Europe
(Sebastian Starcevic – Politico) Few of the EU’s current chiefs have dodged criticism as well as António Costa. But is the shine wearing off just as he gears up for re-election? As a crucial few months loom ahead for the European Council president ― he’ll be tasked with herding the bloc’s 27 national leaders toward agreement on the EU’s next seven-year budget ― he has made his first serious misstep, according to diplomats. Often praised for his sure-footedness and ability to build consensus, the former Portuguese prime minister suddenly finds himself in the line of fire, with the heads of the bloc’s two most powerful countries among those most aggrieved. Since he started his role in December 2024, Costa has won little but plaudits from the leaders he represents and on whose support he depends. But a current of annoyance that had started to emerge over the past few months surfaced at a summit he chaired last week: His chief of staff’s unannounced contact with Russian officials, which broke years of diplomatic silence between the EU and Moscow, caught many by surprise. – Costa’s Putin move triggers doubts ― just as he most needs support – POLITICO
(Ben Munster – Politico) Europe is facing growing competition from Asia for limited natural gas supplies, as national reserves run low and demand soars during the summer. And it’s a contest the EU will struggle to win, analysts and officials warn. Centralized Asian economies like China, Vietnam and South Korea are better equipped to negotiate deals to purchase gas on the spot market, leaving free-market oriented Europe at a disadvantage. – ‘Every man for himself’: Europe warned of rising competition for energy from Asia – POLITICO
Ireland
(Ellen O’Regan – Politico) As Ireland gets ready to engineer compromises between EU countries on tricky tech files in the latter half of this year, the very loud, trumpeting elephant in the room will be the country’s close relationship with U.S. tech giants. Sixteen of the world’s top 20 tech companies operate hubs in Ireland and more than 100,000 people are employed in the tech sector. Ireland’s fiscal watchdog warned earlier this year that just two tech firms — not named but understood to be Apple and Microsoft — paid almost 40 percent of all corporate tax in Ireland in 2024, adding up to €11 billion. “It’s widely acknowledged, including by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, that Ireland is too reliant on Big Tech firms,” said liberal Member of the European Parliament Michael McNamara, who was the lead lawmaker on a package to roll back AI rules, and a key figure in another plan to streamline data and privacy laws. – Ireland’s Big Tech presidency dilemma: Shaping the rules for companies it hosts – POLITICO
Russia – Ukraine
(Volodymyr Ivanyshyn – The Kyiv Indendent) Ukrainian drones targeted a power plant in Russian-occupied Crimea, with additional strikes reported in other occupied territories and Russia’s Moscow Oblast overnight on June 22, social media channels reported. Russian air defenses were engaged as Ukrainian drones targeted the Tavriyska thermal power plant in a massive attack, Pro-Ukrainian Telegram news channel Crimean Wind reported. Explosions were also reported in Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, according to pro-Ukrainian Telegram Channel Exilenova Plus. A large fire was reported in occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the outlet reported. – Ukrainian drones bombard occupied territories, Russia in overnight strikes
US – Iran
(Al Arabiya) Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday there was “major progress” in talks with the United States. “Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War,” Araghchi posted on X. – Iran FM Araghchi says ‘major progress’ in US talks
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Iran and the United States wrapped up the first round of talks to end the Middle East war at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland on Monday, with technical talks to continue. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hailed the “major progress” achieved with the help of mediators Pakistan and Qatar, while the United States government has yet to issue a statement. – Key points from the first round of Iran-US talks
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Iran and the United States agreed Monday to set up communications lines to keep the vital Strait of Hormuz open and end fighting in Lebanon, mediators said, after their first round of talks in Switzerland toward ending the war in the Middle East. The teams led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf opened talks Sunday, as part of a two-month negotiating period set out under a preliminary deal agreed last week. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the negotiators reached agreement on a “roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days,” with technical talks to continue for the rest of the week at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock. – ‘Progress,’ say mediators, after Iran-US talks towards ending war
(Stephen Collinson – CNN) Making peace with Iran is going to be just as painful as waging war. Vice President JD Vance’s first attempts at talks in Switzerland to solidify a memorandum of understanding with Tehran into a permanent end to the war are already in treacherous waters. The MOU signed by Trump in France last week halts fighting, opens the Strait of Hormuz and offers economic carrots to Iran in exchange for a pledge never to develop nuclear weapons. But it leaves vital details like the future of Tehran’s nuclear program and its stocks of enriched uranium to be hashed out over 60 days of high-stakes negotiations. The best thing in the agreement’s favor is the end of direct US-Iran hostilities. “There’s decent chance at least that the truce holds simply because it is in the interest of both sides,” Philip Gordon, a former senior US national security official, told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, citing Tehran’s capacity to begin earning millions of dollars a day in oil revenues. “Iran has an interest in sticking with this. And the United States certainly has an interest in sticking with this, because it doesn’t want to resume the war.” – Analysis: Iran shows Trump just how hard making peace will be | CNN Politics
(Barak Ravid – Axios) U.S. and Iranian negotiators held marathon talks in Switzerland into Sunday night as they worked to launch a 60-day effort toward a new nuclear agreement. The nearly nonstop talks at the Lake Lucerne Summit signal both sides remain engaged despite significant differences and may be laying the groundwork for broader discussions on regional security. The talks, led by Vice President JD Vance and including White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, continued through Sunday night despite Iran’s claim Saturday that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon. As the negotiations started at Lake Lucerne on Saturday, President Trump issued several threats to Iran both on his Truth Social account and in an interview with Fox News. – Inside US, Iran talks in Switzerland
US – Ukraine
(Volodymyr Ivanyshyn – The Kyiv Independent) U.S. President Donald Trump plans to ask U.S. weapons manufacturers to produce air defense missiles under production licenses in Ukraine and Europe, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a June 21 interview. “President Trump plans to ask American defense companies to manufacture missiles for air defense systems under licenses in Europe and Ukraine,” he said. Kyiv and its allies discussed the possibility of Ukraine producing Western weapons under license at the most recent Group of Seven (G7) summit that took place June 15-17. – Trump plans to ask US arms firms to produce air defense missiles under license in Ukraine, Zelensky says
WHO
(Rory O’Neill – Politico) The race to choose the head of the World Health Organization is a test of who will shape global health after America’s retreat: Europe, rising powers in Asia or increasingly influential Gulf states. Countries will decide next year who should lead the WHO after Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ second term ends in August 2027, handing the winner an agency recovering from the loss of its biggest donor, facing calls for institutional reform and the increasing threat of another global health crisis. By convention, Tedros, who is from Ethiopia, is unlikely to be succeeded by another African candidate. Beyond that, the field remains wide open. – Who will lead the WHO after Trump’s retreat? – POLITICO
