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☆ China walks back ambassador's claim that ex-Soviet states aren't real countries, a position that played strongly into Putin's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China's foreign ministry walked back ambassador's comments dismissing ex-Soviet states' sovereignty. Other former Soviet Union countries include Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Central Asian countries that Russia has retained closer ties to. And Lu's comments seemed to suggest that China's foreign policy was inching closer to that of Russia. The Baltic countries have already questioned China's efforts to play peacemaker in Ukraine, and Lu's comments appear to have made them even more concerned. Estonia's foreign minister said Lu's comments were "false and a misinterpretation of history," and Latvia's foreign minister called them "completely unacceptable."

☆ EU ministers braced for Ukrainian frustration over ammunition plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Andrew Gray | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

loading"The inability of the EU to implement its own decision on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine is frustrating," Kuleba said on Thursday. Kuleba can make his case directly when he discusses the state of the war and Ukraine's needs by video link to a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers, taking place in Luxembourg. EU officials pushed back against Kuleba's criticism by stressing that this fast track is up and running so ammunition is already flowing to Kyiv. But the second track, worth another 1 billion euros to fund joint procurement, has yet to be finalised. EU officials and diplomats said they expected an agreement that would satisfy all sides in the coming days.

☆ China says hopes Germany supports peaceful Taiwan 'reunification'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attend a joint press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING, April 15 (Reuters) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi "hopes and believes" Germany will support China's "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Wang made the remarks at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is visiting China until Saturday, adding that China once supported Germany's reunification. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday it strongly approved of Baerbock's comments. "The Foreign Ministry thanks many high-level officials in the executive departments of various countries, including Germany, for their solidarity with Taiwan," it said.

☆ EU cannot trust China unless it seeks peace in Ukraine -Borrell
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 14 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said it would be hard for Europe to trust China if it did not try to find a political solution to the Ukraine crisis. "Neutrality in the face of the violation of international law is not credible," Borrell said, adding an appeal for Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and for China to provide more humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people. Xi has met Russian President Vladimir Putin twice but not spoken with Zelenskiy since Russia invaded Ukraine in what Moscow calls a "special military operation" in February 2022. China stated its opposition to attacks on civilians and on nuclear facilities in position paper on Ukraine published in February, but it has refrained from openly criticising Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Reporting by Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Intel, Raytheon, Other Big Companies Push Back on EU Subsidy Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The new European Union foreign-subsidy rules are set to take effect later this year. BRUSSELS—Multinational companies including Intel Corp. and Raytheon Technologies Corp. are warning that new European Union rules for reporting foreign subsidies are so onerous they could disrupt mergers and acquisitions and impede public tendering. In a letter sent last week to the European Commission, the bloc’s executive body, the companies said the commission “severely underestimates” the work required to comply. While the companies said they support the overall aim of the new rules, they said their implementation “will result in an extremely complex administrative ordeal.”

☆ Multinationals Slam New EU Foreign-Subsidy Law’s Reporting Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kim Mackrael | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Kosovo, Serbia leaders arrive for EU-backed talks on deal to normalise ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Fatos Bytyci | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I am optimistic," Kurti said ahead of the meetings, taking place in the lakeside town of Ohrid in North Macedonia. Kosovo and Serbia agreed in Brussels last month to a Western-backed deal to normalise relations, following nearly 10 years of EU-mediated dialogue during which little progress was made. "The eyes of the EU & the Western Balkans are on Ohrid today," Borrell tweeted. Belgrade and Pristina need to mend bilateral ties for both to achieve their strategic goal of joining the EU. "I want to caution that we may not have a final agreement," Gabriel Escobar, the senior U.S. diplomat for the Western Balkans who is also attending the Ohrid talks, told Pristina-based RTV21 station.

☆ Georgian police use tear gas to halt protest against 'foreign agents' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TBILISI, March 8 (Reuters) - Police in the ex-Soviet state of Georgia used tear gas and stun grenades early on Wednesday to break up a protest outside Parliament against a draft law on "foreign agents". The crowd then gathered outside parliament, where some people pulled aside light metal barriers designed to keep the public away from the building. Speaking in Berlin earlier on Tuesday, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Garibashvili reaffirmed his support for the law, saying the proposed provisions on foreign agents met "European and global standards". [1/10] Police use a water cannon to disperse protesters during a rally against the "foreign agents" law in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 7, 2023. Late on Tuesday night protesters angrily remonstrated with police armed with riot shields who then used tear gas and watercannon.

[1/5] A man walks past a model of G20 logo outside the finance ministry in New Delhi, India, March 1, 2023. Germany responded saying it would counter Russian "propaganda" at the G20 meeting. The foreign ministers meeting comes days after a meeting of finance chiefs of G20 countries in Bengaluru that was also overshadowed by Russia's war in Ukraine. An EU source separately said the EU delegation would not support a statement at the G20 meeting if it did not include condemnation of the war. The G20 includes the wealthy G7 nations as well as Russia, China, India, Brazil, Australia and Saudi Arabia, among other nations.

Speaking after hosting talks in Brussels between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Borrell said the leaders agreed "no further discussions" are needed on the deal between the former wartime foes. But Serbia still regards Kosovo as a breakaway province and flare-ups between the Balkan neighbours have stoked fears of a return to conflict. Under the new deal, Serbia stops short of recognising Kosovo as an independent state but agrees to recognise official documents such as passports, diplomas and licence plates and not to block Kosovo's membership of any international organisation. Borrell said the annex was an "integral part" of the new deal but it had not yet been agreed. Vucic has insisted Kosovo establish an association of Serb-majority municipalities, as agreed by a previous Kosovo government.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Zelenskiy says Russia suffers extraordinary losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DIPLOMACY* U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Poland over Feb. 20-22 to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. * Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will travel to Kyiv on Monday to meet Zelenskiy, a political source in Rome said on Sunday. Meloni, who took office in October, has said she planned to visit Kyiv before the anniversary of Russia's invasion. * The United States has concluded that Russia has committed "crimes against humanity" during its nearly year-long invasion of Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris said. * U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China's top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi at a Munich conference of consequences should China provide material support to Russia's invasion, while Harris said Chinese support would reward aggression.

☆ Ukraine yet to make defence a safe investor haven
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

MUNICH, Feb 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The West’s rush to supply weapons to war-torn Ukraine looks like a golden opportunity for defence companies to exit the ESG doghouse. As with air-polluting coal, socially-minded investors including pension funds and insurers - particularly European ones - have long excluded or heavily restricted investment in defence companies on ethical grounds. Risk committees, particularly at domestic banks, are now more frequently assessing the merits of financing defence companies, two senior bankers among the 850 or so conference participants said. Proponents of the approach argue military companies that help Ukraine perform a globally valuable social function by upholding democracy. The Munich Security Index, a global risk perceptions survey conducted before the conference, showed security concerns had replaced climate challenges as the top concern.

[1/6] A firefighter walks at a car park near an apartment block that was heavily damaged by a missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 15, 2023. "Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military." Later on Wednesday, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said Russian forces were mounting "round-the-clock" assaults on government positions, without specifying where. Near Bakhmut, Russian forces fired on more than 15 towns and villages, including the city itself, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its evening report. Russia calls the invasion a "special military operation" against security threats, saying NATO shows hostility to Russia daily and is growing more involved in the conflict.

"The enemy's offensive continues in the east, (with) round-the-clock attacks," Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said. Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had retreated in the face of Russian operations in the Luhansk region, although it gave no details and Reuters was not able to verify this and other battlefield reports. "Even the more fortified second line of defence of the enemy could not hold the breakthrough of the Russian military." BAKHMUT ATTACKSRussia's main effort has been an artillery and ground onslaught on the city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk. Russian forces have launched attacks on several settlements, including Paraskoviivka on the northern approaches to Bakhmut, over the past day, Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said.

☆ Italy's foreign minister eyes migration, energy on trip to Cairo
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Aidan Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attends a European Union foreign ministers' meeting with their counterparts from 'Eastern Partnership' countries in Brussels, Belgium December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronCAIRO, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Italy's Foreign Minister said on Sunday his country saw Egypt as an important partner in stemming irregular migration across the Mediterranean and in bolstering its energy security. As part of efforts to tackle irregular migration, Italy was "ready to have more legal migrants, including those coming from Egypt", Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during a trip to Cairo. "The solution to the Libyan problem is also part of the solution of the illegal immigration problem," said Tajani. Italy aspires to be a big European energy hub and on this point there can be convergence with Egypt," he said.

☆ Global leaders condemn assault on Brazilian government buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT LUIS ARCE"We strongly condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress, Palace and Supreme Court by anti-democratic groups. A return to normality is urgently needed and we express solidarity with Brazilian institutions. We categorically condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress and make a call for the immediate return to democratic normality."

☆ EU to discuss Russia, Iran sanctions, top up of Ukraine arms fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers will meet on Monday to try to agree on further sanctions on Russia and Iran and an additional 2 billion euros ($2.11 billion) for arms deliveries to Ukraine. However, it remained unclear whether Hungary will block some decisions, resorting to what diplomats have denounced as "blackmail diplomacy" due to a dispute over locked EU funds for Budapest. Foreign ministers will discuss a ninth package of Russia sanctions that is set to place almost 200 more individuals and entities on the EU sanctions list. They are also due to review new sanctions on Iranian people and organisations over human rights abuses in Tehran's crackdown on protesters and the supply of drones to Russia. Before their meeting, ministers will talk with the counterparts from the Eastern Partnership - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - nations the EU has sought to stabilise in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine.

☆ EU's Borrell: European Parliament corruption probe is "very worrisome"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - A Belgian investigation into alleged corruption at the European Parliament is "very worrisome", European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday after raids and arrests linked to alleged money and gifts from Qatar. The European Parliament said at the weekend it had suspended the powers and duties of one of its vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, in light of the Belgian investigation. "Certainly the news is very worrisome," Borrell told reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "We are facing some events, some facts that certainly worries me as a former president of the European Parliament, also." The European Parliament was due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Heavy losses reported among Russian mercenaries in east Ukraine; global leaders to discuss more sanctions on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a working session of G7 leaders via video link, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 27, 2022. The United States is prioritising efforts to boost Ukraine's air defences, President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart on Sunday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stepped up efforts to secure international assistance over the Russian invasion that is dragging into a 10th month. Heavy fighting in the country's east and south continued unabated, while drone and missile strikes on key power infrastructure, notably in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, kept many Ukrainians in the cold and dark. There are no peace talks and no end in sight to the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation" and Ukraine and its allies call an unprovoked act of aggression. While Zelenskyy has held numerous talks with Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan since Russian forces invaded in late February, the accumulation of discussions in just one day is not a regular event.

[1/2] European Council President Charles Michel speaks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Chinese President Xi Jinping via video conference during an EU-China summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium April 1, 2022. Olivier Matthys/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING/BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Chinese authorities behind a major trade expo in Shanghai pulled an opening ceremony address by the European Council president that was set to criticise Russia's "illegal war" in Ukraine and call for reduced trade dependency on China, diplomats said. "President Michel was invited to address 5th Hongqiao Forum/CIIE in Shanghai," Barend Leyts, a spokesman for Michel told Reuters. Europe has been over-dependent on Russia for fossil fuels, leading to a trade imbalance, Michel was to say. Michel was also set to call for China to do more do put an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine.

☆ Swiss considering wider EU sanctions on Iran over Amini death
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ZURICH, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Switzerland is considering whether to adopt the strengthened European Union sanctions against Iran following Teheran's crackdown against demonstrators outraged by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) said it had noted the EU had extended sanctions to a further 11 individuals and four organisations in connections with the death of Amini and the reaction to the demonstrations. No time frame was given before Switzerland makes its decision, with the WBF saying it would examine the EU sanctions. A decision could be made by either Economic Affairs Minister Guy Parmelin alone or together with the Swiss cabinet. Neutral Switzerland has already adopted some U.N. and EU sanctions against Iran imposed over the country's nuclear activities and human rights violations.

☆ EU set to train 15,000 Ukrainian troops, provide more arms funding for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers are expected to agree on a mission to train 15,000 Ukrainian troops from next month and an extra 500 million euros worth of funding for arms deliveries to Kyiv when they meet in Luxembourg on Monday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSeveral EU countries have already been instructing Ukrainian troops on how to use specific weapons and this will continue. Unlike earlier tranches, the additional money will also cover costs for repair and maintenance of weapons already delivered to Ukraine. EU foreign ministers will also discuss the transfer of Iranian drones to Russia, opening the way for potential further sanctions that could be agreed at a later date. He said the bloc's leaders would discuss China policy at a summit on Thursday and Friday, and the EU would also monitor closely the Communist Party Congress that opened on Sunday.

BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Some European Union foreign ministers on Monday called for new sanctions against Iran if Tehran's involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine is proven. Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. "We will look for concrete evidence about the participation (of Iran in the Ukraine war)," Josep Borrell told reporters as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, adding Ukraine's Dmytro Kuleba would take part in the gathering. Additional EU sanctions on Iran will not be limited to blacklisting some individuals should Tehran's involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine be proven, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said. "Then it will be no longer about some individuals to be sanctioned," he told reporters as he arrived for the EU meeting.

☆ Europe blames sabotage for Russian pipeline explosions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Rhoda Kwan | Rhoda Kwan Is A Taipei-Based Journalist. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Sabotage was behind underwater explosions that sent gas spewing from two major pipelines connecting Europe and Russia, Western leaders concurred Wednesday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he discussed the “sabotage” of the pipelines at a meeting with Denmark’s defense minister in Brussels. The incident has put the region on edge, months after fears of a Russian military threat to the Baltics dissipated in the wake of its military’s struggles in Ukraine. A new Baltic pipeline allowing gas to be delivered from Norway through Denmark to Poland was inaugurated Tuesday. In recent weeks, Moscow has increasingly framed the war as not just with Ukraine but its Western backers, too.

☆ Iran protests Western stance on mass protests over woman’s death
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

DUBAI — Iran summoned the British and Norwegian ambassadors over what it called interference and hostile media coverage of the nationwide unrest triggered by the death of a woman detained by morality police. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Iran should “immediately stop the violent crackdown on protests and ensure internet access. He also said that “acts of chaos” were unacceptable and that Iran must deal decisively with the unrest. Iran’s state television said 41 people have been killed since the protests broke out following Amini’s death on Sept 16. State media said 12 bank branches were destroyed in the unrest in recent days, and 219 ATMs have been damaged.

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