Talking Europe hosts Pascal Lamy, co-ordinator of the Jacques Delors institutes, and a distinguished former head of the World Trade Organization and former EU Trade Commissioner. We discuss great power competition in today's world; the EU’s influence when it comes to global trade and regulation; the critical importance of Africa to Europe; and climate adaptation in the light of Lamy’s role as a member of the Climate Overshoot Commission.

Threats, tricks and promises — Russia's Defense Ministry has many carrots and sticks when it comes to getting Central Asian migrants to join the military. One of those ways is giving them a path to Russian citizenship.

From battle tanks to anti-aircraft defense systems: After initial hesitation, Berlin has become one of the most important suppliers of weapons to Ukraine.

The recent announcement of a US-backed rail and shipping project linking India with the Middle East and Europe is seen as a challenge to Beijing's "Belt and Road Initiative."

Beijing has called a European Commission probe into Chinese electric vehicle subsidies, a "naked protectionist act."

Enlargement of the European Union was one of the priorities outlined by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union speech on September 13th, and it is likely to become an ever more pressing issue over the next few years. After the speech, Talking Europe sat down with the EU Commissioner in charge of neighbourhood and enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi. He is a distinguished Hungarian diplomat and lawyer. He served as Hungary's ambassador to the EU, and has held prominent positions at the Hungarian ministry of justice and ministry of foreign affairs.

Kyiv said its plans were in response to unilateral bans announced by the three states after an EU ban expired. The trio argue they are protecting their local markets, while Ukraine says the ban is "legally wrong."

Zelenskyy's visit comes as many conservative Republicans are growing skeptical of US aid to Ukraine. Kyiv has been heavily reliant on weapons assistance from the West as it staves off Russia's invasion.

Warsaw says it is ending its supply of weapons to Ukraine, but that future deliveries could still be on the table. The move comes amid a growing dispute over a grain import ban with Kyiv.

German aid organizations allegedly demanded that money be spent on sick German children instead of tank deliveries to Ukraine. But the whole story is made up, and the video explaining it is a spoof.

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington seeking more help to fend off Russia's forces, US President Joe Biden said he was confident Congress would continue supporting Kyiv.

Azerbaijan says it has sent tons of food aid and hygiene products to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, days after a cease-fire was reached between Baku and ethnic Armenian separatists.