Eastern Europe / News
Denmark approves preservation work at damaged Nord Stream 2 gas pipe
Denmark’s Energy Agency announced on January 28 that it had authorised Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of Russia’s Gazprom, to carry out preservation work on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
Trump calls on OPEC to ramp up oil supply
"Right now the price is high enough that that war will continue," Trump said at Davos.
Russian delegation visits Syria for first time since Assad’s fall
A high-level Russian delegation arrived in Damascus on January 28, marking the first visit since the ousting of Assad.
Russia to ban vapes
All parties in Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, are in support of a proposed bill that would implement a total ban on vaping devices and associated products.
India accelerates pivot to Western defence platforms, away from Russia
India, historically one of Russia’s largest military equipment buyers, is increasingly pivoting towards Western defence platforms. This shift comes amid supply chain delays from Russia and the impact of Western sanctions.
Hungary lets EU extend Russia sanctions
The European Union foreign ministers have agreed to extend Russian sanctions for another six months, after Hungary lifted its opposition.
Britain’s Royal Navy mistakes whale fart for Russian drones
The Royal Navy made a whale of a blunder after sensors monitoring waters near north-west Scotland mistakenly identified whale sounds as suspected Russian drone activity.
Belarus President Lukashenko wins re-election in a landslide, to no one’s surprise
In power since 1994, the “last dictator in Europe” took another election victory after five years of mounting repression that has crushed any opposition to his rule.
Turkey’s role in European security on agenda as top diplomats of Ankara, EU meet
Donald Trump policies could set in motion an attempt at reconfiguring relations.
US sets February 27 deadline for discharging Russian oil tankers
The United States has clarified to India that tankers carrying Russian oil must offload their cargo by February 27 under newly imposed sanctions aimed at curbing Moscow's oil revenue
EU leaders brace for emergency summit if Hungary continues to block extension of Russian sanctions
Hungary has withheld its consent to extend EU sanctions against Russia at the meeting of EU ambassadors on January 24. EU Foreign Ministers will gather on Monday, 27 January, to vote on the issue.
Protests against Fico’s pro-Kremlin turn intensify across Slovakia
The intensification of the pro-Kremlin turn of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico drew the largest crowd of demonstrators to the streets of the Slovak capital Bratislava since protests against Fico's Smer party-led cabinet began in late 2023.
Ukraine offers coal and experts to settle Transnistria’s energy crisis without Russia
If Ukraine solves the energy crisis in Moldova, it would thwart Russian efforts to exploit the crisis to pursue its political interests in Moldova.
Putin says the Ukraine war "might not have happened" if Trump was president in 2022, as the two leaders flirt ahead of a mooted meeting
Since Trump’s inauguration, Putin has sent several signals that he is ready to open negotiation with the new American president on bringing the war to an end.
President Pellegrini calls situation in Slovakia “serious” in wake of country-wide protests, PM Fico coup plot claims
Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini said the situation in the country is “serious” following a security council meeting called after populist Prime Robert Fico claimed a plot to overthrow his government is taking place.
Trump says he wants to meet Putin “as soon as possible”, as Zelenskiy lobbies Davos for support
US President Donald Trump said that he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "as soon as possible" to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, speaking to delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos by video link on January 23.
Human rights groups urge Zelenskiy to protect North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine
Human rights organisations advocating for North Korean citizens have called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to refrain from repatriating two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia.
Indian energy supply unaffected by US sanctions on Russia
India’s energy security remains steady despite new US sanctions targeting Russia.
Trump sets 100-day deadline for Ukraine peace, Zelenskiy seeks US guarantees
US President Donald Trump has tasked his special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, with ending the war in Ukraine within 100 days.
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Russia arrests Colombian fighter in occupied Kursk as mercenary crackdown widens
A Colombian citizen has been detained near the village of Alexandria in Russia's Kursk region on charges of terrorism and mercenary activity, as both Moscow and Kyiv grapple with the growing presence of foreign fighters in their ranks.