Europe's East
Lavrov says EU becoming ‘aggressive, militant, NATO appendage’
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday (13 May) said he doubted the motives of Ukraine's intention of joining the European Union, while accusing Brussels of ambitions beyond the European continent.
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.
Erdogan says Turkey not supportive of Finland, Sweden joining NATO
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday (13 May) it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries were “home to many terrorist organisations”. Finland’s plan to apply...
Ukraine’s integration can start today, EU Parliament chief says
The EU should open its doors to Ukraine, paving the way for immediate access to trade, programs, funding, transport, movement, and more, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview. Asked by EURACTIV what her thoughts are...
With Nordics set to join NATO, Estonia wants to close Baltic security gaps
In Estonia, Finland and Sweden's looming NATO accession is seen as a spectacular flop for Russia's President Vladimir Putin and an opportunity to close a gap in Baltic Sea security.
Romania to ease Black Sea gas extraction conditions
Romanian senators on Wednesday (11 May) passed a bill the government hopes will encourage gas extraction in the Black Sea as the European Union looks to reduce its dependency on Russian gas.
NATO to welcome Nordic members as Ukraine pushes back Russian forces
Finland is expected to announce on Thursday (12 May) its intention to join NATO with Sweden likely to follow soon after, diplomats and officials said, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine reshapes European security and the Atlantic military alliance.
Russia ‘most direct threat to world order’, von der Leyen says at EU-Japan summit
Russia is the "most direct threat" to the international order because of its invasion of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday (12 May) in Tokyo.
Russia puts sanctions on Gazprom subsidiaries in Europe
Moscow has imposed sanctions on 31 companies, including the owner of the Polish part of the Yamal pipeline, as well as the former German unit of the Russian gas producer Gazprom, whose subsidiaries service Europe's gas consumption.
LEAK: Russia main focus of upcoming transatlantic TTC summit
The confrontation with Russia will be at the centre of the next high-level meeting of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), according to the draft conclusions obtained by EURACTIV.
Companies hire more lawyers to avoid sanctions-related fines
The deployment of unprecedented sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war has left companies with a complex legal minefield to navigate, prompting them to hire more lawyers to avoid costly missteps.
Russian diplomats spurned in Europe’s capitals
Russian diplomat Sergey Andreev was feeling unwelcome on the streets of Warsaw even before protesters doused him with red liquid thrown in his face at short range this week.
No real victory against critical entities in cyberwar, Ukrainian vice-PM says
Russia's military and cyber capabilities were significantly overvalued, according to Mykhailo Fedorov, the vice-prime minister and digital transformation minister of Ukraine, who opened the 2022 Paris Cyber Summit on Wednesday (11 May).
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).
Ukraine riding high in Eurovision song contest
The Ukrainian ‘Kalush Orchestra’ was voted through on Tuesday (10 May) to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Italy, confirming that they occupy the pole position in Sunday's final.
US, UK join EU in decrying Russian cyberattack on satellite network
Russia was behind a massive cyberattack against a satellite internet network that took tens of thousands of modems offline at the onset of Russia-Ukraine war, the United States, Britain, Canada, Estonia and the European Union said on Tuesday (10 May).
Ukraine to halt key Russian gas transit to Europe, use alternative
Ukraine said on 10 May it would suspend the flow of gas through a transit point which delivers almost a third of the fuel piped from Russia to Europe through Ukraine, blaming Moscow for the development.
Russian troops ill-prepared for Ukraine war, says ex-Wagner mercenary
The Russian military's failure to seize the Ukrainian capital was inevitable because in the preceding years they had never directly faced a powerful enemy, according to a former mercenary with the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group who fought alongside the Russian army.
EU blames Russia for satellite hack ahead of Ukraine invasion
The European Union on Tuesday (10 May) accused the Russian authorities of carrying out a cyberattack against a satellite network an hour before the invasion of Ukraine to pave the way for its assault.
Play nice if you want our agri-trade: EU hangs food security threat over Turkey
Turkey must play by the rules if it hopes to strengthen its agricultural relations with the EU in order to bolster its food security in light of the Ukraine war, member states stressed ahead of a high-level meeting this week.
Ukraine: ‘We have already paid for our EU membership with blood’
As Russia's war rages on in the country's east, Ukrainian officials are lobbying hard for EU leaders to grant the country candidate status as soon as possible, also as insurance to seal Kyiv’s strategic orientation.
Germany to take over critical companies in case of abrupt end to Russian gas
German officials are quietly preparing for any sudden halt in Russian gas supplies with an emergency package that could include taking control of critical firms, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
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.