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NATO's future
Rutte: Not a problem that the US is withdrawing NATO support

NATO chief Mark Rutte says that the US is moving away from Europe by reducing the American forces that are supposed to support in a crisis, writes AFP.

- In some cases, it has been presented as a problem that the US is withdrawing from its allies. But that is not the reality, he says, and believes that NATO has been too dependent on American support.

He believes that the US has therefore adjusted its promised contribution. Instead, member states will provide more resources to NATO, to compensate for the American withdrawal.

Last week, there were reports that the US is withdrawing a third of its fighter jets, among other things. 

Security in Europe
British couple was on the boat: "Not aimed at us"

British pensioners Jane and Alan Kelvey were on their sailboat in the English Channel when the Russian warship fired warning shots at them. The couple talks about the "surreal" incident to the BBC.

– It was not aimed at us – we believe it was a warning shot fired into the air.

The couple, who were on the boat with several other crew members, say they immediately turned the boat to port to show that they had seen the ship.

The stories surrounding what happened before the warning shots diverge. The Russian Ministry of Defense says the boat made “dangerous approaches” to them. But the British Ministry of Defense says the shots were fired to avoid a collision.

But the couple say the sailboat was not in any danger of colliding with the Russian ship. 

EU–India relations
EU and India to sign free trade agreement this year

The much-hyped free trade agreement between the EU and India is to be signed by the end of 2026, says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The EU and India agreed on the agreement, sometimes called the “mother of all trade agreements,” in January. It has been negotiated for 20 years and could cover two billion people. EU exports to India are expected to double by 2032.

If it is signed before the end of the year, it could enter into force in 2027.

The climate threat  Global challenges
Risk of flooding increases in line with temperatures

Rising temperatures could cause a “whiplash effect”, which could require new methods of dealing with flooding and droughts. This is shown by a new report according to The Guardian.

As it gets warmer, the time between long dry periods and sudden, intense rains is getting faster. This increases the risk of flash floods, as it becomes harder for the dry land to absorb the rain.

Societies must change the way they plan for droughts and floods, says the report’s author Yi He.

“We need to plan for several extreme events in a row, not just single cases,” she says. 

Artist Murder in Poland
Tusk after Shooting: "Everything Points to Political Murder"

On Tuesday, Putin-critical Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead in a small Polish town. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says everything points to it being a political murder, reports the AP.

- But we have to wait for evidence or more concrete signs. Because if it's true - if the murder was ordered by Russia - it's an extremely serious matter internationally.

Tusk believes it would amount to "state terrorism".

The two Belarusian citizens who were arrested in connection with the shooting have been released, and according to Tusk there is no evidence that they were directly involved.