Central Europe / News
Hungarian foreign minister fails to condemn Russian drone attack during Belarus visit
Peter Szijjarto avoided blaming Russia for drones crossing Polish airspace and causing damage, a stance in line with Budapest’s longstanding reluctance to confront Moscow directly.
Von der Leyen pledges unwavering support for Ukraine, unveils competitiveness reforms in EC state of the Union speech
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her annual EU State of the Union address on September 10 to reaffirm the bloc’s commitment to Ukraine, signal a tougher stance on Israeli settler violence, and outline reform
Poland to invoke Nato’s article 4 after Russian drones’ incursion into Polish airspace
PM Donald Tusk says overnight incursions were "incomparably more dangerous" than previous incidents since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Poland shoots down Russian drones after airspace breach, authorities say
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was in “constant contact" with the defence ministry and President Karol Nawrocki.
UPDATED: Poland scrambles jets, shuts airports as Russia accused of drone incursions
Poland has scrambled fighter aircraft and temporarily shut its main airports after reports that Russian drones entered its airspace during overnight strikes on Ukraine.
Hungary's 4iG announces landmark acquisition of automaker Raba in partnership with Czech CSG
Acquisition is the centrepiece of 4iG's strategy to integrate ground mobility into a defence portfolio that already spans aerospace and satellite technologies.
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Orban warns EU risks collapse without structural overhaul
PM Viktor Orban says Hungary faces a choice between safeguarding its sovereignty or "heading for the abyss" by deepening integration with the EU.
Slovakia’s Fico meets Ukraine’s Zelenskiy and delivers a message from Putin, opening indirect talks between the two presidents
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Uzhgorod, close to the Slovak-Ukrainian border, on September 5 and delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin in what could be an indirect approach.
Washington signals end to military aid for Russia’s neighbours, Baltics to feel brunt
Word of planned move comes in same week Donald Trump committed to keeping US forces in Poland.
Trump chews coalition of the willing leaders out over Russian oil imports
US President Donald Trump got into another shouting match over the Ukraine conflict, this time with Europe’s top leaders of the coalition of the willing, in a phone call following the end of the Paris summit on September 4.
The coalition of the willing meet in Paris to try and stop the war in Ukraine
President Zelenskiy travelled to Denmark and France on September 3 to meet with leaders from 35 countries that make up the coalition of the willing (COW) and discuss the need for strong measures to pressure Russia to negotiate an end to the war.
US visit gives Nawrocki strong start with Trump
Poland's new President Karol Nawrocki secures pledge from Donald Trump that he will keep US' 8,000 troops in Poland.
Trump pledges US troops will remain in Poland, signals readiness to send more
Polish President Karol Nawrocki hopes to persuade Washington to increase its defence engagement in Eastern Europe on his first foreign visit since taking office.
Putin has no objection to Ukraine joining the EU
Debunking a widely held assumption, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to China to attend the SCO summit that Russia has “no objection” to Ukraine joining the EU on September 2.
Slovakia's PM Fico says he wants standard relations with Russia following his meeting with Putin
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said he wants standard relations with Russia following his meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Fico stated he spent nearly an hour in private talks with Putin.
Czech billionaire ex-PM Babiš hit on the head with a crutch at campaign event
Babiš was attacked in his stronghold region by an elderly onlooker as he campaigned for ANO, currently the favourite to win the October general election.
Hungary launches biggest home loan scheme since regime change
Hungary has rolled out its most ambitious homeownership programme since the transition to democracy, with the government pledging to make property purchases more affordable for first-time buyers.
Future 500 Forum to tackle Europe’s chronic scale-up gap
As Europe lags Asia and the US on competitiveness, a new initiative aims to give Central and Southeast Europe’s most promising companies a shot at becoming global champions, co-founder Stjepan Orešković tells bne IntelliNews.
BRICS leaders gather in China to coordinate anti-Trump alliance
The EU’s 27 foreign ministers will debate seizing Russia’s frozen $200bn at an informal gathering in Copenhagen, as the leading BRICS nations gathered in Beijing to form a common strategy to deal with US trade aggression on August 30.
EU foreign ministers meet to discuss Russia problem
European foreign ministers gathered in Copenhagen to discuss a number of issues with holding Russia to account for the war with Ukraine at the top of the agenda.