Eurotopics.net

At a Ukraine summit on Monday in Paris, the leaders of seven EU countries as well as the UK, the EU and Nato had hoped to agree on a common European position on ending the Ukraine war ahead of the Russia-US meeting in Riyadh. Since then, discussions have focused on the question of deploying European peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. Commentators examine the stance of individual countries and Europe as a whole.

At a meeting of their foreign ministers in the Saudi capital Riyadh, the US and Russia have agreed on initial steps in the direction of a rapprochement, with the resumption of ambassadorial relations and preparations for a summit meeting between presidents Trump and Putin. Negotiators are to seek ways to end to the war in Ukraine and increase economic cooperation. Europe's press analyses the signals.

A majority of the German Bundestag on Wednesday approved a non-binding motion put forward by the CDU/CSU faction to tighten the country's migration policy, which includes the introduction of permanent border controls. The vote was hotly contested as it passed with the votes of the AfD, which is classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a suspected right-wing extremist organisation. Europe's press weighs in.

The crisis that has been smouldering for decades in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is now coming to a head: the M23 rebel group, supported by neighbouring Rwanda, has overtaken the regional capital Goma. UN peacekeepers have been caught in the crossfire, aid programmes have been suspended and 400,000 people have fled their homes, according to the UN. Riots have also been reported in the capital Kinshasa. What can Europe do?