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Morning opening: ‘The West as we knew it not exists’
Jakub Krupa
European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen instructed the German weekly Die Zeit that “the West as we knew it not exist,” as she spoke of “historic” adjustments going down because of Donald Trump’s presidency within the US.
In a wide-ranging interview, she defended the EU’s place on regulating US digital companies even within the face of threats of eradicating US nuclear umbrella, as she pointedly stated “we don’t have bros or oligarchs making the principles.”
Hanging a fragile steadiness, she nonetheless sung praises for the US and the EU-US relationship, whereas urging nations to supply and purchase extra in Europe, significantly on the subject of more and more vital defence provides.
On European safety, von der Leyen additionally warned that “whereas Putin might pause now and again, there is no such thing as a restrict to his imperial ambitions,” highlighting the existential dangers going through the EU.
What’s notable is that the interview – initially performed in German – was translated for the newspaper by von der Leyen’s workplace – as if she and her workforce wished it to be extra extensively learn throughout Europe (and past; whats up Donald and JD.)
Both approach, her feedback come a day after the EU seemed to be rising pissed off with the dearth of engagement on the US facet on the subject of resolving the tariffs standoff, with fee spokesperson telling reporters that the bloc wanted “a further stage of engagement from the US to maintain the ball rolling ahead.”
Additional talks can be going down within the background because the 90-day pause continues.
Let’s see what the day brings immediately.
It’s Wednesday, 16 April 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa right here, and that is Europe Stay.
Good morning.
Key occasions
US Rubio and Witkoff to go to Paris later this week for talks on Ukraine, Gaza, Iran and commerce
US state secretary Marco Rubio and White Home envoy Steve Witkoff will go to France within the coming days, the French authorities’s spokesperson Sophie Primas confirmed.
Politico and Le Monde earlier reported that the pair would come to Paris later this week with the intention of internet hosting high-level talks on Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and commerce.
Politico famous that French president Emmanuel Macron has been central to assembling the Europe-led “Coalition of the Prepared” to assist Ukraine, together with a possible reassurance drive that may very well be deployed to the nation.
Netherlands set to extend defence spending, might attain 2% GDP goal
The Dutch authorities goals to improve defence spending by an additional €1.1bn yearly from this yr, the chief of the VVD occasion within the ruling coalition Dilan Yeşilgöz stated in a put up on X.
The additional spending was agreed after negotiations between the leaders of the four-party ruling coalition on the federal government’s 2025 funds, Reuters reported.
The spending enhance will come on prime of a rise in navy spending of greater than 10% to about €24bn a yr, introduced in September final yr.
The stimulus measures will put Dutch defence spending on target to achieve 2% of gross home product (GDP) for the primary time since Nato allies agreed on that minimal threshold 10 years in the past, Reuters stated.
Reuters famous the plans have to be formally authorized in a Cupboard assembly on Thursday.
Finland extends border closure with Russia ’till additional discover’ amid threat of ‘instrumentalised’ migration
Finland has prolonged its choice to shut border crossings with Russia “till additional discover” because it stays involved about “the chance of instrumentalised migration persevering with from Russia.”
In a press assertion, revealed in the previous couple of minutes, the federal government reminded that the crossings have been closed since December 2023.
Explaining the choice, it stated that “instrumentalised migration is a technique that Russia can put stress on and have an effect on the safety and social stability of Finland and the EU.”
“Primarily based on data accessible to the Finnish authorities, the chance that instrumentalised migration will resume and develop as seen beforehand stays probably. If the phenomenon have been to proceed, it will pose a severe menace to Finland’s nationwide safety and public order,” it added.
Slovakia clashes with EU over participation in Russian victory parade
The European Fee has once more warned Slovak prime minister Robert Fico in opposition to taking part within the Russian victory parade on 9 Might in Moscow, saying “it is necessary to not lend legitimacy” to the occasion given Russia’s persevering with battle of aggression in opposition to Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Fico publicly clashed with EU’s international coverage chief Kaja Kallas after the previous Estonian prime minister stated on Monday that “any participation within the 9 Might parades or celebrations in Moscow … is not going to be taken flippantly on the European facet, contemplating that Russia is actually waging a full scale battle in Europe.”
Fico stated her feedback have been “disrespectful,” and accused her of trying to “blackmail” him.
“Is it a warning that I can be punished after coming back from Moscow? I don’t know, however I do know that it’s 2025, not 1939,” he stated in a put up on Fb.
He burdened that “nobody can inform me the place I ought to or mustn’t journey.”
“I’ll go to Moscow to pay my respects to the 1000’s of Crimson Military troopers who died liberating the Slovak Republic, and to the thousands and thousands of different victims of the Nazis,” he stated, “simply as I paid my respects to the victims of the Normandy landings, within the Pacific, or as I’ll go to pay my respects to the RAF pilots.”
Requested if there can be any penalties for Fico ought to he ignore the warning, a fee spokesperson stated “it’s actually not for the fee to punish heads of state and authorities.”
Alongside Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who declined to participate within the parade, Fico is seen as one of the crucial pro-Russian leaders in Europe. He final visited Moscow in December, triggering a wave of protests in opposition to his authorities’s international coverage.
France minister warns of destabilising assaults, intimidation amid jail assaults
France reported extra assaults on vehicles and prisons services in a single day with the nation’s justice minister blaming attackers for “attempting to destabilise the state by intimidating it.”
“They’re doing it as a result of we’re taking measures in opposition to the permissiveness that existed till now in jails,” Gérald Darmanin stated.
AFP reported that early on Wednesday, assailants set fireplace to 3 vehicles – together with one belonging to a jail guard – within the southern city of Tarascon, its prosecutor stated.
The automotive of one other guard working at a jail outdoors Aix-en-Provence, additionally within the south, was torched outdoors his house, a consultant from a jail employee union stated.
Within the Seine-et-Marne area close to Paris, the letters “DDPF” – standing for “Rights of French Prisoners” – have been scrawled within the entrance of a constructing the place a lady jail guard lives, a police supply stated.
Earlier than that, 21 autos had been graffitied and or set on fireplace since Sunday night time, a police supply stated late on Tuesday.
Many of the incidents – largely torched vehicles but in addition a automated rifle volleys fired at a jail entrance close to the southern metropolis of Toulon – have been recorded in a single day Monday to Tuesday.
Darmanin is main what he calls a “jail revolution” that goals to lock up 200 of France’s 700 most harmful drug traffickers in two top-security prisons from this summer season, AFP famous.
US removes sanctions from shut ally of Hungarian prime minister Orbán
The United States has eliminated sanctions on an in depth aide of the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, the state division stated, including that the punitive measures had been “inconsistent with US international coverage pursuits”.
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, spoke on Tuesday together with his Hungarian counterpart, the international minister, Péter Szijjártó, and knowledgeable him of the transfer, state division spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated in a press release.
“The Secretary knowledgeable international minister Szijjártó of senior Hungarian official Antal Rogán’s elimination from the US Division of the Treasury’s Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Individuals Listing, noting that continued designation was inconsistent with US international coverage pursuits,” Bruce stated.
The 2 additionally mentioned strengthening US-Hungary alignment on vital points and alternatives for financial cooperation, Bruce stated.
Rogán is an in depth aide of Orbán and has run his cupboard workplace since 2015.
Irregular migrant crossings into Europe fall 30% in first quarter of 2025
Ashifa Kassam
Irregular crossings at Europe’s borders have fallen by 30% within the first quarter of the yr in contrast with the identical interval final yr, in a lower that rights teams partly attributed to EU insurance policies which have emphasised deterrence whereas seemingly turning a blind eye to the chance of rights abuses.
The decline was seen throughout all the key migratory routes into Europe, the EU’s border company Frontex stated in a press release, amounting to almost 33,600 fewer arrivals within the first three months of the yr.
The biggest lower, at 64%, was alongside the routes that cross Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, whereas crossings into the UK have been down 4%.
Whereas migration patterns are influenced by a mixture of components that vary from climate to battle, the info seems to recommend a continuation of the downward pattern seen in 2024, when irregular border crossings into Europe dropped by 38% in contrast with the earlier yr, stated Judith Sunderland of Human Rights Watch.
Ukraine extends martial regulation till August
Ukraine’s parliament voted to increase martial regulation till 6 August, a senior lawmaker stated, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of the nation continues.
Reuters reported that an awesome majority of 357 deputies supported the extension, which permits the nation to proceed mobilizing troops and suspends the election cycle.
One lawmaker voted in opposition to the invoice.
Serbian cyclists full their epic Strasbourg journey to spotlight scholar protests
A gaggle of Serbian college students accomplished their epic 1,300km journey from Novi Unhappy to Strasbourg, France final night time, getting a pink carpet welcome as they obtained there.
The marketing campaign sought to draw the EU’s consideration to on-going mass protests in Serbia in opposition to alleged corruption after 15 individuals died and a number of other have been severely injured when the concrete cover of the newly renovated practice station in Novi Unhappy, Serbia’s second largest metropolis, collapsed.
You possibly can see a clip of their (actually emotional) arrival to Strasbourg right here, as reported by TV N1 Beograd.
Morning opening: ‘The West as we knew it not exists’
Jakub Krupa
European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen instructed the German weekly Die Zeit that “the West as we knew it not exist,” as she spoke of “historic” adjustments going down because of Donald Trump’s presidency within the US.
In a wide-ranging interview, she defended the EU’s place on regulating US digital companies even within the face of threats of eradicating US nuclear umbrella, as she pointedly stated “we don’t have bros or oligarchs making the principles.”
Hanging a fragile steadiness, she nonetheless sung praises for the US and the EU-US relationship, whereas urging nations to supply and purchase extra in Europe, significantly on the subject of more and more vital defence provides.
On European safety, von der Leyen additionally warned that “whereas Putin might pause now and again, there is no such thing as a restrict to his imperial ambitions,” highlighting the existential dangers going through the EU.
What’s notable is that the interview – initially performed in German – was translated for the newspaper by von der Leyen’s workplace – as if she and her workforce wished it to be extra extensively learn throughout Europe (and past; whats up Donald and JD.)
Both approach, her feedback come a day after the EU seemed to be rising pissed off with the dearth of engagement on the US facet on the subject of resolving the tariffs standoff, with fee spokesperson telling reporters that the bloc wanted “a further stage of engagement from the US to maintain the ball rolling ahead.”
Additional talks can be going down within the background because the 90-day pause continues.
Let’s see what the day brings immediately.
It’s Wednesday, 16 April 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa right here, and that is Europe Stay.
Good morning.
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