Europe can often look more fractious than it is. Where it matters, however, the EU has shown unity, as a new sanctions package against Russia demonstrates
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskEurope has more potential rift lines than national dishes. To oversimplify, in past crises the division has often been between flinty northerners who resent being made to pay for ever more costly European schemes—bail-outs, stimulus packages and so on—and spendthrift southerners. Over Ukraine, by contrast, the main fissure has been between east and west.
Some of the criticism aimed at the “old Europe” trio, to revive a phrase, is warranted. Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, sometimes declares that Mr Putin must not win and at other times sounds like an otherworldly peacenik. “Can violence be fought with violence?” he recently mused. Promises of German arms deliveries to Ukraine have not always been followed up with actual deliveries.
All three leaders sporadically call for a ceasefire. The hawks object that this would mean accepting Mr Putin’s theft of Ukrainian territory, and giving his forces a chance to dig in, regroup and attack again. Worse, Messrs Scholz, Macron and Draghi regularly speak to Mr Putin, which the hawks deride as pointless, counterproductive or bordering on treasonous. None has yet been to Kyiv, a city that eastern European leaders visited while rockets still rained on it.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Europe plans to cope as Russia cuts off the gasSwitching to liquefied natural gas from America and Asia will require hefty investment
Read more »
UK may soon abandon £80bn Horizon Europe network, universities warnInstitutes make last-ditch appeal to EU to help save membership, as ministers plan alternatives
Read more »
The Queen's cucumber sandwiches have a secret ingredient you need to try addingIt’s the Platinum Jubilee weekend, and as you prep your picnic, you might be pondering how to make your lunch feel a tad more royal. Perhaps a classic cucumber sandwich will do the trick 🥪
Read more »
Stranger Things includes a heartbreaking Will detail you might have missedWill Byers really can't catch a break in season 4.
Read more »
Exam season is officially upon us – here's what you need to know about academic burnout (and how to avoid it)No matter how much work I did, it never felt enough.
Read more »
Sheryl Sandberg Is Stepping Down as Meta’s COO After 14 YearsSandberg will remain on the board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
Read more »