Politico EU

NEW YORK — The U.S. Pentagon should retain key military equipment in Europe to deter Russia even as Washington prepares to draw down the number of troops it keeps stationed on the continent, Finland’s president told POLITICO on Thursday.

Speaking at the Finnish residence in New York, Alexander Stubb said he was “not too worried” about the outcome of the ongoing review of U.S. strategic assets around the world, the results of which are expected to be unveiled in coming weeks.

“I think there’ll be a bit of a shift to the Indo-Pacific and that’s understandable,” Stubb said, referring to discussions about potentially moving U.S. troops and military equipment from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region. “When it comes to the number of troops there will probably be some discussion on that but at this stage I’m not too worried. It’s in the strategic interest of the United States, and very cost effective” to keep U.S. forces in Europe.

He added: “I’m sure there will be some reduction, but by how..

The Supreme Court has given President Donald Trump the go-ahead to unilaterally withhold $4 billion in foreign aid previously appropriated by Congress, a crucial milestone in an intense legal battle over the constitutional power of the purse.

The high court’s ruling Friday, issued over the dissent of the three liberal justices, signals Trump has the upper hand in that battle. The decision effectively blessed Trump’s “pocket rescission” — a controversial maneuver in which the president withheld the funds toward the end of the fiscal year so that the money could not be spent even if Congress did not approve the rescission.

That tactic was designed to circumvent the usual process for a rescission of funds: a special request from the president followed by a 45-day period in which Congress must agree to the request for it to become effective.

The ruling comes as the federal government hurtles toward a Sept. 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown, and it could make bipartisan negotiat..

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered pointed remarks Wednesday to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić about his country’s progress toward EU membership.

“Now is the moment for Serbia to get concrete about joining our union,” said the Commission chief, during a press conference in Belgrade on her tour of the Western Balkans.

“Therefore, we need to see progress, on the rule of law, the electoral framework and media freedom,” von der Leyen added.

“I know these reforms are not easy,” she said. “They take patience and endurance. They must include all parts of society and the political spectrum. But they are worth the effort. Because they move you closer to your goal.”

Von der Leyen also urged the Serbian president to join the EU in imposing sanctions against Russia. Belgrade has consistently refused to align with the bloc in sanctioning Russian energy and goods, especially since it is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas.

“I commend you for reaching 61 perce..

LONDON — On a frozen sunny morning, half an hour’s drive from Belfast, a line of dignitaries from six Western Balkan states filed out of their chauffeur-driven cars and up the red carpet outside Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The official reason for this summit on the Western Balkans was to continue the “Berlin process,” a dialogue between countries in the region and Western European nations, designed to act as a counterweight to Russian influence.

While that aim is more urgent than ever, the U.K. had its own underlying objective for the summit, discussed between foreign ministers on the margins: agreeing on a migrant returns deal with a third country.

Interior ministers from the same countries met again on Wednesday, and observers now believe an agreement could be struck when Balkan leaders convene next week in London, with Kosovo seen as the most likely option.

Regardless of whether the deal comes off, it’s part of a concerted effort by newly minted Foreign S..

Vice President JD Vance on Sunday attributed President Donald Trump’s recent change in attitude toward the Russian-Ukrainian war to the loss of human life and the impact to Russia’s economy.

“The Russian economy is in shambles. The Russians are not gaining much on the battlefield. It’s clearly time for them to listen to his passionate plea for them to come to the table and actually talk seriously about peace,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that aired on “Fox News Sunday.”

“I think what has changed is the reality on the ground, with the Russians killing a lot of people and losing a lot of people and they don’t have much to show for it,” he added.

During a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations General Assembly last week, Trump said that NATO allies should shoot down Russian aircraft encroaching on their airspace. He also said that the U.S. would continue to supply weapons to NATO “for NATO to do what they want ..

LIVERPOOL, England — Under U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Labour government has made a big play of pouring money into the defense sector — and is changing the party, as well as the country, in the process.

Labour’s change of heart when it comes to world affairs can be felt as members gather in Liverpool for its annual party conference, once the natural home of progressive internationalism and a fierce commitment to foreign aid.

NGOs once flocked to Labour conference, holding rows and rows of stalls in the exhibition hall and attracting the great and the good to their fringe events. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown spoke loftily of Britain as a development superpower, and embraced the Make Poverty History campaign as well as the movement to enshrine foreign aid spending in law.

This year, the presence of NGOs has noticeably diminished, with fewer events focused on international development and many charities deciding not to bother coming to conference at all.

In their place are ..

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Beim EU-Gipfel geht es heute um Drohnenabwehr, eingefrorene russische Milliarden und den Dauerblockierer Viktor Orbán. Kanzler Friedrich Merz vollzieht eine Kehrtwende – und will 140 Milliarden Euro aus russischen Assets für die Ukraine als zinsloses Darlehen freigeben. Und die Debatte über Einstimmigkeit oder Mehrheitsentscheid geht weiter.

Im 200-Sekunden-Interview fordert die FDP-Europaabgeordnete und Verteidigungspolitikerin Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann eine klare Linie: Putins Geld beschlagnahmen, Sanktionen verschärfen, die Drohnenabwehr ernsthaft aufbauen, aber Umsicht walten lassen nach Forderungen danach etwas vom Himmel zu holen.
Innenpolitisch will die Bundesregierung härter gegen Terrorvorbereitungen vorgehen. Ricarda Breyton von WELT erklärt, wie der Gesetzentwurf über EU-Vorgaben hinausgeht.

Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politi..

The White House published an executive order on Wednesday vowing to defend Qatar in the event of an attack from another country, a remarkable security guarantee for a single country akin to NATO’s Article V.

The order, which President Donald Trump signed Monday, states that the White House will now consider “any armed attack” on Qatar “as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.”

And, in the event of any attack, the U.S. would take “all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar.”

Trump signed the executive order on the same day that he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and orchestrated a phone call with the Qatari prime minister during which Israel’s leader apologized for missile strikes last month targeting Hamas officials while they were in Doha for ceasefire talks. The attack killed a Qatari security officer. Th..

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Drohnen über dem Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, über Kiel und auch über Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Ausgespäht wurden mutmaßlich eine Marinewerft, ein Kraftwerk, Gebäude der Landesregierung von Schleswig-Holstein und weitere kritische Infrastruktur. Land und Bund haben den Vorgang tagelang unter der Decke gehalten. Matthias Gebauer vom SPIEGEL erklärt im Gespräch mit Rixa Fürsen, was genau vorgefallen ist – und warum Land und Bund selbst überrascht waren, dass es Tage gedauert hat, bis die Ereignisse öffentlich wurden. Außerdem geht es um die Reaktionen auf das Eindringen und die Mutmaßungen, welche Daten die Drohnen gesammelt haben könnten.

Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig.

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Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt koste..

LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet India’s Narendra Modi in Mumbai next week to drive forward their tech and security partnership, multiple people familiar with the plans told POLITICO.

It is Starmer’s first visit to the country as prime minister and comes just months after the U.K. and India finally closed their long-desired trade deal under the shadow of Donald Trump’s tariff war.

The focus of the visit will be on fintech, “tech-related partnerships” and the “great trade deal that we’ve finally signed,” said an Indian official, granted anonymity to discuss the plans.

In India’s financial capital, Starmer and Modi will speak at the world’s largest fintech festival, before joining senior ministers and officials to advance the 2024 U.K.-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI).

The pact covers co-operation on telecoms, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, quantum, bio-tech, advanced materials and semiconductors.

“Both sides are trying to lean in to try and figu..