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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden on Friday, with Ukraine the sole item on the agenda. This comes just over a year after Scholz’s momentous “Zeitenwende” speech in reaction to the Russian invasion, in which he vowed radical changes to Germany’s defence and security policies. But analysts say Germany is failing to meet the expectations Scholz set.

Olivier Vandecasteele has been imprisoned since February last year.

Brexit may finally be done, after the EU and UK reached a compromise agreement on the Northern Ireland Protocol and joint European gas purchases will go ahead. #StateOfTheUnion

Sweden is using its presidency of the EU Council to keep European countries mobilised in their support for Ukraine, and to try to enforce the current sanctions on Russia more effectively. Sweden’s EU Affairs Minister Jessika Roswall speaks to Talking Europe about those issues, as well as Sweden’s application to join NATO, and Stockholm’s other priorities in its EU presidency, which is now two months into its six-month stint.

The news of another migrant drama off the coast of Italy on February 26 has prompted familiar expressions of shock by EU leaders, as well as familiar calls for the EU to rethink its approach to migration and asylum. Dozens of people are thought to have died in the Mediterranean this year, not just near Italy, but off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia too.

TikTok is battling privacy concerns and espionage fears over its potential connection with the Chinese Communist Party.

The train tragedy that unfolded in Greece this week, claiming dozens of lives in the country’s worst rail disaster, has exposed chronic failures by successive administrations, insiders say.

An agreement is still needed between the EU institutions, but the change would be significant for the industry in Europe.

The first joint purchases are expected to take place in the summer in order to fill underground gas storages.