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☆ How Russian ‘dirty money’ risks rigging this European country’s presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If other Kremlin-friendly parties swing their support behind him, the second round will be extremely close. Both the Kremlin and Shor have denied interference, but Moldovan officials have warned the second vote could also be targeted by similar schemes. He has called for a “reset” of relations with Moscow and said he would be willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, while maintaining he is committed to joining the EU. As a result, his platform is a mix of contradictory policies, said Samurokov: “You either support European integration, or you want to promote cooperation with Moscow. Evgenia Novozhenina/ReutersStill, Moldovan officials are braced for a second round of voting marred by pro-Russian meddling.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexandr Stoianoglo, Sandu –, Moscow –, Stoianoglo, Vladislav Culiomza, Reuters Sandu, Valeriu Pasha, Ilan Shor, Shor, ” Maksim Samorukov, Sandu’s, ”, Vladimir Putin, Evgenia Novozhenina, ” Pasha, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, Russian Party of Socialists, World Bank, Moscow, Reuters, Reuters Analysts, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Communist Locations: Soviet, Europe, Moldova, European, Ukraine, Harvard, Chisinau, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Transnistria, Georgian, ”, Georgia

☆ Georgian president calls for protests after ruling party wins disputed election; U.S., allies call for probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Georgian Dream Party supporters celebrate the exit poll results in Tbilisi on Saturday. Diego Fedele / Getty ImagesPresident Salome Zourabichvili spoke the day after the vote, which the electoral commission said the ruling party had won. The Georgian Dream party clinched nearly 54% of the vote, the commission said, as opposition parties contested the result and vote monitors reported significant violations. Georgian Dream has become increasingly authoritarian over the past year, adopting laws similar to those used by Russia to crack down on speech. Despite that, Georgian Dream has adopted Russia-style laws and many Georgians fear the government is distancing the country from the West and into Moscow’s orbit.

Persons: Diego Fedele, Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s, ”, Zourabichvili, Antonio López, White, Charles Michel, “, Irakli Kobakhidze, ” Hungary’s Victor Orbán, Tiko Gelashvili, Natia Seskuria Organizations: European Union, Georgian Dream Party, Getty, European, Sunday, Georgian, The United National Movement, Regional Institute for Security Studies, AP Locations: United States, Russia, Europe, Tbilisi, Georgian, Russian, Brussels, South Caucasus, ”, Georgia, Tiko, Georgia’s, Moscow, Soviet Union, Javakheti

☆ Georgia’s opposition disputes result of crucial vote which could decide the country’s role in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Initial figures suggest turnout is the highest since the ruling Georgian Dream party was first elected in 2012. Georgia’s Central Election Commission said Georgian Dream won 52.99% with the majority of votes counted. Georgian Dream stood against four main opposition groups, which indicated they did not accept the results. The biggest opposition party, United National Movement, said its headquarters came under attack on polling day. Many Georgians fear Georgian Dream is dragging the country toward authoritarianism and killing off hopes it could join the EU.

Persons: Ivanishvili, Tina Bokuchava, “, ”, Russia —, Salome Zourabichvili, ” Qristine, Nika Gvaramia, ” Ivanishvili, Party ”, Giorgi Gakharia Organizations: European Union, Georgia’s, Commission, Georgian, EU, United National Movement, CEC, Associated, NATO, Coalition, AP, Party, Unity National Movement Locations: Georgian, Russia, Brussels, South Caucasus, Zugdidi, Marneuli, Tbilisi, Georgia, Soviet Union, EU, U.S, Ukraine, Strong Georgia

☆ Caught cold by UniCredit’s swoop on Commerzbank, Germany will want to avoid a national embarrassment
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A protestor holds a placard with a slogan reading "Stop Merger Horror" during a union demonstration outside the Commerzbank AG headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. It follows UniCredit's move to take a 9% stake in Commerzbank earlier this month. watch nowScholz on Monday criticized UniCredit's decision to up the ante on Commerzbank, describing the move as an "unfriendly" and "hostile" attack, Reuters reported. Commerzbank's Deputy Chair Uwe Tschaege, meanwhile, reportedly voiced opposition to a potential takeover by UniCredit on Tuesday. The Commerzbank AG headquarters, in the financial district of Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.

Persons: it's, UniCredit, Octavio Marenzi, Opimas, CNBC's, Olaf Scholz, He's, Marenzi, Scholz, UniCredit's, Uwe Tschaege, Tschaege, Andrea Orcel, Stefan Wittman, Germany's Scholz, Craig Coben, Coben, Emanuele Cremaschi Organizations: Commerzbank, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Reuters, UniCredit, BBVA, Banco Sabadell, Bank of America, AG Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Berlin, Milan, Commerzbank, Spanish

☆ Georgia presses on with Putin-style ‘foreign agent’ bill despite huge protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Christian Edwards | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Georgia’s government is attempting to force through a controversial “foreign agent” law, despite international condemnation and huge protests from its citizens. Critics of the law say is it is a Kremlin-inspired effort to undermine democracy which will damage Georgia’s bid to join the European Union. The ruling Georgian Dream party first tried to pass the bill 13 months ago, but was forced into an embarrassing climbdown following a week of intense protests. Nearly 80% of Georgians support European integration, according to a poll conducted in December by the National Democratic Institute. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Russians – especially men of service age – have fled to Georgia to avoid conscription.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Salome Zourabichvili, Zourabichvili, –, Irakli Gedenidze, ” Giorgi Bekurashvili Organizations: CNN, European Union, South Caucasus, “, Kremlin, EU, National Democratic Institute Locations: Soviet, Europe, United States, Tbilisi, Georgian, Russia, South, Russian, “ Russia, Georgia, Ukraine

☆ Moldovan Negotiator Rules Out Moscow Role in Solving Separatist Issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian made his comments on national radio as Moldova's pro-European government pressed ahead with its drive to secure European Union membership. "Returning to that format for a peaceful settlement depends on improved relations between Moscow and Kyiv," he said. Prime Minister Dorin Recean on Saturday announced in a video presentation that Cristina Gherasimov, previously foreign ministry secretary of state, would serve as European integration minister and chief negotiator in negotiations on EU membership. Gherasimov will also head a new European Integration Bureau dedicated to proceeding with those talks. Her appointment, and that of new Foreign Minister Mihail Popsoi, followed the resignation last week of Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Oleg Serebrian, Serebrian, Maia Sandu, Russia's, Transdniestria, Dorin Recean, Cristina Gherasimov, Gherasimov, Mihail Popsoi, Nicu Popescu, Alexander Tanas, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Union, European Affairs, EU, Saturday, Integration Bureau Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Kyiv, Romania, Moldova

If accepted, EU officials expect formal accession talks with Kyiv to start next year. A top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Budapest would not support Ukraine's EU integration unless Kyiv changes its laws on minorities, in particular as regards education. "Moldova is firmly on the path for EU membership and we will continue working relentlessly towards this goal," the country's president, Maia Sandu, said in welcoming the move. The Commission said the EU should also begin membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina once a long list of extensive conditions are met. In 2020, Britain was the first country to ever leave the EU, a major setback for European integration following World War Two.

Persons: Yves Herman, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Viktor Orban, Maia Sandu, von der Leyen, enlargements, Andrew Gray, Yuliia, Olena, Alexander Tanas, Gabriela Baczynska, Nick Macfie, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, European Commission, EU, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Brussels, Belgium, Moldova, Bosnia, Georgia, BRUSSELS, KYIV, Hungary, Kyiv, Hungarian, Budapest, EU, Moscow, Tbilisi, Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Netherlands, Britain

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldovans are casting ballots in nationwide local elections on Sunday as authorities say that Russia has been conducting “hybrid warfare” to undermine the vote in the European Union candidate country. While local elections in Moldova, a country of about 2.5 million people situated between Romania and Ukraine, wouldn't usually garner much international attention, ongoing accusations of Russian meddling add a geopolitical dimension to the vote. On Friday, Moldova’s national intelligence agency published a report alleging that Russia was trying to “influence the electoral process” through the party. Shor was the head of the Russia-friendly Shor Party, which was declared unconstitutional in June by Moldova’s Constitutional Court. “Russia has always been trying to undermine democratic elections in Moldova, particularly in an effort to derail European integration aspirations,” Cantir said.

Persons: wouldn't, Dorin Recean, Recean, Ilan Shor, Shor, Maia Sandu, Anatol Mosanu, ”, Cristian Cantir, Cantir, oligarch, Vladimir Plahotniuc, Plahotniuc, Sandu, Moldova’s, ” Cantir, “, they’ve, ” ___ Stephen McGrath Organizations: European Union, Moldova, Russia Chance Party, Intelligence, Security Service, SIS, Chance Party, Oakland University, Associated Press, EU, NATO, Party, Moldova’s Constitutional, Russia Locations: CHISINAU, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Moldovan, Sunday's, Israel, ” “ Moldova, United States, United Kingdom, Moscow, Sighisoara

But officials have made clear recently that other forms of US aid are potentially in jeopardy if Ukraine does not do more to address corruption. The US has provided Ukraine with over $23 billion in direct budget support since the war began, according to the Congressional Research Service. In a statement to CNN, the Ukrainian embassy in Washington said that Ukraine has moved “ambitiously” to pass reforms, including on its IMF program. That money is also the “most closely scrutinized” form of aid to Ukraine, a senior Democratic Senate aide told CNN. The US intends to provide up to $3.3 billion in direct economic aid to Ukraine if Congress authorizes its $24 billion supplemental request for Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Volodymyr Zelensky, Matthew Miller, Miller, ”, Denys Shmyhal, Blinken, “, It’s, Megan Reed, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, The State Department, Congressional Research Service, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, World Bank, Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund, IMF, National Bank of, General Prosecutors, National Security, Ukrainian, White, Ukrainska Pravda, Government of, EU, State Department, NATO, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Democratic, Republicans, Pentagon, The Defense, Ukrainian MoD Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, National Bank of Ukraine, USA, Russia, Kyiv, Europe, Government of Ukraine, United States, EU

☆ Pro-Russian ex-PM Fico wins Slovak election, needs allies for government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Robert Fico, former Slovak prime minister and lead candidate of the SMER political party, arrives at SMER headquarters at the Slovak parliamentary elections on September 30, 2023 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Slovakia's leftist former Prime Minister Robert Fico beat his progressive rival in a parliamentary election after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine, but he will need to win over allies to form the next government, nearly complete results showed on Sunday. With 98% of voting districts reporting in the Saturday election, Fico's SMER-SSD party led with 23.37% of the vote. Former Fico colleague and leftist HLAS leader Peter Pellegrini kept his options open on future coalitions. It would also signal a further shift in the region against political liberalism, which may be reinforced if conservative PiS wins an election in Poland later this month.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Fico, Robert Kalinak Organizations: Slovak, Progressive, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Slovak, Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Brussels

☆ Officials Urge Moldova to Seize Opportunity for EU Membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Alexander TanasCHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova launched a nationwide discussion on securing European Union membership, with senior officials and academics urging their compatriots to seize every opportunity to join the bloc or run the risk of being left behind or sinking into chaos. Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu launched the discussion on EU membership on Friday, saying that public participation "has a critical meaning in building a more prosperous future within the framework of the community of Europe". The Moscow-sympathetic opposition, thrown out of power by Sandu's landslide 2020 election victory, is sceptical about EU membership. Moldovans, their country wedged between Ukraine and EU member Romania, have proved enthusiastic. Sandu and other officials have suggested that Moldova should forge ahead with its EU membership bid and ignore separatist Transdniestria, much like Cyprus was allowed to join despite the Turkish occupation of its northern regions since the 1970s.

Persons: Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, Maia Sandu, Nicu Popescu, Vlad Culminschi, Transdniestria, Sandu, Ron Popeski, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Union, Moscow's, Institute of Strategic Initiatives Locations: Moldova, Soviet Moldova, Ukraine, Sandu, Russian, Transdniestria, Europe, Moscow, Romania, Cyprus, Soviet Union

Decision-making is key because the EU now requires unanimity on foreign and security policy, taxes, EU finances, some areas of justice and home affairs and social security and protection. EU agriculture policy would need to be revamped because the admission of agriculture powerhouse Ukraine would dramatically change current EU direct payments to farmers. A similarly major change would happen to the EU's regional policy, under which poorer EU members receive money to raise their standard of living. The agriculture and regional funds make up two thirds of the EU budget, which totals roughly 1% of the bloc's gross national income a year. The paper, which polarised EU governments when first discussed on Sept. 19, said some countries in the EU should be allowed to form closer cooperation than others, forming four tiers of European integration.

Persons: Laurence Boone, Anna Luhrmann, Tiago Antunes, Jan Strupczewski Organizations: Union, EU, Guiding, Franco, Political, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Spanish, Murcia, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Kosovo, EU, France

☆ Germany's Scholz targets green jet fuel role, Airbus investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Transport Minister Volker Wissing attend the third national aviation conference at Lufthansa Technik, in Hamburg, Germany, September 25, 2023. Airbus (AIR.PA) is considering joining the consortium to use the fuel, HH2E said. Scholz also said Germany was targeting investment for a potential new plane to replace the Airbus single-aisle A320. "We would like to see further investment in aviation - not just in Hamburg, but throughout Germany, as part of the successor to the Airbus A320," he said. In July, Airbus expanded production of the same series in Toulouse, France, to meet rising demand.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Volker Wissing, Fabian Bimmer, HH2E, Scholz, Carsten Spohr, planemaker, Andreas Rinke, Tim Hepher, Rachel More, Friederike Heine, Barbara Lewis, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Lufthansa Technik, REUTERS, Rights, Airbus, DHL, National Aviation Conference, EU, Industry, Lufthansa, SAF, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Europe, France, German, Toulouse

☆ Is one of Russia’s oldest allies slipping from the Kremlin’s orbit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“Armenia’s security architecture 99.999% was linked to Russia,” he told Italian newspaper La Repubblica earlier this month. Analysts said the effectiveness of Russia's peacekeeping presence, which began after the war in 2020, has diminished over time. “Russia failed to deliver on its promises to secure the Lachin corridor… Russia failed to deliver weapons that Armenia purchased from Russia, Russia failed to curtail Azerbaijan’s expansionist and aggressive behavior against Armenia,” said Ter-Matevosyan. But in trying to shore up its security vis-a-vis Azerbaijan, Armenia has inadvertently delivered a stinging snub to Russia. “We have to remember that Russia has a huge destructive potential in the region,” said Ter-Matevosyan, referring to Russia’s sizable military base north of Yerevan.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Nikol Pashinyan, ”, Pashinyan, Armenia’s, Tofik Babayev, Azerbaijain, Vahram, Matevosyan, Karen Minasyan, Ter, Marie Dumoulin, Azerbaijan’s, ” Dumoulin, “, Putin, Ilham Aliyev –, He’s, Aliyev, Dumoulin, Dmitry Peskov, ’ ”, Anna Ohanyan, Ohanyan, –, Will Organizations: CNN, La Repubblica, Russian Federation, Getty, American University of Armenia, Collective Security, Organization, European Council, Foreign Relations, ICC, Politico, NATO, Stonehill College, Kremlin Locations: Armenia, Soviet, Ukraine, Rome, Russia, Azerbaijan, Italian, Russian, Nagorno, Karabakh, AFP, Turkey, Yerevan, “ Armenia, Moscow, “ Russia, Baku, Pashinyan, Massachusetts, “, Belarus, Repubblica, Western

KYIV/STOCKHOLM, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Sweden on Saturday to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the royal family and other officials as Kyiv's counteroffensive against Russian forces grinds into its third month. The visit will start at Harpsund, the country retreat of Swedish prime ministers, about 120 kilometres from Sweden's capital Stockholm. As Zelenskiy reached Sweden, he said people had been killed and wounded in a Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. Zelenskiy said he would thank Sweden for supporting Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Kristersson will hold a joint press conference at Harpsund in the afternoon.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ulf Kristersson, grinds, Zelenskiy, Pal Jonson, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Olena Zelenska, Kristersson, Dan Peleschuk, Supantha Mukherjee, Simon Johnson, Frances Kerry, Toby Chopra, David Holmes Organizations: Russian, Swedish, Harpsund, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Harpsund, Swedish, Sweden's, Stockholm, Zelenskiy, Russian, Ukrainian, Chernihiv, Ukraine, Stenhammar

☆ The West’s ‘see no evil’ approach to Serbia’s Vucic is destabilizing the Balkans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

The result is that, despite Serbia’s professed hopes to join the EU, Vucic has continued to walk a tightrope between Moscow and western powers. A Pristina government official told CNN that they did not want to “surrender” official government buildings to protesters. A decade on, these municipalities have not been created, leaving disputes to fester over the degree of autonomy for Kosovo Serbs. After such episodes, Joseph told CNN that the “see no evil” approach to Vucic’s regime may be starting to crack. “The situation is clear who the bully of the Balkans still is,” Meliza Haradinaj, Kosovo’s former foreign minister, told CNN.

Persons: Moscow’s, Aleksandar Vucic, Vladimir Putin, Daniel Mihailescu, ” Jasmin Mujanovic, Vucic, “, Mujanovic, Alicia Kearns, ”, –, Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic, Albin Kurti, Serbia’s, you’ll, Kearns, wouldn’t, Putin, Viktor, Orban, ” Majda, you’re, Quint, ” Kurti, Kurti, Edward Joseph, Laura Hasani, He’s, Shqiprim Arifi, Arifi, Ben Kilb, ” Dusan, Milorad Dodik, Oliver Bunic, Boris Grdanoski, ” Joseph, Viktor Oban, Joseph, Biden, Aleksandar Vulin, ” “ He’s, ‘ we’re, ’ He’s, I’ve, ” Vucic, Meliza Organizations: CNN, European Union, Putin, Belgrade, Getty, Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, NATO, National Security, United Nations, Kosovo's, EU, Anadolu Agency, Gazprom, Serbian, European Council, Foreign Relations, ”, US, Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo’s, Johns Hopkins University, …, Kosovo Serb, Reuters, British, Kosovo, Kosovar Business Alliance, Kosovar, Serbs, “ Association of, Bloomberg, ASM, Russian, AP, Serbia ”, KFOR, NATO’s Kosovo Force, Red Star, Red Star Belgrade soccer Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Serbia, Europe, Belgrade, West, Kosovo, Kosovo’s, Kosovar, AFP, Russian, Balkan, Western Balkans, British, United, EU, Brussels, Belgium, Moscow, ” Kosovo, Serbs, France, Germany, Italy, Balkans, Pristina, … Serbia, Zvecan, Serbian, Presevo, Albanian, Leposavic, Republika Srpska, ” Republika Srpska, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Dayton, Banja Luka, Kurti, Ohrid, North Macedonia, Republic of Serbia, appeasing Serbia

☆ Pro-government rally in Moldovan capital draws tens of thousands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People wave flags of European Union and Moldova during a rally to support the European path of the country, in Chisinau, Moldova May 21, 2023. President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of seeking to sabotage its European integration by fuelling anti-government protests and propaganda. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, on a visit to Chisinau, also addressed the rally, saying Europe would welcome Moldova "with open arms and open hearts". "This is about the both of us: You will bring a piece of Moldova to Europe, and you will make Europe stronger," she said. "I believe in a European Moldova and want for my country a future with advanced economic and socio-political development," said 18-year-old attendee Alexandrina Miron.

☆ What is happening in Moldova, Ukraine's tiny European neighbor with a pro-Russian movement?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Maia Sandu on Monday accused Russia of plotting a coup to overthrow her pro-European Union government using "foreign saboteurs." Until now, Ukraine's defense forces and Western allies have estimated that Russia's renewed offensive would be concentrated in the east of the country. "President Sandu has been warning about these risks for months now," said Orr. Moldova, a landlocked European country on Ukraine's western border, has been battling political and economic instability following Russia's invasion of its neighbor. The attack came days before Moldova temporarily closed its airspace on Tuesday over what authorities say was a suspected Russian drone.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Race to find survivors after deadly Kramatorsk attack; Russia preparing for offensive in Donbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Kyiv is preparing new reforms as it prepares for a summit with top EU officials at the end of the week. "We are preparing new reforms in Ukraine. "This week will be a week of European integration in every sense of the word," Zelenskyy said. Ukraine applied to join the 27-member political and economic bloc last year, just days after Russia invaded last February, and wants its application fast-tracked. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said earlier this week that Kyiv hopes it can join the EU within two years.

[1/2] Local residents remove debris from a house of their neighbour damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine January 26, 2023. "It is a very strong signal that we are in Kyiv during the war. Instead of committing to dates, EU officials have listed multiple conditions to join from political and economic stability to adopting EU laws from climate to social to health standards. Ukraine underlined its determination to meet the necessary requirements in order to start accession negotiations as soon as possible," according to the document. Ukraine's calls for long-range rockets or fighter jets will equally be left unanswered by the EU this week.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: U.S. reportedly readying $2 billion aid package for Ukraine; Kyiv signals reforms ahead of EU summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine will host European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other top EU officials on Friday, with hopes high in Kyiv that its application to join the EU will continue to progress. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Kyiv is preparing new reforms as it prepares for a summit with top EU officials at the end of the week. Reforms that will change the social, legal and political reality in many ways, making it more human, transparent and effective. "This week will be a week of European integration in every sense of the word," Zelenskyy said. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said earlier this week that Kyiv hopes it can join the EU within two years.

☆ Bulgaria gears for its fifth election in two years on April 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday said he would set April 2 as the date for the country's fifth parliamentary election within two years after inconclusive October polls failed to produce a working government. Radev has to dissolve the parliament after the Socialists became the third political party to refuse to form a regular government in a deadlocked parliament. Bulgaria, European Union's poorest and one of its most corrupt member states, has been rocked by political instability since anti-graft protests in 2020. "I will issue a decree to dissolve the National Assembly on Feb. 3 and will appoint the parliamentary election on April 2," Radev told reporters. The political crisis is likely to delay much needed reforms to combat high-level graft and hamper Bulgaria's ability to use efficiently EU funds.

☆ Expansionist dreams threaten ECB digital euro plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The idea of a digital euro with the same reserve backing as its physical equivalent is thus partly about Frankfurt controlling the process. At best, a digital euro could bring more citizens into the banking system, particularly those who don’t have enough money for traditional financial services products. That jars with central bankers’ preference to limit the digital euro to the EU at first. The euro does not need a digital currency, but its members have signalled they want one. Reuters GraphicsFollow @rebeccawire on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSEuro area finance ministers issued a statement on the so-called digital euro on Jan. 16, calling for political oversight and an international approach of a European central bank digital currency (CBDC).

☆ Europe's free-travel zone set to welcome Croatia but bar Romania and Bulgaria
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Opposition led by Austria is set to prevent Bulgaria and Romania from winning approval on Thursday to join Europe's control-free travel zone, though its 26 member countries are expected to admit Croatia. The so-called Schengen zone - a pact between countries to abolish border checks for those travelling between their territories - is among the top achievements of European integration. The Netherlands sides with Austria in opposing the granting of access to Bulgaria, with the Hague citing concerns over governance and migration. Since all member countries must agree for a candidate country to be able to join Schengen, Romania and Bulgaria were in for a disappointment on Thursday. "Croatia can expect a positive decision but Romania, and especially Buglaria will not be able to join Schengen yet," said an EU diplomat.

☆ Kremlin says it will bring to justice those responsible for alleged execution of surrendered Russian soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that it would bring to justice those responsible for the alleged execution of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine, and that it would do everything possible to draw attention to what it has called a war crime. Russia last week accused Ukrainian soldiers of executing more than 10 Russian POWs, citing a video circulating on Russian social media. "There is no doubt that Russia itself will be looking for the perpetrators of this crime. They must be found and punished," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. A spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office told Reuters it was looking into the footage and called for allegations to be investigated promptly and in full.

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