Central Europe / News
Trump pledges US troops will remain in Poland, signals readiness to send more
Polish President Karol Nawrocki hopes to persuade Washington to increase its defence engagement in Eastern Europe on his first foreign visit since taking office.
Putin has no objection to Ukraine joining the EU
Debunking a widely held assumption, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to China to attend the SCO summit that Russia has “no objection” to Ukraine joining the EU on September 2.
Slovakia's PM Fico says he wants standard relations with Russia following his meeting with Putin
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said he wants standard relations with Russia following his meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Fico stated he spent nearly an hour in private talks with Putin.
Czech billionaire ex-PM Babiš hit on the head with a crutch at campaign event
Babiš was attacked in his stronghold region by an elderly onlooker as he campaigned for ANO, currently the favourite to win the October general election.
Hungary launches biggest home loan scheme since regime change
Hungary has rolled out its most ambitious homeownership programme since the transition to democracy, with the government pledging to make property purchases more affordable for first-time buyers.
Future 500 Forum to tackle Europe’s chronic scale-up gap
As Europe lags Asia and the US on competitiveness, a new initiative aims to give Central and Southeast Europe’s most promising companies a shot at becoming global champions, co-founder Stjepan Orešković tells bne IntelliNews.
BRICS leaders gather in China to coordinate anti-Trump alliance
The EU’s 27 foreign ministers will debate seizing Russia’s frozen $200bn at an informal gathering in Copenhagen, as the leading BRICS nations gathered in Beijing to form a common strategy to deal with US trade aggression on August 30.
EU foreign ministers meet to discuss Russia problem
European foreign ministers gathered in Copenhagen to discuss a number of issues with holding Russia to account for the war with Ukraine at the top of the agenda.
Orban government bans ethnic Hungarian military commander from Schengen zone sparking tweet war between Warsaw and Budapest
Hungary is banning from the country, and thus from the Schengen area, the commander who ordered the attacks on the Druzhba pipeline last week.
Orlen to build Poland’s first nuclear power plant
Race is on to make it Europe’s first such installation based on small modular reactor technology.
Hungary sues EU over use of frozen Russian asset income for Ukraine aid
Hungary has launched a lawsuit against the EU over the use of billions of euros in interest accrued from frozen Russian sovereign assets to finance military support for Ukraine.
Poland doubles down on opposing Ukraine’s EU bid over WW2-era massacres
Deputy PM Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Ukraine “will have no chance" of joining the European Union without acknowledging the atrocities committed in Volhynia in 1943.
Prague bourse registers record trading on August 26
Hike driven by trading in shares of majority state-owned energy utility ČEZ.
Polish President Nawrocki vetoes bill aiding Ukrainian refugees, financing Starlink access
Ukraine may lose access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet system after Polish President Karol Nawrocki blocked an aid bill aiming to extend support for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
War of words escalates between Budapest Brussels and Kyiv following the latest Druzhba oil pipeline attacks
US President Donald Trump is very angry with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over the attacks on Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline that lead to an exchange of irate letters over the weekend.
Russian oil deliveries to Hungary off again after third attack on Druzhba pipeline as Ukraine ups attacks on Russian oil assets
Russian crude deliveries to Slovakia and Hungary were suspended on August 21 after a third attack on the Druzhba pipeline system in less than two weeks, officials confirmed. Flows are expected to remain offline for at least five days.
Ukraine hits Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline again with drones
Ukraine has carried out another strike on the Druzhba oil pipeline, hitting the Unecha oil pumping station in the latest of a series of incidents targeting the Soviet-era pipeline.
Czech ANO party ejects candidate who schemed to kill ex-husband’s dog
For dog-loving Czechs, the scandal is the biggest setback so far for populist ANO, which is a heavy favourite to win the October parliamentary elections.