Politico Europe
April 2026
Trump’s call to reduce US troops in Germany shocks Pentagon
There’s a moving cost, and then depending on where you’re moving them to, there could be construction costs that are substantial,
As Europe’s largest economy, Germany has the ambition to take on a greater leadership role within NATO,
Germany’s Merz loses hard-won favor with Trump
Merz has bent further than most European leaders to stay in Trump’s good graces, deeming it a strategic necessity to maintain close ties with an American leader known for holding grudges
From my perspective, my personal relationship with the US president remains good,
This is not the first time we’ve been confronted with such threats,
Venice Biennale jury quits over decision to allow Russia’s participation
The exodus marks one of the most dramatic moves yet in a dispute that has pitted members of the jury, the Biennale Foundation and the Italian government against one another
Trump’s threat to pull troops out of Germany crashes into reality
It would … weaken the deterrence posture of NATO as it would signal to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that the Americans care less every day, that Europe is increasingly exposed,
Despite some impulsive statements by the president, I still have a basic level of trust in transatlantic relations,
If they look at where they might have the best use of their bases in Europe … I don’t think it’s irrational,
Don’t beg Moscow, EU’s top diplomat warns
Leaders this week finally unlocked a €90 billion loan for Ukraine after months of wrangling, while also approving a 20th sanctions package targeting Russian banks and financial networks
What we have seen so far is that Russia does not want to engage in any kind of dialogue,
There can be no return to business as usual with Russia,
Belgium eyes nuclear takeover to keep reactors running
In the meantime, plans to dismantle the five reactors that were shut down between 2022 and 2025 will be suspended, keeping the option of extending their license or potentially restarting them
There are two ways to get to that target: build new nuclear, which takes time, or restart and extend existing units,
Nuclear retirements are not considered mainstream in Europe anymore,
We must reduce our overdependency on imported fossil fuels and boost our homegrown, affordable, clean energy supply. From renewables to nuclear, in full respect of technology neutrality,
If you’re a private operator, investing in nuclear assets is billions, even tens of billions, and they come with construction, waste and political risks,
EU merger shake-up exposes von der Leyen–Ribera clash of visions
The guidelines aim to balance the EU’s traditional antitrust rules — designed to curb excessive corporate power — with pressure from Germany and France to loosen them and enable the creation of more “European champions,” or large, homegrown firms that can compete on a global scale
It’s time to deliver,
It is not the thing to solve different types of problems that industries in Europe may be facing in global markets,
Macron appoints new chief of staff as ex-aide eyes Bank of France job
While Moulin has not publicly announced his ambition to succeed François Villeroy de Galhau, who is leaving France’s central bank in June, his interest in the job is an open secret in Paris’ corridors of power
ECB holds interest rates but keeps June hike in play as war drags on
The longer the war continues and the longer energy prices remain high, the stronger is the likely impact on broader inflation and the economy,
The Governing Council is not pre-committing to a particular rate path,
Merz touts continued US military ties despite Trump threats
The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,
- CBS News cbsnews.com
- Reuters reuters.com
- Deutsche Welle dw.com
- NBC News nbcnews.com
- CNBC cnbc.com
- CNN cnn.com
- The Jerusalem Post jpost.com
- Newsmax newsmax.com
- South China Morning Post scmp.com
- The Independent independent.co.uk
- Newsweek newsweek.com
- Daily Express express.co.uk
- Politico Europe politico.eu
- Politico Europe politico.eu
- The Korea Times koreatimes.co.kr
We are working here, and at other key locations in Germany, side-by-side with the United States and our NATO allies,
We are following a clear compass, especially during this turbulent phase, this compass remains focused on a strong NATO and a reliable transatlantic partnership,
Trump says King Charles would have been more helpful on Iran than Starmer
The U.S. president’s comments — which came on Charles’ trip stateside — may cause embarrassment for the British monarch, who as head of state must be above party politics, and they suggest the visit has not healed rifts with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after deep disagreements over the Iran war
He’s an extraordinary person. And yeah, it helps from the standpoint that, you know, when you like the king of a country so much, it probably helps your relationship with the prime minister.... But you know in that case, the prime minister I said you want to send a little help? He said, no, we’ll send it after you win the war. I said, that’s not good, that’s not good.”
Eurozone growth limps on as Iran war fuels stagflation fears
Compared with the same quarter of 2025, seasonally-adjusted gross domestic product increased by 0.8 percent
I think the ECB is about to make a mistake in 2026 to make up for the mistake that was done in 2022,
May elections: The pollster’s verdict
Why the ECB is in a tricky spot
The European Central Bank will meet today and make a decision that depends heavily on events happening thousands of kilometers away
UK’s diplomats left in disarray by Mandelson scandal
That cut short Robbins’ mission to deliver a radical program of departmental reform by 2030 — and now insiders complain this has left the department, once a prized part of the British government machine, rudderless and fearful for what comes next
The FCDO is transforming to be more agile and focused, so we can deliver for the U.K. in a rapidly changing world,
EU plans ‘pre-entry’ perks for Ukraine as fast-track membership hopes dim
The proposals came together after a tense March dinner during which EU capitals rejected the European Commission’s “reverse enlargement” proposals that would have let Ukraine join before completing major reforms — searching instead for a tangible offer Kyiv can sell at home while it works on the reforms needed to secure full membership
From the moment of the dinner … member states have been clear it would be very difficult to see membership in the short term,
Getting back to [the] normal accession process, including the opening of all clusters both for Ukraine and Moldova without further delay is our top priority,
Ukraine’s priority remains full EU membership,
Europe has a fuel problem: It doesn’t know how much it has
We will of course want to have a better overview of the fuel situation across the EU,
This is unfortunately information that [members] will not share with me,
In Europe, we have visibility and commitments into May and June … what happens beyond is hard to forecast,
Basically, the loss of [petrochemicals] from the Middle East and Asia means European plants are currently enjoying a boost to gross margins,
Privately owned companies didn’t want to share info,
We have very limited market knowledge and data for gas and oil,
In an ideal world, we would have access to perfect information,
Magyar targets May deal to unlock €10B of EU funds for Hungary
EU funds will soon start arriving in Hungary,
A very good exchange with Péter Magyar in Brussels today. We discussed the steps necessary to unlock EU funds earmarked for Hungary that are frozen due to corruption and rule-of-law concerns. The European Commission will support your work to address these issues and realign with shared European values. Our teams will continue to work closely together.”
I can say that the negotiations are progressing very well so far,
Kyiv asks Israel to seize ship allegedly smuggling grain from occupied Ukraine
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar chided his Ukrainian counterpart, arguing “diplomatic relations, especially between friendly nations, are not conducted on Twitter or in the media.”
The Ukrainian side asks the Israeli partners to seize the ship and cargo, conduct a search, seize ship and cargo documentation, take grain samples, and interrogate the crew members,
We expect the Israeli side to take it seriously rather than responding with emotional statements,
The products were loaded after transshipment from another vessel. It is currently heading to the port of Haifa. The investigators documented the facts of the vessel’s illegal entry into closed ports of Ukraine. This is a gross violation of Ukrainian legislation and the norms of international maritime law,
German finance minister doesn’t rule out emergency borrowing as ‘Trump’s irresponsible war’ bites
The conservatives are under pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — now leading in many national polls — which has frequently attacked the chancellor for taking on hundreds of billions of euros of debt in an effort to stimulate growth
We will need to continue to monitor closely how this war affects our economic development and the overall state of our country,
This is not our war, but we are massively feeling its effects,
Zelenskyy opens door to Ukrainian arms exports in wartime
And while the government lifted the ban on defense exports last September, these exports were still severely limited by a reluctant government, with Zelenskyy even lashing out at some defense producers that struck deals with foreign countries
We have approved all the details at the level of our state institutions. Currently, our security expertise and weapons, which have been tested in modern warfare, are of interest to all partners capable of ensuring a real level of protection for their statehood and the lives of their citizens,
I instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with our intelligence services and the Security Service of Ukraine, to determine the list of countries to which exports of our weapons are not possible due to their cooperation with the aggressor state,
We are simplifying bureaucratic procedures, maintaining an adequate level of export control, and launching practical operating mechanisms for companies. Ukrainian companies will receive a real opportunity to enter partner countries’ markets, but our military has the right to receive the necessary volume of weapons first,
I know about some 10 factories, built in different parts of the world behind the state’s back,
This is a serious challenge — to prevent our technologies and weapons from falling into Russian hands,
Keir Starmer’s stack of unfinished business
His government has passed flagship legislation on workers’ and renters’ rights, home-grown energy and planning laws — but been buffeted by events
If the structural reforms set out in the Courts and Tribunals Bill are not implemented we will face an existential threat to justice in Britain. Ministers continue to work closely with parliamentarians to ensure the Bill is as robust as possible.”
One of my first acts as prime minister will be to put the Hillsborough Law on the statute book.”
If you’re going to do proper, meaningful welfare reform, it’s not going to make [financial] savings in the short term.”
The reason we got a consultation was because of pressure around this bill,
Nobody wants to go to Liverpool in September not having this done,
UK eyes anti-Putin naval partnership in High North
I’m here to show you that the Royal Navy is already rising to the challenge in front of us.”
This is where our long-term focus must remain, where Russian service and subsurface activity continues to pose a systems challenge,
Germany’s Merz tries to downplay row with Trump
We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences of … the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,
The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,
The personal relationship between the American president and me remains, in my view, as good as ever,
Two Jewish men stabbed in north London terrorist incident
We all need to do everything we can to support that investigation and be absolutely clear in our determination to deal with any of these offenses, the like of which we’ve seen too much recently,
London’s Jewish community have been the target of a series of shocking antisemitic attacks. There must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society,
Whilst I must stress this investigation is at an early stage, we are working quickly to understand exactly what happened.”