Giant butter mountains, wine lakes and an apocryphal EU ban on bendy bananas formed the mythological backdrop to Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum debacle. Yet while many Vote Leave claims were exaggerated, inaccurate or blatantly untrue, the EU’s capacity for laying itself open to ridicule is undiminished 10 years on. Take the strange case of the whingeing EU commissioners, annoyed that their officially provided electric vehicles cannot manage the time-consuming 280-mile journey between Brussels and Strasbourg without stopping to recharge. This important issue, first reported by Politico, raises vital questions. Do…
Tag: Russia
Key questions over Mandelson vetting: did ‘mitigations’ cover links to China and Russia?
Ever since the Guardian revealed last month that Peter Mandelson was given security clearance against the advice of the UK government’s vetting agency, one question has dominated in Westminster. What were the concerns that led United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) to tell the Foreign Office that his clearance should be denied in late January 2025, weeks before he was due to take up his post as ambassador to Washington? On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed several areas that multiple sources say contributed to that decision. UKSV identified concerns about associations Mandelson…
Russia is targeting UK’s infrastructure and democracy, GCHQ head to say
Russia is relentlessly targeting Britain’s infrastructure and democracy while there is only a narrowing technological window to stay ahead of a fast-developing China, the head of the spy agency GCHQ will warn in a lecture on Wednesday. Anne Keast-Butler, giving an inaugural annual lecture, will say that the UK is caught in a “new era of radical uncertainty” and that “the risk of miscalculation” is as high as she has ever seen it as hacker attacks from the two states continue. The spy chief will particularly emphasise the wide-ranging threats…
High-Level British Spy Warns of Expanding Russia Threat
As Russia fails to gain ground in the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin appears to be pursuing a wider conflict in Europe, increasingly targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains, one of Britain’s highest-ranking intelligence officials said in prepared remarks. “Russia is scaling up its daily hybrid activity against the U.K. and Europe,” said Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, the British electronic surveillance agency, which has been countering what she called the Kremlin’s “reckless sabotage and assassination attempts.” Ms. Keast-Butler’s remarks are part of an annual speech she is…
Trump’s Pursuit of a Partnership With China Raises Concerns in India
Between the military honor guard, flag-waving schoolchildren and state banquet in Beijing last week, President Trump found time to lavish praise on Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese Communist Party, calling him “a great leader” and “a friend.” The two men, Mr. Trump said, would “have a fantastic future together.” Mr. Trump flew home without stopping anywhere else in Asia. In interviews during and after the trip, he made no reassuring remarks on U.S. allies or partners in the region. He did say, however, that he would revisit arms…
Are Xi and Putin still ‘best friends’? – The Latest
Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing with pomp and pageantry, just days after hosting Donald Trump. But as Russia’s war in Ukraine makes Moscow increasingly dependent on China, and western leaders thaw relations with Beijing, what does the power imbalance mean for Xi and Putin’s relationship? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat The Guardian
Days After Hosting Trump, Xi Serves Up Tea and Smiles to Putin
When the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, hosted President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Beijing on Wednesday for what China said was the Russian leader’s 25th visit, the elephant in the room was President Trump. Less than a week earlier, the American president had made the journey to the Chinese capital. During that trip, Mr. Xi warned Mr. Trump against mishandling Taiwan and asked him to reopen the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran, as China seeks to stabilize its tumultuous relationship with the United States. Mr. Putin’s…
Same but different: how Xi and China welcomed Trump and Putin
Days after Donald Trump was greeted in Beijing with a military band, an honour guard and dozens of youths waving American and Chinese flags, Vladimir Putin arrived in China to an almost identical spectacle. The choreography of the two welcomes appeared deliberately mirrored, designed to showcase Beijing’s ability to host leaders from Washington and Moscow with equal grandeur. But China also made sure the differences were noticed. Trump was met at the airport by China’s vice-president, a largely ceremonial role outside the Communist party’s real power structure, while Putin was…
Xi and Putin highlight close China-Russia ties during Beijing visit – video
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have praised relations between their countries. During Putin’s two-day visit to Beijing, bilateral talks between the leaders reaffirmed Russia and China as close partners in trade and international affairs The Guardian
Xi Meets Putin Days After Trump Visit
new video loaded: Xi Meets Putin Days After Trump Visit <img alt="Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin walk side by side on a red carpet. A line of soldiers stand to the side, holding guns." src="https://www.chinastrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/xi-meets-putin-days-after-trump-visit.jpg" data-testid="betamax-poster" sizes="(width < 1024px) 100vw, (width 0:57 China’s leader, Xi Jinping, welcomed President Vladimir Putin of Russia to Beijing, less than a week after a visit from President Trump. By Shawn Paik May 20, 2026 <img loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.chinastrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/xi-meets-putin-days-after-trump-visit-17.jpg 400w, https://www.chinastrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/xi-meets-putin-days-after-trump-visit-18.jpg 735w, https://www.chinastrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/xi-meets-putin-days-after-trump-visit-19.jpg 1200w, https://www.chinastrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/xi-meets-putin-days-after-trump-visit-1.jpg 2400w" sizes="(width <= 600px) 220px, (width Xi Mentions Putin During Private…