Europe's East
Ukraine struggles to debunk fake virus news
The water service in Odessa, a port city in southern Ukraine, was suddenly overrun this week with calls from worried residents with a peculiar concern.
EU demands access to Donbas for international organisations during coronavirus restrictions
Russian-backed armed formations in the breakaway Donbas region have since Saturday (21 March) denied access to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) mission monitoring the conflict, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported on Tuesday.
The Commission’s Eastern Partnership strategy is disappointing
Distance should not be a criterion: Georgia is better prepared for EU membership than the frontrunners of the Western Balkans, writes Andrius Kubilius.
Belarusian leader proposes ‘tractor’ therapy for virus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday (16 Monday) encouraged citizens to work in the countryside and drive tractors as a way to overcome the coronavirus epidemic.
Europeans welcome ‘turning point’ Georgian electoral deal
European parliamentarians hailed on Tuesday (10 March) the political agreement between Georgian ruling and opposition parties that promises to resolve the electoral reform conflict that resulted a series of protests in the country.
Eastern Partnership’s champions expect more from the ‘geopolitical Commission’
As associated countries of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova ask for a more ambitious Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy, the debate continues about the next steps and available financial support for what is lauded as one of the EU's most successful foreign policies.
Trial of men accused in downing of MH17 to begin in Amsterdam
The first hearing in the trial of four fugitive suspects in the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was set to start in Amsterdam on Monday (9 March), more than five years after the plane was downed in Ukraine.
Ukraine prosecutor gets sacked, raising European concerns
The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday (5 March) dismissed Ruslan Riaboshapka as the country's prosecutor general, raising concerns from civil society groups as well as lawmakers in the European Parliament.
Zelenskiy signals government reshuffle as experts warn against reform backpedal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signaled a potential reshuffle of his government on Wednesday (26 February) that local media said could include axing Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk in favor of businessman and veteran politician Serhiy Tihipko.
Crimean experts warn Russia has appetite for Black Sea, more Ukrainian land
Increasingly grandiose Russian military exercises in the Black Sea, compounded by the impending water crisis and a burgeoning defence industry in the Crimea, indicate that the security situation in Southern Ukraine may soon deteriorate, Ukrainian experts from Crimea warn.
Armenia’s ousted president Sargsyan stands trial on corruption charges
Former Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan on Tuesday (25 February) goes on trial charged with corruption, nearly two years after he was ousted from power by a popular uprising following a decade in office.
Poroshenko fights selective justice ‘at the orders of Zelenskiy’
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is fighting a court decision to have him brought in by force for questioning by the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI). Poroshenko's lawyers and his party said this latest development illustrates what the West calls “selective justice” in Ukraine.
Georgia reports massive cyber-attack ‘carried out by Russia’
Georgia’s foreign ministry announced on Thursday (20 February) that a massive cyber-attack had taken place against its state institutions and media, and that investigations have shown that Russia was responsible for it. “On 28 October 2019, a large scale cyber-attack...
Concessions to Russia will cost Europe too much
Europe’s strength lies in its unity and solidarity, but strength does not mean making concessions to an aggressor in a hope that it will become your friend: strength is to make the aggressor hange his behaviour, writes Mykola Tochytskyi. Mykola...
Risk still there for Ukraine to become frozen conflict – OSCE chief
Despite recent rapprochement between Ukraine and Russia, the full implementation of the Minsk agreements is still "miles away" and there is still a risk that the separatist regions could turn into another "frozen conflict", OSCE Secretary-General, Thomas Greminger, said in an interview with EURACTIV.
Russian spy agency played role in Berlin murder of Georgian man: Bellingcat
Russia’s FSB security service planned and organized the murder of a Georgian man in Berlin last summer, a killing that triggered diplomatic expulsions from Germany and Moscow, the investigative website Bellingcat said on Monday (17 February).
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy wants ‘legitimate’ local elections in Donetsk, Luhansk
Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Saturday (15 February), Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated his plea for Western support, while indicated his openness to hold local elections in the separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Lugansk together with the rest of the country in October.
The Kremlin is pushing Belarus to merge with Russia: Lukashenko
The Kremlin is pushing Belarus to merge with Russia in exchange for cheap energy, the Belarusian leader said Friday (14 February), as Russian strongman Vladimir Putin is believed to be maneuvering to extend his stay in power.
Facebook says it dismantles Russian intelligence operation targeting Ukraine
Facebook on Wednesday (12 February) said it had suspended a network of accounts used by Russian military intelligence to seed false narratives online targeting Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe.
German arrested for illegal military exports to Russia
German prosecutors said Thursday (13 February) they had arrested a businessman on suspicion of exporting millions of euros in machinery to Russia that could be used for military purposes, in violation of EU sanctions.
Europe’s Southern Gas Corridor ‘almost ready’, says Azebaijan’s SOCAR
A 25-year supply contract has been signed with Italy, and the first Azeri gas is expected to start flowing before the end of 2020, said Vitaly Baylarbayov, deputy vice president of SOCAR, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.
Senior appointments in Moscow and Kyiv point to tentative thaw
New senior appointments in Moscow and Kyiv on Tuesday (11 February) pointed towards a tentative thaw in ties, after the Ukrainian president's new chief of staff offered guarded praise for the man put in charge of the Ukraine file in the Kremlin.
Modernisation in Azerbaijan
The key word in Azerbaijan in recent months appears to be modernisation, with opportunities being given to young and well-educated professionals, replacing a Soviet-time old guard.