Tag: European Union

A Year of Russia’s War on Ukraine Is Marked by Protests and Defiance

Chin@Strategy

KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine marked the anniversary of the Russian invasion on Friday with a show of defiance, as anti-Kremlin protests took place around the world and the United States made a significant commitment of new weaponry to the country. Even as he and his allies braced for a prolonged war, Mr. Zelensky held a marathon news conference in Kyiv, the capital, to rally international support, declaring that Ukraine and the allies supplying it with weapons and other aid would prevail “if we stay as one strong fist…

European Commission bans staff using TikTok on work devices over security fears

Chin@Strategy

The EU’s executive body has banned its thousands of staff from using TikTok over cybersecurity concerns, a decision the Chinese-owned social video app has criticised as “misguided” and based on “fundamental misconceptions”. The European Commission sent an email to employees ordering them to delete the app from all work phones and devices, and any personally owned ones that use the commission’s apps and email. Employees have until 15 March to comply. A spokesperson said: “This measure aims to protect the commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited…

China’s Courtship of European Powers Hits a Russian Wall

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China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, has been on a high-stakes tour of Europe, defending his country’s interests in a clash with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and reaffirming Beijing’s friendship with Russia with a visit to Moscow. But China is also trying to woo European nations in an urgent bid to revive its economy and to find common ground with some of Washington’s staunchest allies in the region. Mr. Wang promised the leaders of France and Germany that Beijing wanted to “fully restart exchanges” and increase cooperation on issues…

Biden promises Kyiv extra military aid as EU discusses ammunition

Chin@Strategy

Joe Biden has promised further military aid for Ukraine worth $500m (£415m) during his unannounced visit to Kyiv, as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss ways to accelerate the provision of ammunition. The US president also said additional sanctions would be announced this week against Russia’s elite and companies trying to evade existing sanctions in order to “back the Russian war machine”. In a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Biden discussed the text of a resolution to be put to a vote at the UN on…

Australia closer to a free trade pact with EU but minister warns there won’t be a deal ‘for the sake of it’

Chin@Strategy

Australian and European Union negotiators believe they are getting closer to clinching a free trade agreement as they race to meet a mid-year deadline, but the Albanese government warns it will “not sign a deal for the sake of it”. Guardian Australia understands officials finalised three chapters of the agreement – on competition, telecommunications and maritime services – during a round of negotiations last week in Canberra. The thorny issue of geographical indicators – the EU push to restrict the use of terms such as prosecco and feta by Australian…

UK pays EU £2.3bn to settle China import row

Chin@Strategy

The UK government has paid £2.3bn to the EU as part of a long-standing dispute over textiles and footwear imported into the UK from China. The final payment of £1.1bn, made this week, brings the case to a close. The chief secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, confirmed the payment in a written statement to the Commons. “Whilst the UK has now left the European Union and this is a legacy matter from before our departure, the government is keen to resolve this long-running case once and for all and…

How Russia Is Surviving the Tightening Grip on Its Oil Revenue

Chin@Strategy

Using customs data from India, Mr. Vakulenko, the Russian oil expert, showed that local importers of Russian crude paid almost the same price as Brent crude. A New York Times analysis of the same data produced similar results. The explanation, Mr. Vakulenko suggested, is that at least part of the large discount on the quoted Urals price had been pocketed by Russian exporters and intermediaries, who then charged a higher price to the buyers in India. This revenue will not accrue directly to the Russian government in taxes, said Tatiana…

Leaked EU plan reveals response to US and Chinese green subsidies

Chin@Strategy

The EU executive will loosen state aid rules and propose a new “European sovereignty fund” later this year, in response to the controversial US Inflation Reduction Act and China’s “unfair” green subsidies. A leaked European Commission plan underscores the global green subsidy race is under way, although EU member states remain divided on how to respond. EU leaders are due to meet next week in Brussels to discuss the bloc’s response to Joe Biden’s $369bn (£300bn) Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to subsidise a vast expansion of green technology, from…

Russia Sidesteps Western Punishments, With Help From Friends

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WASHINGTON — A strange thing happened with smartphones in Armenia last summer. Shipments from other parts of the world into the tiny former Soviet republic began to balloon to more than 10 times the value of phone imports in previous months. At the same time, Armenia recorded an explosion in its exports of smartphones to a beleaguered ally: Russia. The trend, which was repeated for washing machines, computer chips and other products in a handful of other Asian countries last year, provides evidence of some of the new lifelines that…

As Deepfakes Flourish, Countries Struggle With Response

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Digital rights groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation are pushing legislators to relinquish deepfake policing to tech companies, or to use an existing legal framework that addresses issues such as fraud, copyright infringement, obscenity and defamation. “That’s the best remedy against harms, rather than the governmental interference, which in its implementation is almost always going to capture material that is not harmful, that chills people from legitimate, productive speech,” said David Greene, a civil liberties lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Several months ago, Google began prohibiting people from…