Russian attacks seek to ‘wear us down, divide us,’ but Europe ‘is responding’ with unity, von der Leyen says
And the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen is speaking again, this time at the Nordic Council summit in Stockholm.
She continues on the same theme of security, as she says:
“Not far from here, Russian fighter jets have violated European airspace. From Oslo to Copenhagen, drones have flown over critical infrastructure. In the Baltic Sea, undersea cables have been cut. Airports and logistic hubs have been paralysed by cyberattacks.
The intent is clear, to wear us down, to divide us.
But the opposite is taking place. Together, Europe is responding.”
She says the united response of the Nordics and Europe more broadly shows that, as per a Swedish saying, “many small streams make a mighty river.”
“Europe is stronger together. Nowhere is this clearer than in Ukraine. Putin thought he could break Ukraine’s resistance in three days, or three weeks. Instead, after 1,300 days, Ukraine’s spirit is unbroken,” she says.
She adds that the mix of Ukraine’s courage and “unrelenting support of Europe” help Kyiv keep fighting.
Von der Leyen says Europe wants this war to end, but “the lasting peace relies on a strong and independent Ukraine – that matters for the security of our entire continent.”
Putin still believes he can outlast us. He still thinks that over time, Russia can achieve its aims on the battlefield. This is a clear miscalculation.
She makes it clear that “securing long-term financial support for Ukraine is essential” and that adopting a reparations loan based on immobilised Russian assets would be “the most effective way to sustain Ukraine’s defence and it’s economy, and the clearest way to make Russia understand that time is not on their side” (nudge, nudge, Belgium 11:18).
Key events
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‘It’s more about life than death’: the growing popularity of Berlin’s cemetery cafes
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Tusk takes aim at Hungary’s Orbán, says he ‘lately seems fascinated by Moscow’
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Poland plans to reopen two border crossings with Belarus, but needs to coordinate with Lithuania, Tusk says
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Europe faces ‘new era of competitive geopolitics and confrontational geoeconomics,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
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Russian attacks seek to ‘wear us down, divide us,’ but Europe ‘is responding’ with unity, von der Leyen says
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Lithuania will not tolerate airspace violations, ready to shoot down smuggling balloons, president says
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Russian drone attacks on civilians in Ukraine are war crimes, UN report concludes
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Fury lingers one year after Spain’s deadly floods
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As Netherlands goes to the polls again, Geert Wilders faces isolation
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EU ‘looking into’ concerns expressed by leaders to progress Ukraine reparation loan proposal
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‘We cannot tolerate’ disruption of airspace, EU’s von der Leyen says, calling balloons over Lithuania ‘provocation’
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Nordics, EU back plans to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, hopeful of convicing Belgium to agree
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Russia is ‘real threat,’ Nordic leaders say, but they stress ‘we are not afraid, but prepared’
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‘We face greatest threat since WW2,’ Danish PM warns, says Russia is ‘trying to weaken our societies’
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Ukraine war and Russia’s reckless behaviour made Nordics ‘a hotspot,’ Finnish PM warns
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Nordic talks focus on security, competitiveness, support for Ukraine, leaders say
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Belarus president calls Lithuanian border closure ‘crazy scam,’ criticises EU plans to use frozen Russian assets
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Morning opening: Zelenskyy ready for talks, but will take no steps back, and needs financial support
‘It’s more about life than death’: the growing popularity of Berlin’s cemetery cafes
Deborah Cole
in Berlin
Unlike Paris or New York, where burial grounds traditionally occupy vast expanses on the historical outer reaches of the urban landscape, Berlin’s cemeteries have long been human-scale and primarily kiezbezogen, or rooted in communities
There has been a boom over the past decade, with coffee houses opening within cemetery walls and even in a former crematorium. Initial fears that customers would be spooked or mourners offended have proved largely groundless.
The German capital has now about a dozen cemetery cafes – not necessarily spaces for mourning, although they can be that, too – but mainly serving as islands of peace in busy districts.
Jakub Krupa
Now, for something very different…
Tusk takes aim at Hungary’s Orbán, says he ‘lately seems fascinated by Moscow’
Separately, Tusk also appeared to attack the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, his “friend from many years ago” as the pair used to be close in the 1990s and early 2000s, who “lately seems fascinated by Moscow” and “now believes it’s better to build a somewhat authoritarian model, somewhat … modeled on Russia.”
In a swipe at alleged irregularities in Hungary, he claimed that his thinking involves seeing power as “means of making sure no one can control what the authorities do.”
In a broader speech outlining his thinking on regional policy for eastern Poland, Tusk noted that Hungary was “much further ahead than Poland in 1989,” but now is “the poorest country in the European Union.”
“Those who allowed the corruption of, for example, European funds, fell behind in that great race for economic growth and for people’s prosperity,” he said.
His comments are the latest element of growing tensions between Polish and Hungarian politicians, after Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski repeatedly clashed on X with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó.
Poland plans to reopen two border crossings with Belarus, but needs to coordinate with Lithuania, Tusk says
The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has just announced plans to reopen two border crossings with Belarus in Kuźnica-Bruzgi and Bobrowniki to facilitate local traffic and trade, saying the move would now be possible thanks to strengthened controls alongside the entire border line.
Poland has been gradually building up its defences along the border, blaming Belarus for promoting irregular migration flows to test Poland’s defences.
“Thanks to our joint efforts, the Polish-Belarusian border is probably the best-guarded border in Europe right now, and because of that we can allow ourselves to take some risk in opening these crossings, since we assume the benefits outweigh the associated risks,” Tusk said.
But Tusk noted that the opening still needs to be coordinated with Lithuania, acknowledging its decision to close its crossings with Belarus in response to the balloon incidents over the last week.
He said Poland still needed to coordinate with Vilnius to “not surprise” the Lithuanian authorities with the announcement and to ensure “coherent” approach to border controls.
“If we sort this out … we should open those two crossings in November, let’s say on a trial basis,” he said, but added that “if for some reason, … and I mean Poland’s security …, it becomes necessary to close the border, I will not hesitate for a moment.”
Europe faces ‘new era of competitive geopolitics and confrontational geoeconomics,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
EU’s von der Leyen also issues a stark warning, as she tells the Nordic leaders:
“We are in a new era of competitive geopolitics and confrontational geoeconomics; one increasingly defined by power, whether economic, technological or, military.
Europe’s ability to act independently rests on our competitiveness of our economies.”
She says that’s why the EU is “stepping up” its work on removing bureaucratic burdens on companies as “in a world where others move fast, we must move faster still.”
Russian attacks seek to ‘wear us down, divide us,’ but Europe ‘is responding’ with unity, von der Leyen says
And the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen is speaking again, this time at the Nordic Council summit in Stockholm.
She continues on the same theme of security, as she says:
“Not far from here, Russian fighter jets have violated European airspace. From Oslo to Copenhagen, drones have flown over critical infrastructure. In the Baltic Sea, undersea cables have been cut. Airports and logistic hubs have been paralysed by cyberattacks.
The intent is clear, to wear us down, to divide us.
But the opposite is taking place. Together, Europe is responding.”
She says the united response of the Nordics and Europe more broadly shows that, as per a Swedish saying, “many small streams make a mighty river.”
“Europe is stronger together. Nowhere is this clearer than in Ukraine. Putin thought he could break Ukraine’s resistance in three days, or three weeks. Instead, after 1,300 days, Ukraine’s spirit is unbroken,” she says.
She adds that the mix of Ukraine’s courage and “unrelenting support of Europe” help Kyiv keep fighting.
Von der Leyen says Europe wants this war to end, but “the lasting peace relies on a strong and independent Ukraine – that matters for the security of our entire continent.”
Putin still believes he can outlast us. He still thinks that over time, Russia can achieve its aims on the battlefield. This is a clear miscalculation.
She makes it clear that “securing long-term financial support for Ukraine is essential” and that adopting a reparations loan based on immobilised Russian assets would be “the most effective way to sustain Ukraine’s defence and it’s economy, and the clearest way to make Russia understand that time is not on their side” (nudge, nudge, Belgium 11:18).
Lithuania will not tolerate airspace violations, ready to shoot down smuggling balloons, president says
Meanwhile, the Lithuanian president, Gitanas Nausėda, said the country will not tolerate repeated violations of its airspace with army ready to shoot down any further balloons, the country’s public broadcaster LRT reported.
His comments come after Vilnius airport had to suspend its operations four time last week after smuggling balloons, believed to be launched from Belarus, were reported in the vicinity of its airspace, prompting concerns about the safety of air operations.
Nausėda said that the phenomenon of smuggling balloons was not new, and that Lithuania’s ability to detect them – not just over Lithuania – has improved in recent months due to “additional capabilities.”
But he insisted that the balloons were used for “a hybrid attack against Lithuania,” as a “deliberate actions aimed at destabilising the situation” in the country, LRT reported.
The president said that Lukashenko’s apparent apologies over the incident (although accompanied by further unsubstantiated accusations against Vilnius 10:04) proved that the Lithuanian government’s plan to close the borders with Belarus in response “hurt” Minsk’s interests, as he added: “We want this neighbouring state to understand very well that all actions directed against Lithuania will have repercussions.”
He also didn’t rule out further measures against Belarus, including potential restrictions on rail transit.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, also said earlier the commission wasn’t prepared to tolerate such incidents (11:22).
Russian drone attacks on civilians in Ukraine are war crimes, UN report concludes
Shaun Walker
in Warsaw
A UN rights commission has concluded that Russia’s drone attacks on civilians in south-eastern Ukraine constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes.
In a new report published this week, the commission said Russian forces, operating under a centralised command, had systematically used drones to “intentionally target civilians and civilian objects and cause harm and destruction”.
The report was compiled by the UN’s independent international commission of inquiry on Ukraine, an independent body that reports back to the UN. The latest report looked at three regions of Ukraine in particular – Kherson, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk – which are close to the frontline and where drone attacks have increased in intensity over the past year.
Citing local authorities, the report estimated that more than 200 civilians have been killed by short-range Russian drones in the three regions over the past year, with 2,000 suffering injuries. The report’s authors conducted more than 200 interviews and reviewed more than 500 pieces of video evidence.
Residents of Kherson recounted the grim reality of life under constant threat of targeted drone strikes to the Guardian late last year, explaining how simple trips around town had become a gauntlet where death could strike at any time.
Fury lingers one year after Spain’s deadly floods
Sam Jones
in Valencia
A year on from Spain’s deadly floods, survivors in Valencia call for consequences, particularly for regional president, after the country’s worst natural disaster this century.
Lingering evidence of the worst natural disaster to befall Spain this century is everywhere. Walk through the gaping, still-doorless entrance to a block of flats in the Benetússer neighbourhood, on the southern outskirts of the city, and there is a small sign on the wall, positioned 2.5 metres (8ft) above the floor. It reads: “The flood waters rose this high on 29 October 2024.”
A sticker on the front of the building, one of many around here and beyond, shows the regional president, Carlos Mazón, smiling and holding out his bloodstained hands.
As parts of the wider Valencia region were flooded by the torrential rains that in some areas brought a year’s worth of rainfall in eight hours, and as people were drowning in their cars, homes and garages, Mazón, a member of the conservative People’s party (PP), was having a four-hour lunch with a journalist.
By the time his administration sent an emergency alert to mobile phones at 8.11pm that day, most of the disaster’s victims were already dead. All told, it killed 229 people in Valencia, seven in neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha and one person in Andalucía. According to government figures, nearly 60,000 homes, about 105,000 cars and more than 10,000 shops were damaged or destroyed.
The fury many feel towards Mazón is evident in the sticker’s caption: “Mud on our [hands]. Blood on his.” The two words beneath that slogan require no translation: “Mazón criminal”.
If the catastrophe has unleashed familiar political squabbles and prompted judicial and parliamentary investigations, it has also laid bare Spain’s excruciating vulnerability to the climate emergency. Like the wildfires of recent summers, the floods have shown just how quickly and mercilessly the environment is changing across the Iberian peninsula.
As Netherlands goes to the polls again, Geert Wilders faces isolation
Jon Henley and Senay Boztas in Amsterdam
Voters in the Netherlands return to the polls on Wednesday less than two years after Geert Wilders led his party to a shock election win that the anti-immigration agitator could well repeat – but this time, with little chance of his party ending up in government.
Polls suggest that Wilders’ far-right Freedom party (PVV) could again finish first in a vote triggered when he pulled it out of a fractious and ineffectual four-party rightwing coalition last June in a row over his 10-point plan for a radical crackdown on refugees.
But such was the anger sparked by the populist leader’s willingness to torpedo the government over demands widely judged either unworkable or illegal that all major political formations have since ruled out joining him in a new coalition.
Under the Dutch system, every 0.67% of the vote yields one MP. No single party ever wins a majority, and cabinets – the last three of which have been four-way coalitions – must win a confidence vote in a parliament of 15 or more parties before taking office.
That will make things difficult, if not impossible, for Wilders, who has spent more than 20 years under police protection after threats to his life but now insists he wants to serve as prime minister at the head of a minority government.
“If the PVV is the biggest party on Wednesday and you leave us in the lurch and don’t even want to talk to us or rule with us, then democracy is dead in the Netherlands,” he told other party leaders in Volendam, a PVV stronghold, at the weekend.
Few seem likely to listen.
EU ‘looking into’ concerns expressed by leaders to progress Ukraine reparation loan proposal
We are getting a bit more detail on the European Commission’s thinking about the Ukraine reparation loan which is meant to be backed by frozen Russian assets, as the daily midday press briefing gets under way.
The commission’s chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, said the EU “listened to what are the concerns expressed at the leaders’ level,” and is “looking into these questions, concerns, and making sure that we can come forward with something which is reassuring” for them.
“There are a number of principles that have been reiterated, also by the president herself, in terms of … respecting international law, this is absolutely critical.
And so it’s within that … we are looking into it and making sure that we address the concerns that were raised and the questions that were raised, notably by the Belgian prime minister last week.”
