At least 13 people have been killed by falling trees, flying debris and high winds in Europe.

It has also knocked 1.4 million households off the grid with emergency crews Saturday battling to restore power.

The storm caused mayhem with travel in Britain, shutting the English Channel port of Dover, closing bridges linking England and Wales and halting most trains in and out of London.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-rare-red-alert-could-be-issued-as-storm-eunice-approaches-454030">Also read |&nbsp;UK: 'Rare' red alert could be issued as storm Eunice approaches</a>

Eunice is the second named storm to hit Europe this week, with the first storm killing at least five people in Germany and Poland.&nbsp;

It sparked the first-ever "red" weather warning for London on Friday. It was one of the most powerful tempests in Europe since the "Great Storm" hit Britain and northern France in 1987.

"Storm Eunice is really packing a punch," Met Office Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said. "We only issue red weather warnings when we think there is a threat to life from the weather."

Planes were buffeted so strongly by gusts at some British airports that pilots were forced to abandon landings.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/storm-eunice-crane-crashes-onto-the-roof-of-a-belgian-hospital-amid-extreme-weather-conditions-454483">Also read |&nbsp;Storm Eunice: Crane crashes onto the roof of a Belgian hospital amid extreme weather conditions</a>

Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in England, attributed the storms to an unusually strong jet stream over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, with winds close to 200 mph (321 kph) at high altitudes.

“A strong jet stream like this can act like a production line for storms, generating a new storm every day or two,” Inness said.&nbsp;

“There have been many occasions in the recent past when two or more damaging storms have passed across the U.K. and other parts of Europe in the space of a few days.”

Germany’s biggest rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, cancelled all train services in the north of the country on Friday due to the storm.

In the Netherlands, authorities sent a push alert to mobile phone users on Friday afternoon, warning them to stay indoors.

In Denmark, strong winds prompted authorities to ban light vehicles from crossing the Storebælt tunnel and bridge linking the central island of Funen to Zealand, home to the capital, Copenhagen.

Storm Eunice produced heightened concern because it had the potential to produce a “sting jet,” a small area of intense winds that may exceed 100 mph.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least 13 people have been killed by falling trees, flying debris and high winds in Europe. It has also knocked 1.4 million households off the grid with emergency crews Saturday battling to restore power.

At least 13 people have been killed by falling trees, flying debris and high winds in Europe. It has also knocked 1.4 million households off the grid with emergency crews Saturday battling to restore power. The storm caused mayhem with travel in Britain, shutting the English Channel port of Dover, closing bridges linking England and Wales and halting most trains in and out of London. Also read | UK: 'Rare' red alert could be issued as storm Eunice approaches Eunice is the second named storm to hit Europe this week, with the first storm killing at least five people in Germany and Poland. It sparked the first-ever "red" weather warning for London on Friday. It was one of the most powerful tempests in Europe since the "Great Storm" hit Britain and northern France in 1987. "Storm Eunice is really packing a punch," Met Office Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said. "We only issue red weather warnings when we think there is a threat to life from the weather." Planes were buffeted so strongly by gusts at some British airports that pilots were forced to abandon landings. Also read | Storm Eunice: Crane crashes onto the roof of a Belgian hospital amid extreme weather conditions Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in England, attributed the storms to an unusually strong jet stream over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, with winds close to 200 mph (321 kph) at high altitudes. “A strong jet stream like this can act like a production line for storms, generating a new storm every day or two,” Inness said. “There have been many occasions in the recent past when two or more damaging storms have passed across the U.K. and other parts of Europe in the space of a few days.” Germany’s biggest rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, cancelled all train services in the north of the country on Friday due to the storm. In the Netherlands, authorities sent a push alert to mobile phone users on Friday afternoon, warning them to stay indoors. In Denmark, strong winds prompted authorities to ban light vehicles from crossing the Storebælt tunnel and bridge linking the central island of Funen to Zealand, home to the capital, Copenhagen. Storm Eunice produced heightened concern because it had the potential to produce a “sting jet,” a small area of intense winds that may exceed 100 mph. (With inputs from agencies)

13 dead in Europe due to Storm Eunice, power shut down in over one million homes

Ulrike Franke is a self-confessed German millennial, a defense analyst who worries about her generation’s allergy to the military, especially as it moves into positions of power.

“After 30 years of peace,” she wrote last year in a well-read essay, “German millennials have a hard time adjusting to the world we are living in now. We struggle to think in terms of interests, we struggle with the concept of geopolitical power, and we struggle with military power being an element of geopolitical power.”

Russia’s massive and open military threat to Ukraine, she and others say, is now shaking a sense of complacency among young and old Europeans alike who have never known war, hot or cold. For some, at least, the moment is an awakening as the threat of war grows real.

But just how far Europe is prepared to go in shifting from a world where peace and security were taken for granted remains to be seen. For decades Europeans have paid relatively little in money, lives or resources for their defense — and paid even less attention, sheltering under a U.S. nuclear umbrella left over from the Cold War.

That debate had begun to shift in recent years, even before Russia’s menacing of Ukraine, with talk of a more robust and independent European strategic and defense posture. But the crisis has done as much to expose European weakness on security issues as it has to fortify its sense of unity.

Franke, 34, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, is not convinced that anything short of a major Russian invasion of Ukraine will very much alter public opinion.

“We’re having in Europe and Germany a status quo problem,” she said in an interview. “We’re very comfortable with this version of European security, and most people don’t realize that to defend this status quo, we need to act.”

The elite feel the cold wind from Russia, she said, but “on the level of public opinion, people want to be left alone and for nothing to touch them.”

Franke, who is an expert in drone warfare, may be too pessimistic, some believe.

Daniela Schwarzer, who ran the German Council on Foreign Relations and now manages Europe and Eurasia for the Open Society Foundations, thinks that “the image of Russia has changed a lot.”

“Even in Germany there is a sober realism that our relations with Russia and our energy policy have to be dealt with in a much more strategic way than generally acknowledged in the past,” she said.

But even after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Germany and Europe did very little to diminish their energy dependency on Russia or to prepare for Moscow weaponizing energy supplies.

With the new Ukraine crisis, that is quickly changing, she said.

Europeans bordering Russia have always warned about Moscow, but other Europeans farther away now see the point. “There is now the perception that conflict on our continent is possible,” Schwarzer said.

In 2008, when Russian troops went into Georgia, or annexed Crimea, or inserted themselves into the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there was little lasting change in perception of Russia.

“But this conflict would have a different dimension, since it so directly opposes the West and Russia, and is seen as proof that the current European security order no longer provides security,” she said.

Peter Ricketts, a former British ambassador to France now in the House of Lords, agrees. This conflict has put “war back into focus again in the trans-Atlantic world,” he said.

For the younger generation, concerned, like the German Greens, with the environment and focused on human rights and gender and racial equality, “this is 19th-century policy erupting and crashing into their 21st-century concerns,” he said.

In the larger sense, Ricketts said, the conflict reminds Europeans of the importance of NATO and of U.S. leadership in the trans-Atlantic alliance. “Faith in talking to Russia rather than deterring will be severely damaged by this,” he said.

A major Russian military action would bring about more military spending, push NATO to increase troop deployments closer to Russia, “deepen the chasm between Russia and the West and push Russia more into the hands of China and the renminbi zone, with Russia a small partner,” Ricketts said.

Already, NATO countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the United States, have moved troops, aircraft and ships to shore up member states from Poland and the Baltics to Romania, with France offering a more permanent deployment in Romania. Those deployments may last for some time.

There are “some long-term consequences, some long-term deterioration of the security environment in Europe from this significant Russian military buildup, the threatening rhetoric,” Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said as defense ministers gathered in Brussels. “I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.”

There will also be new debate about the push by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, for European strategic autonomy and resilience. A European security crisis where the European Union has little to add beyond the threat of sanctions troubles many. But there is no easy or quick answer, suggested Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House.

“This really does bring the security element to the fore, and it’s not what the EU is best suited to manage,” he said. “It will mean treating NATO more seriously as the anchor of European security and not overplaying EU strategic autonomy.”

European security still comes only with U.S. leadership, he said, adding, “Maybe this crisis is telling that to Europeans, some of whom don’t like it.”

But undercutting any new faith in U.S. leadership is a wide European concern that President Joe Biden is likely to be a one-term president, weakened by November’s midterm elections, and that former President Donald Trump or another Republican in his disruptive nationalist mode will win in 2024.

“We don’t know what’s coming after Biden,” said Claudia Major of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “America is back for a moment, but it doesn’t change the overall course of the superpower competition, which is China. Is this the last time the Americans come to save us?”

An opinion poll in seven EU countries released last week by the European Council on Foreign Relations found evidence of shifting attitudes toward Russia.

Majorities in Europe now believe that Russia will invade Ukraine in 2022 and that it is important for the European Union and NATO to support Ukraine. Europeans are prepared to bear significant threats, including refugee pressure, higher energy costs and cyberattacks, and they see energy dependency on Russia as their greatest shared challenge.

“This has been a real wake-up call,” much more than in 2014, said Mark Leonard, the group’s director. The polling points to some fundamental views, he said, “that war in Europe is thinkable once again, that the EU should respond to Russian aggression.”

But even in France, during an election campaign, the crisis “reinforces the idea of NATO as the guarantor of territorial security for Europe rather than any illusion of European defense,” said Célia Belin of the Brookings Institution, even as it might “give an electric shock” to countries like Germany that have devalued security concerns for so long.

Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy’s International Affairs Institute, also doubts that even a major war in Ukraine “would translate into European defense, but it is already translating into a revival of NATO, since deterrence is what NATO does.” Putin, she said, “has done miracles by uniting us.”

Ulrike Franke is a self-confessed German millennial, a defense analyst who worries about her generation’s allergy to the military, especially as it moves into positions of power.

Ulrike Franke is a self-confessed German millennial, a defense analyst who worries about her generation’s allergy to the military, especially as it moves into positions of power. “After 30 years of peace,” she wrote last year in a well-read essay, “German millennials have a hard time adjusting to the world we are living in now. We struggle to think in terms of interests, we struggle with the concept of geopolitical power, and we struggle with military power being an element of geopolitical power.” Russia’s massive and open military threat to Ukraine, she and others say, is now shaking a sense of complacency among young and old Europeans alike who have never known war, hot or cold. For some, at least, the moment is an awakening as the threat of war grows real. But just how far Europe is prepared to go in shifting from a world where peace and security were taken for granted remains to be seen. For decades Europeans have paid relatively little in money, lives or resources for their defense — and paid even less attention, sheltering under a U.S. nuclear umbrella left over from the Cold War. That debate had begun to shift in recent years, even before Russia’s menacing of Ukraine, with talk of a more robust and independent European strategic and defense posture. But the crisis has done as much to expose European weakness on security issues as it has to fortify its sense of unity. Franke, 34, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, is not convinced that anything short of a major Russian invasion of Ukraine will very much alter public opinion. “We’re having in Europe and Germany a status quo problem,” she said in an interview. “We’re very comfortable with this version of European security, and most people don’t realize that to defend this status quo, we need to act.” The elite feel the cold wind from Russia, she said, but “on the level of public opinion, people want to be left alone and for nothing to touch them.” Franke, who is an expert in drone warfare, may be too pessimistic, some believe. Daniela Schwarzer, who ran the German Council on Foreign Relations and now manages Europe and Eurasia for the Open Society Foundations, thinks that “the image of Russia has changed a lot.” “Even in Germany there is a sober realism that our relations with Russia and our energy policy have to be dealt with in a much more strategic way than generally acknowledged in the past,” she said. But even after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Germany and Europe did very little to diminish their energy dependency on Russia or to prepare for Moscow weaponizing energy supplies. With the new Ukraine crisis, that is quickly changing, she said. Europeans bordering Russia have always warned about Moscow, but other Europeans farther away now see the point. “There is now the perception that conflict on our continent is possible,” Schwarzer said. In 2008, when Russian troops went into Georgia, or annexed Crimea, or inserted themselves into the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there was little lasting change in perception of Russia. “But this conflict would have a different dimension, since it so directly opposes the West and Russia, and is seen as proof that the current European security order no longer provides security,” she said. Peter Ricketts, a former British ambassador to France now in the House of Lords, agrees. This conflict has put “war back into focus again in the trans-Atlantic world,” he said. For the younger generation, concerned, like the German Greens, with the environment and focused on human rights and gender and racial equality, “this is 19th-century policy erupting and crashing into their 21st-century concerns,” he said. In the larger sense, Ricketts said, the conflict reminds Europeans of the importance of NATO and of U.S. leadership in the trans-Atlantic alliance. “Faith in talking to Russia rather than deterring will be severely damaged by this,” he said. A major Russian military action would bring about more military spending, push NATO to increase troop deployments closer to Russia, “deepen the chasm between Russia and the West and push Russia more into the hands of China and the renminbi zone, with Russia a small partner,” Ricketts said. Already, NATO countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the United States, have moved troops, aircraft and ships to shore up member states from Poland and the Baltics to Romania, with France offering a more permanent deployment in Romania. Those deployments may last for some time. There are “some long-term consequences, some long-term deterioration of the security environment in Europe from this significant Russian military buildup, the threatening rhetoric,” Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said as defense ministers gathered in Brussels. “I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.” There will also be new debate about the push by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, for European strategic autonomy and resilience. A European security crisis where the European Union has little to add beyond the threat of sanctions troubles many. But there is no easy or quick answer, suggested Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House. “This really does bring the security element to the fore, and it’s not what the EU is best suited to manage,” he said. “It will mean treating NATO more seriously as the anchor of European security and not overplaying EU strategic autonomy.” European security still comes only with U.S. leadership, he said, adding, “Maybe this crisis is telling that to Europeans, some of whom don’t like it.” But undercutting any new faith in U.S. leadership is a wide European concern that President Joe Biden is likely to be a one-term president, weakened by November’s midterm elections, and that former President Donald Trump or another Republican in his disruptive nationalist mode will win in 2024. “We don’t know what’s coming after Biden,” said Claudia Major of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “America is back for a moment, but it doesn’t change the overall course of the superpower competition, which is China. Is this the last time the Americans come to save us?” An opinion poll in seven EU countries released last week by the European Council on Foreign Relations found evidence of shifting attitudes toward Russia. Majorities in Europe now believe that Russia will invade Ukraine in 2022 and that it is important for the European Union and NATO to support Ukraine. Europeans are prepared to bear significant threats, including refugee pressure, higher energy costs and cyberattacks, and they see energy dependency on Russia as their greatest shared challenge. “This has been a real wake-up call,” much more than in 2014, said Mark Leonard, the group’s director. The polling points to some fundamental views, he said, “that war in Europe is thinkable once again, that the EU should respond to Russian aggression.” But even in France, during an election campaign, the crisis “reinforces the idea of NATO as the guarantor of territorial security for Europe rather than any illusion of European defense,” said Célia Belin of the Brookings Institution, even as it might “give an electric shock” to countries like Germany that have devalued security concerns for so long. Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy’s International Affairs Institute, also doubts that even a major war in Ukraine “would translate into European defense, but it is already translating into a revival of NATO, since deterrence is what NATO does.” Putin, she said, “has done miracles by uniting us.”

After 30 years of peace, Ukraine crisis shakes Europeans

Germany has accused Russia of endangering Europe's security with demands that recall the cold war. These comments come as fears continue to grow that Russians are poised to invade their neighbouring nation Ukraine.

Germany accuses Russia of cold war demands before Munich security conference

<article>
Europe relies on Russia’s natural gas to help heat millions of homes, generate electricity and power factories. With Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s border, the Continent’s heavy dependence on Russia is limiting its diplomatic options and threatening to throw its energy supplies into turmoil.

If the flow of gas is interrupted, either as collateral damage from warfare or as a negotiating tactic by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, experts worry that already high prices in a constantly shifting global market could skyrocket. Businesses may be forced to temporarily close, and if cutoffs persist, households already facing higher utility bills this winter could feel even more pain.

Analysts and industry executives are skeptical that Putin would cut off gas, in part because of how important gas exports are to his country’s economy. But the tensions come at a pivotal time for many European nations that have turned to natural gas to help them bridge their transitions from fossil fuels to wind, solar and other cleaner sources.

Diplomatic proposals to counter Russia’s buildup center on sanctions that could limit energy trade. That could throw billions in investments and oil and gas contracts into jeopardy, especially for countries, including Germany and Italy, that rely on Russian gas more than others.

Germany, which is at the center of the diplomatic standoff, is Moscow’s most important customer. The bulk of the gas to Germany flows directly from Russia through a large pipeline in the Baltic Sea known as Nord Stream. A second pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was recently completed at a cost of $11 billion.

Fuel has yet to flow through Nord Stream 2. U.S. lawmakers in recent months have called for blocking its opening, as critics warn that the new pipeline could allow Moscow to wield greater influence over the Continent and starve Ukraine of transit fees through its existing pipeline network that are crucial to Kyiv’s economy.

President Joe Biden has said Nord Stream 2 will not go forward if Russia invades Ukraine. But in an indication of how the politics and business of energy are intertwined, the pipeline’s operating company is chaired by a former German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder.

Several large pipelines bring Russian gas into Europe, where it flows through a vast interconnected network. The amount of gas crossing Ukraine has declined sharply over the past decade, though it remains an important route. Other conduits are the Yamal pipeline through Poland and TurkStream, which feeds Turkey but also brings gas into Southern Europe.

In 2021, 38% of the natural gas used by the European Union came from Russia, according to Bruegel, a research organization. Some countries, like Poland and Lithuania, have been gradually reducing their reliance on Russian gas. For others, the dependency has been steadily growing.

If gas does stop flowing, importing countries would need to find other sources. Some of the difference would most likely be made up by bringing in more liquefied natural gas from sources around the globe.

Liquefied natural gas is made by chilling gas to around minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 162 degrees Celsius) so that it can be converted into liquid form and loaded more easily onto ships. The great advantage is that it can be transported stably from great distances, including from Australia and the United States — offering viable alternatives for local or regional sources.

In recent months, Europe has been witnessing a kind of dress rehearsal for a cutback in Russian gas as Moscow curtails shipments to Europe in what some analysts and politicians say is an effort to keep prices high. According to the International Energy Agency, Russia cut its gas exports by pipeline to Europe by 23% in the last quarter of 2021 compared with the same period a year earlier. At the same time, imports of liquefied gas have been on the rise.

In reality, gas markets are far from static, with volumes and direction of flows largely dictated by price. And while the crisis has not yet led to any military action, the threat of conflict has been weighing on markets. Prices in Europe were already high to end the year as limited storage levels raised concerns that there would be enough fuel to last the winter.

While they have since eased from the records hit in December, they are still roughly four times what they were a year ago.
</article>

Europe relies on Russia’s natural gas to help heat millions of homes, generate electricity and power factories. With Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s border, the Continent’s heavy dependence on Russia is limiting its diplomatic options and threatening to throw its energy supplies into turmoil.

Europe relies on Russia’s natural gas to help heat millions of homes, generate electricity and power factories. With Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s border, the Continent’s heavy dependence on Russia is limiting its diplomatic options and threatening to throw its energy supplies into turmoil. If the flow of gas is interrupted, either as collateral damage from warfare or as a negotiating tactic by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, experts worry that already high prices in a constantly shifting global market could skyrocket. Businesses may be forced to temporarily close, and if cutoffs persist, households already facing higher utility bills this winter could feel even more pain. Analysts and industry executives are skeptical that Putin would cut off gas, in part because of how important gas exports are to his country’s economy. But the tensions come at a pivotal time for many European nations that have turned to natural gas to help them bridge their transitions from fossil fuels to wind, solar and other cleaner sources. Diplomatic proposals to counter Russia’s buildup center on sanctions that could limit energy trade. That could throw billions in investments and oil and gas contracts into jeopardy, especially for countries, including Germany and Italy, that rely on Russian gas more than others. Germany, which is at the center of the diplomatic standoff, is Moscow’s most important customer. The bulk of the gas to Germany flows directly from Russia through a large pipeline in the Baltic Sea known as Nord Stream. A second pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was recently completed at a cost of $11 billion. Fuel has yet to flow through Nord Stream 2. U.S. lawmakers in recent months have called for blocking its opening, as critics warn that the new pipeline could allow Moscow to wield greater influence over the Continent and starve Ukraine of transit fees through its existing pipeline network that are crucial to Kyiv’s economy. President Joe Biden has said Nord Stream 2 will not go forward if Russia invades Ukraine. But in an indication of how the politics and business of energy are intertwined, the pipeline’s operating company is chaired by a former German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. Several large pipelines bring Russian gas into Europe, where it flows through a vast interconnected network. The amount of gas crossing Ukraine has declined sharply over the past decade, though it remains an important route. Other conduits are the Yamal pipeline through Poland and TurkStream, which feeds Turkey but also brings gas into Southern Europe. In 2021, 38% of the natural gas used by the European Union came from Russia, according to Bruegel, a research organization. Some countries, like Poland and Lithuania, have been gradually reducing their reliance on Russian gas. For others, the dependency has been steadily growing. If gas does stop flowing, importing countries would need to find other sources. Some of the difference would most likely be made up by bringing in more liquefied natural gas from sources around the globe. Liquefied natural gas is made by chilling gas to around minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 162 degrees Celsius) so that it can be converted into liquid form and loaded more easily onto ships. The great advantage is that it can be transported stably from great distances, including from Australia and the United States — offering viable alternatives for local or regional sources. In recent months, Europe has been witnessing a kind of dress rehearsal for a cutback in Russian gas as Moscow curtails shipments to Europe in what some analysts and politicians say is an effort to keep prices high. According to the International Energy Agency, Russia cut its gas exports by pipeline to Europe by 23% in the last quarter of 2021 compared with the same period a year earlier. At the same time, imports of liquefied gas have been on the rise. In reality, gas markets are far from static, with volumes and direction of flows largely dictated by price. And while the crisis has not yet led to any military action, the threat of conflict has been weighing on markets. Prices in Europe were already high to end the year as limited storage levels raised concerns that there would be enough fuel to last the winter. While they have since eased from the records hit in December, they are still roughly four times what they were a year ago.

How a Ukraine conflict could reshape Europe’s reliance on Russia

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance is looking to step up efforts to strengthen its eastern flank, warning that the threat from Russia has become the "new normal in Europe."

NATO to strengthen its eastern flank over alleged Russian threat

France and its European allies have announced withdrawal of troops from Mali after almost a decade, following months of diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

France and allies announces withdrawal of its troops from Mali

Europe limps back to normalcy as cases decline after a surge driven by the Omicron variant of the COVID-19. Austria, Germany, Switzerland relaxes COVID curbs.

Europe limps back to normalcy: Austria, Germany, Switzerland relaxes COVID curbs as cases decline

Justin Trudeau's lack of resolve has allowed the anti-vax Freedom Convoy to grow. Convoys are popping up in Israel, Australia, France, Belgium, Israel and New Zealand. Instead of lectures on morality, western governments are urging crackdowns. Palki Sharma tells you why.

Gravitas: Trudeau's failure turns anti-vaxxers into heroes

Inspired by Canada's freedom convoy, protests against COVID mandates rage across several European countries. Protestors say that they will drive to Brussels, Paris.

Canada's freedom convoy sparks inspiration in Europe: Protestors will drive to Brussels, Paris

Europe is divided over American troop deployment. Denmark is reversing a long-standing policy to allow US troops on its soil. In Slovakia, people are protesting. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Ukraine-Russia crisis: Denmark may soon host US troops

In 1990, NATO promised to never enter Russia's sphere of influence in eastern Europe. Since then, the alliance has expanded to include 14 European nations, including Russia's neighbours. Palki Sharma tells you about NATO's betrayal.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: Did NATO betray Russia?

Europe energy supplies are under further pressure as the German gas shortage hits record lows amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Meanwhile, Japan has offered gas to Europe.

Europe energy supplies are under further pressure as German gas shortage hits record lows

European capitals are buzzing with diplomacy as leaders race against time to defuse the stand-off near Ukraine. France, Germany and Poland have pledged to avert war at a trilateral summit in Berlin. Palki Sharma gets you a round-up of diplomacy week in Europe.

Gravitas Ukraine Direct: European leaders pledge to avert war

Three days of intense diplomacy for French President Emmanuel Macron, he first met President Putin then he met President Zelensky and then finally other European leaders German chancellor Olaf Scholz and also the Polish President. The focus of all these meetings is to prevent war on Europe.

'Prevent war in Europe,' leaders of Germany, France & Poland meet on Russia-Ukraine crisis

Hundreds protested against migrant pushbacks and border violence in&nbsp;Athens&nbsp;on Sunday, after Turkish allegations that Greece's border policy led 19 migrants to freeze to death last week. &nbsp;

According to Greek police, around 700 people marched from Omonia Square at the centre of&nbsp;Athens&nbsp;to Syntagma Square in front of the Greek parliament.

They carried a life raft resembling the ones allegedly used by Greek authorities to push back asylum seekers from Greek territory, an AFP photographer said. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At a protest against pushbacks &amp; border violence in central Athens ppl hold a replica of a life raft like the ones documented as being used to push back asylum seekers from Greek territory, as well as signs about Turkey not being a safe country for ppl to stay in. <a href="https://t.co/0ZRMzOAnA8">pic.twitter.com/0ZRMzOAnA8</a>
— Katy Fallon (@katymfallon) <a href="https://twitter.com/katymfallon/status/1490303743476355078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Protesters, who gathered after a call of leftist and anti-racist groups, shouted slogans against "the assassination of migrants at the border" and held banners reading "Stop pushbacks and border violence".&nbsp;

In Syntagma Square they observed a minute of silence for the migrants who lost their lives.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-sending-troops-to-start-war-with-russia-in-europe-says-usa-451046">Also read |&nbsp;'Not sending troops to start war' with Russia in Europe, says USA</a>

Last week, Turkey said it found 19 frozen bodies close to the Greek border, accusing Greece of allowing the migrants to die in the winter cold after stripping them of their clothes and forcing them back across the border.

Human rights groups believe such actions, reported by migrants in different parts of the world, are designed to discourage fleeing people from trying to enter a particular country, and to look for a different route.

Greece's Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi did not dispute the deaths but dismissed Turkey's version of events as "false propaganda".

"These migrants never made it to the border. Any suggestion they did, or indeed were pushed back into Turkey is utter nonsense," Mitarachi said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/this-country-in-europe-becomes-the-first-to-make-covid-vaccine-compulsory-450756">Also read |&nbsp;This country in Europe becomes the first to make Covid vaccine compulsory</a>

Turkey regularly accuses Greek officials of illegally pushing back migrants into its territory, but&nbsp;Athens&nbsp;denies the claims.

Greece in turn claims Turkey is turning a blind eye to people trying to reach Europe via its border in violation of a 2016 deal between Ankara and the EU.

The agreement, which has been extended, sees the bloc provide billions of euros in aid to Ankara in exchange for Turkey agreeing to host millions of Syrian and other refugees.

Hundreds protested against migrant pushbacks and border violence in Athens on Sunday, after Turkish allegations that Greece's border policy led 19 migrants to freeze to death last week.

Hundreds protested against migrant pushbacks and border violence in Athens on Sunday, after Turkish allegations that Greece's border policy led 19 migrants to freeze to death last week. According to Greek police, around 700 people marched from Omonia Square at the centre of Athens to Syntagma Square in front of the Greek parliament. They carried a life raft resembling the ones allegedly used by Greek authorities to push back asylum seekers from Greek territory, an AFP photographer said. At a protest against pushbacks & border violence in central Athens ppl hold a replica of a life raft like the ones documented as being used to push back asylum seekers from Greek territory, as well as signs about Turkey not being a safe country for ppl to stay in. pic.twitter.com/0ZRMzOAnA8 — Katy Fallon (@katymfallon) February 6, 2022 × Protesters, who gathered after a call of leftist and anti-racist groups, shouted slogans against "the assassination of migrants at the border" and held banners reading "Stop pushbacks and border violence". In Syntagma Square they observed a minute of silence for the migrants who lost their lives. Also read | 'Not sending troops to start war' with Russia in Europe, says USA Last week, Turkey said it found 19 frozen bodies close to the Greek border, accusing Greece of allowing the migrants to die in the winter cold after stripping them of their clothes and forcing them back across the border. Human rights groups believe such actions, reported by migrants in different parts of the world, are designed to discourage fleeing people from trying to enter a particular country, and to look for a different route. Greece's Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi did not dispute the deaths but dismissed Turkey's version of events as "false propaganda". "These migrants never made it to the border. Any suggestion they did, or indeed were pushed back into Turkey is utter nonsense," Mitarachi said. Also read | This country in Europe becomes the first to make Covid vaccine compulsory Turkey regularly accuses Greek officials of illegally pushing back migrants into its territory, but Athens denies the claims. Greece in turn claims Turkey is turning a blind eye to people trying to reach Europe via its border in violation of a 2016 deal between Ankara and the EU. The agreement, which has been extended, sees the bloc provide billions of euros in aid to Ankara in exchange for Turkey agreeing to host millions of Syrian and other refugees.

Athens: Hundreds of people protest against migrant pushbacks and border violence

Austria becomes the first country in Europe to mandate the Covid vaccine, meaning Austrians over the age of 18 should be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus starting from Saturday or they can face a heavy fine. Even after such heavy criticism, the country decided to pursue this approach.

Earlier, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that country will be the first in Europe to make Covid vaccinations compulsory for adults in February. He acknowledged that this was a 'sensitive topic'. &nbsp;

Austria has seen debate on the issue ever since plans for compulsory vaccinations were first announced last year. Nehammer acknowledged the decision covered "a totally sensitive topic" but said it followed careful consideration.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-vaccination-to-be-compulsory-from-february-says-austrian-chancellor-445252">Also read |&nbsp;Covid vaccination to be compulsory from February, says Austrian chancellor</a>

Despite such strict rules, the vaccination rate in Austria remains low. Humanitarian association Arbeiter Samariter Bund's manager, Michael Hausmann while speaking to AFP said, "We recorded a small increase of around nine per cent compared to last week."

Germany, which is a neighbouring country, also saw a similar proposal by the new Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It was debated last month in the lower house of parliament but many MPs still oppose the idea.

(With inputs from agencies)

Austria becomes the first country in Europe to mandate the Covid vaccine, meaning Austrians over the age of 18 should be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus starting from Saturday or they can face a heavy fine.

Austria becomes the first country in Europe to mandate the Covid vaccine, meaning Austrians over the age of 18 should be vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus starting from Saturday or they can face a heavy fine. Even after such heavy criticism, the country decided to pursue this approach. Earlier, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that country will be the first in Europe to make Covid vaccinations compulsory for adults in February. He acknowledged that this was a 'sensitive topic'. Austria has seen debate on the issue ever since plans for compulsory vaccinations were first announced last year. Nehammer acknowledged the decision covered "a totally sensitive topic" but said it followed careful consideration. Also read | Covid vaccination to be compulsory from February, says Austrian chancellor Despite such strict rules, the vaccination rate in Austria remains low. Humanitarian association Arbeiter Samariter Bund's manager, Michael Hausmann while speaking to AFP said, "We recorded a small increase of around nine per cent compared to last week." Germany, which is a neighbouring country, also saw a similar proposal by the new Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It was debated last month in the lower house of parliament but many MPs still oppose the idea. (With inputs from agencies)

This country in Europe becomes the first to make Covid vaccine compulsory

Joe Biden is deploying 3,000 soldiers to Europe as Russia prepares for a massive military drill with Belarus. Will Putin use the drills to mount an invasion? Is the window for diplomacy shrinking? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: US deploys 3,000 soldiers to Europe

Oil rose 1% on Monday, hovering near 7-year highs hit in the previous session, amid concerns over tight supply as well as geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Oil prices are up around 1%, tensions in Eastern Europe back high prices

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on &nbsp;Saturday (January 29) that Britain is preparing to offer NATO a "major" deployment of troops, weapons, warships and jets in Europe amid the Russia-Ukraine border crisis.&nbsp;

Johnson said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin chose "bloodshed and destruction" in Ukraine, it would be "a tragedy for Europe". He further said that "Ukraine must be free to choose its own future".&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-moves-blood-supplies-near-ukraine-adding-to-us-concern-officials-say-448801">Russia moves blood supplies near Ukraine, adding to US concern, officials say</a>

The formal announcement is set to be made to NATO military chiefs next week. The move means Britain could double approximately 1,150 UK troops, currently in eastern European countries as UK PM Johnson said the deployment would send a "clear message to the Kremlin".&nbsp;

Johnson said in a statement late Saturday, "This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin -- we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face Russian hostility."&nbsp;

"I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies on land, at sea and in the air," he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-ongoing-ukraine-crisis-russian-troops-arrive-in-belarus-for-military-drills-448750">Amid ongoing Ukraine crisis, Russian troops arrive in Belarus for military drills</a>

On the other hand, Kyiv on Saturday has urged the West to remain "vigilant and firm" in its talks with Russia.&nbsp;

In a conversation with French counterpart Yves Le Drian, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday weighed in on de-escalation efforts. Kuleba urged the West to remain "vigilant and firm in contacts with the Russian side"&nbsp;

As per the statement, the talks between the two highlighted the need to "refrain from steps that could fuel anxiety" in Ukrainian society. Also, the need to "undermine the financial stability".&nbsp;

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged his Western partners to avoid stirring "panic" over the massive Russian troop buildup.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Sanctions imposed on Moscow as tensions on Russia-Ukraine border continue to simmer

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The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday (January 29) that Britain is preparing to offer NATO a "major" deployment of troops, weapons, warships and jets in Europe amid the Russia-Ukraine border crisis.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday (January 29) that Britain is preparing to offer NATO a "major" deployment of troops, weapons, warships and jets in Europe amid the Russia-Ukraine border crisis. Johnson said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin chose "bloodshed and destruction" in Ukraine, it would be "a tragedy for Europe". He further said that "Ukraine must be free to choose its own future". ALSO READ | Russia moves blood supplies near Ukraine, adding to US concern, officials say The formal announcement is set to be made to NATO military chiefs next week. The move means Britain could double approximately 1,150 UK troops, currently in eastern European countries as UK PM Johnson said the deployment would send a "clear message to the Kremlin". Johnson said in a statement late Saturday, "This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin -- we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face Russian hostility." "I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies on land, at sea and in the air," he added. ALSO READ | Amid ongoing Ukraine crisis, Russian troops arrive in Belarus for military drills On the other hand, Kyiv on Saturday has urged the West to remain "vigilant and firm" in its talks with Russia. In a conversation with French counterpart Yves Le Drian, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday weighed in on de-escalation efforts. Kuleba urged the West to remain "vigilant and firm in contacts with the Russian side" As per the statement, the talks between the two highlighted the need to "refrain from steps that could fuel anxiety" in Ukrainian society. Also, the need to "undermine the financial stability". On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged his Western partners to avoid stirring "panic" over the massive Russian troop buildup. ALSO WATCH | Sanctions imposed on Moscow as tensions on Russia-Ukraine border continue to simmer ×

Russia-Ukraine crisis: UK to offer NATO military deployment in Europe; Kyiv urges West to be 'firm' in talks

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday said that Europe needed to diversify its energey supplies. Though he did not explicitly mentioned Russia in this context the hint was clear as Russia is one of the major suppliers of natural gas to Europe. Relations between Russian and the West have been strained over the Ukraine crisis.

"We are concerned about the energy situation in Europe because it demonstrates the vulnerability of being too dependent on one supplier of natural gas and that's the reason why NATO allies agree that we need to work and focus on diversification of supplies," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenburg said.

Russia has massed some 120,000 troops near its neighbour and demanded the western defence alliance pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from ever joining the Western defence alliance.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-want-mutually-respectful-ties-with-us-says-russian-foreign-minister-448989">We want 'mutually respectful' ties with US, says Russian foreign minister&nbsp;</a>

US&nbsp;officials said on Saturday Russia's military buildup had been expanded to include supplies to treat casualties of any conflict. Across the border in Ukraine, locals trained as army reservists as the government scrambled to prepare.

Moscow denies any plan to invade but said on Sunday it would ask NATO to clarify whether it intends to implement key security commitments after earlier saying the alliance's response to its demands did not go far enough.

"If they do not intend to do so, then they should explain why," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television. "This will be a key question in determining our future proposals."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-crisis-uk-to-offer-nato-military-deployment-in-europe-kyiv-urges-west-to-be-firm-in-talks-448866">Russia-Ukraine crisis: UK to offer NATO military deployment in Europe; Kyiv urges West to be 'firm' in talks</a>

The United States has said it is waiting to hear back from Russia. It says NATO will not withdraw from eastern Europe or bar Ukraine but it is prepared to discuss topics such as arms control and confidence-building measures.

Washington has spent weeks trying to build agreement with European partners on a strong sanctions package if Russia attacks Ukraine. But the issue is divisive, with Germany urging "prudence".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday said that Europe needed to diversify its energey supplies. Though he did not explicitly mentioned Russia in this context the hint was clear as Russia is one of the major suppliers of natural gas to Europe.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday said that Europe needed to diversify its energey supplies. Though he did not explicitly mentioned Russia in this context the hint was clear as Russia is one of the major suppliers of natural gas to Europe. Relations between Russian and the West have been strained over the Ukraine crisis. "We are concerned about the energy situation in Europe because it demonstrates the vulnerability of being too dependent on one supplier of natural gas and that's the reason why NATO allies agree that we need to work and focus on diversification of supplies," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenburg said. Russia has massed some 120,000 troops near its neighbour and demanded the western defence alliance pull back troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar Ukraine, a former Soviet state, from ever joining the Western defence alliance. Also Read | We want 'mutually respectful' ties with US, says Russian foreign minister US officials said on Saturday Russia's military buildup had been expanded to include supplies to treat casualties of any conflict. Across the border in Ukraine, locals trained as army reservists as the government scrambled to prepare. Moscow denies any plan to invade but said on Sunday it would ask NATO to clarify whether it intends to implement key security commitments after earlier saying the alliance's response to its demands did not go far enough. "If they do not intend to do so, then they should explain why," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television. "This will be a key question in determining our future proposals." Also Read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: UK to offer NATO military deployment in Europe; Kyiv urges West to be 'firm' in talks The United States has said it is waiting to hear back from Russia. It says NATO will not withdraw from eastern Europe or bar Ukraine but it is prepared to discuss topics such as arms control and confidence-building measures. Washington has spent weeks trying to build agreement with European partners on a strong sanctions package if Russia attacks Ukraine. But the issue is divisive, with Germany urging "prudence". (With inputs from agencies)

NATO chief calls on Europe to reduce energy dependence on Russia

Shifting our focus to Europe where thousands of outraged women have marched on the streets to protest against rape culture. This comes as Uruguay has reported a string of sexual assault cases in the past few weeks.

Thousands of outraged women march on Uruguay's streets to protest against rape culture

Getting in your car and flying to your holiday destination could soon be a reality, at least in Europe. This is because a flying car company has finally got a green signal to take off.

Tech It Out: This flying car is officially certified to hit the skies

The European Union has moved the WTO over China's blockade on Lithuanian goods. Why is Brussels afraid of tit-for-tat measures against Beijing? Can the WTO be an unbiased arbitrator? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Has China rigged the World Trade Organisation?

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NATO chief calls on Europe to reduce energy dependence on Russia

Thousands of outraged women march on Uruguay's streets to protest against rape culture

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