Eurotopics.net

Following the most serious confrontation between Kosovo and Serbia in recent years, Europe's press is debating the future of the region. Under EU mediation the two countries are engaged in talks aimed at normalising their tense relations, but so far without results. Pristina is not willing to extend self-government rights for the predominantly ethnic Serb communities in Kosovo. Commentators examine the situation, also as regards Serbia.

The EU has imposed a total of eleven sanctions packages against Russia since February 2022. Washington has also repeatedly expanded the list of Russian companies with which US firms are not allowed to trade. Europe's press looks at the impact of this policy from different angles.

Former US President Donald Trump has appeared in court in Washington. At his third trial he is charged with attempting to falsify the 2020 election results and for his role in the storming of the Capitol on 6 January 2021. The media agree: much is at stake in this trial - not just for Trump but for the US as a nation.

In a week-long experiment, the German discount supermarket chain Penny is charging its customers "real prices" for food. These factor in the environmental costs in production. Nine products will be affected, making them for the most part twice as expensive as before. Commentators discuss how much sense it makes to suddenly charge six euros instead of three for sausages.

Thousands of people across Bulgaria have protested against violence against women. The demonstrations were triggered by a brutal attack on an 18-year-old girl and the mild sentence handed down to her aggressor. Although she had been cruelly abused by her ex-partner, a court classified the act as "slight bodily harm" and released the perpetrator.