Eurotopics.net

After the traumatic experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 194 member countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) have agreed on a treaty aimed at improving responses to future pandemics, for example in the procurement and distribution of protective equipment and vaccines. Commentators assess its prospects of success.

In a landmark judgement, the UK's Supreme Court has ruled that when it comes to gender equality, the biological sex and not the social gender is decisive. The decision affects issues such as whether trans women are categorised as women in gender quotas and to what extent they have access to women's refuges and changing rooms.

US President Trump has slammed his Ukrainian counterpart and put him under immense pressure. As "a dictator without elections" Volodymyr Zelensky "better move fast or he is not going to have a country left", he warned. Trump's attack follows his call with President Putin and the meeting of the US secretary of state and the Russian foreign minister in Riyadh. Europe's press is appalled.

Faced with the potential threat from Russia and decreased support from the US, Europe is once again discussing boosting its defence spending. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed softening the EU debt rules for this purpose and Denmark has announced that it will increase its defence spending to more than three percent of its GDP. Most commentators welcome the initiative.