Eurotopics.net

Theresa May will be the first foreign head of government to visit US President Donald Trump on Friday. Before the meeting the British prime minister held a speech in Philadelphia in which she tried to enlist the support of Republican members of Congress for a bilateral trade agreement between the two countries. Some commentators see May in the role of supplicant at the White House. Others believe she could exert a positive influence on Trump.

Greece's Supreme Court has rejected Ankara's request for the extradition of eight Turkish officers suspected of plotting a coup who fled their country and sought asylum in Greece. It was not certain that the soldiers would be given a fair trial in Turkey, the judges ruled. The Turkish government has slammed the ruling saying it was politically motivated. Commentators praise it but voice concern about the safety of the eight men.

Under the motto "NOlimpia", the Hungarian movement MoMo has launched a petition for a referendum opposing Hungary's bid to host the 2024 Olympics in Budapest. The Hungarian capital is competing alongside Los Angeles and Paris to host the summer games. The decision on which city will act as host is due in September. Hungary's media is deeply divided over the issue.

The two-day Syria peace talks in Astana ended without a major breakthrough. Russia, Turkey and Iran will try to strengthen the fragile ceasefire, it says in the final declaration. The talks are to be resumed at the start of February in Geneva. Commentators explain which basic conditions they consider necessary to find a solution to the Syrian conflict.

President Trump stressed in his inauguration speech that he wants to protect the US from foreign economic interests. One of his first acts as president was to sign an executive order on exiting the transpacific free trade agreement TPP. Protectionism didn't work during the Great Depression either, journalists point out, and lament the end of the era of global trading.

US President Donald Trump is on a confrontation course with Mexico. On Wednesday he issued a decree for the fortification of the border between the two countries. In reaction to a tweet by Trump, Mexican President Peña Nieto then cancelled a meeting that was to take place between the two. Trump responded by threatening to impose a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to the US. How should the world respond to such an aggressive policy?