The decline in Russian gas exports to the European Union has had no significant impact on supply, but it does put pressure on the region to wean itself off Moscow’s energy. Here is a look at the issue: The EU relies heavily on Russian gas, raising concerns that Moscow could use its export to blackmail … Read more
As climate change wreaks havoc on the continent, UN talks to combat desertification and land degradation that have destroyed broad swaths of Africa began Monday in Ivory Coast. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), involving 196 countries plus the European Union, is meeting for the first time in three years, in Abidjan. Decades … Read more
The European Union opened its doors to the public on Saturday, just in time for the bloc’s 72nd anniversary celebrations on May 9. This year, the Ukrainian flag fluttered alongside EU ones in Brussels to symbolize the solidarity the 27-nation bloc is showing to Kyiv as its forces battle invading Russian troops. “We dedicate this … Read more
For wealthy Russians, the race to shield their fortunes from sanctions is reaching another level. The European Union and Switzerland are banning one of their favorite overseas investment vehicles. Starting this month, registering or providing management services to family trusts that have Russian nationals as trustors or beneficiaries will no longer be allowed. At the … Read more
Ministers from the European Union gathered on Monday to debate how to respond to Russia’s cutoff of gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, as well as preparations for an oil embargo to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine. The energy ministers from the 27 member states were coordinating efforts to counter what Brussels has branded the … Read more
According to sources, the EU will propose a phased-out ban on Russian oil imports as part of a new wave of penalties against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission, which draws up sanctions for the EU’s 27 countries, is currently preparing the text, which could be put to the member states as … Read more
Germany announced on Sunday that it has made significant progress in lowering its dependency on Russian energy, a strategic change that the European Union’s largest economy has been doing since Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian supplies now make up 12 percent of Germany’s oil imports compared to 35 percent previously, the economy ministry said in a … Read more
The International Energy Agency and the European Commission said Thursday that adjusting the temperature and working more from home are only two of the “small actions” that might help Europe lessen its reliance on Russia. The European Union is scrambling to find alternatives to Russian energy after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine since Russia currently supplies … Read more
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States, which repeatedly promised to protect Kyiv, has again come into the spotlight because it continues to add fuel to the fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video speech complained that the Western countries have abandoned his country. Some Western netizens even asked: Where has the … Read more
The European Union said on Friday it was making progress in tackling a migrant crisis on the Belarus-Poland border after Turkey barred the citizens of three Middle Eastern countries from flying to Minsk and Russia dismissed Belarus’s threat to cut off a gas pipeline to Europe. Hundreds of migrants, mainly Kurds from the Middle East, have … Read more
MADRID/LILLE: Spanish police have dismantled a smuggling ring suspected of bringing hundreds of Pakistani migrants into the European Union overland in “life-threatening conditions”, officials said on Thursday. The smuggling group took Pakistanis from camps in Bosnia to Italy or Spain, said a statement from Europol, which was involved in the Spanish operation. “Transported in life-threatening … Read more
RAMALLAH: The European Union (EU) has provided US $18.8 million to the Palestinian authority to help it pay October’s salaries and pensions for staff in the health and education sector, according to a statement on Wednesday. The money was already transferred to the Palestinian ministry of finance, the EU office in Palestine said in the … Read more
LONDON – The European Union will not accept London’s demands for an alternative arbitrator to settle post-Brexit trade disputes involving Northern Ireland, Dublin said Thursday after the EU offered other concessions. Brussels put forward a raft of proposals on Wednesday, including reduced customs checks and paperwork on British products intended for Northern Ireland, in a bid … Read more
