Ukraine
Ukraine warns Poland over President Nawrocki’s bill targeting nationalist symbols
Ukraine will be “forced to take retaliatory measures” if Poland passes a bill equating Ukrainian nationalist movement with Nazism and communism, Ukrainian historians.
Ukraine cuts ties with Nicaragua over occupied territories recognition
Ukraine has severed diplomatic relations with Nicaragua after the Central American nation formally recognised Russian sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian territories.
US reportedly to share intelligence with Ukraine for long-range strikes on Russian energy sites
US to provide Ukraine with intelligence support for long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure as Trump shifts stance, with Tomahawk missiles under consideration.
VISEGRAD BLOG: Will Czechia drift into Slovak and Hungarian direction after this week’s elections?
Czech populist stalwart Andrej Babiš and his ANO party are projected to make a comeback after this week's elections, raising questions about the country's future direction.
Ukraine's receipt of Israeli missiles part of Israel's greater geopolitical plot
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that his country received a Patriot air defence system from Israel
UK companies lost $70bn from sanctions on Russia
British businesses have lost nearly $70bn between 2022 and 2024 as a result of their withdrawal from the Russian market, according to a survey of public sources and annual reports, the Russian state-owned media reports.
Russia plans new “anti-fraud” restrictions on RuNet use
The Russian government has unveiled a sweeping package of draft legislation billed as a crackdown on online fraud, but rights groups warn it will significantly expand state surveillance powers and online repression, Meduza reported on September 30.
Russia’s debt service costs swelling due to high interest rates
Russia’s debt servicing costs are swelling, despite the low level of debt, thanks to sky high interest rates, the Ministry of Finance (MinFin) said on September 29.
Orban dismisses Ukraine drone incursion as “it is not a sovereign state”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban dismissed allegations that Hungarian drones violated Ukrainian airspace last week as irrelevant even if they had, as “Ukraine is not an independent, sovereign country”, he said in an interview.
Russia's military production goes into surplus
After more than three years of heavy investment, Russia’s military production has gone into surplus, producing more arms and ammo than it needs to perpetrate the war in Ukraine, the Kiel Institute reported.
Lavrov pushes Russian agenda, networks with the Global South at UNGA
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York to lambaste the West and continue building up the growing Global South community that is aligning with the BRICS-led alternative pole
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Telegram owner Durov says French, Moldovan governments asked him to block anti-government accounts ahead of elections
The owner of the Telegram messaging service Pavel Durov said that the French intelligence approached him earlier this year and asked him to block anti-government channels in the run up to this weekend's elections on two occasions.
EU’s influence declines in its neighbourhood as China and Russia gain ground
Chinese presence growing in Western Balkans, while Russia makes gains in Turkey, shows new index developed by wiiw, Bertelsmann Stiftung and ECIPE.
European diplomats warn Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot planes over its airspace
European diplomats warned the Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot down any Russian fighter jets that violate their airspace, as military tensions between the EU and Russia continue to mount.
Trump lavishes praise on Erdogan in White House meeting and suggests Turkey stop buying Russian oil and gas
Some big military and civilian aircraft deals may be in the making, but the deal-making remains behind closed doors.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
EBRD cuts Ukraine’s 2025 growth forecast to 2.5% amid war uncertainty
Ukraine’s economy is projected to expand by 2.5% in 2025, down from a previously forecast 3.3%, as the ongoing war with Russia weighs on investment and trade, the EBRD said.
COMMENT: Trump is preparing a “back door” plan to blame EU for Ukraine’s failure - FT
European officials fear that US President Donald Trump’s dramatic U-turn on Ukraine is a back door plan to shift responsibility for the West’s failure to prevent Ukraine’s defeat in its war with Russia or help it recover afterwards.
Russia draft 2026 budget cuts military spending for the first time, introduces new taxes
Russia’s Ministry of Finance presented the 2026-2028 budget that keeps spending flat, introduces new taxes to fund a ballooning budget deficit and cuts military spending for the first time in three years.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.