⚡🇪🇺 Europe’s energy crisis is becoming a political crisis. EU Energy Commissioner @DanJoergensen warns that around 50 million Europeans could face an impossible choice this winter: Heat or food. With energy prices rising again, he says governments must act — not only to protect households and industry, but also to prevent anger over living costs from feeding populist and far-right parties. Europe still needs the green transition. But if ordinary people cannot afford basic needs, the transition risks losing public trust. The warning from Brussels is stark: Lower the pressure on households. Protect industry. Reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. And do it before another winter crisis becomes a democratic crisis. #eudebates #EnergyCrisis #CostOfLiving #Energy #DanJorgensen

🌍 “There can be no double standards when it comes to international law.” At the UN General Assembly, @eucopresident Costa delivered a clear defence of multilateralism, international law and a stronger United Nations. piped.video/25NAcmfRYGA His message: ⚖️ International law must apply everywhere. 🇺🇦 Russia must end its war and dangerous escalation. 🏛️ The independence of the @ICJ_org and @ICC must be protected. 🤖 AI cannot be governed by a handful of tech giants. 🤝 Global challenges require global cooperation. Costa also promoted the new P4M — Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace and Prosperity, launched with Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, India and Kenya. Europe’s choice, he argued, is clear: Cooperation over confrontation. Law over power. Partnership over isolation. #eudebates #Costa #UNGA #Multilateralism

The agreement to release €6.6 billion from the European Peace Facility for Ukraine is excellent news. It means more support for Ukraine’s defence, from training to equipment. It complements what we are doing through our Ukraine support packages – for the state and for defence. And more is coming from our side. Very soon.

🇫🇷🇻🇦 France welcomes @Pontifex Leo XIV with a message of peace and hope. President @EmmanuelMacron says the visit reflects the strong ties between France and the Holy See. At a time of war, division and uncertainty, the message is simple: Peace. Brotherhood. Hope. #eudebates #Macron #PopeLeoXIV #France #Vatican #Peace

Mark Rutte: “This is Europe’s backyard, not America’s” — Europe must step up! @SecGenNATO Rutte said Europe must develop the military capabilities needed to handle security challenges in its own region instead of repeatedly relying on the United States. Rutte pointed to the Middle East and asked why Washington had been needed to degrade Iran’s nuclear capability and why the United States was again being looked to over the Houthis in the Red Sea. His answer was direct: Europe did not have enough capability to do it itself. “This is Europe’s backyard. It’s not the United States’ backyard.” #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #Europe #DonaldTrump

Europe must take care of its own backyard — the US cannot do everything! @SecGenNATO Rutte made the case for why NATO remains essential to US security — while also arguing that Europe must take on far more responsibility for its own defence. Rutte said @NATO helps protect the United States from threats linked to Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, including Russian nuclear submarines and growing pressure in the Arctic. He also described Europe as a major platform for American power projection. But his sharpest message was directed at Europe. Rutte said he understood Donald Trump’s frustration that European countries had spent more on pensions and welfare while the United States carried a heavier defence burden. He said that balance is now beginning to change as European NATO members increase military spending. #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #DonaldTrump #Europe

Europe needs more tanks, F-35s and soldiers — NATO’s 5% target has a purpose! US Ambassador to NATO @MattWhitaker46 explained why the Alliance’s 5% defence spending target is tied directly to the military capabilities NATO says it needs. Whitaker said the figure is based on NATO’s capability planning process, which determines what each Ally must be able to contribute in the event of a conflict. He said roughly 3.5% of GDP is linked to core military capabilities such as aircraft, satellites, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, refueling tankers, tanks and other equipment. The additional 1.5% is intended for defence-related infrastructure and resilience, including fuel pipelines, bridges capable of carrying tanks, ports and common communications systems. #eudebates #MatthewWhitaker #NATO #Europe #DefenseSpending

Rutte warns: Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are working together — NATO must prepare! @SecGenNATO Rutte warned that the security of the Arctic, Europe and North America can no longer be treated as separate challenges. Rutte said the High North and the Arctic are directly connected to the security of the United States, Canada and Europe. He argued that NATO must be capable of dealing with two major theatres at the same time: the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic. Rutte said Americans increasingly understand why this matters because the threats are becoming more connected. He pointed to Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, saying they are working together intensively and sharing knowledge and innovation. According to Rutte, this cooperation is not simply about economic development but about building capabilities that could threaten NATO countries. His message was clear: the Arctic, Europe and the Indo-Pacific are now part of the same security picture. “It is all connected.” #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #China #Russia

It’s a wrap on the UN High-level Week. The high-level week is a key forum for advancing Finland’s foreign and security policy objectives and strengthening bilateral relations. It is clear that the UN’s standing and credibility must be restored. We must defend the rules-based international order, but we must also reform it. Over the course of the week, I met with senior UN officials and leaders from more than 13 countries. Now is the UN’s moment.

Trump was right about Greenland — NATO must secure the Arctic from Russia and China! @SecGenNATO Rutte strongly backed Donald Trump’s assessment that Greenland and the wider High North face growing strategic pressure from Russia and China. Rutte said more had to be done to protect Greenland as part of NATO territory and pointed to the launch of Arctic Sentry, bringing @NATO countries together to strengthen collective defence across the High North. He also highlighted a new agreement involving Greenland, Denmark and the United States. According to Rutte, the deal is designed to ensure that future US security investments in Greenland remain protected and valid even if Greenland were one day to become independent from Denmark. Rutte linked the issue directly to US homeland security, arguing that Greenland is important not only to NATO’s northern flank but also to the defence of the United States itself. His message was clear: Arctic security, Greenland, NATO and the US mainland are now part of the same strategic equation. #eudebates #MarkRutte #Greenland #NATO #DonaldTrump

I'm proud to report that for the first time in history, the @UN has achieved gender parity across all senior leadership, headquarters & professional staff. We removed barriers, challenged assumptions & refused to accept that power must look as it always has. And we never compromised on quality & competence. If the UN can do it, so can governments, parliaments & businesses everywhere.

Rutte warns America: Russian nuclear submarines near Norway are a threat to the US! @SecGenNATO Rutte used Russia’s nuclear submarine presence in the Arctic to explain why the Alliance remains vital to the security of the United States. Rutte recalled a meeting between the Norwegian Prime Minister and President Donald Trump at the White House, where maps showed major Russian nuclear submarines operating just across Norway’s border. His message was striking: “These nuclear submarines are not there to attack Norway. They are there to attack the United States.” Rutte argued that European and North American security cannot be separated. He said NATO’s role is to detect, deter and prevent Russian submarines from reaching positions from which they could threaten the US mainland. #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #Russia #Arctic

Rutte explains NATO’s 5% rule: “It is deeply rooted in what we need to defend ourselves”! @SecGenNATO Rutte explained why the Alliance’s new 5% defence spending target is tied directly to military requirements rather than an arbitrary political figure. Rutte said NATO completed a detailed capability analysis in 2025 ahead of the Hague Summit, looking at what each Ally would need to contribute if Article 5 were triggered. That process calculated a requirement of roughly 3.4% to 3.6% of GDP for core defence spending, plus another 1.5% for defence-related investment. The additional spending includes resilience, societal resilience, infrastructure and industrial capacity. “This is the 5%.” #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #DefenseSpending #Article5

Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are working together against us! @SecGenNATO Rutte warned that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are increasingly cooperating and sharing knowledge and innovation. Rutte said this cooperation is not simply aimed at strengthening their economies. In his words, it is designed to build capabilities that ultimately threaten NATO countries and their allies. “Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, working together intensively, sharing knowledge, innovation.” Rutte said the growing links between these countries are part of a broader security challenge facing Europe, North America and the wider NATO alliance. His warning was direct: “Not to build their economies, but to be a threat to, in the end, all of us.” #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #Russia #China

Europe was “hollowed out” and must rebuild its military power! US Ambassador to NATO @MattWhitaker46 warned that the United States and its allies must prepare for the possibility of simultaneous crises in Europe and the Pacific. Whitaker said Washington had long operated on the assumption that it could fight a two-front global war, but argued that this is no longer a realistic approach. He said the United States now needs more capable European allies after decades of underinvestment weakened military capabilities across the continent. According to Whitaker, NATO members need more tanks, frigates, soldiers, air defence systems and F-35s, while also strengthening infrastructure, industrial capacity and societal resilience. He warned that future conflict may not begin with troops crossing a border. “The first shot of any future global conflict is not going to be troops across a border. It is going to be attacks on infrastructure.” He said this does not mean America is abandoning Europe, but that European allies must step forward and take greater responsibility for their own defence. #eudebates #NATO #MatthewWhitaker #China #Russia

🇮🇹🎓 @GiorgiaMeloni redraws the rules in Italian schools. Italy’s cabinet has approved a school decree introducing a 30% cap in first-year classes for certain foreign pupils who lack sufficient Italian-language integration, along with more language support and a ban on burqas and niqabs in schools. Meloni says the goal is to prevent “ghetto classrooms” and give students equal opportunities through stronger integration. Her message is clear: Integration — but with rules. Language — as a condition for participation. Schools — without full-face coverings. A major new front in Italy’s migration and integration debate. #eudebates #GiorgiaMeloni #Italy #Education #Migration

America cannot face China in the Pacific and defend Europe alone!!! @SecGenNATO Rutte warned that a future crisis in the Pacific could quickly become a simultaneous security challenge for Europe. Speaking in Des Moines, Iowa, Rutte said there is a shared assessment across the Pentagon, State Department, White House and National Security Council that NATO must be prepared for pressure in more than one region at the same time. He said that if China moved against the first island chain in the Pacific, Beijing could seek to have Vladimir Putin keep Europe occupied. That scenario, Rutte argued, is exactly why Europe must take on a greater share of its own conventional defence. “The United States cannot do that alone.” #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #China #Russia

Putin wants Europe to panic — NATO must stay calm and support Ukraine! @SecGenNATO warned that Russia remains a long-term threat to NATO territory, but urged European allies not to fall into panic. Rutte pointed to recent hybrid attacks and drone incidents in Europe and said some governments have assessed Russia as being behind them. His message to European allies was simple: “Stay calm, carry on and keep supporting Ukraine.” Rutte argued that Russia is using pressure and hybrid tactics because it has failed to achieve the rapid victory it expected in Ukraine. He said the war has dragged on far longer than Moscow originally anticipated and described Russia as facing major difficulties on the battlefield. Rutte’s warning was clear: NATO must remain strong, prepared and united without giving Vladimir Putin the panic and division he wants. “Let’s not fall into the trap of Putin who wants to create panic.” #eudebates #MarkRutte #NATO #Russia #Ukraine

“Move from commitments to action” on Gaza and the two-state solution! EU High Representative @kajakallas called for faster and more concrete implementation of the two-state solution during the Global Alliance meeting in New York. Kallas said 142 countries had endorsed the New York Declaration, showing broad international support for a Palestinian state alongside Israel and for a practical path to make that outcome possible. She welcomed reform efforts by the Palestinian Authority and said the European Union fully supports preparations for Palestinian legislative elections. But Kallas warned that the political ambition behind the two-state solution is increasingly colliding with realities on the ground. “In Gaza, progress on the ground remains far too limited.” Kallas reaffirmed the EU position that two states living side by side in peace and security remain the best path toward a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. #eudebates #Kallas #Gaza #Palestine #UNGA81