Eurotopics.net

The leaders of the Nato member states have convened in Ankara. Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky was among the guests and reaffirmed his country's desire to join the alliance. In view of the many challenges Nato faces, commentators take a positive view of the results of the meeting so far.

Turkey is pulling out all the stops as host of the Nato summit in Ankara. The reception for Donald Trump was particularly lavish. The US President had previously hinted that he was attending the summit solely because of his 'friend' Erdoğan. The media take it as a cue to assess the role Turkey plays for both the US and Europe.

The British far-right populist Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as MP in the House of Commons after coming under pressure for not disclosing millions of pounds worth of gifts. Farage, however, does not see the move as an admission of guilt – announcing that he will be standing again in his constituency's by-election.

The European Commission plans to amend the rules on the admission of Ukrainian war refugees from spring 2027, and has proposed that Ukrainian men of military age who arrive in the EU should no longer be automatically entitled to protection, although they would retain the right to apply for asylum. In Ukraine, military-age men are subject to an exit ban.

As of today, customs duties will be levied on parcels of goods from non-EU countries worth less than 150 euros. These will be subject to a fixed fee of three euros per item type. Until now, such parcels had enjoyed an exemption. The tariffs are expected to hit online retailers which sell cheap goods, such as Temu and Shein, particularly hard. Commentators debate whether the measure will strengthen Europe's economy.