logo
Ukrainian president makes surprise visit to Denmark as it assumes EU presidency

Ukrainian president makes surprise visit to Denmark as it assumes EU presidency

Qatar Tribune8 hours ago
CopenhagencTypeface:> Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has unexpectedly arrived in Denmark, with footage from broadcaster TV 2 showing him landing on Thursday morning at Aarhus Airport.
The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, is currently visiting the country's second-largest city to jointly inaugurate Denmark's six-month EU Council presidency with the Danish government.
Zelensky is scheduled to have an audience with Danish King Frederik X, according to information from the office of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
In a meeting with Frederiksen, von der Leyen, and EU Council President António Costa, discussions are expected to focus on how best to support Ukraine, which is defending itself against a full-scale invasion by Russia.
A possible path to EU membership is also expected to be discussed.
Frederiksen stated that Ukraine belongs in the EU, which is in the interest of both Denmark and Europe.
The meeting is also set to cover increased military support for the country, cooperation with the Ukrainian defence industry and new sanctions on Russia. (DPA)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ukrainian president makes surprise visit to Denmark as it assumes EU presidency
Ukrainian president makes surprise visit to Denmark as it assumes EU presidency

Qatar Tribune

time8 hours ago

  • Qatar Tribune

Ukrainian president makes surprise visit to Denmark as it assumes EU presidency

CopenhagencTypeface:> Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has unexpectedly arrived in Denmark, with footage from broadcaster TV 2 showing him landing on Thursday morning at Aarhus Airport. The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, is currently visiting the country's second-largest city to jointly inaugurate Denmark's six-month EU Council presidency with the Danish government. Zelensky is scheduled to have an audience with Danish King Frederik X, according to information from the office of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. In a meeting with Frederiksen, von der Leyen, and EU Council President António Costa, discussions are expected to focus on how best to support Ukraine, which is defending itself against a full-scale invasion by Russia. A possible path to EU membership is also expected to be discussed. Frederiksen stated that Ukraine belongs in the EU, which is in the interest of both Denmark and Europe. The meeting is also set to cover increased military support for the country, cooperation with the Ukrainian defence industry and new sanctions on Russia. (DPA)

Von der Leyen's EU Commission to face no-confidence vote in EU Parliament
Von der Leyen's EU Commission to face no-confidence vote in EU Parliament

Qatar Tribune

timea day ago

  • Qatar Tribune

Von der Leyen's EU Commission to face no-confidence vote in EU Parliament

BrusselscTypeface:> The European Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen is to face a vote of no confidence in the European Parliament. Parliament President Roberta Metsola informed the parliamentary group leaders of the development on Wednesday evening, DPA learned. The motion of censure was brought forward by Romanian right-wing EU lawmaker Gheorghe Piperea. The initiative accuses the commission of a lack of transparency and mismanagement, particularly with regard to the handling of the COVIDd-19 pandemic. The motion needed the backing of one-tenth of EU lawmakers, or at least 72 signatories, in order to be debated and voted on during next week's plenary session in Strasbourg, France. If passed, the commission would have to resign as a whole with its president and 26 EU commissioners. (DPA)

Fate of major trade deal with EU hangs over Mercosur summit
Fate of major trade deal with EU hangs over Mercosur summit

Qatar Tribune

timea day ago

  • Qatar Tribune

Fate of major trade deal with EU hangs over Mercosur summit

Agencies The fate of a landmark trade deal with the European Union, which France is trying to block, looms large over a summit this week of South America's Mercosur bloc. Brussels in December struck a deal with Mercosur's founding membersArgentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — which would allow the EU to sell more vehicles, machines and pharmaceuticals to South America in return for allowing in more meat, sugar, rice and soybeans from the region. The agreement has been 25 years in the making, but still needs to be ratified by EU member states and the EU parliament. It has faced stiff opposition from France, where farmers worry about being undercut by less-regulated Latin American peers, while enjoying backing from Germany, Spain and Portugal, among others. 'Today, the ball is in Europe's court,' Ariel Gonzalez Levaggi, director of the Center for International Studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, told AFP. But 'there isn't much willingness on the part of Brussels to move forward, mainly because of the French resistance,' he added. EU and South American backers of the deal had hoped Trump's tariffs blitz could breathe new life into a deal that would give exporters on either side of the Atlantic new outlets for their products in the event of punishing US duties. For Florencia Rubiolo, a researcher at Conicet, Argentina's scientific and technical research council, it's 'of strategic interest for all Mercosur members, both individually, and as a bloc, to see this deal be ratified.' Among other things, she argued, it would show Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei that there is value in being part of the group, after his government has railed against Mercosur's constraints on members striking solo trade deals. Milei is gunning for a free trade deal with the United States, and he has suggested he could walk away from Mercosur if necessary to clinch an agreement with Washington. The biannual Mercosur summit comes at a low point in relations between Brazil and Argentina, South America's biggest and second-biggest economies respectively. Milei, a huge fan of US President Donald Trump, has made no secret of his disdain for veteran leftist Lula, referring to him in the past as 'corrupt' and a 'Communist.' Lula has accused the Argentine of talking 'nonsense.' The contempt between the two was plain to see when Lula hosted Milei at a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last November. The tensions could be exacerbated if Lula uses his trip to Buenos Aires to visit left-wing ex-president Cristina Kirchner, who is serving a six-year sentence for fraud under house arrest. Kirchner on Tuesday requested permission for Lula to pay her a solidarity visit, in a move likely to anger her arch-nemesis Milei. It was not clear, however, whether Lula would risk upsetting his Argentine counterpart at home. 'We may be experiencing the worst period in relations between Brazil and Argentina, in terms of political convergence,' Juliana Peixoto, an expert in international relations at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, told AFP. She said she nonetheless expected Mercosur, which also includes Bolivia, to endure the tensions.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store