Eurotopics.net

"I believe Ukraine deserves to start negotiations on EU membership this year," Volodymyr Zelensky said in the run-up to Friday's EU-Ukraine summit. Now the summit is over without any mention of a timetable for accession. The debate about desirable perspectives and realistic expectations continues in the commentary sections.

British oil giant Shell made a record profit of more than 38 billion euros in 2022, doubling what it raked in the year before. The main reason for the increased revenues is the sharp rise in oil and gas prices as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Do the oil multinationals need to be reined in?

Representatives from the EU and the US presented a proposal for a settlement on the Kosovo issue in January. At a special session of the Serbian parliament, President Aleksandar Vučić has now stressed that although he does not want to let the West call the shots, a failure to go along with the plan would lead to the suspension of EU payments, investments and accession negotiations. Is he paving the way for a compromise?

Despite a dip in inflation the ECB has raised the key interest rate for the fifth time in eight months. Up 0.5 points, it now stands at 3 percent. Inflation in Europe is still far too high, ECB chief Christine Lagarde said on Thursday. Is this the right approach?

Yesterday, 2 February, marked the 80th anniversary of the decisive victory of the Soviet army against Hitler's troops at Stalingrad. The battle, which was fought from 1942 to 1943, is widely regarded as a turning point in the Second World War. Commentators discuss how the Kremlin is reinterpreting and exploiting the anniversary in light of the war against Ukraine.