Finbarr Bermingham

Surely Cameron pandering to the right of the tory party and beyond swerved more blame than the German Chancellor

You should head to Tiananmen Square some time :)

EU Made a ‘Mistake’ in Phasing Out Nuclear, Von Der Leyen Says The European Union made a “strategic mistake” in turning its back on nuclear energy, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in thinly-veiled criticism of Germany’s decision to close its reacto...

Literally on the same morning Merkel got her prize:

The European Union made a “strategic mistake” in turning its back on nuclear energy, Ursula von der Leyen said in thinly-veiled criticism of Germany’s decision to close its reactors.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Kept thinking of this when the Commission was presenting its ports strategy last week - why do they think Greece was forced to sell Piraeus to Cosco?

Interesting timing - in a week in which European anxiety over energy prices shoots up, European Parliament names Angela Merkel among the first laureates of the European Order of Merit

Does the EU Commission leader realise? Hard to observe it yesterday if so

So a vastly different speech to what we heard from von der Leyen yesterday.

After VDL says EU must decide if rules are a "help or hindrance" to the bloc, Costa says EU must ensure they survive.

Costa also with pointed critique of US & Israeli action in Iran (& US in general)

Freedom cannot be achieved through bombs:

"But freedom and human rights cannot be achieved through bombs. Only international law upholds them. Protecting civilians, ensuring nuclear safety and respecting international law is crucial. We must avoid further escalation."

Maximum restraint:

"EU calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint & return to the negotiating table, stands with the long-suffering people of Iran. We support their right to live in peace & determine their own future, human rights and freedoms must be fully respected.

Costa blames Iran, but says unilateral response must stop

"Iran is responsible for the root causes, but unilateralism can never be the path forward. Attacks by Iran and its proxies, like Hezbollah, against its neighbours – including Cyprus, an EU member state – must stop"

Costa: violations of international law must not be accepted

"Violations of international law must not be accepted – in Ukraine, Greenland, Latin America, Africa, in Gaza or the Middle East. Human rights violations must not be tolerated – in Iran, in Sudan, or in Afghanistan"

Costa:

"First, we must defend the rules-based international order. We must uphold the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, as outlined in our Treaties."

Costa: US challenges rules-based order!

"This multipolar world requires multilateral solutions. Not spheres of influence, where power politics replace law. We know the new reality: Russia violates peace, China disrupts trade, US challenges the international rules-based order"

Costa:

"It is in our interest to ensure that the world remains rules-based and cooperative. It is in our interest to avoid further world fragmentation. This is the best way to help Ukraine achieve a just and lasting peace. It is essential for Europe’s security and prosperity"

European Council President Antonio Costa now speaking to the same EU ambassadors addressed by VDL yesterday.

Starkly different message to VDL:

"We must defend the rules-based international order. We must uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Charter"

Exports to the US -11% and imports from US -26.7%

Asean exports up 29.4%, LatAm up 16.4%, Africa up nearly 50%

So the US exports are being rerouted but also seems like so much more. Overall exports with biggest jump in 4 years

Total exports jumped 21.8 per cent from a year earlier – the biggest gain in four years – to US$656.58 billion in the combined figures for January and February released by customs authorities on Tuesday.

By @sunyue_luna

www.scmp.com/economy...

For imports, a slightly better picture for Europe

China's imports from the EU +11.7%
from Germany + 4.9%
from Netherlands -5.1%
from France +28.2%
from Italy +10.6%

Jeez - these numbers for Europe are absolutely bonkers

China's trade data for the first 2 months of the year.

Exports to the EU up 27.8%
Exports to Germany up 31.3%
Exports to Netherlands up 17.9%
Exports to France up 31.9%
Exports to Italy up 36.4%

Trump: U.S. NAVY WILL ESCORT SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ WHEN TIME TIME COMES

Reuters: Iran's Revolutionary ⁠Guards ⁠said any Arab ⁠or European country ​that expels the ambassadors of Israel and the US ‌from its territory ​will have full authority and freedom to pass through the Strait of Hormuz

“The Commission must comply with the strictest observance of subsidiarity,” Barrot said on stage at an EU ambassadors’ conference in Brussels, pointing to the EU’s treaties.

France's top diplomat accuses Ursula von der Leyen of foreign policy overreach | Euractiv The EU’s external action service, led by Kaja Kallas, must be stronger, Jean-Noël Barrot said

The European Commission should not exceed its official mandate by usurping the foreign policy role of the EU’s diplomatic service, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told EU ambassadors on Monday, at a conference attended by Ursula von der Leyen.

www.euractiv.com/news/frances...

My pleasure

Well you can never please everyone. There'd be a fair whack of criticism no matter what they say or don't say. So it's, for me, about consistency

So no direct criticism of the US and Israel, but an allusion to the fact that international law is being trampled.

Kallas goes miles further than VDL but still dancing round the issue

Kallas defends the international order

"Without restoring international law, together with accountability, we are doomed to see repeated violations of the law, disruption and chaos.

We see this in the Middle East as we speak."

Russian "sent a signal around the world that there is no more accountability for one’s actions: the rulebook has been thrown out of the window"

Strange to think the Russian invasion set the precedent for the US action in Iran, rather than its other Middle Eastern interventions, but who knows 🤷

Then Kallas says

"Today’s 2 preeminent global crises, in Middle East and Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, are directly related. Because they share a foundation: the erosion of international law."

So she is directly comparing Iran to Ukraine. The US / Israel and Russia acting with impunity

She continues:

"Reports that Moscow and Tehran are working together to target U.S. troops should come as no surprise. Ukraine on the other hand is offering to help defend our partners in the Gulf. That alone should tell you who your friends are."