The EU moved to reduce tensions with both Moscow and Beijing, though the bloc was far from unified in its efforts to tone down rhetoric against its geopolitical rivals.
The president of the European Council, comprised of member states’ governments, defended his decision to open diplomatic communications with the Kremlin after the leaders of France and Germany criticized the decision. The move is highly contested across Europe, where several countries want to crack down further on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Separately, the EU stepped back from an all-out trade war with China, though key member states pushed for the bloc to strengthen its toolkit in combating Beijing’s export machine, which they worry is eroding Europe’s manufacturing sector.
