KYIV — Hungary has lifted its longtime opposition to Ukraine opening formal talks to join the European Union − offering a glimmer of hope to a country traumatized by war that sees membership as crucial to escaping the claws of Russia and securing a free, democratic future. Source link
ROME — The European Union is adopting strict new rules on asylum claims by tightening border controls, speeding deportations, increasing detention times and moving to deploy some of the same clenched-fist tactics as the Trump administration in deterring arrivals. Source link
KYIV — European Union officials on Wednesday took a key step toward approving a loan of roughly $105 billion for Ukraine, after Hungary dropped its long-standing opposition. The two-year loan is moving forward after its main opponent, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, lost his campaign for reelection this month. Source link
BRUSSELS — In Brussels, where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made an art form of obstructing European Union policies, the sigh of relief over Orban’s resounding election defeat on Sunday was nearly audible. Some who regarded Orban a longtime nemesis could barely mask their jubilation. Source link
Frustrated by the inertia of European Union nations in working to address the continent’s challenges, Germany and France are pushing for a “two-speed” system that will allow Europe’s largest economies to make changes, unencumbered by the need for broader consensus. Source link
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s leaders are set to sign a landmark trade agreement with South American nations to create what they have trumpeted as the world’s largest free-trade zone. This deal is more than 25 years in the making. But its culmination comes at a time when the E.U. is moving with a new, urgent sense of purpose, as President Donald Trump upends long-standing alliances and the norms of global trade. Source link
