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Andrew Gray
For Andrew Gray's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024
EU leaders back new Iran sanctions after attack on Israel
Leaders condemned the attack, reaffirmed commitment to Israel's security and urged prevention of more tensions.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a news conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 5, 2024
NATO allies aim to send more air defense aid to Ukraine but make no concrete pledges
The alliance's 75th anniversary has been overshadowed by the war on its borders.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presents the alliance's annual report at NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 14.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 3, 2024
NATO ministers mull €100 billion military fund for Ukraine
The plans will be discussed during a two-day meeting in Brussels.
European Council President Charles Michel during a news conference in Brussels on Feb. 1
WORLD / Politics
Mar 21, 2024
EU leaders to discuss using profits from Russian assets to arm Ukraine
EU leaders have voiced alarm about the state of the war in recent weeks, with ammunition-starved Ukrainian forces struggling to hold back Russian troops.
French President Emmanuel Macron's comments fitted with his reputation as a diplomatic disruptor who likes to break taboos and challenge conventional thinking.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2024
Macron's Ukraine troop talk shakes up NATO allies
The French president's idea of possibly sending troops to Ukraine was so ambiguous that he sparked confusion and irritation among some allies.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg traveled to the U.S. last month for a visit partly designed to sell the alliance and support for Ukraine to the Donald Trump camp.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 19, 2024
Europe seeks to sway Trump camp on NATO and Ukraine aid
European leaders argue that they are spending more on defense and will do more, and that protecting Europe projects U.S. strength to China.
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares shells to fire a L119 howitzer toward Russian troops from a position near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Jan. 25.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 1, 2024
EU grapples with future of military aid for Ukraine
Most EU countries are ready to inject €5 billion into the military aid fund to help Kyiv but Germany wants changes to the fund first.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel during an EU summit in Kyiv on Feb. 3.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 15, 2023
EU grants Ukraine membership talks but can't agree on financial aid
The move comes at a critical time for Ukraine, with its counteroffensive against Russian forces having failed to make major gains.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the day of the annual State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Sep 14, 2023
Hungary seen as stumbling block to Ukraine's EU membership
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban cultivates warmer ties with Moscow than many of his EU peers and has repeatedly locked horns with Kyiv.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
May 27, 2023
NATO struggles in the shadows to find new leader
Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, the transatlantic military alliance's secretary-general, is due to step down at the end of September after nine years in the post.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 13, 2023
German foreign minister embarks on post-Macron 'damage control' in China trip
The French leader provoked a backlash in the United States and Europe when he called on the European Union to reduce dependence on the U.S.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 9, 2023
Zelenskyy takes pitch for weapons and EU membership to Brussels
Following a surprise visit to Washington in December, the trip was the Ukrainian leader's second-known time out of his country since the war began.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree