Dispute over the appointment of Bosnia's next international overseer has exposed widening transatlantic divisions over policy in the Western Balkans.

US President Donald Trump explicitly linked a US security deal to Ukraine’s conceding control of the whole of the Donbas to Russia, he said in an interview with Reuters on March 25.

While the alliance is undoubtedly under strain, a complete US withdrawal from NATO remains unlikely in the foreseeable future

YouTube video by B.C. Begley

Uruguay’s Ambassador warns US claims over Greenland could strain NATO, EU ties and disrupt the global order.

By Philip Blenkinsop and Sudip Kar-Gupta BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European governments and companies reacted with both relief and concern on Monday to the framework trade deal struck with U.S. President Donald Trump, acknowledging what was seen as an unbalanced deal but one that avoided a deeper trade war. The agreement, announced on Sunday between two economies that account for almost a third of global trade, will see the U.S. impose a 15% import tariff on most EU goods - half the threatened rate but much more than what Europeans hoped for. Many of the specifics of the deal were not immediately known, however. "As we await full details of the new EU–U.S. trade agreement, one thing is clear: this is a moment of relief but not of celebration," Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever wrote on X. "Tariffs will increase in several areas and some key questions remain unresolved." Trump said the deal, including an investment pledge topping the $550 billion deal signed with Japan last week, would expand ties between the trans-Atlantic powers after years of what he called unfair treatment of U.S. exporters. It will bring clarity for European makers of cars, planes and chemicals. But the EU had initially hoped for a zero-for-zero tariff deal. And the 15% baseline tariff, while an improvement on the threatened rate of 30%, compares to an average U.S. import tariff rate of around 2.5% last year before Trump’s return to the White House. European Commission chief Von der Leyen, describing Trump as a tough negotiator, told reporters on Sunday that it was "the best we could get". European stocks opened up on Monday, with the STOXX 600 at a four-month high and all other major bourses also in the green. Tech and healthcare stocks led the way. "The 15% rate is better than the market was fearing," said Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying it averted a trade conflict that would have hit Germany’s export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. MORE CLARITY, BUT ’NOT THE END OF THE STORY’ French government ministers said on Monday that the deal had some merits - such as exemptions they hoped to see for some key French business sectors such as spirits - but was nevertheless not balanced. Industry minister Marc Ferracci stressed more talks - potentially lasting weeks or months - would be needed before the deal could be formally concluded. "This is not the end of the story," he told RTL radio. European companies, meanwhile, were left wondering whether to cheer or lament the accord. "Those who expect a hurricane are grateful for a storm," said Wolfgang Große Entrup, head of the German Chemical Industry Association VCI. "Further escalation has been avoided. Nevertheless, the price is high for both sides. European exports are losing competitiveness. U.S. customers are paying the tariffs," he said. Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) shares were up 3.5% and car parts maker Valeo (EPA:VLOF) jumped 4.7% while German pharma group Merck (NSE:PROR) KGaA rose 2.9%, in a sign of relief for those sectors. Among the many questions that remain to be answered, however, is how the EU’s promise to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. and steeply increase energy purchases can be turned into reality. It was not immediately clear if specific pledges of increased investments were made or whether the details still must be hammered out. And while the EU pledged to make $750 billion in strategic purchases over the next three years, including oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear fuel, the U.S. will struggle to produce enough to meet that demand. While U.S. LNG production capacity is due to almost double over the next four years it will still not be enough to ramp up supplies to Europe, and oil production is expected to be lower than previously forecast this year. "Now that there is more clarity, you would think that not only in the United States, but around the globe, there will be a little bit more willingness to look at investment, to look at expansions, and to look at where the opportunities are," said Rodrigo Catril, senior currency strategist at National Australia Bank (OTC:NABZY). With STLAM making headlines, savvy investors are asking: Is it truly valued fairly? In a market full of overpriced darlings, identifying true value can be challenging. InvestingPro's advanced AI algorithms have analyzed STLAM alongside thousands of other stocks to uncover hidden gems. These undervalued stocks, potentially including STLAM, could offer substantial returns as the market corrects. In 2024 alone, our AI identified several undervalued stocks that later surged by 30 or more. Is STLAM poised for similar growth? Don't miss the opportunity to find out.

By Lewis Krauskopf NEW YORK (Reuters) -Investors are hopeful a potential trade deal between the U.S. and European Union could bring more certainty to markets ahead of next Friday’s tariffs deadline. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after EU officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework deal this weekend. Trump on Friday said there was a 50-50 chance or perhaps less that the U.S. would reach a trade agreement with the EU. Trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe may have provided some investors with a rationale to be cautious, said Sameer Samana, head of global equities and real assets at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "It’s one of our largest trading relationships... So if that last piece falls into place, then you’ve probably got at the margin more people that have to get back in the markets," Samana said. "It’s been a source of uncertainty that will go away." A deal would likely include a 15% baseline tariff on all EU goods entering the U.S. and probably a 50% tariff on European steel and aluminum, the officials and diplomats said. Optimism over easing trade tensions broadly has helped push U.S. stocks to record highs. Trump’s April 2 "Liberation Day" announcement of sweeping global tariffs sent stocks plunging in the immediate aftermath, due to spiking fears about a recession that have since faded. Still, investors have been bracing for increased volatility heading into August 1, which the U.S. has set as a deadline for raising levies on a broad swath of trading partners. The EU is facing U.S. tariffs on more than 70% of its exports - 50% on steel and aluminum, 25% on cars and car parts and a 10% levy on most other EU goods, which Trump has said he would hike to 30% on August 1. Hopes for a deal with Europe rose after Trump struck a trade agreement with Japan earlier in the week. "The deal with Japan and the likely one soon with the EU are especially important given both are major U.S. trading partners, together accounting for about a quarter of all goods imports," analysts at Capital Economics said in a note on Friday. In the agreement with Japan, the country’s auto sector, which accounts for more than a quarter of its U.S. exports, will see existing tariffs cut to 15% from levies totaling 27.5% previously. An agreement that also lowers EU auto tariffs to 15% "would be no small deal" for the region as well, as about 10% of its shipments to the U.S. are in the same category, Capital Economics said. Investors over the weekend were also watching for developments on trade between the U.S. and China. Officials from the two countries plan to meet in Stockholm next week to discuss extending an August 12 deadline for negotiating a deal.

European shares slip as auto stocks weigh, investors eye US-EU trade talks  Yahoo.co

DUBLIN (Reuters) -U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made clear in a meeting with Irish Trade Minster Simon Harris last month that Washington was open to "creative solutions" on pharmaceutical trade between the U.S. and European Union, Harris said on Wednesday. "He made it clear that he was open to creative solutions when it comes to pharma and I think that’s an important recognition that actually pharma between the U.S. and the EU, the U.S. and Ireland, is much more interdependent than perhaps people were led to believe in certain quarters at the start of this process," Harris told reporters. The European Union wants immediate relief from tariffs in key sectors as part of any trade deal with the U.S. due by a July 9 deadline, EU diplomats have told Reuters, even as they accept the U.S. baseline tariff of 10% as unavoidable. The EU also wants a deal to cover commercial aircraft and parts, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, sectors the U.S. is investigating, but has not yet imposed extra duties on. Trump said in June the pharma duties would be announced "very soon". "I think it’s important to be truthful with people, the EU is negotiating with an administration that believes in tariffs and clearly I think 10% seems to be the baseline in any agreement they (the U.S.) have reached so far," Harris said. "But we will be seeking at an EU level to maximise the number of sectors where there is zero-for-zero (tariffs)." He added that there was a welcome intensity to the talks between the EU and U.S. and that while a brief extension to the July 9 deadline is something that can considered, it would be preferable to at the very least deliver a framework agreement and set forward a roadmap for further engagement on key sectors.

PARIS (Reuters) -The European Union and the United States need to de-escalate their trade dispute and wine and spirits should be left untouched by both sides, said Florent Morillon, the president of the National Interprofessional Office of Cognac (BNIC), the cognac industry’s lobby group. "We will very clearly lose market share," he said in an interview with Reuters. "For our region and our entire economy, it is a cold shower." U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on Wednesday sweeping tariffs on imports, including 20% on products from the European Union. The cognac industry has separately also faced pressure from China, which imposed temporary tariffs on shipments of the spirit in October amid a dispute with the European Union over electric vehicles. The United States and China are the cognac industry’s most important export markets. Last month, Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on wine, cognac and other alcohol imports from Europe in response to a European Union plan to impose tariffs on American whiskey and other products. The EU plan was itself a reaction to Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Asked about the risk of additional U.S. tariffs on cognac, Morillon said the group was under the impression that discussions were on track to avoid that scenario, but that it needed to remain prudent.

#Davos2026 #WorldEconomicForum #Greenland #Trump #USEuropeRelations #ArcticPolitics #NATO #CGTN #ThePoint #LiuXin At this year's World Economic Forum, a deepening rift between U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders was once again thrust into the spotlight. Trump has ruled out the use of force for now and has walked back earlier rhetoric, but he continues to insist on the U.S. being granted "right, title and ownership" of the Danish territory.