European markets opened in negative territory Tuesday as central banks take center stage this week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index opened 0.4% lower with all sectors in negative territory, as well as all major European bourses. A focal point for global markets this week is the U.S. Federal Reserve’s final two-day policy meeting of the…
Trump has long complained that many NATO allies are free-riding on the U.S. and not spending enough on defense. There is growing talk that the alliance should boost its goal for members to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense to 3 percent. Portugal spends only 1.55 percent of its GDP on…
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock accused China of providing Russia with weapons for its war of aggression against Ukraine and threatening peace in Europe ahead of a potentially thorny visit to Beijing. “Instead of taking responsibility for peace and security in the world as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is opposing…
Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro. While their meeting lasted a mere 30 minutes, they still found time to talk about crucial economic and geopolitical issues. Both leaders face difficult situations at home, with Scholz occupying a…
Several world leaders at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro seized the opportunity to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who returned to the global stage after skipping last year’s gathering in India. Before attending the group’s scheduled meetings at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Xi held bilateral talks with…
By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “strategic mistake” that weakened European unity in the face of Moscow’s war against Ukraine, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Monday. In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting of European Union foreign…
By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) – The new leader of Germany’s Greens pitched his party on Sunday as the only one that could save Germany from years of stagnation under a renewed grand coalition and offered the conservative frontrunners cooperation on reforming a totemic spending cap. Robert Habeck, economy minister in Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf…
North Korea may deploy as many as 100,000 troops to aid Russia’s war on Ukraine if the alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow continues to deepen, according to people familiar with assessments made by some Group of 20 nations. The analysis is one of several on the evolving partnership between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North…
In the telephone call on Friday, Scholz exhorted Putin to “end” his war on Ukraine and to “withdraw troops.” The conversation lasted for about an hour and was the first direct exchange between the two leaders in nearly two years, German media reported. “The Federal Chancellor urged Russia to be prepared to negotiate with Ukraine with the aim…
Scholz on Friday spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about an hour in what constituted the first direct exchange between the two leaders in nearly two years, according to German media reports. Asked in the Süddeutsche Zeitung interview if he’s afraid of a deal over Ukraine’s head between Trump and Putin, Scholz…