https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:24:19 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL ⁠Key ⁠European ‌Union oil and gas ⁠groups will hold meetings this week as countries around the bloc scramble to deal with the impact of the US-Israel-led war with Iran on energy prices and supplies. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-energy-saving-measures-iran-war/33726812.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-energy-saving-measures-iran-war/33726812.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:08:07 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle EastEurope The European Commission is increasing pressure on Ukraine to adopt several key reforms it was expected to pass last year, in a bid to secure more EU funding and advance toward membership of the bloc. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-pressures-ukraine-reforms-funding-membership-delay/33726670.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-pressures-ukraine-reforms-funding-membership-delay/33726670.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:45:11 +0200 NewsUkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope The Hungarian vetoes and how many of them can be lifted     https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-hungary-vetoes-brussels-leaky-city/33720035.html https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-hungary-vetoes-brussels-leaky-city/33720035.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:58:09 +0200 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories How Brussels aims to keep out Russia from Armenia https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-russia-armenia-belarus-potash/33713676.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-russia-armenia-belarus-potash/33713676.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:13:38 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories European nations have tried their best not to get too entangled in the US-Israeli war with Iran, now in its fourth week. They've been weighing whether to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz but said they would do so only after a cease-fire and preferably with a mandate from the United Nations. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-missile-europe-threat/33712889.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-missile-europe-threat/33712889.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 17:42:49 +0100 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle EastEurope RFE/RL takes a closer look at what effects easing US sanctions can have on both Minsk and globally, as the world faces ever-growing price hikes due to the war in Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-potash-exports-barriers-iran-us/33711730.html https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-potash-exports-barriers-iran-us/33711730.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:02:19 +0100 BelarusFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The European Union said it will send financial aid and a team of experts to Ukraine with the aim of restoring the flow of oil from the Druzhba pipeline in a bid to lift Hungarian and Slovak obstacles to EU funds for Kyiv and further sanctions on Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-hungary-slovakia-druzhba-pipeline-oil/33708944.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-hungary-slovakia-druzhba-pipeline-oil/33708944.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:18:02 +0100 NewsRussiaUkraineHungaryEurope Slovenia’s election -- Europe’s crucial forgotten vote   https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-slovenian-vote-eu-ukraine/33708626.html https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-slovenian-vote-eu-ukraine/33708626.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:24:01 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijan, and three Central Asian republics are, via Slovakia, pushing to get Russian-Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov removed from the European Union’s sanctions list ahead of a15 March roll-over of the bloc’s extensive blacklist. https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-central-asia-slovakia-russian-oligarch-usmanov-eu-sanctions/33703059.html https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-central-asia-slovakia-russian-oligarch-usmanov-eu-sanctions/33703059.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:51:43 +0100 NewsRussiaHungaryThe Rundown Stories In this week's newsletter, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak looks at how Hungary and Slovakia could threaten the EU's latest Russia sanctions renewal. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-hungary-slovakia-toying-with-russia-sanctions-renewal/33700432.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-hungary-slovakia-toying-with-russia-sanctions-renewal/33700432.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:06:54 +0100 Wider EuropeFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The EU's 27 member states issued a joint statement expressing "utmost concern" after the bloc's foreign ministers met online for nearly three hours to discuss the American-Israeli attack on Iran over the weekend and Tehran's subsequent military response on several countries in the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-iran-statement-foreign-policy-waning-influence/33692139.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-iran-statement-foreign-policy-waning-influence/33692139.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:19:29 +0100 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesEurope This week, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak is drilling down on two issues: EU support for Armenia and what’s going on with EU sanctions on Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-armenia-russia-sanctions-disinformation/33686837.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-armenia-russia-sanctions-disinformation/33686837.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:04:13 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories The European Union has failed to agree on more sanctions on Russia as planned by the fourth anniversary of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-slovakia-block-eu-sanctions-russia/33685525.html https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-slovakia-block-eu-sanctions-russia/33685525.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:41:12 +0100 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories A European Commission spokeswoman on February 17 confirmed that Brussels was in touch with Ukraine regarding the Druzhba pipeline that has been damaged since late January, preventing Russian oil from flowing to Hungary and Slovakia. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-ukraine-druzhba-russian-oil-pipeline-hungary-slovakia/33680685.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-ukraine-druzhba-russian-oil-pipeline-hungary-slovakia/33680685.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:45:11 +0100 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Could Ukraine really join the EU next year? https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-ukraine-eu-moscow/33680375.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-ukraine-eu-moscow/33680375.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:03:04 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories The governments of five European countries on February 14 released a statement saying that they are confident that the Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin not found naturally in Russia -- a poisoning that led to his death in a Russian prison two years ago. https://www.rferl.org/a/navalny-poison-frog-toxin-death/33678392.html https://www.rferl.org/a/navalny-poison-frog-toxin-death/33678392.html Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:59:39 +0100 NewsRussiaThe Rundown Stories NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels to mend transatlantic strains and map out how all 32 allies will meet a 5 percent defense spending goal by 2035, as Arctic security, Greenland tensions, and support for Ukraine shape talks ahead of a summit in Ankara later this year. https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-defense-ministers-brussels-spending-targets-greenland-rift/33675408.html https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-defense-ministers-brussels-spending-targets-greenland-rift/33675408.html Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:37:41 +0100 FeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories NATO has launched its Arctic Sentry mission to bolster its military presence around Greenland and the High North, aiming to deter Russian and Chinese influence. https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-launches-arctic-sentry-mission-greenland-arctic-security/33675261.html https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-launches-arctic-sentry-mission-greenland-arctic-security/33675261.html Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:49:22 +0100 NewsRussiaThe Rundown Stories What’s in the new EU sanctions package on Russia? https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-russia-sanctions-nato-defense/33673557.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-russia-sanctions-nato-defense/33673557.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:36:32 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories In this week's newsletter, Rikard Jozwiak focuses on how to prevent former Russian soldiers from entering the EU. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-stopping-former-russian-soldiers-from-entering-the-eu/33667630.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-stopping-former-russian-soldiers-from-entering-the-eu/33667630.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:57:22 +0100 Wider EuropeFeaturesThe Rundown Stories