Dear readers,
In this era of political characters from seasons past making a comeback, you would be forgiven if you didn’t have Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff and Northern Ireland negotiator Jonathan Powell down as a likely candidate for a reappearance.
Last weekend, Powell, who among other things founded an NGO specializing in conflict resolution when he left office, traveled to Kyiv to draft a ceasefire agreement with Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. We had an excellent profile of Powell and an account of how this week’s ceasefire plan came together.
More than once this week I wondered what Powell made of U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to negotiating. Back at the end of 2020, Powell was scathing about Boris Johnson’s Brexit agreement in a piece for POLITICO. Johnson, he argued, had overestimated his hand, fired the starting gun too early and failed to build trust. Plenty across Europe will be hoping Powell fares rather better as Trump pushes to secure a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine within his first 100 days back in the White House. We’re on day 55 and the clock is ticking.
For U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he seems to have achieved, at least for now, some relevance on the geopolitical stage for Britain. Last summer, Powell told POLITICO’s podcast Power Play, that Starmer would be keen to demonstrate Britain is back and to re-engage with allies from across the continent.
It all seems a very long time since the gray week in November 2015 when I arrived in Brussels to begin work at POLITICO — and David Cameron wrote to then President of the European Council Donald Tusk to begin a renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with the EU.
Wishing you all a peaceful weekend. Please enjoy the selection below. I will be celebrating the first visit from the tooth fairy to our house — and slightly reeling from the impact of inflation which now, I have on good authority, sees the price per tooth up at £2.
Best wishes,
Kate Day
How Starmer saved Ukraine’s ceasefire as Trump and Zelenskyy raged
This excellent piece gives you a front row seat as Britain’s prime minister made a frantic bid to save the fraught U.S.-Ukraine relationship. Read the story.
Putin is playing Trump (again)
Opinion Editor Jamie Dettmer argues Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated he understands Trump’s psychology. Read the story.
Europe cracks down on migration. The far right is cheering.
We looked into how the EU’s new plan to get tough on deportations with the political aim of “holding off the far right” might just be fueling their narrative. Eye-opening figures show that in 2023 more than 480,000 people were ordered to leave the EU — but only one in five actually did so. Read the story.
Want to breathe Europe’s cleanest air? Move to Estonia.
Prepare to be shocked on how air pollution has exceeded safe levels in nearly every EU country. Read the story.
Here’s Britain’s pitch to Donald Trump on a new tech pact
We got our hands on a document prepared by the U.K. side outlines Britain’s ambitions for an “economic partnership” on technology. The plan talks up the West winning the technology race and avoids mention of thorny issues like tariffs and regulation — for now. Read the story.
Trump reignites Europe’s Franco-German engine
A timely look at how the budding chemistry between Germany’s Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron could be just the medicine Europe needs to achieve its much-ballyhooed “strategic autonomy.” Read the story.
EU Confidential: Can EU leaders handle a world on fire?
100 days in, Europe’s top leaders are facing a reality check.
Ursula von der Leyen talks about a new sense of urgency — but is she leading, or just firefighting? António Costa wants to unify the bloc — but can he keep Europe together on defense? Kaja Kallas vowed to sharpen EU foreign policy — but after a snub in Washington, is anyone listening? Listen to the episode.
Westminster Insider: When politicians fight the law and the law wins
As Mike Amesbury bows out of his career as a Labour MP after being caught on tape assaulting a constituent, this week’s episode of Westminster Insider goes inside politicians’ wrangles with the law.
Host Sascha O’Sullivan finds out if winding up in front of a judge can ever be survivable for a politician — high-profile or not. She talks to former Lib Dem adviser Sean Kemp about how the case of Chris Huhne, climate secretary during the coalition years, triggered a by-election that almost threatened the leadership of Nick Clegg. Listen to the episode.
Power Play: How can Trump push Putin toward peace?
The United States-Ukraine plan for a temporary ceasefire has turned up the heat on Russian President Vladimir Putin. What are Donald Trump’s next moves if Putin either refuses to accept the deal or places unacceptable demands on Ukraine and its allies?
Host Anne McElvoy talks to Kurt Volker, who has a particular insight into Trump’s thinking on Ukraine. Volker was the U.S. special representative during the first Trump administration and America’s ambassador to NATO under President George W. Bush. They discuss how any ensuing negotiations might play out and whether a meaningful peace deal can be achieved. Listen to the episode.
Read this week’s Declassified column.
Caption competition
“Ciao Donny, look at my new friends!”
Can you do better? Email us at [email protected] or get in touch on X @POLITICOEurope.
Last week we gave you this photo:
Thanks for all the entries. Here’s the best from our postbag — there’s no prize except for the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far more valuable than cash or booze.
“And thank you JD Vance for making me look like the sensible one in this relationship!”
by Tom Morgan
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