EU needs 'long-term' Russia strategy, says Donald Tusk

The EU needs a long-term strategy on Russia instead of simply reacting to events, the new EU summit chairman Donald Tusk has said.

Mr Tusk said he had been "really moved" by the leaders' discussion of the Ukraine crisis.

Earlier, the EU tightened sanctions against Russia over its support for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
"We need a plan for years… we're not too optimistic, we have to be realistic," Mr Tusk said.
"Russia is our strategic problem, not Ukraine," said Mr Tusk, the former Polish Prime Minister. "The biggest challenge is Russia's approach not only to Ukraine but also to Europe.
"Our discussion [on Ukraine at dinner] showed Europe united as never before. Russia's behaviour needs a pragmatic solution, a united, common position."
Poland, bordering on Ukraine, has long had tense relations with Russia, and is among the most vocal critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Crimea targeted


Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine still have heavy weapons including tanks and rockets, despite demands by Ukraine and the West for them to disarm. Continuing clashes in the Donetsk region have undermined peace efforts.
Under the latest measures against Russia, all EU tour operators will be barred from operating in Crimea and European investment there will be banned. Russia annexed Crimea in March.
Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said "we must work with Russia to push it out of Ukraine".
Cars damaged in fighting in eastern UkraineFighting continues in eastern Ukraine, despite appeals by the EU
And EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stressed that the EU's channels of communication with Russia must remain open.
There was much surprise among the summit journalists that Mr Tusk managed to reduce the expected two-day summit to one afternoon and evening. Usually EU summits go on hours longer than planned, often into the early morning.
Investment plan
The other main topic was Mr Juncker's plan to generate €315bn (£250bn; $392bn) of private investment for infrastructure projects in the EU.
It got the leaders' approval, and the aim is to launch it next June.
Mr Juncker said the commission would "look favourably" on government participation in big investment schemes, and would "neutralise" national contributions to the new fund. That suggests more lenient deficit targets for governments that boost investment.
Italy, burdened by colossal debts and high unemployment, warmly welcomed the Juncker plan.
Mr Renzi said investment decisions would involve "politicians, not only technocrats" and he stressed that for years Italy had been urging flexibility in reaching budget targets set by the commission.
"Growth and not only austerity is the legacy of the Italian presidency [of the EU]," he said.
He and French President Francois Hollande - both centre-left leaders - have urged Germany and other pro-austerity states to encourage much-needed growth, by allowing a monetary stimulus in the eurozone.

Popular posts from this blog

Coronavirus vaccine: when will it be ready?

Image
Human trials will begin imminently – but even if they go well and a cure is found, there are many barriers before global immunisation is feasible Even at their most effective – and draconian – containment strategies have only slowed the spread of the respiratory disease Covid-19. With the World Health Organization finally declaring a pandemic, all eyes have turned to the prospect of a vaccine, because only a vaccine can prevent people from getting sick. About 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create such a vaccine, at least four of which already have candidates they have been testing in animals. The first of these – produced by Boston-based biotech firm Moderna –   will enter human trials imminently . This unprecedented speed is thanks in large part to early Chinese efforts to sequence the genetic material of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. China shared that sequence in early January, allowing research groups around the world to grow the li
Read more

Coronavirus: California declares emergency after death2

Image
California has declared a state of emergency after announcing its first coronavirus death, bringing the US death toll from the disease to 11. The 71-year-old man had underlying health conditions and had been on a cruise ship, said officials. Eleven passengers and 10 crew members are potentially infected on board the Grand Princess now being held off the coast of California. There are now at least 150 reported US patients with Covid-19 in 16 states. Worldwide, authorities have confirmed more than 92,000 cases of the virus, of which more than 80,000 are in China. More than 3,000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China where the virus originated. Follow live updates here How worried should US be over coronavirus? Coronavirus: A visual guide to the outbreak Ten of the 11 US deaths were in Washington state. Meanwhile Washington and Florida both declared states of emergency over the weekend to help prevent the coronavirus. Such a declaration gives cit
Read more

Austria asks Swiss to do new autopsy on dead Kazakh dissident

Image
(Reuters) - Austria has asked Switzerland to carry out an autopsy on Rakhat Aliyev, a Kazakh dissident found hanged in an Austrian prison last week, to dispel any suggestions of a cover up after a first post mortem found traces of sedatives. The authorities say Aliyev committed suicide and there was no indication of the involvement of any third party in the death, but Aliyev's lawyers have contested the official line on how their client died. "The authorities will exhaust all investigative possibilities to clear up (this case) completely and transparently," Justice Minister Wolfgang Brandstetter told the Oesterreich paper in an interview printed on Sunday. "Foreign experts will be brought in if needed. A second autopsy in Switzerland is set," said Brandstetter, who had been a lawyer for Aliyev before becoming minister. An initial post mortem in Austria found traces of obscure sedatives in Aliyev's body, which hardened his legal team's
Read more