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Tony Wesolowsky

Tony Wesolowsky is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL in Prague, covering Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Central Europe, as well as energy issues. His work has also appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists.

WesolowskyA@rferl.org

Also by Tony Wesolowsky

November 26, 2024
How TikTok Fueled The Rise Of Romania's Far-Right Presidential Candidate Georgescu

Calin Georgescu, the little-known far-right politician, used TikTok to spread his anti-EU, anti-NATO message and win the first round of Romania's presidential election.
November 25, 2024
Who Is Calin Georgescu, The Far-Right Winner Of Romania's Presidential First Round?

Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu has come out of nowhere to win Romania's presidential election. He will now advance to the runoff on December 8. Who is Georgescu and how did he confound the experts?
November 23, 2024
It's Election Season In Romania. Here's Everything You Need To Know.

Over the next few weeks, Romania is holding presidential and parliamentary elections. RFE/RL looks at who's running, who is likely to win, and, for the Romanian people, what's at stake.
November 13, 2024
How Does Marco Rubio, Trump's Pick For Secretary Of State, See The World?

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, a senator known for taking a tough line of some of Washington's top adversaries, including Iran and China.
October 22, 2024
From Neighbors To Power Partners: Romania's Deepening Ties With Ukraine

Romania's parliament has approved a two-year program to train Ukrainian marines, the latest in a series of moves by Bucharest to help Kyiv defend itself from Moscow's full-scale invasion. Romania has quietly become one of Ukraine's most indispensable allies.
September 15, 2024
Calls Grow For NATO Members To Help Ukraine Shoot Down Russian Drones And Missiles

Last week, Latvia and Romania, NATO members, reported Russian military drones violated their countries' airspace. NATO has said taking military action in such cases, would draw the military alliance into Russia's war against Ukraine. Does that policy risk emboldening Russian leader Vladimir Putin?
August 26, 2024
The Dark Side Of Telegram

The arrest in France of Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has been met with cheers and jeers. For some, his messaging app is a key tool of communication for activists in repressive societies. For others, it's become a platform for pedophiles, drug dealers, and disinformation.
August 01, 2024
Brussels Frustrated With Hungary Over Russian Visa Decision That Could Let In Spies

Viktor Orban's latest move to make it easier for Russian nationals to enter that country are now causing fresh concerns and frustrations in Brussels.
July 25, 2024
'Creating Havoc And Panic': Kremlin-Friendly Fake News Takes Aim At Paris Olympics

From bogus news to a dubious documentary with an AI-generated voice that sounds like Tom Cruise, Russian-friendly agents have been churning out disinformation to discredit the International Olympic Committee and foment fear ahead of the Paris Summer Olympics.
June 07, 2024
Smear Campaign On Social Media Aims To Discredit Georgian Protests

A fringe Georgian politician’s comments that Washington was somehow controlling protests in Tbilisi against the controversial “foreign agents” legislation triggered an online smear campaign targeting X accounts, especially in the United States.
May 30, 2024
Pro-Kremlin Forces On Rise In Bulgaria Ahead Of European Elections

Pro-Kremlin candidates are confident ahead of Bulgaria's elections to the European Parliament on June 9 amid expectations across the continent of gains by far-right parties.
May 11, 2024
After Getting The Red Card From UEFA, Gazprom Is Getting Back In The Sports Sponsorship Game

The Russian energy giant has been sidelined from sports sponsorship deals in Europe. But now Hungary's top soccer team appears ready to play ball.
April 25, 2024
As Georgia Bids To Become A Tax Haven, Critics Worry It's All To Protect Oligarch Ivanishvili

Georgia has been slammed for trying to pass a Russian-style “foreign agent” law, while recent tax changes that critics warn will attract dirty money and offer the ruling Georgian Dream party’s founder and the country’s richest man, Bidzina Ivanishvili, a way to repatriate his offshore wealth.
April 24, 2024
What Is The Treaty Of Trianon And Why Does It Still Matter?

The Treaty of Trianon set the terms of peace for Hungary -- a member of the defeated Central Powers -- after World War I. The Allies imposed tough terms, carving up German, Austrian, and Ottoman territory as well as Hungary. The so-called "trauma" of Trianon still stirs passions today in Hungary.
April 13, 2024
Under Investigation Across Europe, Pro-Kremlin Voice Of Europe Has Deep Balkan Ties

A right-wing Serbian politician, blacklisted by Kyiv for his anti-Ukrainian activities, has been linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, the Kremlin-friendly former Ukrainian businessman and alleged funder of Voice of Europe, a Russian disinformation site recently hit by Czech sanctions.
April 09, 2024
The Former Insider Out To Rid Hungary Of Corruption And Orban

For critics of Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar may well personify the corruption rife under the years of rule by the nationalist Hungarian prime minister. Now the former insider has recast himself and vowed to bring down Orban, drawing huge crowds to protests in Budapest.
April 06, 2024
'Mushroom Websites' Spread A Deluge Of Disinformation In Bulgaria

Bulgaria has long proved prone to pro-Russian disinformation campaigns, and those efforts have intensified amid the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A new report sheds light on how fake news is spread by a nimble network of websites.
March 04, 2024
'I Realize I May Never Come Back': Moldovan Mercenaries Join Russian Units In Ukraine

People living in two largely pro-Russian regions of Moldova are signing up to fight with the Kremlin's invading forces in Ukraine.
February 22, 2024
Why Were Lindsay Lohan And Dolph Lundgren Calling For Moldova's President To Step Down?

Hollywood celebrities, including Lindsey Lohan, have unwittingly played a role in Kremlin-friendly propaganda targeting Moldova's pro-Western president, filming videos on a popular app urging -- in very bad Russian -- for Maria Sandu to resign.
February 15, 2024
Pro-Kremlin Leader In Breakaway Abkhazia Pushes 'Foreign Agents' Bill To Silence Critics

Aslan Bzhania, the pro-Kremlin leader of Abkhazia, is pushing for a version of Russia's controversial "foreign agents" law in the Georgian breakaway region. NGOs, activists, and regional experts say it is the latest step by Bzhania to silence them, anger the West, and please Moscow.

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