Ukraine
Slovakia’s Fico meets Ukraine’s Zelenskiy and delivers a message from Putin, opening indirect talks between the two presidents
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Uzhgorod, close to the Slovak-Ukrainian border, on September 5 and delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin in what could be an indirect approach.
COMMENT: Potential sanctions on Russian oil keeps price outlook uncertain
The ongoing Ukraine war ceasefire talks and the potential for new and even more extreme sanctions on Russian oil exports is keeping the outlook for the price of oil uncertain, Oxford Economics said in a note.
KYIV BLOG: Brexit on steroids
The coalition of the willing Paris summit on September 4 ended in disaster. The European team has been working really hard for several weeks to thrash out a plan to save Ukraine and came together in Paris.
Trump chews coalition of the willing leaders out over Russian oil imports
US President Donald Trump got into another shouting match over the Ukraine conflict, this time with Europe’s top leaders of the coalition of the willing, in a phone call following the end of the Paris summit on September 4.
The coalition of the willing meet in Paris to try and stop the war in Ukraine
President Zelenskiy travelled to Denmark and France on September 3 to meet with leaders from 35 countries that make up the coalition of the willing (COW) and discuss the need for strong measures to pressure Russia to negotiate an end to the war.
LONG READ: Europeans face recession, financial crises, as they struggle to boost defence spending
US President Donald Trump has dropped the burden of supplying and supporting Ukraine’s battle against Russia firmly in Europe’s lap. But cash-strapped and with the UK and France on the verge of crisis, they are going to struggle to manage.
LONG READ: Europe can’t afford the Ukraine war
US President Donald Trump has cut off all aid to Ukraine and dumped the problem in Europe’s lap. But Europe can’t afford to pay for the Ukraine war, nor for the modernisation of its own defence sector.
Nato’s Zeitenwende to reach 2% spending goal – Statista
New data released last week by Nato exemplifies how profoundly the realities of foreign relations have changed over the course of the past three years, Statista reports.
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.
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.
Kyivstar rings Nasdaq bell in landmark listing for Ukraine amid reconstruction push
Ukrainian officials described the listing as an important signal that the country’s businesses continue to thrive and attract foreign investment despite the strains of war.
COMMENT: Russia’s size is its Achilles’ heel as Ukraine targets its oil infrastructure
Since August the Armed Forces of Ukraine has mounted a continuous barrage on Russian refineries that has reduced output by 20%. Russia is so big that the Kremlin can’t protect all its pipelines and refineries.
High profile Euromaidan revolutionary and top Ukrainian politician gunned down in Lviv
Andriy Parubiy, a key Euromaidan revolution figure and former Rada speaker, was assassinated in Lviv on August 30.
MOSCOW BLOG: a tale of two sets of talks
There are two sets of talks going on at the moment. In one set, Europe is trying to help its ally bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine with a “just peace”. In the other Trump just wants to do business with Russia.
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.
Cold War-era missile agreements are back on the agenda and could provide badly needed peace deal negotiation middle ground
Restarting talks on renewing the Cold War missile treaties is one of the best options of kicking off serious peace negotiations between Russia and the West and now its back on the agenda.
Russia making steady gains in the battle for the Donbas
Russian forces have made significant territorial advances across several fronts in eastern Ukraine since July, and the battle for the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk is still raging.
Deathonomics: Russia’s war in Ukraine creates a new kind of middle class
Deathonomics: Russia’s war in Ukraine creates a new kind of middle class Some economists have dubbed it “deathonomics”. Russia’s heavy military spending is transforming income profiles. The trouble is you might be dead at the end of it.
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.