European Union

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday (22 August) called for an agreement to extend Russian gas transit through Ukraine, in an attempt to reassure Kyiv over the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will carry gas to Europe while bypassing the country.

US President Joe Biden said he still hopes to finalize the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan by 31August, as the Islamists blamed Washington for harrowing scenes of chaos and despair at the airport in Kabul.

The fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the chaotic international evacuation effort shows that Europe needs to develop its own military capacity independent of the United States, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argues.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Lithuania's foreign minister on Saturday (21 August) and agreed on "bilateral coordinated action" to help the country withstand pressure from China over its decision to develop ties with Taiwan, Lithuania said.

Russia on Friday (20 August) added independent TV channel Dozhd (TV Rain) to a growing list of "foreign agent" media outlets as liberal organisations face mounting pressure in the country.

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 21 - 27 August 2021.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/1277 of 30 July 2021 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Lebanon.

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with the Council Decisions (CFSP) 2021/595, (CFSP) 2021/585 and (CFSP) 2021/1252 concerning restrictive measures regarding Iran.

The EU issued a declaration on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan

China passed a sweeping privacy law aimed at preventing businesses from collecting sensitive personal data Friday, as the country faces an uptick in internet scams and Beijing targets tech giants hoovering up personal data.

The EU's two top officials will visit a reception centre in Spain on Saturday for Afghan refugees who worked for the bloc, Spain's foreign minister said.

After the President's decision in July to suspend parliament, Tunisia's democracy needs support from the EU and other international allies, writes Rached Ghannouchi.

It is France's duty to play the role of mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan, argues Jérôme Lambert.

In this week’s edition: Europe grapples with its response to the Afghanistan withdrawal chaos, Belarus border violations and Crimea in focus.

Following the Taliban's recapture of Afghanistan, European commentators are fundamentally questioning Western involvement in Islamic countries. Is "exporting democracy " a laudable endeavour? A hopeless mission? Or even an imperialist presumption?