Eurotopics.net

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a virtual summit on Tuesday to discuss the Ukraine crisis. The US is demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops gathered on the Ukrainian border. The Kremlin is demanding a clear rejection of plans for Kyiv to join Nato. Europe's press sheds light on the precarious situation.

France's conservative party Les Republicains will send Valérie Pécresse into the 2022 presidential race. The head of the Île-de-France region prevailed in a run-off against the staunchly right-wing Eric Ciotti. Former favourites such as Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier were eliminated in the first round on Thursday. Can Pécresse hold her own against Macron and the far-right candidates Zemmour and Le Pen?

Leading nationalists and far-right politicians from EU states have met in Warsaw at the invitation of Poland's ruling PiS party. The aim: to bring the far-right factions divided between two groups in the EU Parliament together and to hammer out plans to change the "character of the EU". Commentators discuss what this could mean for Europe.

Angela Merkel officially retired from the office of chancellor on Thursday. Her departure was marked with official military ceremony. The CDU politician had governed Germany since November 2005 and shaped many important decisions at the European level. The reviews in Europe's press are mixed.