cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/26985200

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/24070601

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.18-150511/https://www.ft.com/content/aedd1e6b-fb4f-41fd-af10-af9dce6f88dc

The European Commission is seeking to set up collective arms purchasing for the entire bloc, in what would represent a significant transfer of power to Brussels.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive, said on Tuesday that the bloc would set up a “European Military Sales Mechanism” — a strategic reserve of European weaponry that capitals could purchase from to refill their own inventories. 

The initiative is part of the continent’s rearmament drive and aims to provide additional orders for arms manufacturers which have struggled to scale up production despite Russia’s war in Ukraine.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/9411140

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/24069568

Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday, March 18, passed a law banning Pride events and allowing authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attendees, continuing a crackdown by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's right-wing populist party on the country's LGBTQ+ community.

The measure passed in a 136-27 vote. The law, supported by Orbán's Fidesz party and their minority coalition partner the Christian Democrats, was pushed through parliament in an accelerated procedure after being submitted only a day earlier.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/31224643

Archived link

Kallas and the foreign ministers of the 27 EU Member States discussed the potential financial gap for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty at their monthly meeting in Brussels.

The Estonian politician, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, described as “sad” the news that the US government is withdrawing its financial support for the radio station, which she called a “beacon of democracy.”

[...]

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was founded in the early years of the Cold War to promote democratic values to listeners in Eastern Bloc countries and the Soviet Union.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/26999259

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/24045220

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.18-050128/https://www.ft.com/content/7fed8f2b-98c7-43c6-88b3-d66be449bfac

Macron has repeatedly stressed that a French president would always have ultimate power to decide whether to use the bomb — the same applies to Britain and the US within Nato.

Together, British and French nuclear capabilities would at least make Moscow think twice about attacking, said a senior western official. 

However, “what really influences Russian decision-making is the scale of US deterrence”, he said. Europe would need at least a decade of spending at around 6-7 per cent of GDP if it wanted to emulate that and acquire another 1,000 warheads, he added.

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/27088970

• [PDF] Letter.

Nearly 100 orgs plead for homegrown lifeline amid geopolitical tensions

cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/post/549132

An intro to Russian propaganda with some words of wisdom at the end.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/post/547173

Belgrade authorities have used sound weapons on the crowd of protesters. The video description has some educational links.

There are lots of videos around.

cross-posted from: https://reddthat.com/post/37234783

Democracy in Southeastern Europe is struggling as Romania becomes the EU's only "hybrid regime" amid rising ultranationalism, controversial political figures and ongoing protests across the region, all fuelled by Moscow and Washington.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/31170488

US authorities have turned to Europe for help with the country's severe egg shortage. The shortfall is due to bird flu, which has plagued the United States for several years.

The Finnish Poultry Association says it has been contacted about exporting eggs to the US. The organisation's executive director, Veera Lehtilä, told Yle on Saturday that exporting eggs does not seem to be possible at the moment because no market access negotiations have been held with US authorities. This can be a drawn-out process involving extensive inspections and studies.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/26937940

The group that drafted a key blueprint for Donald Trump’s second term convened a meeting in Washington D.C. this week to consider proposals for bulldozing the European Union (EU).

The Polish investigative outlet VSquare revealed that the Heritage Foundation gathered hardline conservative groups on 11 March to hear how they would overhaul the current structures of the EU.

The “closed-door workshop” featured a debate on a new paper produced by the lobby groups MCC and Ordo Iuris entitled: “The Great Reset: Restoring Member State Sovereignty in the 21st Century”.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23960819

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.16-042727/https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/ukraine-peace-deal-is-on-trump-time-putin-may-miss-his-moment-n58zc7glm

The Russian president is buying time before a ceasefire deal is struck. Will his big opportunity slip away?

Faced with the proposal of a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is doing what he does best: creative dithering. By saying that he is broadly in favour but “there are nuances” which need “painstaking research on both sides”, he is in effect delaying having to accept or reject the proposal. He may be hoping to buy time to get the best deal, but the fear in Moscow is that he will lose the opportunity altogether.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/23962155

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.16-112421/https://www.ft.com/content/38de65f3-6ea1-4056-856c-601f71bb1cb3

Just two months ago, Switzerland’s new defence minister was seen as an outsider with little chance of securing a federal government post.

But Martin Pfister, an army colonel and cantonal minister who advocates for more defence co-operation with Natoand EU neighbours, is set to take office next month after defeating a more conservative rival earlier this week.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/31129928

Archived

[...]

At a briefing in Brussels, a European diplomat emphasized that the EU is working to ensure Ukraine holds a stronger position in peace negotiations.

[...]

[An EU] diplomat [...] expressed the view that during a potential ceasefire, Ukraine should be armed rather than disarmed.

"Fighting is still ongoing, but even if there is a pause, Ukraine must be turned into a 'steel porcupine,'" [another] EU diplomat emphasized.

He added that it is crucial to put Ukraine in a strong position for negotiations. Moreover, it is necessary to prevent Russia from using a "second chance" to regroup and launch another attack.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/58519775

Organisers said the pro-Europe rally, which filled Rome’s central Piazza del Popolo with at least 30,000 people, reunited Italians on different sides and voting for opposite parties “in the name of democracy”.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/27232360

https://archive.ph/mhPRN

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/58461214

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/58461212