Europe’s Walls Are Cracking: Corruption Raids, Asset Revolts, and Trump’s Emissaries in Putin’s Court
As Belgian cops detain top EU diplomats in a fraud probe, member states rebel over a “blank-check” for frozen Russian assets - just as Trump’s envoys land in Moscow to sell a Kremlin-tilted peace deal
As the EU battles corruption scandals - Belgian police raided EU institutions and detained senior diplomats in a sweeping fraud probe - and quarrels over guarantees tied to €140 billion in frozen Russian assets, Ukraine is flashing red lights about its own financial survival. At a Kyiv panel last night, former U.S. ambassador William Taylor praised Ukraine’s surge in domestic weapons production — now supplying up to half of its battlefield needs — but experts warned that without those frozen Russian funds, Kyiv could struggle to pay pensions and teachers by early next year. And yet, instead of unity, Europe is distracted and divided, just as Trump’s envoys arrive in Moscow to pitch a peace plan that Kyiv fears would lock in Russian gains.
Former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and one of the bloc’s most senior diplomats, Stefano Sannino, are in custody after Belgian police launched raids as part of a fraud probe on Tuesday, according to officials familiar with the case. The police detained three suspects and searched the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe over alleged corruption in the establishment of a training academy for diplomats. The searches — conducted at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and approved by the Belgian police — took place at the EEAS in Brussels, in buildings of the College of Europe in Bruges and at private homes, according to an EPPO statement. The EEAS is the EU’s foreign policy wing and was until 2019 headed by the former European Commission Vice President Mogherini. She has been rector of the College of Europe, a training ground for future EU officials, since 2020. Sannino, a former Italian diplomat, was the top civil servant in the EEAS and is currently director general for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf department in the Commission. The third person in custody in relation to the probe is Cesare Zegretti, the co-director of the College of Europe’s executive education, training and projects office, according to a person familiar with the details of the case. Belgian authorities are investigating the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a program for junior diplomats across EU countries that is run by the College of Europe and of which Mogherini has been director since August 2022. The raids were first reported by Euractiv - Politico
European governments are accusing Belgium of making excessive demands for “blank check” protection in case the Kremlin sues over the deployment of €140 billion of frozen Russian assets held in Brussels. The governments’ reluctance could derail negotiations on an EU plan to lend those immobilized assets to Ukraine ahead of a crunch summit in December. The European Commission is on the verge of unveiling the legal framework for the loan in a race against time to ensure Ukraine’s war chest doesn’t run bare in April. EU leaders will have their say when they meet in mid-December. The so-called reparations loan is hugely contentious with Belgium’s government, as it would use the cash value of frozen Russian state assets on Belgian soil to finance Ukraine. Amid fears of Russian retaliation, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever insists that EU governments give Belgium cover with financial guarantees that exceed the €140 billion and that can be paid out within days. He also wants the lifespan of these guarantees to outlast the EU’s sanctions against Russia. While European governments are open to guaranteeing a pre-agreed figure, they are reluctant to sign up to what they describe as a “blank check.” Four EU diplomats told POLITICO that they cannot accept De Wever’s request because it would put their country’s financial viability at the whim of a court ruling — potentially exposing them to billions of euros of repayments years after the war in Ukraine ends - POLITICO
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is set to host Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, in Moscow on Tuesday, as the United States pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine. Mr. Witkoff is expected to present Mr. Putin with a U.S.-backed peace proposal that was revised by American officials after recent negotiations with Ukrainian diplomats. The initial version of the plan that emerged last month was seen by Ukraine and its European allies as echoing the maximalist demands Russia has made since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Mr. Witkoff’s visit to Moscow, his sixth since January, is to take place two days after American and Ukrainian delegations met in Miami to discuss the details of the potential peace plan, parts of which Ukraine has sought to soften. Both sides called those talks constructive but said more work was needed, without detailing the unresolved issues. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told journalists on Tuesday that Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner would participate in the talks for the American side, noting that the negotiations would go on “as long as necessary.” The meeting was expected to take place early evening Tuesday, Moscow time. Mr. Kushner does not have a formal role in the Trump administration, but played a role in brokering the cease-fire in Gaza - NYT
President Vladimir Putin says Russia is “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing European leaders of trying to thwart a deal on the Ukraine war. Putin said Russia would increase attacks on Ukrainian ports and vessels, and take measures against tankers that support Ukraine. He said that Russian forces were in complete control of Pokrovsk, and invited foreign journalists to visit to verify - Al Jazeera
Speaking at a Kyiv panel hosted by the East Europe Foundation on Tuesday evening, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor applauded Kyiv’s rapid expansion of domestic weapons production — now covering up to half of its battlefield needs. Another panelist noted that unlocking Europe’s frozen Russian assets could secure Ukraine’s finances for at least three years. Without that support, Ukraine may struggle to cover basic obligations such as pensions and teachers’ salaries as early as next year.
Live on BBC prime time from Odesa yesterday evening, I unpacked an extraordinary and dangerous moment for Ukraine and Europe. With President Macron standing beside Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, we now know that Kyiv and Brussels are being frozen out of the latest Trump–Kremlin back-channel talks on Ukraine’s borders and the terms of ending the war. Washington appears increasingly focused on extracting financial rewards from any settlement — raising the alarming possibility that business could trump borders. Michael also analyses new evidence of deepening Chinese technological support for Russia’s drone-production ecosystem — a pipeline that risks giving Moscow an effectively limitless supply of attack drones for its war on Ukraine.
As President Donald Trump draws closer to a potential decision on expanding his military pressure on Venezuela, his administration is facing skepticism from congressional Republicans on multiple fronts. GOP senators questioned the administration’s decision-making on Monday after the White House confirmed a second September strike on alleged narco-traffickers who survived an initial attack. It’s a decision that has already prompted bipartisan investigations on both sides of the Capitol. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., said that the second strike on alleged traffickers who were already wounded “seems way over the edge to me.” Justice called Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a “good guy” and the “right choice to be leading our military” but added that “if he made that decision, I think he’s made a bad decision.” Still other Republicans were befuddled by Trump’s pardon of an ex-president of Honduras who was convicted of drug trafficking — a decision that appears to undercut the tough anti-drug effort that he has billed as the chief reason for his multiple strikes off the coast of Venezuela. It’s a make-or-break moment for Trump’s foreign policy in the Americas. After essentially shutting down the US’ southern border, he shifted focus to Venezuela with repeated strikes on alleged drug boats that have sparked calls for more information to be shared with Congress. Still, even as some Republicans questioned Trump’s campaign, most backed the president. The controversy over the Sept. 2 double-strike could change things - Semafor
The National Union of Journalists (SNJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have filed a complaint with France’s national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office (Pnat), accusing Israeli authorities of “obstructions to press freedoms” in the Palestinian territories. The two organisations — the largest journalist union in France and the largest journalist union worldwide — announced the move on Tuesday. Their complaint denounces what they describe as “an organised, systematic and prolonged” effort to prevent journalists, including French reporters, from accessing Gaza and carrying out their work safely. According to the complaint, no foreign journalist has been allowed to enter Gaza freely since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. The unions say this amounts to an “unprecedented blackout in an armed conflict,” compounded by “ruthless repression of Palestinian journalists and media professionals.” - Euronews
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