EU seeks alternative to NATO coordination for Ukraine
The move comes in response to the looming threat of a US veto blocking continued NATO military aid coordination for Ukraine.
Currently, the Germany-based NATO-Ukraine command, or NSATU (NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine), is responsible for these tasks.
Created at the NATO summit in Washington in July, NSATU coordinates arms deliveries and the training of Ukrainian forces.
The European Commission stated that the new task force will complement NATO's efforts, with both organizations coordinating their activities.
Speculation has recently emerged that the US might push for a halt to NSATU as part of negotiations for Russian concessions, particularly following the recent disruption of US military aid to Ukraine.
The Trump administration seeks a swift end to Russia's war against Ukraine, but Moscow reportedly demands an end to NATO's commitment to Ukraine, among other conditions.
Von derLeyen foresees a new world order
In a speech in Copenhagen, von der Leyen did not provide specific details on the task force but emphasized the growing need for Europe to become more independent of the United States and bolster its own domestic defence capabilities.
"The security architecture that we relied on can no longer be taken for granted," she said. The former German defence minister warned that "the age of spheres of influence and power competition is well and truly back," signalling a shift in global geopolitics.
She predicted that a new world order will emerge in the second half of this decade and beyond.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
EU urges Ukraine to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies; Zelenskiy signals swift action
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Sunday for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies, with the Ukrainian leader signaling that supporting legislation could be adopted within days. "Ukraine has already achieved a lot on its European path. It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine's rule of law," von der Leyen said in a post on X after a call with Zelenskiy. After a rare outburst of public criticism, Zelenskiy on Thursday submitted draft legislation to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies - reversing course of an earlier bill aimed at stripping their autonomy. "I thanked the European Commission for the provided expertise," Zelenskiy said in a post on X after his Sunday call with von der Leyen. "We share the same vision: it is important that the bill is adopted without delay, as early as next week." Von der Leyen also promised continued support for Ukraine on its path to EU membership. "Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path," she added.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Both sides can claim victory in US-EU tariff deal, but devil may be in detail
After weeks of tense negotiations between their top trade officials, the EU and US have finally struck a deal - and it comes on the eve of America's latest round of tariff talks with China. Ultimately it took leaders from Washington and Brussels to sit down face to face to reach Sunday's agreement. That's something we've also seen with the other deals that President Donald Trump has struck - his personal involvement is what has pushed them over the line – even when the prospects of a breakthrough did not seem bright. This matters to both sides because so many businesses and jobs depend on what the EU calls "the world's largest bilateral trade and investment relationship". Both President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen can paint this as something of a victory. For the EU, the tariffs could have been worse at 15%, rather than the 30% that had been threatened – although it's not as good as the UK's 10% rate. For the US that equates to the expectation of roughly $90bn (£67bn) of tariff revenue for government coffers – based on last year's trade figures - plus there's $600bn of investment now due to come into the country. A lot of other big numbers have been thrown around in terms of how much the EU will invest in the US, but the devil will be in the detail. Questions like exactly when those investments will be made, and in what areas, are for now, unanswered. This deal is being sold as a landmark moment in relations between the US and the EU. It has not been easy getting to this point. Washington and the 27-nation bloc have both played hardball and neither was ready to give in easily, which is why these talks went down to the wire. But neither side wanted these negotiations to drag on beyond the 1 August deadline. For years, the US president has railed against what he regards as Europe's unfair trade practices. The first part of that is the deficit. Last year that meant the US bought $236bn of goods more from the EU than it sold to the bloc. Trump takes the somewhat simplified view that this is American wealth needlessly leaving the country. The reality is that international trade is a more complex affair. The other complaint has been that the EU's strict regulations on everything from cars to chickens make it harder for American companies to sell their products in the EU than the other way round. When we get more details of this deal, we may know how much has been done to address that. But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seemed to acknowledge the need to tackle the deficit. In announcing the agreement, she said: "We have to rebalance it. We have an excellent trade relation. "It's a huge volume of trade that we have together. So we will make it more sustainable." This deal shows how serious President Trump is about renegotiating how the US, the world's biggest economy, does business with everyone else. Given the EU consists of 27 very different countries, it has seemed one of the trickier trade agreements to pull off. It comes days after the US struck another major agreement with Japan - there have also been deals with the UK, Vietnam and Indonesia. The other big ones still on the table are with the three biggest US trade partners - Mexico, Canada and China. And with the US president in a deal-making mood, there could be more positive news for the global economy over the next 48 hours. For the third time in as many months, the US and China are holding their next trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden, on Monday and Tuesday There is some expectation that higher tariffs could be suspended for another 90 days. A few days ago Trump said the US was "getting along with China very well" and implied that the major sticking point of rare earth metals exports had been overcome. With the broad outlines of an EU agreement in the hold, Washington's trade negotiators have the wind in their sails going into talks with Beijing. But China has so far taken a more uncompromising approach than other US trade partners. And if talks between the world's two biggest economies falter, global trade could still be heading for choppy waters in the months ahead. EU and US agree trade deal, with 15% tariffs for European exports to America Trump says US may not reach trade deal with Canada Philippines goods to face 19% tariff, Trump says
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Prime Minister to meet Donald Trump to discuss ceasefire in Gaza
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to meet US President Donald Trump to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the war in Ukraine. On Monday, Sir Keir will travel to Scotland to meet the president on his golf course at Trump Turnberry, Girvan, Aryshire, where he has been playing golf since Saturday morning, and where he met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday afternoon. After a meeting, the world leaders will travel on together for a further private engagement in Aberdeen. Mr Trump will visit the UK again in September for his second state visit. On Monday, the leaders are expected to discuss progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal, hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. They are also expected to talk one-on-one about advancing implementation of the landmark Economic Prosperity Deal so that citizens of both countries can benefit from boosted trade links between their two countries. The Prime Minister is also expected to welcome the president's administration working with Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza. A spokesperson for Number 10 said it was expected they will discuss 'what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long'. The war in Ukraine will also be up for discussion with both politicians 'set to talk about their shared desire to bring an end to the barbaric war' according to Number 10, and expected to 'reflect on progress in their 50-day drive to arm Ukraine and force Putin to the negotiating table'. A spokesperson for the UK Government said: 'The UK and the US have one of the closest, most productive alliances the world has ever seen, working together to cooperate on defence, intelligence, technology and trade. 'The UK was the first country to agree a deal with the US that lowered tariffs on key sectors and has received one of the lowest reciprocal tariff rates in the world. 'Businesses in aerospace and autos are already benefiting from the strong relationship the UK has with the US and the deal agreed on May 8. 'The Government is working at pace with the US to go further to deliver benefits to working people on both sides of the Atlantic and to give UK industry the security it needs, protect vital jobs, and put more money in people's pockets through the Plan for Change.'
