The Netherlands explores turning rail wagons into hospitals for wounded soldiers
Russian threat sparks emergency planning in Europe.
Eastern Europe
Macron pitches Starmer on new special relationship as leaders strike defense deals
The countries have dubbed their defense refresh an “entente industrielle.”
Air and rail traffic disrupted in Hungary as severe storms batter eastern Europe
Budapest Airport has been temporarily closed due to flooding while severe weather has also lashed Zagreb, Belgrade and Ljubljana.
Monday briefing: How Budapest Pride became a huge show of anti-Orbรกn defiance
In todayโs newsletter: Hungary has relentlessly cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights โ but banning Pride proved a step too far, as European politicians joined its biggest ever crowdGood morning. In 1997, Budapest became the first capital in central and easter…
Europe managed to keep Trump in NATO. Now what?
National leaders now need to find the money and buy weapons to deter Russia while facing a potential reduction of U.S. troops on the continent.
Inside the air policing mission keeping NATO leaders safe
POLITICO was invited on an 11-hour flight during which the French military showed how NATO secures the skies.
Trumpโs revolution comes to Europe
The U.S. president’s reelection has changed the nature of Europeโs domestic politics as well as its geopolitical standing.
Ukraine war briefing: Anti-corruption agency in Kyiv accuses deputy PM of corruption
Oleksii Chernyshov has denied allegations he received $345,000 kickback in a property development scheme. What we know on day 1,217Ukraineโs anti-corruption authorities suspect a sitting deputy prime minister of receiving a $345,000 kickback in a prope…
The winners and losers in Trumpโs NATO arms race
A POLITICO analysis reveals telling gaps between the big spenders near Eastern Europe and those further from Russia, who are still creeping toward a decade-old target.
Trump wants one thing from the NATO summit. Europe is going to give it to him.
A streamlined summit centering around a new pledge to increase defense spending has been designed to give the president a victory lap.
Revitalizing Europeโs Regions: Amazonโs Investment in Central and Eastern Europe [Promoted content]
When I visit Amazon facilities, I meet people whose lives have been transformed. A young woman in Dortmund who was fascinated by tools and electronics as a child, and is now pursuing her passion as a mechatronics trainee.โฏSkilled workers in Vienna look…
CEE takes bold step into AI future with Action Plan
AI Chamber launches an ambitious regional AI Action Plan to boost AI innovation, unlock โฌ100B in growth, and position CEE as Europe’s AI hub.
CEE takes bold step into AI future with Action Plan
AI Chamber launches an ambitious regional AI Action Plan to boost AI innovation, unlock โฌ100B in growth, and position CEE as Europe’s AI hub.
West canโt help Ukraine win the war โ but it could help end it
As Western leaders continue to insist theyโll support Ukraine โfor as long as it takes,โ the question now is, to what end?
How the US divided Europe to invade Iraq at any cost in 2003
‘The Transatlantic Divorce’ (1/5). In the aftermath of September 11, American neoconservatives made plans to attack Iraq, despite opposition from France and Germany. From then on, to achieve its aims, the White House relied on its allies in Eastern Eur…
Europeโs frontier countries ready their hospitals for war
From stockpiling trauma kits for mass casualties to kitting out medics with body armor, wartime health planning is no longer hypothetical on NATOโs eastern flank.
EUโs red tape revenge comes for gas leakage rules
There are fears that new methane emission rules might disadvantage EU firms importing U.S. fuel โ just as Europe seeks to buy more of it.
Iranโs Target Isnโt Just Israel. Itโs Us.
Israelโs strike against Iran isnโt just self-defense โ itโs the front line in a broader clash of freedom versus tyranny.
Immigrants to Northern Ireland face new wave of terror
Police seek reinforcements to protect homes this weekend from racist mobs spurred by an alleged crime in Ballymena.
MAGA hits limits in its global ambitions
Votes in Canada, Australia and Albania laid bare the limits to the appeal of Trump-ism as the presidentโs policies sow uncertainty across the globe.
EU launches major Black Sea plan with eye on defense as Putin hovers
Brussels announces strategy to invest in upgrading infrastructure for military use.ย
Nicuศor Dan starts nightmare new job as president of Romaniaย
Mondayโs inauguration comes at a critical time for the Eastern European nation of 19 million amid the threat of credit rating downgrades, a budget deficit crisis and a loss of faith in democracy.ย
Crucial elections in Poland and Romania: A populist backlash in Eastern Europe?
Many EU leaders were undoubtedly relieved when the result of the Romanian presidential election was announced on the night of May 18. Nicusor Dan, who had campaigned on a platform of pro-Western stability, defeated the firebrand populist and Euroscept…
In Trumpโs war on clean energy, China (and everyone else) wins
Itโs a shift from the U.S. presidentโs first term, and is driving a fresh wedge within his Republican Party.
The USSR occupied eastern Europe, calling it โliberationโ โ Russia is repeating the crime in Ukraine | Sergei Lebedev
In the post-Soviet states, statues can be removed and street names changed. But achieving sovereignty of memory is far harderWe often hear that it is Russiaโs inability or unwillingness to deal with the crimes of its past that has led to the restoratio…
Breaks in eastern Europe offer best value for Britons, cost survey finds
Post Office Money report finds Latviaโs capital most competitive on price
Britain needs a labor shortage, not EU youth mobility, says Farageโs deputy
โI want there to be a labor shortage, because thatโs the way to getting productivity improvements,โ Richard Tice tells POLITICO as he heaps scorn on EU-UK summit.
Slovaks least willing to defend nation compared to Czechs and Poles
Slovaks are the least willing in Central and Eastern Europe to defend their country if attacked, with just 49% ready to fight โ far behind Czechs (81%) and Poles (84%), new survey finds.
The risks of being of associated with Trump
The U.S. leader inadvertently supplied Canada’s Carney and Australia’s Albanese with easy narratives to offer their voters.
Swedenโs new national security adviser resigns within 24 hours amid Grindr photo scandal
And you thought Mike Waltz didn’t last long as national security adviser.
Weather tracker: Thunderstorms bring rain and hail to parts of the Balkans
Hot start to May gives way to significant rainfall, with egg-sized hailstones reportedly hitting Slavonski Brod in CroatiaSouthern and south-eastern Europe have experienced a spate of thunderstorms that have resulted in significant rainfall and hail ac…
How Macron is playing hardball as UKโs Starmer strives for EU reset
While the French and the British have been working hand-in-hand on Ukraine, behind the scenes things havenโt been so harmonious.
EU scientists sound alarm over escalating spring drought
Dry conditions are spreading to virtually every area of the continent.
Sabotage and secret identities: Russiaโs spy network โ podcast
Shaun Walker reports on the history of Russiaโs โIllegalsโ programme and what it looks like todayShaun Walker is the Guardianโs central and eastern Europe correspondent and author of The Illegals: Russiaโs Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrat…
โUkrainians are resilient โ we believe in our cultureโ: the Kyiv gallery that became a bomb shelter
Voloshyn is looking to build dialogue between eastern Europe and the Americas
Europe leads world in media freedom rankings โ but Greece trails again
Northern and Western Europe are the best places in the world to be a journalist, according to a new report.
Berlin gears up for Trump era as Merz picks new foreign minister
Berlinโs new foreign ministry leadership signals tougher stance toward China and Russia.
Son of CIA deputy director was killed while fighting for Russia, report says
Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, who died on 4 April 2024, was the son of top-ranking US spy Juliana GallinaAn American man identified as the son of a deputy director of the CIA was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2024 while fighting under contract for the Ru…
Weather tracker: Unseasonable warmth continues in eastern Europe
Heat spreads eastwards into the Baltics and western Russia, although colder air will sweep in by the weekendAfter a spell of record-breaking heat last week, eastern Europe and western parts of Russia will experience further unseasonable warmth in the n…
Which European countries are most exposed to Russian disinformation?
A new study says that there’s a sophisticated effort to spread disinformation in regions of strategic value to the Kremlin, particularly Eastern Europe.
Spring drought threatens Europeโs farms and rivers
Central and Eastern European countries are missing April showers, creating possible trouble for supply chains and farmers.
EU warms to boosting defense funding to secure eastern flank
Eastern EU countries like Poland say they are currently bearing the financing brunt.
US military aid for Ukraine is about to cease. Is Europe ready? | David Shimer
Putin is planning for this war to continue. That leaves two key questions for Ukraineโs European alliesDavid Shimer was the director for eastern Europe and Ukraine on Joe Bidenโs National Security CouncilThe war between Russia and Ukraine is approachin…
Weather tracker: north-west Italy braces for thunderstorms and snow
Turin and Genoa likely to be among worst hit, while central and eastern Europe could get early taste of summerNorth-west Italy is braced for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across the southern side of the Alps, particularly in Piedmont and Liguria.Tur…
Donald Trump Jr. to visit Romania right before contentious election
Trump Jr. previously criticized a Romanian court for canceling the 2024 presidential election.
Top commander warns US troops should stay in Europe
His comments follow reports that the Pentagon is considering removing thousands of servicemembers from the continent.
Weather tracker: Arctic air sends chill through eastern Europe
Cold spell will move south this week with temperatures about 5-10C below average from Russia to GermanyAfter a cold weekend in north-eastern Europe, chilly conditions are expected to spread southwards this week. This cold spell is due to a large area o…
Global health chiefs urge EU to step up amid US funding cuts
Significant foreign aid cuts threaten to undo decades of progress in global health.
The Ukrainian teens who took on Putinโs gulag archipelago โ and won
When Vlad and his friends realized the Kremlin would not return them home, they staged an open revolt.
Meet the Czech Millennial Whoโs Building a Utopia in the California Hayfields
Armed with tech billions, Jan Sramek has dreams of creating a new, affordable, walkable city. If, that is, California lets him.
Ukraine ceasefire talks: ‘Trump doesn’t have much leverage to increase pressure on Russia’
As head of the Council representing the EU’s member states, EU chief Antonio Costa is tasked with forging unity — be it on European rearmament or transatlantic relations — between 27 countries with often divergent histories and goals. With US Presid…
Top US CEO to Europe: We can unite on nuclear power
Europe may see atomic power as a path to energy independence, but the Westinghouse chief tells POLITICO it can help the continent.
Trumpโs move to silence pro-democracy media sparks outrage
The decision to stop funding media including Voice of America “will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” the White House said.
EU Parliament seeks offices in Moldova and Albania amid Eastern partnership concerns
The European parliament approved the establishment of new offices in Moldova and Albania on Monday, 10 March, in an attempt to boost its presence in Eastern Europe.
The US embrace of Russia is an existential threat to the EU. Germany must step up to save it | Catherine De Vries
To counter the crisis caused by Trump, Friedrich Merz has little choice but to abandon decades of military and economic cautionIn February 1945, three world leaders โ Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Josef Stalin โ met in Crimea for the Yalt…
JD Vanceโs traumatic past doesnโt explain his bullying of Ukraine: his โmight is rightโ doctrine does | Karolina Wigura and Jarosลaw Kuisz
The man who wrote Hillbilly Elegy would have recognised the old eastern Europe. But heโs attacking the democratic order we yearned forEven before the shocking treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, the US had voted with Russia in the UN. …
In the vanguard:ย Eastern Europeโs military spending efforts
These countries, once dismissed as junior partners, are now in the vanguard of NATO, outpacing Western giants such as Germany and France in percentage terms.
How Czech-Slovak relations went south as Robert Fico turned east
Once united within a single country, the two republics are mired in a bitter feud.
USAID freeze opens door to Russian influence in Eastern Europe
Cuts to aid from Washington could dramatically strengthen Moscowโs hand in the region and jeopardize Europe’s security interests.
Russia asked US for Nato withdrawal from eastern Europe, says Romania
Moscowโs demand during Riyadh talks rejected but allies fear Donald Trump could yet allow restoration of former Soviet bloc
Trumpโs America is Putinโs ally now
Europe and Ukraine are learning how little the U.S. cares, as the new president aligns himself with their greatest enemy.ย
How Trump left Ukraine and Europe reeling – podcast
The Guardianโs central and eastern Europe correspondent, Shaun Walker, talks through a seismic week, as the president sidelined Kyiv and other European capitals from negotiations on the ending the war and then called into question the future of US supp…
The F.R.E.I.H.E.I.T. Project: tackling disinformation in Eastern Europe.
Fact-checking & Reliable European Information to Help Europe Integrate Together: The FREIHEIT Project
Killer Russian drone strikes Chernobyl nuclear reactor cover, Ukraine says
“Radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable,” says International Atomic Energy Agency.
What a supermarket boycott has to do with the Romanian election
In this episode, host Giada Santana and Bucharest-based Global Focus think thank director Oana Popescu โ Zamfir analyse the supermarket boycott phenomenon, and the road ahead the Romanian election.
Trump-Putin Ukraine peace talks mustnโt exclude Kyiv, EU allies warn
U.S. and Russian leaders spoke on the phone Wednesday about ending the war โ and agreed to start negotiations โimmediately.โ
Inside the divided coalition coming for the Green Deal
Intentionally or not, concerned businesses, the ascendant far right and traditional conservatives are coming together to rewrite green rules.
Lithuania hopes to woo Trump with its anti-China stance
The country aims to curry favor and keep the U.S. president committed to transatlantic defense by being the first to catch the mood in Washington.
EU wood stove clampdown under fire from Eastern Europe
“This proposal could affect tens of millions of European citizens,” two Czech MEPs warned.
Baltics brace for cyberattacks as they depart Russian electricity grid
A long-planned exit from the BRELL power grid has the Baltic countries preparing for Russian retaliation.
Europeans on democracyโs frontlines offer advice to Americans: never give up
With the new Trump era likely to pose unprecedented challenges the message from Europeโs fragile democracies is: stay united and safeguard your institutionsEuropeans who witnessed democracy crumble before their eyes have some words of advice for Americ…
How Vladimir Putin killed the EUโs frugal coalition
The need to counter Russia is shifting the attitudes of rich northern countries on budget discipline.
Slovakia leads EU charge to rein in supermarket power
Slovakiaโs right-wing government is spearheading a push to strengthen EU rules on unfair trading practices, saying the current reforms donโt go far enough.
Turkey pushing to help EU replace Ukraine gas transit
Ankara is angling for new energy talks in Brussels amid pressure for closer ties with the bloc.
Slovenes brace for โMelania effectโ as new Trump termย begins
Slovenia has drawn global attention and its fair share of misinterpretation. Now its residents are saying enough is enough.
Nearly half the worldโs population holds antisemitic beliefs
We have failed to pass on the memory and lessons of the Holocaust to younger generations โ the very future of our world.
Ukraine can join NATO โ if allies are willing to be bold
Right now, Russia knows all it needs to do to prevent a country from joining is to invade and partially occupy it โ and that needs to change.
How a Gorilla devoured democracy in Slovakia
A sprawling government corruption scandal from 2006 ended multiple political careers. Failure to punish the culprits ended public faith in the system.
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy hopes Trumpโs โunpredictabilityโ can end war with Russia
Ukrainian leader has sought to build bridges with Trump amid fears the president-elect could slow vital military aid once in office. What we know on day 1,045See all our Ukraine coverageUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that US…
Moldovan region Transnistria shuts down its industries after loss of Russian gas
Breakaway territory of 450,000 people suffers painful and immediate hit as Ukraine ends transit agreementThe shutdown of Russian gas supplies to Moldovaโs breakaway Transnistria region has forced the closure of all industrial companies except food prod…
Trumpโs world of peril โ and opportunity
This past year reordered domestic politics. 2025 will remake the worldโs geopolitical map.
Ukraine war briefing: New Yearโs Day drone strike kills two in Kyiv
Explosions boomed across the morning sky as Ukraineโs air force warned of incoming drones. What we know on day 1,044See all our Ukraine war coverage Russia launched a New Yearโs Day drone strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Wednesday, killing…
Cutting off Russian gas to EU will have โdrasticโ impact, Slovak PM warns
Top Putin ally has threatened to retaliate against Kyiv.
End of Russian gas via Ukraine sparks unease in eastern Europe
Although Europe has fought to wean itself off dependence on Russian gas since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, several eastern European states still look to Moscow for much of their energy needs.
The post End of Russian gas via Ukraine …
The biggest battles headed for Brussels
What the EU will be squabbling about in VDLโs second term.
Europeโs slow but โinevitableโ march to allow assisted dying
The U.K. is the latest country to move toward legalizing the controversial yet evermore popular practice.
6 times food diplomacy went wrong
From menu complaints to vomiting incidents, some spreads have left hosts โ or guests โย in a pickle.
Champagneโs sordid secret: the homeless and hungry migrants picking grapes for Franceโs luxury winemakers
Exclusive: Guardian investigation finds an underpaid, underfed workforce, some of whom are forced to sleep on the streets, exploited by a system of labour providersPhotographs by Valentina Camu/Divergence for the GuardianA Guardian investigation has fo…
Post-Brexit Britain has a new best friend: Brazil
The love-in between Keir Starmer and Lula centers on climate and trade. Just don’t mention Ukraine.
Polandโs role in shaping Europeโs energy transition and competitiveness
During a tumultuous yet transformative time, PKEE seeks to drive a cleaner, more prosperous and resilient region
Europeโs economic apocalypse
Stagnation, flagging competitiveness, Donald Trump โ the continent is facing “an existential challenge.”
Wife of Wisconsin man accused of faking his own death files for divorce
File says marriage โirretrievably brokenโ as Emily Borgwardt, whose husband had fled to Europe, seeks custody of kidsThe wife of the Wisconsin man who allegedly faked his own death and fled to eastern Europe has filed for divorce, according to online c…
German election frontrunner goes on charm offensive in Eastern Europe
Merz took aim at Chancellor Olaf Scholzโs mixed relations with Eastern European allies during trips to Kyiv and Warsaw.
The post German election frontrunner goes on charm offensive in Eastern Europe appeared first on Euractiv.
Stronger cohesion funding, structural reform linkage could boost EU competitiveness, say new reports [Advocacy Lab Content]
Over a quarter of the EU population live in regions below 75 per cent of the EUโs average development level. Eastern Europe is still driven by the catch-up effect and EU membership benefits.
The post Stronger cohesion funding, structural reform linkage…
Romaniaโs Trump sets his sights on foreign companies
Cฤlin Georgescu tells POLITICO that foreign investors are too prevalent in key utility sectors thanks to a wave of unjustified privatizations.
Collaboration is key to fulfilling regenerative agriculture goals
By lowering emissions, reinvigorating depleted soils and advancing biodiversity, regenerative agriculture can pave the way to more resilient, climate-friendly farms
Polandโs Contribution to Energy Transition for European Competitiveness [Promoted content]
The upcoming Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU prompts reflection on how to meet Europeโs key challenges and the extent to which Poland and the Central Eastern Europe (CEE) sensitivities and experiences can constructively contribute to the Uni…
Western groups step up efforts to win nuclear contracts in eastern Europe
Senior executive at engineer AtkinsRรฉalis says region ripe for business as it struggles to hit EU net zero targets
Europe’s climate leadership at COP29: Trump comeback turns up heat on EU
Deadly floods in Spain and in central and eastern Europe, as well as devastating hurricanes in the US, are justย someย of the recent potent reminders of climate change. From November 11, world leaders are huddling in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku for the CO…
Europe should hope for a Trump victory
The bloc has lost its purpose โ and, surprisingly, having the former president back in the White House may be the thing to bring it back.