Section: Voice of America (USA)
New French President Promises Tough Talk at First Putin Meeting
New French President Emmanuel Macron is promising tough talk at his first meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday, following an election campaign when his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere in the democratic process. Macron, who took office two weeks ago, has said that dialogue with Russia is vital in tackling a number of...
NATO Chief: Trump’s Message on Spending Echoes Previous Administrations
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the message in U.S. President Donald Trump’s “blunt” speech urging alliance members to boost defense spending echoed that of previous administrations. Stoltenberg spoke to RFE/RL in an interview on Friday, a day after Trump met with the other leaders of the 28-member military alliance...
NATO Chief Not Shocked By Trump’s ‘Blunt and Direct’ Speech
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg wasn’t shocked by Donald Trump’s “blunt and direct” speech on defense spending during the U.S. president’s first meeting with alliance leaders in Brussels. In an interview with RFE/R’s Brussels Correspondent Rikard Jozwiak, Stoltenberg said NATO leaders were committed to fairer...
African Leaders Join G-7 Summit to Discuss Migration
The second and final day of the Group of Seven (G-7) leading democracies annual summit is under way in Taormina, Italy, with several African heads of state joining the talks. Host Italy wants to draw attention to the migration crisis and the dangerous Mediterranean crossings taken by tens of thousands of people looking for a better life in...
Climate Change Among Most Contentious Issues at G-7 Summit
Climate change is among the most contentious agenda items being addressed Friday at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Sicily. U.S. administration officials have said U.S. President Donald Trump, who referred to man-made global warming as a “hoax” during his campaign, will wait until after the summit before making a decision on the issue....
Peace Activists Focus on Reducing Military Spending at Counter-NATO Summit
While NATO heads of states are meeting in their newest headquarters to discuss increasing defense budget spending, leading peace activists from around the world are gathered for a counter-summit to advocate for less militarization. Military spending will be one of the issues topping the NATO summit agenda Thursday in Brussels. Increasing defense...
Europe’s Leaders Hope for Change in Direction at NATO Summit
NATO leaders are going to Brussels for a summit meeting on Thursday expecting to agree on key principles. With Monday’s attack in Britain overshadowing the meeting, there will be quick consensus on the need to keep fighting terrorism both at home and abroad, in places like Afghanistan. How to do it is a different question. The war in...
Russia, Western Summits: No Love Lost
International summits this week are expected to touch on problems dealing with Moscow, including the NATO Western military alliance and the G-7 meeting of developed nations. Neither embraces Russia as a member. NATO leaders meet May 25 in Brussels, while the G-7 holds talks in Sicily a day later. U.S. President Donald Trump is attending both...
Germany, France Pledge New Efforts to Strengthen Eurozone
Germany and France pledged Monday to seek ways to strengthen the 19-nation eurozone, with harmonizing corporate taxes among the possible measures they will mull over in the coming weeks. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and new French counterpart Bruno Le Maire said they are setting up a panel to produce proposals for a bilateral summit...
Assailants Attack Ukrainian LGBT Activists and Police, Burn Rainbow Flag
Assailants attacked gay and transgender rights activists and torched a rainbow flag at a small rally in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Law enforcement officials said on May 18 that two police officers were hospitalized after police tried to disperse a group of about 30 assailants in the center of the eastern city. Video footage from the May 17...
