Negotiations are underway between Azerbaijan and the EU, Moscow, and Kyiv on supplying natural gas to Europe via Ukraine, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Sept. 6 at the Cernobbio Forum in Italy
The EU is providing Ukraine with a $44 million (40 million euro) humanitarian aid package to assist with energy repair works ahead of winter, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sept. 6.
A notorious unit of Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) is carrying out cyber attacks against critical infrastructure in NATO and EU countries, as well as Ukraine, Western intelligence agencies warned on Sept. 5.
Belarus plans to host an international conference on combating illegal migration in November 2024, with participation from some European Union ministers, according to Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov.
The continued rise of Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered a new chapter on Sept. 1, when the controversial far-right party came first in Thuringia's state election. AfD won around 33% of the vote in Thuringia, a state of 2 million people in Germany's east. The results mark the first time
Speaking on Polish television in late July, Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz reminded Ukrainians that even his country’s overwhelming support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia has its limits. Ukraine could never expect Poland’s backing in joining the EU if it didn’t “resolve” the historical
Defense ministers of European Union states agreed to increase the number of Ukrainian military personnel trained under the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM) program, the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Aug. 30.
The Prague-led ammunition initiative is delivering supplies to Ukraine on schedule, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Aug. 29.
Hungary does "not want more weapons in Ukraine" and does not want "an escalation of the war," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook on Aug. 29 after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers.
The European Union will speed up the delivery of weapons and equipment for Ukraine's energy system, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after an informal meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels on Aug. 29.
Some EU member nations fear that trainings on Ukrainian soil will lead to escalated conflict with Russia, according to a document obtained by Politico.
Borrell had previously advocated lifting the ban for Ukraine, but he raised the issue again after Russia's recent attack on Aug. 26, in which it used 127 missiles and 109 drones against Ukraine.
Hungary's decision to ease entry rules for Russians "may constitute a serious security risk," leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries said in a joint letter to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Aug. 16.
Ukraine has received 4.2 billion euros ($4.6 billion) as part of the EU's four-year financial support program, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Aug. 13.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, millions of Ukrainians found refuge in the European Union, with Germany and Poland alone taking in about one million refugees each. But this was always meant to be a temporary solution. The protracted war of attrition that is
"The EU continues to fully support Ukraine's legitimate right to defense against Russian aggression and its efforts to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity," European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.
The funds will support "Ukraine's macro-financial stability and the functioning of its public administration."
Companies in Poland are seeing increasing shortages of workers as the influx of Ukrainians into the country slows, Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported on Aug. 5, citing data from Credit Agricole bank.
"If the Hungarian government refuses to change its policy, the Commission and all EU representatives should question Hungarian presence in the Schengen by introducing new measures to safeguard European citizens, including new controls at Hungarian borders if necessary," the letter read.
The announcement came a few days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election when dictator Alexander Lukashenko cemented his hold on power through electoral fraud and mass repressions.
German politicians are demanding an EU-wide response after Hungary simplified entry requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens in July, German news outlet Bild reported on Aug. 3
The European Commision's spokesperson, Peter Stano, reiterated the EU's concerns over the law, calling it "a step backward" on the country's path to European integration.
Kyiv is open to participating in consultations with the European Union on the transit of Russian Lukoil's oil if Brussels decides to use "an appropriate mechanism," Heorhii Tykhyi, Foreign Ministry's spokesman, said on July 30.
Earlier in July, various media sources reported that Hungary had quietly changed the rules for its National Card program to allow Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter the country in a streamlined visa-acquisition process that does away with enhanced security checks or other restrictions.
Hungary and Slovakia turned to the EU earlier this month as Ukrainian sanctions effectively halted the supplies from the Russian Lukoil company to the two Central European countries through the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungary is subtly relaxing its entry requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens, who are now included in the National Card program which allows them to work in Hungary for up to two years.
"I do not understand why Hungary wants to remain a member of organizations that they dislike so much and that supposedly mistreat them," Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski said.
During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos, the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell urged China to support the peace process in Ukraine and halt the export of dual-use goods to Russia, which bolster its military capabilities.
"There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin's money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Hungary's record loan came amid a record increase in its public debt to 140 billion euros ($152 billion), 73.5% of GDP, and a budget deficit of 6.7% of GDP, while the country has no access to European Union funds due to the conflict with Brussels.
The European Commission warned Slovakia that it would take immediate legal action if the country adopted a controversial law restricting the activities of non-governmental organizations, Reuters reported on July 24.
A special unit of Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) recruits individuals to perform sabotage operations inside Europe through Telegram and TikTok, the independent Russian anti-corruption project Dossier Center reported on July 23, 2024.
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