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Europe Európa
European Political Community
Hungary
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary. Arrivals at the Gala dinner and official welcome /Video, photo/ (Source: European Council)
7 Nov 2024 PM Keir Starmer and fellow European leaders have urged Trump to stand up to the “bully” Putin as they digest the potential consequences of the historic Republican election victory in the US. Zelensky made a desperate appeal at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest for leaders to continue their support for Ukraine in its war with Russia amid fears that Mr Trump will try to force a deal involving concessions. It came as Sir Keir faces increasing pressure to prioritise a new post-Brexit defence pact with the EU, with concerns growing that Mr Trump may also dilute support for Nato and focus US military objectives elsewhere. Don’t be ‘herbivore surrounded by carnivores’ says Macron as EU faces up to second Trump term. 'We need to be able to defend ourselves,” the French president said. 'We cannot delegate our security to the Americans forever.” (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
07/11/2024 - 22:31 GMT+1 The Hungarian premier, who acted as host of a European Political Community (EPC) summit, made a forceful endorsement of the need to secure a rapid "ceasefire" in Ukraine as a prelude to peace negotiations with Russia. "The precondition for every peace is communication. The condition of communication is a ceasefire," Orbán said. "It takes time to negotiate. But first, a ceasefire." "So what I'm arguing in favour is to have a ceasefire which can provide room and time for the warring parties to have communication and to start negotiating about the peace," he added. His language echoed that of Trump, who has described Zelenskyy as 'the greatest salesman' and promised to strike a deal to end the war "in 24 hours," stoking fears the Republican, whose inauguration for the White House will be held in January, will cut off aid altogether. "The people of Europe are less and less ready to finance a war that they don't understand exactly, that they don't understand exactly what is the purpose of that war, nobody can give a guarantee for how long it will take, nobody can guarantee when the sanctions will be effective," Orbán told reporters. "The American election closed the chapter and opened a new way. It's obvious (a) change of minds and ideas is going on as well. That's life." The premier admitted that the big meeting in Budapest, attended by most EU leaders alongside other heads of state and government from the wider European region, including those from Britain, Moldova, Albania, Serbia and Turkey, had produced 'no agreement" on the thorny issue. "There are still diverging opinions about the continuation of the war or a quick ceasefire and negotiation," he said. "But one thing is evident today: those who want peace are increasingly numerous and that, (after) the US elections, the camp of those who want peace increased manifold," he added. "This is a new situation and Europe must react." Zelenskyy, called it nonsense and disharmony. "A leader who is against Ukraine's NATO membership is the one offering a ceasefire. This is nonsense and disharmony. Why? Because a ceasefire happens when the victim knows they will have security guarantees,' Zelenskyy added, in a reference to Orbán's noted opposition to Ukraine's membership in the transatlantic alliance. 'This is what we now call 'armchair experts.' There's no other term for it,' Zelenskyy said. 'People who didn't live through war but have only seen it in books and movies. People who've spent years or months talking to Putin, hugging (him), but never fought (against) him. This is an analysis without a deep understanding of war, its consequences, its risks.' Asked if he believed the "pro-peace" camp described by Orbán was gaining followers, as the premier claimed, Zelenskky replied: 'Me? No.' (Source: Politico - U.S.)
(7 November 2024) The UK's support for Ukraine 'iron-clad', PM Keir Starmer has assured President Zelensky. He said he had met President Zelensky for the sixth time since becoming PM. The two men met at a summit of the European Political Community in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The US has been by far the largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine. But ’fears’ have been expressed that the return of Trump to the White House in January might slow, if not halt, the flow of American military aid to Kyiv. The prime minister said the summit was "not just about sovereignty of Ukraine", but also "our freedom, our democracy and our values". Following his talks Sir Keir sidestepped a question about whether Trump's presidential election victory was good for Europe and Ukraine. Earlier, summit host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Europe's leaders had agreed that they needed to take responsibility for their security and not just rely on the US for their defence. The Hungarian leader is a staunch Trump supporter and has close ties to Moscow. He has been reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia or to supply Ukraine with weapons. Trump has said he wants to end the Ukraine war "within a day", but has declined to set out how this would be achieved. Some commentators have suggested it could mean the new US administration putting pressure on Zelensky to give up some territory as part of a peace deal with Russian President Putin. Zelensky said he had yet to discuss the conflict with the US president-elect. Sir Keir urged Ukraine's allies to "step up" their backing. Nato Secretary General Rutte said Trump's first term had stimulated Europe to spend more on defence, but ’we need to do more’. He stressed in Budapest that the threat of Russia, and its alliance with North Korea, China and Iran, posed problems for the US as well as Europe. ’I worked with him very well for four years’, Rutte, who was Dutch prime minister during Mr Trump's first 2017-2021 presidency, added. "He is extremely clear about what he wants. He understands that you have to deal with each other to come to joint positions. And I think we can do that."Sir Keir dodged a question about a report Trump had privately described him as ’very left-wing’. The prime minister said their meeting in New York in September and their phone call on Wednesday after the US election result had been "very positive, very constructive". (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
November 7, 2024 9:26 pm CET Today, in Budapest, where he was attending a gathering of European leaders, Zelenskyy rebuffed Trump’s proposal for rapid peace deal in Ukraine war. He poured cold water on a plan by U.S. President-elect Trump to strike a rapid peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, arguing it would amount to a “loss” for Ukraine. 'I believe that President Trump really wants a quick decision” to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, Zelenskyy told journalists in Budapest. “He wants that. It doesn’t mean that it will happen this way.' Trump, who was reelected U.S. president this week, said in 2023 that he would seek a quick deal to end the war, asserting: “I’ll have that done in 24 hours” after meeting Russian President Putin and Zelenskyy. He repeated the claim several times on the campaign trail. 'We all want to end this war, but a fair ending ... If it is very fast, it’s going to be a loss for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy, speaking to journalists in Budapest, said. (Source: Politico - U.S.)
Thu 7 Nov 2024 20.16 CET Meeting in Budapest for two days of talks hosted by Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, an outspoken Trump ally, the EU’s 27 heads of state and government were joined today by 20 other leaders from the wider European Political Community. On the agenda were support for Ukraine, migration, trade and economic security. Trump’s victory brings unwanted further uncertainty to the continent at a time when it is already struggling to agree on common responses to its problems, including much-needed new funding tools, such as joint borrowing, for defence and economic innovation. The return of the former president raises the prospect of a halt to US support for Ukraine, fuels doubts over Washington’s future commitment to the Nato alliance, and could herald economically disastrous tariffs on European exports. It is also likely to bolster Europe’s advancing ’far-right’ parties at a time when the EU’s two biggest powers – Germany, whose coalition government collapsed yesterdayday, and France – are weakened by political crises at home. There was agreement that Europe should take more responsibility for its peace and security. „We cannot wait for the Americans to protect us,” Orbán said. There had been diverging opinions during the day-long talks. but also common ground on the need for Europe to respond to a “world-changing” US election result, he said. He added that he had celebrated Trump’s victory with vodka rather than champagne, because he was „in Kyrgyzstan, where they have different traditions”. The French president, Macron, said Europe must assert its independence from the US and defend its interests over those of geopolitical rivals at a “decisive moment in history”, adding that the bloc could not allow itself to be a weak ’herbivore’ surrounded by ’carnivores’. Europe must seize control of its history and could no longer ’delegate’ its security to the US, Macron said. ’Do we want to read the history written by others – the wars launched by Putin, the US election, China’s technological or trade choices – or do we want to write our own?” Orbán said that with the prospect of Trump returning to the White House, the camp of those who want peace in Ukraine has increased significantly. This was a new situation, and Europe must react by pushing for an early ceasefire, he said. Zelenskyy responded that talk of introducing a ceasefire without first obtaining security guarantees for Ukraine was dangerous. A ceasefire when there are no security guarantees … is preparation for the continuation of the occupation, he said. He had earlier insisted that an approach of peace through strength was needed, saying that concessions to Moscow were unacceptable for Ukraine. Heading into the talks, the European Council president, Michel, also acknowledged differences. Europe aimed to be a respected partner for the US, he said, adding that Washington ’knows it is in its interest to show firmness when we engage with authoritarian regimes’. Der Leyen, the president of the executive body - the European Commission - said the EU must maintain unity. ’We showed it during the pandemic and the energy crisis,’ she said, adding that she was looking forward to working with Trump ’again’. Nato’s new secretary general, Rutte, said he aimed to work closely with Trump, noting that it was pressure from Washington during the former president’s first term that had pushed alliance members to boost defence spending. Russia was ’delivering the latest [weapons] technology into North Korea in return for North Korean help with the war against Ukraine’, a threat “not only to the European part of Nato, but also to the US’, he said, adding that he was looking forward to discussing with Trump ’how we face these threats collectively’. Others were more circumspect. Trump was known sometimes for a degree of unpredictability, a degree of volatility, so “We will seek dialogue, but won’t give up our principles, Luxembourg’s prime minister Luc Frieden, said. Finland’s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said he was alarmed at the prospect of a trade war. “Let’s now try to influence the US and Trump’s future policy so that he understands the risks involved, he said.’ Analysts have xpressed significant doubts about the extent to which Europe’s often-divided leaders will be able to rise collectively to the challenge of an ’isolationist’, “America first” presidency. Could galvanise Trump’s second presidency EU politics to action? Contrary to claims, Europe is not prepared for the economic impact of higher tariffs, the likely U-turn on Ukraine, and defence spending ultimatums, Eurointelligence analysts said. 'We expect the EU to divide on similar lines to the US itself.’ An informal summit of EU leaders alone will focus tomorrow on the bloc’s declining competitiveness, laid bare in a report by the former Italian leader Mario Draghi. (Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom)
by Henley
07/11/2024 - 18:07 European leaders make plea for Trump to support Ukraine and avoid trade wars. Leaders of the '27 EU member states met' in Budapest today to weigh transatlantic relations and chime in on Trump's victory in the US presidential election. Faced with uncertainty, they urged the president-elect to refrain from unsettling the global order, avoid trade wars and maintain support for Ukraine. (Source: France 24 - based in France)
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary. Roundtable opening remarks by Macron, French President /Video/ (Source: European Council) Translated to English
Duration: 00:13:28
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary. Roundtable opening remarks by Viktor Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister. Language: Interpretation in English /Video/ (Source: European Council)
Duration: 00:08:37
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary. Roundtable opening remarks by Viktor Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister. Language (Original): Hungarian /Video/ (Source: European Council)
Duration: 00:08:37
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary: Roundtable /Video/ (Source: European Council)
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary: Family photo /Video/ (Source: European Council)
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary. Doorstep Michel, President of the European Council. /Video/ (Source: European Council) Language (Original): English
Duration: 00:05:40
(7 November 2024) Meeting of the European Political Community in Budapest, Hungary: Compilation of all arrivals and welcome /Video/ (Source: European Council)
Duration: 00:33:25
Oroszország
2024. XI. 7. Putyin üzent a nyugati világ vezetőinek, akik épp Budapesten találkoznak. Az orosz elnök szerint „mélyen téves” az az „ellenséges irányvonal, amelyet számos nyugati ország az ukrajnai konfliktus eszkalálására és elhúzódására követ, azzal a céllal, hogy ’stratégiai vereséget’ okozzon Oroszországnak.. Putyin úgy véli, hogy 'ilyen illuzórikus számításokat csak azok végezhetnek, akik nem ismerik és nem is akarják ismerni Oroszország történelmét, akik nem veszik figyelembe az orosz nép egységét, lelkierejét és összetartását'. Putyin Moszkvában huszonnyolc állam nagykövetei előtt beszélt, akik átadták megbízóleveleiket az orosz elnöknek. Üzenetében értékelte a kazanyi BRICS-csúcs után megváltozott világrendet és szólt a közel-keleti konfliktusról is. A teljes beszéd magyarul. /Video/ (Forrás: Youtube / Kremlin / Hetek)
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Asia
China
07.11.2024 Xi speaks with Trump, says China, US would ‘benefit from cooperation’ (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Turkey
November 7, 2024 at 5:17 pm Turkiye is acting with a strategic perspective towards full EU membership, the country’s President, Erdogan, told his French counterpart today, in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, where he attended the European Political Community Summit. Erdogan also underlined the need to revitalise the candidate country’s accession process. He conveyed Ankara’s expectation for the EU to update its Customs Union with Turkiye and fulfil its promises to Ankara on visa liberalisation for Turkish nationals. The two leaders also discussed regional and global issues. (Source: Middle East Monitor - Location London, U.K.; financed by Qatar)
North America
United States
November 7, 2024 4:20 pm (EST) How a second Trump administration could affect U.S. foreign policy? Experts answer on the 'pressing issues'.. Multilateralism and international bodies: It will be harmful. The first Trump administration withdrew from global organizations, thereby making space for China to further spread its own. Indo-Pacific security partnerships: The Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) pact is likely to continue, not binding security alliances. AUKUS is a technology partnership, the Quad receive bipartisan support. The war in the Gaza Strip: Trump wants the war over by Inauguration Day. That seems unlikely. Rather than encouraging a ceasefire it seems likely that he will give the Israelis political/diplomatic room and weapons to complete their military operations as soon as possible. Should NATO make moves to be self-reliant and not dependent on the United States? 'European NATO members should do both: increase their own defense spending and military strength but try to keep the United States in the alliance as the most important member'. This will create a NATO with two pillars: a European and a U.S. pillar. U.S.-Latin American relations? Trump will be pressuring countries with tariffs and other tools to get what he wants and agnostic towards democracy. He will pressure countries to harden or even close their borders to stop migrants, refugees, and fentanyl. He may have less interest in dislodging dictators in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. If he manages to deport millions of undocumented people, it will tank Central America’s smaller economies by dramatically shrinking remittances and contribute greatly to instability in that region. Can therest of the world make climate progress without the United States? 'The vast majority of emissions will come from China and emerging economies. U.S. states and companies will pursue emissions reductions, even if the federal government does less'. The war in Ukraine: "The Ukrainians had better prepare a gameplan for seeking a negotiated end to their fight against Russian aggression. That’s their best bet for winning Trump’s support and the continued flow of at least some U.S. aid". . Trump’s China policies: President Trump's approach toward China during his first term was levying more than $360 billion of tariffs on Chinese products. He has vowed to impose 60 percent tariffs on all Chinese goods during a second term. But he has also expressed admiration for Chinese leader Xi. Trump will likely raise tariffs, 'not just against China, but our allies. How will China retaliate? With tariffs of their own. 'American farmers and ranchers are likely to be hardest hit from the trade war. Africa? Washington is expected to continue strengthening old alliances and exploring new ones with a view to keeping Russia and China in check. Defense of Taiwan from a potential Chinese invasion? Trump has declined to commit to defending Taiwan, saying instead that China will not invade when he is president 'but eventually they will.' 'Taiwan should pay us for defense . . . we’re no different than an insurance company,” he has also stated. U.S.-Iran relations: The Trump administration is likely to increase economic pressure on Iran, effective in terms of draining the Iranian treasury and thus limiting its ability to fund its proxies and sustain its patronage networks at home. (Source: The Council on Foreign Relation - U.S.)
November 7, 2024 US Senate ‘firmly’ in Republican hands after flipping multiple seats. /Video/ (Source: Fox New - U.S.)
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November 7, 2024 Harris concedes defeat to Trump in US presidential election. “Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory." “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign,’ she said. (Source: Premium Times – Nigeria)
NATO
07/11/2024 - 13:23 GMT+1 The deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine represents a serious threat not only to Europe but also to the United States, with potential ramifications across the Indo-Pacific region, NATO Secretary-General Rutte has said today speaking to reporters in Budapest in a direct appeal to Trump. (Source: Euronews - Headquarters Lyon, France)
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