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
Throughout 2024, the European Union has delivered 980,000 artillery shells to Ukraine out of the one million initially promised, the European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced on Nov. 11.
"We have to strengthen anti-sanctions circumvention measures because Russia cannot produce (weaponry) without imported parts, chips and other components," the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said at a news conference in Kyiv. "We should use sanctions to isolate Russia's industrial capabilities from imports from other countries."
An ammunition shortage has long been a cause for concern in Ukraine but has escalated this year.
In a social media post on X, Borrell vowed that the EU's support has always been his "personal priority" and it should remain on top of the bloc's agenda.
"We still get a whole lot of LNG via Russia, from Russia," she said in a phone call with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. "And why not replace it with American LNG, which is cheaper, and brings down our energy prices?"
European officials met in Budapest on Nov. 7 to discuss whether the European Union would be willing to continue funding support for Ukraine if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump halts U.S. assistance, Bloomberg reported Nov. 8, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Ahead of Election Day, there were signs of optimism for the United States' allies in Europe. Polls had indicated a tight race since support for Kamala Harris leveled off in August, but expectations to outperform the polls and blind faith in humanity kept the Harris campaign and its millions of
The fifth meeting of the European Political Community will focus on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing escalation in the Middle East, among other things.
"We will discuss security challenges in Europe, as well as new opportunities for all partners," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Editor’s note: This is issue 80 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukrainian Economy in Brief” newsletter, covering events from Oct. 28- Nov. 3, 2024. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with
The European Union’s anti-fraud agency opened an investigation into the possible exporting of rebranded Russian oil via Turkey into the EU, Politico reported on Nov. 5, citing two undisclosed sources.
"Changes in geopolitical realities," such as "the obvious degradation of multilateral cooperation structures in Europe," led to the renaming, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Russian pro-state news agency RBK.
"Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat. The Republic of Korea is best positioned to understand it," Josep Borrell said on X after meeting South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun.
In a victory for pro-EU factions in Moldova and beyond, incumbent President Maia Sandu defeated her challenger, Alexandr Stoianoglo, in the country's Nov. 3 presidential runoff. Sandu won on Nov. 3 by a margin of about 55.4% to 44.6%, with 99.9% of votes counted. "We proved that
With nearly 99% of votes counted, pro-EU incumbent President Maia Sandu held a 9-point lead over Alexandr Stoianoglo, according to Moldova's election commission.
"We regularly discuss the topic with our partners, but the information about the upcoming conclusion of a gas supply contract with the participation of SPP is not true," Slovakian state-run gas importer SPP said.
In Georgia’s 2012 election, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s pro-Western party was defeated by Georgian Dream, a party led by the Russian-backed oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Though widely hailed at the time as a democratic triumph, astute observers warned against celebrating. One such observer was Georgia’s former economy minister, the
The European Commission singled out the recent legislative amendments to the election process, frequent compromises on vote secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, intimidation, and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process.
Brussels expects Ukraine to restore the work of all broadcasters in the pre-war format, questioning the telethon's objectivity.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken encouraged "Georgia’s political leaders to respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together."
Germany and France have doubts about the EU diplomatic service's proposal to circumvent Hungary's veto of 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) in defense assistance for Kyiv, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 25, citing undisclosed sources.
Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner has proposed reevaluating the legal status of Ukrainian refugees, German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported on Oct. 23.
Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis issued a letter to cabinet ministers on Oct. 23 warning that the European Union has notified Ukraine that the next tranche of 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) from the EU's Ukraine Facility may be delayed until next year unless expected aspects of corruption reforms are completed by the end of this month.
Moldovans headed to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect their next head of state and vote on the future of the country’s European Union integration. With over 99% of the votes counted on Monday, the “yes” vote edged ahead at 50.43%, while the “no” camp, which had
Moldova's referendum on joining the EU, which took place alongside elections in the country, occurred under "unprecedented interference" by Russia and its proxies, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.
"The people of Moldova have spoken: our EU future will now be anchored in the constitution," Sandu said on X. "We fought fairly in an unfair fight—and we won. But the fight isn’t over. We will keep pushing for peace, prosperity, and the freedom to build our own future."
Defense ministers of the G7 countries reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's integration into NATO, according to the joint statement following their meeting in Naples on Oct. 19.
Editor’s note: This is issue 77 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukrainian Economy in Brief” newsletter, covering events from Oct. 7- Oct. 13, 2024. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with
The European Council reiterated it would adhere to the "security and defense policy" of "certain member states" regarding the use of revenues generated from the frozen assets, and added it would continue to "address all relevant legal and financial aspects."
"What (Zelensky) outlined yesterday in the Ukrainian parliament is more than terrifying," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote, urging EU leaders to start talks with Moscow "as soon as possible."
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that the victory plan includes placing conventional missile capabilities in Ukraine that would either force Russia to accept negotiations or destroy its military targets.
