Arguments over the plight of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Saturday’s (23 January) street protests across Russia demonstrate that there is no such thing as purely domestic politics, and may have serious implications for Europe.

Navalny, poisoned by Russian security officers in August, had been recuperating in Berlin until his return on 17 January.

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PARIS – After the recent terror attacks in France and Austria, European leaders held a summit Tuesday in France to coordinate the response against terrorism, and they are pushing for a “common coordinated and rapid” European response to counterterror attacks.

The question of how to respond to Islamist attacks like the recent ones in Nice and Vienna brought together Tuesday French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at the Elysee Palace in Paris where they were joined by videoconference with the leaders of Germany, the Netherlands, and top EU officials.

President Macron urged a “common coordinated and rapid” European response to counterterror attacks.

Macron detailed the need to develop common databases between EU states, improve cooperation between law enforcement, share intel and enact tougher legislation on the continent. Any threat at EU external borders or inside even one member state is a threat to the entire EU, said the French president.

European leaders also stressed the need for what they said should be a “determined fight against terrorist propaganda and hate speech on the internet.” Macron mentioned Netherlands and Austria as good examples of how this fight should be carried out.

He said the Internet is a space of freedom, and social networks are, too, but this freedom exists only if there is security and if it does not serve as a refuge for those who flout European values or seek to indoctrinate with deadly ideologies. Macron said terrorist propaganda must be removed within an hour once it is flagged.

To counter jihadist terrorism, EU leaders also are calling for measures to ensure that the teachings of imams on the continent do not include hate speech.

Charles Michel is the president of the European Council.

Michel said religious freedom is key in Europe, but there also is a need to guarantee that imams preach the right values of tolerance and peace.

This meeting took place on the eve of the anniversary of the November 2015 attacks that killed more than 100 people in Paris.

Source: https://www.voanews.com/europe/eu-leaders-urge-rapid-and-coordinated-response-terror-attacks

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French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz met in Paris after both of their countries have lost lives to Islamic extremist attackers in recent weeks.

The two leaders then held a video conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel to discuss collective anti-terrorism strategy.

Von der Leyen stressed on the importance of prevention, including a better integration of people and on the protection of external borders.

Michel mentioned the need to properly train imams and protecting the freedom of conscience and religion.

The meeting comes a week after a man who officials said had tried to join the Islamic State group shot four people to death in Vienna.

The shooting has strengthened calls in Austria for a crackdown on Islamic extremism.

In France last month, an Islamic extremist killed three people in a church in the French city of Nice, and another extremist beheaded a teacher near Paris because he had shown his students cartoons of Islam’s prophet for a discussion about freedom of expression.

As a result of the attacks, Macron last week proposed tighter controls on the EU’s external borders, more coordinated policing inside the bloc’s border-free zone, and changes to EU migration policy.

“Every security flaw, concerning the external border of the EU or within any country is a security risk for every member state and our intelligence systems too. The use of legal tools is essential also and we will discuss this in December,” the French premier said.

While Macron wants to focus his strategy on Schengen reform, Michel wants to put a common EU strategy on the table, to crack down on foreign funding for religious organizations, and to also help imams promote Islam in a way that respects EU ideals.

“How can we enhance the training of imams in Europe? How can we be sure that the liberty of consciousness and religious freedom, which are a crucial issue in Europe, are being protected? What can we do to guarantee these values without any compromise?” Michel said.

But he is also calling for the creation of a European institute to train imams to fight extremist ideology, which Salah Echallaoui, vice president of the Muslim Executive of Belgium, says is not enough.

“If we limit the fight against radicalism only to the training of imams, and therefore just the religious aspect, I think we will begin to lose the fight against radicalism,” he said.

“All the experts say that radicalism has many different roots and causes and in order to fight all of this, we must work within all these areas.

“We are ready to work on the religious aspect because it is our responsibility, but it is not enough.”

Source: https://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/wp-admin/post-new.php

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The chances of the UK leaving the European Union without a trade deal have risen sharply as negotiations have been threatened by London’s insistence that it have full autonomy over its state-aid plans, according to negotiators and diplomats.

Fears in Dublin, London, Brussels and other European capitals are mounting that a UK exit without a trade deal could sow yet more economic chaos amid the turmoil of the coronavirus crisis which has hammered European economies.

“The chances for a deal, or a no-deal, are 50/50,” said one senior EU diplomat. “There has been absolutely no movement from the British side in the talks. If this approach doesn’t change quickly, we won’t be able to negotiate a deal in time.”

Failure to reach a trade deal could hammer financial markets as nearly a trillion dollars in trade – from car parts and medicines to lamb and fish – would be thrown into turmoil.

A British source close to the negotiations said the European Union was slowing down negotiations and should understand that its demands on state aid and fishing were not compatible with the UK’s status as an independent country.

“We have also consistently tried to move discussions forwards but have been prevented from doing so by an EU which insists everything must go at the pace of the most difficult issue,” the source said.

“Their ask that we accept continuity with EU state-aid and fisheries policy is simply not compatible with our status as a fully independent country,” the source said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said if the EU was sensible, it would give the UK the Canada-style solution it is seeking. He also said the UK was ready for any eventuality over Brexit.

European Council President Charles Michel told reporters: “Sooner or later, the UK should clarify what they want. It’s not possible to leave the European club and at the same time keep all the benefits. We have no certainty that we’ll reach a deal,” he said.

The current sticking point is state aid.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier went to London on Tuesday to tell his UK counterpart, David Frost, that the UK must move on state aid, or there will not be an agreement, according to EU diplomats.

Afterwards, Mr Barnier said London had not shown enough flexibility and creativity on fair competition, fisheries and solving disputes in order to seal a deal on new trade ties by a “strict deadline” of the end of October.

Source: https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/britain/fears-mount-a-no-deal-brexit-could-lead-to-more-chaos-in-eu-economies-39504901.html

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In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrian White Helmet civil defense workers carry a victim next to a destroyed house that was hit by Russian airstrikes, in Maaret Musreen village, in Idlib province, Syria, Thursday, March 5, 2020. An airstrike on a rebel-held village in northwestern Syria early Thursday. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, a Syrian White Helmet civil defense worker carries a child victim after Russian airstrikes hit Maaret Musreen village, in Idlib province, Syria, Thursday, March 5, 2020. An airstrike on a rebel-held village in northwestern Syria early Thursday. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

In this photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrian White Helmet civil defense workers carry a victim next of destroyed houses hit by Russian airstrikes, in Maaret Musreen village, in Idlib province, Syria, Thursday, March 5, 2020. An airstrike on a rebel-held village in northwestern Syria early Thursday. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, second from right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, talk during their meeting in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 5, 2020. The Turkish and Russian leaders are holding talks in Moscow aimed at avoiding pitting their nations against each other, during hostilities in northwestern Syria. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Pool)

A migrant child walks next to a tent in Edirne near the Turkish-Greek border on Thursday, March 5, 2020. Turkey said Thursday it would deploy special forces along its land border with Greece to prevent Greek authorities from pushing back migrants trying to cross into Europe after Turkey declared its previously guarded gateways to Europe open. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Note: 5 more photos available at the source.

MOSCOW (AP) — The presidents of Russia and Turkey said they reached agreement on a cease-fire to begin at midnight Thursday in northwestern Syria, where escalating fighting had threatened to put forces from the two countries into direct conflict.

The deal struck by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also would set up a security corridor along a key east-west highway in Idlib province.

Putin voiced hope the agreement will serve as a “good basis for ending the fighting in the Idlib de-escalation zone, put an end to suffering of civilian population and contain a growing humanitarian crisis.”

The agreement appears to achieve Russia’s key goal of allowing the Syrian government to secure control over strategic highways essential for consolidating its grip on the country after a devastating nine-year war.

But in a nod to Turkey’s interests, the deal also puts the brakes on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s push to reclaim control over all of Idlib province, the last opposition-controlled region that borders Turkey.

Erdogan said he and Putin agreed to help refugees return to their homes. More than 900,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since Assad’s forces began an offensive in December backed by Russian airstrikes.

Both leaders had underlined the need for an agreement at the start of the Kremlin talks, which lasted more than six hours. One goal had been to prevent damaging their bilateral relations and blossoming trade.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “takes note” of the cease-fire agreement and hopes it will lead “to an immediate and lasting cessation of hostilities that ensures the protection of civilians in northwest Syria, who have already endured enormous suffering,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Guterres also called for a return to the U.N.-facilitated political process, aimed at ending the nine-year conflict, Dujarric said.

Until the latest crisis, Putin and Erdogan had managed to coordinate their interests in Syria even though Moscow backed Assad while Ankara supported the government’s foes. Both Russia and Turkey wanted to avoid a showdown but the sharply conflicting interests in Idlib province made it difficult to negotiate a mutually acceptable compromise.

The Syrian offensive in Idlib has resulted in Turkey sending in thousands of troops to repel the Syrian army. Clashes on the ground and in the air have left dozens dead on both sides. Russia, which has helped Assad reclaim most of the country’s territory, has signaled it won’t sit by while Turkey routs his troops.

The fighting also has pushed nearly 1 million Syrian civilians toward Turkey, which already hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. Erdogan responded by opening Turkey’s gateway to Europe in an apparent bid to persuade the West to offer more support to Ankara.

He has frequently threatened to open Turkey’s borders to Europe, maintaining that the European Union has not upheld its end of a more than 6 billion-euro deal designed to stem the flow of migrants after more than 1 million people entered the EU in 2015.

Putin discussed the situation in Idlib with European Council head Charles Michel, who met the Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday. The Kremlin said Michel informed Putin about the EU’s efforts to block the flow of migrants.

Putin offered Erdogan his condolences over Turkish military losses but noted that Syrian troops also suffered heavy casualties. Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced that two more of its soldiers were killed Thursday, raising the number slain in Syria since the start of February to 60.

“The world’s eyes are on us,” Erdogan had said. “The steps we will take, the right decisions we will take here today will help ease (concerns in) the region and our countries.”

After Turkey had downed several Syrian jets, Moscow warned Ankara on Sunday that its aircraft would be unsafe if they enter Syrian airspace.

Opposition activists in Idlib blamed Russia for Thursday’s strike on a rebel-held village that they said killed at least 15 people, including children, and wounded several others. The Russian military had no immediate comment, but it has denied similar claims by insisting it hasn’t targeted residential areas.

The fighting in Idlib is the most severe test of Russia-Turkey ties since Turkey’s downed a Russian warplane near the Syrian border in November 2015. Russia responded then with sweeping economic sanctions, cutting the flow of its tourists to Turkey and banning most Turkish exports — a punishment that eventually forced Turkey to back off.

Turkey can’t afford a replay of that costly crisis, much less a military conflict with a nuclear power, but it has a strong bargaining position. Moscow needs Ankara as a partner in a Syrian settlement, and Russia’s supply routes for its forces in Syria lie through the Turkish Straits.

Moscow also hopes to use Ankara in its standoff with the West. Last year, Turkey became the first NATO country to take delivery of sophisticated Russian air defense missile systems, angering Washington. Turkey has put its deployment on hold amid the crisis in Idlib.

The talks in Moscow marked the 10th meeting in just over a year between Putin and Erdogan, who call each other “dear friend” and have polished a fine art of bargaining.

In October, they agreed to deploy their forces across Syria’s northeastern border to fill the void left by President Donald Trump’s abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces. Before that, they had negotiated deals that saw opposition fighters from various areas in Syria move into Idlib, and in 2018 carved out a de-escalation zone in Idlib.

They blamed one another for the collapse of the Idlib deal, with Moscow holding Ankara responsible for letting al-Qaida-linked militants launch attacks from the area and Turkey accusing Moscow of failing to rein in Assad.

The Russian and Turkish foreign ministers said Thursday’s agreement involves a cease-fire to be enforced starting at midnight along existing battle lines. The deal also envisages setting up a 12-kilometer (7-mile) security corridor along the M4 highway to be jointly patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops, starting March 15.

A security corridor along the M4 that crosses Idlib to reach the Mediterranean province of Latakia, where Russia has its main base, will help solidify Assad’s gains and strengthen his control.

Earlier this year, Assad retook control of the M5 highway linking Damascus with Aleppo, the country’s commercial capital. As part of their latest offensive, Assad’s forces have pushed back the militants who were blocking it.

Earlier this week, Russian military police deployed to the strategic town of Saraqeb, sitting on the junction of the two highways, to ward off any Turkish attempt to retake it.

In the deal with Erdogan, Putin appeared to accept the presence of Turkey-backed militants in areas alongside the border and put brakes for now on Assad’s attempts to claim full control over Idlib. That compromise will allow Turkey to secure its stake in Syria and prevent refugees from fleeing across the border.

Soner Cagaptay, an expert on Turkey at the Washington Institute, said the agreement “freezes the conflict on the ground.”

The fighting was not expected to flare up again until “the next moment when Putin feels emboldened enough to push further,” Cagaptay said.

For his part, Erdogan avoided a situation where Turkey’s borders would be overwhelmed by refugees, while also preventing a rupture with Russia, the analyst said.

Cagaptay also said Assad did not emerge the winner.

“His military capabilities have been undermined by Turkey,” he said. “We witnessed a NATO country pummeling Assad’s third-rate army.”

Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian upper house’s foreign affairs committee, hailed the deal as a compromise that respected security interests of each country.

“The only alternative to the talks would be trying to sort out the differences on the battlefield, and neither side needs that,” he said on Facebook.

___

Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

Source: https://apnews.com/e70a96d67ec37e4908a71adab85bc096

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