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What does Biden’s visit to Berlin mean for NATO and EU?

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US President Joe Biden will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer in the German capital, Berlin, this week, as his presidency draws to an end.

His visit, initially scheduled for last week, included a meeting at Germany’s Ramstein air base, where he was set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders. After Biden’s visit was cancelled, Zelenskyy made stops in London, Rome, Berlin, and Paris to present his “Victory Plan” to European leaders.

With Biden preparing to hand over the reigns to either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris, governments across Europe have been making plans for both scenarios, but Europe is going to need to reduce its dependence on the US either way.

Euronews spoke with transatlantic expert Rachel Tausendfreund to discuss the US-EU relations amid ongoing discussions about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership.

Tausendfreund stresses that Europe needs to procure more weapons and ammo together and coordinate together.

“Separately, they’re all buying a decent amount of things or producing a decent amount of material,” she says, adding that because NATO member states are working alone, the capacity is “much lower than it should be.”

France supports producing fighter jets and munitions as a European initiative, but there are other countries, such as Germany, who say that weapons should be bought from wherever it is cheapest and most efficient, including from Israel, causing tension between states.

What would it mean for NATO if Trump wins?

“There are two scenarios. The optimistic kind of French scenario is that finally everyone will agree with France that Europe can’t rely on the US forever and therefore need to establish strategic autonomy. And that would also mean less reliance on US systems because you need also political support sometimes to use some of these weapon systems,” Tausendfreund explains.

She says that is an optimistic scenario that is unlikely to happen because countries on the eastern flank of Europe, who feel vulnerable due to their proximity to Russia, lean on their relationship with the US and focus on their own defences, which can lead to continued fragmentation within Europe for NATO member states.

Regarding the future of Ukraine, Tausendfreund suggests that if Trump were to win the election in less than three weeks, there would likely be a decrease in support for Ukraine.

She believes Trump is going to push Ukraine into negotiations almost immediately, using military support as leverage to pressure Kyiv into talks. “By early January, they’ll be forced to negotiate, regardless of the situation,” she says, underlining that it will probably be important to Trump to get some kind of deal so that he can sell it as a win.

The best-case scenario for NATO under a Trump presidency would be to have a strong EU response and coordination with the UK, leading to a Europeanisation of NATO that keeps the alliance robust, according to the expert. NATO states would need to achieve this by increasing capacity and filling in gaps that could be left if the US withdraws support.

“A positive scenario is you have really a Europeanised NATO where the Europeans are providing 60% of the defence and deterrence capability,” Tausendfreund says.

However, if NATO states and the EU doesn’t ramp up its defence capabilities, then it could become very weak by 2025, she warns.

And what about the consequences for NATO if Harris wins?

“I think we’re looking at one maybe two years of solid support, but with an eye to finding an exit strategy,” Tausendfreund says.

She hopes that a presidency under Kamala Harris could encourage the EU to coordinate together to strength the European pillar. She warns that if Europe continues along this path of not being united in making decisions, that the effects will be negative, and can lead to weakened European security, by 2027 or 2028.

“The US simply doesn’t have the capacity to stay focused on Europe to the extent that it has,” she explains.

On the topic of Ukraine, Tausendfreund says that “if Harris wins, you can expect the same level of support rhetorically as we’ve had in the Biden administration. And I actually think another big spending package would be possible, even if the Republicans have control of the Senate, because a significant number of Republicans, maybe not quite a majority, but close, actually support aiding Ukraine, as long as the political pressure is not that high.”

The future of NATO

Either way, the pressure to arm NATO is unlikely to diminish, regardless of who is elected. Without better cooperation between member states, Russia could feel emboldened and “make trouble on the continent,” the expert says.

Ukraine’s potential NATO membership?

“Ukraine will need pretty strong security guarantees from the NATO’s partners, be it in the form of membership or just in the form of bilateral security guarantees. Well, for that to work, these allies have to be credible security givers and they’re the Europeans that have a lot of work to do,” Tausendfreund adds.

And about Zelenskyy’s peace plan?

“It’s an ambitious plan. It’s clearly just putting on paper what he thinks they would need in order to win. I’m not sure that it’s very realistic he’s going to get it. He’s not going to get it from Biden. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Tausendfreund says. But under a Harris administration, there could be more support.

Security experts are urging Europe to take a more united approach in producing weapons, and say they need to accelerate making tough decisions for the future of NATO.

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Lagos Court Jails Man Three Months for Non-Declaration of $30,000 at Airport

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Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three Months imprisonment for money laundering.

The convict was arrested on March 28, 2025 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for false currency declaration to the tune of $30,0000.

The NCS had, on Friday, March 28, 2025, handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Okotie Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos for further investigations.

Consequently, he was arraigned on Wednesday on one-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The count reads: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 (Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and Punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.

 

Paul, while giving details of how she knew the defendant, told the court that the NCS handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on Friday, March 28, 2025.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Paul also told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $30,000, which he failed to declare. She further told the court that “ his statement was recorded under caution and was served with the bail conditions.”

Thereafter, she identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $30,000(Thirty Thousand US Dollars) to the EFCC.

Okozie then sought to tender, in evidence, the documents.

Justice Dipeolu admitted and marked them as exhibits 1,2,3 and 4 and held that “ I have read the exhibits, the statement of the defendant, and I found him guilty. He is accordingly convicted as charged.”

Okezie thereafter prayed that the undeclared sum of $20,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the defendant be jailed.

Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, while addressing the court, said that the defendant “is a first-time offender and is not aware of the disclosure policy . He is a family man and has responsibilities. His bank account shows the legitimacy of the funds.”

He also prayed the court to “ magnanimously waive any prison sentence”, adding that the convict would not mind forfeiting the sum of money or pay a fine.

Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest on March 28,2025. The Judge also ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Steve, a departing passenger on Delta Airline to Atlanta, United States had declared that he was not in possession of any sum of money in foreign currency but in Naira, while being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk.

However, the sum of $30,000 undeclared was found on him during a search conducted by operatives of the NCS.

He was subsequently handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC for further investigations, a development that led to his arraignment and conviction.

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Nigerians in US to protest at White House over emergency rule in Rivers State

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A coalition of Nigerian activists in the United States, under the Democratic Movement, DM, has called on global leaders, the United Nations and the African Union to intervene in what it described as a blatant attack on democracy in Rivers State.

The pro-democracy movement also announced a planned rally at the United States White House to protest the declaration of emergency rule in the oil-rich state.

The coalition is demanding the reversal of the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, the reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the restoration of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The group also called on President Donald Trump to engage with Nigerian authorities and call for the immediate restoration of constitutional order.

A statement, on Thursday by the Coalition, signed by Cosmos Achief, its President, said the protest to the US white house aims to draw global attention to the “direct assault on democracy and the will of the people.”

The statement read, “We cannot sit back while an elected governor is removed, an entire legislature is suspended, and an unelected administrator is imposed. These are dangerous precedents that threaten Nigeria’s democracy,” he said.

The coalition said the protest will take place in Washington, D.C., with demonstrators marching to the White House and the U.S. Department of State to submit petitions demanding international intervention.

“The world needs to see what is happening in Rivers State. A democratically elected government has been suspended under the guise of emergency rule. We are urging President Donald Trump to engage with Nigerian authorities and call for the immediate restoration of constitutional order,” the statement added.

“The president must understand that his actions could lead to serious diplomatic consequences. This move is a step toward dictatorship, and Nigeria risks facing international sanctions if democratic principles are not respected,” Achief warned.

The demonstration is expected to draw the attention of Nigerians in the diaspora, civil rights activists, and supporters of democracy who share concerns about governance in Nigeria.

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Former President Muhammadu Buhari sends his heartfelt condolences to the family of the of Alhaji Abbas Sunusi, Galadiman Kano, who passed away yesterday.

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Former President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of Alhaji Abbas Sunusi, the Galadiman Kano, who passed away yesterday.

In a gesture of solidarity, Buhari also offered his sympathies to the Kano Emirate Council, the government, and the people of Kano State.

This move is reminiscent of Buhari’s previous condolences to the people and government of Kano State, following the passing of notable figures such as Alhaji Ibrahim El-Yakub, a former Federal Commissioner of Water Resources

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