Russian gas hovers over Ukraine-EU summit

European gas prices and Russian-German Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline: the energy theme should be at the heart of the Ukraine-EU summit on Tuesday, especially since the issue is a growing source of Kiev's grievances against its European allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will welcome european Council leaders Charles Michel and European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Kiev. The summit comes amid soaring gas prices in Europe, bad news for Kiev, which wants to curb the commissioning of Nord Stream 2, a pipeline with a capacity of 55 billion m3 annually directly linking Russia and Germany by bypassing Ukraine. Which, according to Moscow, stabilize the tariffs. For the EU, this tube is not a priority, because it does not reduce dependence on Russian gas, but it has not fought it. If the subject is sensitive, it is because the pipeline risks depriving the Ukrainian ally of at least $ 1.5 billion per year affected for the transit of Russian gas through its territory. The Ukrainian presidency therefore swears that it will "fight to the end" to prevent the commissioning of Nord Stream 2 which is still waiting for the green light from a German regulator.

IN BRIEF

Austersian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was officially sworn into the Chancellery on Monday in an attempt to restore confidence and stability, two days after Sebastian Kurz resigned from a corruption scandal.

The current led by the inevitable Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr claims to be the leading force in the new Parliament, elected in the early legislative elections that have struggled to attract voters tired of a system unable to improve their living conditions.

Three high school students were taken into custody Monday in connection with the viral video of the assault of a teacher in Seine-et-Marne, violently thrown to the ground Friday by a student in circumstances still unclear.

The effects of climate change could already impact 85% of the world's population, according to the analysis of tens of thousands of studies published Monday.

German validated its ticket to the 2022 World Cup on Monday, winning in North Macedonia 4-0, while the Netherlands came close by crushing Gibraltar 6-0, in qualifying matches.