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☆ Polish PM Says There Is No 'Plan B' on EU Aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday there was no "Plan B" on European Union aid for Ukraine and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who is stalling it must decide if Hungary is "part of our community". "We need to play hard and play fair, but there is no room for compromise. Orban is the only one of the 27 to have voiced disapproval of an EU aid package and to request a yearly vote on the long-term aid. Thursday summit's is seen as a last opportunity to reach agreement on a four-year plan for 50 billion euros ($53.93 billion) of economic aid for Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion since 2022. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 Images($1 = 0.9272 euros)(Reporting by Justyna Pawlak; Writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Ros Russell)

Persons: Donald Tusk, Viktor Orban, Tusk, Orban, Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Polish, Union, EU Locations: Ukraine, Hungarian, Hungary, Russian, Moscow

☆ Poland holds high-stakes election amid rows over democratic rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Justyna Pawlak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Robert Biedron, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, Anna Maria Zukowska, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Adrian Zandberg and Magdalena Biejat of the New Left (Nowa Lewica) alliance gesture during the final day of campaigning for the parliamentary elections in Warsaw, Poland, October 13, 2023. Opinion polls suggest PiS will come out ahead but could lose its majority amid intensifying discontent over its democratic record, which has cost Poland billions of euros in EU aid, and concerns over women's rights and the cost of living. "This election will show whether Poland will be governed by Poles, or by Berlin or Brussels," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told supporters at the party's last campaign rally on Friday. It has built its support on generous social handouts, which it says rival parties will stop. Tusk says his party would maintain social support.

Persons: Robert Biedron, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, Anna Maria Zukowska, Joanna Scheuring, Adrian Zandberg, Magdalena Biejat, PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Rafal Trzaskowski, Pawel Florkiewicz, Giles Elgood Organizations: New, Law and Justice, European Union, EU, NATO, liberal Civic Coalition, European, Warsaw, Confederation, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Slawomir, WARSAW, Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Berlin, Brussels, Skarzysko Kamienna, Kalisz

"Public media are paid for with our taxes in order to give citizens access to fair information. And that's particularly important at... election time," said Joanna Krawczyk from the German Marshall Fund, a think-tank. PiS says private media outlets such as Warner Bros' (WBD.O) TVN often distort public debate by representing foreign interests. This perceived bias in public broadcasting has exacerbated political divisions in Polish society. "When she watches TVP, he goes to the kitchen."

Persons: Kacper, TVP, Szalai, RSF, Joanna Krawczyk, KRRiT, PiS, Grzegorz Lewandowski, Donald Tusk, Alan Charlish, Gareth Jones Organizations: Telewizja Polska SA, REUTERS, Sunday Government, WARSAW, Law and Justice, Media, German Marshall Fund, European Union, Civic Coalition, Reuters, Warner Bros, TVN, European Centre for Press, Media Freedom, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, TVP, Sochaczew, Hungary, Turkey, Russia

☆ Poland set for high-stakes election amid disputes over EU, democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Alan Charlish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Donald Tusk, the leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), walks towards an election convention in Lodz, Poland, October 10, 2023. "I know... that they are planning systematically, in cold blood, to take Poland out of the European Union," Donald Tusk, leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO) told supporters. He repeated these words very often," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told a campaign rally, hammering home his party's message that Tusk is a German stooge. The KO leader said he would unblock billions in funds withheld by the EU over rule-of-law concerns on day one after winning the election. Opinion polls suggest that PiS will remain the largest party in parliament but may fall short of a majority.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Kacper, PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Tusk, Andrzej Duda, Szymon Holownia, Alan Charlish, Jan Strupczewski, Gareth Jones Organizations: Civic Coalition, REUTERS, Sunday, Ukraine WARSAW, European Union, Law and Justice, European, PiS, NATO, Confederation, Thomson Locations: Lodz, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, German, European, Belarus, Warsaw, Brussels

☆ Role of women in society at stake in Polish election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"PiS doesn't respect women," Magdalena Bojko, a 36-year-old office worker, said during an opposition rally this month. Some surveys show the mainstream opposition could form a majority government even if PiS is in first place. Activists say that's in part because women are scared of having children following a handful of cases when pregnant women died of sepsis in hospitals as doctors waited for the fetus' heart to stop beating. "Women in Poland are terrified." "The opposition says the biggest problem for women is the lack of access to abortion.

Persons: Kacper, Agata, Magdalena Bojko, PiS, Anna Materska, Antonina Lewandowska, Anna Giszczak, Karolina Kowalewska, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Justyna Pawlak, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Law and Justice, Foundation, Civic Coalition, Reuters, Political, Warsaw University, Foundation for Women, Thomson Locations: Europe, Warsaw, Poland

☆ Poland Election Turns Germany Into Punchbag, Straining Western Alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

In another dispute, Warsaw resisted a German offer to station Patriot missile air defence units in Poland before eventually agreeing to it. Among the sticking points, one German source said Poland was asking for too much money for the repair works. Another source, a German diplomat, said the talks failed partly because German companies were reluctant to share technical information. SOURING RELATIONSWhile ties between Poland and Germany have been frosty since PiS first came to power in 2015, Poles now see them worsening. Just 47% think relations are good, according to a German Polish barometer poll this year, down from 72% in 2020.

Persons: Marek Strzelecki, Sabine Siebold, Anna Koper, Donald Tusk, PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Tusk, Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz, General Ben Hodges, Krauss, Maffei, Sebastian Chwalek, Thomas Kleine, Berlin, mushroomed, Camp David, ” Hodges, Joe, Biden, Andrzej, Duda, Chancellor Scholz, Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak, Alan Charlish, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Matthias Williams, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Anna, Anna Koper WARSAW, NATO, Justice, Nazi Wehrmacht, Patriot, Law, Justice Party, U.S, Army, Reuters, Rheinmetall, Polska, Patriots, Foreign, German Marshall Fund Locations: BERLIN, Germany, Berlin, Ukraine, Polish, Nazi, EU, Slovakia, Poland, Warsaw, U.S, Europe, German, PiS, Japan, South Korea

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Andrzej Duda, Thibault Camus, Donald Tusk, PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Tusk, Angela Merkel, General Ben Hodges, Krauss, Maffei, Sebastian Chwalek, Thomas Kleine, Berlin, mushroomed, Camp David, ” Hodges, Joe, Biden, Andrzej, Duda, Chancellor Scholz, Justyna Pawlak, Marek Strzelecki, Anna Koper, Anna Wlodarczak, Alan Charlish, Sarah Marsh, Sabine Siebold, Andreas Rinke, Matthias Williams, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Russia, goading, NATO, Justice, Nazi Wehrmacht, Patriot, Law, Justice Party, U.S, Army, Reuters, Rheinmetall, Polska, Patriots, Foreign, German Marshall Fund, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Berlin, Germany, Russia Berlin, goading Warsaw, WARSAW, BERLIN, Polish, Nazi, EU, Slovakia, Poland, Warsaw, U.S, Europe, German, PiS, Japan, South Korea

☆ Thousands gather in Warsaw for opposition rally ahead of tight election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Justyna Pawlak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Overview of crowds and city skyline during the "March of a Million Hearts" (Marsz Miliona Serc) opposition rally, two weeks ahead of the parliamentary election, in Warsaw, Poland October 1, 2023. The opposition is hoping Sunday's march becomes the biggest in decades and galvanises voters to participate in the election. Some carried banners saying "PiSexit" or "The cat can stay", referring to the pet animal of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. And we have been denied this money because someone has decided to destroy democracy in Poland," Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski told those at the rally. Reporting by Justyna Pawlak, Marek Strzelecki and Kuba Stezycki; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Agencja, Slawomir Kaminski, Donald Tusk, Hanna Chaciewicz, Tusk, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, PiS, Rafal Trzaskowski, Justyna Pawlak, Marek Strzelecki, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, European Union, Law and Justice, European, TVP, Warsaw, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, EU, Otwock, Public, Brussels

☆ Analysis-Poland's PiS Faces Far-Right Challenge Over Ukraine Support
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

While Poles' overall attitudes to Ukrainian refugees remain positive and support for Kyiv's war effort is almost unanimous, research shows that critical views are becoming more widespread. SHIFTING VIEWSA survey last month showed that the number of Poles who support allowing refugees from Ukraine in has fallen to 69% from 91% just after the war started. Other research has shown a higher level of aversion to Ukrainian refugees among young women than in other demographics. POLISH PUSHBACKIt is against this political backdrop that PiS decided to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain imports in response to rising anger in the party's rural heartlands. "When it was necessary, we opened our hearts, we opened our homes for refugees from Ukraine," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Persons: Alan Charlish, Marek Strzelecki WARSAW, Slawomir Mentzen, Piotr Muller, CBOS, Anna Brylka, PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland, Marek Strzelecki, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Justyna, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russia, Justice, Confederation, Reuters, EU, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Warsaw, heartlands, Kyiv, Western

☆ A fight between fast-food chains and unions in California is over, for now – what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Gavin Newsom's office, also creates a nine-person council that will decide on future wage hikes for the fast-food industry in California through 2029. The deal will mean a wage floor of $20 for California workers at fast-food chains with at least 60 locations nationwide, starting April 1. The council will include four representatives from the fast-food industry, four from the workers' side and one neutral party who will serve as chair. But the fast-food industry was attacking the bill before it even made its way to Newsom's desk. Fast-food workers employed by affected restaurants will see pay increases of as much as 25% hit their paychecks starting in April.

Persons: Mario Tama, Gavin Newsom's, Mark Kalinowski, Newsom, Joe Erlinger, Erlinger, Jan, What's, Joe Pawlak, Technomic, they'll, Joe Pawlak Technomic, Pawlak, Mary Kay Henry, it's, Sean Kennedy, Burger Organizations: Getty, Gov, Equity Research, Democrat, FAST, Yum Brands, Restaurant Brands, McDonald's, Citi Research, Service Employees International Union, SEIU, California State, CNBC, Walmart, Target, Food, National Restaurant Association, Delta Airlines, Los Angeles International Airport Locations: Boyle, Los Angeles , California, California, McDonald's U.S, Minnesota, New York, —

☆ Catholic Church beatifies Polish family for sheltering Jews
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Clergy attend the beatification ceremony of the Ulma family, who were murdered by German Nazis for sheltering Jews in Markowa, Poland September 10, 2023. Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWARSAW, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The Catholic Church beatified on Sunday a Polish family of nine, including a new-born baby, who died at the hands of Nazi Germans during World War Two for sheltering a Jewish family from the Holocaust. Speaking at the Vatican, Pope Francis described the Polish family as a "ray of light" in the darkness of World War Two and said they should serve as a model for others to follow. Polish President Andrzej Duda thanked the Catholic church for the beatification on behalf of the nation. HOLOCAUSTSome three million Jews who lived in pre-war Poland were murdered during the Nazi German Holocaust, accounting for about half of all Jews killed during World War Two.

Persons: Patryk, Wyborcza.pl, Jozef, Wiktoria Ulma, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Pope Francis, God, fearlessly, Pope, Andrzej Duda, PiS, Dariusz Libionka, Libionka, Jan Grabowski, Michael Schudrich, Justyna Pawlak, Anna Wlodarczak, Alan Charlish, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Catholic, Poland's, Roman Catholic Church, Vatican, Law and Justice, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland's Institute for National, Thomson Locations: Markowa, Poland, Nazi, Polish, St Peter's, Auschwitz, Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor

☆ Polish central bank stuns with 75 bps rate cut, zloty plunges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Anna Koper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WARSAW, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Poland's central bank cut its main interest rate by 75 basis points to 6.00% on Wednesday, in a shock decision ahead of October elections that sent the zloty currency tumbling against the euro. The National Bank of Poland (NBP) said it took the decision because it expects inflation to return to target faster than originally expected. It said that the adjustment to interest rates would be "conducive to meeting the NBP inflation target in the medium term". NBP Governor Adam Glapinski had previously signalled that a rate cut could come in September if inflation fell to single digits. "We have already said that it is too early for a rate cut, and certainly such an aggressive rate cut, when the prospects (of a slowdown) in inflation are still distant," said Piotr Bielski, director of the economic analysis department of Santander Bank Polska.

Persons: Adam Glapinski, Piotr Bielski, J.P, Morgan, Wojciech Paczos, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Anna Koper, Pawel Florkiewicz, Alan Charlish, Anna Wlodarczak, Karol Badohal, Marc Jones, Justyna Pawlak, Nick Macfie, Sharon Singleton, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Reuters, National Bank of Poland, Santander Bank Polska, Cardiff University, Justice, Thomson Locations: WARSAW, NBP, Poland, Pawel

☆ Three ways Covid changed the restaurant industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Now, over three years later, the restaurant industry is back. In the early days of the pandemic, people got used to eating their restaurant food at home. Too many jobs, too few workersEarly in the pandemic, many restaurant workers got laid off. Now, over three years since the pandemic hit the US, some restaurant jobs remain unfilled. But many of these have at the same time vehemently opposed proposed legislation that could raise the minimum wage for fast food workers.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, Bobby Flay, Esther Choi’s, we’re, ” Choi, Mŏkbar, ”, Choi, Esther Choi, Masaharu Morimoto, Roy Rochlin, Joe Pawlak, Carbone, Covid, Chris Kempczinski, Taco, Spencer Platt, “, Uber, Doordash, Bonnie Morales, Leah Nash, Israel Morales, Flay, ” Donna, ” Pawlak Organizations: CNN, New, New York CNN, National Arts Club, Getty, National Restaurant Association, Washington Post, Bonnie Locations: New York, Manhattan, New York City, Israel, Kachka, Portland , Oregon, Portland

☆ Finns Party mastermind defends long-term goal to leave the EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Opinion polls show the hardline former party leader is unlikely to win the presidency, but his views are influential within the Finns Party, which is part of the right-wing government that took office in June. Delegates at the weekend conference discussed the party's EU stance in light of the Ukraine war and its governing alliance with pro-EU allies. The Finns Party backed the country joining NATO this year. The Finns Party congress also rejected the EU's proposed Nature Restoration Law, with Tavio calling it "a sad example of the acceleration of the EU's dictatorial policy under the guise of climate change". The Finns Party has suffered two setbacks in recent weeks.

Persons: Jussi Halla, Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, Party's Jussi Halla, aho, Halla, Ville Tavio, Vilhelm Junnila, Riikka Purra, Anne Kauranen, Justyna Pawlak, Hugh Lawson, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Saturday ., Finns Party, EU, Reuters, NATO, Foreign Trade, Restoration, Thomson Locations: Helsinki, Finland, Ukraine, EU, Western Europe, Europe, Halla

"Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO," he said. "The Ukraine delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for Ukraine." Speaking earlier alongside Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine was closer to the alliance than ever before, and brushed aside new warnings from Russia about the consequences of supporting Ukraine. The security assurances for Ukraine had to be "credible", he said, in order to deter Russia from future attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "potentially very dangerous" for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, we're, Biden, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Rishi Sunak, Yves Herman, Stoltenberg, Dmitry Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, John Irish, Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Max Hunder, Gabriela Baczynska, Matthias Williams, Alex Richardson, William Maclean Organizations: Ukraine Ukrainian, Ukraine, NATO, Kyiv, U.S, British, REUTERS, Zelenskiy, Twitter, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, U.S, VILNIUS, Russia, Russian, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy, Britain, Zelenskiy, Vilnius, Lithuania, Budapest, Moscow, Netherlands, NATO, Kyiv, Soviet Union, Washington, Berlin, Europe

☆ Factbox: Denied a NATO invitation, Ukraine still reaps rewards at summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - NATO leaders at this week's summit in Vilnius said Ukraine should be able to join the military alliance at some point in the future but dashed Kyiv's hopes for an immediate invitation. Below are some of the main commitments pledged to Ukraine in connection with the summit. In a declaration, NATO countries also pledged its support for Ukraine for "as long as it takes". Britain will also launch a project through NATO to establish a medical rehabilitation centre for Ukrainian soldiers. NORWEGIAN SUPPORTNorway will increase its military support to Ukraine by 2.5 billion crowns ($239 million) this year to 10 billion.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Niklas Pollard, John Irish, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Justyna, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Ukraine Council, Ukraine, France, Challenger, GERMAN PATRIOTS German, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Kyiv, Moscow, Britain, Ukrainian, Denmark, Romania, Norway

Zelenskiy said: "Today there are security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO...that shall be further extended through arrangements with our key partners. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the G7 move misguided and "potentially very dangerous" for the West to give Ukraine security guarantees, which it said would infringe on Russia's own security. The declaration said the G7 nations would begin bilateral talks with Ukraine immediately. "We will work with Ukraine on an enhanced package of security commitments and arrangements in case of future aggression to enable Ukraine to defend its territory and sovereignty," the G7 said. Germany has already said that it would initially provide 12 billion euros in military support for Ukraine through 2032, including 3.2 billion euros for 2023.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Zelenskiy, Dmitry Peskov, Ben Wallace, Andrew Gray, Steve Holland, Sabine Siebold, Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Kremlin, Wednesday, Ukraine, Soviet Union, European Union, White, U.S, Kyiv, Israel, British, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, VILNIUS, Russia, Moscow, Britain, France, Germany, United States, Soviet, Japan, Canada, Italy, Washington, Israel, Kyiv

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - A coalition of 11 nations will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark, and a training centre will be set up in Romania, officials said on Tuesday on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania. NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands have been leading international efforts to train pilots as well as support staff, maintain aircraft and ultimately enable the supply of F-16s to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Kyiv, which has launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces, has repeatedly called for Western countries to supply aircraft and train its pilots to fly them, to successfully counter Moscow's aerial dominance. That's why for us it is very important that this fighter jet coalition starts up," Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told reporters. "I hope - I am an optimist - that after six months we will see results," he said.

Persons: Troels Lund Poulsen, Oleksii Reznikov, Niklas Pollard, Justyna Organizations: NATO, Russian, Ukrainian Defence, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Ukrainian, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania, Netherlands, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Slovakia

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - Washington will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, a day after Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO. He intends to move forward with that transfer," Sullivan told reporters, without giving any details on the timing. Both Turkish officials and the Biden administration have rejected any suggestion that Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO accession was being linked to the F-16 sale in the months of talks to address Turkish opposition. Russian officials said Sweden's expected accession to NATO would have "negative implications" for Russia's security and that Moscow would have to respond. TIMING UNCERTAINThe timing of both the F-16 transfer and Sweden's NATO entry remains unclear.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Bob Menendez, Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Camille Grand, Erdogan, Gerard Araud, Sweden's, Peter Szijjarto, Jens Stoltenberg, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish, Nick Macfie, Heather Timmons, Devika Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Senate Foreign Relations, Democrat, Turkish, European Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, Monday, Finland's, Nordic, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Washington, Turkey, U.S, Ankara, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, French, Swedish, United States, Turkey's, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Ukraine

☆ U.S. says to move forward with transfer of F-16 jets to Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will move forward with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday. Speaking ahead of a summit of NATO leaders due to start later in the day in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Sullivan said President Joe Biden "had been clear that he supports the transfer". He intends to move forward with that transfer," he said. Late on Monday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to become a member of the NATO military alliance, following months of pressure by the United States and its allies. Reporting by Steve Holland, Justyna Pawlak; editing by John IrishOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Tayyip Erdogan, Sweden's, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Turkey, U.S, Lithuanian, Vilnius, United States, Washington

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning their policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson react during a meeting, on the eve of a NATO summit, in Vilnius, Lithuania July 10, 2023. "This has been a good day for Sweden," Kristersson told reporters, saying the joint statement on Monday represented "a very big step" toward the final ratification of Sweden's membership of NATO. After Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would now no longer block Sweden's NATO membership ratification, Turkish approval would remove the last hurdle for Swedish accession to NATO, applications for which must be approved by all members.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Sweden's, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, Yves Herman / Pool Erdogan, Kristersson, Monday, Stoltenberg, Viktor Orban's, Joe Biden, Niklas Pollard, Andrius, Anna Ringstrom, Johan Ahlander, Ezgi, John Irish, William Maclean, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, REUTERS, European Union, Finland's, Hungarian, Lockheed Martin Corp, Pawlak, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Hungary, Stockholm, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Swedish, Madrid, Ankara, United States, Lithuania, Turkey's, European, Budapest, Washington, Istanbul

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg says Turkey agrees to move ahead with Sweden's NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VILNIUS, July 10 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius. Stoltenberg declined to give a date for when Sweden's accession would be ratified by the Turkish parliament, the grand national assembly, which would decide on the exact timing. Applications to the alliance must be approved by all NATO members and while Finland's was given the go-ahead in April, Turkey and Hungary have held off on clearing Sweden's bid. Stockholm has been working hard at its bid ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, together with the United States and its allies, urging Turkey to abandon its opposition. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would not block Sweden's NATO membership ratification.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Sweden's, Jens Stoltenberg, Erdogan, Stoltenberg, Finland's, Viktor Orban's, John Irish, Sabine Siebold, Johan Ahlander, Anna Ringstrom, Justyna Pawlak, Niklas Pollard Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Sweden, Turkish, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Stockholm, United States, Hungarian, Budapest

☆ Ex-PM Borissov's GERB nudges ahead in Bulgarian election - partial results
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Boyko Borissov, former Bulgarian Prime Minister and leader of centre-right GERB party, leaves from a polling station during the parliamentary election, in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 2, 2023. REUTERS/Stoyan NenovSOFIA, April 3 (Reuters) - A bloc led by the centre-right GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov narrowly won most votes in Bulgaria's parliamentary election, according to partial official results on Monday based on 87% of ballots counted. The results from Sunday's election, Bulgaria's fifth in just two years, showed GERB and its small SDS ally winning a combined 26.6% of the vote, just ahead of the pro-Western reformist bloc led by We Continue the Change (PP) on 24.5%, while the nationalist Revival party had 14.4%. The outcome points to further lengthy coalition talks that are unlikely to produce a stable government due to personal antipathy among the leaders of the two main blocs, analysts say, possibly leading to a sixth election later this year. Writing by Gareth Jones Editing by Justyna PawlakOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/7] A woman prays as she participates in a march, in defense of pope John Paul II on his death anniversary in Warsaw, Poland, April 2, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper PempelWARSAW, April 2 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Poles marched through Warsaw and other cities in Poland on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the death of John Paul II 18 years ago, as allegations the late pope concealed child abuse deepen rifts in the predominantly Catholic country. "John Paul II had done nothing wrong. Earlier in the day, workers of the state-owned railway company PKP gave out cream pies favoured by the late pope to train travelers heading to Warsaw. The Polish Catholic church urged Poles to respect the late pope's memory, saying a review of its archives did not confirm the accusations against the church hierarchy, adding that some files could be opened in future.

☆ Weary Bulgarians go to polls for fifth time in two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Stoyan Nenov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, April 2 (Reuters) - Bulgarians vote in their fifth parliamentary election in two years on Sunday amid rising resentment towards political elites who many see as unwilling to tackle graft and economic reforms. Voting starts at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and ends at 8 p.m. The two coalitions are neck and neck in opinion polls, with the latest by Exacta Research Group showing them at 26.2% and 25.6%, respectively, and the nationalist Revival party at 12.8%. Once an ally of President Vladimir Putin, Sofia has supported Kyiv since Moscow launched what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine. Writing by Justyna Pawlak; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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