A collection of 189 posts
NATO representatives meeting on Thursday will consider boosting the strength of the defence alliance’s eastern flank even further given Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. While NATO has already bumped up troop numbers, which now number 40,000 on its eastern border, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia could see
Russian forces using chemical weapons in Ukraine would not only be a violation of international law, but have “far-reaching consequences”, warned NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the defence alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, writes Al Jazeera. He also said Moscow could not “win a nuclear war”, according to
While the Hungarian forint was hardest hit, all the currencies of the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region are suffering adverse effects as a result of the war in Ukraine. Proximity to the war zone, dependence on Russian gas and the impact of EU sanctions combined to commence the CEE
The European Commission said it planned to cut its reliance on fossil fuels from Russia by 2030, reducing dependence on Russian sources of energy by two-thirds by the end of the year. But it turned out there will be no ban on imports of Russian oil and gas imports to
The Guardian reports that on Wednesday morning US time Vice President Kamala Harris was travelling to Poland, where she’ll meet Poland’s President and Prime Minister, on a trip to “further support to our allies and is also an extremely important opportunity to collaborate with them on next steps
Russia has issued a veiled threat to Poland and Romania not to get involved in its operation against Ukraine, writes Romania Insider, quoting a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov who told Reuters that any country allowing Ukraine to access airports or airfields would be considered participants in the war.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin by telephone for one-and-a-half hours on Thursday. He told his Russian counterpart that he was making a “major mistake” by continuing his Ukraine offensive and that Moscow would remain isolated and under sanctions for a long time. Speaking to
In an emergency General Assembly meeting on Wednesday, the United Nations condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called for complete withdrawal, with 141 out of 193 members supporting the resolution. Those opposed included Belarus, Syria and North Korea. Addressing the press, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The message of
On the evening of Sunday, 27 February, as Russian President Vladimir Putin had put his nuclear forces on high alert, Ukraine’s government agreed to talks in Belarus with Russian officials. Al Jazeera reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would send a delegation of officials to Ukraine’s border
Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all invoked the NATO alliance’s Article 4, which obliges all 30 NATO members to hold a consultation when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened”. Explaining the rationale
Global news organisations are reporting that Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the early morning hours of Thursday, 24 February, bombing targets across the country and sending in troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared martial law in his country. Promising that the world will hold Russia accountable,
As the stand-off between Russia and Ukraine continues, for countries within Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) it has spurred a flurry of activity, including troop movements among members of the NATO alliance to bolster their defenses. The Baltic News Network writes that Lithuania’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that a
From next week a new tool may empower the EU to suspend funds to member states over rule of law breaches. That decision, to be made by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), could allow the European Commission (EC) to block EU funds to Budapest and Warsaw, EU Reporter writes.
As some countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) relax Coronavirus restrictions, others remain cautious, with Czechia in the first camp, while Estonia is in the second. As Czechia lifts the requirement to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants and mass gatherings, Estonia has u-turned on a similar plan
Poland is predicted to have the highest level of inflation of 6.8% in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) – and the EU as a whole – this year, according to a new European Commission (EC) forecast. The EC’s prediction for Poland is way over the average predicted rise in the