Ukraine
Russia trims growth outlook as economy skirts stagnation
Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has delivered a notably downbeat assessment of the country’s economic trajectory on May 12, signalling that growth is likely to stall over the next two years.
Post-Orban Hungary turns inward: warmer on the EU, cooler on Ukraine, no break with Russia
Hungary’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar has inherited a country that remains broadly supportive of closer ties with the European Union but is increasingly cautious about breaking with Russia or deepening support for Ukraine.
Ukraine revises budget as EU loan unlocks billions for defence spending
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Ukraine expects to receive €45bn this year under the EU’s broader €90bn support programme, with the first tranche scheduled to arrive in June.
NABU charge former head of Ukraine’s presidential administration Yermak with corruption
Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities have charged Andriy Yermak, the former head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office and his close personal friend, with laundering UAH460mn ($10.5mn) linked to luxury real estate development near Kyiv.
Zelenskiy's former press secretary makes sweeping allegations in Tucker Carlson interview
Iuliia Mendel, who served as press secretary to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy from June 2019 to July 2021, gave a sweeping and damaging interview to American commentator Tucker Carlson on May 11, making a series of harsh allegations.
Czech weaponry companies weaken on Prague bourse after Putin hints at ending war in Ukraine
Shares of Czech defence companies listed on the Prague Stock Exchange weakened on the first day of trading this week.
Colombia's battle-hardened veterans fuel Ukraine's front lines
Thousands of Colombian veterans are fighting in Ukraine's armed forces, drawn by salaries up to eight times their domestic military pensions, a flow of combat labour that has made Colombia the single largest source of foreign fighters for Kyiv.
Latvian defence minister resigns after drone crash
Andris Spruds said he is stepping down to prevent political disputes from undermining confidence in Latvia’s armed forces.
Putin says the war in Ukraine is “coming to an end”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believed the war in Ukraine was “coming to an end”, signalling what appeared to be one of the Kremlin’s clearest indications yet that Moscow may be seeking a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine war.
EU slams Slovakia’s Fico for Moscow Victory Day trip
European officials slammed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for his decision to travel to Moscow and attend the Russia’s Victory Day commemorations on May 9, the only European leader to attend.
Europe's rearmament programme is falling apart from the inside just when Ukraine needs it most
Europe's most ambitious attempt to coordinate its own defence — the €800bn ReArm programme launched with considerable fanfare in early 2025 — is being quietly undermined by the very governments that approved it.
Russia Victory parade: few guests, no armour and all over after only 45 minutes due to Ukraine drone strike threats
It was all over in record short time. Russia’s annual Victory Day on Red Square ended after only 45 minutes with no displays of any of the Armed Forces of Russia (AFR) military hardware and under extremely tight security.
SHEVCHENKO: Donornomics - €90bn for the war, but how much will be needed for peace?
The European Union has finalized a €90bn loan for Ukraine for 2026–2027. This is an important decision. But it should be read correctly. This is not money for Ukraine’s reconstruction. This is money for the war.
Argentina is the IMF biggest debtor followed by Ukraine
Argentina remains by far the largest debtor to the International Monetary Fund, underscoring the depth of its long-running financial crisis and its dependence on multilateral support.
Europe funds the Ukraine conflict with debt, Russia with cash
How can Europe cover the $100bn the war in Ukraine costs? The EU just signed off on a €90bn loan for Ukraine agreed at a summit on December 19 to get it through the next two years. Europe doesn't have the cash. Russia does.
Corruption overtakes Russia as Ukraine’s biggest threat - poll
Corruption has overtaken the war with Russia as the greatest perceived threat to Ukraine’s future, according to a new poll from Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) released on May 6 that highlights mounting public frustration.
Hungary quietly returns seized assets to Ukrainian bank two months after controversial raid
Counterterrorism unit TEK stopped two cash transport vans of Oschadbank near Budapest ahead of Hungary's April general election.
Russia expanding missile arsenal vastly outpaces Ukraine
Ukraine’s army has held its own against the invading Russians with heroic success for more than four years, but the one place where the two forces have a vast mismatch is with missiles.
RAGOZIN: The Russia doomsday campaign
Stories predicting an imminent crisis in Russia do not reflect political, economic or battlefield reality.
UK imposes sanctions against recruiters of African and other migrants to fight for Russia, build drones
The sanctions “expose and disrupt the operations of those trafficking migrants as cannon fodder and feeding Putin’s drone factories with illicit components,” the UK Sanctions Minister said.