[ad_1] Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS — The images tell the story. In the packed meeting rooms and hallways of Munich’s Hotel Bayerischer Hof last weekend, back-slapping allies pushed an agenda with the kind of forward-looking determination NATO had long sought to portray but just as often struggled to … Read more
[ad_1] Russia’s year-long war in Ukraine has led to thousands of casualties, millions of refugees and billions of dollars in damages to the country’s economy, environment and infrastructure. At home, Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing the narrative of a just war against the West and crushing dissenting voices, while his country’s economy feels the … Read more
[ad_1] Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Kaja Kallas had been dreading the call. “I woke at 5 o’clock,” the Estonian prime minister recalled recently. The phone was ringing. Her Lithuanian counterpart was on the line. “Oh my God, it’s really happening,” came the ominous words, according to Kallas. Another … Read more
[ad_1] Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. KANKAANPÄÄ, Finland — In October, three Russian citizens arrived in the border town of Imatra and filed the paperwork to buy a rambling former old people’s home outside the small town of Kankaanpää, a five-hour drive away in Finland’s southwestern reaches. The applicants … Read more
[ad_1] The EU has failed to sign off on a much-anticipated round of sanctions against Russia, leaving the bloc struggling to finalize a deal in time to mark the first anniversary on Friday of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Talks will now run into Ukraine’s official commemorations of its first year at war, casting into … Read more
[ad_1] The yellow-and-blue flag of Ukraine has become a powerful symbol for millions of people across the Western world who want to express their solidarity with the victims of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Adopted officially in 1992, the year after Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union, the banner represents the country’s pride … Read more
[ad_1] DUBLIN — As if political tensions in Northern Ireland weren’t bad enough, Irish Republican Army die-hards unwilling to accept their side’s cease-fire appear determined to make matters worse. An off-duty police officer is in hospital in a critical condition after being shot several times at close range Wednesday night as he coached a youth … Read more
[ad_1] Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. LONDON — Joe Biden’s “protectionist” Inflation Reduction Act won’t help the U.S. counter the rise of China and could create a “single point of failure” in key supply chains, Britain’s trade chief Kemi Badenoch warned. Speaking at a POLITICO event Tuesday night, Badenoch … Read more
[ad_1] EU leaders expressed surprise and regret Tuesday after the Israeli government barred a member of the European Parliament from entering the country on an official visit and deported her to Spain. Ana Miranda, a Galician MEP with the Greens/European Free Alliance group, landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv Monday evening along with … Read more
[ad_1] One year of war in Ukraine has left deep scars — including on the country’s natural landscape. The conflict has ruined vast swaths of farmland, burned down forests and destroyed national parks. Damage to industrial facilities has caused heavy air, water and soil pollution, exposing residents to toxic chemicals and contaminated water. Regular shelling around … Read more