Europe News Digest (1-15 February, 2025)

EU Tariffs 'Pretty Soon' but UK can be Worked Out – Trump

US President Donald Trump has hinted the European Union (EU) could be next to face tariffs, after he slapped 25% levies on goods from Mexico and Canada along with an additional 10% tax on imports from China. Trump has stated that that tariffs on EU goods imported into the US could happen "pretty soon". "They don't take our cars, they don't take our farm products, they take almost nothing and we take everything from them. Millions of cars, tremendous amounts of food and farm products," said Trump. For its part, the 27-member bloc has condemned Trump's decision to move ahead with tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China, and warned that it will "respond firmly" if it also becomes a target. On trade with Britain, Trump said: "The UK is out of line. But I'm sure that one, I think that one, can be worked out." He also discussed his relationship with the British Prime Minister who he said has been "very nice". Click here to read… [2]

The EU Prepares Retaliatory Measures as Tensions Rise with the United States

Tension has risen a notch after US President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on aluminium and steel. The European Commission reacted in the heat of the moment, announcing that retaliatory measures were being drawn up. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and some MEPs have called for unity. “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered - they will trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, adding “the EU will act to safeguard its economic interests”. Talking to the European Parliament, trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič announced: “We are currently assessing the scope of the measures announced overnight and will be responding in a firm and proportionate way by counter measures.” Click here to read… [3]

EAM Jaishankar on India-European Union ties: ‘More important than before’

External affairs minister S Jaishankar said "India is certainly cognizant of the greater strategic awakening of Europe in the last few years". He said that the relationship between India and the European Union is “more important than ever before”, while emphasising the relationship between the two amid global volatility and uncertainty. "We already see that happening, for example, in closer defence in security and technology cooperation. The bottom line is that the India-EU relationship is more important than ever before," Jaishankar added. The minister highlighted that there has been more intensive engagement with the European Commission in recent years. India and the EU are two of the world's largest economies having shared synergies and offering significant trade and investment opportunities. The EU is India's largest trading partner and India is the EU's ninth largest trading partner in terms of bilateral trade in goods. Click here to read… [4]

Multiple People Killed in ‘Worst Mass Shooting in Swedish History’

Police said at least 10 people were killed at a school on Tuesday, in what has been described as the worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history. The suspected perpetrator also died. A large number of people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a campus in the city of Örebro in central Sweden, according to Roberto Eid Forest, the head of the city’s police district. Police said that the perpetrator was not known to them before the shooting and that he was not connected to any gangs. They also said there is currently no information indicating that the shooter acted based on ideological motives. Police did not say what type of weapon was used by the gunman. The suspect had no previous convictions and obtained his weapon legally, local media reported. Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf said in a statement that he had received the news of the shooting with “sadness and dismay”. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X: “It is a very painful day for all of Sweden. Being locked in a classroom, fearing for your life, is a nightmare that no one should have to experience.” Click here to read… [5]

Concerns and Doubts Mount over EU Plan to Build Deportation Camps Outside its Borders

The European Union's novel idea to build deportation camps outside its borders to house the asylum seekers whose applications have been denied continues to fuel concerns and doubts about its legal and logistical feasibility and the potential impact on human rights. The unprecedented project – known euphemistically as "return hubs" – is expected to be included in a legislative proposal that the European Commission will present sometime before the next leaders' summit in March. It will mark the first result of the political push to work on "new ways" to manage irregular migration, a vague concept most commonly associated with outsourcing schemes. The main focus is now on returns: the deportation of asylum seekers who have arrived in the bloc, exhausted all their legal avenues to request international protection and are therefore asked to leave the territory. The EU has for years struggled with a low rate of deportations and sees the faraway centres as an "innovative solution" worth trying. Click here to read… [6]

State of Emergency Declared on Santorini after Earthquakes Shake Island

Greek civil protection authorities have declared a state of emergency on Santorini as natural disaster experts voice mounting fears over the “intense” seismic activity that has rattled the island. The emergency measures were declared by the island’s town hall hours after seismologists recorded a 5.2-magnitude earthquake – the most powerful tremor to be felt on Santorini since the first of an estimated 7,700 temblors were registered last week. The measures, under which the army is expected to take a more active role in crisis management, will be in effect until 3 March when the Christian Orthodox nation marks the beginning of Lent. More than 12,000 people have fled by boat and plane since the tremors intensified at the weekend, with few tourists now believed to be on the island. Experts are divided as to whether Wednesday night’s 5.2-magnitude earthquake is a precursor to a much more powerful tremor – one that could trigger a tsunami – or a sign that the seismic buildup is diminishing. Click here to read… [7]

Fishing Rights will not Derail EU-UK Security Pact, says European Council President

The EU will not let the question of fishing rights derail a pact with the UK on security and defence, the president of the European Council has said. The comments from António Costa, who took over as the European Council president in December, is a boost for Keir Starmer, amid frustration among UK officials over EU insistence on linking a security deal to other demands, notably fishing rights. Costa said the EU wanted the “closest relation as possible” with the UK. Asked whether fishing rights would get in the way of a security pact, he said: “No, these are different things. European defence and fisheries cannot be put on the same level. We should have common sense of what we are talking about.” Along with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, Costa will travel to the UK for an EU-UK summit on 19 May. The meeting is expected to yield an agreement to open negotiations in a range of areas, although precise outcomes remain uncertain. Click here to read… [8]

Georgia's FM says EU Decision to Suspend Visa-Free Travel is 'Politically Wrong'

The European Commission had proposed to suspend the visa-free travel regime for Georgian diplomats and officials in response to the violent crackdown on protesters, who took to the streets for weeks to denounce the ruling party's gradual pivot away from Europe and towards Russia. Georgia has reacted angrily to the suspension of a mutual visa-free travel agreement by the European Union. The development may lead to Georgian diplomats and officials having to apply for visas when travelling to an EU member state. A day after the announcement of the suspension, Georgian foreign minister Maka Botochorishvili called the decision “politically wrong.” “Legally, it is absolutely groundless and nonsense. There is no proof or explanation how Georgian diplomats are creating threats or threatening public order in the European Union or EU member states,” she said. “Georgia has been a dedicated partner for the European Union and that is not just empty words,” she said, adding that her country “is there with this intention to be part of the European Union. And we are very serious about that.” Following a decision of the Georgian government in November 2024, the opening of negotiations with the EU about membership is suspended until 2028. Click here to read… [9]

Workers Participating in Opposition called General Strike Assaulted on the Streets of Tbilisi, Georgia

Workers participating in a three-hour general strike called by opponents of the Georgian government were attacked in the street, reportedly by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Footage circulating on social media showed baton-wielding individuals attacking people on the streets who were participating in the strike. A local independent media outlet says the incumbent Georgian Dream party, led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, hired the individuals, referred to as “titushky”, a term used to describe hired thugs usually in service of government or political groups. Protesters from various companies participating in the nationwide strikes were physically and verbally assaulted according to local media. Demonstrators chanted, blew whistles and waved Georgian and European Union flags side-by-side as they joined the marches organised around the capital, Tbilisi. Organisers of the three-hour long strike say that the protest was intended as a warning of what the country would face in isolation, the direction they say Georgia is headed towards after Kobakhidze announced the suspension of the country’s EU membership talks. Click here to read… [10]

Baltic States Unplug from Russia and Join EU Power Grid

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are now unplugged from Russia's electricity grid and have joined the European Union's network. Plans for the move - which have been in the works since 2007 - were seen as essential for European security and had been brought forward after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Today, history is made," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told a ceremony in Lithuania's capital. "This is freedom, freedom from threats, freedom from blackmail." Polish President Andrzej Duda, praised it as a "truly symbolic moment" that would make the region "more secure and resilient". "It is the final step towards emancipation from the post-Soviet sphere of dependence," he added. The so-called Brell power grid - which stands for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - is controlled almost entirely by Moscow and has long been seen as a vulnerability for the three Baltic states. Click here to read… [11]

Trump Says He Has Spoken with Putin About Ending Ukraine War

Donald Trump has said he held talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, over a negotiated end of the three-year Russia-Ukraine war, and indicated that Russian negotiators want to meet with US counterparts. Trump said he believed Putin “does care” about the killing on the battlefield but did not say if the Russian leader had presented any concrete commitments to end the nearly three-year conflict. Trump revealed that he has a plan to end the war but declined to go into details. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.” During his presidential campaign, Trump made repeated vows to end the war quickly if he was re-elected, often pointing to the loss of life on the battlefield. Last month, Trump said: “Most people thought this war would last about a week, and now it’s been going on for three years,” and said the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had expressed interest in a negotiated peace deal. Trump again expressed sorrow for the loss of life in the war and compared the young men dying to his own sons. “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason,” Trump said, adding that Putin also “wants to see people stop dying”. Click here to read… [12]

US Officials are Bound for Europe for Top-Level Talks on Ukraine

President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said that top administration officials will meet with European officials this week about how to end the war in Ukraine, nearly three years after Russia launched an all-out invasion. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said the Russian economy is not doing well and that Trump “is prepared to tax, to tariff, to sanction” Moscow to get Putin to the negotiating table. But Waltz also underscored the Trump administration is looking to use this week’s engagements to begin talks on clawing back some of the United States’ assistance to Ukraine. He said European allies will also need to take a greater role in supporting Ukraine going forward. Click here to read… [13]

Europe’s Far-Right Leaders Applaud Trump and Downplay Threat of Possible US Tariffs

Europe's far-right leaders applauded U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda and spoke of the turning point it presented Europe at an event on February 8, organized by Spain's Vox party in Madrid under the banner "Make Europe Great Again." Those gathered included Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italy's Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, French National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen and others. Salvini and Vox president Santiago Abascal downplayed Trump's threat to hike tariffs on European imports, saying that the European Union's taxes and regulations are a bigger danger to Europe's prosperity. "The great tariff is the Green Deal and the confiscatory taxes of Brussels and socialist governments across Europe," said Abascal. Click here to read… [14]

Europe Threatens Retaliation as Trump Plans 25% Tariffs on Steel, Aluminium

President Donald Trump is expected to introduce new 25% tariffs later on February 15, on all steel and aluminium imports into the US, on top of existing metals duties, in another major escalation of his shake-up of trade policy. Trump's pre-announcement coincided with the implementation of China's retaliatory tariffs, which were announced last week. With a 15% tax on coal and LNG and a 10% levy on crude oil, farm equipment, and some automobiles, the measures target $14 billion worth of goods. As the risk mounts of a multi-front trade war, the European Union flagged it may retaliate and Trump promised further announcements in the coming days of broader reciprocal tariffs to match those of countries importing US goods. The European Commission said it saw no justification for the imposition of tariffs: "We will react to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers." Click here to read… [15]

France’s Artificial Intelligence Summit aims to put EU on the Map as ‘Leading AI Continent’

The AI Action Summit in France comes after the UK and South Korea hosted the first events on AI, gathering heads of state, international organisation as well as businesses. France’s AI Action Summit, held on 10 and 11 February, aims to present Europe as the “leading AI continent”. The events aim to ensure the AI sector can drive beneficial social, economic and environmental outcomes in the public interest. The French summit's three main deliverables are to launch a global platform for AI capacity building, to stimulate information, standards and investment for sustainable AI and to give clarity to all existing global and bilateral initiatives. The European Commission is in the process of getting its AI office up and running after the EU AI Act was agreed last year. The office should become “the centre of AI expertise” across the bloc and play a key role in implementing the rules. The AI Act — the world's first set of rules to regulate AI systems according to the risk they pose to society — will be fully applicable by 2027. Still, some of the provisions, including the obligations for general-purpose AI models, will apply as of this August. Click here to read… [16]

European Start-Ups are Confident that AI Race is not lost to US and China

EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen announced a €200bn package to push the nascent AI industry in the EU, in order to catch up to the thriving AI industry in US and China. "I hear that Europe is late to the race, by the United States or China, have already gotten ahead. I disagree because the AI race is far from being over," said Von Der Leyen during the closing of the Paris AI Summit organised by French President Macron. These investments are meant to help boost EU companies in developing more advanced AI systems following the release of popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT and China's DeepSeek. The announcement was warmly welcomed by multiple start-ups present at the Station F incubator in Paris during the event. Click here to read… [17]

Paris AI Summit: J.D. Vance Rants Against EU’s ‘Excessive Regulation’

US vice president J.D. Vance on, 11 February, making his political debut in the world stage for the US, informed global leaders and tech industry executives that “excessive regulation” could cripple the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry, in a rebuke to European efforts to curb AI's risks. The speech underscored a widening, three-way rift over AI. The United States, under president Donald Trump, champions a hands-off approach to fuel innovation, while Europe is tightening the reins with strict regulations to ensure safety and accountability. Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding AI through state-backed tech giants, vying for dominance in the global race. Vance also took aim at foreign governments for “tightening the screws” on US tech firms, saying such moves were troubling. His remarks underscored the growing divide between Washington and its European allies on AI governance. The summit laid bare competing global AI strategies — Europe pushing to regulate and invest, China expanding AI through state-backed giants and the US doubling down on an unregulated, free-market approach. Click here to read… [18]

IMEC Project gains Traction as PM Modi holds talks with Macron

India and France on February 12, 2025 announced that they would continue to work closely to implement the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) project. The project proposes to connect India to Europe through sea and land routes. A discussion on the project was held during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to France, where he spoke at the Paris AI Action summit and held talks with President Emmanuel Macron. “The two leaders recalled the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on the margins of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023 and agreed to work together more closely on implementing the initiative,” said a joint statement issued after the visit. IMEC, which involves the participation of Israel, had failed to make headway because of the Gaza conflict. The French and the Indian leadership highlighted the importance of the project for the prosperity of India and Europe. Click here to read… [19]

Ukraine War Talks Start now, Trump says after Putin Call

US President Donald Trump has said he had a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Vladimir Putin on February 12, in which the leaders agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he and the Russian president had "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately" and invited each other to visit their respective capitals. Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with Trump about a "lasting, reliable peace". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin supported Trump's idea that the time had come to work together. The phone call between Putin and Trump lasted nearly an hour-and-a-half, during which the Russian president extended an invitation to visit Moscow, Peskov said. The president also said that he agreed with his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who told a Nato summit earlier on February 12, that there was no likelihood of Ukraine joining the military alliance. Click here to read… [20]

Hegseth Sets out Hard Line on European Defence and NATO

European nations must provide the "overwhelming" share of funding for Ukraine, the new US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, as he signalled a drastic shift in Washington's position on the war. Speaking at a defence summit in Brussels, Hegseth said the US would no longer "tolerate an imbalanced relationship" with its allies and called on Nato members to spend much more on defence. He also said it was "unrealistic" to expect Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders and downplayed the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO. The new US defence secretary's remarks are the clearest indication yet of the Trump administration's position on the Ukraine war and what a peace plan to end the conflict could involve.

The positions set out by Hegseth will be met with dismay in Ukraine - which has repeatedly called for NATO membership and has rejected ceding territory as part of any peace deal - and will be welcomed by Moscow. Hegseth said any durable peace must include "robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again". However, he said "the United States does not believe that Nato membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement". Instead, security guarantees should be backed by "capable European and non-European troops". Click here to read… [21]

Anti-Trump Demonstration takes place ahead of NATO Meeting in Brussels

The demonstration happened on the sidelines of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's address at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels. Dozens gathered for an anti-Trump demonstration in front of the Brussels-Central station on February 12, calling for the defence of democratic values in the United States. Spokesperson for Democrats Abroad Belgium Robin de Wouters said "we really want to protest the Trump administration's attack on our constitutional values and American values." De Wouters added that the American population has entrusted the US president after a democratically held vote, but stresses the importance of representing all of its citizens, "and that's not by alienating a vast majority of Americans." "He has to respect the rule of law. He has to respect the decisions of the court. He has to respect due process in Congress. And he cannot assert himself as an autocrat," he concluded. Click here to read… [22]

No Peace Talks Without Us and Ukraine, Europe Warns

European foreign ministers and officials warned late on February 12, that the future of Ukraine could not be decided without Europe or Kyiv after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed to "immediately" hold peace talks. In the weeks prior, European diplomats had voiced concern about a scenario where Trump would be inclined to hold bilateral talks with Putin over Ukraine's and the Europeans’ heads. A group of European foreign ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, the EU, Britain and Ukraine, attending a Weimar+ ministerial meeting in Paris on February 12 evening, said any future peace deal could not be achieved without the involvement of Ukraine and its European partners. They emphasised that they were "looking forward to discussing the way ahead together with our American allies." "Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations. Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is a necessary condition for a strong transatlantic security," they added. Click here to read… [23]

Leaders Set for Key Security Meeting as ‘Old World Oder’ at Risk of Crumbling

The US Vice President, JD Vance, Ukraine's President Zelensky and up to 60 other world leaders and decision-makers are due to convene in Munich over February 14-16, for the annual Munich Security Conference (MSC). When President Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago it was widely condemned by much – although not all – of the world. NATO, the EU and the West in general reached an extraordinary level of unity in coming together to help Ukraine defend itself, without getting drawn into direct conflict with Russia. President Trump has effectively pulled the rug out from Ukraine's negotiating position by conceding, via his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, that restoring Ukraine's territory to where it was before the first Russian invasion in 2014 is simply "not realistic". The US has also dashed Kyiv's hopes of joining Nato, a key ambition of President Zelensky, and ruled out sending US troops to help protect its borders from the next time Russia decides to invade. Click here to read… [24]

Norway to Open Protected Rivers to Hydropower Plants

The Norwegian parliament has voted to open up protected rivers to hydropower plants, prompting fury from conservation groups who fear for the fate of fish and other wildlife. The bill allows power plants bigger than 1MW to be built in protected waterways if the societal benefit is “significant” and the environmental consequences “acceptable”. It was voted through on February 13, as part of measures to improve flood and landslide protection. Une Bastholm, a Green member of parliament, described the proposal as “a historic attack on Norwegian nature.” Environment campaigners say they believe the proposal will lead to an “endless stream” of new battles over river development. They criticised the government, who they said rushed it through without proper public consultation or environmental impact assessments. Norway, a Nordic country known for its dramatic fjords and pristine nature, has protected nearly 400 waterways with plans that keep them from being dammed by large power plants. Its rivers and the species in them have separately come under threat from intensive farming and the climate crisis. Click here to read… [25]

J.D. Vance’s Blast at Europe Ignores Ukraine and Defence Agenda

This year's Munich Security Conference (MSC) was supposed to be primarily about two things: how to end the war in Ukraine without giving in to Russia, and how Europe needed to boost its spending on defence. But the most senior American present, US Vice President JD Vance, used his time at the podium to talk about neither. Instead, he shocked delegates at the conference by roundly attacking Washington's allies, including Britain, in a blistering attack decrying misinformation, disinformation, and the rights of free speech. He accused European governments of retreating from their values, and ignoring voter concerns on migration and free speech. The vice president did, however, go on to meet the embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who did his best to sound positive. Vance's speech came days after President Trump effectively pulled the rug out from Ukraine's negotiating position by conceding, via his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, that restoring Ukraine's territory to where it was before the first Russian invasion in 2014 is simply "not realistic". Click here to read… [26]