Mika AALTOLA

Policy topics Mika AALTOLA is active on

What Mika AALTOLA has said (28)

• 2025-06-25 “E-002565/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU has adopted unprecedented sanctions in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including targeting Russia’s energy sector in order to further limit Russia’s capacity to wage its war effort. This includes also individual restrictive measures imposed on individuals and entities active in this sector. All information on the listings is publicly available 1 . With the 18 th package adopted on 18 July 2025 2 , the EU is further curtailing Russia’s energy revenues through a number of different measures, including lowering of the oil price cap and introducing an import ban on refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil and coming from any third country – with the exception of Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The EU has also imposed new sanctions across the shadow fleet value chain by adding 105 vessels to the list of those prohibited to access EU ports and maritime services, as well as targeting key operators, enablers or beneficiaries with fullfledge designations (asset freezes, travel bans, bans on providing resources). Ultimately, all decisions related to EU sanctions in response to Russia’s war of aggression are taken by the Council, by unanimity. 1 https://sanctionsmap.eu/. 2 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2025/07/18/russia-s-war-of-aggression-againstukraine-eu-adopts-18th-package-of-economic-and-individual-measures/.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• 2025-04-30 “E-001735/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission 1. As underlined in the recent Commission Communication on ‘The road to the next multiannual financial framework’ 1 (MFF), a strengthened, modernised cohesion and growth policy is needed to address the diverse challenges of Member States and regions. The eastern border regions face the dual challenge of strengthening security while revitalising their economies. The Commission is engaging with the EU institutions, including the European Parliament, Member States and stakeholders in preparing the proposal for the next MFF, which it presented on 16 July 2025. 2. EUR 150 million, initially allocated for Interreg programmes with Russia and Belarus, has been reallocated to internal Cross-Border Cooperation programmes for the benefit of regions in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. For programmes covering regions that have borders with Russia, Belarus or Ukraine, the Commission’s proposal for the mid-term review of cohesion policy 2 , which is now under discussion by the co-legislators, proposes a one-off additional 9.5% pre-financing when at least 15% of their allocation is redirected to investments in defence, competitiveness, housing, water resilience and energy transition. This would come on top of the increased pre-financing and co-financing rates applied to the amounts programmed under the above-mentioned priorities. Furthermore, in March 2025 the Commission presented the ReArm Europe Plan 3 which will boost defence funding by giving Member States more financial flexibility. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/6d47acb4-9206-4d0f-8f9b3b10cad7b1ed_en?filename=Communication%20on%20the%20road%20to%20the%20next%20MFF_en.pdf. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0123. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/defence/future-european-defence_en.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-02-03 “E-000451/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The Joint Communication 1 remains valid in the areas that it covers. Its implementation continues to deliver on its goals and objectives. While climate change remains the most comprehensive threat to the Arctic, the overall security and geopolitical context has changed significantly as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In this context, the question of an updated EU Arctic policy becomes relevant. However, such a decision would require careful reflection and any potential process to review and update the Arctic Joint Communication in the future will take time 2 . The question of further enhancing the EU´s presence is relevant. The EU is a major player in areas such as Arctic sustainable fisheries 3 , environmental protection, sustainable blue economy development, science and research, and regional development in the European Arctic. Since 2021, the EU has been increasing its presence in other areas, including municipal cooperation, and support to Indigenous peoples and the youth 4 . In relation to Greenland, the EU operates long-standing relations with Greenland based on its status as an Overseas Country/Territory 5 . The Commission opened an office in Nuuk in 2024. In areas such as hybrid threats, critical infrastructures and demographic trends affecting also Arctic regions, the EU’s actions are anchored in competences and policies set out in the Treaties. EU relations with Norway, Iceland and Greenland are based on existing agreements and arrangements 6 . Changes to those agreements and arrangements will require decisions in each country in line with their national rules and procedures. 1 JOIN(2021) 27 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52021JC0027 2 The decision must also take into account the civilian nature of the EU´s engagement in Arctic matters and available resources. 3 This includes the implementation of the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, to which the Commission is part on behalf of Member States, as well as EU fleets fishing in the Barents Sea or the deployment since 2023 of an inspection vessel to that area. The EU is also reflecting about additional areas where more presence could be of an added value. 4 This includes two new initiatives, namely the Arctic Youth Dialogue and the Arctic Urban and Regional Cooperation network. 5 In December 2024, the EU signed a new protocol of a duration of six years under the existing Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement concluded in 2021 6 E.g. European Economic Area, Schengen area and other areas of cooperation as well as Greenland’s association with the EU as an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT).”
  EU policy on the Indo-Pacific region · EU-Norway relations
• “Mr. president, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues. The EU, EU, US trade ties sustain millions of livelihoods, but today they are under siege by the US administration. President Trump's travel blackmail is not a mere madman Negotiation tactics. They are economic disruption, signaling deep distrust and even hostility. A 10% tariff persist, and even that wounds our people. Let's be blunt. U.s. trade policy is erratic, and the agreements that we can strike with them might be going away the next day. So can we actually trust or should we diversify? And at the same time, we should also remember that the US faces certain political pressures and China is the key to that. And we are also facing the same pressures. So negotiations based on the same strategic positioning might be helpful for both sides.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you very much. I think that was a really good summary of what happened during the missions, and I have to thank the Secretariat on on arranging it in such a well coordinated manner, even though we had to fight the failing infrastructure of Europe in order to get from Hague to Paris. But you managed to pull it off. Um, I have to say that I felt enlightened and inspired. A lot of things are being done. I was assured by the actions of authorities in European authorities in Haga, Europol and Eurojust. They are doing their best, hampered perhaps by by some legal constraints. Um, Europol, for example, doesn't have in its mandate to automatically go after foreign interference cases. Eurojust has more flexibility and leeway when it comes to having kind of an ad hoc, um, ad hoc investigations of these matters and pooling and sharing, I suppose, was the key. Also in Hague, um, when we went to the member state level to Paris, uh, excellent conversations. Uh, I have to say that that what stuck to my mind the most was sopra steria and the work they have done. They have pilot projects that are running. They used the word cognitive operations instead of perhaps our our way of expressing the same thing. So, you know, foreign actors are targeting our mind in the psychological and social psychological operations that they have. So I was happily surprised, convinced even that that that this pooling and sharing between Europe and national level can take place. And. We are we are standing on firm work that has taken place before us. We knew that before. But the missions actually, in a tangible, practical way, show those. Shoulders. So the work that that has been done has been happening during the past decades already. Thank you.”
  EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters
• “Thank you. The Arctic is no longer a frozen periphery. It is the next great arena for geopolitical competition. And Europe is just waking up. Russia has militarized its Arctic coastline. China calls itself a near Arctic state and invests in it. And the United States, our ally, is openly coercing Canada, Denmark and Greenland. Canada shares our vulnerability and our interests in the secured Arctic front line. We need a dedicated EU Canada Arctic framework on security. It is not enough. We need space capabilities, joint situational awareness, and we need a real investment. The ice breaking capacity, logistics and infrastructure across the High north. We are talking about tens of billions of euros. The commitment should be at strategic scale. The Arctic will be defined by whoever shows up. Europe must finally show up with its economic might with Canada. Besides, it.”
  EU competences on space policy · Defence spending
• “Thank you, chair, for giving me the floor. I just wanted to express my support for the position put forward by my colleague, Mr. Mato. I think that we should be adopting this proposal. This proposed regulation, without presenting any amendments to look at the concerns of the farmers in Europe. I think that we have got to understand the need to make sure we have additional protection and develop the safeguard rules. And that's why it's important that this regulation is actually added to give us an extra level of protection to the farmers. There are essential elements in it, which include a compromise on from the commission or commitment to follow the market developments. Once products, sensitive products are being imported from Latin America, and to take necessary measures if required. When there are market distortions in the present situation. The geopolitical situation that we're in, in the in the Mercosur agreement, not only do we get economic benefits and better supply chains, we also develop. We also have development within the zone with free trade elements and tools, which will enable us to open our market to an extra 2270 million consumers. We will be able to develop more agreements and more and more contacts with that part of the world. And just for my French colleagues, if we don't do this, the Chinese will do it. So it's a strategic choice.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Madam President, Commissioner, we have more than 800 high-risk criminal organizations in Europe. They recruit children who are 12 years old on TikTok, on Instagram, through games. Where our children are, they promise money, status, friendship. This friendship becomes exploitation. The kid is stuck. He or she cannot leave the network. He faces violence. We know that the criminals know exactly what they do. They exploit the children's ability to trust. They choose the children because convictions are milder, because children believe what they say, what they promise, because the platforms turn a blind eye. We must not let this vicious circle continue. The platforms must not avoid their responsibility. We must not let the criminals take our children's future away from them.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you very much. And I have to say that I welcome this, this agreement uh, full heartedly. Um, it was a mountain to climb and you climbed it. So congratulations to you. Um, this gives us an added advantage to our economy. Um, we live in a world where the United States tariff policies and Russian war of aggression have changed the way our economy and our security work. So we have to be clever and strategic in this world. Europe needs strong partners with a scale and growth, and India is a partner in both respects. This agreement opens a market of 1.5 billion consumers to European companies by cutting tariffs on almost all exports. This will save our businesses billions of euros every year and give European industry a real competitive advantage. Exactly why we are here. At the same time, this agreement makes Europe a strong and credible alternative for India as it seeks to reduce its dependence on Russia on China. So this is not only a trade agreement but economically important move. It is about making Europe stronger, more resilient and strategically relevant for the future. Questions concerning cars and steel on cars. How does the Commission assess the impact on the on the remaining 10% tariff compared to India's other partners. So kind of not the absolute reduction on tariffs, but the relative merits of this agreement. And then could the Commission explained the timetable for removing tariffs on iron and steel products. When will EU exporters benefit from zero tariffs? Thank you very much.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Mr. president Commissioner. Today we stand at a crossroads. We are not just spectators. We are right on the front line. Iran, China, Russia, all these countries are trying to carry out sabotage. Sabotage against infrastructure. But also are carrying out destruction across Europe to make democracy fail as well. We need to create a genuine shield to protect us, that protects freedom, that protects freedom of expression, that protects us against foreign intervention, a shield. Which prevents electoral systems from being influenced. At children's. Stories should not be written in Peking or Moscow. The world is being carved up and we should not be limping to catch up. We need to be having a look at what our opponents are doing and also influence them. That component is missing from the Commission's proposal. We need to be more on the offensive.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you very much. On, on on that presentation, a broad overview containing quite a lot of different types of dynamics and also the recommendations. We all recognize the importance of free media in safeguarding democracy. Free press ensures transparency, holds power accountable, and allows citizens to make informed decisions. Finland, my home country, has been long a beacon of media freedom, consistently ranking among the top countries in press freedom. Journalists in Finland have historically been able to report, without fear, contributing to an open and thriving democracy. However, the landscape has been changing during the during the past decades. Even in Finland, across the globe, we can see that authority and tendencies are seeping into democracies. Democracy indexes are on decline. The growing pressure on independent journalism. The spread of misinformation and attacks on media institutions are concerning trends. In your presentation, you focused quite a lot on on the role of funding and as opposed to decreasing advertising revenue is one. Key factor contributing to to many of our print media outlets closing down, especially in the rural areas. Is that one of the key pressures in kind of analyzing the situation in established democracies where there's high trust? There was a myriad of other factors as well. But how? Overall what what would be kind of the top three? Pressures on on on free press that you currently see.”
  EU support for traditional (non-digital) media
• “Yes. Thank you very much. One of the of the clear obstacles for European future is that we are overregulating ourselves and stifling potential areas of innovation and growth. And I fully agree with the headlines that the rapporteur put forward. We have to streamline, we have to increase the European economies. And on top of that, we must not introduce no new requirements for the companies. My email box is every day full of of pleas from different Finnish companies and, you know, examples, practical cases. How much they lose every day, every year on reporting requirements. And it does not contribute to the growth of the companies at all. It only contributes to the employment of lawyers in Finland. If that is an indicator where we are headed, perhaps it's not the best possible place. Comparison was made to the US economy, to Chinese one, to Indian economy. We have enough consumers. We have enough purchasing power in Europe. Now. We have to kind of optimize the level of reporting. And I firmly believe in believe that the Commission has the right direction and is rightly minded in proceeding in in its proposal. And we will advise you, in our opinion, in a relatively short time period when it comes to international trade aspects of of of what? What is the whole package? Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “All right. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. And thank you for the Commission representatives for those insights into the work ahead that that we have to undertake. I see the omnibus proposal as both critical when it comes to timing and strategic when it comes to necessity of it. Europe urgently needs economic growth, more jobs. We need to maintain our industrial base and also contribute to reindustrialisation in some some fields in today's unpredictable geopolitical and geo economic landscape. Strengthening European competitiveness must be a central priority to all of us. This calls for concrete action to ease regulatory and administrative burdens that are currently holding back companies from growing, innovating and investing, while of course, maintaining the goals that we all share when it comes to human rights and climate goals. This is particularly important when it comes to international trade. European companies are competing globally with firms that may not face similar requirements. If our rules and data points become too complex or unpredictable. We risk weakening the very companies that we rely on in order to lead towards sustainability. Our legislation should support responsible business, but not to put business in this advantage. Trade is not just an economic tool, it is a key to Europe's resilience and strategic economy. While the overall direction of the proposal is very welcome, some aspects still raise questions that would benefit from further clarifications. In this context, I would like to pay attention particularly to two questions. Why does the proposal not extend the single market clause to all core due diligence obligations? How does the Commission intend to prevent fragmentation if key articles still allow member states to introduce additional rules? Could the Commission clarify how it interprets the concept of a plausible information in the article eight? What type of indication would justify further action accent and how the companies companies are expected to assess in practice whether this threshold is met. Thank you very much. I didn't use all of my time.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights)
• “Thank you very much. When I was reading through the proposal, one thing that came to my mind was the balance between the internal and the external dimension of Democracy Shield. We know, of course, that there's internal regression in democracies, there's erosion of democratic values in different corners of Europe, and that of course leaves the gates much wider open for external destabilization operations. So my question has to do with that balance. Have you been thinking about that? Will you? It seems to be very much focused on strengthening and empowering inclusive democracy, finding points of weakness and trying to strengthen those. But how about the external dimension? The threats that are emanating from Russia, from China, from Iran, actors of that kind, because it's much easier to focus if you know the enemy. So have you been focusing on that proactive going after those who are actually malicious actors from outside?”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you very much, chair. Um, first of all, I would like to thank the Secretariat on organizing it. It was done in such a professional manner. It was intense. Uh, the days were long, but they were very giving. I have to say that all the Moldovans, the civil society representatives, the ministers, US intelligence community representatives. A myriad of different actors that we met all shared the same spirit. They were treating us as friendly forces there, and they were sharing very openly and transparently, um, facts and ideas that that they have on their minds. So it was very kind of a 1 to 1, uh, discussions that we had with them. Uh, there are certain vulnerabilities that that can be really clearly recognized, and those are also acknowledged and recognized. It is a bit torn society, the European forces, the pro-European forces are there and they are strong. They have had the upper hand. But of course, there are also issues about the political system, for example, according to the NGOs, is week one. The parties are under-developed and they don't capture the imagination of the citizens that well. The grievance is. Yes. It is used by Russia. Schoolbooks in some cases come from Russia directly. Serge has quite a lot of links to Russia. They make trips to Russia. So Russia is involved in all the aspects of Moldovan life, and they use Moldova as a not only for Moldova's sake to destabilise it, but to use it as a test bed for future actions elsewhere in Europe. So they are trying out different methods there. So it was a very eye opening trip to Moldova and uh, and uh, um, I came out from the trip, uh, enlightened. And I hope that you all read the report that was produced by and was written out by by our chair. So thank you.”
  EU-Moldova relations
• “Thank you very much. Excellent presentations. We are witnessing a dangerous convergence of foreign and domestic actors. They exploit the same digital terrain. As was pointed out, to weaken our democracies, the common tool. Well, algorithms that prioritise outrage over correct information. These systems are designed to maximize engagement, amplify division and accelerate polarization. The question is no longer whether these algorithms enable interference, they are the infrastructure of manipulation. Foreign powers like Russia exploit them to undermine trust, but domestic extremists benefit just as much. I think the presentation is clearly pointed out what is at stake. I could ask about the technicalities, but I think the main crux of the message was in the presentations, we are faced with the business model that feeds radical left, radical right and also fuels extremism when it comes to Islamist tendencies. But well, I will ask a technical question after all. And is there any hope when it comes to community notes? Or is the kind of lowest common denominator Approach is going to be the trend also in the future, what would be the force for the good, how we should tweak the enforcement or the legislation in order to kind of make the wind blow for the better? Thank you.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• “Mr. president. Commissioner, at a time of profound geopolitical change, strengthening Eu-india relations is a strategic imperative. If we have any strategic sense left, we will move towards that goal. India has been and should continue to be a counterweight to China. India the world's fastest growing major economy, the largest democracy is a natural partner in building resilience, diversifying trade and shaping a more balanced global order. The EU India Free Trade Agreement lies at the core of this effort. Yet partnership cannot come at the expense of principles. India has continued engagement with Russia. A regime waging a war of aggression against the European state must be addressed openly. A true partnership is built on trust, responsibility and a shared vision for global stability.”
  EU-India relations
• “Honourable members, the recent tariffs imposed by the United States strike at the heart of fair and open transatlantic trade. These measures are already hurting European industries, disrupting supply chains and shaking investor and consumer confidence. The European Union has responded responsibly, suspending countermeasures for 90 days to allow for negotiations. But let me be clear we shall not allow unfair treatment of our businesses or our citizens if talks fail. We are ready to act firmly and strategically. We have to communicate our resolve clearly. Honey, talking does not ultimately work with President Trump. This is not just about economics. It is about standing up for European interests and for our collective defence. Europe is open to dialogue but not open to intimidation. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “President. We are all looking to Donbas and the borders of Donbas. Of course, the real decisions are being taken elsewhere. There are people now trading over souls and strategic autonomy. Needs to be bought and sold. We cannot imagine that we can turn the clock back. The Iron Curtain has fallen. It's a deep trench that needs to be overcome. We cannot go back because Europe has taken decisions that cannot be undone. Some people are asking when the sanctions will stop. But that is unimportant. We are trying to espouse principles of autonomy for our security in the future. We know that this is no longer temporary. Our dependency on Russia is now being made illegal. We have our backs against the wall. We cannot believe anymore that help will come from the other side of the pond. We have to ask ourselves, if we want a strong and independent Europe, then we have to take this decision.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you very much. Um, two very good presentations and I fully agree that that we should pay attention to what is happening in Georgia and fund and continue to fund democracy promotion there, in spite of the laws that have been enacted by a government that lacks legitimacy. The EU candidate countries are the front line of foreign interference and disinformation, especially from hostile state and non-state actors and combinations of them. These countries often serve as testing grounds for tactics that are later used against European Union member states, making their resilience vital component to the union's broader security. They media media sector remains vulnerable, lacking resources, protections, and institutional institutional capacity exposed to foreign information manipulation and interference threatens democratic processes and public trust. While EU initiatives. Offer support, capacity gaps persist as these countries countries move towards EU membership, their current vulnerabilities risk becoming EU's internal threats. Strengthening the media freedom and democratic resilience isn't just about supporting the accession. It is about protecting the future stability of the EU itself. Given the intensifying hybrid threats. The question is what concrete measures must EU prioritise now to defend media freedom and bolster democratic institutions in these states? And this question goes to both presenters. Thank you.”
  EU-Georgia relations
• “Thank you very much. Uh, I have to say that it is revealing to know about these things. Uh, I have I have this sense that actually, uh, the internet, online ads that were made, uh, made for us to buy shoes or clothing are now used for surveillance and micro-targeting by foreign actors such as Russia. And this is not a situation that is okay. We have to have tools to to actually identify who are behind this surveillance of our voters in our democracies. Um, so kind of the. Insight I get from from, uh, from you, uh, the speakers is that it's not the tanks, the Russian tanks that we should be so worried about, but it is these dark ads that are being used as a forefront of of, uh, the offensive, uh, against us. Um, it is an invisible force that is actually there when we go to our social media sites. And, uh, the surveillance happens when we try to be authentic and, and, and, uh, express our political views. Um, I was wondering about the policing of of all of this, that what are the resources we have at our use, and how much of that actually should be done by intelligence services. Um, a lot of, of this is dark. It is, uh. Uh, kind of a threat, an enemy actor based. So should it be kind of the intelligence services? We don't have the capacity of that, but. But where the policing should happen in this, in these cases.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Yes. Thank you very much. On, on on those comments, I think it was good that you took a little bit more time than than what is usually allowed. I remember when we were visiting Moldova a few months ago, there was a constant sense of a sense of something ominous going to happen, a danger, and we were worried. I came back home with a conclusion that something indeed Serious is going to happen. And when I view the election results, I think that conclusion by us was a little bit part of the answer as well. Like our chair was pointing out, it's not only hybrid war, it is a war and kind of a driving home. That fact to the citizens of Moldova, that there's actually foreign operatives and foreign operations that are behind this constitutes a sense of external threat, and that usually unites people. Whereas in the in, in when there's a lack of that awareness, when we have our tunnel vision on focusing on the election date, and we think that everything that happens is part of of the package that leads into that election day. And we are not looking to foreign operatives or external threats.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you. Chair. Renewable energy sector offers enormous potential for EU Gulf cooperation as both regions pursue diversification. Investments in clean technologies hydrogen, hydrogen and renewable infrastructure could serve as powerful driver for shared prosperity and stability. At the same time, sustainability is not only about energy systems, it is about ensuring that our partnerships are built on respect, on fundamental rights and shared values. So questions how much of the Gulf renewable energy market do you think European firms can realistically expect to capture in the coming decade. How could this support EU import share of energy? Which sectors such as green hydrogen, solar or wind offer the greatest opportunities for EU investments and technology partnerships? Thank you.”
  EU policy on social & environmental impact of foreign investments
• “Mr. President. Dear Commissioner. At first glance, the new trade deal seems to be absurd. But it buys us something urgently needed. Predictability. Without it, Europe face tariffs up to 30% and loss of millions of jobs. Now, with the average rate below 15%, we import time, not comfort, but breathing space and transatlantic geo economic stability. That has also important geopolitical ramifications. Yet let us be clear the deal is fragile one. President Trump's unpredictability makes it temporary at best. This means acting now. Times are difficult. We must turn today's instability into tomorrow's power. It is about Europe's place in a world where power not rules. Unfortunately, increasingly sets the terms. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Madam president, Commissioner, colleagues on the democracy shield democracy. Open democracy is the foundation of Europe. It has to breathe. There are external threats Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, which use huge resources to narrow our democratic space and freedom of expression. 80% of the Russian budget in this sector goes to destabilizing destabilization efforts, mostly in Europe. So we have to be very. Precise here. We have problems with democracy without within Europe. Also in Finland, there's a degradation of the journalistic space that doesn't help. We have to prevent external threats. We shouldn't allow them to be repeated.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you for the experts really great insights into what is currently happening. And and kind of the overall takeaway is that that uncertainty prevails and ambiguity is clearly there in the administration. And ad hoc ism. But we have to see it from a longer perspective. It was the Biden administration that implemented the withdrawal from Afghanistan that Trump administration. The first one had negotiated ended up in a fiasco. It ended up as a prelude to what happened in Ukraine. I think that Putin decided in August 2021 what he's going to do, that he's going to challenge Europeans and Americans and NATO in in Ukraine. And now Biden administration implemented or actually planned the strategy in Ukraine. And now it's Trump's turn to kind of withdraw America from a regional conflict. So it's something that happened in Afghanistan already moving us to the strategic level that has been the name of the game. Um, how successful that is. What are the details and how how ad hoc is it is remains to be seen. But that's the that's what is in the cards. They don't see Ukraine as an existential issue. Europeans do. And that is, of course, driving a major wedge when it comes to transatlantic alliance and the unitary actions by NATO and by the West. And of course, Russians and Chinese are smiling and Americans should understand these implications. We do it better perhaps in in here, but we cannot force them and we cannot blame them. But how to you know, this is a question to the experts how to kind of try to Cooperate at the strategic level and how to find grand strategic understanding that would be a little bit more shared and less uneven and causing disagreements.”
  Relations with NATO
• “Yes. Thank you very much. And I'm talking on behalf of Jürgen, who couldn't be here today. And thanks for the commissioner. Great work. Congratulations on reaching this very far reaching free trade agreement, and it is immensely important that all the potentials and opportunities are tapped into. This deal is not just fostering growth and prosperity. It is also a strategic geopolitical milestone in the world that is becoming increasingly unpredictable and marked by rising protectionist forces. This agreement positions Europe as a forward thinking, resilient global player, a player on the offensive at the at the time when we are seeking to diversify away from China and shield ourselves from potential terrorists posed by the US. This deal is a clear and logical step forward. It bolsters our economic stability. And enhances our strategic leverage. Furthermore, the agreement provides substantial, substantial opportunities in the area of critical raw materials, as you mentioned. Securing these resources ensures that European businesses remain competitive and future ready. Yes, there are sensitive agricultural products included in the deal. However, the European Commission has negotiated a thoughtful and comprehensive compromise with measures such as tariff rate quotas and safeguards and compensation packages to protect farmers. This agreement balances opportunity with fairness. We cannot delay any longer this time. It is time to act right now. Strengthening European competitiveness is not an option. It is imperative. And I could perhaps ask you a clarifying question on the economics of this. We know that, for example, Brazil is part of the deal and it is part also of the BRICs bloc. So how you would describe the kind of the swing opportunities that this gives to the South American countries and Mercosur countries?”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “That's a different matter. And that's in European elections usually is a naivety to think like that. But Moldovans didn't think like that. There was a revelations, as was pointed out, there was a clear uncovering of, for example, violent operations that were attempted to distort the elections. So the unity usually stems from external sense of external threat. And I'm very happy that that, uh, voters realize that. So my question has to do with lessons learned, how we should package and package these lessons learned. Uh, I think one key takeaway is to to understand that, yes, there has to be extremely explicit warning from authorities that something indeed is happening and that usually unites people. It works better than educational programs. But how would you kind of, in the next European election somewhere else, highlight this awareness? It was done in a particular way in Moldova. President giving a speech or press conference. Authorities reacting. Anchor journalists and influencers uncovering hidden operatives and operations. How would you kind of raise our awareness in our elections in the future?”
  Foreign interference in Europe