European leaders sought assurances on Sunday as US and Russian officials were set to meet in Saudi Arabia within days to start talks on ending the three-year war in Ukraine.
After a disruptive contribution from senior members of US President Donald Trump’s administration, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) ended with warnings the Europeans had no seat at the table with Washington.
Christoph Heusgen, the outgoing chairman, broke down in tears as he said he feared Europe's “common value base” was not so common any more. “The order is easy to disrupt. It is easy to destroy but its much harder to rebuild,” Mr Heusgen said.
Ukraine will not accept anything that is happening without them
He welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to summon an emergency meeting of the European heads of government in Paris on Monday and said foreign ministers had held urgent talks in Munich that morning to discuss the transatlantic crisis.
Benedikt Franke, the CEO of MSC, told The National that there was no sign of a constructive attitude in the Kremlin that would support a thaw in European relations. Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy had worked hard in Munich to galvanise support from around the bloc under the shadow of Washington’s pivot to talks under Mr Trump.
The newly elected president and the Russian leader held a phone call earlier this week where it was decided to hold direct talks in Saudi Arabia.
“[Zelenskyy] is doing everything he can to gather support and counter fears that there will be a peace deal done over the heads of the Ukrainians and without the inclusions of Europeans,” Mr Franke said. “I keep seeing European leaders standing together in the hallways here and reassessing their support to Ukraine – is there anything that else that we can do?
“Maybe the news that we've heard just before the conference kicked off may have been a wake up call.”
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb called on the EU to establish a special envoy to speak with one voice on the talks, adding that there may positives from the situation. “Don't underestimate Trump as a negotiator. I genuinely believe that Putin is baffled and afraid what might becoming from here on.
“We need to convince the Americans where is the value added [including the EU) and then get back into the table.”
The baseline for Europe was that Ukraine must retain the option of maintaining its frontline against the Russian invasion, said Andrej Plenkovic, the Prime Minister of Croatia. “I think the messages of President Zelenskyy and all the other Ukrainian leaders were very clear,” he said. “They will not accept anything that is happening without them, and the way I see the mood within the European allies and partners is similar.”
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
New schools in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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