Eurotopics.net

The spiral of violence including shootings and deaths in several Swedish cities continues - despite new measures introduced by the conservative government. In the last few days alone, four people have been killed in the Stockholm-Uppsala area. The latest victim is a teenager who was shot dead in a Stockholm suburb on Thursday night. The government has neglected the problem for too long, the national press criticises.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has delivered her final State of the Union address before the European elections 2024. She painted a picture of an EU that stands united behind Ukraine, that is taking unprecedented measures to fight climate catastrophe and that can move towards enlargement without becoming ineffectual. She made no mention of a potential second term in office. Commentators take a closer look at her statements.

Ukraine's military communications were left largely dependent on Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network after Russia destroyed one of the country's data centres. But according to a new Musk biography the US billionaire may have temporarily restricted Ukraine's access to Starlink to prevent an attack on Russian warships near the Crimean peninsula.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un have pledged to deepen their cooperation. After Kim's trip to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin now apparently plans to travel to North Korea. Although no details of the results of the meeting have been disclosed, observers suspect that Russia wants weapons while UN-sanctioned North Korea wants modern technology and food.