BRUSSELS — After years of reducing its reliance on Russian gas, the European Union is moving to turn off the taps completely within the next two years. The European Commission (EC) on May 6 presented a detailed roadmap to fully sever the European Union’s energy dependence on Russia by 2027. Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen struck a defiant tone when announcing the plan: "No more shall Euros go into (Russia’s) war chest. Your gas will be banned. Your shadow fleet will be stopped." The plan ha

"The coalition is designed not only to meet the current needs of the Ukrainian army in electronic warfare, but also to lay the foundation for the long-term development of these capabilities," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

The meeting of the Ramstein-format coalition in Brussels comes amid growing uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine and efforts by European allies to close the gap as Kyiv resists Russia's ongoing invasion.

The U.K., France, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and another unnamed country stand ready to send their soldiers, while other leaders want to see a more detailed plan before making commitments, AFP reported.

"This is not a peacekeeping force that will separate the currently warring sides down the line of contact," U.K. Defense Minister John Healy said after a "coalition of the willing" meeting in Brussels on April 10.

The ongoing saga of the U.S.-Ukraine natural resources deal has already caused seismic ruptures between Kyiv and Washington, temporarily costing Ukraine American military support and crucial intelligence sharing. Yet in the quest to placate U.S. President Donald Trump, and secure his support in the fight against Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv faces another hurdle — signing a deal that doesn't threaten its coveted accession into the EU. Ukraine confirmed on April 1 that it had received a ne

Strong statements made after a summit of European leaders in Paris on March 27 demonstrated two things — France and the U.K. are determined to send peacekeepers to Ukraine, but the plans are currently hostage to the whims of the Kremlin. "You cannot trust the Russians any further than you can throw them today, and that really is going to be the blockage in the negotiation process for all parties," Dr. Ian Garner, assistant professor in totalitarian studies at Poland’s Pilecki Institute, told th

As French President Emmanuel Macron hosts another Ukraine-centric summit in Paris on March 27, the main question remains open — can Europe, and France as one of its leaders, keep embattled Kyiv afloat when the U.S. walks out? Addressing the nation on March 5, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France, and Europe, need to prepare to face Russian threats without support from the U.S. "Faced with this world of danger, remaining a spectator would be madness," the French president said. On

The EU is working on providing Ukraine with 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) for ammunition, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said on March 20, as a much larger 40-billion-euro ($43 billion) package still lacks consensus.

The outgoing German government agreed to release an additional 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in military assistance for Ukraine, a German Finance Ministry spokesperson confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on March 19.

The European Union has reached a deal with Hungary to renew sanctions on more than 2,400 primarily Russian entities and individuals hours before they were set to expire on March 15, an EU official with knowledge of the negotiations told the Kyiv independent. The EU had been braced for a standoff over the issue, just the latest diplomatic tussle between the largely pro-Ukraine bloc, and its most pro-Kremlin member. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly opposed military aid for Uk

Russia is signaling its intention to reject a U.S. ceasefire proposal already accepted by Ukraine in Jeddah this week, setting the stage for a likely diplomatic standoff between Washington and Moscow. After nearly 48 hours of silence on the issue, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov on March 13 dismissed the idea of a ceasefire, describing it as a "respite for the Ukrainian military" and adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin would comment on the matter later in the day. Following wee

Kyiv officials will meet their Washington counterparts in Jeddah on March 11 for talks which will impact the future of diplomatic relations between the two countries and likely the future of the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian side hopes the meeting would help mend ties with the White House and ensure that the future U.S.-led peace process doesn't pose an existential threat to Ukraine. "The advice for Ukraine is just get yourself aligned with the United States," Ambassador Kurt Volker, who serve

In a city usually synonymous with bloated bureaucracy, not all official gatherings are worth the fuss. The emergency EU summit on March 6, however, was one to remember. EU member states agreed to unlock what could amount to an unprecedented 800 billion euros ($867 billion) for defense spending amid mounting signs the U.S. is no longer a reliable ally, and the defense of Ukraine is falling squarely on their shoulders. "Europe is finally waking up and hearing the alarm bells," one senior Europea

President Volodymyr Zelensky will take part in a special meeting of the European Council on March 6, a senior EU official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent.