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☆ 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

☆ These economies benefited from Russia's isolation — but they now risk Western retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Changing trade patterns in the region are an opportunity, but also a risk. Georgian public support for EU membership has resurged over recent months, with four-fifths (81%) of the population currently in favor joining the bloc, according to a recent poll from U.S.-founded non-profit the National Democratic Institute. Armenia, meanwhile, has never submitted an application for either membership, and other Central Asian countries would not be eligible to join the EU. The geopolitical context with which we [Georgia] are now thought of is with other Central Asia countries. But they don't have EU membership as a target — we do," Kukava said.

Persons: Armenia's, haven't, Mikheil Kukava, Subir Lall, —, Kukava, they're, Ursula von der Leyen, Armen Nurbekyan, Nurbekyan Organizations: Anadolu Agency, Getty, International Monetary Fund, Institute for Development of, CNBC, Russia Western, European Bank for Reconstruction, Development, European Union, Georgia's National Statistics Office, European Commission, of Seven, Central Bank of, EU, NATO, of Information, U.S, National Democratic Institute, Central Locations: Tbilisi, Russian, Moscow, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Russia's, Caucasus, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, East, Central Bank of Armenia, Armenia's, U.S, of Information Georgia

More than 280 people were killed and over 1,100 injured in a three-way crash involving two passenger trains and a freight train in eastern Odisha state on Friday, officials said. BJP4India/TwitterThe cause of Friday’s crash remains unclear, but senior state railway officials told CNN that it is suspected to have been caused by a traffic signaling failure. Video footage and photographs from the crash site near Bahanaga Bazar rail station showed scenes of chaos and despair. An official overseas rescue efforts at the site of the train crash in Balasore. An aerial view of the derailed coaches in Balasore.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Ashwini Vaishnaw, ” Modi, “, “ It’s, Sudhanshu Sarangi, “ We’ve, Piyal Adhikary, Anshuman Purohit, ” Rohit Raj, Dibyangshu Sarkar, ”, Narendra Singh Bundela, ” Bundela, Stringer, Rafiq Maqbool, AP Modi, Shehbaz Sharif, Rishi Sunak, Ursula von der Leyen, Fumio Kishida Organizations: India CNN — Indian, Bharat, CNN, Chennai Coromandel, Passengers, NDTV, Getty, Response Force, Reuters, National Crime Records, Western, AP, Force, Rapid Action Force, Soro Block, “, British, EU, Japan’s Locations: Bhubaneswar, India, Odisha, Balasore, Shalimar, Chennai, Yesvantpur, Howrah, Bahanaga Bazar, AFP, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Mumbai, country’s Jammu, Kashmir, Soro

NATO Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) surveillance aircraft will watch the skies over the summit venue through Friday, the alliance said in a statement. Missile debris from the war in Ukraine has been found in Moldova several times since Russia invaded 15 months ago. "NATO AWACS can detect aircraft, missiles and drones hundreds of kilometres away, making them an important early warning capability," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. The summit will also touch on a range of strategic issues, ranging from energy to cybersecurity and migration. Reporting by John Irish, Andrew Gray and Alexander Tanas; writing by John Irish; editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Josep Borrell, Nicu Popescu, Ana Revenco, Oana Lungescu, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Maia Sandu, Ursula von der, Albin Kurti, Aleksandar Vucic, ” Borrell, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Alexander Tanas, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: High Representative, European Union for Foreign Affairs, Moldova's, Russia, NATO, Kyiv, Control Systems, European, Kosovo, EU, Thomson Locations: Chisinau, Moldova, Ukraine, Kosovo, Moldovan, Romania, Russia, Ursula von der Leyen, KOSOVO, Slovakia, defusing, Serbian, Europe, Azerbaijan, Armenia

☆ UAE oil chief is ‘the perfect person’ to lead UN climate talks, COP28 director general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The UAE will host the COP28 climate summit from Nov. 30 through to Dec. 12. The director general of COP28 on Thursday defended the appointment of oil executive Sultan al-Jaber, describing the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CEO as the "perfect person" to lead the climate talks. The UAE, the third-largest oil-producing member of the OPEC alliance, will host the COP28 climate summit from Nov. 30 through to Dec. 12. Asked by CNBC's Dan Murphy to respond to the calls to remove al-Jaber as president-designate of the summit, COP28 Director General Majid al-Suwaidi said: "This is a discussion that we've seen a lot in the media. "As the UAE we've been really focused on how do we deliver the results we need for COP28 and I know that Dr. Sultan is the perfect person to do that.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, COP28, Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Majid al, Suwaidi, we've, —, they're, Sultan Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, European, United, U.S, UAE we've Locations: UAE, COP28, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

"Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war," more than 350 signatories wrote in a letter published by the nonprofit Center for AI Safety (CAIS). As well as Altman, they included the CEOs of AI firms DeepMind and Anthropic, and executives from Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Google (GOOGL.O). Elon Musk and a group of AI experts and industry executives were the first ones to cite potential risks to society in April. AI pioneer Hinton earlier told Reuters that AI could pose a "more urgent" threat to humanity than climate change. Last week OpenAI CEO Sam Altman referred to EU AI - the first efforts to create a regulation for AI - as over-regulation and threatened to leave Europe.

☆ EU's von der Leyen to meet OpenAI CEO Altman on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, May 30 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet the chief executive of OpenAI, Sam Altman, on Thursday, a commission spokesperson said on Tuesday without giving further detail. Altman last week said the ChatGPT maker might consider leaving Europe if it won't be able to comply with the bloc's upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) regulations. Reporting by Bart Meijer, editing by Tassilo HummelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European officials are quietly preparing for the possibility Biden loses the next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden (R) meets with President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) in the White House. This became ever more clear with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with European leaders welcoming the financial and military support from the largest economy in the world. But it's possible that the current agreement, and working practices, will all come to an end if there's a new president in the White House. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch his bid for the 2024 presidential campaign later this month, has said he believes the U.S. shouldn't get further involved in the Ukraine war.

☆ South Korea, EU agree to boost security ties amid Ukraine, North Korea tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, May 22 (Reuters) - South Korea and the European Union agreed on Monday to step up cooperation on security amid tension over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korean nuclear threats. He also wants cooperation to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. They also criticised North Korea's ongoing efforts to develop its nuclear arsenal and Pyongyang's threats of the possible use of nuclear weapons against South Korea. South Korea is a staunch U.S. ally and hosts some 28,000 U.S. troops. It has also developed a crucial economic relationship with China, South Korea's largest trading partner.

TOKYO, May 20 (Reuters) - Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Saturday called for the development and adoption of international technical standards for trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) as lawmakers of the rich countries focus on the new technology. The agreement came after European Union, which is represented at the G7, inched closer this month to passing legislation to regulate AI technology, potentially the world's first comprehensive AI law. The G7 leaders mentioned generative AI, the subset popularised by the ChatGPT app, saying they "need to immediately take stock of the opportunities and challenges of generative AI." The heads of government agreed on Friday to create a ministerial forum dubbed the "Hiroshima AI process" to discuss issues around generative AI tools, such as intellectual property rights and disinformation, by the end of this year. The summit followed a G7 digital ministers' meeting last month, where the countries - the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada - said they should adopt "risk-based" AI regulation.

The agreement came after the European Union, which participates in the G7, inched closer this month to passing legislation to regulate AI technology, potentially the world's first comprehensive AI law that could form a precedent among the advanced economies. The G7 leaders said they "need to immediately take stock of the opportunities and challenges of generative AI", a subset of the technology popularised by the ChatGPT app. A month later, EU lawmakers urged world leaders to find ways to control AI technologies, saying they were developing faster than expected. The United States so far has taken a cautious approach on governing AI, with President Joe Biden last month saying it remained to be seen whether AI is dangerous. While acknowledging differences on how AI should be regulated, the G7 leaders agreed on Friday to create a ministerial forum dubbed the "Hiroshima AI process" to discuss issues around generative AI, such as copyrights and disinformation, by the end of this year.

☆ How ‘Decoupling’ From China Became ‘De-risking’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It reflects an evolution in the discussion over how to deal with a rising, assertive China. But the word also has a vexing history in financial policy — and since the debate over de-risking will continue, we all might as well get up to speed. How De-risking Went Viral“De-risking” relations with China caught on after a speech by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, on March 30, when she explained why she’d be traveling to Beijing with President Emmanuel Macron of France, and why Europe would not follow the calls for decoupling that began under President Trump. “I believe it is neither viable — nor in Europe’s interest — to decouple from China,” she said. This is why we need to focus on de-risk — not decouple.”

☆ G-7 aims to rein in risks from China, awaits Zelenskyy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to arrive in Hiroshima on Saturday to drum up support for his country's defence effort. The G7 nations are looking to "de-risk, not decouple" from China, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Hiroshima. In a draft of the final communique seen by Reuters, G7 leaders agreed that China's status as the world's second-largest economy meant they had to continue to cooperate. "We do not seek to thwart China's economic progress and development," the leaders said in the draft, which is subject to change. China has voiced concern that the summit would turn into a "political show" against Beijing.

☆ G7 leaders gather on China's doorstep to seek unified response to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘Economic coercion’Another important theme of the summit will be economic security, including how to counter China’s economic pressure tactics. As the G7 summit gets underway, Chinese officials will be closely watching from Beijing and will not hide their displeasure, experts say. In the lead-up to the summit, Beijing has already berated a statement by G7 foreign ministers. Similarly, Beijing also lashed out at accusations of its “economic coercion,” claiming it is the “victim of US economic coercion” rather than a perpetrator. And while China is not invited to Hiroshima, it is hosting its own summit with Central Asia countries, experts noted.

☆ Li Hui: Beijing attempts to play peacemaker with planned trip by special envoy to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A source within the Ukrainian government told CNN earlier this week that a Chinese envoy would be in Kyiv Tuesday and Wednesday, though Ukraine has not released further details. Beijing’s ties with Moscow have been under close scrutiny over the past week as European officials discussed a recalibration of the bloc’s China strategy. On Monday ahead of Li’s expected arrival in Ukraine, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called for Ukraine’s peace plan to be the basis of efforts to resolve the conflict. It is therefore the one that should set out the core principles for a just peace,” she said in Brussels. Ukraine, the US and more than 100 nations have called for peace predicated on the unconditional withdrawal of Russia troops from Ukrainian territory.

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska asked South Korea to provide non-lethal military hardware when she met with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Tuesday, both countries have reported. But an official from Yoon’s office said Zelenska stopped short of asking for lethal weapons, acknowledging that South Korea would have found it difficult to oblige had any such request been made. Since the war broke out in Ukraine, South Korea has maintained its stance of not providing lethal weapons to a warring country, although Yoon has hinted at a possible major policy shift. The Ukrainian first lady handed Yoon “a personal letter and an invitation from the president of Ukraine” to visit her country, the Ukrainian side said. Last year, she met US first lady Jill Biden privately at the White House to discuss American support for Ukraine.

☆ Top Chinese envoy to visit Ukraine, Russia on 'peace' mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, May 15 (Reuters) - A top Chinese envoy will begin a tour of Ukraine, Russia and other European cities on Monday in a trip Beijing says is aimed at discussing a "political settlement" to the Ukraine crisis. "The visit ... is a testament to China's efforts towards promoting peace talks, and fully demonstrates China's firm commitment to peace," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing. He is the most senior Chinese official to visit Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, and his trip could coincide with the beginnings of a long anticipated counteroffensive by Ukraine to recapture territory seized by Russia. Ukraine is scheduled to be Li's first stop on his trip, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The visit comes weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy in late April, in the first talks between the two leaders since the war began.

☆ Zelenskiy collects Charlemagne Prize on behalf of Ukrainian people
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zelenskiy flew to the western city of Aachen with Chancellor Olaf Scholz following talks in the German capital. He received a standing ovation at a ceremony in the Coronation room of Aachen town hall, where he was awarded the prize, which celebrates services to European unification. "Ukrainians will always make Europe stronger," Zelenskiy said in English before switching to Ukrainian to address the gathering that included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The Ukrainian people, under Zelenskiy's leadership, are fighting not only for their country "but also Europe and European values", the prize committee said in a statement. Previous recipients of the prize include French President Emmanuel Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

☆ No quick deal in sight as EU countries start talks on new Russia sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Widely differing perspectives mean a quick deal is not expected, several diplomats said. She added the EU would stop transit via Russia of more of its exports, including advanced tech products and aircraft parts. Diplomatic sources familiar with the proposal - drafted by von der Leyen's Commission - said it also included blacklisting "tens" of new companies, including from China, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. NO SWIFT DEAL SEENAll 27 EU countries must agree for new sanctions to take effect in what would be the bloc's 11th round of such measures since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A diplomatic source from an EU country hawkish on Russia was frustrated the Commission's proposal did not include stopping Russian diamond imports or nuclear energy cooperation.

☆ Victory Day analysis: Putin tried to project strength, but Moscow parade revealed only his isolation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —For Russian President Vladimir Putin, this year’s Victory Day parade in Red Square was a chance to continue his war on history. It has become a pawn to their cruel and selfish plans.”Despite the pomp of the parade, Putin cuts an increasingly isolated figure. In Russia, Putin and his regime have destroyed these values. A lone Soviet-era T-34 tank leads the procession in Moscow in contrast to the large array of military hardware on display on previous Victory Day parades. “Victory Day is the victory of our grandfathers,” he said.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russia marks Victory Day with new attacks on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

* European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Ukraine as "the beating heart of today's European values" in a deeply symbolic visit to Kyiv on Tuesday as Russia marked its World War Two Victory Day. CONFLICT* Russia's defence ministry said its forces had launched missile strikes at targets across Ukraine overnight, disrupting Kyiv's supplies of ammunition to the frontline and troop movements. * Ukraine said its air defences shot down 23 of 25 missiles, fired chiefly at Kyiv, and there were no reported casualties. * Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin made a cryptic, profanity-laced comment about those in charge of Russia's war on Ukraine. INTERNATIONAL* Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said Beijing would maintain lines of communication with all parties to the war in Ukraine, including Germany, in seeking a ceasefire.

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