EURACTIV.com with agencies
Veterans, propagandists in Russia start criticising the stuttering Ukraine war
Vladimir Putin's faithful propagandists, as well as a former commander of pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, have openly criticised Moscow's stuttering military campaign in Ukraine in recent days, in a sign that the presumed iron-cast internal support for the Russian president may be eroding.
Ukraine war now in stalemate, US intelligence says
Invading Russian military forces remain bogged down in Ukraine and have shifted to a war of attrition, two senior US intelligence officials told Congress on Tuesday (10 May).
Macron says EU is not at war with Russia, warns against ‘humiliating’ Putin
Europe must learn from its past mistakes and make sure no side is humiliated when Russia and Ukraine negotiate for peace, France's president said on Europe Day (9 May) in Strasbourg.
Charles Michel visits Moldova, promises military support
The European Union is considering additional military support to Moldova, to cope with the spillover from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel said on a visit to Chisinau on Wednesday (4 May).
CIA invites ‘concerned Russians’ to get in touch via darknet
The CIA says Russians disaffected by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine may be trying to get in touch with US intelligence – and it wants them to go to the darknet.
Putin warns West of lightning retaliation; sanctions batter Russian economy
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of lightning-fast retaliation if countries interfere in Ukraine as European leaders accused Russia of "blackmail" over its cuts to gas supplies.
Moscow warns London for provoking Ukraine to strike Russian territory
Russia warned Britain on Tuesday (26 April) that if it continued to provoke Ukraine to strike targets in Russia then there would be an immediate "proportional response".
Russia cuts gas to Poland, threatens disconnecting Bulgaria
Russia halted gas supplies to Poland under the Yamal contract on Wednesday (26 April), in a deepening of the rift between the West and Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov warns ‘serious’ nuclear war risks should not be underestimated
Russia told the world not to underestimate the considerable risks of nuclear war that it said it wanted to reduce and warned that conventional Western weapons were legitimate targets in Ukraine, where battles raged in the east.
Ukraine receives fighter planes, aircraft parts to bolster air force
Ukraine has received fighter planes and aircraft parts to bolster its air force in the face of Russia's invasion, the Pentagon said Tuesday (19 April), declining to specify the number of aircraft or their origin.
Lavrov says Russia will not hit Ukraine with nukes
Russia will use only conventional weapons in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in response to a question about the possible use of nuclear arms in the war.
Russia expels 18 diplomats from EU’s Moscow mission in retaliatory move
Moscow has expelled 18 employees of the European Union's delegation to Russia in retaliation at Brussels' expulsion of 19 Russians earlier this month, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday (15 April).
Russia warns US to stop arming Ukraine, Zelenskyy warns of nuclear threat
Russia has warned the United States that there will be "unpredictable consequences" if Washington keeps arming Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Friday (15 April).
Zelenskyy calls for ‘firm global response’ to train station bombing
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a "firm global response" Friday after a missile strike killed 52 people at a train station in eastern Ukraine where civilians had gathered to flee a feared Russian offensive.
US top general sees Ukraine war protracted in years
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin defended America's response to the war in Ukraine on Tuesday (5 April) during a heated exchange with a Republican lawmaker who accused the Pentagon of over-estimating Russia's military capability.
Russia vows ‘symmetrical’ response after fresh expulsions of diplomats
Russia will respond proportionately to the expulsion of its diplomats from a number of Western countries, Russian ex-president and deputy head of security council Dmitry Medvedev said late on Monday (4 April). “Everyone knows the answer: it will be symmetrical...
I got Putin wrong, Nord Stream 2 was a mistake, says Steinmeier
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, long an advocate of Western rapprochement with Russia, expressed regret for his earlier stance, saying his years of support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had been a clear mistake.
Vucic claims victory in elections ‘without suspense’
Serbia’s strongman Aleksandar Vučić claimed a landslide victory in general elections Sunday (3 April) paving the way for another term as president and extending his decade-long rule in the Balkan nation. Official results were set to be announced late Monday...
Lavrov warns that sending peacekeepers to Ukraine may lead to NATO-Russia confrontation
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday (23 March) sending peacekeepers to Ukraine may lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the NATO military alliance.
Bulgaria, Baltic countries kick out 20 Russian diplomats
Bulgaria has expelled 10 Russian diplomats while Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania have banished another 10 Russian diplomats between them, the foreign ministries of the respective countries said on Friday (18 March), citing their non-diplomatic activities and the spreading of Russian military propaganda.
Slovakia ‘preliminarily’ agrees to send key air defense system to Ukraine
Slovakia has preliminarily agreed to provide Ukraine with a key Soviet-era air defense system to help defend against Russian airstrikes, according to three sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported on Wednesday (16 March).
US, France warn Russia any use of chemical weapons would have consequences
US and French officials warned Russia on Wednesday (16 March) that the country would bear a heavy responsibility if it used chemical or bacteriological weapons in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia make progress on plan to end war
A fifteen-point draft deal between Russia and Ukraine, reported by the Financial Times on Wednesday (16 March), would involve Kyiv renouncing NATO membership ambitions and accepting territorial changes, in return for security guarantees.