, with more than €1.5 trillion worth of goods and services traded each year. The 27-member bloc runs a trade surplus in goods with the United States, which Trump has frequently criticized.  However, the U.S. runs a surplus in services; the overall U.S. trade deficit with the EU was a relatively small €48 billion in 2023. The European Commission denounced Washington’s announcement of new tariffs on Friday as “a step in the wrong direction.” “The EU maintains some of the lowest tariffs in the world and sees no justification for increased US…

German chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his call for the country to relax its strict spending rules, pushing for Germany’s constitutional debt brake to be reformed immediately after national elections later this month. “We need a reform of the debt brake in our constitution directly after the upcoming election,” Scholz told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Bloomberg reported. The chancellor, who is currently trailing in the polls and at risk of being ousted from power following the snap election on Feb. 23, expressed confidence that Germany will have a parliamentary majority to loosen the debt brake. The debt brake is a…

Graham (R-S.C.) made the comments during an interview with POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at the Munich Security Conference.  Graham, a top ally of President Donald Trump, was also asked to address concerns about mixed messages coming from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance this week on whether Ukraine should join NATO. “It doesn’t matter what Pete says, it doesn’t matter how many phone calls are made,” Graham said. “What matters is how it ends, if it ends in a way to deter future aggression and if they’ve stabilized the continent of Europe, [Trump will] get his fair share…

The Trump administration has proposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States be granted 50 percent ownership of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for its military support, according to a report by NBC News. U.S. officials told NBC News that handing over half of its valuable minerals would be a way for Ukraine to reimburse the U.S. for the billions of dollars in weapons and support it has provided to Kyiv since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The American officials also signaled an openness to deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine to guard…

Gaza cease-fire fears ease as Hamas due to release 3 Israeli hostages Saturday – POLITICO Skip to main content

MUNICH — U.S. President Donald Trump is a longtime fan of Winston Churchill. But what would Britain’s iconic wartime leader make of the Munich Security Conference in 2025? “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.” Those are the words Churchill thundered when then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain left this Bavarian city 87 years ago, clutching a piece of paper that turned out to be meaningless. Would that be Churchill’s reaction to Trump’s drive to end the war in Ukraine, with terms that Kyiv and its European allies fear will be favorable…

Thousands of activists demonstrated in Germany on Friday in a bid to raise awareness to climate issues ahead of the upcoming federal elections scheduled for 23 February. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Germany on Friday to protest and raise awareness to climate issues ahead of the country’s upcoming federal elections.Activists believe the climate crisis has been ignored in the upcoming German elections, scheduled for 23 February.  They say that other issues, like debates on immigration and the economy have largely overshadowed the pressing issue.Protesters held banners reading “Right on a future, instead of a right (wing) future”…