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[1/5] Migrants wait to be rescued by Italian Coast Guard off the coast of Italy, April 10, 2023. The fact that Meloni, a figurehead of the new right, has not carried through on her pledges underscores how intractable the problem is. NORTH AFRICAIn the run-up to the 2022 election, Meloni said she would impose a naval blockade to prevent boats leaving north Africa. Meloni visited Tunisia twice last month, seeking progress in unblocking loans that she says are needed to avoid a financial crisis that might trigger a tsunami of departures. However, a review of migrant flows through Europe over the past decade suggests Italy might not benefit in the way Meloni hopes.

Persons: Meloni, King Canute, Giorgia Meloni, Mattia Diletti, Matteo Piantedosi, Matteo Villa, Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, ISPI's Villa, COVID, Michelangelo Agrusti, Crispian Balmer, Angelo Amante, Alex Richardson Organizations: Italian Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rome's Sapienza University . Immigration, Ministry, European, Dutch, European Commission, EU, Business, Thomson Locations: Italy, Tunisia, Libya, ROME, Europe, Lampedusa, AFRICA, Africa, North Africa, Tripoli, Brussels, Poland, Hungary, Rome

☆ EU helping UN, Turkey in bid to extend Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A Kremlin spokesman later said that Russia had not taken a final decision on whether to exit the grain deal. The European Commission's priority is to ensure that Ukrainian grain can reach the world market and it calls on all parties to extend the Black Sea deal, a European Union spokesperson in Brussels said on Thursday. Russia has threatened to ditch the Black Sea grain deal because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last ship traveling under the Black Sea agreement is currently loading its cargo at the Ukrainian port of Odesa ahead of the Monday deadline. Britain has also "worked very closely with the City of London to enable a very complex payment system" for Russian grain, Britain's U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, has said.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, SWIFT, Guterres, Putin, Ursula von der Leyen, Putin's, U.N, Barbara Woodward, Woodward, Michelle Nichols, Foo Yun Chee, Angus MacSwan, Leslie Adler Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, European Commission, United, Black, European Union, Russian Agricultural Bank, Reuters, United Nations, Kremlin, JPMorgan Chase &, reassurances, U.S ., The United Nations, African Export, Import Bank, City, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, EU, U.N, Moscow, Brussels, Russian, Odesa, Africa, Britain, London

☆ EU blesses transatlantic data sharing deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Those data flows had been threatened when a previous EU-US agreement was struck down in 2020 by Europe’s top court over insufficient privacy protections for EU citizens. With the EU’s approval, the new agreement again allows businesses to transfer European data to the United States as if it were another EU member state, without requirements to implement additional privacy safeguards. Monday’s so-called “adequacy decision” by the European Commission paves the way for companies to sign up for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which entered into force the same day. The order also provided for the creation of a new court-like body that can force US companies to delete EU citizens’ data if an investigation determines that EU citizens’ privacy rights were violated. EU citizens will be able to file individual complaints to the Data Protection Review Court.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, ” von der Leyen, “, Max Schrems Organizations: Washington CNN, Union, Monday, Europe’s, European Commission, EU, Data Locations: United States, EU

☆ Russia says it's snagged the intact parts of a Storm Shadow missile, and can now study the British-made munition that's been devastating its operations in Ukraine from long range
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia said on Thursday that it's obtained intact parts of a downed Storm Shadow missile. "The Storm Shadow missile, shot down by Russian forces in the Zaporizhzhia region, was brought to Moscow for study," Russian state news agency TASS reported. Describing the missile as a "trophy," TASS wrote that Russian authorities had already received the Storm Shadow parts and are inspecting them. Rogozin said Ukraine shelled the area around the downed missile and sent troops to block Russian forces from securing the Storm Shadow parts, per TASS. "The two-day operation to evacuate the captured Storm Shadow has been successfully completed," read a caption for the Telegram post.

Persons: it's, —, Dmitry Rogozin, Rogozin, Storm Shadow, Ukraine —, Ben Wallace, Ursula von der Leyen, Elliot Napier Organizations: Storm Shadow, Service, Russia, Storm, TASS, Telegram, intel, UK Ministry of Defense, Russia's Ministry of Defense, European Commission, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, British, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ EU and Belgium invest $1.6 billion in chip technology firm Imec
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 7 (Reuters) - The European Union and Belgium's regional Flemish government will together invest 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in Belgian chip technology firm Imec, the Flemish government said on Friday. Imec will use the investment to expand its "clean room" test facility with the most advanced equipment and processes, the company said in a statement. Von der Leyen, who was visiting Imec, stressed the EU's stance that it should de-risk its supply chains for chips. While Von der Leyen did not directly address China's planned curbs on exports of strategic metals widely used in the semiconductor industry, she said the EU should reduce its dependency "on too few suppliers from East Asia". ($1 = 0.9195 euros)Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Imec, Jan Jambon, Ursula von der Leyen, Alexander De Croo, Von der Leyen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter Organizations: European Union, Flemish, European, Belgian, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, East Asia

☆ EU leaders to pledge de-risk from China and debate what this means
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 30 (Reuters) - European Union leaders are set on Friday to commit to reducing the bloc's dependence on China and debate how to strike the balance between "de-risking" and engaging in areas such as climate change. EU leaders will seek on Friday to present a united front, but there are clear differences between countries such as France and Germany, with sizeable business interests in China, and Lithuania, on which Chinese has imposed sanctions. The conclusions, which could still be changed, say the European Union will reduce critical dependencies and vulnerabilities, including in supply chains, and will de-risk and diversify where necessary. "The European Union does not intend to decouple or to turn inwards," the conclusions say. The 27-nation European Union has since 2019 considered China a partner, competitor and system rival.

Persons: Krisjanis Karins, Ursula von der Leyen, Philip Blenkinsop, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Union, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, China, Latvian, Brussels, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, France, Germany, Lithuania, European Union, Europe, EU

☆ EU leaders push to fund Ukraine with proceeds from Russia's frozen assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | Thomson Reuters | Jan Is The Acting Bureau Chief In Brussels. He Has Been Covering European Union Policy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 29 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will push senior officials on Thursday to find legal ways to funnel proceeds from billions of dollars of frozen Russian assets into projects helping rebuild Ukraine, papers showed. The bloc has said it froze more than 200 billion euros ($218.2 billion) of Russian central bank assets in reaction to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Another 30 billion euros of Russian oligarchs' private assets were also immobilised. The EU also needs to establish where to keep any proceeds from the Russian assets and how to disburse them. Belgium's Euroclear, which settles transactions and safeguards assets, said blocked coupon payments and redemptions boosted its balance sheet by 88 billion euros year-on-year by the end of March to 140 billion euros.

Persons: Kaja Kallas, Belgium's, Ursula von der Leyen, Jan Strupczewski, Philip Blenkinsop, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Union, Kremlin, European Council, High Representative, Commission, EU, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russian, Brussels, Estonian, Russia, EU, United States, Canada, Britain, Japan

☆ Berlin and Paris 'missing in action' as EU lacks leadership in defence, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The crucial capability gap in European defence is still political leadership," the Munich Security Report on European Defence said. The annual Munich Security Conference, usually held in February, is an influential global gathering of top policymakers and analysts to debate defence and security challenges. The report said Germany and France in particular were "missing in action" at a time when European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and EU top diplomat Josep Borrell are driving EU support for Kyiv and joint procurement initiatives. "Under the (Chancellor Olaf) Scholz government, Germany has faced recurrent criticism for its absence in EU defence questions," it said. "The onus is on Germany and France to win back trust," the report said, adding that time was of the essence in speeding up defence cooperation.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Sarah Meyssonnier, Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, Chancellor Olaf, Scholz, Sabine Siebold, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Weimar, REUTERS, Munich Security, European Defence, Munich Security Conference, European Commission, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, BERLIN, Germany, Europe, Ukraine, Munich, Russia

☆ China slams the West for 'hyping up' the concept of 'de-risking.' Here's what it means and why China is so worried.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Spriha Srivastava | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US-China trade war has impacted manufacturing exports, particularly in the semiconductor industry. Opening Plenary with Li Qiang, Premier of the People's Republic of China World Economic Forum/Benedikt von LoebellWhy does de-risking matter? According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the trade war of 2018-19 devastated US exports to China. A big sticking point for the two nations is the US manufacturing exports to China. "Prior to the trade war, manufacturing was 44 percent of total US goods and services exports to China — the largest component of pre-trade war commerce.

Persons: Li Qiang, Li, —, Ursula von der Leyen, Benedikt von Loebell, Trump, Morgan, JP Morgan Organizations: Service, European, Economic, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Peterson Institute, Semiconductor Industry Association Locations: China, West, Davos, Tianjin, decouple, People's Republic of China, China —, East Asia, Taiwan, South Korea

☆ Energy Change Sweeps the North Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The North Sea has long been host to some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and hundreds of rigs for producing oil and natural gas. Now, if European leaders have their way, this shallow and often turbulent stretch of water will, in the coming years, see what could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of investment aimed at reducing carbon emissions and further shrinking imports of fossil fuels from Russia. At a summit held in Ostend, a Belgian port, in April, the leaders of nine European governments pledged to work together to roughly quadruple the already substantial amount of offshore wind generation capacity in the North Sea and nearby waters by 2030 and to increase it by about tenfold by 2050. Significantly, the meeting, attended by Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union president, included Britain, which recently went through a rancorous divorce from the bloc, and Norway, which is also not an E.U. The offshore areas around these two countries have the greatest potential for wind investment.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: European Union Locations: Russia, Ostend, Belgian, Britain, Norway

☆ Chinese economic planner woos European giants Airbus, BMW despite unresolved tensions over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese planner said it supports domestic airlines cooperating with Airbus according to their needs. He also witnessed the signing of the agreements between the NDRC and the European companies separately in Berlin and Paris, according to the Chinese planner. Relations are also strained from recent moves by European Union regulators and governments to limit China’s access to sensitive technology. In March, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called on Europe to reassess its diplomatic and economic relations with China. “Germany is committed to actively broadening our economic relations with Asia and beyond,” Scholz said at a joint press conference with Li, according to French news agency AFP.

Persons: Guillaume Faury, Zheng Shanjie, Li Qiang, Li, Ursula von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, ” Scholz, China’s Sinochem Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Moscow, Airbus, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Volkswagen, Siemens, BASF, National Development, Reform Commission, Union, ASML, European, AFP Locations: Hong Kong, China, Ukraine, Paris, Tianjin, Europe, European, Berlin, Beijing, Russia, United States, Netherlands, Germany, Asia, Italy

☆ The Dark Incentives That Led to a Refugee Tragedy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hundreds of people may have died last week in the Mediterranean, after a boat overloaded with migrants, including many children, capsized and sank. It was one of the deadliest migrant disasters in years. And, indeed, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said Greece’s border enforcement was Europe’s “shield,” because its harsh tactics prevent migrants from reaching E.U. “This border is not only a Greek border, it is also a European border,” she said after Greece used tear gas to repel hundreds of people who were trying to cross over from Turkey. The European Union has gone to even greater extremes to deter migrants.

Persons: Christina Goldbaum, Zia Ur, Rehman, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ursula von der Leyen, Frontex Organizations: European Union, Times, European Commission, European, Human Rights Watch Locations: Bandli, Pakistan, Kashmir, Italy, Greece, E.U, European, ”, Turkey, European Union, Libyan, Libya

☆ The China dilemma: Europe wants a new relationship with Beijing but is wary of retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

John Macdougall | Afp | Getty ImagesEurope is charting a new way forward for its relations with China, but officials in the region say they are wary about the risk of retaliation if they get it wrong. There has been growing momentum behind the idea of de-risking from China. At a G7 meeting in late May, both the U.S. and Europe agreed to reduce their dependency on Beijing — rather than completely cut ties. Policymakers in Europe, meanwhile, have taken a more cautious approach — aware of how important the Chinese market is for its domestic companies. watch nowThe whole bloc is figuring out what de-risking from China means.

Persons: Li Qiang, Olaf Scholz, John Macdougall, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: Afp, Getty, U.S, CNBC, EU, European Commission Locations: China, Europe, Beijing, U.S, EU, Brussels

☆ 'We do not want only a ceasefire': EU chief calls for lasting peace in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — A ceasefire in Ukraine is not enough for European officials, who want lasting peace in the region, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told CNBC. So it has to be a real peace," von der Leyen said on the sidelines of a conference on reconstruction efforts for Ukraine. Speaking to CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, von der Leyen said that China can nevertheless be a crucial player in the peace process. Her comments come as western governments seem to be stepping up their efforts for the future reconstruction of Ukraine. Von der Leyen said the two-day meeting in London was about governments coordinating their aid to Kyiv, but also about convincing private investors to join in.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Steve Sedgwick, Rishi Sunak, Von der Leyen Organizations: CNBC, Military, Kyiv, UN, Wednesday, European Union, World Bank, European Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Crimea —, China, Crimea, London, Nova

☆ EU chief says Europe does not want a 'frozen conflict' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEU chief says Europe does not want a 'frozen conflict' in UkraineUrsula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, discusses the recovery plan for Ukraine amid Russia's full-scale invasion and says that Europe wants "a real peace, a just peace and a lasting peace" for Kyiv.

Persons: Ukraine Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: EU, European Commission Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Kyiv

BEIJING, June 21 (Reuters) - A slowdown in both the Chinese and global economies is the biggest issue affecting European firms in China, beating political tensions with the United States and decoupling, according to the European Chamber of Commerce in China. The number of European firms that see China as a top-three destination for future investment was at its lowest total on record, the chamber's annual position paper released on Wednesday said. As rising interest rates and inflation squeeze demand in Europe and the United States, companies in China are in contrast battling a sharp decline in prices as the risk of deflation weighs on the world's second-largest economy. BASF (BASFn.DE), Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), Siemens (SIEGn.DE), and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) are among the members of the chamber. The chamber's findings, which were based on the views of members from February to early March, revealed that a record number of companies had lost business last year due to market access and regulatory barriers.

Persons: Xi, Ursula von der Leyen, Joe Cash, Angus MacSwan Organizations: European Chamber of Commerce, BASF, Maersk, Siemens, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, Europe

☆ EU hopes for 160 billion euros of investment in key technologies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | Thomson Reuters | Jan Is The Acting Bureau Chief In Brussels. He Has Been Covering European Union Policy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, June 20 (Reuters) - The European Commission asked EU governments on Tuesday to come up with an extra 10 billion euros for 2024-27 to leverage a total of 160 billion euros worth of investment in key technologies, including renewable energy. Nor did the EU budget anticipate the fierce competition between Europe, the United States and China for the latest "clean" technologies to produce energy. "The future of the strategic industries should be made in Europe," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in presenting the call for more money. The new scheme is to be called Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and help develop in the EU microelectronics and quantum computing, as well as renewable energy and electricity storage, among others. ($1 = 0.9155 euros)Reporting by Jan Strupczewski and Bart Meijer, editing by Gabriela BaczynskaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Jan Strupczewski, Bart Meijer, Gabriela Baczynska Organizations: European Commission, European Union, Strategic Technologies, Europe, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Europe, United States, China

☆ Suspected smugglers deny charges over migrant shipwreck off Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The coast guard retrieved three more bodies on Monday, six days after the disaster, and one on Tuesday, revising the death toll to 82. The suspected smugglers, all from Egypt and aged between 20 and 40 years, appeared before a prosecutor on Tuesday to respond to charges that included manslaughter, setting up a criminal organisation, migrant smuggling and causing a shipwreck. But the exact circumstances of the vessel sinking despite the presence of the coast guard were still unclear. Kathimerini newspaper reported that survivors, who were summoned for additional testimonies over the weekend, said for the first time that the coast guard tried to tow their vessel. "It is horrible what happened and the more urgent it is that we act", von der Leyen said when asked about the shipwreck.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Renee Maltezou, Tassilo Hummel, Grant McCool Organizations: European Union, ERT, Reuters, Greek coastguard, coastguard, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Libya, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Europe, Tobruk, Kathimerini, Brussels

☆ Opinion: This is bigger than just the US and China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Opinion Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The possibility of miscalculation has increased in recent months as China has triggered some close encounters with US ships on the high seas. (In 2020, China overtook the US as Europe’s biggest trading partner for goods.) The confusion in Europe over how to treat China was on full display earlier this year when French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen made their disastrous joint visit to China. Blinken’s visit to Beijing is being marketed as a bilateral meeting with a shot at achieving détente.

Persons: Michael Bociurkiw, Antony Blinken, Michael Bociurkiw Chrystia, Laura Ballman, Blinken, Li Hui, Lu Shaye, can’t, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, Angela Merkel, Philippe Moreau Chevrolet, ”, “, Xi Jinping Organizations: Atlantic Council, Organization for Security, Cooperation, CNN, Amsterdam CNN —, NATO, CIA, European Commission, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Odesa, Europe, Beijing, United States, China, Ukraine, Washington, Taiwan, Canada, Russia, Paris, French, Russian, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Iran

☆ Russia's 'least capable' troops aren't in Ukraine, but they're still causing problems next door, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Moldova, next door to Ukraine, has been under pressure from Russia for decades. Amid the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials say Moscow is stepping up its interference. As a result of a 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists, Russian troops entered the breakaway region to support the separatists. Following that war, Transnistria gained a form of autonomy. SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty ImagesMoldova declared a state of emergency after Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, and it remains in effect.

Persons: —, that's, John Sullivan, SERGUEI VORONIN, Chișinău, Maia Sandu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, SERGEI GAPON, Moldova's, John Kirby, Kirby, Pierre Crom, Thomas de Waal, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Jamar Marcel Pugh, Sandu, Ursula von der Leyen, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Georgetown University, Getty, Moldovan, NATO, EU, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Moldova, White House National Security Council, Carnegie, RAND Corporation, US Army National Guard, European Commission, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Transnistria, Kyiv, Western, Moscow, Soviet Union, Romania, Europe, Baltic, Poland, Bender, Transnistrian, Chisinau, May, Lithuania, Sweden, AFP, Russian, Carnegie Europe, NATO, Bulgaria

☆ Europe wants to use Russia's assets to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction — here's how it might work
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

European officials are looking at ways to use Russian assets to repay for the reconstruction of Ukraine. The European Union is getting closer to brokering a detailed plan on how to use frozen Russian assets to pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine, a senior official told CNBC. The EU has confirmed that there are more than 200 billion euros ($215.5 billion) and a separate 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) in assets across the bloc that belong to the Russian central bank and to Russian private individuals, respectively. These assets were frozen by European authorities in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine to sanction the Kremlin for its aggression. She added at the time that these funds should also be put toward the reconstruction efforts, once the war is over and sanctions are lifted off the frozen assets.

Persons: Sweden's Anders Ahnlid, Ahnlid, Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Jacob Kirkegaard Organizations: European, CNBC, EU, Monday, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Bank, European Commission, United Nations Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Ukrainian, Nova

☆ EU chief embarks on Latin America tour to boost 'neglected' ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 12 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen starts a four-nation trip to Latin American on Monday to bolster political and trade ties that the European Union admits it has sometimes neglected. Von der Leyen will meet the presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico on consecutive days. Von der Leyen will also seek to push forward an update to the EU-Mexico trade pact which the two sides agreed in 2018. It has a trade agreement with Chile that could give EU companies greater access to the country's lithium and copper. A possible understanding with Argentina could also promote exploration of the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas reserves by EU investors.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Olaf Scholz, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Josep Borrell, Philip Blenkinsop, David Holmes Organizations: European Union, Mercosur, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, China, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paris, Brussels, Caribbean, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mercosur, Vaca

☆ EU considering major Tunisia aid package as migration surges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking in Tunisia, von der Leyen said 900 million euros in macrofinancial assistance, plus an immediate 150 million euros in budget support could be ready "as soon as the necessary agreement is found", without elaborating. She said the EU would also this year provide Tunisia with 100 million euros for border management, search and rescue, anti-smuggling operations and returns "rooted in respect for human rights". Von der Leyen was accompanied by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose country is the main arrival point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Tunisia. She said on Sunday the EU and Tunisia had already signed a joint declaration, which she hailed as an important step "towards the creation of a real partnership". She said there was "an important window of opportunity" to finalise the aid agreement before the European Council at the end of June.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Kais Saied, Saied, Von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, Giorgia Meloni, Tunisians, Angus McDowall, Federico Maccioni, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: European, EU, International Monetary Fund, Dutch, Italian, IMF, European Council, Thomson Locations: TUNIS, European Union, Tunisia, Meloni, Europe, Tunisian, Tunis, Rome

☆ Tunisia will not be Europe's border guard, president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TUNIS, June 10 (Reuters) - Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Saturday that Tunisia would not accept becoming a border guard for other countries ahead of a planned visit by European leaders concerned at the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen will offer aid when they visit on Sunday, Meloni said on Friday, with Tunisia facing a crisis in its public finances. "The solution will not be at the expense of Tunisia... we cannot be a guard for their countries," Saied said while visiting the port city of Sfax, the main departure point for migrants seeking to reach Italy by boat. European countries fear that would turbocharge what is already a big surge in cross-Mediterranean migration this year, particularly from Tunisia. Perilous Mediterranean crossings soared after Saied announced a crackdown on sub-Saharan migrants in February using language the African Union denounced as racialised.

Persons: Kais Saied, Giorgia Meloni, Mark Rutte, Ursula von der, Meloni, Saied, Fitch, Tarek Amara, Angus McDowall, Andrea Ricci Organizations: European Union Commission, IMF, Thomson Locations: TUNIS, Tunisia, Italian, Dutch, Sfax, Italy, African

☆ Opinion: The Ukraine dam disaster demands accountability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow engaged in an intense round of finger pointing over responsibility for the unfolding environmental disaster. The dam’s collapse is not just devastating for those who reside in the immediate environs — it is a nationwide disaster for Ukraine that could reverberate across the globe. Stalin’s goal in the midst of World War II was to prevent Nazi armies from sweeping across Ukraine, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union. The dam collapsed as Ukraine stepped up operations in anticipation of a much-awaited counter-offensive. The broken walls of the Nova Kakhovka dam, and its destructive rushing waters, should strengthen the resolve of Ukraine’s backers.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Joseph Stalin, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky’s, Andriy Yermak, Ursula Von der Leyen, “, Antonio Guterres Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Soviet Union, EU, ”, UN, UN Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights, Twitter, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine’s, Dnipro, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Soviet, Russia, “ Russia, Geneva, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Lithuania, Baltic, Nova

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