Eastern Europe / News
78-year-old protest legend Nina Bahinskaya faces new charges in Belarus crackdown
According to a report from Human Rights Group Viasna released on May 8, Belarusian authorities have initiated a criminal investigation against 78-year-old activist Nina Bahinskaya for wearing a white-red-white pin in Minsk in 2024.
Serbia’s Vucic to discuss new gas deal with Putin in Moscow
Aleksandar Vucic visited Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day parade shortly before Serbia’s gas supply agreement with Russian energy giant Gazprom is due to expire.
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Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada ratifies US-Ukraine minerals deal
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, approved a landmark agreement with the United States on May 8 to establish a joint reconstruction investment fund aimed at attracting global capital for the country's recovery efforts.
Iran pips Saudi Arabia and Russia as having world's cheapest gasoline
READ MORE: Iran's petrol now world's cheapest at just $0.018/litre, undercutting Saudi Arabia's $0.62 rate amid growing pressure for subsidy reforms.
Slovak Prime Minister Fico forced to fly around the houses on his way to Moscow
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was forced to take the long way round on his trip to Moscow to attend Russia’s Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9.
Russia’s Alrosa finds its largest diamond ever, as Mirny mining operations restart
Russia’s diamond mining monopolist has dug up a 468 carat amber-coloured diamond, the largest diamond it has ever found, after it reopened its Mirny diamond mine in Yakutia that has been closed for seven years.
Kremlin to shut down Moscow’s internet during Victory Day parade, as Ukrainian drone attacks cause civil aviation chaos across the country
Widespread disruption is expected across Russia’s capital during the May 9 Victory Day parade after the Kremlin decided to shut down the city’s internet and SMS services for several hours.
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Putin rolls out red carpet for Maduro as Venezuela cements Russian alliance
President Nicolás Maduro arrived in Moscow on May 7 for talks with Vladimir Putin, where both sides committed to expanding cooperation across defence, energy, technology, and finance.
Serbia’s Vucic heads to Moscow for Victory Day parade
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic departed for Moscow to attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, defying EU warnings that the visit could further derail Serbia’s stalled path toward EU membership.
Kremlin says Serbia’s Vucic will attend Moscow parade
Move risks a serious rupture with Brussels as Serbia takes an increasingly ambivalent stance to EU enlargement.
Russia’s GDP contracts in 1Q25 in real terms for the first time since the war in Ukraine started
Russia’s economy contracted by 0.3% quarter on quarter in 1Q25 in seasonally adjusted terms, marking the first quarterly decline since 2Q22, Vedomosti daily reports citing estimates by Raiffeisenbank.
Brazil's Lula stakes peace broker role in Moscow visit
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will arrive in Moscow later this week for talks with President Vladimir Putin and to attend Russia's Victory Day May 9 celebrations.
EU allies prepared to back Moldova’s EU accession bid without Ukraine if Hungary’s veto not lifted
EU member states most supportive of Ukraine are ready to move forward with accession talks for Moldova without Ukraine, if Hungary continues to block progress for Kyiv.
Hungarian Commissioner delays EU plan to curb Russian energy dependence
Hungary's EU Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi raised a last-minute objection to delay the approval of the EU's roadmap for ending the bloc's Russian energy reliance.
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US, Ukraine sign watered down minerals deal
The governments of Ukraine and the US have signed off on a watered down and much fairer minerals deal, giving US President Donald Trump a PR boost and ensuring Kyiv will continue to have some access to US support on April 30.
Putin and Lukashenko speak on Union State ties and united historical memory at Volgograd forum
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political and economic integration between their two countries.
Russia proposes joint aviation venture with Belarus as part of expanded industrial cooperation
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to establish a joint aviation enterprise with Belarusian specialists as part of deepening industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Poland imposes sanctions on MyPrice Russian discount supermarket chain
Poland has imposed sanctions on the MyPrice Russian discount supermarket chain, which recently returned to operate in two locatiosn in Poland.
BRICS seeks new global alignment at Rio ministerial summit
The expanded BRICS alliance has emerged as a potent diplomatic force at its foreign ministers’ summit in Rio de Janeiro on April 28 ahead of the July meeting.
Hungary and Slovakia warn EU against scrapping unanimity rule over Ukraine membership bid
The leaders of Hungary and Slovakia warned on April 28 against changing the European Union’s unanimity rule, after proposals emerged to bypass their opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession bid.