"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Previously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused the Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a May 2024 arson attack on the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw.
Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
"I have great hope that an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine will be reached this weekend," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 9, shortly before traveling to Kyiv alongside the leaders of France, Poland, and the U.K.
Editor's Note: The original version of this article said that the EU foreign ministers committed to advancing a special tribunal for the Russian war crimes. The tribunal will actually investigate Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine. LVIV — On Europe Day, as tanks rolled through Moscow's Red Square in a show
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.
This is the fourth such tranche from the bloc, which is secured by proceeds from frozen Russian assets.
The denunciation of the convention will take effect six months after the decision is made.
"Everyone in Moscow must know that they have to reckon with us. Europe will support Ukraine," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said.
Friedrich Merz has pledged to continue aiding Ukraine, expressing support for sending Taurus cruise missiles in coordination with Germany's allies.
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.
The classified "homeland defense plan" outlines how the government would respond in the immediate aftermath of a strike on British territory by a hostile foreign nation.
Poland will hold presidential elections on May 18, with a potential runoff on June 1, as the country faces key debates over social policy, migration, and national security that could shape its political trajectory.
Far-right Euroskeptic candidate George Simion, head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), received nearly 41% of the votes. Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan placed second with 20.99% of the vote, and the candidate from the ruling coalition, Crin Antonescu, obtained 20.13%.
The vote follows the annulment of the previous first round held in November 2024, when Romania's Constitutional Court invalidated the outcome due to evidence of social media manipulation and foreign interference.
The payout, drawn from a pool of 10 billion euros ($11.3 billion) in cash frozen under EU sanctions since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, comes in response to Russia's confiscation of billions in Western-held assets over the past year.
Until now, only AfD's regional branches in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt held that status, while the national party had been under observation as a suspected extremist group.
EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said the EU is also drawing up a “plan B” to maintain economic sanctions on Russia in case the Trump administration pulls out of Ukraine peace negotiations and moves to restore ties with Moscow.
The decision formalizes Hungary's intention, first announced in early April during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Budapest.
"Look at Belarus — this summer, Russia is preparing something there under the guise of military exercises. This is how its new attacks usually start," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine’s military spending grew by 2.9% in 2024 to reach $64.7 billion, roughly 43% of Russia’s total expenditure, according to a report released on April 28 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Security guarantees could include not "Article 5 itself, but specifically those forces and the protection that Article 5 provides to NATO countries," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"Negotiating with the war criminal Putin is evidently futile," a statement signed by officials from eight countries said.
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