Ukraine
EU delays Russian oil sanctions
The European Commission has removed a proposal to fully phase out Russian oil imports from its near-term agenda, delaying a key element of its RePowerEU strategy aimed at ending reliance on Moscow’s energy supplies.
Drones hit Estonian power plant chimney, crash in Latvia after Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s Primorsk
The Baltic states are experiencing spillover effects from a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Baltic seaport of Primorsk.
Ukraine attacks Russia's Primorsk export terminal in effort to cut Kremlin off from windfall oil profits
Ukraine has hit Russia's largest Baltic export oil terminal at Primorsk and set it on fire in an effort to prevent the Kremlin from capitalizing on sky high oil prices due to the war in Iran.
Russia’s SVR weighed staged assassination of Viktor Orban, says Washington Post
Western intelligence services are signalling they are fully aware of Russian plans to influence Hungary's upcoming general election.
Ukraine sends drone units to five Gulf countries
Ukraine has sent drone units to five Gulf countries at the invitation of their governments as US-made interceptor ammunition runs low.
US spends more on Iran war in two weeks than four years on Ukraine war
The US has spent more on just two weeks of Operation Epic Fury than it has done in four years of supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Ukraine risks aid shortfall as reform delays and EU divisions test financial lifeline
Kyiv faces increasing pressure to accelerate reforms while its allies grapple with how to sustain support in an increasingly fragmented political landscape.
Ukraine deploys 228 counter-drone specialists to Gulf states amid Iran war
Zelensky says 228 Ukrainian counter-drone specialists are now deployed across the Gulf as Ukraine leverages its battlefield expertise against the same Iranian drone technology used in both wars.
EU Council meeting achieves little
EU leaders had a heavy agenda at a summit in Brussels on March 19. They had to deal with a mushrooming energy crisis, a Ukraine funding fiasco and the stalled passage of twentieth sanctions on Russia. Little progress was made on solving any of them.
Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to disable pipelines that deliver gas to Turkey, Hungary and Slovakia
Gazprom alleges 26 attack drones tried to reach compression stations vital to TurkStream and Blue Stream operations.
EU freezes plans to adopt Russian twentieth sanctions package due to Iran war turmoil, growing internal divisions
The EU’s plans to adopt a twentieth sanctions package against Russia have been frozen due to a disruption caused by the war in Iran, according to a diplomatic source cited by TASS on March 16.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb adds his voice to EU calls for Russian reengagement
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has added his voice to the growing number of calls from EU members to reengage with Russia.
Zelenskiy hawking Ukraine’s drone tech to help in Iran
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is hawking Ukraine’s advanced drone technology to the US in an attempt to get back on the right side of US President Donald Trump.
"No oil, no money," Orban tells Ukraine
“No oil. No money.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to take a hard line on dropping his veto on the disbursement of the €90bn EU loan agreed in December, as Brussels comes up with a face saving solution to end the impasse.
Democratic decline deepens in Eastern Europe as global slide to autocracy accelerates
Democratic governance is under unprecedented strain worldwide, with Eastern Europe now a hotspot for backsliding, says V-Dem Institute Democracy Report.
Chinese firms dominate supply chains sustaining Russia’s war effort, investigation finds
Thousands of Chinese companies found to have supplied goods to Russian firms linked to the country’s defence sector, despite Beijing’s claims of neutrality.
Majority of Ukrainians back peace deal with territorial concessions if framed positively - KIIS
Ukrainians are getting tired of the war. In a change of heart, a majority would now support a peace agreement involving territorial concessions if presented alongside clear incentives such as European Union membership and security guarantees.
Despite an Iran war windfall, Russia’s MinFin still planning budget cuts
With Russian oil trading at over $100 and discount to Brent at zero or less, Russia's Ministry of Finance is anticipating a significant windfall this year that will reduce. However despite the good news, MinFin is still intending to cut at least 10%.
COMMENT: Iran war brings Ukraine’s peace talks to a halt
The trump administration and Donald Trump personally have completely lost the ability to mediate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, says The Bell in a commentary.