Iran Press/ America: Top European officials including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council chief Charles Michel and top envoy Josep Borrell are in Washington for the first EU-US summit in more than two years, ostensibly focused on clearing up lingering trade tensions between the two allies.
The summit will come a week after China gathered representatives of more than 130 countries to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its own global investment plan, the Belt and Road Initiative.
The gathering takes place a day after US President Joe Biden returned from Tel Aviv, where he assured his hosts of his country’s unflinching support and announced an exceptional aid bill for both Israel and Ukraine, and as Israeli commanders give an apparent green light for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. More on the war’s fallout below.
After a week of high-level tension and open disagreement over the EU’s position on the conflict among von der Leyen, Michel and Borrell, the EU contingent will be hard pressed to display unity or at least avoid contradicting one another in public. 219
