EU to order members to reduce water consumption
The proposal comes amid rising concerns about droughts and groundwater depletion following increasingly frequent wildfires and catastrophic flooding which have cost the EU billions and has reduced water reserves to previously unseen levels.
'We need to think about how we need to use water more efficiently,' EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall told the outlet, stressing that 'when we have a shower, we need to think about it.'
A ban on refilling swimming pools is already in place across southern Europe. Haris Sachinis, CEO of Greek water company Eydap, has warned that Athens could completely run out of water within two years if dry conditions persist.
Cypriot Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou has warned that 2025 could be the island's third consecutive drought year and among the eight worst for water reserves in half a century.
Sweden has also imposed bans on watering gardens with a hose in some areas while In France and Spain, disputes over dams and water rights have fueled tensions between farmers and environmentalists.
Last year, the EU's environmental policies, including limits on pesticide use and water usage reductions, led to widespread protests from farmers and agricultural groups across the bloc, including in France, Spain, Germany, and Poland.
The EC's draft plan calls for greater investment in the bloc's leaking infrastructure. The EurEau industry group has estimated that some 25% of EU water is lost through pipe leaks, with some countries such as Bulgaria losing up to 60%.
The Commission has estimated that €23 billion ($26 billion) is needed annually for upgrades. The European Investment Bank also plans to offer €15 billion ($17 billion) in loans and guarantees between 2025 and 2027 to support the effort. Additionally, researchers found that only 2.4% of water is currently reused in the EU, a figure Brussels wants to raise.
Although the savings target is not binding, the Commission is encouraging national targets and better data collection. A recent climate assessment found that only a 'limited number' of countries have adopted water resilience measures.
The proposal follows a 2023 warning about rising competition for water and potential cross-border conflicts. The European Central Bank has separately warned that water scarcity poses a financial threat, with surface water shortages potentially affecting nearly 15% of eurozone GDP.
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Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
EU leaders went to Washington begging to be cucked
Can the EU manage to go even a single week without begging to be cucked? Spoiler alert: Nope. This time, they even boarded a plane for a transatlantic booty call. 'Security guarantees.' That's what the Western European establishment keeps demanding for Ukraine. And now it looks like US President Donald Trump has found a way to monetize it at the EU's expense – a cost that will, naturally, be passed down directly to European citizens. When the idea of a peace deal was first floated earlier this year, the UK and France tried to hype up the concept of putting 30,000 EU troops in Ukraine – but only if peace broke out long enough to render the exercise glaringly useless and redundant. The plan depended on US air cover babysitting them while they did pushups, burpees, and awkward small talk with the American corporate contractors who would no doubt move in to monetize the latest frontier of shock-and-awe liberation. But EU citizens seemed unmoved, and the elected officials who rely on them to remain in their cushy seats of power knew it. Apparently, a militarized Burning Man in a 'liberated' Ukraine doesn't exactly sell to Europeans. Next, Western Europeans were carpet-bombed with stereoscopic rhetoric about the necessity to blow a ton of cash on weapons so Europe could guarantee BOTH its own security and Ukraine's. Without even actually being in the EU, Ukraine was already being treated like the free perfume sample tossed into every shopping bag at Sephora – the one that makes your groceries reek whether you wanted it or not. And because Ukraine had become rhetorically inseparable from the EU, the Eurojokers in charge started invoking a future Russian invasion date for Europe of 2030. It's like a new form of hypochondria. Except instead of reading about a disease online and convincing yourself that you have it, they started believing that Russia was invading them just from observing events in Ukraine. This '2030 invasion' propaganda seems to have originated from NATO-adjacent think tanks like the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which last year cited 2030 as the date of Russia's 'military reconstitution.' The RAND Corporation has also warned of a 'revanchist Russia' in a report on the 'future of warfare in 2030' that will fight 'its neighbors.' NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte then parlayed all this into a demand for European members of the US-led weapons lobby to cough up 5% of GDP in defense spending, up from the 2% previously demanded at Trump's insistence. The Euroclowns started trying to get buy-in through active audience participation, telling citizens to pack canned tuna and water into go-bags in preparation for Putin's 2030 arrival. They even floated the idea of citizens investing in special financial products to fund European defense. If you forego just one Starbucks visit per week, maybe you can help buy a whole tank someday for someone who really needs it. Scary times indeed! Better obey Daddy Trump via NATO and pledge 5% of GDP on weapons while the local boulangerie struggles to crank out baguettes thanks to insane energy costs. Maybe we can all make life easier for the clowns trying to triangulate all this and just eat bullets instead? It became clear a while ago that this whole 'security guarantee' charade was a pretext for the weapons racket. Europe has even ramped up weapons factory production to triple speed, according to the Financial Times. Now sit back and watch them screw it up. One-one-thousand. Two-one-thousand… Well, that didn't take long. NATO has just applauded Germany's commitment to fund 'a $500 million package of military equipment and munitions for Ukraine sourced from the United States, under NATO's new Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.' It has also emerged that the EU's favorite dependent, Ukraine, will now blow $100 billion of its allowance on AMERICAN weapons – for the same 'security guarantees' that the EU keeps hyping up. Ukraine is now like a kid betting online with the EU's credit card, plopping it on red, fully aware that every chip is going straight into the pockets of some other guy across the ocean. After Trump met with EU leaders, Rutte, and Zelensky at the White House on Monday, he wrote online that 'during the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a co-ordination with the United States of America.' 'Security guarantees' has apparently now become a euphemism for Europe funding America's military-industrial complex while the US mostly coordinates the intake of European taxpayer cash. After all, Trump explicitly said that Europe would do most of the heavy lifting for those 'guarantees.' No doubt the US will be too busy with Ukrainian mineral deals Trump is setting up to focus on much else. Maybe just the security around those. Why doesn't the EU insist on just being a part of that? Not fiscally masochistic enough? Meanwhile, EU leaders continue brainwashing themselves with their own propaganda. 'Peace must be achieved through strength… We must have strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe's vital security interests,' said unelected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 'If we are weak today with Russia, we will prepare for tomorrow's conflicts, and they will affect the Ukrainians. So no weakness. Basically, what we are going to say is that we want peace… but we want a robust peace,' French President Emmanuel Macron said before the White House meeting. He wants the kind of peace that punches potential future adversaries in the face – preemptively. And Trump seems only too thrilled to indulge and profit off the EU's self-imposed psychosis.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
The Alaska summit resonates farther than you might think
For three years, Brussels and its media outlets have been repeating the same refrain: Vladimir Putin is isolated, marginalized, and weakened by sanctions. A propaganda narrative that poorly hides the failure of Brussel's diplomacy reduced to blindly following Washington. Yet, the image that will remain in history is not that of a solitary Putin, but of a Russian president welcomed with full military honors in the United States, in Alaska, by Donald Trump on August 15th. A summit that, beyond its symbolism, marks a stinging humiliation for the EU and announces a shift in the global balance of power. Since February 2022, Brussels has multiplied 'punitive' sanctions against Moscow. Seventeen successive packages, often absurd, even targeting African activists such as such as Nathalie Yamb and myself, accused of denouncing Western interference and defending Russian-African cooperation. Meanwhile, Russia has consolidated its partnerships with the BRICS, expanded its trade with Asia, strengthened its presence in the Middle East, and built durable alliances in Africa. Putin's arrival in Alaska definitively demolishes the myth of 'isolation.' The real world is not the one described on European talk shows. In reality, Moscow is engaged in dialogue with New Delhi, Beijing, Tehran, Brasilia, Pretoria, and numerous African capitals. And now, the Kremlin is back at the center of the American stage, driven by Trump. The scene will remain unforgettable. The Russian Air Force One landing on American soil. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appearing in a sweatshirt emblazoned with 'USSR,' an intentional nod to history and Russia's collective memory. Then the most striking image: Vladimir Putin, personally welcomed by Donald Trump on a red carpet, as F-22s and a stealth B-2 Spirit bomber symbolically flew overhead. A protocol that even Washington's traditional allies no longer enjoy. Where Macron, Merz, or von der Leyen are received with distance, Putin was treated as a true head of state one whose presence commands respect and gravity. At the close of the press conference, the meeting produced an exchange that speaks volumes about the atmosphere: Donald Trump: 'We'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon. Thank you very much, Vladimir'. Vladimir Putin, in English: 'Next time in Moscow.' 'Oh, that's an interesting one,' Trump replied. 'I'll get a little heat for that one. But I could see it possibly happening.' This brief exchange highlights the fundamental difference with European leaders: here, no condescension, no paternalism, no empty threats. Just two leaders assuming their responsibilities, seeking pragmatic solutions, aware that the future is decided between great powers not in the corridors of Brussels. The message is crystal clear. While the European Union believed itself to be indispensable in managing the Ukrainian crisis, it was not even invited. The Alaska summit took place without it without its diplomats, without its arrogant commissioners, without its pseudo-peace initiatives that were never credible. The EU is in decline: diplomatically, economically, strategically. It clings to a subordinate role, piling up sanctions and bellicose rhetoric, hoping to exist through endless wars. But in reality, Washington has never considered Brussels a strategic partner, only a docile executor. The Trump-Putin meeting is glaring proof of this. This diplomatic shift now puts Ukraine in a corner. Trump has been clear: he wants to end the war launched by the Biden administration, which turned Kiev into a proxy against Moscow. The United States has no interest in prolonging a long and costly war that undermines its economy and fuels internal divisions. Zelensky's image has crumbled amid scandals and growing international fatigue. Despite the veneer of respect and lionization given to him by Western public figures, he finds himself with little real power to decide anything, even when it concerns his own country, now that even Washington is preparing to move on from him. Trump knows perfectly well that Zelensky's Ukraine is just a pawn and that the bill must be settled. Another key takeaway from this summit is Vladimir Putin's diplomatic stature. In the midst of a military operation in Ukraine, despite relentless demonization campaigns, he has imposed himself as the man with whom great powers must reckon. His strategy is clear: extend a hand to Trump to build a framework for cooperation, emphasize the natural neighborhood between Russia and the United States via Alaska, and propose an honorable way out of the Ukrainian crisis. Putin plays the pragmatism card, investing in time and patience while the EU persists in ideology, russophobia, and moralizing postures. Unsurprisingly, CNN and other Atlanticist media tried to distort reality. According to them, Trump was 'humiliated' by Putin. But the images circulating on social media speak for themselves: two men smiling, shaking hands, visibly satisfied with their meeting. Western propaganda tries to turn every gesture into conflict, every handshake into confrontation. But the truth is simple: Russia and the United States, at a strategic level, are closer to an agreement than NATO-aligned propagandists are willing to admit. Brussels would do well to meditate on this lesson. Washington has never saved its allies. From Kabul to Baghdad, from Saigon to Kiev, the White House always abandons those who believe they can rely on it. Americans know they cannot afford a direct war against the Russian army, supported by a people hardened and seasoned by history. The Alaska summit marks a turning point. It reveals an undeniable truth: global diplomacy is now being shaped without Europe. Under Trump, the United States may well reestablish ties with Moscow to end a useless and ruinous war. Putin emerges from this meeting stronger than ever, proving he was never isolated and remains the most respected and formidable head of state on the world stage. As for the EU, it finds itself exposed to a posture of mere spectator, humiliated by its own illusions. Its blind obedience to Washington has led it to a dead end. Russia, meanwhile, continues to move forward. And history will remember that in Alaska, two men opened a path toward peace leaving the European warmongers behind. The Alaska summit has been perceived by many Africans as a revealing moment about the true nature of global power relations. What emerges is a fundamental truth: on the world stage, power only recognizes and respects power. Russia, through its sovereignty, military capability, and the firmness of its leadership, compelled Washington to treat it as an equal. Normally, the United States imposes its will through threats, interference, or military force. But in the case of Russia, a major nuclear power led by a patriot, Washington restrains itself and dares not employ its usual methods. For Africans, this event is more than a simple diplomatic episode: it embodies both a moral victory and a political lesson. It shows that only genuine independence, backed by economic, political, and military strength, can command respect in international affairs. This is why the summit resonates so strongly across Africa. It confirms that Western domination is not inevitable and that a multipolar world is possible. Seeing Russia stand firm inspires hope that, one day, a united and sovereign Africa will also be able to command respect and defend its interests with dignity.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Russia Today
The EU and Kiev are losing, and Trump is my witness
Monday's White House summit featuring US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, and several senior EU figures ended without any grand announcements. Yet beneath the surface, a high-stakes diplomatic contest is unfolding over the Washington's role in the Ukraine conflict. The lack of decisive outcomes suggests that the real work is happening behind the scenes. Trump's behavior – in particular his decision not to echo Kiev's or Brussels's messaging in the post-meeting briefings – is a signal. He is asserting his control over the narrative, reflecting that he remains unpersuaded by EU and Ukrainian arguments for continued Western entanglement in the conflict. The summit and the diplomatic moves surrounding it are a tug-of-war, with Moscow's goal being to remove Washington's involvement in the conflict, while Brussel's and Kiev's is to keep it anchored in their corner. The absence of new sanctions or pressure on Russia following last Friday's Putin-Trump summit in Alaska suggests Moscow is gaining momentum. Trump has even shifted from demanding a ceasefire to advocating direct peace talks – a position more congenial to Moscow. EU leaders and Zelensky came to Washington to reinforce Trump's alignment. The want to persuade Trump: strengthen sanctions, maintain arms shipments, ensure Ukraine has a security architecture they want. Thus far, though, their pull seems to be struggling. Trump, from the outset, appeared to put the EU and Ukraine on the defensive, signaling that their influence is limited. The backdrop is critical: just days before, Trump hosted Putin in Anchorage, and that summit paved the way for more flexible diplomacy that sidesteps EU-defined preconditions. European leaders arriving at the White House now are playing catch-up – trying to steer a conversation already impacted by Trump's shift. Everything hinges on security guarantees for Ukraine – a deeply contested issue. Moscow is adamant that any meaningful guarantee depends on Ukrainian neutrality and demilitarization. In contrast, Kiev and the EU are pushing for a reinforced Ukrainian military, possible NATO deployment on Ukrainian soil or even eventual NATO accession. These efforts by the Europeans appear desperate, even naïve – given that Russia isslowly but steadily winning the war on the ground. And as Russia makes military gains, Kiev's and Brussels' wiggle room in the negotiations shrinks. That said, their attempts shouldn't be dismissed outright. The shape of the peace deal slow-cooked in Washington will determine Ukraine's fate – and by extension, much of Europe's future security structure. Moscow, meanwhile, remains unperturbed. After the meeting with Zelensky and the Europeans, Trump held a 40-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Judging by the information released about the substance of the call, Trump made no demands and Putin offered no concessions. They talked about continuing direct Russia-Ukraine talks. They also discussed 'elevating' the level of the talks, and according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was present at Monday's meeting, direct talks between Putin and Zelensky could take place within two weeks. It is clear that the Kremlin remains steadfast and poised to consider setting the terms while it holds all the military cards. In the end, the Washington summit may have lacked ceremony and a spectacular outcome, but it was loaded with geopolitical subtext: a contest over whether the US remains a supporter to Ukraine or begins to shift back toward a more transactional, realist posture. The EU, recognizing its diminishing leverage, is trying to reclaim the narrative as the battleground, at least for now, is clearly tilting against it.
