Europe

BRUSSELS (AP) — The leaders of the European Union’s two most important nations faced reporters together during a joint news conference early Friday, a show of unity at the end of the EU’s final summit of the year.

Then two words - “nuclear energy” - intervened.

Heading into the Christmas week, atomic power is a topic on which France and Germany broadly differ, and one that has become a big thorn in the side of the EU as the 27-nation bloc decides whether to include nuclear-generated energy among the economic activities that qualify for sustainable investment.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Friday published draft security pacts demanding NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries and to roll back its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe — bold demands that the U.S. and its allies already have rejected.

The documents, which have been submitted to the U.S. and its allies earlier this week, also call for a ban on sending U.S. and Russian warships and aircraft to areas from where they can strike each other’s territory and demand a rollback on alliance drills near Russia.

17 Dec 2021; MEMO: UK MP Robert Jenrick said that legislation would be passed to outlaw Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The comments were made at the Leadership Dialogue Institute (LDI), described on its website as a 'private diplomatic channel' to strengthen ties between the UK, Israel and Australia.

17 Dec 2021; MEMO: The head of a Swedish political party has announced that he will file a criminal complaint against the country's foreign minister, after she was seen meeting with the leadership of a Kurdish militia based in Syria.

Last week, Foreign Minister Ann Linde met with Ilham Ahmed, the co-president of the autonomous administration of the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, in north-east Syria.

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Full-scale military activities are unfolding in cyberspace, Special Russian Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in Cybersecurity and Director of the Foreign Ministry International Security Department Andrey Krutskikh said at the 9th All-Russian congress of political scientists held at MGIMO University on Thursday.

BERLIN, December 16. /TASS/: Germany's energy regulator expects no decision on Nord Stream 2 to be taken in the first half of 2022, President of the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) Jochen Homann said on Thursday.

"There will be no decisions in the first half (of 2022)," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Earlier, the regulator halted the process of the pipeline’s certification, Homann said, adding that it would proceed with it once it receives necessary documents from Nord Stream 2 AG.

BRUSSELS, December 16. /TASS/: The European Union is preparing a full set of sanctions against Russia, which will be discussed at the EU summit on Thursday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrel told reporters as he arrived at the meeting of leaders of 27 EU states in Brussels.

"I cannot tell it (which sanctions in particular - TASS), we are going to discuss it before we have an agreement, but we are preparing a full set of sanctions," he said.

Asked whether EU countries will be able to reach a consensus on the issue, Borrel said: "Yes, this time, yes."

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Moscow has sent NATO numerous proposals for security dialogue but is yet to receive a single response, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RT Deutsch on Thursday.

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/: Russia and Mongolia have adopted a declaration that sets clear targets in terms of boosting cooperation between the two countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced following talks with his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

"Mr President and I have adopted a joint political declaration as a follow-up to the Treaty on Friendly Relations and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2019," Putin said. He specified that the document "sets clear targets in terms of deepening bilateral ties in various fields of cooperation."

BRUSSELS, Dec 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, as well as on eight individuals and three other energy companies in Syria accused of helping finance the mercenaries in Ukraine, Libya, and Syria.

The EU accused the Wagner Group, whose members are mostly former service personnel, of human rights abuses and said they carried out clandestine operations on the Kremlin’s behalf.