BONUS: Energy Transition and Security in Europe
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Time Stamps(00:11) Geopolitics and EHS: A European perspective
(01:05) Security concerns in energy transition
(01:55) Geopolitical impacts on energy supply
(04:13) Private sector innovations
(05:34) Regulatory challenges and adaptations
' The energy transition in Europe is being accelerated by a need for energy security that 's underlying thing. That energy security comes in two ways. It's security of supply of energy in terms of raw material to produce energy, but it's also security in terms of the impacts of bad actors.' - Alex
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The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump-Putin summit receives mixed reactions from European leaders, US lawmakers
The high-stakes summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin garnered mixed reactions from U.S. lawmakers and European leaders. Trump, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, huddled with Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, for nearly three hours at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska on Friday. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský welcomed the president's effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been raging for well over three years, but slammed the Russian leader's remarks following the closed-door meeting in Alaska. 'From Putin, we heard the same propagandistic nonsense about the 'roots of the conflict' that his state television promotes. The problem is Russian imperialism, not Ukraine's desire to live freely,' Lipavský said in a Friday post on social media platform X. European Union's (EU) foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Saturday morning that Trump's effort to stop the conflict in Eastern Europe is 'vital,' but argued that Russia has no intention of ending the war 'anytime soon.' 'The U.S. holds the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously. The EU will work with Ukraine and the U.S. so that Russia's aggression does not succeed and that any peace is sustainable,' Kallas wrote on X. 'Moscow won't end the war until it realizes it can't continue. So Europe will continue to back Ukraine, including by working on a 19th Russia sanctions package.' Trump said Friday evening that both sides made progress, but a ceasefire agreement was not struck. Neither the president nor Putin relayed any details about the agreements when addressing reporters after the huddle. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally who has a warm relationship with the Kremlin leader, argued the world is a safer place as a result of the summit. 'For years we have watched the two biggest nuclear powers dismantle the framework of their cooperation and shoot unfriendly messages back and forth. That has now come to an end. Today the world is a safer place than it was yesterday,' Orban wrote Saturday morning on X. 'May every weekend be at least this good!' Trump briefed EU leaders — dubbed the 'Coalition of the Willing — and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a Saturday call after the meeting. The European politicians hailed the president's push to end the war, but emphasized that Ukraine needs 'ironclad' security guarantees in order to 'effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.' The coalition is made up of French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Trump on Monday at the White House. The president said Saturday on Truth Social that the 'best way' to end the war is to 'go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' Ukraine's leader indicated his support for a trilateral meeting between himself, Trump and Putin. 'President Trump informed about his meeting with the Russian leader and the main points of their discussion,' Zelensky said Saturday on X. 'It is important that America's strength has an impact on the development of the situation.' During the Saturday joint call, Trump told European leaders and Zelensky that he wants to broker a trilateral meeting as soon as next Friday, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter. Reaction to the summit was also mixed among some U.S. lawmakers. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), one of the staunchest Ukraine supporters in the House, said Friday that 'time will tell what ultimately manifests' from Friday's meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations. 'I commend and credit President Trump's peace through strength policies which forced Putin to come to America to discuss a possible cease-fire, which Ukraine has already and repeatedly agreed to,' Fitzpatrick said Friday on X. 'Ukraine's sovereignty and freedom are not bargaining chips; they are principles that must be defended. No path to peace is credible without their voice,' the Pennsylvania Republican added. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a supporter of Ukraine and Trump ally, predicted Friday night that if the trilateral meeting between the president, Putin and Zelensky takes place, the conflict could end before Christmas. 'Make no mistake, this war is a war of aggression by Putin against Ukraine. However, I have always said Ukraine will not evict every Russian soldier and Putin is not going to take Kyiv,' Graham said. 'The key to ending this war honorably and justly is to create an infrastructure of deterrence that Biden and Obama failed to do — which will prevent a third invasion.' Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he supports 'active' diplomacy and argued that peacemaking has to be done 'responsibly' or it 'risks' the security of Europeans, Ukrainians and Americans. 'I didn't care for the red-carpet treatment Putin was afforded or the signal Trump sent by welcoming him with applause. And I think everyone was a bit surprised by the lack of detail and unorthodox post-meeting press conference,' Reed said in a statement on Saturday,' adding that the U.S. should team up with allies to impose new sanctions on Russia to 'intensify the economic pressure.' Trump said during the call with European and NATO officials that he is open to offering U.S. security guarantees to Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing European officials familiar with the matter. The president told European leaders that the Russian president will not halt the military offensive while peace discussions are underway, according to the report. But Putin is open to, as part of a potential peace settlement, having Western security forces in Ukraine to ensure the truce would last, the Journal reported, citing four officials briefed on the matter. Macron signaled the U.S.'s openness to contributing to Ukraine's security guarantees on X. The French leader said Saturday that 'any lasting peace must be accompanied by unwavering security guarantees. I welcome, in this regard, the readiness of the United States to contribute. We will work on this with them and with all our partners in the Coalition of the Willing, with whom we will meet again soon, to make concrete progress.' Still, Putin is reportedly demanding that Ukraine pull back from Luhansk and Donetsk regions as a condition to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Financial Times (FT) reported, citing four sources with direct knowledge of the Friday meeting, that Putin would halt the rest of the front lines if this request is fulfilled. The Russian leader would freeze the front lines in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions and would refrain from new offensives to conquer more Ukrainian land in exchange for Luhansk and Donetsk, the FT reported. Russia controls about 70 percent of Donetsk. Zelensky has previously said he is not willing to give up Donetsk, but he is open to negotiating the territorial divides, one of the main sticking points, with the president at the White House, the FT reported.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Billionaire developer threatens quitting construction in wealthy California enclave as zoning war erupts
A war over zoning regulations is pitting neighbor against neighbor in the idyllic coastal enclave of Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, where a faction of residents is desperately attempting to block a new mixed-use development, despite the village's dire housing shortage. Earlier this month, tensions erupted at a city council meeting in the quaint historic town, after the group opposing the development, known as the JB Pastor project, filed an appeal to block construction on the grounds that the plans lacked adequate parking, among other reasons. Although the local planning commission had unanimously approved the project after six painstaking years of review, and a report from city staff recommended denying the appeal, the council failed to reach a final ruling on the objections, punting the decision until at least next month. The decision left billionaire European developer Patrice Pastor, who named the mixed-use commercial and residential project in honor of his late great-grandfather, in bitter disbelief. 'Following this latest city council meeting it's clear that I need to reconsider my investment in Carmel,' Pastor said in a statement to SFGate. 'It's time to leave this strange community, if you can call it a community.' Pastor, a native of Monaco and heir to a real estate development empire, has been active in Carmel for a decade, acquiring more than $100 million in property across the tiny seaside village that is beloved by Hollywood celebrities. 7 Pastor is a native of Monaco heir to a real estate development empire. Pascal Le Segretain Through his development company Esperanza Carmel, Pastor has acquired, managed, and renovated a number of high-end properties across the village, including the La Rambla building, L'Auberge Carmel Hotel, the Bingham building, and the Carmel Beach Hotel. Pastor's outsized presence in the tiny village of 1 square mile has ruffled more than a few feathers among locals, with some residents fearful that he will disrupt the area's historic charm, or suspicious that his wealth and status give him license to flout strict zoning and preservation rules. But many other residents have welcomed his investments, and believe the town sorely needs the roughly 20 long-term apartment rentals that would be created between the JB Pastor project and another stalled Pastor development, the Ulrika Plaza project. 'There is a brazen shortage of long-term rentals and affordable housing in Carmel,' Erik Bueno, a retired real estate broker and resident of Carmel for more than 30 years, said in a letter supporting the JB Pastor project. 'I believe this project will bring long-term value to the neighborhood and serve as a catalyst for further positive growth.' 7 Pastor's outsized presence in the tiny village of 1 square mile has ruffled more than a few feathers among locals. Genaro Molina Carmel resident Carol Williams, who moved to the village 50 years ago and founded an art gallery there, told that she had always dreamed of helping her daughter purchase a condo nearby. But with prices for those condos now exceeding $3 million, it simply wasn't attainable. 'My daughter's generation of Carmelites are nearly all renting if they desire to remain in Carmel,' she says. 'I founded a gallery and am a self-employed, small business owner. I bought my first Carmel home for $250,000, and no one expected the local real estate market to price out our own children.' listing data shows that in July, the median home in Carmel was priced at more than $2.4 million—more than three times the median price in California and nearly six times the median price nationwide. An additional challenge for longtime Carmel residents is Prop. 19, a California law passed in 2020 that triggers higher property taxes for heirs after the owner of a home dies, by mandating a reassessment at current market value. 7 The median home price in Carmel was over $2.4 million in July. Pascal Le Segretain Williams says that in Carmel, these 'eye popping' new tax bills often force the younger generation to sell inherited homes when their parents die. 'So it is the younger generation of Carmelites, who today are small business owners or successful local artists and working health care professionals, that need rentals like the ones that Pastor was proposing to build for us,' she says. 'I believe there are many people in the local community who would love to remain in Carmel and walk to work, but can't find any suitable long-term rentals.' Initially, Williams was shocked to learn that a group of her neighbors had banded together to file an appeal in a last-ditch attempt to block Pastor's new project, which would add much-needed rental apartments. 'However, admittedly there is a long-standing group of fierce city conservationists who will oppose any changes to Carmel they consider too ambitious and seem very dedicated to keeping the status quo,' she says. 'So I was not really surprised they weighed in, although after all these years their latest delay tactics seem excessive.' 7 New tax bills force young people to sell off their parents homes when they die, according to Williams. Genaro Molina Opponents of the JB Pastor development have raised concerns that it violates local zoning ordinances, while not so subtly implying that cronyism and favoritism toward the wealthy developer Pastor played a role in its approval. 'As city staff you should strive to ensure the proper processes and procedures are employed,' resident Charles Najarian wrote in a letter to the city council urging reconsideration of the project's approval. 'In addition, your role is to represent the best interests of the residents and Carmel, not developers, architects, not special interest groups, and not even the state of California.' That the project was improperly exempted from environment impact review That a connecting balcony between two buildings turned them into a single 'structure' exceeding the maximum square footage allowed in zoning code That the project failed to include the required number of parking spaces In April, attorney Krista Ostoich filed an appeal on behalf of 11 Carmel residents challenging the approval of the JB Pastor project on three main grounds: Parking in particular is a hot-button issue in Carmel, where space is severely limited and out-of-town tourists are abundant. Under local code, the JB Pastor project required 18 parking spaces, including eight for the residential units and 10 for commercial use. But squeezed for space, Pastor had proposed providing 10 spaces using vertical car-stacking equipment, and paying a fee to support centralized public parking to make up the difference. 7 Opponents of the JB Pastor development have raised concerns that it violates local zoning ordinances. Genaro Molina 'Carmel desperately needs parking and I agree that whatever rentals he builds should offer the required number of parking spots,' says Williams, who supports the project. 'I don't know about the rest of the issues, but parking is a longtime hot topic in Carmel and certainly needs rectifying.' At the city council meeting on Aug. 4 to hear the appeal opposing the JB Pastor project, passions flared during public comments as residents spoke out both in favor and against the development. 'These parking [requirements], lack of water, and make-believe historical designations have all worked to assist the small few, who use these same old excuses to stop whatever project they personally don't like,' said resident Donna Jett. 'And what a waste of our time.' Another resident read a letter from a friend who wished to remain anonymous, characterizing the approval of the JB Pastor project as potentially corrupt. 7 Under local code, the JB Pastor project required 18 parking spaces, including eight for the residential units and 10 for commercial use. Genaro Molina 'The very qualities that once made Carmel exceptional are being chipped away, not by neglect, but by decisions that increasingly appear compromised,' the letter said. 'Behind the scenes, it's become common knowledge that money talks—people in influential positions, both elected and appointed, are turning a blind eye, either out of convenience, fear, or worse, personal gain.' The marathon hearing of more than six hours was marked by controversy at the outset, after Mayor Dale Byrne and another council member were forced to recuse themselves over their involvement in a local charity that Pastor had made donations to. The remaining three members of the council failed to reach a decision on the appeal, tentatively scheduling another vote on the matter for next month. For Carmel residents, the new delay, and Pastor's subsequent threat to pull the plug on his projects there entirely, could mean the city loses out on the new residential units he planned to build. 7 At the city council meeting on Aug. 4 to hear the appeal opposing the JB Pastor project, passions flared during public comments as residents spoke out both in favor and against the development. Genaro Molina 'Affordability and availability of homes in Carmel has been a major challenge in recent years,' says senior economist Joel Berner. 'Discouraging development is the opposite of what the residents of this exclusive, luxurious city should be doing to address the affordability issues there.' Berner notes that new construction in Carmel remains extremely limited, with new builds making up just 1.7% of homes for sale there in July, compared with 8.6% in California as a whole. Total for-sale inventory in Carmel remains well below pre-pandemic norms, with 41.5% fewer homes for sale in July 2025 than there were in July 2019. Statewide in California, inventory is down just 16.9% over the same period. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'By strictly enforcing zoning regulations like minimum parking requirements, local governments and residents work against themselves when it comes to developing the housing stock in the ways it needs to be developed in inventory-strapped places like Carmel,' says Berner. Pastor, who rarely speaks to the press, did not respond to request for comment, and has not elaborated on his threat to pull the plug on his projects in Carmel. Mayor Byrne and the attorney for the residents who filed the appeal also did not respond to requests for comment. 'We are not treated the same as everyone else. I suppose we are now at the point where we need to accept we are not wanted and draw the necessary conclusions,' Pastor said in the statement to SFGate, adding 'it's time for us to bring our expertise and motivation to other projects, elsewhere, where we will be better received and in a more professional and serious political environment.' Williams, the art gallery owner, tells that she hopes Pastor will reconsider leaving Carmel and find a way to move forward with his projects there. 'There are high quality, artistic and conscientious developers, and Pastor seems one of them,' she says. 'He genuinely loves Carmel and wanted to make a positive and constructive impact. It would be tragic if a handful of stubborn 'no growth' folks are able to run him out of town.'
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump's efforts at Alaska summit applauded by world leaders, while Russia rejoices at no longer being world's pariah: ‘A glimmer of hope has finally opened'
World leaders hailed President Trump's push for a diplomatic breakthrough in the deadly war in Ukraine, calling his sitdown with Vladimir Putin a 'glimmer of hope' on Saturday — a jarring contrast to the triumphant mood in Moscow at no longer being viewed as a global pariah. 'President Trump's efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine,' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. 'His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended. 6 Starmer said the world was closer than before to an end to the war in Ukraine. The reactions came after Trump debriefed European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, about his summit with Putin during a Saturday morning phone call. 'While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelensky,' Starmer added. 6 The German Chancellor was relieved that no land swap had been negotiated without Ukraine at the table. Leaders expressed relief that no land was negotiated without Ukrainian leaders present, after Trump last week had hinted that discussions could include 'some swapping of territories.' 'There were no territorial negotiations between Putin and Trump over the heads of Ukraine and the Europeans, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a video address. 'That is good news.' 'A glimmer of hope has finally opened to discuss peace in Ukraine,' rejoiced Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. 6 Meloni expressed cautious optimism after the bilateral summit. REUTERS European leaders stressed their desire to see unwavering security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a deal, including possible NATO and EU membership. 'I welcome, in this regard, the readiness of the United States to contribute,' French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X Saturday. 'It will also be essential to draw all the lessons from the past 30 years, in particular from Russia's well-established tendency not to honor its own commitments,' he added. 6 Macron expressed some skepticism at Russia's track record of honoring its committments. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Others, however were much more skeptical of Moscow's intentions. 'The results of the Alaska summit confirm that while the US and its allies are seeking paths to peace, Putin is still only interested in the greatest possible territorial gains and the restoration of the Soviet empire,' said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. 'Today, it is even clearer that Russia respects only the strong, and Putin has once again proven to be a cunning and ruthless player,' Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. 6 The leaders met for over three hours in Alaska Friday. In Russia, the summit was seen as a clear win — the red carpet was even rolled out for Putin. The Russian strongman left the world stage facing no immediate sanctions despite not agreeing to calls for a long sought-after cease-fire. 'The President of Russia personally and in detail outlined to the President of the United States our conditions for ending the conflict in Ukraine,' Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram. 'Following a nearly three-hour conversation, the head of the White House refused to escalate pressure on Russia.' 6 Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed in Russia. REUTERS The meeting, where Putin received the red-carpet treatment, also signaled the end to Moscow's diplomatic isolation, a status the Kremlin had faced since beginning its war on Ukraine in 2022. In March 2023, the Russian strongman was convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and a warrant for his arrest was issued. 'Western media are in a state that can be called insanity, bordering on complete madness,' wrote the foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram. 'For three years, they have been talking about Russia's isolation, and today they saw the red carpet that greeted the Russian President in the United States.'
