Eastern Europe / News
No country has agreed to resettle Palestinians, says acting Israeli envoy to Russia
No country has yet agreed to accept Palestinians in their possible future resettlement from Gaza, Acting Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi has said.
Russian region bribes schoolgirls to get pregnant
Russia’s Oryol Region has introduced a new decree offering schoolgirls RUB100,000 ($1,200) if they officially register a pregnancy with the social services while studying full-time.
Nitty gritty horsetrading gets underway at second round of Ukraine talks in Riyadh
The horse-trading got underway in earnest at the second round of ceasefire talks in Riyadh on March 23. Two negotiating teams from Ukraine and Russia met separately with their US counterparts to start setting the conditions for an end of hostilities.
Belarus' Lukashenko sworn in as president for the seventh time
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was sworn in for his seventh term in office on March 25 at the Independence Palace in Minsk, following his “victory” in presidential elections on January 26.
TNT ammunition depot in Czechia explodes
The cause of the explosion is currently unclear, but police said a “technical issue” is “the most likely cause”.
Rights watchdog documents forced mobilisation of Central Asian labour migrants in Russian military
Citizenship wielded as instrument of coercion.
Zelensky calls US talks in Saudi Arabia “constructive”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the talks between Ukrainian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia as “constructive and beneficial,” in his evening address on March 23.
Trump Ukraine envoy Witkoff dismisses Starmer’s Ukraine ceasefire plan, parrots Kremlin talking points
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal for an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine, and went on to parrot many of the Kremlin’s talking points.
Serbian deputy PM thanks Russian spy agencies for support during protests
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin is a staunch proponent of Serbia's close ties with Russia.
Russian expansion will continue forever ‘as far as God wills,’ says long-time Putin ally
Russia’s territorial and ideological expansion will persist “as far as God wills”, according to Vladislav Surkov, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and long-time adviser to President Vladimir Putin.
Slovak PM Fico insists his policies are ‘sovereign’ after not blocking EU’s Ukrainian policy
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico insisted his policies are “sovereign” after he took part in the EU summit, which he had threatened to boycott earlier.
Trump proposes taking control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants
President Trump has proposed that the US assume control of Ukraine's nuclear power plants to safeguard the country's energy infrastructure as part of a ceasefire plan, the president said during a call with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy.
Putin tells Russia's oligarchs that the return of Western business will not be easy or cheap
Russian President Vladimir Putin told the country’s leading oligarchs that Western companies that “slammed the door” on Russia when they left the country after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine will not be allowed to repurchase their assets cheaply.
Trump gets PR win, but Putin concedes little in 30-day ceasefire phone call
US President Donald Trump gained a PR win after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to pause attacks on Ukraine’s energy assets in a two-hour phone call on March 18.
Several EU countries back push to fund Prague-based RFE/RL in response to Trump axeing it
Member states want EU to fund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at dismantling the Agency for Global Media.
Russian official urges women to wear mini-skirts to boost birth rate
Russia is experiencing its most severe demographic decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union, prompting politicians from President Vladimir Putin to local councillors to propose measures to increase the population.
Iran, EEU free trade deal to take effect in mid-May
A comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union will come into force on May 15, paving the way for stronger economic ties and potentially doubling trade volumes.
Trump to have key phone call with Putin to discuss terms needed to end the Ukraine conflict
Russia will agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, US President Donald Trump said ahead of a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Lithuania links Russian intelligence to arson attacks in Vilnius and Warsaw
Lithuanian prosecutors have accused Russian military intelligence of orchestrating an arson attack on an IKEA store in Vilnius in May, the Prosecutor General's Office said on 17 March.
Washington leans on Budapest to back down from veto threats
Hungary's government has backed down on vetoing European Union sanctions on Russia following direct pressure from Washington.