Economy

The future of free trade
EU signs Mercosur agreement next weekend

EU President Ursula von der Leyen will sign the trade agreement with the South American customs union Mercosur in Paraguay on Saturday next week. The European Commission confirms this, reports AFP.

The deal has met with protests from farmers who worry about being outcompeted by cheap meat and other goods from South America, the news agency writes.

The Commission pushed through the agreement on Friday despite opposition from several countries, led by France. For the gigantic Mercosur agreement to be fully implemented, a majority in the EU parliament must also say yes, writes TT.

US attack on Venezuela Oil market
Bessent opens up to easing sanctions this week

The US could ease sanctions against Venezuela as early as next week to facilitate oil sales. This was stated by Finance Minister Scott Bessent to Reuters.

Bessent states that he will meet with the heads of the IMF and World Bank in Venezuela to discuss US involvement in the country.

- We are lifting sanctions on the oil that is to be sold, he says.

He believes that nearly $5 billion of Venezuela's frozen assets in the IMF's so-called special drawing rights can be used to rebuild the Venezuelan economy.

Greenland's future
Expert after Greenland threat: Denmark should lease Gripen

After Trump's aggression against Greenland, Denmark should phase out American F-35 fighter jets and instead lease Saab's Gripen. This is what Torben Ørting Jørgensen, a retired rear admiral and chairman of the organization Folk & sikkerhed, tells DI.

The foundation of the F-35 program is that Denmark and the US always have the same security interests. But now Denmark and Europe are under pressure from the US, which wants to annex Greenland, he reasons.

- In that situation, can we trust that we can use the F-35 in an optimal way? Ørting Jørgensen tells DI, adding that the plan is dependent on spare parts.