President (and retired General) Petr Pavel is a former Chair of NATO's Military Committee (CMC). He knows what he's talking about.

French nukes: It's hard to overstate how much of a sea change it is that countries such as the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Germany are open to talking with France about nuclear deterrence. We have been getting used to it — but it's a major, major shift.

For decades, the European Union has relied on the United States to act as shock absorber and chief powerbroker at global climate talks. No longer. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Oh ironie van de geschiedenis: de architect van de publieke afbraak moet ons nu verdedigen www.volkskrant.nl/columns-van-...

G7 embraces ‘realpolitik’ to work around disruptive Trump ...definitive summit wrap from @koenverhelst.bsky.social, Giorgio Leali and Nick Taylor-Vaisey www.politico.eu/article/g7-e...

The EU is not giving in to the US on a 10 percent base tariff, the bloc told me today at the G7 in Canada: www.politico.eu/article/eu-d...

When it comes to simplifying the EU's green rules, experts just get in the way. So countries thought it best to sideline them. Read our latest deep dive behind the scenes of the EU's mission to cut red tape: www.politico.eu/article/eu-c... w/ @l-guillot.bsky.social & @koenverhelst.bsky.social

Private equity heeft de festivalwereld ontdekt. Vrees voor duurdere tickets en afzeggende artiesten op tientallen festivals. Verhaal van @henkwillem.bsky.social voor @ftm.nl www.ftm.nl/artikelen/ro...

The European Commission presented to EU countries today a list of the concessions it is willing to make to the Donald Trump administration as well as a new list of goods it is going to slap with tariffs if negotiations fail, an EU official and an EU diplomat told POLITICO.

🚨 EU countries approve the €20+ bln retaliation package against Trump just now. Only Hungary voted against.

My old job with the stellar Sustainability team at POLITICO in Brussels is up for grabs! You'll get the chance to work with great colleagues @mariannegros.bsky.social, Leonie Cater and James Fernyhough. Apply here: jobs.mpleo.net/en/politico/...

If all is hostile, turn friendly: EU offers Donald Trump to slash all tariffs on industrial goods. www.politico.eu/article/eu-o... w/ fresh reporting from Luxembourg by @camgijs.bsky.social @jakobweizman.bsky.social and data via @gi-coi.bsky.social

🛡️ POLITICO hot take: Europe's plan to save the steel industry — but also, make it green — is really all about defence. The action plan is a blueprint for manufacturing low-carbon deterrence against an expansionist Russia. w/ @koenverhelst.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/indu...

Voor @nrcnl.bsky.social sprak ik met Kim Haneul, een Noord-Koreaan die jaren als dwangarbeider in Rusland werkte en recent wist te vluchten naar Zuid-Korea. "We kregen maar één dag per jaar vrij" www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

NEW: The EU won't propose a ban on bloc-wide purchases of Russian LNG in its 16th sanctions package, two EU diplomats said. That comes despite the EU importing record volumes of the supercooled fuel from Moscow this month. w/ @koenverhelst.bsky.social pro.politico.eu/news/192991

Kijk, @mobiliteit.brussels, I fixed it for you. Betere fietsinfrastructuur en openbaar vervoer leidt tot minder noodzaak om de auto te nemen. Klinkt wellicht paradoxaal, maar is keer op keer wetenschappelijk bewezen.

“According to the finance ministry’s calculations, the cost to society of trips by car is close to one euro/km. On the other hand, every km travelled by bike yields societal gains of 60 euro cents thanks to the health benefits of cycling, transport efficiency gains, & lower infrastructure spending.”

Giorgia Meloni pitched her Albania refugee camp as a near-miraculous solution. A few months in, the camps host more Italian staff than they ever did refugees as Meloni struggles to dodge European refugee repatriation laws. By @elenagiordano.bsky.social and moi: www.politico.eu/article/gior...

If you work in the European Quarter, you’ve seen the mural on Rue de la Loi, a wash of color in an otherwise grey, traffic-choked street. It was torn down today to make room for new European Commission offices. But it could be revived! A very Brussels bubble scoop 👇 www.politico.eu/article/brus...

So for all us joining the X-odus, here's a nice piece that gives one hope for the future of Western sanctions against Russia 🛃 💎Diamond tracing will get real, as Botswana will certify its exports soon. And Angola just kicked out Alrosa. More here: www.politico.eu/article/west...

Waking up under a Blue Sky with 1.9k followers after months of radio silence on my part - the pressure is on! 😅

Let's announce also here: I've joined Politico's trade team this week! 🌴🍌🚗🏭💱🌍🚨 My phone number stays the same, so let's grab a coffee or lunch soon. ☕ Main thing on the agenda will be the daily Morning Trade newsletter with @zimmerfrau.bsky.social, @camgijs.bsky.social and @busvine.bsky.social. 🗞️

As the Brussels bubble is fully immersed the Raw Materials Week, it wakes up to the news of a political agreement on the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act. Key changes: - aluminium is in - recycling benchmark by 2030 from 15% to 25% #crma #criticalrawmaterials

Eine historische Premiere: In Rota, Spanien, trainiert die EU diese Woche zum ersten Mal überhaupt gemeinsam ihre geplante militärische Eingreiftruppe. Wir sind dabei. Hier unser Bericht, nachzusehen und nachzulesen: Wie die EU zur Militärmacht werden will: www.zdf.de/nachrichten/...