Estonian PM arrives in Kyiv to meet Zelensky
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the PM said in a post on X on Dec. 9.
Eastern Europe
Belarus Weekly: Russians tortured Ukrainians in Belarus at start of full-scale invasion, investigation shows
Russian troops operated a torture chamber on Belarusian state-owned property in 2022, journalistic investigation reveals. Over 150 Russian drones flew into Belarusian airspace in November — three times the previous monthly record of incursions. The European Parliament urges stronger sanctions on Belarus, Iran, and North Korea for aiding Russia’s war
Belarusian soldiers fighting for Ukraine say time is running out for their brother-in-arms extradited to Belarus
In Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus, helping to defend Ukraine against Russia gets you labeled as a terrorist. Vasil Verameichyk, a Belarusian who enlisted in Ukraine's Armed Forces just four days after Russia launched its all-out war, was detained on Nov. 13 in Vietnam in a suspected covert operation by Belarusian secret
Romania targeted by 'aggressive Russian hybrid attacks,' authorities say amid elections
Romanian authorities on Dec. 4 declassified evidence of what they described as a "highly organized" social media campaign backed by a "state actor" to boost pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu in a recent vote.
Bulgaria supplies arms, ammunition to Ukraine in its 7th aid delivery
The exact list of supplies, provided in accordance with a decision on military support in late 2022, remains classified.
Georgia’s fight for democracy is at a breaking point
On Oct. 26, Georgia held parliamentary elections under a proportional system with a 5% threshold. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured 53.93% of the vote, earning 89 parliamentary mandates but falling short of a constitutional majority. Opposition parties received 37.79% of the
Russia-friendly candidates surge in Romania's elections, a worrying signal for Ukraine
Romania's presidential and parliamentary elections saw a strong showing for far-right politicians critical of military support for Ukraine. Anti-NATO and Russia-admiring independent candidate Calin Georgescu came in first during the initial round of the presidential vote on Nov. 24, with nearly 23%, a shock result that contradicted previous polling. Nationalist
Romania's ruling social democrats on course for most votes, far-right comes in second, preliminary results show
Romania’s ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) received 22.5% of the votes during the parliamentary elections, according to results from more than 99% polling stations published on Dec. 2.
Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko threatens internet shutdown in case of protests during 2025 elections
Thirty-eight Russian combat drones enter Belarus on Nov. 24-25, marking the most significant overnight incursion so far and nearing the previous monthly record. Alexander Lukashenko threatens to shut down the internet in Belarus should protests occur during the 2025 presidential election. A Belarusian who fought on behalf of Ukraine as
Can Russia sustain its war effort as ruble plummets, inflation soars?
With the purchasing power of the Russian ruble hitting the lowest point since March 2022, the economic toll of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine becomes glaring. Russia's expanding spending on the war has fueled inflation, prompting Russia's Central Bank to hike its interest rate to the highest level since the
Russian troops operated torture chamber for Ukrainians in Belarus in 2022, media reports
The chamber was located on Belarusian government-owned property in the town of Naroulia, not far from the border with Ukraine, the Belarusian Investigative Center reported
Georgescu’s rise exposes the fragility of Romania’s pro-European consensus
The meteoric rise of hardcore nationalist Călin Georgescu in Romania’s first-round presidential election over the weekend is nothing short of remarkable. Georgescu surged from just a few percentage points in polls weeks before the vote to claim over 23% of the electorate, defeating candidates from the country’s two
Opinion: Georgia’s civil society is the last line of defense for democracy
Georgia finds itself at a crossroads. The Oct. 26 elections, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory, have brought to the surface deep concerns about the integrity of our democracy. Civil society organizations, independent media, and the international democratic community have all raised alarms about widespread irregularities during
Far-right Ukraine aid critic takes surprise lead in Romanian presidential election
Calin Georgescu, a far-right critic of Romania's pro-NATO and pro-Ukraine policy, is projected to enter the presidential run-off vote after a shock result in the first round on Nov. 24.
Belarus Weekly: New Russian military doctrine to cover Belarus with nuclear umbrella
Belarus’ authorities are on full alert ahead of upcoming presidential elections in January 2025, new wave of police raids target relatives of political prisoners. Belarusian police conduct counter-protest drills to prevent “manifestations of extremism and terrorism” during the election campaign. Russia’s military doctrine was updated, covering Belarus with a
Belarus Weekly: Ukrainian, Russian ombudsmen meet in Minsk to discuss POWs exchange
Two of Alexander Lukashenko’s “challengers” in upcoming 2025 presidential elections drop out before race even starts, pledge support for Belarusian dictator. Lukashenko pardons 31 political prisoners as pre-election police raids intensify. Lukashenko allows the family to visit Maria Kalesnikava in jail, ending over 600 days of holding the prominent
Kremlin finds new enemies to target — Russians without kids
More than a decade since Russian lawmakers banned "LGBTQ+ propaganda," the Kremlin's self-declared crusade for "traditional values" has found a new target — Russians who don't want children. On Nov. 12, the Russian State Duma voted to outlaw the support and promotion of "childfree propaganda," effectively imposing fines on those who
Orban's hold on Hungary weakens as opposition unites behind unlikely challenger
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on Nov. 7, looked confident. Budapest was hosting the European Political Community gathering, with Orban hugging it out with the continent's leaders whose standing at home leaves them little leeway to challenge the Russian-friendly prime minister. Orban's standing at home, practically unchallenged since 2010, has
If Georgian Dream stays its course, we can't consider them a democratic partner, expert says
Georgia stands at a crossroads. The parliamentary elections on Oct. 26 were presented as a choice between a creeping authoritarianism and a drift into the Kremlin's orbit on one hand, and Georgia's EU aspirations on the other. A group of pro-European parties hoped to unseat the Georgian Dream, a party
Belarus Weekly: Dictator Lukashenko allows six token candidates to 'challenge' him at the ballot
Belarus concludes registration for the 2025 presidential election, allowing six token candidates to “challenge” dictator Alexander Lukashenko at the ballot. Ahead of the upcoming election, Belarusian law enforcers conduct sweeping raids, human rights group Viasna reports. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto argues against sanctions, engages with Belarus, Russia at Eurasian
Russia doesn't recognize Moldovan President Sandu's re-election, Kremlin spokesperson says
"She is not, as far as we understand, the president of her country because, in the country itself, the majority of the population did not vote for her," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Belarus Weekly: Minsk rushes with presidential election, seeking to hand Lukashenko a victory ahead of term's end
Belarus rushes forward with a presidential election, seeking to hand Alexander Lukashenko a victory six months ahead of the official term's end. In an interview, Lukashenko says North Korean troops fighting against Ukraine would be an “escalation.” Belarus and Russia to hold major joint military drills in September 2025. Belarus
Historian on the past, present and future of Russia's colonialism
Why do some young people in the West romanticize Communism? How did Russian President Vladimir Putin manage to sell the idea of retaining the imperialist regime to the Russian people?
Georgia sinks deeper into Russian-style authoritarianism amid stolen election allegations
Georgia's Oct. 26 parliamentary election presented a clear geopolitical choice for the country’s voters, but criticism is mounting that the ruling regime stole the vote. After years of vacillating between the West and Russia and paying lip service to European integration, the country's ruling Georgian Dream party began to
Who is Sergei Kiriyenko, Russian hawk reportedly in touch with Elon Musk?
Late last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk, the U.S.-based oligarch with extensive influence on American politics, had been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022. The revelation came weeks after reports that similar calls were potentially made by former U.
Like Russian opposition itself, Navalny’s posthumous memoir falls short on Ukraine
For Russian liberals, late opposition leader Alexei Navalny represented a glimmer of hope for a democratic future. Yet for many Ukrainians, especially in the context of a decade of war, he was a more complex figure, often casting doubt on whether Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin necessarily aligned with support
Sandu's rival claims support for Ukraine, Moldovan president calls him 'Moscow's man'
Moldovan presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo claimed he would continue supporting Ukraine, a statement dismissed by incumbent President Maia Sandu during a presidential debate on Oct. 27.
Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko to reelect himself in January as regime prepares for elections
Belarus schedules next presidential election for January 2025. Belarus reportedly shoots down the second Russian drone amid ongoing incursions into its airspace. The EU supports Poland’s migration plan, including suspended right to asylum amid the continued artificial migration crisis at the Belarus border. Subscribe to the Newsletter Belarus Weekly
How Russia attempted to steal Moldovan election, referendum, and what comes next
Although Russian interference has taken many forms in Moldova since its independence in 1991, the election and referendum results on Sunday shocked many pro-European Moldovans. Despite opinion polls showing clear support for entrenching the desire for EU accession into the country's constitution, the success of the EU referendum came down
Russia's wartime economy delivers growth, but will the bubble burst?
A draft budget submitted to the Russian parliament last month has outlined the Kremlin's plans to keep spending high in its wartime economy, with ambitions to maintain the steady levels of growth the country has seen since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Surging government spending on war
Georgia denies journalist entry to cover elections amid rising Russian influence
Czech journalist Ray Baseley was denied entry to Georgia without an explanation after arriving at Tbilisi airport on Oct. 22 to cover the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Torn apart by infighting, without a plan, what comes next for Russia’s opposition?
When Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February 2024, the country’s liberal dissidents vowed to carry on their mission: to end the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Eight months on, however, and Russia’s opposition is bitterly divided, with little to no
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