Politico Europe
February 2026
Putin’s friendship has limits — as Iran just found out
It will be difficult to convince Putin that he was ever wrong [about the danger of the West,]
The talks with Iran were just a cover. Everyone knew that. So who has more patience to wait for the enemy's sorry end now?"
I’d like to emphasize, that the signing of the treaty does not mean the establishment of a military alliance with Iran or mutual military assistance,
It is almost a Russian-speaking country today. And we, of course, take that factor into account,
EU scrambles for unity as Iran crisis exposes transatlantic rift
To say I’m disappointed in the joint statement … is an understatement,
Poland says it had advance knowledge of US-Israel strikes on Iran
‘Consulted’ is too strong a word, but we did have some prior knowledge, the details of which I cannot disclose,
We had Nazism, we had communism, and now we have Iranian religious fundamentalism.”
Iran launches counterattacks against US bases in the Gulf
The events unfolding in Iran must not lead to a spiral of escalation that could threaten the Middle East, Europe and beyond,
Iran situation ‘perilous,’ says EU’s top diplomat
War in the Middle East: US and Israel strike Iran
US and Israel hit Iran in coordinated attack
Far-right leader Bardella criticizes Macron’s pan-European nuclear push
When it comes to nuclear power, I defend principles, and those principles are that there can be no sharing, no co-financing, and no co-decision-making on the nuclear button,
What I dispute in this dialogue [with European countries] is that we are wrong to think that deterrence is only nuclear; it is primarily conventional, and here again we have missions in Eastern Europe that must be maintained,
If Mr. Macron thinks he can give France’s nuclear weapons to the EU, he will face impeachment proceedings for treason,
It could be part of the debate.”
As members of NATO and the EU, we have a duty to provide mutual assistance,
Italian opposition accuses Meloni of manipulating elections with new law
Their priority, their only preoccupation is to guarantee their own positions, changing the law in an unacceptable way,
Far-right AfD eyes court win as springboard for state elections in Germany
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “major victory” in courts after judges in Cologne banned Germany’s domestic intelligence agency from treating the party as a “right-wing extremist group.”
UK diplomatic staff withdrawn from Iran as US considers strike
My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror — which they are by far— to have a nuclear weapon,
Due to the security situation, U.K. staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran. Our embassy continues to operate remotely.”
There’s a political process ongoing between the U.S. and Iran, which the U.K. supports. Iran must never be able to develop a nuclear weapon, and our priority is security in the region.”
Starmer’s premiership is dying. Nobody knows how to save it.
Starmer needs to go out and explain why he’s in politics and what his vision for the country is and how he’s going to deliver it,
The PM is too weak now to do much of a reshuffle as well I would think so inertia will set in,
He has to go for the good of Scotland, the U.K. and the party.”
We will squeeze the Green vote when there’s a general election. It is different and more difficult in many ways in a by-election,
Do we chase the progressive Green and Lib Dem vote to try and unite the left against Reform? Do we try to win back ex-Labour voters going Reform? Or is it something in the middle?”
Farage settles for second best in Gorton and Denton — as Tories lose £500
There’s a bit of fragmentation, but it’s starting to settle on the right and I think it might settle on the left as well,
When the public is looking to replace this government at the next election they will look for something else,
French trade chief: EU should learn from Trump’s tariffs, not ‘get angry’
The U.S. president’s erratic trade policy, along with a glut of Chinese exports, has triggered deeper reflection within the 27-nation bloc about how to regain industrial competitiveness — including by diversifying trade partners, cutting red tape for businesses, and rewriting public procurement rules to include a “Made in Europe” preference
The European Parliament’s wait-and-see approach and suspension of the vote is quite logical,
That may also enable us to provide concrete answers to the questions raised by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta. Because we know full well that the European Union really needs to make a huge investment effort, particularly in innovation,
The European Union, the European countries, should not get angry at America’s positions, but should try to better understand America’s logic — which, by the way, began well before Donald Trump,
It’s also a way of asking us to take responsibility, to step out of our comfort zone. Before criticizing or getting angry at each other, we need to look at what we haven’t done well and where we can improve,
I would like us not simply to revert to the Turnberry agreement. We must also continue the process, ensure that the conversation is constructive, and move forward,
IMF approves $8B loan to Ukraine despite EU clash with Hungary
The international lender had initially demanded more assurances over Kyiv’s financial stability before approving the loan — this came when a majority of EU countries agreed late last year to raise €90 billion in joint debt to shore up Ukraine against Russia
Ukraine and its people have weathered a long and devastating war for over four years with remarkable resilience,
It is very important for us that in the fifth year of a full-scale war, against the backdrop of systemic attacks on the energy sector, Ukraine has guaranteed international financial support from partners and a resource for the stable operation of the state,
Gorton and Denton by-election: Labour vs everyone else
Spain defends EU’s flagship climate law against attacks from other capitals
Dismantling the emissions trading system is the wrong answer to high energy prices,
Von der Leyen clashes with Macron by pushing through EU-Mercosur trade deal
From plumber to parliament, Hannah Spencer is Britain’s newest MP
I’ve been a plumber for nearly 20 years. What do they want, to see a toilet I’ve fixed?”
How UK Greens weaponized Farage’s populist playbook
I don’t want everyone to agree with what I or the Green Party is saying,
Greens storm Gorton and Denton by-election — as Labour slumps to third
Instead of working for a nice life… we’re working to line the pockets of billionaires. We are being bled dry.”
Greens push Merz to probe Germany’s possible Epstein links
If you leave it to others to explain and comment, conspiracy theories and narratives will sprout up,
It is extremely irritating that while all the other countries around us are taking action, pushing for clarification and taking measures, the German government has so far remained largely indifferent,
As repeatedly emphasized since 2020, the bank acknowledges its mistake in accepting Jeffrey Epstein as a client in 2013,
Investigative mandates or investigative needs are the responsibility of the competent authorities,
Diplomats or disruptors — when Trump’s ambassadors get ‘rude’
Reeves and Svantesson: Don’t believe Putin’s lies. Economic pressure is working
A report commissioned by the Swedish government last year showed signs of mounting imbalances in the Russian economy, suggesting that key economic indicators such as inflation and real GDP growth were likely manipulated
Hungary is blocking Russia sanctions package over €16B in EU defense loans, diplomats say
Budapest is locked in a major standoff with Brussels over aid to Ukraine, after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday threatened to veto the bloc’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow as well as a €90 billion loan to Kyiv, until Ukraine resumes oil flows via a pipeline that Kyiv says was damaged in a Russian attack