Eurotopics.net

Catherine Connolly has won the presidential election in Ireland, securing a clear victory over her rival Heather Humphreys from the ruling centre-right Fine Gael party. Connolly ran as an independent candidate but was supported by left-wing parties such as Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and the Greens. She has made waves with her harsh criticism of Nato, the EU and Israel.

The US has already carried out several strikes against boats belonging to suspected drug smugglers in international waters in the Caribbean, killing the crew in the process. Now the world's largest aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Gerald Ford, is to be deployed to the region as military reinforcement. US President Donald Trump had accused both Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being involved in drug trafficking.

The US is upping the pressure on Russia's oil industry: Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on its two top companies Rosneft and Lukoil and their numerous subsidiaries. According to the US Treasury Department, not only US companies but also foreign banks and business partners will now be prohibited from doing business with them. The media discuss whether this could force Putin to back down on Ukraine.

Negotiations among European leaders on using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine have produced a minimum compromise. The EU Commission has been instructed to examine the options and draw up a corresponding legal proposal after Belgium, which had expressed doubts about the legality of accessing the funds, indicated it would no longer stand in the way. An important first step or unnecessary caution?