It has become a lonely world for Europe.

With the transatlantic alliance under strain, China’s appeal waning, and Russia as unpredictable as ever, the EU is looking to strengthen its global partnerships – starting with India.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by 21 commissioners, heads to New Delhi on Thursday to deepen economic, technological, and security ties with the world’s fifth-largest economy.

The visit comes as Brussels pushes for new trade deals, including a long-stalled free trade agreement with India.

But geopolitical challenges loom large. New Delhi’s close ties with Moscow, slow-moving trade negotiations, and diverging priorities could complicate efforts to build a stronger EU-India partnership.

Can Europe offer India a compelling alternative to its traditional allies? And will this visit mark a turning point in EU-India relations?

Read Alexandra Brzozowski's story to find out.

Polish Presidency’s smoke signal. The Polish EU presidency is pushing forward the discussion on taxing alternative tobacco products, according to a non paper seen by Euractiv’s Sarantis Michalopoulos.

Europe’s wellness mirage. Europe has largely stagnated or regressed on several health problems, from child mortality, chronic diseases caused by tobacco and alcohol use to vaccine uptake against infectious diseases, WHO Europe said in a report published on Tuesday, writes Emma Pirnay.

Plans of steel. The European Commission has announced a "strategic dialogue" on how the EU's steel sector can remain competitive and go cleaner despite Europe’s high energy prices, low demand, and stiff competition, writes Stefano Porciello.

Italy's new vine villain. For the first time, natural infections of the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium strain that causes Pierce's disease in Californian grapevines have been found in plants in Italy's Southern Apulia region, the EU's food safety watchdog EFSA said, write Alice Bergoënd and Maria Simon Arboleas.

Eco faith goes poof. Voters are starting to doubt European governments’ ability to tackle climate change, although the issue remains a key concern, a new survey shows, with 39% of respondents in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Sweden ranking the climate among their top three priorities, Nikolaus Kurmayer reports.

BERLIN

Germany's future government fuses and splits on agriculture. Günther Felßner is likely to be Germany's next agriculture minister, although he and his party are at odds with the most likely coalition partner, the Social Democrats, on some agricultural policy issues, while agreeing on others. Read more.

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PARIS

France bans nicotine pouches, as EU war on product escalates. France notified the European Commission it will ban sales of nicotine pouches, becoming the latest EU country to push back against the industry that has heavily invested in new and addictive products. Read more.

LONDON

British PM Starmer pledges 2.5% GDP defence spending from 2027. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday promised to raise defence spending to 2.5% of national gross domestic product (GDP) from 2027. Read more.

TALLINN

Estonia announces world-first ‘AI Leap’ to roll out chatbots in all schools. Estonia launched the world's first initiative to integrate ChatGPT Edu and other education specialised AI tools into a national education system, the Estonian government, OpenAI and Anthropic announced on Monday. Read more.

ROME

Commission backs Rome in ECJ hearing on Italy-Albania migration deal. The European Commission backed Italy’s stance in the Italy-Albania Migration Deal case, arguing that EU law allows states to designate countries as “safe” even if only for specific, well-defined migrant groups. Read more.

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MADRID | LISBON

Portugal and Spain's different bites on meat consumption. The Iberian Peninsula is a culinary powerhouse – think Spanish jamón and Portuguese bacalhau – and ranks among the EU’s top consumers of meat. But as the global debate over animal products heats up, along with the climate, Spain and Portugal are taking very different bites out of the issue. Read more.

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LISBON

Chinese lithium factory in Sines could get €350 million in EU grants. The Chinese CALB lithium battery factory in Sines, in south western Portugal, whose €2 billion project was launched on Monday in Lisbon, could receive up to €350 million in support under the European incentive scheme for reindustrialisation. Read more.

WARSAW

The Polish Air Force will patrol the skies of the Baltic states as part of the Baltic Air Policing operation, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced after consulting with President Andrzej Duda. Read more.

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PRAGUE

Czech army faces critical shortage of soldiers. The Czech military is facing a severe shortage of personnel, a problem that defence officials say is even more pressing than funding. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA   

Fico accused of Musk-like tactics as he demands NGO grant lists. Slovakia's opposition Progressive Slovakia party has criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico for demanding a list of NGO grants from ministries and likened him to Elon Musk, prompting Fico to launch a personal attack on party leader Michal Šimečka. Read more.

BUCHAREST

Right-wing populists AUR, far-right party SOS and right-wing populist party POT filed a no-confidence motion against the government led by Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, challenging the government's legitimacy. Read more.

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SOFIA

Bulgaria claims it is fully ready to adopt the euro. Bulgaria is fully prepared to adopt the euro from 1 January 2026, its government said on Tuesday, adding that it will ask European institutions for an extraordinary assessment that should open the door to the eurozone. Read more.

• EU: Commission President Ursual von der Leyen delivers opening address at Antwerp European Industry Summit;
• Commission Vice President Roxana Mînzatu participates at high level event on "Shaping the future: European Universities alliances for a competitive Europe”;
• Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib participates in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) high level forum on Women's Rights; Meets with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) CEO Richard Hatchett; Hosts first annual Youth Policy Dialogue on Preparedness;
• Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath meets with European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) Director General Agustín Reyna; Holds meetings with European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), and Child Rights Action Group;
• Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Šefčovič holds video conference call with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi;
• Parliament President Roberta Metsola on official visit in Washington DC, USA: leads roundtable discussion with the US Chamber of Commerce; Meets with members of Congress in the House of Representatives and the Senate at Capitol Hill.

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[Edited by Charles Szumski, Daniel Eck, Sofia Mandilara]