Putin receives Slovak PM in shock Moscow visit – POLITICO

Putin receives Slovak PM in shock Moscow visit – POLITICO

Peskov added it could be “easily assumed” that energy ties will be on the agenda. The diplomatic trip came as Slovakia and Hungary seek a deal to avoid being cut off from Russian gas when a key transit agreement with Ukraine expires at the end of 2024. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost three … Read more

Slovakia profiting from war with Russian gas transit gambit, Kyiv charges – POLITICO

Slovakia profiting from war with Russian gas transit gambit, Kyiv charges – POLITICO

“We constantly ask for sanctions against the Russian nuclear industry,” the official said, granted anonymity to speak frankly about the sensitive row. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert “Fico is among those who block those sanctions … and is one of the key blockers of [Ukraine’s] bid to join NATO, too.” Fico, who along with Hungarian Prime … Read more

Report ties Romanian liberals to TikTok campaign that fueled pro-Russia candidate – POLITICO

Report ties Romanian liberals to TikTok campaign that fueled pro-Russia candidate – POLITICO

The center-right Romanian National Liberal Party paid for a campaign on TikTok that ended up favoring far-right independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a new report from investigative outlet snoop.ro indicates. Georgescu was catapulted from obscurity into the lead in the first round of voting in the Romanian presidential election on Nov. 24. But the country’s top constitutional court … Read more

Poland is ‘frontline state’ that can’t ‘give everything’ to Ukrainian defense – POLITICO

Poland is ‘frontline state’ that can’t ‘give everything’ to Ukrainian defense – POLITICO

Tusk also acknowledged the historical “ups and downs” that have occurred in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. Responding to a question from a reporter about lingering bad blood from the World War II Volhynia massacre, in which a Ukrainian guerrilla group killed tens of thousands of Poles within an ethnic cleansing mission, Tusk said it … Read more

Trump sees ‘a little progress’ toward ending war in Ukraine – POLITICO

Trump sees ‘a little progress’ toward ending war in Ukraine – POLITICO

Trump lamented Ukraine’s destroyed cities and the dead on both sides, claiming the actual losses will ultimately be far higher than both Kyiv and Moscow have so far reported. “Everyone is being killed, it’s the worst carnage that this world has seen since WWII. It has got to stop,” he said, adding his administration would … Read more

NATO’s Rutte wants a return to Cold War-level military spending – POLITICO

NATO’s Rutte wants a return to Cold War-level military spending – POLITICO

“It is true that we spend more on defense now than we did a decade ago,” said Rutte. “But we are still spending far less than during the Cold War. Even though the threats to our freedom and security are just as big — if not bigger.” “During the Cold War, Europeans spent far more … Read more

Israel destroys targets across Syria as Russian vessels desert Tartus naval base – POLITICO

Israel destroys targets across Syria as Russian vessels desert Tartus naval base – POLITICO

The port city of Latakia on the Mediterranean Sea came under heavy attack, the BBC reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “Israeli warplanes” had damaged or sunk about 10 Syrian naval vessels and levelled “the Barzeh scientific research center” in the town. That same facility was hit in 2018 by Western countries, … Read more

Russia grants asylum to exiled Assad, state media reports – POLITICO

Russia grants asylum to exiled Assad, state media reports – POLITICO

Exiled former Syrian leader Bashar Assad is in Moscow, Russian state media said Sunday citing a source in the Kremlin. Assad fled Syria after opposition forces stormed the capital, Damascus, early Sunday. He had been in power for almost 25 years, presiding over a bloody civil war during the latter half of his reign. Russia’s … Read more

Assad’s downfall — the winners and losers – POLITICO

Assad’s downfall — the winners and losers – POLITICO

Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Bashar Assad were once friends, but the Turkish leader backed the rebellion when it erupted nearly 14 years ago — mainly because Turkey’s geopolitical rival Iran supported the Syrian regime. Turkey has been the key patron of Syria’s armed Islamist opposition groups. And as the war developed and the moderate … Read more

Kyiv reveals total Ukraine casualties in Putin’s war for first time – POLITICO

Kyiv reveals total Ukraine casualties in Putin’s war for first time – POLITICO

“Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has lost 43,000 soldiers who died on the battlefield,” plus 370,000 who have been wounded, Zelenskyy said in his post. “And this is taking into account that in our army approximately 50 percent of the wounded return to service, and all injuries are recorded, including minor and … Read more