Top Ukrainian MP to Merkel: Enough already
Former German chancellor’s justification of her Russia policy in a new book angers senior figures in Kyiv.
Russian aggression
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says massive attack by Russia is โdespicable escalationโ
Barrage leaves 1 million without power; Putin threatens to use hypersonic missile against Kyiv. What we know on day 1,010See all our Ukraine war coverageUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called Russiaโs massive attack on energy infrastructure…
Trump appoints Keith Kellogg asย Ukraine peace envoy
The retired general has a major task ahead given that Trump has pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day.
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says war will โend soonerโ once Trump enters White House
US president-elect says the war has โgot to stopโ as German chancellor urges Putin to start talks with Kyiv in rare phone call. What we know on day 997Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russiaโs war against his country will โend soonerโ than it otherwise wou…
PMQs: Keir Starmer wins by clobbering Tories on investment
Kemi Badenoch failed to land big blows, although she put the PM on the rack over the real-world impact of his national insurance hike.
Ukraine loses fight to trademark โRussian warship, go f**k yourselfโ slogan
The phrase has become a symbol of Kyiv’s resilience against Moscow โ but that didn’t clear the bar for EU intellectual property enforcers or judges in Luxembourg.
Kyiv strains to see Trumpโs true plan for Ukraine
Ukraine’s new strategy to win over the U.S. president-elect will likely emphasize how it has much to offer in return for aid.
Macron to Europe: We need to become โomnivoresโ after Trumpโs victory
Europe needs to grow some teeth or risk being eaten by the world’s “carnivores,” says French president.
Trumpโs in. Hereโs what it means for Europe.
From energy and trade to finance and defense, hereโs how Donald Trumpโs second presidency will impact EU policy.
World leaders race to congratulate Trump on expected win
Leaders praised the Republican’s “comeback.”
Zelenskyy to West: Let us hit North Korean troops in Russia
โEveryone is just waiting for the North Korean military to start attacking Ukrainians,โ Ukraine’s president says.
US demands premium for supporting โฌ45B loan to Ukraine
The move addresses the risk Russian assets could be unfrozen early.
Europe or Russia? For Georgians, the choice isnโt so simple
The Georgian government has been effectively exploiting the country’s war trauma, and it could give them a lead in the election.
North Korean troops in Ukraine war called โhugeโ escalation risk
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said on Friday that North Korea had already deployed 1,500 special forces troops to Russia.
Claims of North Korean military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine ‘very worrying’, France says
South Koreaโs intelligence service on Friday released satellite images it said showed the first deployment of 1,500 elite North Korean special forces soldiers to the port city of Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East. Ukraine responded by asking its allies…
Zelenskyy heads for talks with UKโs Starmer after Biden summit axed
London trip comes just after key meeting at which Ukraine was set to present a โvictory planโ was postponed.
The westโs support for Ukraine is fading โ and that will empower Putin for his next war | Paul Taylor
The US and Europe are failing to provide decisive military aid. A Trump victory could soon reveal the depths of this mistakeIn the corridors of Brussels, there is a sinking feeling that the political will to help Ukraine prevail over Russian aggression…
Ukraine war briefing: Kyivโs military claims downing of Russian fighter plane over Donetsk region
Bomber reportedly shot down near city of Kostiantynivka as Russian forces claim capture of another eastern Ukrainian village. What we know on day 956See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageUkrainian forces said they shot down a Russian warplane in Ukrai…
Zelenskyy says victory plan is coming at alliesโ meeting on Oct. 12
Ukraine will present โclear, concrete stepsโ to end the war in its territory, Zelenskyy said.
Kyiv slams Georgian electoral ads depicting bombed-out Ukraine
Georgian people “need not to be afraid of a new war as long Ukraine resists Russian aggression,” Kyiv said.
Hungary would have given in to Russia, says Orbรกnโs top aide
The political director of Hungary’s PM says that the Ukrainians killed fighting Russia died “for nothing.”
UK tells Putin: Youโre a slave-owning mafia boss
British foreign secretary invokes legacy of slavery as he attacks “imperialism” of Russian leader.
What Europeโs new enlargement czar, Marta Kos, means for Ukraine
The left-leaning Slovene has made conciliatory comments toward Russia after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Britain and France plan new military agreement
New U.K. government launches charm offensive โ including a reboot of the Lancaster House Agreement.
NATOโs Jens Stoltenberg will be new Munich Security Conference chief
“Davos with guns” gets a new boss.
Meet the new โMr Ukraineโ at the head of Britainโs military
British Defense Secretary John Healey told POLITICO the new Labour government would increase military spending.
Trumpโs Orbรกn embrace sparks some US Republicans to sound the alarm
Groups seeking the former presidentโs favor have highlighted pro-Russian Hungarian leaders and talking points.
Ukraine war briefing: Long-range strikes a must against Russian aggression, says EUโs Borrell
EUโs top diplomat says long-range weapons would boost Ukrainian self defence; Scholz says Kursk operation was secretive by necessity. What we know on day 911See all our Ukraine war coverageWestern suppliers should let Ukraine fire their powerful long-r…
โA war of who gets to write historyโ: the artists resisting in Ukraine
Film-maker David Gutnik lasers in on the artists pushing back against Russian aggression for an inspiring yet harrowing new documentaryKyiv was supposed to fall in three days. Thatโs what talking heads and pundits in media were saying, rather dismissiv…
Western countries can easily afford more support for Ukraine
The US and its allies risk paying a higher longer-term price if they fail to repel Russian aggression
Ukraineโs raid into Russia has shifted the tactical narrative
Kursk has indeed turned the tables on Russia, but itโs also highly questionable whether it has shifted the grim dynamics of the conflict.
Mark Rutteโs first NATO task: Find a right-hand woman
Two senior former officials from North Macedonia and Bulgaria are among those competing to become the incoming NATO chief’s deputy.
French general wants to slash โunbelievableโ red tape to move troops faster across Europe
EU needs to up its game on military mobility, but it’s no easy task, General Bertrand Toujouse tells POLITICO.
Ukraine war briefing: Turkey launches new Ukrainian warship
Crimea under missile and drone attack; Estonia to clamp down on sanctions evasion via its Russian border. What we know on day 891The Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, has attended in Turkey the launch of the Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, an anti-submarine…
Kyiv runs into strong opposition on tax hike to fund the war
The country wants to spend 500 billion hryvnia on the war, and needs to increase borrowing and taxes to do that.
A bad deal with Trump on Ukraine could at least postpone a worse one with Putin
It’s possible European NATO members could convince a Trump White House to leave Kyivโs military backing to them โ with some strings attached.
PMQs scorecard: Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak play nice
Keir Starmer faced awkward questions at PMQs โ but not from Rishi Sunak.
Ukraine war briefing: โOccupiersโ ship severely damagedโ in Kavkas across from Crimea
Zelenskiyโs and Kamala Harrisโs aides hold phone talks; Spanish pensioner jailed over anti-Ukraine letter bombs. What we know on day 882See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine said its drones attacked a Russian ship used for military cargo moored at Ka…
Europe should stop hand-wringing about Trump โ and be more constructive
A little more reflection and a little less contempt might go a long way toward creating the kind of enduring transatlantic consensus we need.
Ukraineโs Kuleba to visit China for first time since start of war
Foreign minister of Ukraine will be in Beijing from Tuesday to Friday.
15 experts predict what Bidenโs dropout means for the 2024 election
Political analysts and historians weigh in on an unprecedented moment in American politics.
In fear of war and Trump, Europe takes no chancesย
The EUโs choice to lead for the next five years, Ursula von der Leyen, will have a tough time facing down the populists.
What J.D. Vance really thinks about Europe
From Brussels to Berlin to Budapest, Trump’s VP pick hasnโt been shy about offering his thoughts.
Zelenskyy addresses Bidenโs โPresident Putinโ gaffe on Europe tour
The Ukrainian president praised Washington for providing support to help defend his country against Russian aggression.
Trump considering cutting back intel sharing with Europe, officials warn
European officials say they rely on U.S. intelligence to help fend off Russian aggression on their own soil.
F-16s jets from Denmark, Netherlands to begin Ukraine defense within months
Denmark and the Netherlands have begun sending the jets, but Ukraineโs president says he needs more.
NATO leaders seek to bolster Ukraine as they mark alliance’s 75th anniversary
As NATO leaders gather for their 75th anniversary in Washington, they aim to increase support for Ukraine amid escalating Russian attacks and growing political uncertainties in the West. US President Joe Biden announced a new air defense system for Ky…
Czech PM: I can help von der Leyen get a 2nd Commission term
Petr Fiala expressed support for von der Leyen and said she understands “the problems of Central Europe.”
Ukraine builds a NATO-lite while it waits for the real thing
Non-binding pacts are “second-best” to belonging to the alliance, but they’re the best Kyiv can get for now.
Secret meetings, private threats and a massive arms race: How the world is preparing for Trump
In 2016, no one in the world was ready for President Trump. Americaโs NATO allies arenโt making the same mistake this time.
Orbรกn unites Europe โ against him
Hungarian PM’s Moscow trip triggered a tidal wave of condemnation from his fellow leaders.
How could Franceโs electoral turmoil affect consensus on Ukraine?
If French support falters, this could effectively become the event that kills the European consensus on standing firm against Russian aggression. You know who will be opening the champagne then, Celia Belin and Pawel Zerka write.
Europeans sceptical on defence spend, Ukraine membership, poll finds
Policymakers are bullish about the need to step up in the face of Russian aggression and potential US apathy โ but their voters arenโt so sure.
Farage says Zelenskiy should seek Ukraine peace deal with Russia
President should rethink goal of reclaiming all lost territory, says Reform UK leader in latest remarks about warUK election live โ latest updatesNigel Farage has urged Volodymyr Zelenskiy to seek a peace deal with Russia, โotherwise there will be no y…
Sorry Farage, Putin is provoked by Ukrainian independence โ not NATO
By amplifying Putinโs bogus claims of NATOโs responsibility for todayโs war, Western politicians like Trump and Farage risk legitimizing Russian imperialism.
Boris Johnson says Farage โparroting Putinโs liesโ on Ukraine
Two leading Brexiteers throw around words like ‘liar’ and ‘nauseating’ after Farage says EU provoked Ukraine war.
North Korea, Russia sign pact to give all available military help if other is attacked
North Korea and Russia agreed to provide immediate military assistance if either faced armed aggression, under a pact their leaders signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit in 24 years.
Ukraine war briefing: Russia is โnot ready for a just peaceโ, Zelenskiy tells summit
Ukraine president says talks with Moscow could start tomorrow โif they leave our legal territoriesโ; more than 80 countries and organisations back Ukraineโs territorial integrity. What we know on day 845See all our Ukraine war coverageMore than 80 coun…
Trump threatens to cut US aid to Ukraine quickly if reelected
Ukraineโs allies are scrambling to secure long-term aid for Kyivย amid fears about a second Trump term.
The great EU top jobs puzzle is nearly solved
Too quick to be true? A strangely rapid consensus is emerging around the EU top four: Von der Leyen, Costa, Metsola and Kallas.
Macron-Biden presser: ‘Solidarity’ with Ukraine against Russian aggression
One of the main takeaways from French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Bidenโs joint press conference on Saturday at the Elysรฉe Palace was โsolidarity between the United States and France and the rest of Europe face to face with the aggr…
Ukraine expects Patriot systems, membership progress at NATO summit in July
Aid to Ukraine will be a priority, along with defense production and defense budget targets, when NATO allies gather in Washington next month.
Zelenskyy to French lawmakers: โNazism is resurgentโ
In a speech the day after the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Ukrainian president leaned heavily on history to highlight the importance of Ukraine’s struggle.
D-day: Biden calls for supporting Ukraine in struggle against โdark forcesโ
President warns at 80th anniversary that democracy is under great threat than at any time since second world warJoe Biden has marked the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings in Normandy with an impassioned call to western allies to continue supportin…
Starmer will try to prove Britain can be a reliable EU friend โ and Germany will be key
After the U.K. election, cooperation will be deliberately methodical, testing the waters along the way.
Germany must be ready for war by 2029, defense minister warns
“We must not believe that Putin will stop at Ukraineโs ย borders,” Boris Pistorius says.
‘Vote or face war’: Poland PM’s stark warning ahead of EU election
Donald Tusk is urging Poles to vote for his coalition, to best protect against Russian aggression.
‘Vote or face war’: Poland PM’s stark warning ahead of EU election
Donald Tusk is urging Poles to vote for his coalition, to best protect against Russian aggression.
White House says Biden will not attend Ukraine peace summit
U.S. president’s absence “would only be met by an applause by Putin,” Ukraine’s president said.
Ukraine gets โฌ1B in arms and security pact with Spain
Kyiv is signing security deals with its allies while it waits to join NATO.
Ukraine can still recover with bolder western support โ but right now itโs on the ropes | Timothy Garton Ash
The Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion beat back a giant opponent, but his country canโt defeat Russia on its ownAs I contemplate a forest of small Ukrainian flags on the Maidan in central Kyiv, placed there by bereaved relatives as a memorial…
US to consider major military, trade package to Georgia if anti-democratic drift reversed
Incentives would push South Caucasus country to guarantee free elections following outrage over the government’s Kremlin-style “foreign agent” bill.
Ukraine war briefing: Russian forces launch deadly attack on Kharkiv lakeside resort
Six people killed and dozens wounded after two waves of strikes on resort on edge of city, with more attacks in wider region killing five. What we know on day 817See all our Ukraine war coverageRussia struck a lakeside resort on the edge of Kharkiv on …
Ukraine war briefing: โReal difference against Russian aggressionโ says Blinken of US aid
Ukrainians pull back to new positions in parts of Kharkiv region; Putin to visit China. What we know on day 812The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday on his first visit to Ukraine since a major US aid package was passed l…
Finland boosts war readiness in face of Russian aggression
Now in Nato, Helsinki disperses military supplies beyond its borders and hones economy for resilience
Rethinking EU restrictive measuresย ย ย ย
Against a backdrop of alternative global trade channels, food insecurity, and a stagnant EU economy, sanctions against Russia need to be more strategic and fair to legitimate businesses.
Britain moves to a war footing โ but where should the extra money go?
Updating our defense posture isnโt just about increasing conventional combat mass. The full spectrum of warfare โ including cyber, space, gray zone, training and the ability to rapidly replenish stockpiles โ must all be factored in.
Russia-Ukraine war: โmortalโ Europe needs stronger defence, says French president โ as it happened
Emmanuel Macron says Europe faces existential threat from Russian aggression and calls on continent to adopt โcredibleโ defence strategy. This live blog is closedRussia has vetoed a UN security council resolution calling on all nations to prevent a dan…
Biden admin isnโt fully convinced Ukraine can win, even with new aid
Few Biden administration officials or lawmakers say the $60 billion package means Ukraine walks away from the battlefield with its country fully restored.
Ukraine to deny consular services to military-age men living abroad
Ukraine suspended consular services for military-age male citizens until 18 May, criticising Ukrainians abroad who it said expected to receive help from the state without helping it in the war against Russia.
Europeโs political leaders have been slow to recognise financial reality of long wars
Ukraine needs western munitions badly but it remains unclear how much more artillery the UK is prepared to produceUK politics โ latest updatesTwo years and two months after Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine started the biggest war in Europe since 1945, and …
Japan hunkers down for Trump 2.0
The possible return of Donald Trump to the White House has bred a deep sense of insecurity among Japanโs business and political elite.
Germany, France and Poland: This moment may define our childrenโs future
European allies should shoulder their fair share of NATOโs collective burden and demonstrate readiness to take more responsibility for Europeโs defense.
Ukraine war briefing: Nato foreign ministers to discuss proposal for โฌ100bn fund for Ukraine
Nato plan seen as a way to โTrump-proofโ aid for Kyiv; Zelenskiy lowers conscription age to 25. What we know on day 770See all our Ukraine war coverageA Ukrainian drone struck the primary unit of the third-largest Russian oil refinery in the Tatarstan …
Ukraine rejects claims of Western pressure over attacks on Russian oil facilities
Ukraine will continue attacking Russian oil refineries, Kyiv vows
EU imposes duties on Russian food commodities to appease Eastern European farmers
The European Commission proposed to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grains and oilseeds imports to prevent the destabilisation of the EU market, the funding of Russian aggression against Ukraine and to try to defuse the protests on the Ukrai…
Bidenโs man vows more help coming for Ukraine despite US gridlock
In a surprise visit to Kyiv, U.S. Presidential Security Adviser Jake Sullivan urged Ukraine to believe in the U.S. and expressed confidence Congress will vote for supplemental aid.
Germany announces next โฌ500m military aid package for Ukraine
Germany will send nearly 200 vehicles and 10,000 artillery shells worth โฌ500 million to help Ukraine fight back against Russian aggression, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Tuesday.
German, French and Polish leaders in joint show of unity over Ukraine
Military powers agree to step up purchase of ammunition for Kyiv in an effort to dampen tensions between them over Russian aggressionโข Ukraine war โ live updatesIn an ostentatious show of unity designed to ease the tensions between France and Germany o…
UK to Germany: Sending Taurus missiles wonโt escalate Ukraine war
David Cameron uses trip to Berlin to lay out ‘the test for politicians of this generation.’
Quiz: Do you know when each country joined NATO?
31 nations have joined before. But when?
Sweden officially joins NATO, prime minister declares it a ‘safer country’
Sweden on Thursday formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have spiked following Russiaโs 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Romanian government presents aid to beekeepers, farmers struggling amid Russian aggression
Two emergency ordinances aimed at establishing state aid programs to partially compensate losses suffered by beekeepers and farmers were passed by the government on Thursday in response to the crisis triggered by Russiaโs aggression against Ukraine.
โDo more and betterโ: Paris hopes to align European efforts in Ukraine support
Paris will host 20 heads of state on Monday to mobilise European production capacity and explore ways better to support Ukraine in its military response to Russian aggression as the war enters its third year and troops on the ground are both outgunned …
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 733
Bombing destroys train station in frontline Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka; Zelenskiy numbers troop deaths at 31,000 since full-scale war beganRussia launched 14 attack drones and a barrage of missiles at Ukraine over Sunday night and Monday morning,…
Sunak snubs Scholz: the UK leaderโs giving Berlin a wide berth
German eyebrows have been raised by Rishi Sunak’s failure to swing by to meet Olaf Scholz.
Trump triggers Germanyโs nuclear nightmare
German leaders fear confronting Putin’s menace without the protection of America’s nuclear umbrella.
Washington rallies for Ukraine aid following Navalnyโs death
At the White House, the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, Ukraine backers amp up the pressure on Republican holdouts.
Biden says thereโs no mistake: โPutin is responsible for Navalnyโs deathโ
Saying heโs โoutragedโ by the death, Biden tells Congress to โstep upโ and pass supplemental aid to help Ukraine.
Zelenskyy blames Putin for Navalnyโs death as leaders voice outrage
NATO chief Stoltenberg says the Kremlin has “serious questions to answer.”