Eurotopics.net

Shortly before the Nato summit in Brussels begins US President Donald Trump has once again demanded that the Europeans increase their military spending. Some commentators take the view that Trump's criticism is basically justified. Others call for a more modern definition of defence policy that goes beyond boosting defence budgets.

Weeks of extreme heat and very little rain are threatening the existence of Northern Europe's farmers. Drought conditions have been reported in Latvia and in Sweden and Denmark meat farmers have had to slaughter their livestock for lack of feed. What can be done to help the farmers?

The fate and rescue of twelve boys and their 25-year-old football coach who were trapped for two and a half weeks in a flooded cave in Thailand has been followed closed by media across the globe. Observers see the fact that the rescue operation was conducted by an international team with the help of many unpaid volunteers as a hopeful sign in these difficult times.

In the row over Britain's exit from the EU, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has followed Brexit Minister David Davis's lead and resigned. Both have criticised Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan as too soft. Commentators speculate about what Johnson will do next and fear that with fresh elections the whole Brexit process could end in chaos.