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☆ Mark Rutte Moves From Leading Netherlands to Heading NATO
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Rutte, the long-serving Dutch prime minister, was formally named the new secretary-general of NATO on Wednesday, putting an experienced, strongly pro-Ukraine leader with a reputation for conciliation at the head of the alliance. The decision, sealed by NATO ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, removes a potentially contentious issue from the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit meeting next month in Washington. President Biden and his NATO counterparts will formally welcome Mr. Rutte to their table at a summit, which begins on July 9. Long a favorite of Mr. Biden for the post, Mr. Rutte served as the Dutch prime minister four times, for nearly 14 years, building complicated coalitions through debate and compromise. Those skills should serve him well in an alliance that works by consensus, where one country can block the intentions of the rest.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg, Donald J, Trump, Biden, Long, Mr Organizations: NATO, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Washington

☆ Dutch PM Mark Rutte set to be next NATO secretary-general after rival withdraws from race
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives to attend the European Political Community summit at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, southern Spain on October 5, 2023. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday rescinded his bid for the leadership of the NATO military alliance and threw his support behind the favorite contender for the post, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The move effectively clears the path for outgoing Dutch PM Rutte to assume the top position of the 32-member U.S.-led NATO military coalition, when incumbent Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg finishes his mandate on Oct. 1 after 10 years in the job. Iohannis, 65, is ending his second five-year round at the helm of Romania, which will hold national elections in September. Two weeks ago, Budapest conceded not to block the NATO alliance's deepening military support for Ukraine, in exchange for nonparticipation.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Netherland's, Palacio, Congreso, NATO, Dutch, Supreme, of National Defense, CNBC, U.S, Ukraine Locations: Granada, Spain, Romanian, Romania's, Ukraine, Iohannis, Romania, Rutte, Hungary, Russia, Budapest

☆ Mark Rutte, next NATO secretary general, after Romania drops long-held objection
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mark Rutte, the outgoing prime minister of the Netherlands, is now set to become the next NATO secretary general. Rutte will inherit a NATO that is racing to bolster its own security while also supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. Over time its position has evolved from not sending any tanks to allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russian territory with NATO weapons. Rutte must also oversee NATO’s radical upgrade in defense and security capabilities. NATO allies are aware that Trump has historically criticized NATO allies for not spending enough money on their own security and relying on America.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Iohannis, Jens Stoltenberg, Rutte, Donald Trump, Trump, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Netherlands, Romania, Romanian, Moscow, Ukraine, Sochi, Crimea, United States, America, Sweden, Finland

☆ Opinion: Putin’s North Korea visit comes at a crucial moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and senior columnist for World Politics Review. CNN —When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in North Korea on Tuesday, it will kick up yet another gust in the recent swirl of diplomatic activity surrounding Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The allies have good reason to believe Putin aims to outlast Western support. South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has delivered as many as 5 million artillery rounds, along with ballistic missiles and other ammunition. Putin, meanwhile, will visit one-party ruled Vietnam later this week, not exactly a military powerhouse, but at least one country that is not backing Ukraine.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Read, Vladimir Putin, Moscow –, Ukraine’s, –, Putin, Donald Trump, Putin’s, Putin –, Trump, wouldn’t, he’d, Ursula von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Mark Rutte, ”, Volodomyr Zelensky, Hitler, Joe Biden, Biden, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Ukraine, Frida Ghitis CNN, North, Kyiv, White, European, Dutch, Peace, Biden, Trump acolytes, Republican, Zelensky, NATO Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukraine, Putin’s Russia, Iran, Russia, China, Europe, Cuba, Russian, Normandy, Western, Italy’s Puglia, Switzerland, Korea, Germany, Ukrainian, Puglia, “, Washington, Vietnam

☆ Former Intelligence Chief Tapped as Next Dutch Prime Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Netherlands will be getting a new prime minister, with the four right-wing parties that are forming a government finally naming their pick, more than six months after the elections. The parties selected a top justice official, Dick Schoof, 67, on Tuesday. They will now continue work on forming a cabinet, naming ministers and state secretaries, with the aim of finalizing a government in about four weeks. The choice of Mr. Schoof — the highest-ranking official at the Ministry of Justice and Security and a former counterterrorism chief, who has no political experience or party affiliation — reflects an attempt to govern the Netherlands differently after more than 13 years under Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s leadership. While Mr. Schoof’s name had not been widely circulated as a potential prime minister, the four parties have said they agreed to set up a government that includes political outsiders, in order to create more distance between the Parliament and the cabinet.

Persons: Dick Schoof, Schoof, Mark Rutte’s, Schoof’s Organizations: Ministry of Justice, Security Locations: Netherlands

☆ China chip industry gets $47.5 billion in new funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Worth $47.5 billion, the fund is being created as the US imposes sweeping restrictions on the export of American chips and chip technology in a bid to throttle Beijing’s ambitions. The latest investment vehicle is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with 138.7 billion yuan ($19.2 billion). In 2022, the country’s anti-graft watchdog launched a crackdown on the semiconductor industry, investigating some of China’s top figures in state-owned chip companies. Last year, China’s Huawei shocked industry experts by introducing a new smartphone powered by a 7-nanometer processor made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

Persons: Xi Jinping’s, Lu Jun, ”, Xi’s, Biden, China’s, Mark Rutte, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Worth, China Construction Bank, China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, National Enterprise, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, IC, US, China’s Huawei, China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, Huawei, Dutch Locations: Hong Kong, China, ICBC, Beijing, Netherlands, Japan, United States, ASML

☆ Opinion: Putin’s lightning assault jolts Europe awake
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

View more opinion on CNNCNN —It was a carefully choreographed show of force in Beijing Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived for yet another meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Frida Ghitis CNNOn Wednesday, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded in an assassination attempt. Russia’s lightning assault, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cancelled all his foreign travel, aims to force Ukraine to stretch its defenses. Security officers move Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a car after the assassination attempt in Handlova, Slovakia, on Wednesday May 15. Every day, the stark reality that what began in Ukraine will change Europe for years to come becomes more inescapable.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Robert Fico, Fico, Putin, —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, David Cameron, “, Fico —, Radovan Stoklasa, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, laughably, Rishi Sunak, Mark Rutte, Russia's, Alexander Ryumin, Emmanuel Macron, ”, Mikko Heiskanen, Xi Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, CNN CNN, Frida Ghitis CNN, Wednesday, Slovakian, Kyiv, British, Putin, Kremlin, Moscow, European Union, Reuters, Europe, Russia, Republicans, Russian, West, NATO, Institute for, ” Locations: Beijing, Europe, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Georgia, Soviet Republic, Moscow, Moldova, Slovak, Slovakia, “, Handlova, Iran, North Korea, China, Norway, London, British, Netherlands, ”, Germany, Berlin, Finland

☆ China’s Xi Jinping highlights Europe’s divisions ahead of expected Putin visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese state media played up the warm diplomacy, with headlines proclaiming China’s “ironclad” bond with Serbia and “golden friendship” with Hungary. Both are sure to closely watch any summit between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, expected to happen soon. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is welcomed at the airport in Belgrade on May 7 for his two-day state visit. Xi also marketed a shared worldview during his meeting with Orban in Hungary, which is a member of both the EU and NATO. Chinese leader Xi Jinping talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on May 9.

Persons: Xi, Peng Liyuan, Aleksandar Vucic, Viktor Orban, China’s, Vucic, Orban –, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der, Vladimir Putin, Orban, Hungary “, ’ ”, Philippe Le Corre, ”, Putin, Le Corre, Xi Jinping, Dimitrije Goll, Xi’s, Serbia’s Vucic, ” Vucic, Bruno Le Maire, BYD, Liu Dongshu, Vivien Cher Benko, Tamas Matura, Mark Rutte, Olaf Scholz, Matura, Von der, “ Orban, Gabor Scheiring Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Russia, Ukraine, China, Europe …, Asia Society, Center for, Forum, Anadolu, Getty, EU, NATO, ”, Xi, Hong Kong’s City University ., Hungarian, Central, Dutch, Georgetown University Locations: Hong Kong, France, Ukraine, China, Belgrade, Budapest, Paris, Serbian, Hungarian, Serbia, Hungary, Europe, Russia, Russian, ”, Europe … Hungary, Center for China, Beijing, United States, EU, Hong, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, Moscow, Qatar, “ Hungary

☆ F-16s headed to Ukraine this summer will face their most dangerous battlefield ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine is slated to receive its much-anticipated fleet of F-16 fighter jets this summer. AdvertisementThe long-awaited delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is on the horizon, and these advanced American-made fighter jets can't come soon enough for its forces. The fighter jets are expected to arrive at some point this summer, reportedly as early as June. Romanian air force F-16 fighter planes fly above the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. US Air Force F-16's stand ready with bombs loaded to take off during the first daylight attack to liberate Kuwait in 1991.

Persons: —, Falcon, SAMs, Alexandru, Egypt —, John Baum, Russia —, Baum, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV Russia's, Tannehill, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte, Peter Dejong Organizations: Service, Russia's, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, Getty, NATO, Kyiv, Israeli Air Force, AP, US Air Force, Operation, Allied Force, Yugoslavia, Air Force, Defense Technical Information, Reuters, Storm, Russia, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US Navy, SA, Russian, AIM, INA Locations: Ukraine, Balkans, Kyiv, Romania, Norway, AFP, — Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Lebanon's, Israel, Yom, Romanian, Fetesti, Storm, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan, Islamic, Kuwait, Russian, Zhukovsky, Moscow, Bekaa, East, Syria, Russia, Ukrainian, Eindhoven, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Crimean

☆ A NATO state said it could buy Patriot systems for Ukraine from countries not prepared to give them directly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewOne of Ukraine's main European allies said it could buy US-made Patriot air-defense systems from other countries to send on to Ukraine. Ukraine is searching for more Patriot systems as it runs low on air defenses to stop Russian attacks. AdvertisementThe US-made MIM-104 Patriot missile system is a ground-based, mobile surface-to-air missile battery. REUTERS/Yevhen KotenkoGermany announced over the weekend that it would give Ukraine another Patriot system. AdvertisementHe said he "struggles to understand" some allies' resistance to giving Ukraine at least one of their Patriot systems.

Persons: —, Mark Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg, Yevhen Kotenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they've, Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, The, Guardian, Business, REUTERS, NATO, Patriot, Patriots Locations: Ukraine, The Netherlands, Warsaw, Poland, Russian, Kyiv, Yevhen, Yevhen Kotenko Germany

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Focus turns to key inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThis report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Xi on China tech progressChinese President Xi Jinping told Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte that no force can stop China's tech advance. Separately, Xi also told U.S. executives that bilateral ties can have a "brighter future" and vowed to improve the business environment. The next few days could prove crucial in diverting trade away from the port, logistics executives told CNBC, after a container ship collided into the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.

Persons: Christopher Dilts, Topix, Xi, Xi Jinping, Mark Rutte, Janet Yellen, Yellen, Francis Scott Key, David Neuhauser Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Nikkei, U.S ., CSI, Dow, Nasdaq, Dutch, Xinhua News Agency, U.S, Treasury, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Livermore Partners Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Japan, Seng, China, Beijing, U.S, Baltimore, Port of Baltimore

☆ Xi tells Dutch prime minister: No force can stop China’s tech advance
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - MARCH 23:Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte meets with the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping at the Catshuis March 23, 2014 in The Hague, Netherlands. (Photo by Valerie Kuypers-Pool/Getty ImagesChina's technological progress cannot be stopped, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte when they met in Beijing Wednesday for talks on areas such as the critical semiconductor industry. "The Chinese people also have legitimate development rights, and no force can stop the pace of China's scientific and technological progress," said Xi, according to Xinhua News Agency. Such EUV lithography machines are crucial for chip manufacturing and are used by companies like Taiwan's TSMC to make the smallest and most sophisticated chips. In January, the Netherlands barred ASML from exporting some of its deep ultraviolet lithography systems to China, which are used to make slightly less advanced chips.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Valerie Kuypers, Xi Jinping, Xi Organizations: Dutch, People's Republic of China Xi, Xinhua News Agency, U.S Locations: HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, People's Republic of China, The Hague, Netherlands, Beijing, China

☆ ‘No force’ can stop China’s tech progress, Xi Jinping tells Dutch PM
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

There was a surge in sales of ASML’s advanced chipmaking tools to China last year — ahead of the Dutch ban. In the fourth quarter of 2023, China accounted for 39% of ASML’s total revenue, according to the company. For 2023 as a whole, China’s share of ASML’s revenue was 29%, doubling from 14% in 2022. “China’s access to [these high-end chipmaking] machines is key to its commercialization of 7-nanometer logic chips,” they added. “China has been aggressively buying semiconductor equipment to build out production lines in both advanced and mature nodes,” according to Jefferies.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mark Rutte, ASML, ” Xi, Rutte, Wang Wentao, Geoffrey van Leeuwen, ” Wang, “, ” Jefferies, Jefferies Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Dutch, United, ”, Dutch Trade, Huawei, China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation Locations: Hong Kong, China, Netherlands, Beijing, United States, Europe

☆ Geert Wilders abandons Dutch PM bid despite election victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Populist firebrand Geert Wilders has conceded that he will not become the next prime minister of the Netherlands because his potential coalition backers have refused to back him. “I can only become Prime Minister if ALL parties in the coalition support it. Similarly, Swedish Prime Minister Ulif Kristersson relies on the votes of the increasingly Euroskeptic, anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats. Despite admitting defeat this time, Wilders pledged to continue his push to become prime minister in the future. “Don’t forget: I will still become Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders ’, “, Wilders, ” Wilders, ”, Mark Rutte, Pieter Omtzigt, sanitaire, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Marine, Lionel Jospin, Jacques Chirac, Petteri Orpo, Sanna Marin, Ulif Kristersson, Robert Fico, “ Don’t Organizations: CNN, Democracy Party, Social Contract Party, European Union, National, Socialist, Socialists, Finns Party, Swedish, Sweden Democrats, Georgia Meloni Locations: Netherlands, Europe, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, Italy, Slovakia

☆ It may look like Trump scared NATO back into readiness — but it's probably all down to Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NATO states' increased defense spending in recent years has little to do with Trump, experts told BI. NATO spending has indeed accelerated since Trump entered politics. It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do itTrump's demands of NATO allies also weren't a departure from existing US policy. Threatening partners is "bananas"Trump's transactional take on NATO collective defense is ultimately reasonable, Bury said — but encouraging other countries to attack NATO allies is "bananas." AdvertisementIf US allies are spending more money on NATO defense, it's not because Trump is goading them, but because they're concerned about increasing global instability.

Persons: Trump, it's, —, Kaja Kallas, Mark Rutte, Edward Hunter Christie, Hunter Christie, William Alberque, Russia hadn't, hadn't, Alberque, Patrick Bury, Barack Obama, didn't, Joe Biden, Bury, Vladimir Putin Organizations: NATO, Trump, Service, Estonia's, Dutch, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK's University of Bath Locations: Russia, ”, NATO, Crimea, Trump, South Korea, Japan, United States, Ukraine

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine is igniting an old debate in Brussels over debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Munich, GERMANY — Should we borrow from global markets as one combined entity and raise new debt together? That's the question hanging on the shoulders of EU officials as they promise to spend more on defense amid Russia's onslaught in Ukraine. However, in 2020, the 27 members of the European Union decided that the best way to deal with the financial and extraordinary impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was to jointly raise debt. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in an interview with Bloomberg that joint bonds would be a good way to boost the bloc's defense capacities. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also very clear he would not support joint debt at the EU level.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Olaf Scholz, GERMANY —, Alexander de Croo, Kaja Kallas, Christian Lindner, Lindner, Mark Rutte Organizations: European Union, CNBC, Munich Security Conference, Estonian, Bloomberg, Munich Security, Dutch, EU, MSC Locations: Paris, France, Munich, GERMANY, Ukraine, Belgium, Brussels, Russia

☆ Child abuse scandal rattles Orban’s image as defender of ‘family values’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Orban has long posed as a globetrotting defender of Christian values and an enemy of liberalism. But Orban’s critics say his carefully constructed image is a thin guise for a plutocratic mode of governance designed to enrich a small group of oligarchs. The scandal could also weaken Hungary’s bid to gain more influence in Brussels in the upcoming European elections. Since the scandal was revealed last weekend by Hungarian news site 444.hu, “Orban has not made an appearance or said anything. Critics argue that Orban’s proposed constitutional solution to the scandal is a symptom of his autocratic mode of governance.

Persons: CNN —, Viktor Orban, Katalin Novak, Orban’s, ”, Judit Varga, Fidesz party’s, Varga, Orban, Hungary’s, “ Orban, Kim Lane Scheppele, Attila Kisbendek, Peter Magyar, “, ” Magyar, Magyar, Hungary ”, ” Orban, Critics, ” Scheppele, Hungary –, Bernadett Szabo, Scheppele, ‘, illiberal, ’ ”, Pope Francis, Eva Fodor, Fodor, Attila Kisbenedek, Zoltan Balog, Balog, hasn’t, Mark Rutte, Europe’s, he’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Hungary’s, Fidesz, European Union, Princeton University, Partizan, State of, Reuters, Survey, Christian, Central European University, Getty Locations: Washington, Moscow, Brussels, Budapest, AFP, Varga’s, Hungary, State, Christian Europe, China, Venezuela, ”, Netherlands

☆ Trump will quit NATO, Hillary Clinton says, as anxiety mounts over U.S. commitment to the alliance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"He will pull us out of NATO," Clinton told attendees during a lunchtime session. watch nowU.S. Republican Senator Jim Risch, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, on Saturday dismissed talk of the U.S. quitting NATO, saying: "We have answered that question." Clinton said, however, that Trump could actually just refuse to fund the alliance. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte earlier Saturday referenced constant "moaning and whining" at the event about the future of NATO under Trump. Indeed, Germany's defense minister said that his country's commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defense should be just the start, noting that the threshold could rise to 3.5% if necessary.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Raedle, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, doesn't, Jim Risch, Trump, Europe's, Mark Rutte, Olaf Scholz, Mette Frederiksen, Frederiksen, Jens Stoltenberg, CNBC's Silvia Amaro Organizations: U.S, Getty, NATO, Saturday, White, Munich Security Conference, Trump, Congress, Republican, Foreign Relations, United States Senate, CNBC, U.S . House, Representatives, Dutch, Danish Locations: Lago, West Palm Beach , Florida, MUNICH, Germany, U.S, Russia, Munich, Ukraine, Europe, NATO, United States

☆ Zelenskyy ready to take Donald Trump to Ukraine's front line
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaks during the 2024 Munich Security Conference on February 17, 2024 in Munich, Germany. Johannes Simon | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMUNICH, Germany — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was willing to take U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump, a long-time skeptic of Washington's support for Kyiv, to the war-battered front lines of Ukraine. "If Mr. Trump will come, I'm ready to go with him to the front lines," he added. The wartime president is also due to hold talks at the conference with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Czech President Petr Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, among others. The European Union earlier this month passed an additional funding bill of 50 billion euros ($54 billion) for Ukraine, overcoming longstanding opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Johannes Simon, Donald Trump, Zelenskyy, Trump, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Kamala Harris, Petr Pavel, Mette Frederiksen, Mark Rutte, Viktor Orban, Democratic Sen, Chris Coons Organizations: Conference, Getty, Kyiv, Munich Security, CNBC, Ukraine, U.S, Dutch, European, Hungarian, Democrat, Democratic Locations: Ukraine, Munich, Germany, MUNICH, Kyiv, Czech, Danish, Avdiivka, U.S, Russia

European leaders have paid tribute to jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny following reports of his death in prison on Friday. It is terrible that a courageous, fearless voice that stood up for his country has been silenced by terrible methods." Meanwhile, President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote in a post on X: "Alexey Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was "deeply disturbed and saddened" by news of the death of Navalny. "Navalny fought for democratic values and against corruption.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Olaf Scholz, Navalny “, Scholz, Angela Merkel, Navalny, Charles Michel, Alexey Navalny, Ursula von der Leyen, Putin, Mark Rutte Organizations: European, EU Commission Locations: Russian, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Siberian, Omsk, Berlin, Berlin’s Charite

☆ Calls grow in Europe to halt arms exports to Israel as US Senate passes aid package
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The concern around continuing arms exports to Israel comes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month ordered Israel to “take all measures” to comply with international laws on genocide. “In the government’s view, the distribution of American F-35 parts is not unlawful. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met Israeli cabinet minister Benny Gantz at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 12, 2024. Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told local media in late January that Italy had stopped all arms shipments to Israel since October 7. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Albares too said in late January that his country had also halted arms sales to Israel in October.

Persons: “, Josep Borrell, ” Borrell, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Mark Rutte, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Abir, Justin Bronk, ” Bronk, Bronk, Lockheed Martin, ”, ‘, ’ ”, Antonio Tajani, Jose Albares Organizations: CNN, United States Senate, Israel, Monday, Oxfam, Hague, International Court of Justice, Israeli, Hamas, US, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, State, Dutch, Royal United Services Institute, Israeli Air Forces, Lockheed, Netherlands Air Force, Pagella, Spanish, El, Amnesty International Locations: Israel, Gaza, Netherlands, Belgium, Brussels, Ukraine, Stockholm, Dutch, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, Israeli, London, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Italy, Spain

☆ Dutch far-right Geert Wilders' hopes of becoming prime minister sink after coalition talks collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders' hopes of becoming prime minister of the Netherlands are dwindling after coalition talks fell into disarray Tuesday. Wilders took to social media Tuesday evening to berate Omtzigt's withdrawal, calling the decision "incredibly disappointing." I don't understand it at all," Wilders wrote in a post on X, according to a Google translation. However, former Labor Party minister Ronald Plasterk, who has been leading the talks, earlier flagged finances as a major sticking point in talks. Alternatively, if no combination of parties can agree to form a coalition, a new election could be called.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Pieter Omtzigt, vexing Wilders, Wilders, Omtzigt's, Omtzigt, Mark Rutte, Caroline van der Plas, Ronald Plasterk, European Union —, Plasterk, Frans Timmermans Organizations: Party for Freedom, NSC, BBB, Labor, Reuters, European Union, Labour, Green Locations: Netherlands, Dutch, Europe

The Netherlands wants this cabinet and now Pieter Omtzigt is throwing in the towel while we were still in discussions until today. Since the election, Wilders’ Party for Freedom has since risen even further in polls, with some suggesting he could win 50 seats if new elections were held. “It is a total surprise to us that Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) has decided to leave the table and stop talking. The four parties that were involved in the talks hold a total of 88 seats — a comfortable majority in the lower house. Talks, however, have been tough, with Omtzigt voicing reservations from the outset about some of Wilders’ policies.

Persons: —, Geert Wilders, Pieter Omtzigt, Wilders, Omtzigt, ”, Ronald Plasterk, Plasterk, Mark Rutte, Caroline van der, “ I'm, Dilan Yeşilgöz, Zegerius, “, ” Van der Plas Organizations: New, Labor Party, Party, Freedom, NSC, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, Farmer Citizen Locations: HAGUE, Netherlands

☆ Peter R. de Vries: Group suspected of killing Dutch crime reporter also wanted to kidnap PM Mark Rutte, witness says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | Rose Roobeek | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The group suspected of murdering a crime reporter in the Netherlands in 2021 also wanted to kidnap Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, according to a witness in the case. The protected witness made the comments during an interrogation by the investigative judge in December 2022, according to the prosecution service. Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, pictured on May 24, 2017 in Arnhem, in the Netherlands, was killed in 2021 in a murder that shocked the country. The trial against nine suspects in the murder of de Vries will start on January 23, according to the prosecution service. The nine suspects, of Polish and Antillean descent, are between 24 and 37 years old, the prosecution service said.

Persons: Mark Rutte, ”, Peter R, Vries, Parool, Rutte, de Vries, De Vries, de Organizations: CNN, Dutch, Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, RTL TV, “, Getty, RTL Netherlands Locations: Netherlands, Amsterdam, Arnhem, de Waal, AFP

☆ Dutch PM: Centrist parties need to better articulate key issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | 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 EmailDutch PM: Centrist parties need to better articulate key issuesDutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told CNBC that centrist political parties, such as his own, need to be better at explaining where they stand on key issues.

Persons: Mark Rutte Organizations: CNBC

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