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WORLD NEWS Thursday 16 June 2022
EU sues U.K. over move to rewrite post-Brexit trade rules

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN and solution but the proposals
JILL LAWLESS set out by the EU today
Associated Press are the same proposals we
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro- have been discussing for
pean Union sued Britain on months,” it said.
Wednesday over its move It added that it had to act
to rewrite the trade rules because the protocol was
agreed to when the coun- undermining Northern Ire-
try left the EU two years land’s peace accord by
ago, ratcheting up tensions “disrupting trade and lead-
between the major eco- ing to people in Northern
nomic partners. Ireland being treated dif-
Earlier this week, British ferently to the rest of the
Prime Minister Boris John- U.K.”
son’s government pro- While there are serious dis-
posed legislation that agreements between the
would remove customs two sides, the events of
checks on some goods en- this week also reflect ma-
tering Northern Ireland from neuvering as each tries to
the rest of the U.K. Those wrangle the best deal from
checks were imposed as the other.
part of a hard-fought com- The legislation the British
promise when Britain left government proposed will
the EU and its borderless European Commissioner for Inter-institutional Relations and Foresight Maros Sefcovic holds up take months to wind its way
documents as he speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday,
free-trade zone but have June 15, 2022. through Parliament, and
caused both economic Associated Press officials appear to be hop-
and political problems in ing they will get a new deal
Northern Ireland, where such a move Wednesday. is the only part of the U.K. unionist party blocked the with the EU in the mean-
some say they undermine But the prospect of trade that shares a border with formation of a new power- time.
the region’s place in the war still seemed a distant an EU country, namely Ire- sharing government in Bel- That seems unlikely. Of-
United Kingdom. possibility since both would land. The checks were im- fast, saying it won’t take ficials in the EU and mem-
The EU has decried Britain’s suffer and have said they posed in order to keep that part until the Brexit trade ber country governments
effort to rip up part of the want to find a solution out- border open because that rules are scrapped. are incensed at what they
deal. side of the courts. is a key pillar of the peace Šefčovič, the EU commis- see as the U.K.’s intention
“Let’s call a spade a spade: According to the latest EU process that ended de- sion official, said he’s willing to break international law.
This is illegal,” European figures, the 27-nation bloc cades of violence in North- to keep talks going with the Johnson’s government in-
Commission Vice President is the U.K.’s biggest trading ern Ireland. U.K. but insisted solutions sists its unilateral move is
Maroš Šefčovič told a news partner, while the U.K. is the But British unionists in North- should be found within the lawful, but many lawyers
conference in Brussels on EU’s third-biggest trading ern Ireland say the new original agreement, called and lawmakers including
Wednesday. after the U.S. and China. checks have put a burden the Northern Ireland Proto- some in his governing Con-

The EU’s decision to pursue At the heart of the dispute on businesses and frayed col. servative Party disagree.
legal action raises the pos- and the whole reason a the bonds between the The British government The so-called infringement
sibility that either or both compromise was needed region and the rest of the called the EU’s move “dis- procedure that the EU re-
sides could impose pun- in the first place are con- U.K. The rules have also led appointing.” newed Wednesday like-
ishing tariffs on the other. cerns about stability in to a political crisis in North- “The U.K.’s preference re- wise will take months to un-
Šefčovič refused to rule out Northern Ireland, which ern Ireland, where the main mains for a negotiated fold. q

China’s Xi reasserts support for Russia

on security issues

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese legitimacy of the actions would have “no limits.” It
President Xi Jinping reas- taken by Russia to protect remains unclear whether Xi
serted his country’s sup- the fundamental national knew at the time of Russia’s
port for Russia on issues of interests in the face of chal- plan to invade Ukraine.
sovereignty and security in lenges to its security cre- In that meeting, the two
a phone call with Russian ated by external forces,” leaders pushed back
leader Vladimir Putin on according to Moscow’s against U.S. pressure, de-
Wednesday, state media official readout. China has claring their opposition to
said. refused to criticize Russia’s any expansion of NATO Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President
Xi told Putin that “all parties invasion of Ukraine or even and affirming that the is- Vladimir Putin talk to each other during their meeting in Beijing,
China, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.
should responsibly push for to refer to it in such terms, land of Taiwan is a part of Associated Press
a proper settlement of the while accusing NATO and China, as they met hours
Ukraine crisis,” according the West of provoking Mos- before the Winter Olympics eration,” Xinhua reported, While offering its tacit sup-
to the official Xinhua News cow into attacking. kicked off in Beijing. “China is willing to, togeth- port for Russia’s invasion of
Agency. Weeks before the Russian Xi told Putin on Wednes- er with Russia, continue to Ukraine, China has sought
The Kremlin said in its ac- attack, Putin and Xi met day that China “is willing to support each other on is- to appear neutral and
count of the call that Putin in Beijing in February and work with the Russian side sues concerning core in- avoid possible repercus-
“outlined his fundamental oversaw the signing of an to promote the steady and terests and major concerns sions from supporting the
assessments of the situation agreement pledging that long-term development of such as sovereignty and se- Russian economy amid in-
in Ukraine.” Xi “noted the relations between the sides bilateral pragmatic coop- curity.” ternational sanctions.q