Italy To Raise Defense Budget To 2% of GDP, But EU Common Funding Needed – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s parliament is expected to clear on Thursday a defense budget increase to reach 2% of GDP following the Ukraine crisis, though the goal is to achieve at European level a common funding mechanism for military expenditures, according to ruling coalition sources. “We have pledged, as per NATO agreements […]
US Nat’l Security Adviser Sullivan: Pres Biden to Consult w/Allies on Potential Russia Use of Nukes
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Tuesday answered a reporter’s question about Russia’s use of possibly smaller nuclear weapons in Ukraine: by saying President Biden will this week, in his visit to Brussels, be consulting with allies on ‘that potential contingency.” Sullivan’s verbatim response follows: “President Putin, in the early days of […]
Rome Resumes Role On Euro-Atlantic Stage, Common Stance with US ‘Key’ In Ukraine Crisis Exit – Sources
–Ukraine’s Zelensky to address Italian lower house ROME (MaceNews) – Italy has resumed a ‘key role’ on the Euro-Atlantic stage in working on an exit from the Ukraine crisis after hosting the US-China meeting, according to sources comprising the ruling coalition. Monday’s meeting in Rome between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top Chinese […]
German Economic Sentiment Plunges on Ukraine, Sanctions, ZEW Reports
ZURICH (MaceNews) – Economic sentiment in Germany fell by a historic margin in March, as the war in Ukraine and resulting sanctions against Russia pushed the ZEW institute’s measure of economic sentiment into sharply negative territory. The ZEW measure of economic sentiment plunged 93.6 points in March to a reading of -39.3 from the February […]
Text: G7 Details Current and Future Sanctions Vs Russia
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the joint statement statement Friday by the Group of Seven countries, detailing new current sanctions and anticipated future sanctions being imposed on Russia: We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) remain resolved to stand with the Ukrainian people and government who heroically resist Russian President Vladimir Putin’s […]
ECB Cuts Asset Purchases, Could Exit QE in Q3
— Rate Hikes to Come ‘Some Time After’ Asset Purchases End LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank surprised forecasters, announcing a reduction in asset purchases over the second quarter and raising the possibility of a rate hike this year, following the conclusion of Thursday’s governing council meeting. Purchases under the long-running Asset Purchase Programme will […]
As Italy Government Tackles Thorny Reforms, Cracks in Majority Weaken Support for Draghi – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Rome’s push to tackle thorny reforms is opening more cracks among governing coalition partners, undermining support for Prime Minister Mario Draghi at a time when the Ukraine crisis calls for unity, ruling party officials say. Draghi is trying to push through parliament fiscal reforms aimed at simplifying the tax […]
Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine Complete Unproductive Meeting in Turkey
(MaceNews) – Foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba, completed their meeting in the Turkish Mediterranean resort town of Antalya, the highest-level meeting between the two post-Soviet states on the15th day of shocking bloodshed in Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24th. There was no progress to report but the […]
Ukraine War Expected to Speed Birth of EU Army – Italy Sources
–Plan would create EU rapid deployment force to cope with emergencies –Joint force aimed at supplementing NATO, boosting European military defense By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – The Ukrainian crisis is bound to accelerate the creation of a European Union military force and move toward a common defense policy, which the EU now lacks, said […]
Italy Government May Revise Fiscal Outlook, Cut Growth Forecasts Due to Ukraine Crisis – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s government could cut growth forecasts for this year and potentially raise deficit targets in the wake of the Ukraine crisis and its repercussions on the Italian economy, according to ruling coalition sources. “The extent of such impact is still to be fully weighed, but we might need to […]