Eurotopics.net

In north-eastern Syria, the Kurds' sphere of influence is shrinking dramatically with the advance of the transitional government's forces. A four-day ceasefire is currently in place. The US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, has said that the Kurdish SDF's role as an anti-IS force has largely expired, since the government in Damascus is now ready to assume security responsibilities. The media discusses the consequences.

Following talks with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos, US President Donald Trump has backed down on his threat to impose punitive tariffs on European countries, saying that the two had agreed on a framework for an agreement on Greenland. According to media reports, the deal involves a revision of the 1951 defence agreement between the US and Denmark for the Arctic island.

The European Parliament voted by a narrow majority to refer the trade agreement signed over the weekend between the EU and the South American Mercosur countries to the European Court of Justice. The court is to examine whether the agreement is in line with EU treaties, which will delay its ratification for some time. European media outlets discuss the consequences and significance of the decision.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has used a special constitutional provision to push through the 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. He justified the move stressing that the situation was deadlocked, but "France needs a budget". The left and the far-right Rassemblement National promptly tabled a motion of no confidence.