EU shouldn’t leave newer members behind, Dombrovskis says on enlargement anniversary – POLITICO

“We are facing the green and digital transformation of our economies … and it’s very important that in this process we are not leaving countries and regions behind,” Dombrovskis said, speaking ahead of the celebrations of 20 years of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joining the EU. … Read more

Salvini’s last hope rests on building a bridge to Sicily – POLITICO

Salvini is pushing to launch the project by June, when European elections will be held that could make or break his leadership of the League.  The timing will be critical. As electoral support for the League shrinks, Salvini’s party colleagues are running out of patience. All 15 members of one local party association in Lombardy, … Read more

Kharkiv TV tower destroyed in Russian missile attack – POLITICO

“The attack on the TV tower in Kharkiv is part of a systematic, large-scale campaign against the Ukrainian civilian population by Russia,” said Oksana Romaniuk, head of the Institute of Mass Information, a think tank based in Kyiv. “The destruction of the TV tower is a war crime, both according to Ukrainian legislation and international … Read more

Ukraine attacks Russia’s energy infrastructure with drones – POLITICO

Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks against eight Russian regions overnight, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said on Saturday. The attacks appeared to target Russia’s energy infrastructure, according to an Associated Press report. An intelligence source told Reuters that long-range strike drones hit three power stations and set a fuel depot on fire. Reuters … Read more

The impact of AI on disinformation and democracy – POLITICO

We are proud to support POLITICO’s expanded coverage of artificial intelligence (AI) and elections this year through this dedicated series. As a global foundation working to safeguard democracy from digital threats — from illegal data collection to algorithmic polarization — we know the role of AI throughout 2024’s global marathon of elections will shape public … Read more

Zelenskyy fires senior aide in continuing reshuffle – POLITICO

Last month, Zelenskyy removed Valerii Zaluzhnyi as head of the armed forces. He was appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom earlier this month. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said on Saturday that Russia launched 12 Shahed drones overnight, nine of which were shot down, and fired four missiles into eastern Ukraine. Russia has unleashed a barrage of … Read more

NATO’s Romania finds likely drone debris on its land near Ukraine border – POLITICO

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said the probable drone crash wasn’t the first occurrence, but he hoped it would be “the last.” “At the moment we have no casualties and no such problems,” he said, Romanian media reported. “We hope that they will be, I repeat, as small as possible, or to avoid these events as … Read more

In this corner of Europe, no one cares about the EU election – POLITICO

The last time he voted in an election of any kind was “maybe” 20 years ago. Like most people in Luník IX, an impoverished Roma neighborhood on the outskirts of Slovakia’s second-largest city, Košice, he was not planning to vote in the upcoming European election. It doesn’t make sense for him to vote, because the … Read more

Moldova to allow billionaire’s pro-Kremlin party to field candidates in elections – POLITICO

Shor welcomed the verdict. “This decision not only restores the rights of individuals, but also calls into question the legitimacy of the past elections,” he said Tuesday in a Instagram post. Shor was sentenced in 2017 to 7.5 years in prison — later increased to 15 years — on fraud and money laundering charges in … Read more

Massive Russian attack targets Ukraine energy infrastructure – POLITICO

Zelenskyy used the attack to plead for more military aid from Ukraine’s allies. “There are no delays in Russian missiles, as in aid packages to our state,” he said. Shahed drones “do not have indecision, like some politicians. It is important to understand the cost of delays and delayed decisions,” Zelenskyy said. EU leaders at … Read more