Eastern Europe / News
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Ukrainian ex-convict accused of masterminding botched Lima heist
A foiled heist in the heart of Lima has exposed the operations of a foreign-led gang allegedly orchestrated by Vitaliy Zinchenko, a 42-year-old Ukrainian national with a criminal past in Peru.
Russian tycoon Usmanov wins lawsuit against Luxembourg media giant
A German court has banned Mediahuis Luxembourg S.A., the most important media holding in Luxembourg, from referring to Uzbek-born Russian metals and media tycoon Alisher Usmanov as the owner of the luxury superyacht Dilbar.
EBRD cuts 2025 growth forecasts citing tariffs and global uncertainty
Development bank lowers forecasts for Emerging Europe, Central Asia and North Africa as slowdowns in Germany and China take their toll.
Zelenskiy to travel to Istanbul after Trump backs Putin’s offer of talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed to hold face-to-face peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on May 15.
EU leaders demand Putin end hostilities or face crushing sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare midnight press conference on May 10 and called for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in the Istanbul format, as the key EU members of the coalition of the willing met Ukrainian President Zelinskiy.
Brazil courts Moscow with nuclear and defence pacts as Europe rallies behind Ukraine
Brazil and Russia are pursuing extensive cooperation on nuclear technology, military hardware and space exploration, as President Lula da Silva dismissed European criticism of his attendance at Vladimir Putin's Victory Day celebrations.
Lithuanian activists hand out condoms on Victory Day to prevent 'another Putin' from being born
Activists gave out condoms at the entrance to the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius, where the city’s Russian community were marking Victory over Fascism Day.
Serbia’s Vucic trolls EU with Moscow visit
Vucic seemed to be goading EU leaders on social media, posting daily updates of all the persona non gratas he'd met on the sidelines of Putin's Victory Day parade.
Turkey and China could mediate Ukraine peace talks if US withdraws, Polish foreign minister says
Turkey and China could act as potential mediators in future Ukraine peace negotiations if the United States reduces its involvement, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
Russia backs Beijing's 'One China' claims over Taiwan
Taiwan is a self-governed island democracy that has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party regardless of claims to the contrary by Beijing. Despite this, China views the island as a breakaway province.
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.