<![CDATA[EL PAÍS]]>https://english.elpais.comWed, 03 Jun 2026 16:53:15 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[Europe enters the ‘era of deportations’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-06-03/europe-enters-the-era-of-deportations.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-06-03/europe-enters-the-era-of-deportations.htmlWed, 03 Jun 2026 16:51:17 +0000“The era of deportations has begun.” A few months ago, this line from far‑right Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers sounded like a provocation. Now, after the agreement on the EU’s new Return Regulation between Parliament, the member states and the Commission, it reads more like an accurate description of the European Union’s political direction. With the legal framework for sending migrants to deportation camps outside Europe nearly complete, several member states — Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece — have intensified their search for countries willing to host them, mainly in Africa, far from the European continent, according to diplomatic sources. The political battle is over; the geographical one is just beginning.

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]]>OLIVIER HOSLET<![CDATA[The Øresund Strait, the new frontier in Russia’s hybrid war against NATO]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-25/the-oresund-strait-the-new-frontier-in-russias-hybrid-war-against-nato.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-25/the-oresund-strait-the-new-frontier-in-russias-hybrid-war-against-nato.htmlMon, 25 May 2026 14:09:01 +0000The port and ferry terminal in Helsingborg are bustling with activity. Everything operates with an almost choreographed efficiency. Ferries maneuver slowly; refrigerated trucks wait their turn to board alongside cars, cyclists, and workers who cross the Øresund Strait as if taking a commuter train. After all, only 2.5 miles separate Swedish Helsingborg (population 114,000) from Danish Helsingør. From the waterfront, under the oblique light of northern Europe that lengthens the evenings over the water, the strait is so narrow it is hard to see it as a strategic border. But that maritime line, which looks ordinary on maps, is today one of the flashpoints between Russia and NATO. It is the setting of a gray, hybrid war of maritime sabotage and ghost ships.

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]]>Tom Little<![CDATA[Europe fears US pullback ordered by Trump will open the door to a reconfiguration of NATO]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-22/europe-fears-us-pullback-ordered-by-trump-will-open-the-door-to-a-reconfiguration-of-nato.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-22/europe-fears-us-pullback-ordered-by-trump-will-open-the-door-to-a-reconfiguration-of-nato.htmlFri, 22 May 2026 17:27:52 +0000Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Germany, review a planned deployment to Poland, and freeze a project to station Tomahawk missiles on German soil has set off alarm bells in European capitals. In the Old Continent, fears are growing that those moves could be the first step toward a structural reconfiguration of NATO — or even a deeper U.S. pullback within the alliance.

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]]>Tom Little<![CDATA[Baltics on alert over Ukrainian drones and Russian electronic warfare]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-21/baltics-on-alert-over-ukrainian-drones-and-russian-electronic-warfare.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-21/baltics-on-alert-over-ukrainian-drones-and-russian-electronic-warfare.htmlThu, 21 May 2026 12:49:26 +0000The impact, shooting-down, or near-miss of about a dozen Ukrainian drones over the past two months has once again placed the Baltic region at the center of a gray zone where air safety, electronic warfare, and strategic ambiguity blur together. Ukraine says its attack drones, launched toward ports in the Leningrad region in Russia’s northwest, have been diverted by the enemy and redirected against its allies.

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]]>Anadolu<![CDATA[EU intensifies its diplomacy in Greenland amid a new Trump offensive to control the island]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-20/eu-intensifies-its-diplomacy-in-greenland-amid-a-new-trump-offensive-to-control-the-island.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-20/eu-intensifies-its-diplomacy-in-greenland-amid-a-new-trump-offensive-to-control-the-island.htmlWed, 20 May 2026 12:19:30 +0000The European Union is stepping up its diplomatic offensive over Greenland. Amid new moves by U.S. President Donald Trump to gain control of the vast Arctic island, Europe is making a play to strengthen cooperation with the self-governing territory, part of the Kingdom of Denmark and a strategic asset for its potential in raw materials, energy, and its location. Brussels keeps sending signals to the Greenlandic government and its citizens. One example is the visit this week by the European commissioner for International Partnerships, Josef Síkela, to take part in a business forum that aims to present the island as a land of major opportunities. The EU official’s trip coincides with that of controversial U.S. special envoy Jeff Landry and with the opening of a new U.S. consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, this Thursday.

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]]>Evgeniy Maloletka<![CDATA[Brussels, a city without garbage containers]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-16/brussels-a-city-without-garbage-containers.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-16/brussels-a-city-without-garbage-containers.htmlSat, 16 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000As dusk falls, when the European Union offices begin to empty out, dozens, even hundreds, of colorful garbage bags sprout up on the streets of Brussels. Some stand in geometrically neat rows in front of houses. Others, half-open, spill out a slice of pizza, a dirty diaper, a pile of cardboard, or the potato peelings someone has just discarded. In some neighborhoods, crows and mice arrive before the garbage trucks that scoop up the blue, yellow, white, or orange bags on the streets of the Belgian capital, a city without traditional bins.

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]]>Laia Ros / El País<![CDATA[EU opens channels to the Taliban as part of push to increase deportations ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-15/eu-opens-channels-to-the-taliban-as-part-of-push-to-increase-deportations.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-15/eu-opens-channels-to-the-taliban-as-part-of-push-to-increase-deportations.htmlFri, 15 May 2026 14:25:23 +0000Determined to widen its deportation options, the European Union has adopted an increasingly unrestrained pragmatism. In addition to the agreements with Tunisia and Egypt — both with authoritarian track records — designed to tighten Europe’s borders and reduce arrivals, the EU has now taken another controversial move: opening channels to the Taliban, a regime accused of grave and systematic human‑rights abuses in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls.

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]]>picture alliance<![CDATA[Viktor Orbán, Putin and Trump’s man in Europe, cements his role as the EU’s internal antagonist]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-25/viktor-orban-putin-and-trumps-man-in-europe-cements-his-role-as-the-eus-internal-antagonist.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-25/viktor-orban-putin-and-trumps-man-in-europe-cements-his-role-as-the-eus-internal-antagonist.htmlWed, 25 Mar 2026 15:59:14 +0000Viktor Orbán, Brussels’s great provocateur, has become a nightmare for the European Union. The Hungarian prime minister, who envisions a Christian Europe, free of immigrants and based on traditional values, has made coercion of the EU the hallmark of his government while engaging in ugly disputes with the European Commission over his attacks on the rule of law and the almost constant blocking of support measures for Ukraine. For weeks now, in an unprecedented maneuver, he has been blocking a multi-billion euro European loan for Kyiv, despite having already approved it and despite Hungary not even contributing any funds. Orbán, the European leader closest to Moscow and with ties to Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, has once again brought the European Union to a standstill.

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]]>AKOS KAISER/ HUNGARIAN PMS COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT HANDOUT<![CDATA[The EU is preparing to slam the door on Trump and cling to multilateralism]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-19/the-eu-is-preparing-to-slam-the-door-on-trump-and-cling-to-multilateralism.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-19/the-eu-is-preparing-to-slam-the-door-on-trump-and-cling-to-multilateralism.htmlThu, 19 Mar 2026 09:12:13 +0000Faced with the international disorder created by Donald Trump, the European Union is clinging to multilateralism. Despite the statements declaring the rules-based world order dead, the 27 EU countries agree that it is the only way forward in an increasingly turbulent geopolitical landscape marked by the struggle between the two global superpowers: the U.S. and China. As the US-Israeli war against Iran expands and spreads throughout the Middle East, the EU has emphatically rejected Trump’s demands for European involvement in the conflict.

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]]>Omar Havana<![CDATA[Iran war deepens EU’s internal divisions following Von der Leyen’s world order remarks]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-11/iran-war-deepens-eus-internal-divisions-following-von-der-leyens-world-order-remarks.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-11/iran-war-deepens-eus-internal-divisions-following-von-der-leyens-world-order-remarks.htmlWed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:59 +0000It wasn’t so much the speech itself as the defeatism and the lack of proposals. And the hierarchical misstep. The words of Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission — the European Union’s executive cabinet — declaring the rules-based world order finished while simultaneously justifying the war launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, have caused turbulence in the EU. Her remarks have exacerbated the criticism that the German conservative leader has been accumulating in recent months for her position, considered by many to be too close to Washington and Tel Aviv, as well as for her insufficient condemnation of the excesses of U.S. President Donald Trump.

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]]>Abdul Saboor<![CDATA[Europe is being drawn into military operations in a war it considers illegal]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-05/europe-is-being-drawn-into-military-operations-in-a-war-it-considers-illegal.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-05/europe-is-being-drawn-into-military-operations-in-a-war-it-considers-illegal.htmlThu, 05 Mar 2026 10:14:59 +0000France and the United Kingdom have already deployed military forces and equipment to the Middle East, despite criticism of the United States and Israel for the offensive against Iran, which has ignited a rapidly escalating conflict in the region. Paris and London remain wary of an operation they fear could draw Europe into the conflict, but have ordered the mobilization of fighter jets, frigates, and anti-aircraft systems to protect the interests of their allies, both European and Arab.

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]]>Associated Press/LaPresse<![CDATA[US strengthens ties with European populists in its offensive against the EU project ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-17/us-strengthens-ties-with-european-populists-in-its-offensive-against-the-eu-project.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-02-17/us-strengthens-ties-with-european-populists-in-its-offensive-against-the-eu-project.htmlTue, 17 Feb 2026 10:32:06 +0000The Trump administration continues its offensive against the European Union and the European project. The United States is moving forward to bolster its allies in the EU: the populist and Eurosceptic governments and parties that want to undermine the European project from within and which Washington considers “patriots.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit this Sunday and Monday to Slovakia and Hungary, where he expressed his support for the national-populist Viktor Orban of Hungary in the April elections, demonstrates that Washington is putting into practice its doctrine of supporting the most reactionary forces within the bloc. Trump is cultivating his own interests, seeking to further strengthen ties with European populists and attempting to weaken the EU.

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]]>Alex Brandon<![CDATA[Europe on high alert in the face of Trump’s strategic onslaught]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-11/europe-on-high-alert-in-the-face-of-trumps-strategic-onslaught.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-11/europe-on-high-alert-in-the-face-of-trumps-strategic-onslaught.htmlSun, 11 Jan 2026 04:00:00 +0000Europe has entered a new state of alert in the face of increasingly explicit signs that the United States not only no longer wants to bear the burden of guaranteeing the continent’s security, but is also displaying open hostility in areas that go beyond simple economic and technological competition and touch the deepest core of strategic and security issues.

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]]>Andrew Harnik<![CDATA[A Trump intervention in Greenland would destroy NATO]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-10/a-trump-intervention-in-greenland-would-destroy-nato.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-10/a-trump-intervention-in-greenland-would-destroy-nato.htmlSat, 10 Jan 2026 04:01:00 +0000Donald Trump has presented NATO with an existential dilemma. The U.S. president has long been attacking the military organization. He has even gone so far as to question its very core, its fundamental principle: the mutual defense clause. Now, the White House’s threats against Greenland, an autonomous territory that is part of Denmark — a NATO member like the United States — without ruling out military action, could shatter the transatlantic alliance on which Europe has relied for its security since the end of World War II.

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]]>Pool Moncloa / Fernando Calvo y <![CDATA[Europe urges Trump to respect Greenland following annexation threats]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-06/europe-urges-trump-to-respect-greenland-following-annexation-threats.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2026-01-06/europe-urges-trump-to-respect-greenland-following-annexation-threats.htmlTue, 06 Jan 2026 17:57:16 +0000The leaders of Europe’s major countries closed ranks with Denmark and Greenland on Tuesday following renewed threats from Donald Trump over the annexation of the vast island, an autonomous territory belonging to the Nordic nation, which is a member of NATO (like the U.S.) and the European Union. “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” reads a declaration signed by the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Denmark itself, with other leaders joining in the process.

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]]>Tom Little<![CDATA[Trump escalates tensions with the EU by sanctioning officials who fight online hate speech]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-24/trump-escalates-tensions-with-the-eu-by-sanctioning-officials-who-fight-online-hate-speech.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-12-24/trump-escalates-tensions-with-the-eu-by-sanctioning-officials-who-fight-online-hate-speech.htmlWed, 24 Dec 2025 09:01:41 +0000The Trump administration’s pressure on the European Union over tech regulations for U.S. platforms operating in Europe has reached an unprecedented level. On Tuesday night, Washington imposed sanctions on several European figures involved in content moderation on social media and the fight against hate speech on platforms like Elon Musk’s X or Facebook.

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]]>La Casa Blanca<![CDATA[EU’s prestige at stake with proposal to fund Ukrainian war effort with Russian assets]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-17/eus-prestige-at-stake-with-proposal-to-fund-ukrainian-war-effort-with-russian-assets.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-17/eus-prestige-at-stake-with-proposal-to-fund-ukrainian-war-effort-with-russian-assets.htmlWed, 17 Dec 2025 11:50:57 +0000Just steps from the shopping boulevards and bustling city center of Brussels, in an unassuming skyscraper, sits the financial institution that holds the key to a treasure chest that could unlock one of the most consequential decisions the European Union has made in a long time. Euroclear, a little-known Belgian financial clearing house, is now under scrutiny. This organization holds €193 billion in Russian funds, mostly belonging to the Central Bank of Russia, frozen since 2022 due to sanctions imposed on the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. The EU is now debating whether to release more than €92 billion from these Russian sovereign wealth funds to Ukraine as a “reparations loan” to help the country stay afloat.

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]]>Omar Havana<![CDATA[Trump confronts the EU with its greatest fear: Political interference from its biggest ally]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-08/trump-confronts-the-eu-with-its-greatest-fear-political-interference-from-its-biggest-ally.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-08/trump-confronts-the-eu-with-its-greatest-fear-political-interference-from-its-biggest-ally.htmlMon, 08 Dec 2025 19:37:44 +0000The era of harmony in transatlantic relations is over. For Donald Trump’s United States, Europe — with its project of values and defense of the rules-based multilateral order — is an adversary. One that must be steered back onto the illiberal and reactionary path dictated by Trumpism and followed by its European allies: the ultra-right-wing, national-populist, and Eurosceptic Trojan Horses who seek to undermine the European Union from within. Washington, which refers to these groups as “patriotic” political parties and formations, aims to promote them in its new national security strategy. This promise of interference, of meddling in European sovereignty, might sound more like something autocracies like Russia or China would do (though they would most likely keep their intentions quiet) than the historic ally that is no longer one.

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]]>Manuel Balce Ceneta<![CDATA[Kaja Kallas: ‘We should stop pretending that Russia is negotiating peace and force it to do so’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-02/kaja-kallas-we-should-stop-pretending-that-russia-is-negotiating-peace-and-force-it-to-do-so.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-02/kaja-kallas-we-should-stop-pretending-that-russia-is-negotiating-peace-and-force-it-to-do-so.htmlTue, 02 Dec 2025 16:20:25 +0000Kaja Kallas, 48, views with deep skepticism the peace plans for Ukraine currently being negotiated. In an interview in her office at the European Commission, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy says not only that they are disadvantageous for Kyiv, but also that they fail to establish the conditions needed to deter the invader, Russia, from repeating its aggression. The successor to Spain’s Josep Borrell is about to complete one year in the role at an extremely delicate moment for Europe: Ukraine is trying to withstand Kremlin attacks in the fourth year of the war and defend its sovereignty not only against Russia, but also against Donald Trump’s United States. Washington, Europe’s historic ally, is no longer quite so reliable. And that has completely changed the rules of the game for the Old Continent.

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]]>Laia Ros<![CDATA[Mark Rutte: ‘Russia will remain a threat to Europe even if there is a peace agreement in Ukraine’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-26/mark-rutte-russia-will-remain-a-threat-to-europe-even-if-there-is-a-peace-agreement-in-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-26/mark-rutte-russia-will-remain-a-threat-to-europe-even-if-there-is-a-peace-agreement-in-ukraine.htmlWed, 26 Nov 2025 16:24:01 +0000Mark Rutte, 58, has traded his seat as prime minister of the Netherlands — a position he held for 14 years — for that of secretary general of a NATO in turmoil due to the Russian threat and the upheaval on the global geopolitical landscape. And as if by magic, the Dutchman has gone from embodying frugality to urging allies to invest more in defense — Spain included. Rutte believes that the prediction that Spain can meet its targets by spending 2.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP), as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has suggested, “is not realistic.” “He will soon see that he also needs to spend between 3.4% and 3.6%,” says Rutte in an interview held Monday with EL PAÍS in one of the Alliance’s gleaming offices at its vast headquarters in Brussels.

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]]>Jana Rodenbusch<![CDATA[US and Ukraine move closer to agreement on peace plan]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-24/the-us-and-ukraine-move-closer-to-agreement-on-peace-plan.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-24/the-us-and-ukraine-move-closer-to-agreement-on-peace-plan.htmlMon, 24 Nov 2025 07:42:50 +0000Kyiv is heading into a critical moment. The United States and Ukraine made progress on Sunday night toward a preliminary agreement on a peace plan aimed at ending the imperialist war launched by Russia in February 2022. The project — drafted after an intense meeting in Geneva, in which the Ukrainian government was supported by European representatives, and based on the controversial U.S.-Russian proposal — still requires technical work and the “final decisions” of U.S. president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to a joint statement issued by Washington and Kyiv. “As a result of the discussions, the parties drafted an updated and refined peace framework,” says the statement released in the early hours, which opens a path of hope for the invaded country by stating that “any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

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]]>MARTIAL TREZZINI<![CDATA[A Hungarian spy scandal in Brussels implicates Viktor Orbán’s EU commissioner]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-04/a-hungarian-spy-scandal-in-brussels-implicates-viktor-orbans-eu-commissioner.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-11-04/a-hungarian-spy-scandal-in-brussels-implicates-viktor-orbans-eu-commissioner.htmlTue, 04 Nov 2025 15:59:55 +0000Brussels is a city teeming with spies. Russians, Iranians, Israelis, Chinese… They all move about, seeking information within European institutions and NATO, or to obtain intelligence from the hundreds of organizations headquartered in the Belgian capital. Now, a European espionage scandal has rocked the EU and diplomatic circles in Brussels. The European Commission is investigating whether the Hungarian intelligence services worked to recruit a network of spies among European officials. And, above all, whether its current Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, the Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi, was aware of the activities of this network.

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]]>POOL<![CDATA[Denmark shields European summit from Russian threat]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-10-01/denmark-shields-european-summit-from-russian-threat.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-10-01/denmark-shields-european-summit-from-russian-threat.htmlWed, 01 Oct 2025 13:42:42 +0000Russia is influencing the European agenda and also preparations for major EU summits. Denmark, in the midst of a security crisis following a drone incursion that forced the closure of six of its airports, is hosting two European summits on Wednesday and Thursday, which have now been reinforced in the face of the Kremlin’s threats. To try to prevent further incidents in Europe, several countries, including France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, have sent military reinforcements, unprecedented at previous such events.

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]]>LISELOTTE SABROE<![CDATA[Europe braces to bear the cost of the Ukraine war after Trump’s latest shift]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-26/europe-assumes-it-will-bear-the-cost-of-the-ukraine-war-after-trumps-latest-shift.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-26/europe-assumes-it-will-bear-the-cost-of-the-ukraine-war-after-trumps-latest-shift.htmlFri, 26 Sep 2025 08:03:54 +0000Donald Trump one day says that Ukraine lacks the means to defeat Russia, but the next claims that Kyiv could regain control of the entire country, which was invaded by Vladimir Putin’s troops more than three years ago.

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]]>YEVHEN TITOV<![CDATA[NATO warns of risk of escalation after Russian drone incursion into Poland]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-10/nato-warns-of-risk-of-escalation-after-russian-drone-strike-in-poland.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-09-10/nato-warns-of-risk-of-escalation-after-russian-drone-strike-in-poland.htmlWed, 10 Sep 2025 19:36:07 +0000The downing of Russian drones in Polish airspace has once again reminded Europe and NATO that war is at their doorstep and could break through at any moment. Condemnation of Russia’s “dangerous” and “reckless” violation of Polish airspace — the most serious clash between the Atlantic Alliance and Moscow since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022 — has been resounding and unanimous. And, although caution is still being urged in the face of an incident whose intentionality has not been proven — but which has not been ruled out either — the analysis is consistent: it demonstrates the risk of escalation of a conflict in Ukraine that the Kremlin has no interest in halting.

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]]>MARIAN ZUBRZYCKI<![CDATA[EU explores sending military and civilian missions to Ukraine to guarantee security]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-03-06/eu-explores-sending-military-and-civilian-missions-to-ukraine-to-guarantee-security.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2025-03-06/eu-explores-sending-military-and-civilian-missions-to-ukraine-to-guarantee-security.htmlThu, 06 Mar 2025 10:31:15 +0000The European Union does not want to be sidelined in the debate on the future protection of Ukraine. The bloc is even considering becoming involved militarily and with civil missions to deter a future attack from Russia, after a potential peace agreement is reached. The EU, according to the draft conclusions of the Special European Council convened Thursday and to which EL PAÍS has had access, is exploring resorting to the instruments of the common security and defense policy, which includes patrol operations, missions to strengthen national security, and the deployment of military forces under a European flag, such as those already involved in the Atalanta anti-piracy mission in the Red Sea or supporting the Mozambican army.

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]]>THOMAS COEX<![CDATA[Trump’s expansionist threats herald a stormy relationship between the US and its allies]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-01-09/trumps-expansionist-threats-herald-a-stormy-relationship-between-the-us-and-its-allies.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-01-09/trumps-expansionist-threats-herald-a-stormy-relationship-between-the-us-and-its-allies.htmlThu, 09 Jan 2025 11:37:52 +0000It is no longer just outbursts. Donald Trump has gone a step further and has moved on to threats: the use of military pressure against Greenland, a territory that belongs to a European and NATO partner, Denmark. An economic boycott against Canada. A Gulf of Mexico converted, by decree, into the “Gulf of America.” Economic and military obstacles to Panama to force it to return the canal that Washington handed over under the agreements reached during Jimmy Carter’s presidency (1977-1981).

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]]>Thomas Traasdahl<![CDATA[Musk and Putin’s dual interference in Europe ]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-01-06/musk-and-putins-dual-interference-in-europe.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-01-06/musk-and-putins-dual-interference-in-europe.htmlMon, 06 Jan 2025 15:07:00 +0000Interference in western politics is no longer just coming from Russia. There is another figure bent on meddling in the European democratic process. And his interference is causing nervousness in a number of capitals in the run up to the general elections in Germany, the EU’s most powerful economy and populated country.

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]]>Patrick Pleul<![CDATA[Kaja Kallas: ‘Russia has been humiliated in Syria. They were there, but their thoughts were elsewhere’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-12/kaja-kallas-russia-has-been-humiliated-in-syria-they-were-there-but-their-thoughts-were-elsewhere.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-12-12/kaja-kallas-russia-has-been-humiliated-in-syria-they-were-there-but-their-thoughts-were-elsewhere.htmlThu, 12 Dec 2024 18:25:59 +0000It is her eleventh day in office as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Kaja Kallas (Tallinn, 1977) has already faced a new development on the burning international geopolitical chessboard: the fall of Syrian autocrat Bashar al-Assad and the seizure of power in Damascus by Syrian rebel groups. The former Estonian prime minister, a liberal politician who has for years been one of the clearest voices against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin’s various war formulas, now speaks with uncertainty about the future of the Arab country, after almost 15 years of civil war.

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]]>Andrew Harnik<![CDATA[Trump’s victory rocks the EU amid the rise of the far right and populism]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-11-06/trumps-victory-rocks-the-eu-amid-the-rise-of-the-far-right-and-populism.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-11-06/trumps-victory-rocks-the-eu-amid-the-rise-of-the-far-right-and-populism.htmlWed, 06 Nov 2024 15:13:29 +0000Europe is a little more alone on the international stage as of Wednesday. The victory of the Republican populist Donald Trump in the U.S. elections has shaken the European Union. The return of the unpredictable magnate to the White House has major implications for the security of the EU, which depends heavily on the American umbrella and which may be left as almost the only significant support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. With Trump, an escalation of the trade war between Washington and Beijing is looming, with consequences for the EU bloc, and an increase in tariffs that could take a heavy toll on the member states. The euro has already suffered and is losing around 2% against the dollar, which is rising against all currencies.

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]]>Win McNamee<![CDATA[World braces for Trump victory with far-reaching consequences]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/elections/2024-11-05/the-world-braces-for-close-us-election-with-far-reaching-consequences.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/elections/2024-11-05/the-world-braces-for-close-us-election-with-far-reaching-consequences.htmlWed, 06 Nov 2024 08:10:20 +0000The result of the United States presidential election will have far-reaching consequences beyond its borders. In Russia and Israel, the expectation was a victory for the Republican Party candidate, former president Donald Trump, which would also be welcomed ultra-right governments such as those in Argentina or Hungary. In Brussels and Ukraine, confidence was high that the winner would be the Democratic Party candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, who would maintain the current relationship with the EU and support for Kyiv in the face of the Russian invasion. In China, officials from the world’s second-largest power are skeptical about the possibility of dialogue with Washington improving substantially over the next four years in either case.

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]]>Mohammed Salem<![CDATA[‘Illegal’ spies: The Kremlin’s secret tool in its war against the West]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-08-12/illegal-spies-the-kremlins-secret-tool-in-its-war-against-the-west.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-08-12/illegal-spies-the-kremlins-secret-tool-in-its-war-against-the-west.htmlMon, 12 Aug 2024 14:28:26 +0000When Anna Dultseva and Artem Dultsev spoke to reporters from one of Moscow’s biggest television stations to praise the authorities that had rescued them from a Slovenian prison, they did so in very rusty Russian. The married couple, spies in the service of the Kremlin and two of the protagonists of the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War, have spent so much time clinging to their false identity — that of an enterprising Argentine couple based in Slovenia — that their mother tongue has suffered. Their children, an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, who have been raised at home in Spanish, don’t speak it at all. For spies in such deep cover, speaking Russian, thinking in Russian and even dreaming in Russian is strictly forbidden. And they train for years to perform their duties.

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]]>KIRILL ZYKOV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POO<![CDATA[Who, when and how Europeans are voting: Keys to the most important elections in EU history]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-06-07/who-when-and-how-europeans-are-voting-keys-to-the-most-important-elections-in-eu-history.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-06-07/who-when-and-how-europeans-are-voting-keys-to-the-most-important-elections-in-eu-history.htmlFri, 07 Jun 2024 14:50:13 +0000Between June 6 and 9, more than 360 million European citizens are being called to elect the 720 men and women who for the next five years will make up the European Parliament, a body presented as the only multinational parliamentary assembly in the world elected by direct suffrage. This year’s will be the 10th time that voters elect the most democratic branch of the EU’s institutions, a practice that began in 1979. The DNA of the bloc is undergoing a transformation process as a reflection of the geopolitical challenges of the world, with enormous external challenges —such as Russia’s war against Ukraine— and internal —such as the predicted rise of political groups with Eurosceptic overtones that are promising to walk back the current model. In the middle of this difficult situation, the EU has made a great effort to encourage voting and achieve high turnout. The challenge is to maintain or exceed the 50.6% rate registered in 2019, the highest since 1994.

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]]>Ramon van Flymen<![CDATA[Palestine attempts to shift axis of discussion over Gaza to Europe due to US support for Israel]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-05-28/palestine-attempts-to-shift-axis-of-discussion-over-gaza-to-europe-due-to-us-support-for-israel.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-05-28/palestine-attempts-to-shift-axis-of-discussion-over-gaza-to-europe-due-to-us-support-for-israel.htmlTue, 28 May 2024 11:15:02 +0000Palestine and the Arab countries are mobilizing to turn the axis of discussion on the war in Gaza towards Europe in the face of U.S. support for Israel. Washington is the most influential partner in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, but it has been much less forceful about the Israeli army’s human rights violations in Gaza and in imposing its demands for containment. With that premise, Mohamed Mustafa — the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), a technocratic government with which the U.S. and the European Union aspire to convince Israel to allow him take the reins of the post-war Strip — has presented to several European countries a reform plan to “lead the reconstruction after a permanent ceasefire,” according to a document to which EL PAÍS has had access.

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]]>Anadolu<![CDATA[Fifteen countries ask Brussels to explore creating migrant centers outside the EU]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-05-16/fifteen-countries-ask-brussels-to-explore-creating-migrant-centers-outside-the-eu.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-05-16/fifteen-countries-ask-brussels-to-explore-creating-migrant-centers-outside-the-eu.htmlThu, 16 May 2024 15:01:51 +0000A group of 15 countries led by Denmark is demanding that the European Commission come up with “new ways” to stop the arrival of migrants in Europe. They propose that the European Union sign new migration pacts, similar to those signed with Tunisia, involving European funds in exchange for that country preventing departures. They also suggest “exploring” the creation outside EU territory of centers to send asylum seekers rescued at sea, following a model similar to the controversial one that Italy wants to implement in Albania and which goes one step further along the path of outsourcing all aspects of migration management.

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]]>ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI<![CDATA[Estonian Prime Minister: ‘It’s a question of when they will start the next war’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-18/estonian-prime-minister-its-a-question-of-when-they-will-start-the-next-war.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-18/estonian-prime-minister-its-a-question-of-when-they-will-start-the-next-war.htmlThu, 18 Apr 2024 22:55:09 +0000Kaja Kallas is one of the clearest voices in saying that Ukraine must win the war against Russia and Vladimir Putin must lose it. The Estonian prime minister, a liberal politician who has raised taxes in her country to devote more funds to security because of the Russian threat, has spearheaded decisive EU initiatives to support Kyiv and urges EU and NATO countries to invest more in defense; the Kremlin has put her on its wanted list. Putin has not abandoned his imperialist aims, Kallas says, and he will not stop at Ukraine if he succeeds in conquering it. And that will not only affect Russia’s neighbors but everyone.

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]]>Delmi Álvarez<![CDATA[The EU envoy for peace in the Middle East: ‘Cutting off access to water and food is illegal’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-05/the-eu-envoy-for-peace-in-the-middle-east-using-hunger-as-a-weapon-of-war-is-illegal.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-05/the-eu-envoy-for-peace-in-the-middle-east-using-hunger-as-a-weapon-of-war-is-illegal.htmlFri, 05 Apr 2024 13:35:33 +0000The European Union’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Sven Koopmans, states that the situation in Gaza, under Israeli strikes and with hardly any access to humanitarian aid, is “absolutely atrocious and beyond comprehension.” Koopmans defends the need to stop the conflict and find a sustainable solution. A Dutch lawyer and diplomat who had been working on the peace process for almost three years and has had to recalibrate the EU’s plans after the Hamas attacks of October 7, Koopmans proposes a comprehensive project, with security guarantees for Israel —“it will only make peace if it feels safe enough”—and a free Palestine. He also urges food deliveries to the Strip, where children are dying of hunger, to end the killing and to free the hostages.

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]]>Delmi Alvarez<![CDATA[NATO warns of Russia’s attempts to destabilize Bosnia, Moldova and Georgia, the weakest links in Europe]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-03/nato-warns-of-russias-attempts-to-destabilize-bosnia-moldova-and-georgia-the-weakest-links-in-europe.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-03/nato-warns-of-russias-attempts-to-destabilize-bosnia-moldova-and-georgia-the-weakest-links-in-europe.htmlWed, 03 Apr 2024 10:13:54 +0000NATO considers Russia to be its “most significant and direct threat.” But now, with the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine at a stalemate and amid the turbulent global geopolitical context, the Atlantic Alliance is analyzing whether to add something more to its Strategic Concept and the steps it must take in its future relationship with Moscow. NATO does not want to limit its analysis and action on Russia to Ukraine, as it is also seriously concerned about the Kremlin’s increased influence and destabilization operations in Bosnia, Moldova and Georgia — three of the weakest links in Europe — and in North Africa and the Sahel region of Africa, where Moscow-linked paramilitary organizations have a growing presence. In a confidential report, NATO warns of the Kremlin’s actions in these areas and opens a debate on how to respond to the threat.

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]]>Darko Vojinovic<![CDATA[Spies, agents of influence and disinformation: Russia redoubles its operations ahead of the European elections]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-01/spies-agents-of-influence-and-disinformation-russia-redoubles-its-operations-ahead-of-the-european-elections.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-01/spies-agents-of-influence-and-disinformation-russia-redoubles-its-operations-ahead-of-the-european-elections.htmlMon, 01 Apr 2024 10:27:38 +0000Russia is using several tools in its hybrid war in Europe: espionage, disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and influence operations to interfere and destabilize. A little more than two months before crucial European Parliament elections, the European Union has warned in several internal reports, to which EL PAÍS has had access, that the Kremlin is redoubling its efforts. Now, the latest coordinated operation by several European secret services against a Kremlin influence network has set alarm bells ringing. Under investigation is whether MEPs from far-right parties received payments for their “collaborations” with an article-publishing platform “promoting” Russian propaganda. Investigators believe that politicians from the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands and Hungary may be involved, but have not ruled out that the network has also been active with lawmakers from other EU member states.

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]]>Mikhail Metzel<![CDATA[The West fears Putin will use Moscow attack to increase domestic repression and aggression in Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-24/the-west-fears-putin-will-use-moscow-attack-to-increase-domestic-repression-and-aggression-in-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-24/the-west-fears-putin-will-use-moscow-attack-to-increase-domestic-repression-and-aggression-in-ukraine.htmlSun, 24 Mar 2024 11:42:39 +0000The U.S. had warned Russia this month of the risk of a terrorist attack in Moscow, specifically from ISIS-K, the Afghanistan-based branch of the Islamic State. In the climate of distrust and antagonism marking relations between Washington and Moscow over the war in Ukraine, the warnings were dismissed by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who regarded them as a provocation. These warnings failed to prevent the worst attack that Russia has endured in two decades, a massacre that has claimed more than 130 lives. This tragedy that could have been avoided comes as a major blow to Putin, who has striven to portray himself as a guarantor of stability and to cultivate his security structure. Against that background, the Kremlin has hinted at an alleged Ukrainian involvement. However, Washington stresses that it sees no reason to doubt ISIS’s claim of responsibility. Diplomatic and intelligence sources agree with this assessment, fearing that the Kremlin will use the alleged Kyiv link to ramp up its escalation in the invaded country. They also fear that it could be used to conduct another round of recruitments and impose a harsher security regime in Russia.

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]]>SERGEI ILNITSKY<![CDATA[Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal: ‘We are not asking for troops from our European partners, but for military instructors’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-21/ukrainian-prime-minister-denys-shmyhal-we-are-not-asking-for-troops-from-our-european-partners-but-for-military-instructors.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-21/ukrainian-prime-minister-denys-shmyhal-we-are-not-asking-for-troops-from-our-european-partners-but-for-military-instructors.htmlThu, 21 Mar 2024 11:17:06 +0000In the European Union, more and more warnings are being sounded about the threat of Russia. But two years after Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, 48, argues that the Kremlin is already carrying out a hybrid war in EU countries, with cyber attacks and other actions. On a visit to Brussels, where he met with the leaders of EU institutions, he also warned that this year is crucial for the EU — the European Parliament is holding elections in June — and also for Ukraine, which hopes to maintain the support of the United States.

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]]><![CDATA[Portugal’s electoral outcome sparks concerns over right-wing populism in Europe]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-12/portugals-electoral-outcome-sparks-concerns-over-right-wing-populism-in-europe.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-12/portugals-electoral-outcome-sparks-concerns-over-right-wing-populism-in-europe.htmlTue, 12 Mar 2024 14:35:23 +0000The upcoming European elections in June will pose a challenge for European conservatives and Christian Democrats. The fate of the long-standing coalition between populists and social democrats in the European Parliament hangs in the balance. Recent events in Portugal, where the center-right alliance barely clinched victory and the extreme right gained ground, highlight the complexities faced by the populist coalition. The broader focus is on the crucial European Parliament elections in June, which will serve as a barometer for the European Union (EU) during challenging times. Polls indicate a rise in support for ultra-conservative and populist parties. The European People’s Party (EPP) faces the task of identifying acceptable right-wing factions and potential alliances, as seen in Italy’s recent political landscape where conservative support lifted far-right Giorgia Meloni to power.

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]]>Liesa Johannssen<![CDATA[Europe gets ready for war]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-04/europe-gets-ready-for-war.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-03-04/europe-gets-ready-for-war.htmlMon, 04 Mar 2024 11:43:21 +0000More ammunition, more weapons production, more investment and coordination in defense capabilities. Europe is on the warpath. EU member states are increasing their spending in defense and the European Union — a project aimed at maintaining peace without a military component — is now metamorphosing into a model with a strong focus on defense, as it aims to protect itself from external threats in turbulent times.

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]]>Efrem Lukatsky<![CDATA[Ukraine, year three: The moment of survival ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-25/ukraine-year-three-the-moment-of-survival.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-25/ukraine-year-three-the-moment-of-survival.htmlSun, 25 Feb 2024 11:42:34 +0000The first months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw resistance prevail. Then came the time for the liberation of the territories captured by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with financial support and weapons sent by the Western allies. This was followed by a long-awaited counteroffensive, which ultimately did not come to fruition.

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]]><![CDATA[Top NATO countries back Holland’s Mark Rutte to be the next Secretary General]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-23/top-nato-countries-back-hollands-mark-rutte-to-be-the-next-secretary-general.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-23/top-nato-countries-back-hollands-mark-rutte-to-be-the-next-secretary-general.htmlFri, 23 Feb 2024 00:09:19 +0000On Thursday, acting Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, gained a major boost in his efforts to become the next NATO Secretary General, after receiving the support of the United Kingdom, Germany and France and, especially, the United States. Representatives of Joe Biden’s administration have confirmed that he supports the Dutchman’s candidacy — although the U.S. president has not yet made a public statement — for a post that will require the incumbent to manage the Alliance’s support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. In addition, in the event of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the NATO secretary general will need to navigate the foreseeable tensions between the organization’s main partner and the rest of the member countries.

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]]>PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDO<![CDATA[Charles Michel: ‘A defeat for Ukraine would have devastating effects for Europe and the world’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-22/charles-michel-a-defeat-for-ukraine-would-have-devastating-effects-for-europe-and-the-world.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-22/charles-michel-a-defeat-for-ukraine-would-have-devastating-effects-for-europe-and-the-world.htmlThu, 22 Feb 2024 17:38:16 +0000European Council President Charles Michel is clear about what will happen if Russia wins the war in Ukraine. “A defeat for Ukraine cannot be an option. We all understand very well what the devastating consequences would be for Europe and for the values we represent. And for the world. That is why it is crucial to act,” he said on Wednesday in a conversation in Brussels with five European media outlets, including EL PAÍS.

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]]>JOHANNA GERON<![CDATA[Von der Leyen gearing up for second term as president of the European Commission]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-19/von-der-leyen-gearing-up-for-second-term-as-president-of-the-european-commission.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-19/von-der-leyen-gearing-up-for-second-term-as-president-of-the-european-commission.htmlMon, 19 Feb 2024 17:18:40 +0000Ursula von der Leyen, the first woman to head the European Commission, is gearing up to run for a second term. The politician who has run the Brussels institution and played a very prominent role in a European Union in turmoil — including a pandemic and a war on the continent — informed her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on Monday in Berlin of her desire to remain as head of the EU executive body. The party gave her their support, putting her in a strong position to retain the post.

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]]>OLIVIER HOSLET<![CDATA[With dissent struck down, Putin feels increasingly strong]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-19/with-dissent-struck-down-putin-feels-increasingly-strong.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-19/with-dissent-struck-down-putin-feels-increasingly-strong.htmlMon, 19 Feb 2024 10:17:20 +0000Russia is suffocating from repression, fear and apathy. In his bunker — both his physical one and his mental one — Vladimir Putin has executed yet another move in his favor. He feels strong. He has permanently silenced Alexei Navalny, the charismatic opponent who had challenged him to the point of returning to Russia despite the threat of ending up dead. A threat that has now been fulfilled.

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]]><![CDATA[Alexei Navalny, the enemy of the Kremlin who defied death]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-16/alexei-navalny-the-enemy-of-the-kremlin-who-defied-death.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-16/alexei-navalny-the-enemy-of-the-kremlin-who-defied-death.htmlFri, 16 Feb 2024 16:44:23 +0000Alexei Navalny was, until the Kremlin succeeded in silencing him, the most outspoken, loquacious, and well-known critic of Vladimir Putin outside Russia. The oppositionist, who survived several attacks on his life, the last a serious poisoning in the summer of 2020 in Siberia by the Russian secret services, has died at 47 in a remote Russian penal colony, according to prison authorities. Navalny was a charismatic figure dedicated to the anti-corruption fight who uncovered dozens of cases involving the Russian elite and the orbit of the Kremlin, first on his blog and then on his online channels. He returned to Moscow after spending a few months in Germany, where he was treated for the poisoning, knowing that he would be arrested, prosecuted, and removed from the public eye in a country ruled by the security apparatus, headed by an autocrat and former KGB spy obsessed with history, and which for years has crushed all dissent.

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]]>Grigory Dukor<![CDATA[NATO to set up training center to improve readiness of Ukrainian troops]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-15/nato-to-set-up-training-center-to-improve-readiness-of-ukrainian-troops.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-15/nato-to-set-up-training-center-to-improve-readiness-of-ukrainian-troops.htmlThu, 15 Feb 2024 12:39:01 +0000NATO is to establish a training, analysis, and defense education center for Ukrainian troops. The new project, which will complement the EU training mission and programs that allies such as Spain already have in place, seeks to help Kyiv not only in the military preparation of its soldiers and personnel, but also to train them in the strategy and management of defense administration, according to allied sources. The aim is to raise the level of support for Ukraine and to help bring its forces up to NATO standards, with Kyiv hoping to one day join the Alliance.

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]]>ALINA SMUTKO<![CDATA[Trump’s comments on mutual defense pledge sound alarm bells in NATO]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-13/trumps-comments-on-mutual-defense-pledge-sound-alarm-bells-in-nato.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-13/trumps-comments-on-mutual-defense-pledge-sound-alarm-bells-in-nato.htmlTue, 13 Feb 2024 11:36:48 +0000The prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House amid Russia’s threat, the rise of China and the worst war scenario in half a century is of serious concern to NATO and its allies. At a Saturday rally, Trump — who is the front-runner to win the Republican Party’s presidential nomination — warned NATO allies that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that do not spend 2% of their GDP on defense.

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]]>OLIVIER MATTHYS<![CDATA[EU pressures Viktor Orbán to lift Hungarian veto on funds for Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-30/eu-pressures-viktor-orban-to-lift-hungarian-veto-on-funds-for-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-30/eu-pressures-viktor-orban-to-lift-hungarian-veto-on-funds-for-ukraine.htmlTue, 30 Jan 2024 13:08:28 +0000The European Union is running out of patience with Hungary. The “level of frustration” of the member states with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his blocking of the financial lifeline to keep Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion afloat has risen sharply. Several diplomatic sources have been quite blunt on the matter. In a key week for Kyiv, several leaders are launching what could be a final warning to Hungary to give the green light to the approval of €50 billion ($54 billion) over four years for Ukraine within the EU budget at a European summit convened to address the issue on Thursday. Brussels continues to pressurize and negotiate while Budapest, which showed signs Monday that — with conditions and concessions — it could accept an agreement, has criticized EU “blackmail,” an accusation that is mutual.

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]]>MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND<![CDATA[Ukrainian resistance against Russia in the frozen trenches of Kupiansk: ‘They launch constant attacks’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-11/ukrainian-resistance-against-russia-in-the-frozen-trenches-of-kupiansk-they-launch-constant-attacks.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-11/ukrainian-resistance-against-russia-in-the-frozen-trenches-of-kupiansk-they-launch-constant-attacks.htmlThu, 11 Jan 2024 14:28:36 +0000Major Nafania advances through the snow-covered forest at a steady pace. Just two years ago, this miner with a narrow smile, born in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, could not imagine himself like this, with a rifle on his shoulder, in an icy trench on the eastern front of Kupiansk, with a brigade made up of other miners, warehouse managers, operators, a store manager, drivers, a financial analyst... all turned into military men, holding one of the hottest positions on the extensive front line of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Nafania, the nom de guerre of the commanding officer of the 40th Separate Rifle Brigade (Kodak), points to a hole in the ground where the trees are bleached. And another one beyond. “These are the remains of the Russians. This area was occupied, now they want it back,” he mumbles. A buzzing sound precedes the explosion of a missile. The artillery barrage thunders. The Russian positions are a little over a mile away. The Kremlin wants to encircle this whole sector and is giving the defender no respite.

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]]>MARÍA SAHUQUILLO<![CDATA[Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba: ‘Putin does not want a frozen conflict, or peace’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-08/ukraine-foreign-minister-dmytro-kuleba-putin-does-not-want-a-frozen-conflict-or-peace.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-08/ukraine-foreign-minister-dmytro-kuleba-putin-does-not-want-a-frozen-conflict-or-peace.htmlMon, 08 Jan 2024 16:42:03 +0000Dmytro Kuleba is deeply convinced that Ukraine “will prevail.” But at a time when Western support seems to be wavering and Russia’s war against Ukraine has become a battle of attrition, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister insists that support for Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government is also support for democracy, as he tries to rekindle in his allies that sense of urgency that was apparent in the first year of the Russian invasion. “Ukraine should be an issue that unites, not divides,” he remarks during an interview last Thursday at the Foreign Ministry, surrounded by sandbags in the face of a war that is approaching the 700-day mark. “Ukraine must win. Russia must lose. And all the political thinking should be centered around achieving this goal,” says Kuleba, who insists that Vladimir Putin is not interested in a frozen conflict, or in peace, that everything else is just noise and that none of Ukraine’s allies have put those options on the table. On February 1, the EU will again discuss a €50 billion financial lifeline for Ukraine — currently blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — while another similar aid package remains frozen in Washington. Kuleba believes the funds will come. “We do not have a plan B,” he insists.

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]]>ANATOLII STEPANOV<![CDATA[Night mission with a Ukrainian brigade operating bomb-carrying drones on the Bakhmut front ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-08/night-mission-with-a-ukrainian-brigade-operating-bomb-carrying-drones-on-the-bakhmut-front.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-08/night-mission-with-a-ukrainian-brigade-operating-bomb-carrying-drones-on-the-bakhmut-front.htmlMon, 08 Jan 2024 16:13:57 +0000The sun fades into the hills of Donbas region. The driver turns off the lights, accelerates and travels — almost by memory — down the potholed road to the position from which the team will launch its drones against the Russian troops.

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]]>María Sahuquillo<![CDATA[Ukraine gears up military recruitment in war with Russia]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-06/ukraine-gears-up-military-recruitment-in-war-with-russia.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-06/ukraine-gears-up-military-recruitment-in-war-with-russia.htmlSat, 06 Jan 2024 17:31:44 +0000Ukraine is getting ready to expand its military recruitment efforts for its war with Russia. The Rada legislature is currently considering a bill proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration to lower the military service age from 27 to 25; impose stricter penalties for draft evasion; and require Ukrainians living abroad to keep their military documents up to date.

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]]>Anadolu<![CDATA[Russia launches its ‘zombie’ soldiers against Avdiivka, the fiercest front in Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-04/russia-launches-its-zombie-soldiers-against-avdiivka-the-fiercest-front-in-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-04/russia-launches-its-zombie-soldiers-against-avdiivka-the-fiercest-front-in-ukraine.htmlThu, 04 Jan 2024 11:10:55 +0000The apocalyptic image shows a field overgrown with weeds and littered with motionless bodies in green military uniforms. “They’re Russians, look at them,” Stella mutters. Some of the bodies rise after a few minutes. Most do not. “After that, others will come, and then more, like sleepwalkers. We see it every day,” says the soldier, serving with an aerial reconnaissance unit on the Avdiivka front in Donetsk province, the focus of the fiercest fighting in the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine. Russian forces have been pouring in like this for weeks, in waves, like zombies, against the industrial city of Avdiivka, an anthill of tunnels, factories, bunkers and trenches thrown up during the 2014 war in Donbas. Russia punishes it with constant shelling, as it did earlier in the war in the Battle of Bakhmut. Avdiivka today a heap of rubble, sinkholes, and buildings shattered by shells. Another frozen hell.

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]]>María Sahuquillo<![CDATA[Russia places death toll from Ukrainian strikes on Belgorod at 24 and launches retaliatory attacks]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-31/russia-places-death-toll-from-ukrainian-strikes-on-belgorod-at-24-and-launches-retaliatory-attacks.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-31/russia-places-death-toll-from-ukrainian-strikes-on-belgorod-at-24-and-launches-retaliatory-attacks.htmlSun, 31 Dec 2023 20:52:31 +0000Russia has raised the death toll from Saturday’s attacks on Belgorod, Bryansk, and other cities in the southwest of the country to 24, including three children, with more than 100 people wounded. The Kremlin claimed that the strikes hit civilian buildings and has vowed to punish Ukraine. On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, Russian forces launched a barrage of missiles and drones against Kharkiv, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Russian border, mainly targeting apartment blocks, a cafeteria, a kindergarten, and a hotel where international aid workers and journalists often stay. Some 30 people have been wounded in the retaliatory strikes. Russian attacks have also hit other regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Kherson in the south.

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]]>YAKIV LIASHENKO<![CDATA[The Kremlin claims Ukraine launched missile and drone attack against Russia]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-30/the-kremlin-claims-ukraine-launched-missile-and-drone-attack-against-russia.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-30/the-kremlin-claims-ukraine-launched-missile-and-drone-attack-against-russia.htmlSat, 30 Dec 2023 15:21:39 +0000A day after launching one of the largest attacks on Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, Russia claimed on Saturday that Kyiv launched 13 missiles and 32 drones on the Russian regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Oryol, Kursk (near the border with Ukraine) and Moscow. Local authorities say several people were killed in the attack, including three children, while many more were injured.

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]]>RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY<![CDATA[Russia launches one of its biggest combined drone and missile strikes across Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-29/russia-launches-one-of-its-biggest-combined-drone-and-missile-strikes-across-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-29/russia-launches-one-of-its-biggest-combined-drone-and-missile-strikes-across-ukraine.htmlFri, 29 Dec 2023 21:36:59 +0000It was a massive hail of missiles and drones. On Friday, large explosions and rattling windows awakened many residents of Dnipro and other major Ukrainian cities, forcing people to seek shelter as the 674th day of the war came to an end. Early this morning, Russia launched a massive combined attack of drones and missiles, in which it targeted hospitals, schools, factories, shopping malls, apartments and warehouses in Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Dnipro; these are large towns located far from the frontlines, where citizens have settled into a new normal. The attack was one of the largest of its kind since the Kremlin launched the full-scale invasion. The Kremlin’s offensive occurred three days after Ukraine destroyed a Russian warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia, dealing a major blow to the Russian navy. There are at least 18 dead and dozens wounded across the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has put the number of missiles that Moscow launched on Ukrainian territory at 110, in addition to drones. In total, there were about 150 projectiles. According to the president, air defenses intercepted most of them.

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]]>GLEB GARANICH<![CDATA[Two million Ukrainian civil servants face salary cut-off if Western aid dries up]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-28/two-million-ukrainian-civil-servants-face-salary-cut-off-if-western-aid-dries-up.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-28/two-million-ukrainian-civil-servants-face-salary-cut-off-if-western-aid-dries-up.htmlThu, 28 Dec 2023 10:30:08 +0000Ukraine needs the economic lifeline of its Western allies. Without a fresh injection of funds to keep the machinery of state running, Kyiv — which has been at war with Russia for almost 700 days and which devotes a large part of its budget to defense — will be forced to leave up to two million public employees with unpaid salaries and a further million without social benefits in the first quarter of 2024. These are the conclusions of an analysis of the country’s financial situation sent by the government of Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the United States, the European Union and other Western allies, and to which EL PAÍS has had access. Ukraine has urged Washington and Brussels to move forward with aid packages totaling some €100 billion ($110 billion), which remain frozen and pending approval due to political friction in the U.S. Congress and the European Parliament.

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]]>KATERYNA KLOCHKO<![CDATA[Zaluzhnyi vs Zelenskiy: Ukrainian commander-in-chief challenges president over recruitment strategy]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-27/zaluzhnyi-vs-zelenskiy-ukrainian-commander-in-chief-challenges-president-over-recruitment-strategy.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-27/zaluzhnyi-vs-zelenskiy-ukrainian-commander-in-chief-challenges-president-over-recruitment-strategy.htmlWed, 27 Dec 2023 13:26:46 +0000The decision to recruit more soldiers and the strategy to achieve this goal has further distanced Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. General Zaluzhni challenged the Ukrainian leader on Tuesday by criticizing the government’s strategy to mobilize more troops to fight Russia’s full-scale invasion. “I am not satisfied with the work of the [recruitment offices],” Zaluzhni said at a rare press conference in Kyiv.

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]]>VALENTYN OGIRENKO<![CDATA[With a long war looming, Ukraine stares into the abyss ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-26/with-a-long-war-looming-ukraine-stares-into-the-abyss.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-26/with-a-long-war-looming-ukraine-stares-into-the-abyss.htmlTue, 26 Dec 2023 14:56:44 +0000Three days a week, Marina and Artem go to class underground. Their school is a prefabricated cubicle installed in the Kharkiv metro. The choice of location is meant to protect children from Russian attacks, in what was once Ukraine’s second-most populous city.

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]]>Libkos<![CDATA[Zelenskiy: ‘I asked Orbán why he doesn’t support us being in the EU. He was not able to give me an answer’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-20/zelenskiy-i-asked-orban-why-he-doesnt-support-us-being-in-the-eu-he-was-not-able-to-give-me-an-answer.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-20/zelenskiy-i-asked-orban-why-he-doesnt-support-us-being-in-the-eu-he-was-not-able-to-give-me-an-answer.htmlWed, 20 Dec 2023 12:42:06 +0000The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is convinced that the EU’s €50 billion financial lifeline, vetoed by Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, will arrive “soon” along with more support from other allies. “We are working on it,” the Ukrainian leader said Tuesday in Kyiv, at his annual press conference. Zelenskiy has defined the EU’s decision to open accession talks as a “great victory” for Ukraine, after Hungary lifted its opposition. He recognized, however, that the relationship with the Hungarian nationalist-populist prime minister, who he met in Buenos Aires a few days ago, is complex. “In Argentina, I asked Orbán why he doesn’t support us being in the EU. He wasn’t able to tell me,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Perhaps his policy is not very friendly towards Ukraine, although we are neighbors and have common challenges,” he remarked.

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]]>Associated Press/LaPresse<![CDATA[Western support for Ukraine is wearing thin ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-12/western-support-for-ukraine-is-wearing-thin.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-12/western-support-for-ukraine-is-wearing-thin.htmlTue, 12 Dec 2023 15:49:30 +0000The West promised to sustain and support Ukraine as long as necessary. That statement has become a motto: almost every Western leader sprinkles it in their speeches. But with the full-scale invasion of Russia heading into its 700th day, that slogan is losing steam.

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]]>Getty Images<![CDATA[EU raises list of trade complaints with China at bilateral summit]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-07/eu-raises-list-of-trade-complaints-with-china-at-bilateral-summit.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-07/eu-raises-list-of-trade-complaints-with-china-at-bilateral-summit.htmlThu, 07 Dec 2023 12:22:42 +0000The European Union and China are holding talks in Beijing on Thursday amid global conflicts and rising tensions. But there is no expectation that the meeting will make a significant geopolitical impact, as it is seen as a mere formality for both sides.

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]]>Huang Jingwen <![CDATA[The EU favors self-regulation in new AI law]]>https://english.elpais.com/technology/2023-12-05/the-eu-favors-self-regulation-in-new-ai-law.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/technology/2023-12-05/the-eu-favors-self-regulation-in-new-ai-law.htmlTue, 05 Dec 2023 14:45:55 +0000Who bears the responsibility for overseeing the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), particularly foundation models like ChatGPT? The debate over a new European Union (EU) directive on the revolutionary and highly disruptive AI technology is leaning towards self-regulation. Documents reviewed by EL PAÍS show that Spain, the current European Council (EC) president, supports a self-regulatory approach with limited obligations. Several EC Member States advocate implementing codes of conduct for companies, along with intermediate supervision layers. The European Parliament (EP) seeks a stronger framework, while influential countries like France, Italy, and Germany argue that strict oversight could hinder innovation in European research and companies. European regulators are trailing behind the United States, which has already implemented legislation requiring technology companies to promptly report advancements posing significant risks to national security.

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]]>Peter Morgan<![CDATA[Israeli offensive in southern Gaza puts US leverage to the test]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-03/israeli-offensive-in-southern-gaza-puts-us-leverage-to-the-test.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-03/israeli-offensive-in-southern-gaza-puts-us-leverage-to-the-test.htmlSun, 03 Dec 2023 17:02:08 +0000The United States is standing with Israel on “its duty and responsibility” to defeat Hamas, President Joe Biden’s administration publicly insists. However, while outwardly expressing its support for Israel and blaming the radical Palestinian militia for the collapse of the pause in the hostage exchange, behind the scenes Washington is pressuring its ally to change tactics in its war in Gaza. The second phase of the offensive, in the south of the Strip, Washington insists, must involve greater protection for a civilian population that is even more concentrated in a smaller area.

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]]>MIRIAM ALSTER / POOL<![CDATA[EU chief of humanitarian aid: ‘We hope the agreement will allow a substantial surge in aid delivery for Gaza and that it will not be a one-off’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-24/eu-chief-of-humanitarian-aid-we-hope-the-agreement-will-allow-a-substantial-surge-in-aid-delivery-for-gaza-and-that-it-will-not-be-a-one-off.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-24/eu-chief-of-humanitarian-aid-we-hope-the-agreement-will-allow-a-substantial-surge-in-aid-delivery-for-gaza-and-that-it-will-not-be-a-one-off.htmlFri, 24 Nov 2023 15:42:24 +0000On the brink of disaster, Gaza’s needs are overwhelming. In anticipation of the outcome of the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas to broker a swap of 50 civilian hostages in exchange for a four-day humanitarian ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners, the EU, the main donor to the Palestinians and Israel’s trading partner, is pressing for water, medicine, food and fuel to reach the Strip as a matter of urgency. The person in charge of the European side of this major aid operation, Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management and Humanitarian Aid, warns that ensuring basic supplies for the civilian population is an obligation for “all parties in the conflict.” In his office in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Lenarčič (Ljubljana, 56 years old) details the EU’s response and talks about the future: one where he sees no alternative but the two-state solution — Israel and Palestine.

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]]>OLIVIER HOSLET<![CDATA[US optimistic about deal between Israel and Hamas for release of Gaza hostages ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-21/us-optimistic-about-deal-between-israel-and-hamas-for-release-of-gaza-hostages.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-21/us-optimistic-about-deal-between-israel-and-hamas-for-release-of-gaza-hostages.htmlTue, 21 Nov 2023 10:46:03 +0000An agreement between Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages in Gaza, in exchange for a pause in the Israeli bombardment of the Strip, seems close. U.S. President Joe Biden himself expressed this view on Monday; asked at the White House if such a deal would be announced soon, he replied, “I think so.” Negotiations to secure the release of some of the 240 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza since the militia’s incursion into Israel on October 7 appear to have entered their final stage, and senior U.S. officials are optimistic that a deal could be reached in a matter of days. This is also the expectation in Brussels. The agreement would allow for the release of 50 detainees in exchange for a cessation of hostilities of four or five days.

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]]>POOL<![CDATA[EU seeks solutions for the day after Israel leaves Gaza]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-16/eu-seeks-solutions-for-the-day-after-israel-leaves-gaza.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-16/eu-seeks-solutions-for-the-day-after-israel-leaves-gaza.htmlThu, 16 Nov 2023 12:48:56 +0000As the crisis in the Gaza Strip, besieged and bombed by Israel in response to the Hamas attack of October 7, rages, the European Union is beginning to think about the day after the conflict. Member states and EU institutions have begun a process of reflection on possible solutions for the Strip following the end of the war. In the long term they all agree on the two-state solution, but they are also discussing possible shorter term, immediate measures to guarantee the security and rights of both Israelis and Palestinians once the Israeli army withdraws. Germany, for example, suggested a few weeks ago placing Gaza under the international protection of the United Nations. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, speaks of a Palestinian authority defined and decided by the U.N. Security Council, with the support of the Arab countries.

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]]>YVES HERMAN<![CDATA[EU warns that Rafah crossing is not allowing enough humanitarian aid into Gaza]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-14/eu-warns-that-rafah-crossing-is-not-allowing-enough-humanitarian-aid-into-gaza.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-14/eu-warns-that-rafah-crossing-is-not-allowing-enough-humanitarian-aid-into-gaza.htmlTue, 14 Nov 2023 08:40:59 +0000The situation in the Gaza Strip, besieged by Israel in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, has become critical. However, the European Union has not agreed to demand a ceasefire due to the categorical opposition of Austria and, to a lesser extent, Germany and the Czech Republic. Instead, the 27-member bloc demanded on Monday “immediate pauses” in hostilities so that humanitarian aid can reach Gaza.

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]]>OLIVIER MATTHYS<![CDATA[The West hardens its tone with Netanyahu over bombing of civilians in Gaza]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-13/the-west-hardens-its-tone-with-netanyahu-over-bombing-of-civilians-in-gaza.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-13/the-west-hardens-its-tone-with-netanyahu-over-bombing-of-civilians-in-gaza.htmlMon, 13 Nov 2023 11:50:49 +0000The West is hardening its tone towards Israel due to its bombings on civilians in the war against Hamas. Every day, there is more public criticism. And the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is greater.

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]]>EVELYN HOCKSTEIN<![CDATA[EU moves to ban Russian diamonds after months of negotiations]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-13/eu-moves-to-ban-russian-diamonds-after-months-of-negotiations.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-11-13/eu-moves-to-ban-russian-diamonds-after-months-of-negotiations.htmlMon, 13 Nov 2023 09:50:05 +0000More than 600 days after Russia began its large-scale invasion to destroy Ukraine’s sovereignty, the West continues to look for ways to strangle its war economy. Now, after months of negotiations, the European Union is moving to ban diamonds from Russia, which supplies a third of global demand. The move is linked to the G7 — the group made up of Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom (the EU is an unlisted member) — which is also discussing a ban on Russian diamonds.

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]]>JOHANNA GERON<![CDATA[EU gets caught up in semantic debates over a ceasefire to help Gaza]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-26/eu-gets-caught-up-in-semantic-debates-over-a-ceasefire-to-help-gaza.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-26/eu-gets-caught-up-in-semantic-debates-over-a-ceasefire-to-help-gaza.htmlThu, 26 Oct 2023 09:01:27 +0000While the Gaza Strip, besieged by the Israeli army in response to the attacks by the Islamist militia Hamas on October 7, teeters on the brink of a humanitarian collapse, the European Union is seeking a common term to describe a temporary pause in the bombings to allow much-needed aid to enter the area. Member states, however, are divided on how to do it: some partners consider the concept of a “ceasefire” too strong and advocate calling for “humanitarian pauses” or “humanitarian windows,” which they see as less permanent, EU sources said.

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]]>STRINGER<![CDATA[The victory of the liberal bloc in Poland contains the advance of the far right in Europe]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-18/the-victory-of-the-liberal-bloc-in-poland-contains-the-advance-of-the-far-right-in-europe.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-18/the-victory-of-the-liberal-bloc-in-poland-contains-the-advance-of-the-far-right-in-europe.htmlWed, 18 Oct 2023 09:15:37 +0000Poland is moving away from the Euroskeptic and far-right positions that have dominated the country in recent years. The liberal coalition led by the center-right Donald Tusk looks set to take power following elections on Saturday, representing an enormous change for the sixth-largest economy in the EU, but also for the Union as a whole. The defeat of Law and Justice (PiS) limits the power of the far right in Europe and returns the Eastern giant to the European path, after years in which the ultra-conservative party transformed Poland, once the top student of the EU’s 2004 enlargement, into a wayward partner that was admonished by Brussels for its violations of the rule of law, its reforms to control the justice system and the media and its opposition to a common migration policy,

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]]>JANEK SKARZYNSKI<![CDATA[EU fears regional escalation of conflict between Israel and Hamas ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-17/eu-fears-regional-escalation-of-conflict-between-israel-and-hamas.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-17/eu-fears-regional-escalation-of-conflict-between-israel-and-hamas.htmlTue, 17 Oct 2023 09:13:01 +0000The European Union is seriously concerned about the risk of a regional escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas. In addition to concern over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip, besieged by the Israeli army in response to attacks by the Islamist organization, there is also a situation that threatens to apply more heat to an already simmering geopolitical chessboard. Brussels is alarmed by the prospect of the violence spreading to the West Bank and Lebanon, and that Iran could also be drawn into the conflict. But the situation in Egypt is also causing anxiety: Cairo is keeping its crossing from Gaza closed and has refused to create a humanitarian corridor for Palestinians fleeing Israel’s attacks, amid fears that they will settle in the Sinai. The Egyptian government cites national security and concerns that the displacement of Palestinian refugees into its territory will become permanent.

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]]>WAEL HAMZEH<![CDATA[European Union ‘immediately’ suspends all aid to Palestine after Hamas attacks on Israel ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-09/european-union-immediately-suspends-all-aid-to-palestine-after-hamas-attacks-on-israel.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-09/european-union-immediately-suspends-all-aid-to-palestine-after-hamas-attacks-on-israel.htmlMon, 09 Oct 2023 17:13:09 +0000The European Commission has decided to “suspend all payments immediately” of development aid to Palestine in response to the Hamas attacks on Israel. “The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point. There can be no business as usual,” warned EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi on X (formerly Twitter). “As the biggest donor of the Palestinians, the European Commission is putting its full development portfolio under review,” worth a total of €691 million ($728 million), he added. The Commission’s decision comes after Germany and Austria also said they were suspending development aid for Palestinian territories, totaling some €144 million ($152 million).

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]]>Jennifer Jacquemart / HANDOUT<![CDATA[Olha Stefanishyna: ‘Ukraine’s EU accession talks should be started as soon as possible’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-05/olha-stefanishyna-ukraines-eu-accession-talks-should-be-started-as-soon-as-possible.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-05/olha-stefanishyna-ukraines-eu-accession-talks-should-be-started-as-soon-as-possible.htmlThu, 05 Oct 2023 16:43:15 +0000Olha Stefanishyna usually carries thick folders under her arm. She is the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. She is also the person who closely handles the dossiers of reforms that Ukraine has undertaken to ensure that the European Union opens negotiations that will end in the country’s long-awaited accession to the bloc. It was the large-scale war launched by the Kremlin that changed the European security architecture and triggered this idea of accession that, in the past, would have taken years. Now, Stefanishyna hopes that these conversations will be had as soon as possible. But first Ukraine has to receive a positive report from the European Commission on the extensive reforms required, especially in the rule of law and anti-corruption, issues that were discussed this Monday at the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv, where she went from bilateral meeting to another with her folders perfectly organized.

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]]>Global Images Ukraine<![CDATA[EU countries reach deal putting them closer to new immigration pact]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-04/eu-countries-reach-deal-putting-them-closer-to-new-immigration-pact.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-10-04/eu-countries-reach-deal-putting-them-closer-to-new-immigration-pact.htmlWed, 04 Oct 2023 14:46:19 +0000After years of negotiation, the 27 members of the European Union have closed the last chapter of the migration pact, one of the sources of greatest dispute in the EU in recent years. On Wednesday, the member states agreed on a “crisis regulation” for immigration that further restricts arrivals and asylum applications, according to the latest draft to which EL PAÍS has had access. This is the last leg of a long-awaited, comprehensive migration reform, which has been years in the making.

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]]>Salvamento Marítimo<![CDATA[Italy hinders compromise on the EU migration reform ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-29/italy-hinders-compromise-on-the-eu-migration-reform.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-29/italy-hinders-compromise-on-the-eu-migration-reform.htmlFri, 29 Sep 2023 14:14:55 +0000Last-minute pressure has not been enough to reach a compromise on the long-awaited European migration pact. The reluctance of the Italian government, determined to appear tough on immigration, is slowing down the approval process by the European Union on the Crisis Regulation. This is the last leg of the long-awaited migration reform, which has been years in the making.

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]]>JOHN THYS<![CDATA[Enlargement, Ukraine and the Green Deal: The EU faces a decisive moment ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-13/enlargement-ukraine-and-the-green-deal-the-eu-faces-a-decisive-moment.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-13/enlargement-ukraine-and-the-green-deal-the-eu-faces-a-decisive-moment.htmlWed, 13 Sep 2023 10:15:02 +0000The European Union heads into the new political year viewing it as a turning point for the future of the institution. The new term, the last before the next elections to the European Parliament in June 2024, arrives amid a process of political, budgetary, and geographical transformation of the EU with wide-ranging consequences. At a convulsive time, marked by Russia’s war in Ukraine, to which no swift end appears in sight, the EU must decide how to set its course for its next enlargement while addressing the challenge of maintaining the cohesion of a diverse bloc, implementing the European Green Deal and continuing to forge its position as a major geopolitical actor — above all in terms of security and defense — as Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission (EC) has been attempting to do in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion.

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]]>JULIEN WARNAND<![CDATA[Brussels fears Russia will extend influence in the Sahel following Niger coup]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-07/brussels-fears-russia-will-extend-influence-in-the-sahel-following-niger-coup.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-08-07/brussels-fears-russia-will-extend-influence-in-the-sahel-following-niger-coup.htmlMon, 07 Aug 2023 13:58:27 +0000The EU is extremely concerned about the military coup staged in Niger, considered the West’s last ally in the Sahel region, which is ravaged by the rise of extremism. The president, Mohamed Bazoum, ousted by a group of high-ranking military officials, is still being held by members of his security guard, according to EU sources. There are growing fears that Niger, a country of 25 million inhabitants, will now join the countries in the region governed by military juntas, such as Mali and Burkina Faso, in an environment of autocrats supported either directly or indirectly by the Kremlin. In addition to the humanitarian crisis and instability facing a nation that has endured years of extremist violence, Brussels fears that Russia will capitalize on the military uprising to extend its tentacles in the region and strengthen its influence in the Sahel, where the Wagner mercenary group is already operating, senior EU sources say.

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]]>ISSIFOU DJIBO<![CDATA[EU and Latin American leaders manage to agree on a lukewarm condemnation of the war in Ukraine amid Nicaraguan opposition ]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-18/eu-and-latin-american-leaders-manage-to-agree-on-a-lukewarm-condemnation-of-the-war-in-ukraine-amid-nicaraguan-opposition.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-18/eu-and-latin-american-leaders-manage-to-agree-on-a-lukewarm-condemnation-of-the-war-in-ukraine-amid-nicaraguan-opposition.htmlTue, 18 Jul 2023 20:43:08 +0000Disagreements over the degree of condemnation of Russia for its war in Ukraine have exposed cracks between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). After weeks of intense negotiations between the teams and two days of summit meetings to strengthen ties after an eight-year hiatus, the leaders failed to reach a unanimous position rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s large-scale invasion. The Nicaraguan regime — which has ties to the Kremlin and an autocratic record of serious attacks on human rights — blocked efforts to include an outright condemnation of Russia and tried to sabotage the statement. But it stood alone. On Tuesday, the rest of the countries — 59 in total — signed a somewhat watered-down communication that did not mention Russia, only the war against Ukraine. “We came away feeling that we had done our duty,” said the president of the European Council, Charles Michel.

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]]>JOHANNA GERON<![CDATA[Brussels identifies a hundred areas for investment in Latin America]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-17/brussels-identifies-a-hundred-areas-for-investment-in-latin-america.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-17/brussels-identifies-a-hundred-areas-for-investment-in-latin-america.htmlMon, 17 Jul 2023 12:13:44 +0000The European Union is striving to reactivate its relations with Latin America. The summit scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Brussels between the EU and CELAC —the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States— will be a great opportunity for the two continents. As the EU seeks new trading partners in light of China’s push in Latin America and the lessons learned from its dependence on Russia in the energy sector, the EU-27 are courting the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, one of the world’s largest raw material exporting regions. Brussels has already identified areas of investment through more than 100 specific projects, from one for the Bogotá metro to another on electric buses in Costa Rica, that can serve as spearheads to encourage European participation in the region, according to roadmaps that EL PAÍS has learned about.

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]]>NurPhoto<![CDATA[With NATO focused on Ukraine war, threats from the south take a back seat]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-13/with-nato-focused-on-ukraine-war-threats-from-the-south-take-a-back-seat.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-13/with-nato-focused-on-ukraine-war-threats-from-the-south-take-a-back-seat.htmlThu, 13 Jul 2023 09:10:05 +0000NATO faces a formidable set of threats on its eastern flank. The large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has sparked a far-reaching military and geopolitical confrontation. Further along the eastern axis, China continues to rise, causing concern among the Atlantic allies, which are strengthening ties with Pacific democracies that share the same concern. Given the magnitude of these problems, the issue of the southern flank, of greatest interest to countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, finds it difficult to establish itself as a priority in the Alliance and attract attention.

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]]>KACPER PEMPEL<![CDATA[NATO strengthens ties with Asian-Pacific democracies, angering China]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-13/nato-strengthens-ties-with-asian-pacific-democracies-angering-china.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-13/nato-strengthens-ties-with-asian-pacific-democracies-angering-china.htmlThu, 13 Jul 2023 07:57:57 +0000The NATO summit in Vilnius was dominated by Russia’s war against Ukraine, but this did not stop the Allies from discussing the rise of China and how to address it. For the second consecutive year, the leaders of four major democracies in the Asia-Pacific region — Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — were invited to NATO’s annual meeting. Their presence at the summit was a sign of the alliance’s wish to strengthen ties with nations with democratic values in the Asia-Pacific. The move has angered China, which said it resolutely opposes NATO’s “eastward movement into the Asia-Pacific region” and warned any action threatening Beijing’s rights would be met with a strong response.

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]]>DPA vía Europa Press <![CDATA[New defense plans, China and undersea cables: The key conclusions of the NATO summit beyond Ukraine]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-12/new-defense-plans-china-and-undersea-cables-the-key-conclusions-of-the-nato-summit-beyond-ukraine.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-12/new-defense-plans-china-and-undersea-cables-the-key-conclusions-of-the-nato-summit-beyond-ukraine.htmlWed, 12 Jul 2023 09:26:03 +0000The NATO summit in Vilnius is marked by the relationship between the Allies and Ukraine, with the focus on Kyiv’s possible future accession. But the final communiqué approved Tuesday by the 31 NATO leaders also contains important conclusions in other areas. Here is a summary of the main ones:

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]]>DPA vía Europa Press <![CDATA[NATO will invite Ukraine to join ‘when conditions permit’]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-11/nato-will-invite-ukraine-to-join-when-conditions-permit.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-11/nato-will-invite-ukraine-to-join-when-conditions-permit.htmlTue, 11 Jul 2023 19:55:57 +0000On Tuesday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) took an important step by agreeing to extend an “invitation” to Ukraine to join the alliance, but only when “conditions” allow it. Thus, at the decisive Vilnius summit, leaders of NATO’s member-countries sought to demonstrate that Kiev’s place is within the Alliance, though not immediately and not while the war continues. These unspecified “conditions” left the Ukrainian president, Volodymir Zelenskiy, deeply dissatisfied. Even before the agreement was made public, he railed against a promise that he considered vague; he also said that it could benefit Russia by introducing the option that Kiev’s NATO membership could be a subject for discussion in hypothetical peace negotiations.

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]]>Doug Mills<![CDATA[US leads a pact to offer Ukraine ‘security guarantees’ at NATO summit]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-11/us-leads-a-pact-to-offer-ukraine-security-guarantees-at-nato-summit.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-11/us-leads-a-pact-to-offer-ukraine-security-guarantees-at-nato-summit.htmlTue, 11 Jul 2023 10:00:48 +0000A year and a half after Russia launched its brutal full-scale war on Ukraine, NATO leaders are seeking to send a new message of unity and support to Kyiv at the Vilnius summit. However, not all the 31 Allies are on the same page. They agree on the need for language that makes it clear that Ukraine’s place is unequivocally within the Alliance, and that only NATO members and the aspiring country have a say in that decision. But as the decisive meeting in Lithuania kicks off on Tuesday, there are divisions on the statement on Ukraine’s sought-after membership to NATO.

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]]>TOMS KALNINS<![CDATA[‘Vilnius Fortress’: Patriot batteries and thousands of troops to protect leaders at NATO summit]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-11/vilnius-fortress-patriot-batteries-and-thousands-of-troops-to-protect-leaders-at-nato-summit.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-11/vilnius-fortress-patriot-batteries-and-thousands-of-troops-to-protect-leaders-at-nato-summit.htmlTue, 11 Jul 2023 08:22:14 +0000This year’s annual NATO summit is being held in extraordinary geopolitical circumstances — a war in Europe, unseen since 1945 — and in a very special geographical location — Vilnius, just a few dozen miles from Belarus and less than 125 miles from Russia. Accordingly, the security measures to protect the meeting are also extraordinary, as around 40 heads of state and government (the 31 Allies, plus other guests such as Sweden, Ukraine and several Asian democracies) converge on the capital of Lithuania for the two-day summit.

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]]>INTS KALNINS<![CDATA[NATO shows off its military might in the skies amid growing threat of Russia]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-10/nato-shows-off-it-military-might-in-the-skies-amid-growing-threat-of-russia.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-10/nato-shows-off-it-military-might-in-the-skies-amid-growing-threat-of-russia.htmlMon, 10 Jul 2023 09:32:00 +0000The Eastern military alliance “Occasus” and the special forces of the “Brückner organization” are trying to enter German soil. Having increased their presence around the eastern flank, they prepare to move north and capture the Baltic port of Rostock. In response, NATO activates its Article 5: an attack against one ally is an attack on all. “Occasus” does not exist. Neither does “Brückner,” which is described as a fictitious threat by the German Air Force. It is a simulated crisis that served as the basis for Air Defender 23, the largest air drills in the history of NATO. These drills, led by Germany, have served to highlight the might of NATO’S air forces as it faces the growing threat of Russia.

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]]>picture alliance<![CDATA[The dilemma of Ukraine’s accession and other keys to a NATO summit near Russia]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-10/the-dilemma-of-ukraines-accession-and-other-keys-to-a-nato-summit-near-russia.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-10/the-dilemma-of-ukraines-accession-and-other-keys-to-a-nato-summit-near-russia.htmlMon, 10 Jul 2023 08:58:04 +0000NATO allies are planning to hold a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. From that symbolic location on the Alliance’s eastern flank, it will seek to send a new message of unity and strength to the Kremlin. The central issue on the agenda will be to find a political agreement on the future of Ukraine, to outline what a hypothetical path to membership might look like, and to offer security guarantees against a new invasion after the war ends. Other important issues the meeting will have to tackle are the situation of Sweden, whose membership remains blocked by Turkey, the launch of renewed regional defense plans, which will entail the biggest restructuring of the Alliance since the Cold War, and an effort to outline new spending policies.

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]]>TOMAS BENEDIKOVIC<![CDATA[Prigozhin’s departure leaves Wagner’s future up in the air]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-26/prigozhins-departure-leaves-wagners-future-up-in-the-air.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-26/prigozhins-departure-leaves-wagners-future-up-in-the-air.htmlMon, 26 Jun 2023 08:07:05 +0000The end of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion against the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense leaves many questions unanswered. Chief among them is what will happen to his mercenary organization Wagner Group, which has played a leading role in Russia’s war in Ukraine, and also acts as the Kremlin’s unofficial armed wing abroad. Prigozhin started the revolt with his mercenaries to retain some power and control of Wagner. But although the shadowy businessman remains silent about the deal that put an end to the rebellion, the Kremlin has maintained that the Wagner mercenaries who did not participate in the attempted coup will be able to join the ranks of the regular army. This would mean that the Wagner Group in Russia would be dismantled, an outcome that the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu — who has a longstanding rivalry with Prigozhin — has wanted to achieve for some time. Shoigu was responsible for pushing the new regulations that require that “volunteer regiments” are integrated into the army by contract — a move that gives the Ministry of Defense exclusive power over the war. These measures, which were to be applied in July, precipitated the Prigozhin rebellion, according to several analysts.

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]]>Associated Press/LaPresse<![CDATA[Wagner’s military revolt: Russia lifts restrictions, while Prigozhin’s whereabouts remain unknown]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-25/wagners-military-revolt-russia-lifts-restrictions-while-prigozhins-whereabouts-remain-unknown.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-25/wagners-military-revolt-russia-lifts-restrictions-while-prigozhins-whereabouts-remain-unknown.htmlSun, 25 Jun 2023 13:56:45 +0000On Sunday morning, when the sun was already timidly warm in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, the streets were almost empty of tanks and uniformed men. Wagner’s masked mercenaries, who seized control of the city’s official buildings on Saturday, left overnight, some to applause from the public. The mercenary group’s leader, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the rebellion against the military leadership that put the Russian security apparatus in check, also left Rostov-on-Don to cheers, as though he were a celebrity. Meanwhile, the military column that Prigozhin sent to advance towards the capital, Moscow, turned back to avoid what he called “Russian bloodshed.”

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]]>ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO<![CDATA[Wagner Group rebellion exposes Putin’s weakness]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-25/wagner-group-rebellion-exposes-putins-weakness.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-25/wagner-group-rebellion-exposes-putins-weakness.htmlSun, 25 Jun 2023 10:33:29 +0000Russia’s war in Ukraine has escalated to a new level. In a shock twist, a rebellion led by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared on Saturday to develop into a short-lived military coup. After seizing official buildings in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don — which borders Ukraine and is an important logistical hub for the Kremlin’s war effort — and launching a column of armored vehicles towards Moscow, Prigozhin announced Saturday evening that he was halting the march towards the capital and that his soldiers would retreat to their camps “to avoid bloodshed.”

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]]>ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO<![CDATA[Yevgeny Prigozhin, from a hot dog stand in St. Petersburg to leading a rebellion against Putin]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-24/yevgeny-prigozhin-from-a-hot-dog-stand-in-st-petersburg-to-leading-a-rebellion-against-putin.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-24/yevgeny-prigozhin-from-a-hot-dog-stand-in-st-petersburg-to-leading-a-rebellion-against-putin.htmlSat, 24 Jun 2023 18:38:19 +0000The challenge is enormous. Years ago, before the full-scale war launched by Russia on Ukraine, he was known as Putin’s chef. This is because Yevgeny Prigozhin, a petty criminal from St. Petersburg, who had served sentences for theft, amassed his vast fortune through his catering business and, above all, through his ties with Vladimir Putin, whom he met in the city on the Neva and who gave him juicy public contracts. Prigozhin, turned warlord with the Wagner mercenary company, key in the invasion of Ukraine and many other conflicts as the unofficial armed wing of the Kremlin, had always served Putin loyally.

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]]>HANDOUT<![CDATA[EU not ruling out that Russia may commit acts similar to Nova Kakhovka dam destruction]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-08/eu-not-ruling-out-that-russia-may-commit-acts-similar-to-nova-kakhovka-dam-destruction.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-06-08/eu-not-ruling-out-that-russia-may-commit-acts-similar-to-nova-kakhovka-dam-destruction.htmlThu, 08 Jun 2023 10:49:47 +0000The European Union points to Russia as the “very probable” perpetrator of Tuesday’s attack against the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, in southern Ukraine, which has caused an unprecedented humanitarian and environmental disaster. “Although at this moment the exact person responsible for the destruction of the dam cannot be identified,” says an internal document from the EU Foreign Service (EEAS), “it is most likely a reaction by Russia as part of its defensive measures against the Ukrainian counteroffensive.” The document, which EL PAÍS has seen, warns: “In light of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive operations, we cannot rule out that Russia may commit similar acts in other parts of Ukraine.”

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]]>STRINGER<![CDATA[Kyiv, EU fear that US support for Ukraine will wane if counteroffensive is unsuccessful]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-19/kyiv-eu-fear-that-us-support-for-ukraine-will-wane-if-counteroffensive-is-unsuccessful.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-19/kyiv-eu-fear-that-us-support-for-ukraine-will-wane-if-counteroffensive-is-unsuccessful.htmlFri, 19 May 2023 11:14:59 +0000The Ukraine war is entering a phase that is expected to be decisive. The eyes of the world are on the imminent counteroffensive from Kyiv, which has been stockpiling NATO-supplied armaments, and Ukraine’s present and future of Ukraine will depend on what gains the armed forces are able to make in the big push. Both the government of Volodymyr Zelenskiy and its western allies are fully aware of this, as is the Kremlin. With the stakes so high, the European Union is concerned that if the counteroffensive fails the support of the United States — which is mired in a period of high tension in domestic politics and with the 2024 presidential elections on the horizon — will begin to wane.

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]]><![CDATA[Brussels toughens its stance on China over trade and Ukraine war]]>https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-12/brussels-toughens-its-stance-on-china-over-trade-and-ukraine-war.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-12/brussels-toughens-its-stance-on-china-over-trade-and-ukraine-war.htmlFri, 12 May 2023 15:36:33 +0000The European Union is seeking to rebalance its relationship with China. The bloc currently defines the Asian giant as a partner, competitor, and systemic rival, in that order. However, Brussels believes that the concept of China as a rival has gained greater significance. “The balance of these approaches is conditional on China’s response to our engagement and the evolution of its behavior,” says a document prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS), sent to EU member states and to which EL PAIS has had access. The text, accompanied by a letter from the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and which will serve as a basis for discussion among EU foreign ministers at a meeting Friday in Stockholm, indicates that the union will respond to any challenge from China with a tougher stance on relations.

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