Category: Ursula von der Leyen

EU Pledges 200 Million More COVID Vaccine Doses to Africa

BRUSSELS—The European Union’s top official said Wednesday that ramping up COVID-19 vaccinations in low-income nations around the world was the No. 1 priority right now and committed another 200 million vaccine doses to Africa. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used a State of the European Union speech on Wednesday to announce the new…


EU Launches New Program to Fight Red China’s ‘Debt Trap Diplomacy’

The European Union announced on Sept. 15 that it is introducing a new investment program called “Global Gateway” to rival China’s controversial development program, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has left many poor nations with heavy debt loads. In her state of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said…


Security-Focused EU Ramps up Humanitarian Aid for Afghans

The EU announced a ramped-up Afghan aid program that an official said it would seek safety guarantees on the ground and coordination with the United Nations to deliver, as the bloc’s executive and G7 leaders prepare to discuss the crisis in the country. European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would…


EU Says No Recognition of Taliban, No Political Talks

BRUSSELS—The European Union has not recognized the Taliban, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday, nor is it holding political talks with the militants, a week after they seized control of Afghanistan. The Taliban completed a lightning takeover of Afghanistan on Sunday, walking into the capital Kabul without firing a shot. The…


EU Delivers Enough Doses to Vaccinate 70 Percent of Adults, Von Der Leyen Says

BRUSSELS—The European Union has delivered enough coronavirus vaccine doses to member states to reach a target to fully vaccinate at least 70 percent of adults in the bloc, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on Saturday. Von der Leyen, who had tweeted on May 9 that the EU was on…


Lithuania Declares Emergency Due to Illegal Immigration From Belarus

HELSINKI—Lithuania has declared a state of emergency due to an influx of illegal immigrants in the last few days from neighboring Belarus, as tensions between the European Union and Belarus escalate. Lithuania’s Interior Minister Agle Bilotaite said late Friday that the decision, proposed by the State Border Guard Service, was necessary not because of an…


EU Says China Is a Systemic Rival, Human Rights Is Main Issue

BRUSSELS—China’s record on human rights is the main issue that divides it from the European Union and makes it a systemic rival for the bloc, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. “We are strong economic competitors, without any questions, and for that we need tools,” the head of the EU’s executive…


EU Agrees to Potential Purchase of 1.8 Billion Doses of Pfizer Jab

The EU cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine by agreeing to a contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.


EU Lawmakers Pledge to Reject EU-China Investment Deal in First Meeting on Beijing’s Sanctions

Members of European Parliament have vowed to reject the EU-China Investment Agreement that was awaiting ratification over China’s human rights abuses and sanctions by the ruling communist party. More than 30 MEPs took the floor on April 28 to denounce China for demanding that the EU stop criticism of its human rights record, saying they…


European Parliament Approves Post-Brexit Trade Deal With Britain

The European Parliament announced on Wednesday that EU lawmakers had voted overwhelmingly in favor of the agreement with Britain on post-Brexit trade arrangements. EU lawmakers approved the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement by 660 votes to five, with 32 abstentions. The vote cleared the last hurdle towards the full ratification of the agreement, and marks…