NEWS FEED

What the West doesn't understand about Russia, from a Lithuanian who knows

What the West doesn't understand about Russia, from a Lithuanian who knows

Lithuania's parliamentary speaker Juozas Olekas said peace with Russia can be secured only from a position of strength and warned that unless Moscow is stopped in Ukraine, it will continue its aggression deeper into Europe. Olekas, a surgeon by training and a longtime figure in Lithuanian politics, has twice served as defense minister and health minister and now serves as speaker of the Seimas. He said Lithuania's approach to security is shaped by its history of Soviet occupation and by a belie
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine pulls back in eastern Sumy Oblast, Russia ignores Easter ceasefire

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine pulls back in eastern Sumy Oblast, Russia ignores Easter ceasefire

Key developments on April 13: * Ukrainian forces withdraw from villages in eastern Sumy Oblast amid heavy fighting * Russia violated Easter ceasefire almost 11,000 times, Ukraine says * In response, Ukraine said it would also observe the ceasefire but would retaliate if it was breached. * German arms giant Rheinmetall to build missiles with Ruta maker Destinus * Asking Ukraine to cede land 'unworthy' of Hungary's 1956 resistance, Magyar says Ukrainian forces have pulled back near Myropils
Ukraine's anti-corruption chief caught between pressure to halt probes and expectations to go further
Interview

Ukraine's anti-corruption chief caught between pressure to halt probes and expectations to go further

Over the past year, a string of scandals has pushed Ukraine's independent anti-corruption agency into the spotlight. After surviving a government power grab in July, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) exposed a $100 million corruption scheme involving several ministers and a former business partner of the president. Parliament has not been spared, with around 50 lawmakers now charged or on trial in cases brought by the bureau. Four years into Russia’s full-scale war, Ukrain
Hungary after Orban: Relief in Brussels, reality check on Ukraine
Politics

Hungary after Orban: Relief in Brussels, reality check on Ukraine

Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary's election will likely unlock the EU's 90 billion-euro loan for Ukraine and its EU membership bid, but that does not mean progress will be instantaneous or free of further obstacles. Even so, "Peter Magyar's win is a positive shift for Hungary and the European Union, and also for Ukraine. It reduces the risk of political blockages in the Council and creates more space for decisions to move forward," says David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's forei
Historic election ousts Hungary's Orban after 16 years in power
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Historic election ousts Hungary's Orban after 16 years in power

The election results are "painful for us, but clear," Orban said in a brief concession speech Sunday night. Opposition leader Peter Magyar won a landslide victory in a historic election marked by record-breaking voter turnout.
IMF spring meetings: What to watch on Ukraine funding
Economy

IMF spring meetings: What to watch on Ukraine funding

Economic policymakers from around the world will gather in Washington, D.C. this week to talk about the global economy — one facing wars, rising protectionism, and the risk of the most severe energy crisis in a generation. Finance ministers, central bank governors, and heads of state will attend the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s spring meetings on April 13–18, held each year. Ukraine will send a high-level delegation, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Central Bank Gover
Investigation: Western companies miss deadline to exit Russia’s main drone production site

Investigation: EU, US companies still operate in Russia’s main drone production hub

Manufacturers from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, and the U.S. continue operating in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, where Russia produces thousands of Shahed drones capable of reaching the EU. A huge industrial site in Tatarstan, a region in central Russia, has gained notoriety for its outsized role in Russia's war against Ukraine. The site, known as the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ), is Russia's main facility for producing Shaheds, its primary long-range attack drones used i