Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
Former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi has warned that the current economic world order was “defunct” and “dead,” as he urged Europe to move towards a more federal structure to respond to threats posed by the US and China (13:30).
In a speech in Belgium, Draghi said that Europe faced a future in with it risked “becoming subordinated, divided, and deindustrialised at once” if it doesn’t unite to respond with strength.
He warned that under the current arrangement “where trade and security intersect, our strengths cannot protect our weaknesses.”
Separately,
Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre pointedly criticised US president Donald Trump’s recent comments in Nato, saying that “the collective security is not a charity,” and “it made out of self-interest,” as he highlighted Norway’s contribution to the US national security (10:18).
Speaking at an event in Oslo, he also dismissed calls for a European army, saying that Nato’s European element needs to be strengthened instead (10:20, 10:26, 10:46).
Greenlandic prime minister Jens Frederik-Nielsen said that the US view of Greenland “has not changed: Greenland should be attached to the United States and governed from there” (14:24).
Meanwhile,
The Kremlin said that the trilateral talks involving Ukraine and Russia will restart on Wednesday, after last weekend’s discussions were cancelled (11:08).
Ben Hodges, a former commanding general of US army in Europe, has warned that Russia is “absolutely” at war with Europe, as he urged Europeans to continue supporting Ukraine (11:59).
The wartorn country continued to be gripped by extremely low temperatures, with its energy infrastructure affected by recent Russian strikes (12:09).
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Germany hit by public transport strikes as workers call for shorter shifts, bigger bonuses
Subway trains, buses and trams across Germany ground to a halt in a public transport strike called by one of the country’s biggest unions in a dispute over pay and conditions, AFP reported.
Bitter winter weather and icy pavements in large parts of the country meant that alternatives such as walking or cycling were more hazardous than usual for commuters.
The Verdi services sector union is pushing for shorter shifts for public transport workers and bigger bonuses for evening and weekend shifts.
It has called on almost 100,000 staff in 150 transport companies to take part in the stoppage.
The strike affects services in all states except Lower Saxony.
