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☆ EU to Disburse $135 Million to Tunisia as Part of Migration Pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Friday said it would disburse 127 million euros ($135 million) in aid to Tunisia as part of its deal with the country aimed at fighting illegal immigration from Africa to Europe. The commission said 60 million euros would be made available in budget support to Tunisia, while a package worth around 67 million euros aimed at strengthening Tunisia's capacities to combat human traffickers and tighten border controls would be disbursed in the coming days. Tunisia and the EU in July signed a "strategic partnership" deal to fight illegal migration in return for financial support during a sharp increase in boats leaving the North African nation for Europe. ($1 = 0.9401 euros)(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Persons: Bart Meijer, Alex Richardson Organizations: European, EU Locations: BRUSSELS, Tunisia, Africa, Europe

BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - European Union's second-top court on Wednesday backed an EU competition regulator's decision against a 700-million-euro ($748 million) Belgian tax scheme for 55 multinationals, in a major win for EU antitrust chief's crackdown on sweetheart tax deals. The Luxembourg-based General Court had in 2019 annulled Margrethe Vestager's decision after Belgium and about 30 of the companies challenged it. Beneficiaries of the Belgian scheme that dated from 2005 included U.S. manufacturer Magnetrol, oil company BP (BP.L), chemical producer BASF (BASFn.DE), Wabco, Cellio, Atlas Copco (ATCOa.ST) and Belgacom, now Proximus (PROX.BR) . The EU Court of Justice, Europe's top court, in 2021 however sided with the EU competition enforcer and referred the case back to the lower tribunal. Belgium can still appeal to the EU Court of Justice.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager's, Atlas, Europe's, Foo Yun Chee, Bart Meijer, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Belgian, EU, BP, BASF, Justice, Belgian Finance Ministry, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, EU, Luxembourg, Belgium, Brussels, Amsterdam

☆ War crimes tribunal ICC says it has been hacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Tosterling Stephanie Van Den Berg | Stephanie Van Den Berg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

THE HAGUE, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Tuesday its computer system had been hacked, a breach at one of the world's most high-profile international institutions and one that handles highly sensitive information about war crimes. "Immediate measures were adopted to respond to this cybersecurity incident and to mitigate its impact," the ICC said in a short statement. The ICC is the permanent war crimes tribunal in the Dutch city of The Hague, established in 2002 to try war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Dutch intelligence agency (AIVD) said in its 2022 annual report that the ICC was "of interest to Russia because it is investigating possible Russian war crimes in Georgia and Ukraine". In August 2023, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said that cyber attacks could be part of future war crimes investigations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Dado Ruvic, Marie, Hélène Proulx, Karim Khan, Toby Sterling, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Bart Meijer, Gareth Jones, Andrea Ricci, Mark Potter Organizations: HAGUE, Criminal Court, ICC, Prosecutors, Kremlin, REUTERS, Dutch Justice Ministry, Cyber Security, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Dutch, The Hague, Ukraine, Uganda, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Philippines, Russia, Georgia, Russian

☆ Dutch police detain 500 activists on second day of climate protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

AMSTERDAM, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Dutch police on Sunday said more than 500 climate activists had been detained on a second consecutive day of protests against government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. Hundreds of protesters marched on the A12 highway into The Hague around midday, ignoring warnings from authorities not to block the major traffic artery into the Dutch seat of government. On Saturday around 2,400 protesters were detained as an estimated 10,000 activists blocked the same highway for several hours. Extinction Rebellion, which organised the event, has said protesters will try to block the highway on a daily basis until the Dutch government stops using public funds to subsidise the oil and gas industry. Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bart Meijer, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, The Hague

☆ Apple says it remains worried about risks of EU Digital Markets Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Inc. logo is seen in the lobby of New York City's flagship Apple store January 18, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) on Wednesday said it remained concerned about privacy and security risks it sees in the new EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), after the European Commission had designated it and five other major tech companies as "gatekeepers" of online services. "Our focus will be on how we mitigate these impacts and continue to deliver the very best products and services to our European customers," Apple said in a statement. Businesses labeled gatekeepers under the DMA will be required to make their messaging apps interoperate with rivals and let users decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, writing by Bart Meijer; Editing by Benoit Van OverstraetenOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Segar, Apple, Supantha Mukherjee, Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, REUTERS, Rights, EU Digital Markets, European Commission, Microsoft, Bing, Edge, Facebook, Meta, Thomson Locations: New York, Rights STOCKHOLM

☆ Belgium raises record 22 billion euros from savers in 'clear signal' for higher bank rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Yoruk Bahceli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It marks the biggest funding drive from households in Belgium's history and is likely Europe's biggest retail bond sale, the country's debt agency said on Monday. Equivalent to around 5% of Belgian deposits, it eclipses the 5.7 billion euros raised from savers at the height of the euro zone debt crisis in 2011 and beats the 18 billion euros Italy raised from savers earlier this year. European lenders awash with cash have resisted raising savings rates while market interest rates have surged as central banks fight inflation, prompting withdrawals by households looking for better returns. While demand for the bond is high, the country's biggest lenders are yet to raise rates paid on savings accounts. "This will be different for every bank, but the financial stability of every bank needs to be monitored closely."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bonds, Vincent Van Peteghem, Jean Deboutte, Isabelle Marchand, Van Peteghem, Marchand, Febelfin, Yoruk Bahceli, Bart Meijer, Sudip Kar, Dhara Ranasinghe, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Europe, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Italy, Portugal, Belgian

☆ Dutch F1 Grand Prix looks to secure long-term future
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Verstappen's home Grand Prix, which he is looking to win for a third straight win from pole position on Sunday, is a guaranteed fixture through the 2025 season, but it is unclear what will happen after. "We feel Formula One is very happy with us," former F1 driver Jan Lammers, a Zandvoort native who was one of the driving forces behind the return of the Dutch Grand Prix, told Reuters. The enormous popularity of Verstappen, the first Dutch Formula One champion, has helped sell over 300,000 tickets in an instant every year, but Lammers said Zandvoort's appeal goes beyond its dominant home driver. "Traditionally, a Grand Prix offered just two hours of entertainment on Sunday. This approach was backed by Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Jan Lammers, Lammers, it's, Max, Stefano Domenicali, Bart Meijer, Ed Osmond Organizations: Formula, Prix, Reuters, Zandvoort, Formula One, Thomson Locations: ZANDVOORT, Netherlands, Zandvoort, Amsterdam

☆ Dutch pick for EU climate job to face tough hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hoekstra needs to win a positive assessment from the EU Parliament and pass a potentially close vote in the assembly with majority support. If appointed, Hoekstra is expected to assume responsibility for climate change policies in the EU Commission. He belongs to the Dutch Christian-Democratic CDA party, part of the European People's Party group in the EU Parliament. Bas Eickhout, a Green EU lawmaker, said Hoekstra would need to prove his commitment to Europe's climate change agenda. He'll have a tough time convincing the European Parliament that he's the right man for the job," said Paul Tang, a Dutch Socialist member of the EU Parliament.

Persons: Wopke Hoekstra, Hoekstra, Frans Timmermans, Timmermans, Maros Sefcovic, Eickhout, Hoekstra's, Paul Tang, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Giles Elgood Organizations: EU, Parliament, Dutch Christian, Democratic CDA, European People's Party, EPP, EPP Group, Green Deal, European, Socialist, Dutch Finance, Socialists, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Netherlands, Dutch, Europe, EU, The Hague, New EU, Bas, Southern Europe, Spain, Italy

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy in Netherlands in push to boost air defences
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is greeted by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, during his visit to Eindhoven, Netherlands, August 20, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Acquire Licensing RightsEINDHOVEN, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday in an ongoing push to boost Ukraine's air defences, days after the United States approved the possible delivery of F-16 fighter jets by the Netherlands and Denmark. Zelenskiy will meet outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in Eindhoven, Rutte's office said without providing further details. According to figures from the Dutch defence ministry, the Netherlands currently has 24 operational F-16s which will be phased out by mid-2024. Reporting by Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg and Piroschka van der Wouw Editing by David Goodman, Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mark Rutte, de Wouw, Zelenskiy, Rutte, Oleksiy Reznikov, Lockheed Martin, Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg, Piroschka van, David Goodman, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Dutch, REUTERS, Rights, Global Peace Summit, Ukraine's Defence, Lockheed, Gripen, Thomson Locations: Eindhoven, Netherlands, States, Denmark, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Sweden

☆ Mild recession ends Dutch economy's strong post-COVID boom
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk past restaurants and bars following the new social restrictions announced by the Dutch government, as the Netherlands battle to control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Amsterdam, Netherlands October 14 2020. Growth is set to drop to 0.7% in 2023 and 1.4% in 2024, the CPB said, after hitting almost 5% per year in 2021 and 2022 during a strong recovery from the pandemic lockdowns. The CPB in March had predicted an expansion of 1.6% in 2023 and 1.4% the year after. With unchanged policies the government deficit is seen rising from 2.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) to almost 4% by 2028. Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: de, Bart Meijer, Jacqueline Wong, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, Amsterdam

☆ Dutch economy enters recession as inflation bites
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The Dutch economy has entered a recession as it shrank 0.3% on a quarterly basis in the second quarter, a first estimate published by Statistics Netherlands on Wednesday showed. The euro zone's fifth largest economy shrank for the second consecutive quarter, after a 0.4% contraction in the first three months of the year. The first recession since the pandemic was driven by a drop in consumer spending and exports, as surging inflation drove up food prices and energy bills in the Netherlands and its trading partners. Consumer spending fell 1.6%, while exports were 0.7% lower than in the first three months of the year. Inflation in the Netherlands has dropped since hitting a peak of 14.5% in September last year, but was still relatively high at around 6% in the second quarter of 2023.

Persons: Bart Meijer, Mark Potter Organizations: Statistics Netherlands, Wednesday, Consumer, Thomson Locations: Netherlands

☆ EU climate chief Timmermans to run in Dutch election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Tosterling Kate Abnett | Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - EU climate chief Frans Timmermans on Thursday said he wants to become the next Dutch prime minister and will contest a parliamentary election in the Netherlands in November. The four-party coalition government of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned earlier this month after failing to reach an agreement on restricting immigration, triggering a vote on Nov. 22. Timmermans had been tipped as a top candidate to lead the Dutch parties following his campaign for European social democrats in the 2019 European election, which was widely regarded as a success. Timmermans, who speaks English, German, French, Italian and Russian in addition to his native Dutch, is known as a skilled negotiator during international climate negotiations and his departure from EU politics will cause shockwaves. How well he may perform in Dutch politics is an open question, but a poll published on Thursday indicated that 39% of Dutch voters said they trusted him to lead the next government.

Persons: Frans Timmermans, Mark Rutte, Timmermans, Rutte, Toby Sterling, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Andrew Cawthorne, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson Organizations: Dutch, Labour, Green Left, Labour and Green Left, de Volkskrant, EU, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, BRUSSELS, Netherlands, EU, Dutch, Timmermans, Rutte's, Limburg, Brussels

☆ Dutch polls, first in years without PM Rutte at VVD helm, set for November
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People sit on benches with a view of the parliament building in The Hague, Netherlands March 9, 2021. Rutte announced his imminent departure from politics on Monday, three days after he had handed in the resignation of his fourth coalition government. Other major parties will also have new leaders, as Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra have also said they won't run in the elections. Rutte's four-party coalition will stay on as caretaker government until a new administration is formed after the election. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Bart Meijer; Editing by Alison Williams, Devika Syamnath nd Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: de, Mark Rutte, Rutte, Sigrid Kaag, Wopke Hoekstra, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Meijer, Alison Williams, Devika, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Bruins, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM

Lawmakers and member countries will now negotiate the final text, aiming for a deal before EU Parliament elections in 2024. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol"Restoring nature brings numerous benefits to farmers," EU lawmaker Mohammed Chahim said. Lawmakers and scientists have rejected the EPP's claims, accusing the group of using misinformation to court votes ahead of EU Parliament elections next year. "This is a law on behalf of nature, not against any person whatsoever." EU lawmakers voted earlier this week to weaken another law to cut pollution from farms.

Persons: Cesar Luena, Manfred Weber, Remy, Pascal Rossignol, Mohammed Chahim, Luena, Greta Thunberg, Kate Abnett, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter, Devika Syamnath, Ed Osmond Organizations: European, European People's Party, EPP, EU Parliament's, REUTERS, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Neuville, France, Brussels

☆ Dutch PM Rutte says he won't run for fifth term in office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 10 (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will not run for a fifth term in office and will leave politics following the elections in November, he said on Monday. Rutte on Friday handed in the resignation of his fourth cabinet after failing to reach agreement on stricter immigration policies. The only answer is the Netherlands," Rutte said in a speech in parliament before a debate on the collapse of the government. Rutte's decision will mark the end of his run as the longest serving government leader in Dutch history. He took over as Prime Minister in October, 2010.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Rutte, there's, Bart Meijer, Toby Sterling, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Toby Chopra, Ed Osmond Organizations: Dutch, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Rutte

☆ Dutch PM Rutte faces no confidence vote after collapse of government
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 10 (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte faces a no confidence vote in parliament on Monday which could end his run as the longest serving government leader in Dutch history, three days after he abruptly handed in the resignation of his fourth administration. Normally a no confidence vote wouldn't threaten Rutte, as he could count on the support of his four-party majority government. The leader of the liberal D66, the second-largest party after Rutte's conservative VVD, said the prime minister had behaved "irresponsibly", while the Christian Democrat CDA called him "reckless". Coalition partners have not made clear if they will support the no confidence vote during the debate, scheduled to start at 0815 GMT. Rutte, 56, became prime minister in 2010 and is the longest serving government leader in the EU after Hungary's Viktor Orban.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Rutte, Attje Kuiken, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Bart Meijer, Lincoln Organizations: Dutch, Labour, Christian Union, CDA, Coalition, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM

☆ Dutch government collapses over immigration policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMSTERDAM, July 7 (Reuters) - The Dutch government on Friday collapsed after failing to reach a deal on restricting immigration, junior coalition partner Christian Union said, a move expected to trigger new elections in the fall. Therefore they decided to end this government," party spokesman Tim Kuijsten said, confirming media reports that Prime Minister Mark Rutte would tender the resignation of his government. The Netherlands already has a one of Europe's toughest immigration policies but under the pressure of right-wing parties, Rutte had for months been trying to seek ways to further reduce the inflow of asylum seekers. He promised to improve conditions at the facilities, mainly by reducing the number of refugees that reach the Netherlands. Rutte, 56, is the longest-serving government leader in Dutch history and the most senior in the EU after Hungary's Viktor Orban.

Persons: Tim Kuijsten, Mark Rutte, Rutte, Kajsa Ollongren, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den, Sandra Maler Organizations: Christian Union, Defence, Frontieres, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

☆ One dead as rare summer storm hits Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In Amsterdam, several people were injured as dozens of trees were toppled by the storm, damaging cars and houseboats along the city's canals. The storm, named Poly, is the Netherlands' worst ever during the summer months and its strongest overall since January 2018, weather agency Weeronline said. The last heavy summer storm was in 2015 and was the first in over a century. The summer storm is causing much damage as trees are heavy with leaves and many of them have become brittle during an unusually long dry spell in May and June. The storm will move east over the north of the country and is expected to become less intense during the afternoon.

Persons: Weeronline, Bart Meijer, Toby Sterling, Andrew Heavens, Jan Harvey, John Stonestreet, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: National Meteorology Institute, Arriva, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Noord, Holland, Amsterdam's Schiphol

☆ Storm disrupts air and train traffic in the Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 5 (Reuters) - Strong winds severely disrupted air and rail traffic in the Netherlands and authorities urged people to stay indoors after storm Poly hit the Dutch coast early on Wednesday with wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour. The national meteorology institute gave a code red storm warning for a large part of the country, the highest level of alert. Residents of the Noord-Holland province, which includes Amsterdam, were sent push alarms on mobile phones warning them to stay indoors and to reserve emergency service numbers for life-threatening situations. Train operator NS halted all train traffic in the north of the Netherlands, while a highway north of Amsterdam was closed due to falling trees. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Toby Sterling; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bart Meijer, Toby Sterling, Andrew Heavens, Jan Harvey Organizations: Poly, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Schiphol, Noord, Holland, Amsterdam

☆ EU nature law on knife-edge after losing first vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill to revive ailing environments - which aims to restore nature on 20% of EU land and sea - is facing a political backlash from the European People's Party group in the EU Parliament, which has called for its rejection. In a tight vote, 44 lawmakers voted for the law and 44 against, meaning it failed to win majority support. The bill now heads to a full EU Parliament vote on July 11, where failure to win majority support would kill off the proposal. Supporters from other parliament groups said they would try to club together to find a compromise deal ahead of the full parliament vote. Despite that, EU countries agreed a position on the nature bill last week - weakening some targets and asking for more EU money to support farmers in restoring nature, but backing its overall aims.

Persons: Anne Sander, Cesar Luena, parliament's, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Frank Jack Daniel, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Union, European People's Party, European Commission, EPP, Thomson Locations: Hymettus, Athens, Greece, BRUSSELS, Brussels, Ireland, Belgium

☆ East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It requires a very, very tough answer of NATO," Polish President Andrzej Duda added. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday. "We have sent a clear message to Moscow and Minsk that NATO is there to protect every ally, every inch of NATO territory," Stoltenberg said. Poland's Duda said he hoped the threat posed by Wagner forces would be on the agenda at a summit of all 31 NATO members in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11-12. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Anthony Deutsch; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Wagner, Gitanas Nauseda, Stoltenberg, Andrzej Duda, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alexander De Croo, Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Jonas Gahr, Read, NATO's Stoltenberg, Poland's Duda, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: HAGUE, NATO, Albania's, Edi Rama, Dutch, Thomson Locations: Russian, Belarus, The Hague, Russia, Belgian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Moscow, Minsk, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ EU says aborted Russia mutiny shows Moscow's military power is 'cracking'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers on Monday said an aborted mutiny in Russia at the weekend showed Moscow's war in Ukraine was causing domestic instability and undermining its military power, but stressed their focus remained on supporting Kyiv. "The political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg as he arrived for a meeting with ministers from across the 27-member bloc. "The monster that Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him now, the monster is acting against his creator." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Putin was destroying his own country with his "brutal war of aggression" in Ukraine. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen suggested the weekend's events showed Putin's hold on power was not as strong as it seemed.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin's Wagner, Putin, Annalena Baerbock, Yves Herman, Baerbock, Jean Asselborn, Alexander Schallenberg, Elina Valtonen, Sabine Siebold, Bart Meijer, Andrew Gray, Conor Humphries Organizations: Union, Kyiv, Moscow, EU, European Commission, REUTERS, Austrian, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Luxembourg, Brussels, Belgium, Russia's, Europe, Finnish

☆ Wagner mutiny shows Moscow's 'big strategic mistake' in attacking Kyiv - NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - The aborted mutiny by Russia's Wagner mercenary group at the weekend demonstrates the weakness of the Russian leadership and the scale of the Kremlin's strategic mistake in waging war on Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday. Their commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was to move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Kremlin said. "It demonstrates the fragility the Russian regime but it is not for NATO to intervene in those issues, that's a Russian matter." Stoltenberg said NATO was monitoring the situation in Belarus and, again, condemned Moscow's announcement to deploy nuclear weapons there. He described the drills as a clear message that NATO was ready to defend every inch of allied territory.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Jens Stoltenberg, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir, Putin, Stoltenberg, that's, groping, Mikhail Mishustin, Putin's, Sabine Siebold, Bart Meijer, Alison Williams, Conor Humphries, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Ukraine, NATO battlegroup, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Belarus, Crimea, Lithuania, NATO's

☆ Wagner mutiny lays bare cracks in Moscow's military power -EU's Borrell
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - The aborted mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia shows cracks in Moscow's military power caused by the war on Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday. "The political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking," he told reporters in Luxembourg ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "It's not a good thing to see that a nuclear power like Russia can go into a phase of political instability," Borrell said, adding this was the moment for the EU to continue supporting Ukraine more than ever. "The monster that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin created with Wagner, the monster is biting him now, the monster is acting against his creator." Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray and Bart MeijerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Vladimir, Putin, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Bart Meijer Organizations: EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Luxembourg

☆ 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

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