Editor's note: For security reasons, the real names of the soldiers mentioned in this story have not been used. A reduction in U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be "painful" and could have potentially "dire consequences" for the global order, Ukrainian lawmakers and soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent.
According to prosecutors, 28-year-old Wiktor Z. was detained on June 4 by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) on charges of gathering and passing sensitive information to Russia's intelligence services.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that he would block additional sanctions unless the EU finds "a real solution to the crisis situation that Slovakia would face following a complete halt in the supply of gas, oil, and nuclear fuel from Russia."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 2 that the United Kingdom is moving to "warfighting readiness," in large part in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the threat Russia poses to Europe. He made the comment as his government unveiled its latest Strategic Defense Review, which
They argued that Ukraine's NATO accession would “consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in all of Europe" and help uphold the rules-based international order globally.
Inclusion on the list would damage Russia's global financial standing and compel banks to apply stricter scrutiny to transactions involving Russian individuals or entities — raising compliance costs and increasing operational burdens.
U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich as the next Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) on June 5, reaffirming a key American role in NATO's military structure.
The non-binding resolution argues that the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have driven up energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and harmed Slovak industry.
Russia's energy exports remain a major source of revenue for the Kremlin's military campaign against Ukraine.
NATO defense ministers will discuss the air defense boost at a gathering in Brussels on June 5, sources told Bloomberg on the condition of anonymity.
In a closely contested presidential runoff, conservative historian Karol Nawrocki has been declared the winner of Poland's 2025 presidential election, securing 50.89% of the vote against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski's 49.11%. The result marks a significant shift in Polish politics, with consequences for both the domestic and
U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to appoint the next Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), reaffirming a key American role in NATO's military structure, Reuters reported.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said China has stopped selling drones to Ukraine and Western countries while continuing to supply them to Russia, Bloomberg reported on May 29.
Despite grand plans, the European Union’s hoped-for rearmament remains fully dependent on member nations stepping up their own defenses. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800-million-euro "Rearm Europe" plan to build out a defense architecture that has depended on the U.S. since the
A so-called "Trump shock" has plunged Europe into its deepest crisis since 1945, but also presents an opportunity for the continent to forge a "new West," British historian and commentator Timothy Garton Ash has said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. The first months of Trump's presidency dispelled any
The Ramstein summit will take place as Washington is trying to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia to end Moscow's full-scale war. In the meantime, Russia is amassing forces for a new offensive against Ukraine while continuing its attacks on civilians across the country.
While some EU countries have restricted or halted visa issuance to Russian citizens, others have continued processing applications, keeping a legal pathway open for Russian travel to the bloc.
"If the sanctions are lifted, the rearmament process will proceed much faster," Ukrainian foreign intelligence (SZRU) chief Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform.
The Council of the European Union will hold a hearing regarding the potential loss of Hungary's voting rights at a meeting on May 27, marking the eighth hearing regarding Budapest's alleged violations of founding EU principles.
"SAFE is an advantageous, low-interest, multi-year loan guaranteed by the EU budget," the Council of the EU said.
The European Union is preparing to provide Radio Free Europe with a contract valued at 5.5 million euros ($6.2 million) in "emergency funding" to support the ongoing work of the media organization amid the Trump administration's funding cuts.
The European Union is preparing to downsize its diplomatic service – the European External Action Service (EEAS) – and redirect funds toward strategic interests such as enforcing sanctions against Russia, POLITICO reported on May 20.
After a two-hour call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia reiterated its refusal for a full ceasefire in the war in Ukraine while the U.S. once again failed to respond with any significant pressure. For observers across Europe, watching the way the negotiations
"I officially ask the Constitutional Court to annul the Romanian presidential elections for the same reasons the December elections were annulled: external interferences by state and non-state actors," George Simion wrote on X.
Prior, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) claimed that it had exposed a Hungarian espionage network in western Ukraine, detaining two agents. In response, Hungary expelled two Ukrainian diplomats, a move met with reciprocal expulsions by Kyiv.
The country's opposition party, ANO, has threatened to suspend the munitions initiative if it wins parliamentary elections in October 2025.
The new mechanism, proposed by the European Commission in March, will allow member states to borrow money from the EU to purchase weapons and military equipment.
In an anxiously watched race, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan won the presidency against the far-right candidate George Simion, who is banned from entering both Ukraine and Moldova due to his extremist views.
"There is no reason to talk about (troops) at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include information from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR). Poland and Romania — key NATO allies bordering Ukraine — are holding presidential elections on May 18, with both votes unfolding under the shadow of Russian interference and rising far-right influence. The simultaneous elections are being
Ukrainian band Ziferblat took ninth place at the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final on May 17 in Basel, Switzerland. Their song "Bird of Pray" received 218 points – 60 from the jury and 158 from the audience.
"It’s more than 30 years of U.S. desire (to reduce troops in Europe), President Trump just said, enough, this is going to happen and it’s going to happen now," U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.
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