Eastern Europe

The bridge connecting Estonia with Russia is seen in Narva, Estonia, on July 24, 2024.
Eastern Europe

In Estonia’s border town, Russian-speaking majority enjoys NATO’s shield, remains mute on Russia’s threat

by Maria Yeryoma

NARVA, Estonia — On both sides of the Narva River, fishermen stand knee-deep in the water between two medieval castles just 101 meters apart. Above them, the flags mark where NATO ends and Russia begins. For years, experts have been warning of the so-called "Narva scenario" — a plan in which Russia might attempt to grab an Estonian border city using its old tune, "protecting the Russian-speaking population." Following Europe's inability to handle Russia's now recurring drone incursions, the mo

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The EU should, can, and will hold the line on Russia, says sanctions chief

BRUSSELS, Belgium — With negotiations in full flow over its next package of sanctions, the EU's Sanctions Envoy David O'Sullivan explained in an interview with the Kyiv Independent just how successful sanctions against Russia have been, and why he is confident the bloc will hold the line for as long as it needs to. The scale of the EU's decoupling from Russia is huge, with trade down from roughly 260 billion euros ($295 billion) before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion to only 58 billion

Long-awaited military reform falls short as troops express continued frustration

Editor's note: Some military personnel are identified by their first names only due to security considerations. More than four years into the full-scale invasion, the first phase of the Defense Ministry's military reform was meant to deliver long-awaited changes. Instead, it has triggered a fresh wave of frustration among soldiers. Defining clear terms of military service has been one of the most contentious unresolved issues of the war — one that three defense ministers failed to tackle, and

military training at the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade in an undisclosed location, Ukraine, on April 5, 2026.
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