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World News

Electricity prices skyrocket in Estonia

Soaring electricity prices in Estonia are mainly linked due to the weather and markets, according to experts.

World News

Baltic nations end electricity ties to Russia, tightening EU bond

After the disconnection plans were announced, propaganda campaigns cropped up on social media and in printed leaflets in city streets that issued fake-news warnings about blackouts, severe energy shortages and sky-high energy bills for consumers.

Radio Schuman

EU bid to take on US, China competitiveness starts today

The European Commission will publish its Competitiveness Compass today in an attempt to secure the future EU economy.

Europe News

NATO chief calls for more defence spending as he visits Portugal

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on alliance members to step up their defence spending beyond their common goal of 2% of their GDP,

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Ukraine

Russia claims to have occupied Velyka Novosilka in Ukraine's Donbas

As the EU agrees to extend sanctions on Russia by another six months, the Russian Defence Ministry has said its forces have occupied the east Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, a key defensive hub for the Ukrainian army.

Europe News

Hungary drops veto threat and allows renewal of EU sanctions on Russia

The EU will be able to renew its sectoral sanctions against Russia after Hungary abandoned its veto threat, which it had linked to energy concerns.

Europe News

'Playing with fire': Orbán's veto threat puts Brussels on edge

With a key deadline set to expire next week, Viktor Orbán and his deputies have raised the spectre of vetoing EU sanctions against Russia, a move which would upend the bloc's foreign policy.

Europe News

Hungary ratchets up anti-sanctions rhetoric as renewal deadline looms

The extension of EU sanctions shouldn't be automatic, the Hungarian government has said, in remarks that threaten to unravel the bloc's collective reaction to Russia's war on Ukraine

Europe News

EU sanctions on Russian telco giant MegaFon are valid, judges say

The EU Court agreed on the need to restrict trade with the Moscow-based mobile operator, as it could be helping the Russian army with its invasion of Ukraine.

Australia

Australia vows strong response if citizen killed in Russian captivity

Oscar Jenkins, a former school teacher from Melbourne, was seen being struck by a Russian interrogator in a video posted in December.

Europe News

Nordics and Baltics ask EU to tighten price cap on Russian oil

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden have demanded a revision of the price cap on Russian seaborne oil. The cap was set in late 2022 at $60 per barrel and has remained untouched since then.

Radio Schuman

Is Zelenskyy as popular at home as abroad?

Belief in the Ukrainian president has dipped, with trust among Ukrainians falling from 77% in 2023 to 52% in 2024, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

Markets

Crude prices rally as US intensifies sanctions on Russian oil

The Biden administration's new sanctions target Russia's oil giants Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, shadow fleet vessels, and opaque traders. Oil prices surged, while European equities slid as investors fear tighter global supply.

Europe News

UK, Denmark vow to ‘disrupt and deter’ Russia’s shadow fleet

Western naval nations have vowed checks on a network of ageing tankers that may be helping Putin circumvent sanctions and fund his war effort.

Radio Schuman

Are conservatives set to take back power in Germany?

On Monday, the German parliament will hold a confidence vote on Chancellor Olaf Scholz amid the rise of the far-right in the country.

Europe in Motion

What is the role of gold in Russia’s wartime trade relations?

While Western sanctions have successfully disrupted Russia’s ability to trade in gold, the country holds a considerable influence over the production of gold in Central Asia and Africa.

Russia

Lavrov to visit EU for first time since Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion

Russian state-controlled outlet Vedomosti reports that FM Sergei Lavrov will visit Malta in December 2024 to participate in a meeting. If confirmed, it would mark his first visit to any EU country since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia

US targets Russia with fresh sanctions

The US Treasury and Department of State have added around 400 companies and individuals from China, India, Turkey and elsewhere to its sanctions list.

Finland

Finland orders seizure of several Russian assets across the country

The ruling by a Finnish court came after Russia failed to pay €4.6bn in compensation to the Naftogaz Group following its occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Business

Euroviews. Europe’s tough choice: Aluminium sanctions or climate goals

If Europe decides to ban imports of aluminium from Russia, it would need to find a source capable of replacing roughly 500,000 tonnes of material per year. And the list of alternatives is quite limited, Chris Weafer writes.