Latest news with #RikardJozwiak
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine completes preparations to join EU's roam like at home zone
The European Commission received formal notification from Ukraine confirming the completion of all legislative procedures required to join the EU's Roam Like at Home zone. Source: Rikard Jozwiak, an editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda Details: Moldova is expected to submit a similar notification soon, with both countries set to join the roaming-free zone simultaneously. According to Jozwiak, Ukraine and Moldova will become part of the EU roaming zone from 1 January 2026. The roaming zone encompasses all 27 EU member states, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This marks the first time the zone will expand to include candidate countries for EU membership. "I know that the word 'historic' is overused these days but this is exactly that," Jozwiak said. On 2 June 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the Law of Ukraine On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Implementation of the European Union's Legislation on Electronic Communications (reg. No. 12150). The European Commission is now expected to initiate a decision on mutual provision of the internal market regime for roaming between the EU and Ukraine, effectively enabling full accession to the roam like at home policy. Once implemented, Ukrainians will be able to use roaming services at domestic tariff rates when travelling in EU countries, with no variation in costs or conditions based on the country of residence within the EU. Background: Since Russia's war of aggression began, millions of Ukrainians in the EU have communicated with relatives in Ukraine without additional roaming charges, thanks to agreements between operators. This temporary arrangement, prompted by the displacement of many Ukrainians to European countries, was last extended in July 2024 for one year. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Canada Standard
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Canada Standard
From Tallinn To The Hague: The Run-Up To The NATO Summit
Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on one thing: my take from Tallinn and the road ahead. Embed share From Tallinn To The Hague: The Run-Up To The NATO Summit byRFE/RL Embed share The code has been copied to your clipboard. The URL has been copied to your clipboard No media source currently available 0:00 0:10:05 0:00 Direct link 128 kbps | MP3 64 kbps | MP3 Pop-out player The Briefing: From Tallinn To The Hague: The Run-Up To The NATO Summit On May 13, a Russian military jet violated Estonian and NATO territory for close to a minute after the Estonian Navy made an attempt to intercept a flag-less tanker, named Jaguar, thought to belong to the Kremlin's so-called shadow fleet transporting EU-sanctioned oil to and from Russia. The Sukhoi Su-35 was deployed to protect the vessel that later returned to the Russian port of Primorsk. The incident was the first reported breach of Estonia's airspace since 2022 and somewhat indirectly set the tone for theLennart Meri conference in Tallinnon May 16-18. The Baltic state's largest annual think tank event was full of Western officials putting on a brave face when discussing the state of the war in Ukraine, Russian threats to the rest of the continent, and the United States' increasingly thorny relations with Europe. The American Presence In Europe Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated appearance was that of Matthew Whitaker, US President Donald Trump's newly appointed ambassador to NATO, especially with so many worries, notably in eastern flank countries like Estonia, over American commitment to the military alliance. Seemingly hanging on to every word he said, most people in the room appeared relieved that he ticked most boxes. Yes, NATO is "the greatest alliance in world history." And yes, Russia is the security threat to the organization. He seemed to comprehend the argument, put to him by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, that if the Europeans will splash the cash on the defense, quite a lot of it will be spent on European arms companies as Europeans also have an electorate and workforce to satisfy. Refusing to be drawn into discussion about his boss's designs on Greenland, he simply noted that Denmark, which the giant island belongs to, is "a great NATO ally" but that bilateral relations weren't his responsibility. Then there was the whole issue of the American force posture review, which will happen in the latter half of the year. There is plenty of speculation among diplomats that Washington will cut down on troops in Europe and boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific theater instead. Whitaker noted that nothing had been determined yet and that allies will be consulted on the process. He also promised everything would be orderly, meaning the United States would "ensure that there are no security gaps." Did that reassure nervous NATO members bordering Russia? Not really, but those diplomats I spoke to were still defiant, pointing out that the United States could also remove soldiers from the western part of the continent to the eastern one as it's cheaper to maintain their presence there and it offers good exercise conditions. Another one tried to sound reassuring by arguing that the US flag -- meaning any presence -- was still better than the actual number of boots on the ground. The Hague (No) Show? Otherwise much of the discussion in Estonia focused on the upcoming NATO summit at The Hague at the end of June. While the previous two summits, in Vilnius back in 2023 and Washington a year later, were all about Ukraine and the haggling about whether Kyiv should get a NATO membership invite and how to phrase the country's eventual path into the club, the war-torn country will not be almost absent from the discussions. There is still not even confirmation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be invited to the Netherlands after being the star guest at previous gatherings. Whitaker did, however, note that he expected him to be present. The Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, pointed out that it would be "a major stratcom mistake" if he didn't come as that would be all the media would write about from the gathering. But forget any invitations or any other language on Ukraine's future place in the alliance, especially since Trump has seemingly ruled out Kyiv joining anytime soon. In fact, Ukraine may not be mentioned at all in the final summit declaration. One European official told me it's probably better for now as any attempts to negotiate about it would probably make the text worse for Ukraine than the 2024 Washington summit declaration, which at least states that NATO "will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership." The same dilemma is true for any wording on Russia, so Moscow simply might not be mentioned at all. In fact, the entire text might just be a few paragraphs, compared to nearly 40 from last year that covered all manner of topics. Instead, the summit, which now has been shortened from three to two days, will focus on ramping up European defense spending and building up a transatlantic defense industrial base, according to NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Sekerinska. The main headline will be the commitment by the 32 allies to reach 5 percent of GDP on defense spending, up from the current target of 2 percent. They should also dedicate 3.5 percent to "hard targets" such as arms and artillery, and the remaining 1.5 percent to cyberdefense, investment in military mobility, and the like. But of course, all eyes will be on Trump, both in the Netherlands and in the run-up. Despite the fact that the much-hyped first direct Russia-Ukraine meeting in three years in Ankara last week turned into a lower-level nothing burger in which Moscow only repeated its "maximalist" positions of land grabs and Ukrainian neutrality, most people in Tallinn still cautiously think a cease-fire of some sort is possible in the run-up to the NATO summit. Trump, Putin, Cease-Fire The expectation is that Trump and Putin will eventually meet. They spoke on the phone once again on May 19, but there are clear European fears about what Trump might agree to in such a setting. No one I spoke to believes Trump is truly serious about imposing hard-hitting measures on the Kremlin. Republican lawmaker Lindsey Graham proposed imposing 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, and there has been talk of other "secondary sanctions" hitting countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain, which import a lot of Russian liquefied natural gas. I also sensed a fear among officials that reestablishing US-Russia bilateral relations, including striking some sort of trade and investment deal, is more important to both sides than actually having a lasting peace deal in Ukraine. The almost universal assessment I heard is that Putin is playing "the long game" over Ukraine, and while the Ukrainian lines won't breach anytime soon, he thinks he is winning. Or as one official put it: "Ukraine and Russia are in fact both losing, but Russia is losing more slowly." This all puts Europe in a bind. I've heard Paris is mulling reestablishing a direct line with the Kremlin. "The Americans cannot be the only ones speaking to them," as one official put it. But no official meeting with Moscow is in the making. When asked at a panel discussion whether it was time to have another NATO-Russia Council (NRC), a dormant political format since 2022, the answer from both Tsahkna and Sikorski was an emphatic "no" with the latter adding, "It was an instrument in times of peace which limited troops in eastern flank states. As long as Putin is president, we cannot trust that country." More Sanctions? So, Europe will continue to push for more sanctions for now. Its 17th package, probably thebloc's puniest yet, will be officially agreed on May 20, and there is already work on the next one, which will contain more blacklistings, including both Russian entities and individuals but also vessels thought to belong to the shadow fleet. There might also be sanctions against more Russian banks and against Nordsteam 1 and 2, which are no longer operational but still aren't officially targeted. There is also a desire from the Europeans for the Group of Seven summit in Canada next month to lower the oil price cap for Russia from the current $60 per barrel to at least $50. However, EU officials I spoke to don't believe all of the measures will pass, notably as Hungary can continue to be a spoiler. Most are also worried that thesanctions rollover in July will still be a proper strugglewith alternative solutions being studied, for example, not to allow Russian frozen assets in the bloc to expire. The Dilemma But the threat from Russia will still be there. And the Europeans, while saying they're ready to stand up to Moscow even without American help, are wary. Thereassurance forcemeant for Ukraine once there is a cease-fire probably won't be particularly reassuring. European army officials have admitted they lack the long-strike capabilities of the United States and notably its supreme intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. And time is short. An assessment earlier this year from the Danish intelligence service claimed Russia could be capable of starting a major war in Europe (outside of Ukraine) within five years. But the Europeans might have to be ready well before that. Onno Eichelsheim, chief of defense for the Netherlands armed forces, told the Lennart Meri conference crowd that "Russia can give us 'a dilemma' already within a year after a potential end of the fighting in Ukraine." What that dilemma might be, he didn't specify. But as Estonia experienced with the airspace violation earlier in the week, all options appear to be on the table. Looking Ahead EU enlargement is stuck for Ukraine and Moldova as well as most candidate countries in the Western Balkans for various political reasons. But there is one country that appears to be rapidly marching toward Brussels and EU membership right now: Albania. On May 22, the country will start negotiations on another eight EU accession chapters (there are 33 in total), and it comes just a month after it opened another batch of chapters. The key going forward for Tirana will be to actually close negotiations on these chapters, which is much harder than opening them. Feel free to reach out to me on X @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail atjozwiakr@ Until next time, Rikard Jozwiak If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition subscribehere.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU drafts plan B to bypass Hungary's veto on Russia sanctions extension
Lawyers in Brussels are preparing a plan B to help override Hungary's veto of the June extension of sanctions against Russia. The idea came up during the negotiations before the March sanctions extension – although doubts remain as to whether it is legally flawless. Source: Rikard Jozwiak, Europe Editor for Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda Details: European sanctions are formally outlined in two documents: a decision and a resolution. The texts are nearly identical (countries agree upon and adopt the decision, which is then implemented through the resolution). It is the resolution that requires unanimous renewal every six months, not the decision: the decision remains in force until a qualified majority votes to repeal it. Proponents of the idea argue that this mechanism could be used to bypass Hungary's veto and maintain the sanctions. Sources told Jozwiak that the decision is viewed as "a fallback option, and a temporary one", as Hungary and its allies could challenge it in court, and the decision is not entirely legally flawless. Other plan B options are also being considered. One proposal suggests that the European Commission could introduce the 17th sanctions package against Russia, with the aim of trading the abandonment of this package for Hungary's agreement to lift its veto on the extension of existing sanctions. This would allow Budapest to claim a formal victory in blocking the new sanctions package. Another option being discussed is to impose high tariffs on Russia in all relevant areas if the sanctions cannot be extended, which does not require a unanimous decision. However, this cannot be a complete substitute for sanctions, particularly export restrictions. In addition, the option of imposing identical restrictions at the national level is being explored, similar to the approach taken by some countries regarding individuals removed from the sanctions list due to Hungary's veto. However, this solution is also imperfect, as not all member states have comprehensive national legislation on sanctions and instead rely on the European framework. In addition to the sanctions issue, Brussels is considering ways to pressure Hungary into unblocking the start of Ukraine's accession talks, which it aims to begin by June at the latest. There is speculation that offering concessions to Hungary regarding some funds suspended due to rule-of-law concerns could serve as leverage in both situations. Background: Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the EU is growing increasingly impatient with Hungary, which consistently blocks key EU decisions, with some calling for its voting rights to be revoked. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Details revealed of Hungary's "bargaining" with EU over extending sanctions against Russia
Hungary is reportedly demanding the removal of eight individuals from the EU's sanctions list against Russia in exchange for ceasing its obstruction of the next extension of sanctions. Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty editor Rikard Jozwiak on X (Twitter), citing his sources Details: Jozwiak reports that in negotiations within the EU regarding the renewal of personal sanctions imposed on around 2,400 individuals and entities in response to Russia's war against Ukraine, Hungary is insisting that eight people be removed from the sanctions list in return for approving the extension for the rest. In a counterproposal, EU negotiators suggested lifting sanctions on four other individuals. Background: Earlier, European Pravda learned from several European diplomats that Hungary has once again refused to approve the extension of some EU sanctions against Russia (individual sanctions) during a meeting of EU ambassadors (Coreper II) in Brussels on 10 March. These sanctions are set to expire on 15 March. According to one of the sources, Hungary is currently the only country blocking the extension of sanctions. It was reported earlier that the European Union has not ruled out that Hungary may block the extension of sanctions against Russia this week, as they are set to expire on 15 March. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó pledged to oppose the renewal of EU sanctions and called on the EU to wait for the outcome of negotiations between the US and Russia on ending the war in Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU military aid package to Ukraine may increase to €30bn, says Radio Liberty editor
EU foreign ministers met on 24 February to discuss the allocation of an additional package of military aid to Ukraine which could be worth €30 billion. Source: European Pravda, citing Radio Liberty's Europe editor Rikard Jozwiak Details: Jozwiak noted that the EU has still not agreed on the final package amount and EU leaders will discuss the issue next week. Quote from Jozwiak: "€20 billion is likely minimum, [the amount] can go up to €30 billion." Background: Earlier, the media reported that the military aid package for Ukraine that the EU is preparing to announce shortly could be worth €20 billion. At the time it was reported that the exact amount of aid, including military equipment, could increase even further as negotiations between European diplomats continued. Sources stressed that given the opposition from some countries, particularly Hungary, the aid is likely to be provided in the form of combined contributions from individual member states rather than as an official EU package. Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, earlier confirmed media reports of plans to announce a European military aid package for Ukraine, which was originally set to be unveiled on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
