Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European Union. Show all posts

Monday, February 09, 2026

Europe’s ‘Painful’ Realisation It Must Be Bolder with US Set Out in Security Report

THE GUARDIAN: Need for greater military autonomy also accepted, says report for Munich Security Conference, which takes place this week

Europe has come to the painful realisation that it needs to be more assertive and more militarily independent from an authoritarian US administration that no longer shares a commitment to liberal democratic norms and values, a report prepared by the Munich Security Conference asserts.

The report sets the scene for an all-out ideological confrontation with the Trump White House at the high-level annual meeting of security policy specialists, which starts on Friday.

In a now infamous speech to last year’s MSC, the US vice-president, JD Vance, claimed European elites were suppressing free speech and “opening the floodgates” to mass migration. The address marked the moment Europe realised the Trump administration would no longer be a reliable trading and security partner.

Since then European leaders and Donald Trump’s team have waged a series of running battles over topics including the US push to force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia, Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, and a series of protectionist US measures ranging from tariff barriers to inward investment bans.

The divide was starkly set out in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month by the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, who warned of a rupture between the US and its western allies.

Vance’s assessment of Europe’s decline was reinforced in the latest US national security strategy, which accused European leaders of overseeing “civilisational erasure”. More recently, Trump disparaged the courage with which European members of Nato fought in Afghanistan, remarks that caused deep offence among Europe’s military leaders. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, February 9, 2026

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

"Europe Won't Be Trump's Vassal" – How Davos '26 Changed Everything | Wider View from Brussels

Jan 26, 2026 | After Davos 2026, Europe is rethinking its relationship with the United States. Transatlantic ties are under unprecedented strain.

We discuss why “transactional Trumpism” is now completely unviable. From defense and AI technology to NATO and strategic autonomy, Europe stopped being America’s vassal.

‘Mother of All Deals’: EU and India Sign Free Trade Agreement

THE GUARDIAN: Deal expected to ease access for European cars and wine, in return for Indian exports of textiles, gems and pharmaceuticals

India and the EU have finalised a landmark free trade agreement, which the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, hailed as the “mother of all deals”.

The agreement comes after almost two decades of on-off negotiations between India and the EU, which vastly accelerated in the past six months and were finally concluded late on Monday night.

The deal is expected to open up India’s vast and traditionally tightly guarded market to the 27 nations in the bloc, with a focus on manufacturing and the services sector. It is expected to ease market access for key European products, including cars and wine, in return for easier exports of textiles, gems and pharmaceuticals.

The agreement is expected to double EU exports to India by 2032 by eliminating or cutting tariffs in 96.6% of traded goods by value, and will lead to savings of €4bn (£3.5bn) in duties for European companies, the EU said.

“Europe and India are making history today,” von der Leyen said in a statement after landing in Delhi, where she met with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday. “We have concluded the mother of all deals. We have created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit.” » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi | Tuesday, January 27, 2026

This news should help sober up the backward-thinking Brexiteers! Prepare the stocks for Farage! Rotten eggs at the ready! — © Mark Alexander

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Europe Needs a Dramatic Strategic Revolution - Now: Historian Robert Kagan

Jan 20, 2026 | Investigative journalist and co-founder of the Nerve Carole Cadwalladr talks to conservative historian and former historian Robert Kagan about the critical geopolitical moment we are in. With the Trump administration moving rapidly towards dictatorship, Kagan says, European governments need to completely change tack, fast. “I feel like the administration has done everything except climb up on the roof of the White House and yell what they're going to do,” says Kagan. ”Trump is already talking about how you don't really need these midterm elections.” "Europe needs to become self-sufficient in both military and economic terms" and without drastic action, “risks becoming a collection of fiefdoms of the great empires of the world... Some of them under Russia's thumb, some under America's thumb, maybe some influenced more by China.”

The Nerve is a new, fiercely independent media platform covering culture, politics and tech. Set up by a collective of five former Guardian journalists, including the investigative reporter Carole Cadwalladr, who believe that the UK needs more truly independent journalism as we have never been more in need of an independent, fearless press. Having nerve is the key quality the world needs now.


Friday, January 23, 2026

America Is ‘No Longer an Ally’ | Historian Sir Simon Schama

Jan 23, 2026 | Sir Keir Starmer must recognise the “stiff dose of reality” that Trump has “set has marks on destroying the European Union”, says historian Sir Simon Schama.

Sir Simon Schama was speaking to Chloe Tilley and Calum Macdonald on Times Radio.



Trump is TRASH! — © Mark Alexander

Monday, January 19, 2026

Trump’s Next Greenland Move Will ‘Blow the GOP to Bits’ | Scott Lucas

Jan 19, 2026 | Professor Scott Lucas joins The Trump Report’s Maddie Hale to discuss the US President threatening tariffs on EU allies, whether the Republican Party is divided over Trump’s desires to annex Greenland and the one move Trump could make that would “blow the GOP to bits”.


If it is true that the US wants to destroy the European Union, then the European Union must do everything in its power to destroy the US first. Bring the US to its knees! Be ruthless! Don’t pussy around! Act! By the way, it's beginning to look like Iran after the Revolution had the right idea after all! — © Mark Alexander

Put European and Canadian Troops in Greenland to Deter US | Richard Shirreff

Jan 19, 2026 | "It's absolutely the future of NATO.”

Former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Sir Richard Shirreff tells Times Radio Europe and Canada should "call the bluff" and put troops into Greenland to deter "any aggression, whether Russian, Chinese, or indeed, American".


EU Can Weaponise Tech and Energy to 'Damage' America in Tariff Backlash | Oliver Moody

Jan 19, 2026 | “Europe can do a lot of damage to America, particularly in terms of financial services, tech, energy, arms exports.”

The question Europe will have to answer is how much hurt are they willing to shoulder in an attempt to deter Trump from further Greenland action, says The Times’s Oliver Moody.


Sunday, January 18, 2026

After Trump Reignites a Trade War Over Greenland, Europe Weighs Going All-Out

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Europe’s dependence on the United States for NATO security limits its options. Its strongest response could be retaliating with its own trade “bazooka.”

In a single post on Saturday night, President Trump upended months of progress on trade negotiations with an ultimatum that puts Europe on a crash course with the United States — long its closest ally and suddenly one of its biggest threats.

In the Truth Social post, Mr. Trump demanded a deal to buy Greenland, saying that otherwise he would slap tariffs on a group of European nations, first 10 percent in February, then 25 percent in June.

It appeared to leave little room for Europe to maneuver or negotiate in a harsh and combative era of geopolitics. It also left Europe with few options to counter Mr. Trump without repercussions.

European leaders are loath to accept the forced takeover of an autonomous territory that is controlled by Denmark, a member of both NATO and the European Union.

Officials and outside analysts increasingly argue that Europe will need to respond to Mr. Trump with force — namely by hitting back on trade. But doing so could come at a heavy cost to both the bloc’s economy and its security, since Europe remains heavily reliant on the United States for support through NATO and in Russia’s war with Ukraine.

“We either fight a trade war, or we’re in a real war,” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a research institute in Brussels. » | Jeanna Smialek | Reporting from Brussels | Sunday, January 18, 2026

Under absolutely NO CIRCUMSTANCES must we Europeans allow Donald Trump to annex Greenland, either forcefully or through commercial means. We Europeans must do WHATEVER IT TAKES, HOWEVER PAINFUL THE CONSEQUENCES, to retain Greenland in Denmark’s jurisdiction. Greenlanders do not want to be Americans, and their wishes must be respected, come what may. — © Mark Alexander

EU Trade Chief: EU-South America Trade Pact Will Help 'Offset' Impact of US Tariffs | DW News

Jan 18, 2026 | The EU's trade chief says the bloc's new deal with South America’s Mercosur states will help "offset the negative consequences from the increased tariffs imposed by the United States."

Maros Sefcovic spoke to DW in Paraguay after signing the EU’s biggest ever trade deal, which officials hailed as a geopolitical milestone. But the ceremony was overshadowed by threats from US President Donald Trump to slap new tariffs on several European countries opposing his push to acquire Greenland.

Sefcovic said EU leaders were consulting on a joint response. "First and foremost, we again stayed very, very, clear on our principles for us, territorial sovereignty, integrity and international law are absolutely key principles," Sefcovic said, warning fresh US tariffs could trigger a "very dangerous downward spiral."

Sefcovic told DW formally approving an EU-US trade deal struck last year will be "very complicated" after Trump's latest announcements.


Danes, Greenlanders Protest Trump Plan as EU Leaders Show Outrage over Tariff Threat | DW News

Jan 18, 2026 | US President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on eight European countries until they allow the US to BUY Greenland.

Trump posted on Truth Social that "starting on February 1st, all of the above-mentioned countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America."

European leaders have warned against what they call a dangerous downward spiral if the levies are implemented, with the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas replying in a post, "China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies.

If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity." Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets in the Greenlandic and Danish capitals on Saturday against Trump's bid to take over the island.


Macron: ‘No Amount of Intimidation’ Will Change EU Nations’ Course on Greenland

THE GUARDIAN: French president calls tariff threats ‘unacceptable’, while Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson warns EU will not be ‘blackmailed’ by US

Emmanuel Macron has hit back at Donald Trump’s latest threats to impose tariffs on any country opposing his Greenland takeover, warning that “no amount of intimidation” will persuade European nations to change their course on Greenland.

The US president on Saturday announced 10% tariffs on eight European countries from 1 February, with a further 25% tariff from 1 June.

Macron’s message was echoed by the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, who warned the EU would not be “blackmailed” by Trump, and the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, who said “threats have no place among allies”.

In a joint statement, EU leaders said “tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral”. EU ambassadors are expected to meet for an emergency session on Sunday. » | Lisa O’Carroll and Jakub Krupa | Saturday, January 17, 2026

Saturday, January 17, 2026

Trump Threatens Higher Tariffs on Opponents of Greenland Plan | DW News

Jan 17, 2026 | US president Donald Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on countries that oppose his plan to take over Greenland. The warning comes after several European nations sent small numbers of troops to the Arctic Island -- a semi-autonomous Danish territory. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers visited Denmark, to say that Trump's designs on Greenland don't have the support of the American people. DW's Jack Parrock reports from Brussels.

Trump Wants Greenland: What Can Europe Do About It? | ARTE Europe Weekly

Jan 16, 2026 | ‘We need Greenland’, Donald Trump is crystal clear about what he wants. Since his return to the White House for his second term, the American has been obsessed with the semi-autonomous arctic territory. But why does he want it? And what can the Europeans do to prevent this from happening?

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Margaret Thatcher: Peace & the EU

23 Apr 2024 | The European Community, now called the European Union, was started for one reason alone: to create lasting peace and security between its members following the most devastating war the world had ever known.

Don’t take my [Jon Danzig’s] word for it. This is what UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said to the European Parliament on 9 December 198:
“70 years ago Europe had just experienced, on the battlefields of Verdun and the Somme, the bloodiest fighting, the most tragic waste of a generation, that the world has ever known. “The Second World War was to bring further heartbreak and destruction. “Our Community was conceived and constructed to ensure that this experience would never be repeated, to bring about a lasting peace within Western Europe, to replace antagonism with friendship and cooperation, to deepen and broaden Europe’s democratic tradition.” Mrs Thatcher added: “And let us never forget that the aftermath of war produced two great ideas which have shaped our destiny ever since. “One was the NATO Alliance, the other the European Community.”
Throughout her premiership, and previously as an MP, and then leader of the Opposition, Mrs Thatcher was a strong supporter of the European Community project. In particular, she helped to design and promote the EU’s crown jewel: its Single Market, which has transformed and enriched the continent of Europe. …


Saturday, December 13, 2025

EU to Freeze €210bn in Russian Assets Indefinitely

THE GUARDIAN: The decision is a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence – but Moscow is threatening to retaliate

The EU has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russia’s sovereign assets in the bloc, as Moscow stepped up its threats to retaliate against Euroclear, the keeper of most of the Kremlin’s immobilised money.

The decision by the EU to use emergency powers to immobilise €210bn (£185bn) of Russia’s central bank’s assets marks a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence.

European Council president António Costa confirmed on Friday that EU leaders had delivered on a commitment, made in October, to “keep Russian assets immobilised until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caused”. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Friday, December 12, 2025

Friday, October 10, 2025

'It Would Be a Disaster': Juncker Warns against Far-Right Rule in Europe

Oct 9, 2025 | Former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tells Andrew Marr “life would be easier without Brexit.”

Juncker gives his view on the EU’s new steel tariffs, the future of UK–EU relations under Keir Starmer and explains why he believes Nigel Farage “wouldn’t be the best Prime Minister.”

He also warns against the rise of the far-right, saying that these movements are not in line with 'European traditions'.


British Steel 'Will Never Be the Same' after EU Imposes 50% Tariffs | UK Steel Director General

Oct 7, 2025 | "We are certainly talking about thousands of jobs in the steel industry."

The EU proposing to hit the UK with 50 per cent tariffs on steel means "the UK government needs to act very, very quickly", says director general of UK Steel, Gareth Stace.



Brexit: The gift that keeps on giving! — © Mark Alexander

Friday, September 26, 2025

Britain’s Place Is with Europe, Not America

MARK ALEXANDER: What is going on in America right now is nothing less than a SHITSHOW!

To think that we have given up our membership of the European Union to align ourselves with that chaotic, catastrophic, autocratic, tyrannical SHITSHOW truly beggars belief!

We can thank Cameron for calling that STUPID, COWARDLY referendum, that self-serving DICKHEAD otherwise known as Nigel Fags, and that clown extraordinaire, BoJo for the ensuing loss of prosperity!

If Keir Starmer really wants to inject life into his failing government, he needs to recognise that this country is crying out for the recognition of the GRAVE mistake we Brits have made in voting for the losers’ Brexit. He needs to assure the people that he will do all he possibly can to reverse the ridiculous decision to leave the European Union.

If Starmer adopted such a strategy, Starmer’s task ahead would be difficult; but the difficulties would not be insurmountable.

We Brits are Europeans. We are not Americans. In fact, we have LITTLE in common with Americans other than language and the desire to make money. But our values are certainly European. Our Royal Family is European, too; and so many Brits worship the Royal Family.

If the people of this country want to retain their SOVEREIGNTY, then we, as a nation, need to re-join the European Union as soon as is humanly possible. Long live the United Kingdom! Long live the European Union!

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Friday, September 12, 2025

No Prospect of UK Rejoining EU in My Lifetime, Says Starmer’s Reset Negotiator

THE GUARDIN: Comments by Nick Thomas-Symonds underline view in top government circles despite thaw in relations with Brussels

Britain will not rejoin the EU in the foreseeable future, according to the minister who has piloted Keir Starmer’s recent reset of European relations.

Nick Thomas-Symonds said he could not see the country re-entering the bloc in his lifetime, despite the thaw in continental relations that he has helped bring about.

Asked whether he could conceive of Brexit being reversed within such a timescale, Thomas-Symonds told the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast: “I can’t. What I can say is that the work I have been doing with the democratic mandate from the 2024 general election is building a closer, more constructive relationship.”

He added: “What I’m about now, having reset the relationship, is building this new strategic partnership.” » | Kiran Stacey Policy editor | Friday, September 12, 2025

Who is this joker? He talks a load of bollocks! Clearly, he has no understanding of geopolitics or economics? To come to such a ridiculous and erroneous conclusion is tantamount to showing the world that he is totally and utterly clueless. — © Mark Alexander