Eurotopics.net

According to reports in the media, US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use US missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometres to attack military targets in Russia's Kursk region, in a move that breaks with Washington's policy so far. What motivated the decision, and what effect will it have?

Denmark has become the first country to introduce a carbon tax for the agricultural sector. From 2030, farmers will have to pay a levy of 120 Danish kroner (approx. 16 euros) on average on each tonne of emitted CO2, rising to 300 kroner (40 euros) by 2035. In addition, agricultural areas that leak methane will be put out of operation. Both the farmers' union and the nature conservation union support the plan.

Several thousand opponents of Putin demonstrated in Berlin on Sunday, following the call of Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, and Kremlin critics Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza, who were released from Russian custody at the beginning of August. However, exiled Russians and opposition members are at odds over whether such actions make sense.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke on the phone with Vladimir Putin on Friday. He explained that he had called for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and emphasised that the West stands united behind Kyiv. Europe's commentators criticise the call and discusse it in connection with Scholz's candidacy in the upcoming federal elections.

According to media reports, US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to attack targets in Russia using US long-range missiles, breaking with Washington's policy so far. How will this latest development impact the course of the war?