Author: staff

Donald Trump’s threats to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization” shocked the world. On the podcast today, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart, POLITICO’s senior EU politics editor, discuss the European reaction as the conflict in the Middle East spirals. Plus, NATO chief Mark Rutte is in Washington to meet the U.S. president, but what does he hope to achieve with so little consensus within the alliance? Next, we obtained documents that reveal the extent to which Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán is deepening ties with Russia. An agreement signed between the two countries last year includes cooperation in a diverse range…

While Orbán flaunts his close ties with the Kremlin, his electoral rival, Péter Magyar, has argued this is an Achilles’ heel, accusing the government of “outright treason” over its ties to Moscow. The December summit in Moscow was the 16th meeting of the Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation (IGC), which according to Russian state media was launched in 2005. The commission has met on a roughly annual basis in either Russia or Hungary since then — with a break between the 14th meeting in November 2021 and the 15th in September 2024. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine…

The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire late on Tuesday, barely an hour before US President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to capitulate was set to expire. Trump pulled back on earlier apocalyptic threats that a “whole civilisation will die” if Tehran failed to reach a deal, holding off on attacks on Iranian bridges and power plants, a war crime against sites that are primarily of civilian usage. “Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of…

European governments, continually wrestling with the best way to deal with an American president who often sees them as a target for ridicule rather than as a natural ally, have pushed the EU to speak with one voice, and to ensure it holds Trump to the same standard as Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There is unease among most, if not all, EU countries,” said one diplomat, granted anonymity to speak frankly, adding there is a need to avoid applying a “double standard.” Governments “will say you always preach stability, the rule of law, the multilateral world order, for four years…

But both Trump and the Iranians appear — at least publicly — emboldened.Whatever happens Tuesday evening, the path to reopen Hormuz remains murky at best and oil prices are already trading above $110. Average retail prices of gasoline in the U.S. reached $4.14, according to AAA — and are likely to go even higher absent a resolution.A White House spokesperson pointed to Trump’s Monday press conference in response to questions, in which he said: “We have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and…

Crane was among dozens of lawmakers, Republican and Democrat, who published business-as-usual social media updates throughout the day Tuesday. Without acknowledging Trump’s stunning ultimatum, they shared partisan talking points, highlighted constituent meetings or celebrated local sports teams.Because neither chamber has convened for a full session since March 27, Trump has been free to further push the bounds of GOP loyalty without fear of concentrated pushback — or at least the risk of Republican lawmakers getting asked uncomfortable questions in the Capitol halls.While many have become practiced at deflecting queries about Trump’s jaw-dropping utterances, most appeared to conclude that the wisest…

The situation in the Middle East, Leo added, “is only provoking more hatred.” He urged leaders to “come back to the table” and find a peaceful solution to end the war as he pointed out that attacks on civilian infrastructure go against international law.“Let’s remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare,” he said.Leo also called on citizens of all the countries involved to contact political leaders and “tell them to work for peace and to reject war.”In a statement to POLITICO, White House…

Pakistani police destroyed opium poppy fields in a remote tribal area of northwestern Pakistan as part of an anti-narcotics operation. Officers used sticks to cut down and uproot plants across several hectares in the Mohmand district near the Afghan border. Footage shows police and villagers pulling plants from the ground while others watch the operation. Authorities said the campaign aims to curb drug production. Local farmers, however, said they rely on poppy cultivation due to poverty and lack of basic services, warning that alternative crops bring lower returns and limited income.

“If these artificial intelligence systems are actually procured from foreign companies, then … our militaries can be turned off. Do we want our military forces to be turned off because we have general political misalignment sometimes?” Mensch asked. His remarks come ahead of the European Commission’s presentation of a major technological sovereignty package, tentatively scheduled for the end of May. The proposals aim to reduce Europe’s reliance on foreign providers in critical areas, including cloud services and semiconductors. Part of the package also aims to boost data centers in Europe. Mistral on Tuesday presented a list of policy proposals that…

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.State Department spokesperson Dylan Johnson said in a March 31 statement the department was “aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq,” adding that it had warned the journalist about threats against her.Johnson said then that U.S. officials believed one of the people involved in the kidnapping had ties to Kataib Hezbollah.Kittleson, a freelance journalist who has contributed to multiple publications including POLITICO, has reported across the Middle East, including from Baghdad and Damascus, Syria, for years.Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst and Kittleson’s…