Eastern Europe / News
Orban vows to “do everything” to keep Ukraine out of the EU
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vowed to “do everything” in his power to prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union, he said in a social media post on June 3, escalating tensions over the bloc’s enlargement policy.
Russia’s Gazprom has quietly shelved Turkey gas hub plan, says report
Project praised by Putin no longer seen as viable, sources at energy giant cited as saying.
Ukraine’s secret services hit Kerch bridge with a 1,100kg bomb
Ukraine’s security services have claimed responsibility for a major underwater explosion that damaged the Kerch Bridge on June 3, the critical road and rail link between Russia and the occupied Crimean peninsula.
Russia demands Ukraine's de facto capitulation with Istanbul demands
Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for the second direct ceasefire talks on June 1 that made little progress in laying out the groundwork for the mooted 30-day ceasefire suggested by the Trump administration in March.
START missile treaty exposed Russia’s nuclear bombers to Ukrainian drone attack
The conditions of the START missile treaty signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Joe Biden in January 2021 exposed Russia’s strategic nuclear bomber fleet to the devastating Operation Spiderweb drone attack.
Russo-Ukraine ceasefire talks in Istanbul break up with no progress
Russia and Ukraine held direct talks for the third time since the war started on June 2, but the meeting broke up with no real progress made.
Ukraine’s audacious Operation Spiderweb drone attack destroys nuclear bombers deep inside Russian territory
Operation spiderweb unleashed a swarm of Ukrainian drones, launched from trucks, that destroyed a third of Russia’s nuclear-capable long-distance bombers, parked on the runway thousands of kilometres from the front line.
COVID is back - a new "NB.1.8.1" strain is spreading across continents
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is back. Reports from health authorities around the world have detected a new highly contagious strain of the virus that has been spreading through Asia and has now reached Russia.
China launches international mediation organisation in Hong Kong
China has launched a new international mediation organisation in Hong Kong on May 30, signed by 31 countries
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Bolivia's $2bn lithium deals with China and Russia suspended by court ruling
A court in Potosí halts $2bn lithium projects with Russia’s Uranium One and China’s CBC in Bolivia, home to the world’s largest lithium reserves, over legal and environmental concerns tied to direct lithium extraction plans.
Critical delay hits Russia’s building of Turkey’s first nuclear plant as $7bn fails to show up
Moscow believed to be seeking financial concessions from Ankara.
Washington receives Ukraine draft of conditions for ceasefire deal with Russia
The United States has received a draft proposal for implementing the ceasefire from Ukraine and is now waiting for the Russian version, US Special Representative for Ukraine, during remarks reported by Vedomosti on May 27.
Slovak PM Fico slams German Merz for his comments on EU taking action against Hungary and Slovakia
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico slammed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for stating that Germany could propose EU block the EU funding for Hungary and Slovakia if the two countries diverge from EU policies.
Serbia extends Russian gas supply deal until end-September
The temporary extension announced just days before agreement was due to expire as Belgrade and Moscow negotiate a new long-term energy deal.
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Panama tightens ship registry rules to combat Russian sanctions-evading fleet
Panama has moved to impose stricter rules on ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfers in response to growing international scrutiny over its role in facilitating sanctions evasion.
EU allies drop all restrictions on types of weapons available to Ukraine
Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States have lifted restrictions on the types of weapons that can be supplied to Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced on May 26.
Putin has gone "CRAZY," Trump says, as Russia rains down missiles on Ukrainian cities
Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone “crazy”, US President Donald Trump said at the weekend, after two days of intense missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.
Hungary's Viktor Orban escalates anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, citing threat of economic and security collapse
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has escalated his campaign against Ukraine's accession to the EU over the past weeks, warning that it would divert vast amounts of funds away from existing members and imperil Hungary's security and economy.
Czechia gets nuclear fuel delivery from Westinghouse as it moves away from Russian supplies
Prague is pushing to replace the Russian state agency Rosatom and its TVEL arm, on which Czech nuclear power plants relied for years.
Russia runs down Ukraine’s air defences with a “weekend of hell” drone and missile strikes across the country
Russia has been running down Ukraine’s air defences with a “weekend of hell” with one of the most intense drone and missile barrages since the war began three years ago that struck Kyiv and other major cities.