Good morning from Brussels.

As the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised an immediate end of Russia’s war in Ukraine, approaches, the Europeans are still in a limbo regarding their role.

Euractiv’s Alexandra Brzozowski reports on EU diplomats’ fears of being sidelined in the event Trump decides to hold bilateral talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.  

Ukrainians have even recently abstained from criticising Trump’s remarks to make sure they would at least sit at the table. 

Analysts also suggest that the EU – currently struggling due to political instability in key member states – should also decide what exactly they want to achieve.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement last week it would phase out fact-checkers to adopt a ‘community notes’ approach, pioneered by X, is not prohibited under EU law, writes Anupriya Datta. 

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg called on the US to defend tech companies against Europe’s “censorship”.

In the energy field, Russia blocked Ukraine’s bid to chair the International Renewables Energy Agency. 

Moreover, an analysis suggests that a boom in people flying will undermine aviation’s emission reductions and urges the Commission to limit the number of flights.

VIENNA

Austria's caretaker Chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, is expected to visit Brussels on Monday to reassure officials here that his country's likely far-right turn is much ado about nothing. However, Austria's trajectory when it comes to Europe will be largely out of his control and depend on Kickl. Read more.

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PARIS | BERLIN

US tech moguls slam EU digital rulebook. X owner Elon Musk and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly intervened in European politics last week, overshadowing timid calls from EU politicians that US tech giants must comply with the EU’s digital rules. Read more.

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BERLIN

Scholz delivers his political eulogy. It was meant as an emotional rallying call to Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) as they lurch towards what polls predict will be their most brutal election day. As ever with Olaf Scholz, his cri de cœur sounded more like a whimper. Read more.

A divided AfD confirms Alice Weidel as its standard bearer. Alice Weidel’s election as the far-right Alternative for Germany's (AfD) candidate for chancellor this weekend was hardly a surprise. However, it did expose the tensions in a party split between its leadership and base. Read more.

MADRID

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has launched an international diplomatic offensive to try to mitigate the "ultra-right international" bloc forged by US President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire X owner Elon Musk with the support of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Read more.

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ROME

Italy denies US extradition request for Iranian after Sala’s release. Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio has blocked the extradition of Iranian national Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi in a case closely linked to the recent release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala from detention in Tehran. Read more.

Greenlandic PM: We don’t want to be Danes, we don’t want to be Americans. The prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark addressed recent US threats to Nuuk and the development of their collaboration with Washington at a press conference in Copenhagen on Friday. Read more.

Why Trump's Greenland gambit hurts the West's case on Ukraine. With the countdown to US President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House, Europeans have discussed for months how to avoid ending up on his menu. Read more.

WARSAW

Candidates in Poland's presidential election are divided over whether Elon Musk's X should be restricted in the EU. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

Slovak MPs say Poland denied them passage on way to Moscow. A delegation of MPs from the Slovak ruling coalition parties Smer-SD and SNS who were on their way to Moscow were forced to take an alternative route after Poland allegedly denied their plane access. Read more.

Fico warns of snap elections over internal issues. After months of denying a coalition crisis, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD/NI) admitted coalition parties are not giving their support in parliament and warned of early elections or a government reshuffle. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Škoda suggests plug-in hybrids beyond 2035. Škoda Auto wants plug-in hybrids and alternative fuels to be allowed beyond the 2035 EU ban on internal combustion engine cars, arguing for a more flexible automotive transition. Read more.

SOFIA

The pro-Russia Socialist Party announced on Sunday that it would join the future governing coalition with the centre-right GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov and the populist There Is Such a People. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Romania’s far-right protests as no word over annulled vote. Romanian right-wing extremists and sovereigntists organised two protests over the weekend, with AUR leader George Simion vowing to continue demonstrations until President Klaus Iohannis resigns and a second round of presidential elections is held. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Serbia breaks ranks with EU by honouring Maduro’s inauguration. Serbia, an EU candidate country, was the only European country apart from Russia and Belarus to attend the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which was boycotted by the vast majority of the international community. Read more.

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BELGRADE | SOFIA

Azerbaijan halts gas deliveries to Serbia, Bulgaria. Gas flows from Azerbaijan to Serbia have been halted and it is unclear when they will resume, news agency Tanjug quoted Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as saying on Saturday. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Croatia populist president re-elected in landslide. Croatia's populist President Zoran Milanović was re-elected in a landslide, defeating his conservative rival in Sunday's run-off, official results showed. Read more.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Martina Monti, Alice Taylor-Braçe]