Ukrainian foreign minister: ‘Business as usual’ with Russia is a bad joke
Those who don’t understand that Ukraine is a test case for the European Union, don’t realise that the EU is already under attack by Russia, Pavlo Klimkin, the country's foreign minister, told EURACTIV...
View ArticleHow far should Europe go for the security of Ukraine?
Europe should be prepared to commit hard defence in support for Ukraine and maintain sanctions against Russia, writes Richard Howitt ahead of a UN Security Council meeting over the downing of Malaysia...
View ArticleEU, allies alarmed by recent escalation in eastern Ukraine
The EU is concerned about the recent escalation in Eastern Ukraine as authorities and pro-Russian separatists accused each other on Wednesday (12 August) of attempting to break a six-month-old peace...
View ArticleEU condemns escalation of violence near Mariupol
The EU condemned the recent escalation of violence near Mariupol on Monday (17 August), a Ukrainian city located on the Azov Sea, between the Russian border and the Crimea peninsula, illegally annexed...
View ArticleJuncker encourages Poroshenko to continue reforms
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed strong support for his guest, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who arrived in Brussels on Thursday (27 August), encouraging him to...
View ArticlePoroshenko brands parliament attack ‘a stab in the back’
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko today (1 September) called yesterday's attack by extremist forces on Ukraine's parliament, in which a police officer was killed and several people were seriously...
View ArticleRussia’s silent shale gas victory in Ukraine
The vast shale gas reserves in the separatist-held Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions are an important element not to be overlooked when analysing the Ukraine crisis, writes Szilvia Batkov.
View ArticleWhy Northern Kazakhstan will not follow Eastern Donbass
Similarly to Ukraine, post-Soviet Kazakhstan is also asserting its national identity, but the absence of EU ambition toward Astana and its participation in the Eurasian Union preserves the country from...
View ArticleParis to host Ukraine summit on 2 October
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will meet, along with the French and German leaders, in Paris on 2 October, in order to discuss efforts to resolve the...
View ArticlePoroshenko says rebel elections threaten peace deal
Ukraine's president extended sanctions on Wednesday (16 September) to over 400 individuals and 90 legal entities, in response to a decision by rebels to set a date for what Kiyv sees as "illegal...
View ArticleParis summit decides Ukraine’s peace process to run into next year
It will take time to organise elections in Ukraine that respect international standards and as a result, the so-called Minsk peace process will run into next year, French President François Hollande...
View ArticleWest welcomes decision by separatists to postpone Donbas election
A decision by pro-Russian separatists to postpone local elections was welcomed on Tuesday (6 October) by Kyiv, the European Union, Washington and Moscow, as a sign of progress in the faltering peace...
View ArticleIs Ukraine a ‘migration threat’ to the EU?
Despite political unrest and internal conflict, Ukraine does not pose a “migration threat” to the EU and has implemented the measures that have been asked of it, write Iryna Sushko and Kateryna...
View ArticleFor Ukraine, a Grand Bargain is still elusive
The obstacles to a ‘grand bargain’ on Ukraine are many, and one is the interpretation of the Minsk protocols, as there is no clear definition of what the "special status" which should be given to the...
View ArticleNo European army now, says S&D VP
During a meeting with journalists on Tuesday (20 October), Knut Fleckenstein, the Vice-President of the Socialists and Democrats, said that now was not the time to discuss a European army, arguing that...
View ArticleEast Europeans wary of Russia diplomatic thaw after Paris attacks
With signs growing of a thaw between Moscow and Western capitals after the Paris attacks, some of Russia's neighbours fear that European resolve to keep up economic sanctions and military pressure over...
View ArticleLinkevicius: Dealing with Russia is like playing football against a rugby team
Calls for returning to “normal dialogue” and re-establishing “pragmatic” relations with Russia only show that some in the EU have not learned the lessons of the recent past, writes Linas Linkevi?ius.
View ArticleUkraine clashes signal end of truce
Clashes between pro-Russian rebels and government forces in eastern Ukraine have dwindled, but villages in the buffer zone around the frontline have been surreptitiously changing hands, raising fears...
View ArticleGerman MP handed travel ban by Ukraine
A delegation from the Bundestag's European Affairs Committee will travel to Ukraine without one of its members, after Kyiv banned him from travelling. EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel reports.
View ArticleUkraine: With Minsk stalled, Russian sanctions must continue
The West should stick to its sanction policy towards Russia, following numerous ceasefire violations by Moscow-supported separatists in eastern Ukraine, according to several high-profile officials who...
View ArticleRussian court sentences Ukraine’s Savchenko to 22 years in jail
A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko to 22 years in jail after finding her guilty of involvement in the killing of two Russian journalists during the separatist...
View ArticleRussia’s carrot-and-stick strategy
The NATO-Russia Council meeting held on 20 April failed to produce any concrete conclusions, but although it may be seen as unproductive, its occurrence is still notable, writes Stratfor.
View ArticleUkraine and Russia see opportunity in Easter ceasefire
Ukraine told the UN Security Council yesterday (28 April) that a fragile ceasefire must be strengthened before progress can be achieved in political talks on solving the two-year conflict in the...
View ArticleDonetsk separatists parade banned weapons on Victory Day
Ukraine's pro-Russian rebels today (9 May) commemorated the former Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany by parading tanks and other heavy weapons banned under a fragile truce.
View ArticleNormandy Four leaders discuss OSCE monitoring of eastern Ukraine
The leaders of the Normandy Four countries: Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine, held a telephone conversation early today (24 May) over the issue of improving OSCE monitoring in eastern Ukraine.
View ArticleUkraine fatigue is spreading in Europe
The appointment of Yurii Lutsenko as Ukraine’s general prosecutor on 13 May will even further curb enthusiasm for Ukraine in Europe’s capitals. All branches of power in the country are in desperate...
View ArticleTusk calls Russia’s account of Ukraine events ‘unreliable’
EU Council President Donald Tusk on Wednesday said he and Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko believed Russia's account of recent events in the strife-torn east of the country was "unreliable".
View ArticleUkraine concerned at wavering support from Europe
Ukraine's newly-appointed Vice Prime Minister in charge of European integration is worried that EU support for her country is weakening. EURACTIV France reports from Kyiv.
View ArticleLife in Ukraine’s conflict zone: The anxious reality
The humanitarian situation in Eastern Ukraine is severe and requires an urgent solution. No drinkable water, a lack of access to coal for heating and uncertain electricity supplies are part of everyday...
View ArticleFrance urges elections in Eastern Ukraine
French President François Hollande called on all parties in the Ukraine conflict to draw up a roadmap to end the crisis, after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart yesterday (13 October) in which he...
View ArticleSteinmeier: Ukraine to show ‘responsibility’ at Minsk talks
Germany's foreign minister called on Ukraine and Russia to "show responsibility" and agree on a roadmap in four-way talks on Tuesday (29 November) on how to implement last year's ceasefire accord for...
View ArticleEU and Russia at loggerheads over Ukraine separatist passports
Russia said yesterday (20 February) that President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognise passports issued by separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine complied with international law, after the move drew...
View ArticleAustrian bank helps Russia provide passports to Donetsk, Lugansk inhabitants
The Russian arm of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International is preparing to offer services to people holding passports from two self-proclaimed republics in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, the head of the...
View ArticleAmerican OSCE monitor killed in rebel east Ukraine
An American monitor with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe died after a mission patrol vehicle hit a landmine in the Russian-backed separatist east, eliciting sharp words towards...
View ArticleNo end in sight to Ukraine fighting as Normandy format stumbles
The phone call lasted two hours. Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Petro Poroshenko and Vladimir Putin on Monday (24 July) tackled the question of how to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine, with little...
View ArticleUkraine reform plans: Away from Russia and towards European integration
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsynadze, tasked with European integration, described in an interview the importance of the country's Association Agreement with the EU. EURACTIV Spain...
View ArticleAnalyst: Most EU states sit on fence when it comes to frozen conflicts
EURACTIV.com asked Amanda Paul to comment on the annual report on common foreign and security policy adopted by the European Parliament on 12 December, with reference to the Eastern Partnership (EaP)...
View ArticleGermany, France voice cautious hope on reviving Ukraine peace process
Germany and France voiced cautious optimism Monday that Russia and Ukraine will take steps to revive the long-stalled peace process in the smouldering Ukraine war that has claimed 10,000 lives.
View ArticleRussia used lessons from Georgia war in Ukraine conflict
Ten years ago, in August 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over South Ossetia, a small separatist Georgian region which Moscow would later controversially recognise as independent, in the face of...
View Article2019 LOOKAHEAD: Europe’s security and defence coming of age
For the European defence efforts, getting rid of the UK's torturous approach toward a common defence policy presented an opportunity the governments and European institutions eagerly seized this year....
View ArticleMunich Security Conference 2019 – Day #3
EURACTIV gives you a glimpse into the hot topics of this year’s Munich Security Conference and what is driving the conversation on foreign, defence and security policy. Day 3 in a nutshell with Iran,...
View ArticleRussia’s ally message to Ukraine’s probable new President: Do deal and get...
Ukraine's new president could regain control over the separatist-controlled east of his country within months and get cheap gas and major investment from Russia if he does a deal with Moscow, the...
View ArticleUkraine and Russia clash in The Hague over Black and Asov Sea dispute
Ukraine and Russia traded barbs this week in front of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague over Russia's alleged violations of waters around Ukraine's Crimea region in the Black Sea,...
View ArticleAt Kyiv summit, EU pledges more aid for war-torn east Ukraine
European Union leaders Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker pledged support and financial assistance to conflict-riven Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv on Monday while urging Russia to do more to bring...
View ArticleLithuania wants EU to bar east Ukraine’s Russian passports
Lithuania is working with the European Union to establish a common policy not to recognise Russian passports issued in east Ukraine, currently controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, Vilnius said...
View ArticleHopko: Russia is killing the Minsk Agreement every day
A summit between Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany is expected to take place within days in an effort to settle the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. But such a summit is pointless, especially when Putin...
View ArticleUN chief calls for ‘immediate global ceasefire’ amid COVID-19 pandemic
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a global truce in the world's conflict zones on Monday (23 March) in order to protect vulnerable civilians from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
View ArticleEU demands access to Donbas for international organisations during...
Russian-backed armed formations in the breakaway Donbas region have since Saturday (21 March) denied access to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) mission monitoring the...
View ArticleFrench MEPs visit Crimea illegally to observe Russia’s constitutional vote
Ukraine's ambassador to the EU has written to European Parliament President David Sassoli to condemn a move by a group of French MEPs who are visiting the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
View ArticleUkraine’s government and pro-Russian separatists agree ceasefire deal
Ukrainian, Russian and negotiators from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reached an agreement on Wednesday (22 July) for a full ceasefire between government forces and...
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