Iceland deals blow to EU’s dreams of expanding northward — news outlet

Iceland deals blow to EU’s dreams of expanding northward — news outlet Before the referendum, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos engaged in a flurry of media activityBRUSSELS, August 30. /TASS/. The "no" vote in Iceland's referendum on EU accession dealt a heavy blow to Brussels' hopes of expanding northward, Euractiv reported, commenting on the results of the referendum in Iceland. "[This was] a major setback for Brussels’ dreams of expanding the bloc," the news outlet noted, adding that Brussels had been courting supporters of launching accession negotiations. Before the referendum, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos engaged in a flurry of media activity. In her interviews, she promised Reykjavik that negotiations would take a record-short time of one to two years and that the country could join the EU as early as 2028. She also stated that Iceland’s decision to begin negotiations would strengthen the EU’s position on admitting new members. Euractiv emphasized that supporters of EU accession convinced Icelanders that joining the eurozone would bring record-low inflation (even though EU membership does not imply automatic eurozone accession). However, opponents of the EU won over more voters by arguing that joining the EU would undermine Iceland’s sovereignty and impose restrictions on fishing. 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leaving — Russian envoyOleg Ozerov emphasized that Chisinau’s pragmatic approach to cooperation with Russia and the countries of the post-Soviet space has yielded tangible benefitsRead moreCIA chief proposes Putin-Trump-Zelensky meeting during visit to Moscow — AxiosAccording to the news outlet, John Ratcliffe also sought to determine whether talks with Ukraine could be resumed with US mediationRead morePress Review: EU boosts arms aid to Ukraine as India bolsters Russia ties amid US pressureTop stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, August 25thRead moreArmy general comments on Russia’s unabated offensive, Ukraine’s attempts to hold DonbassKiev’s main strategic objective is to maintain control over the remaining part of Donbass, and the Ukrainian army has created a defense in depth, Valery Gerasimov saidRead moreDenmark suspends issuance of residence permits to Ukrainians of mobilization ageAccording to parliamentary documents, the proposal was approved by 98 votes to 11Read 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