Section: European Voice (EU)
Getting out the vote, Putin style
MOSCOW — When Russians go to the polls on Sunday, not only will they elect a new president — no prizes for guessing who that might be — they may also win sparkling new smartphones. From Kaliningrad, Russia’s Baltic exclave, to Vladivostok, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, authorities are organizing a series of “Photo at the Ballot Box”...
UK and NATO allies stand against ‘reckless and unlawful’ Russia
Russia is a rogue state, and no one at NATO is falling for Moscow’s lies, the U.K.’s national security adviser, Mark Sedwill, said Thursday. Speaking in Brussels after briefing the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s chief political body, Sedwill said the attempted assassination of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, was...
US imposes new sanctions on Russia over 2016 election meddling
The Treasury Department on Thursday slapped new sanctions on two dozen Russian entities and individuals for interfering in the 2016 election and conducting a series of damaging cyberattacks. “The administration is confronting and countering malign Russian cyber activity, including their attempted interference in U.S. elections, destructive...
Robert Fico’s got to go
BRATISLAVA — The morning of February 26, Slovakians woke up to a harsh reality. We live in a country where a journalist can be murdered and our government fails to take responsibility. My first reaction was pure shock. I knew Ján Kuciak personally; he and I were the same age — 27 — and we both studied journalism. But I knew him mostly through his...
MEPs approve Brexit resolution by large majority
MEPs voted 544 to 110 in favor of a resolution setting out a position on Brexit that makes clear the U.K. cannot receive the same benefits from the EU when it is no longer a member. The document — which was obtained ahead of publication by POLITICO — makes clear that a “deep and comprehensive” trade deal must entail “a binding interpretation...
Putin provocateur
Accusations of a chemical weapon attack — and a major diplomatic crisis just days before a presidential election — might give some world leaders pause for thought. Not Vladimir Putin. Faced with an ultimatum from Prime Minister Theresa May over an attempted assassination on British soil, the Russian strongman is making a show of just how strong...
Manafort could face ‘rest of life in prison,’ judge says
WASHINGTON — Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, runs a significant risk of spending the rest of his life in prison and the evidence against him by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office seems strong, a federal judge declared in an order made public on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III, who is based in Alexandria,...
Rex Tillerson blasts Russia over alleged nerve agent attack in UK
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday slammed Russia over an alleged nerve agent attack in Britain — going further than the White House in directly calling out the Kremlin as “an irresponsible force of instability in the world.” Tillerson said the United States will stand “in solidarity” with the United Kingdom and would coordinate its...
NATO ‘in touch’ with UK about nerve gas attack
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday the alliance is in contact with the U.K. about the nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent, amid speculation that the alliance could invoke its collective defense clause if Russia is found responsible. British Prime Minister Theresa May said earlier Monday that it was “highly likely”...
Trade, spies and the perils of going it alone
At risk of accusations of “talking down Britain,” it nevertheless seems fair to observe that this was a week that highlighted the risks inherent in striking out alone in the world. First, there was Trump and his tariffs. Despite assertions from Liam Fox that the U.K. will be seeking an exemption, it is not clear how this can be squared with the...
