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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

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Also by Tony Wesolowsky

August 08, 2022
Who Is Daria Aslamova, The Russian Journalist Expelled From Kosovo?

Daria Aslamova, a Russian journalist working for the pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda, has been arrested by Kosovar authorities and accused of working for Russian intelligence. The accusations come amid tensions on the border with Serbia, including a Kosovar police unit coming under fire.
July 21, 2022
Barred In EU, Could Russia's RT Find A Home In Serbia?

Russian international broadcaster RT has been banned in the EU for perceived Kremlin propaganda. Already resistant to joining European sanctions over Russia's war on Ukraine, EU candidate Serbia could open a side door for Moscow by giving RT a license to operate there.
June 25, 2022
Risking UEFA Backlash, Red Star Belgrade To Face Zenit St. Petersburg In 'Clash Of Champions'

Shunned by most of the sporting world for its invasion of Ukraine, Russia will host a "clash of champions" when Zenit St. Petersburg plays Red Star Belgrade in July. Both soccer clubs are sponsored by Gazprom, which has large holdings in Serbia, an EU aspirant but also an ally of Russia.
June 15, 2022
The Rosatom Exemption: How Russia's State-Run Nuclear Giant Has Escaped Sanctions

The West has sanctioned Russian natural gas, oil, and coal since Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Not blacklisted is the Russian nuclear fuel provided by Rosatom, the Russian state-run colossus with deep global energy ties.
June 05, 2022
Can Grain Trains Save Ukrainian Farmers, And Avert A Global Food Crisis?

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukrainian farmers have struggled to get their crops to market due to a Russian naval blockade of the country's Black Sea ports. Now, Ukraine, its neighbors, and the EU are scrambling to find alternative routes, including rail. But is it enough?
May 25, 2022
Amid Rising Russian Threat, Moldova Mulls Scrapping Neutrality

The United States and Britain are offering Moldova military aid amid rising fears after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has sparked a debate on whether the country should scrap its neutrality.
May 20, 2022
Despite Doomsday Predictions, Bulgaria Proves There Is Life After Russian Gas

The predictions were dire when Gazprom turned off the gas taps in late April to Bulgaria. But less than a month later, Bulgaria is confident it can survive without Russian gas.
May 10, 2022
Leonid Kravchuk, First President Of Independent Ukraine, Dead At 88

Leonid Kravchuk, a key figure in ushering in the largely peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union three decades ago and the first president of independent Ukraine, has died. He was 88.
May 06, 2022
Facing Mass Protests Calling For Him To Resign, Armenia's Prime Minister Is Running Out Of Options

The streets of Yerevan have witnessed weeks of demonstrations calling on the prime minister to resign, as pressure grows from Baku to reach a peace deal on the decades-long dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
May 05, 2022
Can Azerbaijan Help Europe Kick Its Russian Gas Habit?

Facing mounting sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has responded by closing the gas taps to Bulgaria and Poland and threatening to do likewise to other EU states. Bulgaria now says it will look to Azerbaijan for its gas. Can Baku help the EU in its energy showdown with the Kremlin?
April 27, 2022
First Ukraine, Now Moldova? Is The Kremlin About To Expand Its War?

A series of explosions over recent days in Transdniester, a breakaway region of Moldova, has raised fears that the Kremlin may be set to expand its war. But facing a fierce fight already in Ukraine, is that realistic?
April 03, 2022
OSCE Monitors Hungarian Elections Amid Voter Fraud Fears

With Viktor Orban facing possibly the biggest challenge to his rule in Hungary's election on April 3, Europe's main security and rights watchdog has taken the unprecedented step of sending a large observer mission to the EU state.
March 27, 2022
After Son Enlists To Fight In Ukraine, Mother Goes From Backer To Critic Of Putin's War

Lora, who lives in the Russian city of Kazan, was a big backer of Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine until her son signed up to fight there. Now she questions what Russia is fighting for and worries whether he will come back alive or wounded.
March 17, 2022
Where Are The Blue Helmets? Why The UN Can't Keep The Peace In Ukraine

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Moscow has blocked moves at the UN Security Council to condemn its action, while using the global body to spread Kremlin disinformation. Experts say the UN is facing its greatest challenge ever and predict a return to the darkest days of the Cold War.
March 10, 2022
In Georgia, Calls Emerge To Retake South Ossetia, Abkhazia

As Russia finds itself increasingly bogged down in Ukraine, social media appeals have emerged in Georgia, a country all too familiar with Russian military aggression, urging people there to retake South Ossetia and Abkhazia, lands lost in the 2008 war with Russia.
March 03, 2022
'I Don't Want To Be A Refugee, I Want To Go Home': The Stories Of The Ukrainian Women Who Had To Flee

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its unprovoked assault one week ago. Thousands have made it to the Czech Republic, where some have found a temporary home at one of the country's premier soccer teams, Slavia Prague.
February 26, 2022
Belarus To Vote On Constitutional Changes Seen As Tightening Lukashenka's Grip On Power

The regime of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka is set to hold a vote on February 27 with the aim of tightening his grip on power in Belarus and possibly ending the country's nuclear-free status.
February 20, 2022
A New Draconian Media Law In Azerbaijan Gives The Government The Power To Decide What's News

Azerbaijan has one of the world's worst records on media freedom according to a ranking by Reporters Without Borders -- and it could get worse. A new media law will put even further constraints on independent media and widen the government's power to decide what is and what isn't "objective" news.
February 15, 2022
Could Moldova's Breakaway Transdniester Play A Role In Russian Attack On Ukraine?

Transdniester, a breakaway region of Moldova that borders Ukraine, hosts more than 1,000 Russian troops and Eastern Europe's largest munitions depot. As Kyiv faces a massive Russian military buildup to its north, east, and south, little attention is being paid to this sliver of land.
February 03, 2022
A Young Bulgarian Mother's Hospital Wait Was Filmed. And Then She Died.

A mother's futile attempt to be admitted to a hospital in Bulgaria was caught on camera, including her final moments dying in a wheelchair. The video has since been deleted, but not the questions and outrage the incident has sparked in Bulgaria, which is struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

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