MEP in charge of EU's 2040 climate target moves to kill it
Ondřej Knotek, a member of the European Parliament with the far-right Patriots for Europe, was put in charge of drafting the institution's position on the 2040 climate target as the so-called rapporteur after his far-right grouping outbid other factions to take control of the file earlier this month.
Centrist groups, however, moved last week to curtail the far right's influence, meaning Knotek's attempt to kill the target is likely to fail.
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In his submission on behalf of Parliament, seen by POLITICO, the Czech MEP calls 'for this legislative proposal on the new, additional legally binding climate target for 2040 to be rejected in order to free up capacity for a clear change of course towards market-based, socially just and environmentally sound policies.'
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Politico
3 minutes ago
- Politico
The Ukraine-Russia peace talks meet reality
NO PROMISES — If Monday was a day of promising resets and unexpected breakthroughs on the road toward peace in Ukraine, today was something of a regression to the mean. The auspicious talk of security guarantees and bilateral and trilateral meetings gave way to reality. Russia bombed Ukrainian villages and cities near the front in the hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington for meetings with President Donald Trump and top European leaders, and then attacked again overnight — Russia's largest bombardment this month, according to the Ukrainian air force. The security guarantees promised by Trump remained aspirational and vague. Russia tempered expectations of a forthcoming Zelenskyy-Vladimir Putin bilateral, followed by a session that also includes Trump. It's a bracing reminder that, for all the historic visuals of recent days, the summits, good vibes, signs of renewed Western unity and Moscow's supposed openness to talks on ending its war on Ukraine, only incremental progress toward peace has been achieved. Putin has not yet committed to face-to-face talks with Zelenskyy. Trump has merely floated an ambiguous security guarantee, without sketching out any details or making any meaningful defense commitments. And it's a slippery guarantee, as evidenced by the president's various descriptions. If European leaders were looking for a commitment comparable to NATO's Article 5, they didn't get anything close to it. There were promises of 'very good protection' and 'very good security' and 'a lot of help when it comes to security' but no real obligation of any kind. Once chatter about the possible scope of American security guarantees began to penetrate the MAGA-sphere Monday — an issue with the potential to fracture his coalition — Trump made sure to explicitly close the door on the idea of boots on the ground in Ukraine. It's left Ukraine in an awkward and uncertain position, even after the show of solidarity in Washington. Today's events only illuminated the predicament. While White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Putin has promised to meet with Zelenskyy, Moscow told Russian state news media that there is no commitment to such a meeting. And reports of a prospective venue for a possible trilateral meeting between the U.S., Russian and Ukrainian presidents — Budapest — won't exactly bring comfort to Kyiv. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been a consistent opponent of increased military aid to Ukraine and a foe of the country's bid to join the European Union. And Budapest, in particular, has a fraught history when it comes to the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine — it is the site and namesake of a failed 1994 accord that was designed to protect Ukrainian sovereignty and independence in exchange for nuclear disarmament. And yet, the harsh reality, writes POLITICO's Nahal Toosi, is that Ukrainians have little choice but to consider any offer Trump puts before them. 'Ukrainians obviously cannot trust Putin, a man with a long history of broken promises. But they also cannot trust Trump, another man with a long history of broken promises. Somehow, though, these are the two men pressuring Kyiv to go for a 'peace agreement' that could force Ukraine to give up a huge chunk of its territory to an invading Russia.' Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's authors at cmahtesian@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @PoliticoCharlie. What'd I Miss? — Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 former intelligence officials: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the security clearances of 37 former intelligence officials, the Trump administration's latest move against Obama-era officials whom the White House accuses of undermining the Trump administration. In a memo she posted today on social media, Gabbard directed the heads of several national security agencies to immediately revoke the clearances of the officials, at the direction of the president, alleging they politicized or weaponized intelligence for personal or partisan gain. 'All personnel are reminded that holding a clearance is a privilege, not a right, and this privilege is contingent upon continued adherence to the principles and responsibilities of our profession,' Gabbard wrote in the memo. 'Any betrayal of these standards compromises not only our mission, but also the safety and security of the American people.' — Adam Schiff forms legal defense fund: California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, a longtime adversary of President Donald Trump, has formed a legal defense fund, amid the Justice Department probe into his finances. Schiff, who led the first impeachment effort in the House against Trump and aided the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, has become a frequent target of the president in his second term. Earlier this summer, Trump alleged in a post on Truth Social that the California Democrat 'engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud' — an allegation Schiff vehemently denies. 'It's clear that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies will continue weaponizing the justice process to attack Senator Schiff for holding this corrupt administration accountable,' Marisol Samayoa, a spokesperson for Schiff, said in a statement. 'This fund will ensure he can fight back against these baseless smears while continuing to do his job.' — Air Force chief announces he's leaving post early: Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday that he plans to retire in the fall, a surprise move just halfway into his four-year term atop the military service. Allvin made the announcement in a statement, and did not give a specific reason for leaving. He said that while he plans to retire in November, he will serve until a replacement is confirmed. Allvin is the fourth U.S. military service chief to depart since President Donald Trump took office. In January, Trump directed the firing of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, and in February, he fired Gen. C.Q. Brown as chair of the joint chiefs of staff and removed Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti. In April, he fired Cyber Command chief Gen Timothy Haugh. — White House aims to fast-track key Federal Reserve pick: The White House is working over the August recess to build momentum for a key Federal Reserve nominee the administration wants in place next month. Stephen Miran, whom President Donald Trump tapped to temporarily serve on the Federal Reserve's board, has been meeting with members of the Senate Banking Committee, which will need to green-light his nomination before the full Senate can vote on confirmation. Miran met today with Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), a member of the panel, and had a call last week with Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Miran is scheduled to have additional meetings with senators in the coming days, with invitations for one-on-ones extended to Republican members of the Banking panel. — Northern Virginia schools at risk of losing funding over transgender bathroom policies: Five northern Virginia school districts are at risk of losing their federal funding after they rejected the terms on an agreement with the Education Department to resolve probes into their transgender student policies. Districts representing Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Prince William County have been placed on high-risk status, the agency said today. All federal funding sent to these school districts will now be done by reimbursement only, forcing the schools to pay their education expenses up front. AROUND THE WORLD A HYPOTHETICAL HOST — Switzerland would grant 'immunity' to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits the country for hypothetical peace talks with Ukraine, the Swiss foreign minister said today. In a post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had begun arranging a summit, albeit offering scant details. French President Emmanuel Macron suggested today that such a meeting could take place in Geneva. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani concurred, saying the Swiss city 'could be the right venue.' Putin, who has been the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant since 2023 for war crimes in Ukraine committed during the Kremlin's full-scale invasion, would not be arrested if he came to the Alpine country to participate in a 'peace conference,' Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis announced, adding Switzerland was 'ready for such a meeting.' DISEASE SPREADS IN GAZA — Dangerous viruses that cause severe paralytic illness are thriving in Gaza, where starving children living under an Israeli blockade can't access the food or treatments they need to recover. For months, health officials have warned that the destruction of the Gaza Strip's sanitation facilities by Israel could fuel the surge of infectious diseases, as seen in last year's polio outbreak. Now, doctors are reporting a surge in cases of acute flaccid paralysis, a rare syndrome causing muscle weakness that can make it hard to breathe and swallow. Cases in Gaza include acute flaccid myelitis, which mostly affects children, and the better-known Guillain-Barré syndrome, said Ahmed al-Farra, head of pediatrics at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP THE CODE MASTER — 'Kryptos,' a copper sculpture covered in perforated letters that form a code stands in a courtyard of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Sculptor Jim Sanborn designed the code in four parts, three of which have been solved, but the meaning of the final 97 characters is only known by Sanborn. Since its installation in 1990, the CIA, NSA, and hobbyist puzzlers have been unable to crack the code. People have hounded Sanborn for the answer to the point of him charging a $50 fee to answer questions or guesses over email. Oliver Roeder reports on Sanborn's burden of keeping the secret for FT Magazine. Parting Image Jacqueline Munis contributed to this newsletter. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
CNN
3 minutes ago
- CNN
UK government walks back controversial Apple ‘back door' demand after Trump administration pressure
UK Digital privacy Tech giants Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow The UK government has backed down on a controversial demand for Apple to build a 'back door' into its technology to access private user data following pressure from the Trump administration. The order could have undermined a key security promise Apple makes to its users — the company has said it has not and would never build a backdoor or 'master key' to its products — and compromised privacy for users globally. UK officials had reportedly sought access to encrypted data that users around the world store in iCloud, materials that even the iPhone maker itself is typically unable to access. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X Monday that the United Kingdom 'agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.' Gabbard said that over the 'past few months,' she had been 'working closely with our partners in the UK,' alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, on the agreement. A source familiar with the discussions told CNN that Gabbard spoke with her counterpart in the UK, Deputy National Security Advisory Matt Collins, a few times about the issue, including once when the UK delegation visited the White House. Vance was also personally involved in reaching a deal, engaging in direct conversations with British government officials to come to what was considered a 'mutually beneficial' agreement for both countries, a White House official told CNN. No further details on the agreement were provided. The British Home Office reportedly made the order under the Investigatory Powers Act that lets UK law enforcement compel access to communications and metadata from tech companies in secret, although the agency never confirmed the demand. The Home Office did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on Tuesday. Reports about the order earlier this year quickly raised alarm among security experts and tech leaders who worried that Apple could be used by a foreign government to spy on its users. The company in February rolled back a data security feature for iCloud called Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for users in the United Kingdom. The feature provides optional end-to-end encryption for personal data such as photos and messages, meaning only the user who holds the account, not even the company itself could view that information. Without end-to-end encryption, Apple could have access to users' data, meaning law enforcement could legally compel the company to hand it over to aid in investigating crimes. Removing the feature for UK users was widely viewed as an effort to protect more advanced security for users elsewhere in the world in the face of the UK government's demand for a technical back door. But it didn't necessarily address the UK's demand for access to user data globally. Apple said in a statement at the time that it was 'gravely disappointed' to no longer offer ADP to UK users, 'given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy.' Apple did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the UK government's retreat from the demand. Tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have sought to foster close relationships with Trump since he took office in hopes of gaining his support on key policy and regulatory issues. The UK agreement marks the latest instance of the Trump administration convincing a foreign government to walk back regulation of an American tech company. In June, Canada said it would rescind a digital services tax — which Trump had called a 'direct and blatant attack' on the United States and its companies — to restart trade negotiations with the US.
New York Times
3 minutes ago
- New York Times
For Trump, Flashy Summits Come First. Grunt Work Comes Next.
First, President Trump rolled out the red carpet for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for a high-stakes summit in Alaska. Then he brought the president of Ukraine and seven other European leaders to the White House for an extraordinary gathering to discuss an end to the war. Now comes the grunt work. Mr. Trump in the past week has effectively flipped the traditional diplomatic process on its head. After two critical meetings in four days aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, American and European diplomats scrambled to come up with detailed proposals for security guarantees and other sticking points that could upend any momentum to secure peace. Already, major gaps were becoming evident, including whether Russia would countenance U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, and whether Mr. Putin was serious about meeting with Mr. Zelensky face to face. Ironing out the details typically happens between staffers and diplomats before leaders step in to finalize the agreement. But Mr. Trump, ever one to toss out norms and traditions, went big last week in Alaska with Mr. Putin, then again at the White House on Monday, without any breakthroughs to announce. Now, with Russia continuing to hammer Ukraine and no sign that Mr. Trump or Mr. Putin see a cease-fire as a precondition for a deal, the process risks devolving into a diplomatic version of trench warfare. So far, at least, Mr. Putin has a free hand to continue his war against his neighbor without immediate concern for further penalty. 'In a normal American administration you have all kinds of preparation,' said Steven Pifer, a former ambassador to Ukraine under President Bill Clinton. 'This is very unusual.' He added: 'The risk I see is that he doesn't prepare the details. My impression is that he wants a deal. He wants any deal so he can claim, 'I solved another war.' But the details matter.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
