Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to visit Ireland today en route to US
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to visit Ireland today on his way to the US to seal a controversial deal with Donald Trump on the country’s rare earth minerals.
He will meet the taoiseach Micheál Martin, who has cancelled a trip to Belfast, at Shannon airport.
Ireland’s minister of state for European affairs and defence Thomas Byrne told a conference on the role of the Council of Europe in a lasting peace in Ukraine said:
There should be nothing about Europe without Europe.
Together with our EU partners, Ireland, will continue to build global support for comprehensive, just and lasting peace on Ukraine’s terms, which upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and which is based on respect for the principles of the UN charter and international law.
And we know that if any peace agreement will last it must have justice and accountability at heart.
Key events
EU condemns China’s support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine
The European Commission “strongly condemns third countries’ continued support for Russia’s war of aggression” against Ukraine and “urges them to seize all assistance,” a commission spokesperson said.
Anouar El Anouni was asked more specifically about China and said it was “the largest provider of dual use goods and sensitive items that … sustain Russia’s military industrial base.”
We are seriously concerned about reports of Chinese companies providing components for attack drones used by Russia on the battlefield, or even fully assembled attack drones.
Without China’s support, Russia wouldn’t be able to continue its war of aggression against Ukraine with the same force.
It’s midday in Brussels so it’s time for my favourite guilty pleasure of watching EU spokespeople navigate difficult and random questions, and today they were faced with a question on Trump’s comments about the bloc “screwing the US” as he floated potential 25% tariffs on the EU.
The commission’s Olof Gill was asked by Euractiv’s Nicholas Wallace the following question: “Would you say that the European Union has done a very good job or a very bad job of screwing the United States?”.
It’s fair to say he wasn’t too impressed.
It’s sometimes difficult to believe that we have to offer responses to this type of stuff, but as you’ve asked…
We believe that the European Union, since its foundation has been a boon for the United States.
Why do I say that? By creating a large and integrated single market, the EU has facilitated trade, reduced costs for EU exporters, and harmonised standards and regulations across all our member states.
As a result, US investments in Europe are highly profitable American companies have been able to invest and generate substantial revenues precisely because the EU is a large unified market that is good for business. This is also one of the key reasons why transatlantic trade amounts to over 1.5 tn euro annually, making it the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world.
The European Union believes we should work together to preserve these opportunities for our people and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, instead of working against each other. We stand for dialogue, openness and reciprocity. We are ready to partner with you, provided you play by the rules.
More broadly, the commission refused to offer any detailed commentary on Trump’s statements, just saying that:
We are ready to engage with our US counterparts, and we are doing so.
But of course, if necessary, we will defend our interest one of European companies and European citizens.
Danish retailer to help consumers who want to buy European
Denmark’s largest retailer Salling Group will add a black star on electronic labels to help consumers who want to choose European products, in a sign of growing trade tensions with the US under Donald Trump and other countries.
Anders Hagh, Salling Group’s CEO, said in a LinkedIn post that the company “recently received a number of inquiries from customers who want to shop for groceries from European brands.”
From March, electronic price tags in Bilka, føtex and Netto chains will see a small black star next to products owned by a European company.
Hagh said the company will still “continue to have brands on the shelves from all over the world, and it will always be up to the customers to choose,” but the new feature will help those who want to pick European brands.
EU’s von der Leyen to travel to London on Sunday for Ukraine security summit
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will travel to London this Sunday to take part in an informal meeting on Ukraine and European security, a spokesperson for the European Commission has just confirmed.
This comes after comments by Polish president Donald Tusk earlier this week, who first revealed the plans for this London summit.
Aggression must not go unpunished, Ukrainian diplomat in Ireland says ahead of Zelenskyy’s visit
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
Dmytro Shchedrin, deputy Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland, has said it is a “moral imperative the crime of aggression must not go unpunished”.
He was speaking just moments after it was announced that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on his way to the US stopping over at Ireland’s Shannon airport for a meeting with the taoiseach Micheál Martin (11:23).
“The latest developments in the world are resulting in a fragmentation of different international partnerships. The unity of international community is essential to ensuring that peace and justice ultimately prevail,” he said.
He said “one of the most pressing priorities” after a potential ceasefire or peace deal was the establishment of a “special tribunal for the crime of aggression”
European justice institutions have already set up a process to collect evidence of crimes of war and aggression including sexual violence, kidnapping of children and displacement of civilians.
Migration, economy, tackling bureaucracy among new Austrian government’s priorities
Speaking at a press conference in Vienna, the Austrian People’s Party’s leader Christian Stocker hailed the success of “probably the most difficult government negotiations in history,” as the country seems to be on course to get its new government after five months since the general election in September.
He praised the value of “consensus and compromise,” taking a swipe at other parties to “have refused to cooperate and evaded responsibility” for governing the country.
Stocker said the government formation was taking place amid a challenging environment, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a difficult economic situation, and an on-going migration crisis.
He explained that the government programme includes proposals for economic reform, and cutting bureaucracy, as well as tightening of the migration and asylum policy, including an immediate suspension of family reunification programmes, and a promise to look at freezing asylum applications if their number go substantially up again.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to visit Ireland today en route to US
Lisa O’Carroll
in Dublin
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to visit Ireland today on his way to the US to seal a controversial deal with Donald Trump on the country’s rare earth minerals.
He will meet the taoiseach Micheál Martin, who has cancelled a trip to Belfast, at Shannon airport.
Ireland’s minister of state for European affairs and defence Thomas Byrne told a conference on the role of the Council of Europe in a lasting peace in Ukraine said:
There should be nothing about Europe without Europe.
Together with our EU partners, Ireland, will continue to build global support for comprehensive, just and lasting peace on Ukraine’s terms, which upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and which is based on respect for the principles of the UN charter and international law.
And we know that if any peace agreement will last it must have justice and accountability at heart.
Poland’s Tusk hits back at Trump’s EU comments
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has bit back at comments from US president Donald Trump, who claimed overnight that the EU was formed “to screw the United States.”
In a social media post in English, Tusk said:
The EU wasn’t formed to screw anyone. Quite the opposite. It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. As simple as that. 🇪🇺🇺🇸
Austrian three-way coalition parties meet president to outline their plans
The leaders of the three parties likely to form the next Austrian government (9:25 CET) have now visited the country’s president, Alexander Van der Bellen, to present their proposed programme.
The party leaders are starting their press conference on the new government’s plans now, so I will keep an eye on any key news lines there.
Deborah Cole
Meanwhile in Germany, a viral social media image of the man likely to be Germany’s next chancellor and his transition team has revived longstanding questions about whether Friedrich Merz can bridge a persistent gender gap.
“Not great optics” was among the more generous of the thousands of comments on the post by Merz’s Bavarian ally Markus Söder, which seemed to hark back to another time.
“We’re ready for political change in Germany,” was Söder’s caption on X and Instagram for the shot from the all-male working breakfast in Berlin with Merz and his team, ranging in age from 47 to 69.
In Sunday’s election, Germans elected fewer women to the parliament as a whole this time, making up 32.4% of the new class of MPs – down from 35%.
Next court hearing expected in late March – media reports
Romanian media Adevarul and Antena 3 CNN are both reporting from their sources that the pair are expected to report for a court hearing in Bucharest in late March.
Tate brothers allowed to travel, have to report to court when summoned – statement
The statement from the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism says that “the two defendants of dual British-American citizenship” have been allowed to travel, but have to report when summoned and any violation of this condition could lead to stricter restrictions on their movement.
Here it is in full (in Romanian).
Romanian prosecutors confirm they approved Tate’s travel outside Romania
Romanian prosecutors approved the request of internet personality Andrew Tate to travel outside Romania pending criminal investigation, Reuters reported.
Austria close to getting new government
In other news, Austria may soon get a new government, after the conservative People’s Party (OVP) and Social Democrats (SPÖ) have just agreed to form a three-way coalition with the liberal Neos – The New Austria and Liberal Forum party.
The government’s 200-page programme will be presented at a press conference at 11am CET and reportedly includes provisions for radical toughening of migration and asylum laws.
The new cabinet is expected to be sworn in by Monday, but the deal is still subject to final approvals by parties.
The talks between the three parties were again opened last week after previous attempts to form government in various configurations, including led by the election winners in the far-right Freedom party (FPÖ), failed to get any traction.
It has been five months since the general election in September, the longest it has taken Austria to form a government since the second world war.
Morning opening: And now for something different
Jakub Krupa
Today was meant to be all about UK prime minister Keir Starmer’s visit to the US, a second attempt this week – after French president Emmanuel Macron’s trip on Monday – to put forward European arguments to US president Donald Trump in a bid to convince the new US administration of the importance of supporting Ukraine.
But, but, but.
Controversial British-American influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate have reportedly left Romania this morning on a private flight to the US, after securing a permission to leave the country, Romanian media report.
The former professional kickboxer and his brother Tristan were arrested in 2022 and indicted in mid-2023, along with two Romanian women, on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
The brothers, who are dual UK-US citizens and have been vocal supporters of Trump, have denied wrongdoing. The UK is seeking the brothers’ extradition after Bedfordshire police were granted a warrant as part of an investigation into allegations of rape and human trafficking.
What does it have to do with Starmer’s visit to the US and European relations with the new Trump administration, I hear you ask?
In recent weeks, Financial Times (£) and other media outlets reported that the new US administration has pressed the Romanian authorities to lift travel restrictions on the pair.
The reports were denied by the Romanian government, with the country’s prime minister Marcel Ciolacu saying last week that “the US has not made any requests to Romania” on this. Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu was quoted, however, as confirming, however that the US enquired about the brothers – even if he insisted there was “no form of pressure”.
According to Antena 3 CNN, a Romanian news channel partnered with the US cable network, the brothers left on a private plane for Florida at 5:30am (3:30 GMT) this morning, after securing a permission to travel from the Romanian prosecutor’s office.
The issue could have an impact on Starmer’s visit with questions over the role the US administration played in allowing the brothers to travel.
I will bring you all the latest on this, Ukraine, and other topics around Europe.
It’s Thursday, 27 February 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
Good morning.