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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 21 July 2020
Insults, flaring tempers mark marathon EU summit on budget

By RAF CASERT and SAMUEL adoption of an ambitious
PETREQUIN plan was required as the
Associated Press health crisis continues to
BRUSSELS (AP) — Weary threaten the continent.
European Union leaders "We must give an answer
expressed cautious opti- that gives certainty, re-
mism Monday that a deal assurance, calm, seren-
was in sight on their fourth ity, both to companies, to
day of wrangling over an workers and to all citizens in
unprecedented 1.85 trillion order to face this pandem-
euro ($2.1 trillion) budget ic with all the guarantees,"
and coronavirus recovery he said.
fund, following a weekend The bloc's executive has
of walkouts, flaring tempers proposed a 750 billion euro
and insults. coronavirus fund, partly
It took an emotional din- based on common bor-
ner speech by European rowing, to be sent as loans
Council President Charles and grants to the countries
Michel about leaders not hit hardest by the virus. That
failing their union, French comes on top of the seven-
President Emmanuel Ma- year 1 trillion euro EU bud-
cron venting his deep frus- get that leaders had been
tration, and a new set of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, Monday, July 20, 2020. haggling over for months
budget numbers to send Associated Press even before the pandem-
the marathon summit on- ic.
ward. logical differences among Macron, Italy and Hungary, leaders Monday, Michel With Macron and Merkel
"There were extremely the 27 leaders. whose Prime Minister Vik- adjusted his proposals and negotiating as the closest
tense moments. And there Overall, spirits seemed to tor Orban asked why the said he was "convinced, of partners, the traditionally
will be more that no doubt have picked up since the Dutchman had such "hate" that an agreement is pos- powerful Franco-German
will still be difficult. But talks hit rock bottom Sun- toward him. sible." alliance could not get the
on content, things have day night. Rutte took it in stride. As he braced for a new quarreling nations in line.
moved forward," said Ma- "It looks more hopeful than "We are not here because round of talks, Italian Pre- At their dinner Sunday
cron, stressing his partner- when I thought during the we are going to be visitors mier Giuseppe Conte said night, the leaders mulled
ship with German Chancel- night: 'It's over,'" said Dutch at each other's birthday he was"cautiously optimis- a proposal from the five
lor Angela Merkel. Without Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a party later. We are here tic" after a "tough" confron- wealthy northern nations
Franco-German agree- target of criticism for keep- because we do business for tations. that suggested a coronavi-
ment, the EU has never tak- ing a compromise impos- our own country. We are all "We are offering a response rus recovery fund with 350
en momentous steps. sible. pros," he said. to Europe. From this point of billion euros of grants and
"An extraordinary situation Rutte, defending the cause On Sunday night, after view, there can be no more the same amount in loans.
demands extraordinary ef- of a group of five wealthy three days of fruitless talks fooling around," he said. The five EU nations — nick-
forts," Merkel said as the northern nations — the and with hope dimming, The coronavirus has sent named "the frugals" — had
leaders pushed on with Netherlands, Austria, Fin- Michel implored leaders to the EU into a tailspin, kill- long opposed any grants
one of the bloc's longest land, Sweden and Den- overcome their fundamen- ing around 135,000 of its at all, while the EU execu-
summits ever. What was mark — sought to limit costs tal divisions and agree on citizens and plunging its tive had proposed 500 bil-
planned as a two-day sum- and impose strict reform the budget and recovery economy into an estimat- lion euros.
mit scheduled to end Sat- guarantees on any rescue fund. Unanimous agree- ed contraction of 8.3% this The latest compromise pro-
urday was forced into two plan for needy nations. He ment is required. year. Spanish Prime Minister posal stands at 390 billion
extra days by deep ideo- came under criticism from Following discussions with Pedro Sanchez insisted the euros in grants.q

US slaps sanctions on strongman ruler of Russia's Chechnya

MOSCOW (AP) — The the Chechen authorities human rights dating back
United States on Monday responsible for a sweeping more than a decade, in-
slapped sanctions on the crackdown on gays over cluding torture and extraju-
regional strongman lead- the past few years that has dicial killings."
er of Russia's republic of seen more than 100 peo- Pompeo said the restric-
Chechnya over human ple arrested, subjected to tions will apply to Kadyrov's
rights violations including torture, with some of them wife and two daughters
torture and extrajudicial killed. Chechen authorities and he encouraged U.S.
killings. have denied those accu- allies to take similar mea-
Ramzan Kadyrov, 43, has sations, and federal au- sures.
run Chechnya like his per- thorities said a probe found Kadyrov responded on his
sonal fiefdom, relying on nothing to support the blog, posting a picture of
his security forces to quash charges. himself standing in a weap-
dissent. International hu- In a statement announcing ons storage room with a
man rights groups have the sanctions, U.S. Secre- smile on his face and a ma-
accused Kadyrov and his tary of State Mike Pompeo chine gun in each hand.
lieutenants of abductions, pointed at "extensive cred- "Pompeo, we accept the In this Friday, May 10, 2019 file photo, Chechnya's regional
torture and killings of their ible information that Kady- fight. It's going to be even leader Ramzan Kadyrov speaks during a meeting in Grozny,
opponents. rov is responsible for nu- more fun down the road," Russia.
Rights defenders also hold merous gross violations of he said.q Associated Press