Good morning from Brussels.

US President is probably looking for new places to visit and tan his ‘beautiful white skin’.

Obviously unaware of the US’s failed nation-building attempts in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Donald Trump said today that he wants to “take over” the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in neighbouring countries.

Trump has been saying he wants to be remembered as a “peacemaker”, but his shocking statements do not follow suit.

After threatening Greenland with invasion and seizing the Panama Canal, Trump now wants to take over Gaza and do business creating “thousands of jobs” in that “piece”.

“We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”

Who is going to live there if not Palestinians? “The world’s people”, Trump said.

Jean-Claude Juncker recently told us that Trump lacks the knowledge of how the EU works. It now seems that he doesn’t understand the Middle East either.

He recently described Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a “good friend”. If he wants to take over Gaza, he must kick out Hamas, which according to Ankara, is not a terrorist organization. His friend Erdoğan recently met with Hamas.

Don’t hold your breath. Europe, completely absent and marginalised from the region, is expected to try and shake Washington’s politics today by expressing again its concerns. 

Good luck with that.

Euractiv has seen a leaked draft of the Critical Medicines Alliance’s strategic report.

As US Big Tech continues to challenge EU content moderation rules, CCIA Europe, its lobby in Europe, has raised concerns about a procedural breach that could ultimately strengthen EU-wide implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Lastly, the European Commission shared the AI Act prohibition guidelines, but it did not define ‘AI’. Its definition will be clarified “just a little bit later.”

PARIS

In just a few years, the French army has lost most of its military bases in Africa, but while relations with some former colonies remain rocky, most are hoping for a new, military-less relationship. Read more.

Come to France and use our nuclear power, Macron tells AI firms. France’s nuclear energy sector could provide cheap power for the data centres that train artificial intelligence models, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, in comments aimed at luring more tech companies to the country. Read more.

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BERLIN

Would-be German farm minister calls for fairness in trade. With Germany's election less than three weeks away, the centre-right CDU/CSU is leading the polls and eyeing the farm minister's post. The likely candidate? Günther Felßner, chairman of the Bavarian Farmers‘ Association and a key figure in the farmers’ demonstrations last winter. Read more.

Germany must act immediately to stop deindustrialisation, union urges. Urgent action is required if Germany, Europe's former industrial powerhouse, is to overcome its economic turmoil and prevent the deindustrialisation that has already seen thousands of job cuts, the deputy chief of the country's largest trade union has warned. Read more.

ROME

Donald Trump Jr's hunting trip in a protected Venetian lagoon has caused a storm of controversy, sparking a formal complaint and a parliamentary inquiry to Italy's environment minister. Read more.

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MADRID

Spanish government approves shorter working hours. The Spanish government took the first legislative step on Tuesday towards reducing the working week from 40 to 37.5 hours without loss of pay, following an agreement with the unions but without the support of the country's main employers' organisations. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese PM urges EU to prioritise defence, points to maritime threats. Defence is a political priority for EU leaders, according to Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who has called for a recovery and resilience programme to fund investment in the face of "threats in various sectors", particularly at maritime level in Portugal. Read more.

STOCKHOLM

Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre in Örebro, 200 kilometres west of Stockholm. Read more.

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OSLO

Stoltenberg shelves international plans to take on finance minister role. In a surprise departure from expected plans to take on top international roles, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been appointed Norway's new finance minister. Read more.

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NUUK

Greenland heads for early election amid geopolitical spat over country’s future. Greenland's Prime Minister Múte B. Egede has called for a general election to be held on 11 March to reshuffle the country's parliament at a time when relations with Denmark, Europe and Washington are at a critical juncture. Read more.

WARSAW

The Polish government has denied that it had accepted the EU's migration and asylum pact, adding that it would not agree to forced relocations. Read more.

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PRAGUE | BUDAPEST

Czechia joins EU lawsuit against Hungary over sovereignty protection law. Czechia became the first EU member state to formally request to join the European Commission's case against Hungary's controversial Sovereignty Protection Act as a third party. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovakia's Fico tones down defence spending opposition after summit. Slovakia is ready to be part of debates on EU reform and supports more defence spending, with the heavy caveat that a "significant portion" can be spent on projects with civilian applications, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday. Read more.

SOFIA

New Bulgarian government confirms commitment to eurozone entry. The newly elected government in Sofia on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to the country's entry into the eurozone in 2026 and promised to keep a tight lid on budget spending. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Real estate scandal engulfs Romania’s Social Democrats. Romanian authorities have detained former Social Democratic MPs for their alleged involvement in a property scandal that has defrauded several Romanians, with media speculating that Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu may be implicated. Read more.

• EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi; Meets with European Economic and Social Committee President Oliver Röpke; Chairs meeting of the College of Commissioners;
• Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets with Uruguay’s Foreign Affairs Minister Omar Paganini, and Economy and Finance Minister Azucena Arbeleche;
• Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Šefčovič meets with UK Minister for the Constitution and EU Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds;
• Health and Animal Welfare Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi holds meeting with French Insurance Federation Florence Lustman and German Association of Private Health Insurers President Florian Reuther; Meets with European Food Safety Authority Executive Director Berhanrd Url; Holds meeting with Standing Committee of European Doctors President Ole Johan Bakke and Secretary General Sarada Das; Delivers keynote speech at "From Dialogue to Vision to Action: what is needed for more sustainable and higher welfare animal farming in Europe" event;
• Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath delivers opening remarks at second Victims’ Rights Directive trilogue; Delivers opening remarks at European Cooperation Network on Elections Seminar;
• Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos meets with Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia Orhan Murtezani; Hosts European Council President António Costa; Participates in “How a reformed and enlarged EU will strengthen the EU in the world” panel at 2025 EU Ambassadors Conference;
• Economy and Productivity Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis meets with European Trade Union Confederation Secretary General Esther Lynch;
• Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib meets with European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Martina Monti]