Estonia begins to close border crossing with Russia for night
Estonia started to regularly close the Narva-1 border crossing with Russia between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. local time, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on May 1.
Eastern Europe
Georgian police arrest 63 demonstrators amid violent crackdown on anti-government protest
Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said that "participants of the rally continued to attack the policemen," in unsubstantiated claims that contradicted both the Kyiv Independent's reporting on the ground and widespread media coverage of the event.
Georgian government holds massive anti-West rally as it aims to pass 'Russian-style' law
TBILISI, Georgia – The ruling Georgian Dream party staged a massive rally in Tbilisi on April 29, with tens of thousands of people bussed in from around the country to support the country's democratic backsliding. Party leaders, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, and Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder
Lithuania’s FM: Russian GPS jamming of commercial flights 'too dangerous to ignore'
Baltic foreign ministers have warned that the suspected Russian jamming of GPS systems aboard commercial flights is "too dangerous to ignore." This comes after it was revealed that two Finnish aircraft were forced to turn around mid-journey in recent days.
Belarus Weekly: Belarus classifies depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships as 'pornography'
Belarusian parliament passes bill expanding Investigative Committee's access to citizens' personal data without their consent. Lithuanian parliament rejects conservative proposal to cancel residence permits of Belarusians traveling to their home country. Subscribe to the Newsletter Belarus Weekly Join us In a move mirroring Russia, Belarus’s Culture Ministry classifies depictions
European Parliament adopts resolution condemning Georgia's foreign agents law
EU officials have previously strongly suggested that the law's passage would hurt Georgia's chances of becoming a member of the EU.
Latvian schools to stop teaching Russian as foreign language
Children in Latvia will no longer learn Russian as a foreign language in schools from 2026, but instead will be required to learn a language of the European Union or the European Economic Area, Latvia's Education Ministry announced on April 23.
Thousands of European flights reportedly affected by suspected Russian jamming
Russia has been accused of jamming GPS signals in nearby countries such as Finland as far back as the 2010s.
Georgian parliament moves forward with controversial foreign agents law as protests continue
The legislation was approved by 83 lawmakers of Georgia's 150-member parliament, with opposition lawmakers boycotting the vote.
Opinion: Why is Ukraine rejecting the Belarusian opposition?
Immediately after World War II, the Paris-exiled Polish intellectual Jerzy Giedroyc (of Lithuanian origins, born in Minsk) coined a phrase that would come to define Poland’s foreign policy toward its eastern neighbors: “There will be no independent Poland without an independent Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine.” Since the fall of
Opinion: Poland's democracy isn't out of the woods
Although local elections often don’t make international news headlines or involve widely recognizable household names, anyone who cares about the state of liberal democracy would do well to pay attention to them. In Turkey, for example, recent elections not only revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the country’s autocratic president,
Ethnic tensions on the rise in Russia, as government attempts to divert attention from war
Editor's Note: The people who spoke with the author of this article requested that they be referred to only by their first names since they remain in Russia and are scared to share sensetive information with the media fearing retribution by the people or the state. Adam, a Tajik migrant,
Zelensky arrives in Lithuania for Three Seas Summit
President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 11 arrived in Lithuania to take part in the Three Seas Summit and hold talks with the leaders of the partner countries.
Russian movie theaters are openly stealing Western films, and going unpunished
Russian state television has been vocal in painting Western democracies, especially the U.S., as the reason for all of Russia's problems. The desire for U.S.-made products inside Russia, however, remains high, with the country's providers turning to illegal schemes to cover the demand. After Russia launched its
Lukashenko tightens grip on power as regime prepares for new elections
Around a month before Russia held its presidential elections that were neither free nor fair, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko held his own election-style event. The Central Election Commission of Belarus, controlled by the country’s dictator, claimed an unprecedented 73% turnout. Elections in Belarus, similar to those of neighboring Russia,
Moscow shooting aftermath: Repressions, racism, terror
The March 22 Moscow mass shooting is likely to be used as a justification for a new wave of terror and oppression in Russia. Russian politicians and propagandists began calling for reinstating the death penalty – a mechanism that can be used not only against terrorists but also against the peaceful
The LGBTQ+ lives caught in the grip of wartime Russia
In the vast expanse of Russia, a country where the rigid chill of societal norms and legal strictures often bites more painful than the harshest winter frost, unfolds the poignant story of Ada Blakewell, a 23-year-old trans woman. Her journey is a mirror, reflecting the trials and tribulations faced by
Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko torpedoes Putin's attempts to blame Moscow shooting on Ukraine
Belarusians detained for commenting on the Moscow mass shooting, while Alexander Lukashenko torpedoes Putin's attempts to blame the attack on Ukraine. Belarusian authorities launch a massive raid targeting over 100 "People's Embassies" activists who seek to represent exiled Belarusians in their countries of refuge. Lukashenko inspects military drills held near
In Putin’s Russia, state violence is on full display
When the men accused of committing last week's terrorist attack in Moscow appeared in front of a Russian court, their battered faces told a story of physical torture. The four men — who stand accused of opening fire on crowds at Moscow's Crocus City Hall on March 22, killing at least
Evidence shows recent presidential elections most rigged in Russia’s modern history
The March 15-17 presidential election was the most rigged in Russia's modern history, according to evidence published by election experts, observers, and media. Estimates of vote rigging range from at least 22 million votes to about 31.6 million votes, without taking into account the online voting and the election
Russia claims it detained suspected perpetrators of Moscow shooting that killed over 100 people
Russia's security services detained 11 people allegedly involved in the March 22 mass shooting at a concert venue near Moscow, including four perpetrators, the Kremlin's press service reported on March 23.
Belarus Weekly: Poland cuts financing for exiled Belarusian media, putting survival of independent press at risk
Financial Times says EU plans to impose tariffs on Belarusian and Russian grain imports, aiming to appease farmers and some member states. As Poland cuts financing for exiled Belarusian media, concern rises over the survival of independent Belarusian press. Four exiled Belarusian activists receive in absentia sentences, dozens more are
Western leaders denounce Putin's election 'victory,' fall short of refusing to recognize results
Russian President Vladimir Putin easily cruised to victory in an election ruled neither free nor fair, solidifying his grip on power for another six years. Russia's Central Election Commission awarded Putin with 87.2% of the vote in an election that was widely seen as tightly controlled and without the
Russians still enjoying American burgers and sandwiches as companies refuse to leave
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, most major Western fast-food chains closed up shop, sold off assets, and exited the Russian market. This was particularly true of the highly visible food sector. Major Western food and drink chains, including McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, Hard Rock
Putin ‘wins’ rigged Russian election; Ukrainians in occupied territories vote at gunpoint
Russian authorities on March 15-17 held a presidential election in two countries – Russia and the regions of Ukraine brutally occupied by the Kremlin. The voting was neither free nor fair, with the result known in advance. In the occupied areas, voting was held illegally at gunpoint. In Russia, the elections
Whether afraid or indifferent, regular Russians enable autocracy
For global audiences watching Moscow’s tightly-choreographed “election-style event” this weekend, Russia appears to be a country transformed – a militarized society where dissent is simply no longer tolerated. But the truth is that in the two years since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, for the majority, life
Belarus Weekly: EU seeks to criminalize sanctions circumvention, standardizing penalties across member states
Following sham elections, Belarus revives the All-Belarus People’s Assembly – crafted as a sanctuary for dictator Alexander Lukashenko and afforded extensive powers. EU Parliament seeks to criminalize sanctions violations and circumvention, standardizing penalties across member states. Lithuanian citizen dies in Belarusian prison: Lithuanian foreign ministry protests violation of consular rights,
Border Guard: Krakovets border crossing remains open for trucks going to Poland
The Korczowa-Krakovets crossing on the Polish-Ukrainian border remains open for trucks heading to Poland despite initial reports that Polish protesters would resume the blockade on March 13, Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on March 14.
What do we know about the ‘Siberian Battalion’ that reportedly crossed into Russia?
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent doesn't provide the full names of soldiers mentioned in the story to protect them and their families from persecution in Russia. They are identified by callsigns. KYIV OBLAST – In the early hours of March 12, Russian state media sounded the alarm. A number of Ukrainian
Belarus Weekly: Warsaw calls for EU sanctions on Belarusian, Russian agricultural imports following Ukrainian investigation
Warsaw calls for EU sanctions on Belarusian and Russian agricultural imports following Ukrainian investigation revealing multimillion-dollar trade between Poland and authoritarian neighbors. Belarus hits rock bottom in the annual Freedom in the World report, ranking it as the least free country in Europe and the 14th least free state in
Moldova warns of Russian interference in elections, EU accession
Alexandru Musteata, the head of the Moldovan intelligence agency (SIS), said that the SIS possesses "certain information" about Russia's destabilization campaign in the next two years designed to compromise Chisinau's European integration and draw the country back into the Kremlin's orbit.
What danger does Transnistria pose to Ukraine, Moldova?
When there was no mention of Transnistria — Moldova's Russia-led breakaway region — in Vladimir Putin's speech on Feb. 29, Moldovans sighed with relief. A day prior, the leaders of the unrecognized breakaway entity, sandwiched between Ukraine and Moldova, had asked Russia for "protection" — a plea that some saw as an invitation
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