Eastern Europe / News
Belarusian authorities release American citizen from a Minsk jail as part of Russo-US prisoner exchange deal
Prisoner release follows liberation of former US embassy employee Mark Fogel from Russian detention in a PR coup for US President Donald Trump.
Moscow cracks down on Azerbaijani migrants after rift with Baku
Russia-Azerbaijan relations are worsening, exacerbated by the fallout from the downing of an Azerbaijani passenger aircraft and subsequent diplomatic disputes.
Trump announces immediate Ukraine peace talks after call with Putin
Negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will begin immediately, US President Donald Trump announced after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s goal of joining NATO and reclaiming 2014 borders ‘unrealistic,’ says Trump’s defense secretary
Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO and reclaim all its pre-2014 territory is "unrealistic," according to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, signalling a major shift in Washington’s approach to European security under President Donald Trump.
Russians in Far East ask Putin for soldiers to shoot tigers terrorising Siberia, eating their pets
Residents of Russia’s Far East are pleading for government intervention as Amur tigers increasingly encroach on human settlements, attacking domestic animals and raising fears of human casualties, Siberia Realities has reported.
Russian gas supplies to Europe via TurkStream hit new all-time high in January
Russian gas supplies to Europe via the TurkStream gas pipeline set a new record last week, according to data from the European Network of Gas Transmission System Operators.
David Beckham registers trademark in Russia despite supporting Ukraine
David Beckham’s company, DB Ventures, has registered the “David Beckham” trademark in Russia, allowing it to sell textiles and home goods under his name.
At Aero India, Russia aims to keep New Delhi interested
Ahead of India’s Aero India defence expo, Russia’s state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport revealed that total military exports to India have reached $80bn.
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Student protests spread across the Balkans
Student protests have broken out in Bosnia and Slovenia, with demonstrators rallying in support of protests in Serbia as well as on local issues.
China’s President Xi to visit Moscow for Victory Day parade in May
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Moscow on May 9, 2025, to attend the Victory Day parade, marking 80 years since the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.
Trump’s ‘America First’ is the same as Hitler’s ‘Deutschland über Alles,’ says Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has risked provoking ire in the White House by comparing former US President Donald Trump’s “America First” slogan to Nazi Germany’s “Deutschland über Alles”.
Kaliningrad becomes an energy island after Baltic States cut Russian grid connection
The Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea has become an energy island after the Baltics States cut themselves off from the Soviet-era BRELL power grid on February 8, thus becoming vulnerable to sanctions.
Hungary’s atomic energy watchdog orders partial halt of construction at Paks NPP expansion site after incident
Hungary's National Atomic Energy Authority has ordered a partial halt to construction at the Paks II nuclear power plant after a section of the southern wall of the excavation pit collapsed.
Trump, Putin hold first call – New York Post
President Donald Trump claimed that he has held his first telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin since taking office, the New York Post reported on February 8.
Trump threatens Russia with even more sanctions
The Trump administration is preparing to intensify economic sanctions against Russia in an effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, according to retired General Keith Kellogg, the US president’s special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Baku moves to close Russian cultural centre as diplomatic tensions rise
Azerbaijan’s increasingly assertive stance on Russian matters marks a shift from its previous balancing act between Moscow and the West.
Germany looks to repurpose Nord Stream 2 for green gas project
German authorities are considering re-tasking the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to deliver green hydrogen or natural gas from Finland.
US, Ukraine and Russia all soften their positions ahead of mooted ceasefire talks
Leaders in the US, Russia and Ukraine have all softened their positions slightly in the last week, making the start of ceasefire talks in the coming months more likely.
Azerbaijan releases Russian 'golden judge' despite Moscow’s extradition request
Azerbaijan typically complies with such extradition requests, but relations with Russia have deteriorated recently.
Russian military in Ukraine riding on donkeys amid vehicle shortage
The Russian military in Ukraine is using donkeys and horses to transport ammunition due to a severe shortage of vehicles, war correspondents have claimed.The development follows previous confirmed reports of Russian troops resorting to civilian cars.