Eurotopics.net

The war in Ukraine is also having repercussions on international cultural life: Russian star conductor Valery Gergiev lost his post as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra after he failed to publicly distance himself from his friend Vladimir Putin. Performances by opera star Anna Netrebko, who said on the weekend that she was against artists being forced to reveal their political beliefs, have also been cancelled. Europe's press analyses the pros and cons of such views.

One year after taking office, US President Joe Biden is facing serious problems: on the home front he has failed to push through social and environmental reforms, while in foreign policy the US's inglorious withdrawal from Afghanistan remains fresh in people's minds. And now the acute threat of an invasion of Ukraine must be dealt with. Taking stock, the European press is highly critical.

In France, the president is not obliged to justify his actions before the National Assembly. So for Emmanuel Macron, his speech to the EU Parliament on Wednesday outlining the goals of his country's EU Council presidency was also a welcome occasion to open the French presidential campaign on European terrain. Not all commentators are happy about this conflation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine of the US's "unwavering support" during his visit to the country and promised an additional 200 million dollars in military aid. He also threatened Moscow with massive consequences in the event of an attack, which the US apparently considers increasingly likely. Commentators mainly see the ball in Kyiv's court now.

A research team consisting of criminologists, an FBI investigator and other researchers on Monday published a book with its findings on who told the Gestapo about the hiding place of Anne Frank and seven other people in Amsterdam in 1944. According to the findings, it was a Jewish notary who was trying to protect himself and his family from deportation. Historians warn against jumping to conclusions and criticise the way the findings were revealed.