A recent discussion paper floated by the Danish presidency of the Council of the EU, seen by POLITICO, explored whether capitals would be open to imposing tariffs on Moscow as part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package. That idea, according to several diplomats briefed on the talks, won little traction among ministers when it was…
Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed an agreement Tuesday in Cairo to pave the way for renewed cooperation, including steps toward relaunching inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities months after relations collapsed during a war with Israel. The announcement followed a meeting among Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and…
That is why the Russian president has for months sidestepped Trump’s proposals to freeze the fighting with a territorial compromise that the U.S. thought would be attractive for Moscow. Instead, the Kremlin is sticking to its maximalist demands, which would effectively make Ukraine its vassal and change the balance of power in Europe. Trump’s latest…
The United Kingdom on Wednesday imposed sanctions on eight Russian individuals and three organizations, accusing them of participating in the alleged deportation and “indoctrination” of Ukrainian children. The new measures target a network of officials and state-backed groups that London claims are central to a systematic campaign to relocate children from occupied Ukrainian territories to…
This year the summit will focus largely on U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. Trump has slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. Putin meanwhile is facing fresh Western sanctions tied to his ongoing war in Ukraine. “How in the hell did Trump so alienate Modi that…
China questioned Europe’s plan to snap back into place sanctions on Iran over the nation’s nuclear program, warning it could make the situation worse. “The Iran nuclear issue is at a critical juncture,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily press briefing in Beijing on Friday. “Initiating a snapback of sanctions in…
A judge has argued that an interpretation of Hong Kong’s national security law by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s defence team may not reflect Beijing’s true intentions, after the former media boss’ lawyers argued that the legislation did not penalise calls for sanctions against select Chinese officials. Lai’s lawyers on Monday argued that a strict literal approach…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier Friday accused Moscow of dragging out peace talks in a bid to hold off American sanctions, which Trump has threatened to impose on Russia and its trading partners if the Kremlin does not show more efforts toward ceasefire negotiations. A Russian airstrike on Thursday hit a U.S. electronics factory operating…
A Hong Kong judge hearing Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial has dismissed the defence’s contention that the former media boss was just exercising his right to freedom of expression with his anti-China comments, citing crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests in the West. A protracted debate at West Kowloon Court on the proper reading of Lai’s…
Iran has slammed the United Kingdom’s imposition of fresh sanctions, describing the move as “fundamentally unacceptable” and a violation of international norms. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London condemned the British government’s decision to sanction one Iranian individual and four entities. The embassy dismissed London’s…