EU-Russia Archives

EU member states on Wednesday (21 February) agreed to ban exports to three mainland Chinese firms and blacklist North Korea's defence minister in new sanctions for the second anniversary of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Hundreds of exiled anti-war Russians rallied across European capitals, often in front of Russian embassies, to mourn the death of Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic, Alexei Navalny, and vent their anger at what they said was a murder of their pride and hope. 

If anyone had any hesitation about whether Russia was a ‘demokratura’ or a totalitarian regime, the answer today - following the death in prison of opposition leader Alexei Navalny - is clear.

A month before Russia's presidential election, certain to be won again by Vladimir Putin, the country's anti-war opposition in exile admits that it is unable to influence the results but hopes the West will "do the right thing".

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet his German and French counterparts on Friday (16 February) to sign bilateral security arrangements following up on their G7 July commitments, as Russia’s war against the country enters its third year.

French police found that Alexandre Benalla, a former aide to Emmanuel Macron, was involved in businesses that struck private security deals with Russian oligarchs and personally benefitted from some of the proceeds – including when he still worked at the Elysée.

The European Commission on Thursday (8 February) dismissed reports that it was considering sanctioning US right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson over his controversial interview with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Russia plans to nearly triple its LNG export capacity by 2030, with four new terminals in the Arctic due to bring more revenues for Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Yet, Ukraine’s allies have a strong leverage on Russian LNG exports, writes Andrii Zhupanyn.

NATO countries are priming their citizens to be ready for the next global conflict between the great powers. Once unthinkable, the idea of a third world war seems closer than ever, writes Maurizio Geri.

The Bulgarian prosecutor's office issued on Tuesday (30 January) a European arrest warrant for six Russian spies suspected of terrorist attacks targeting Bulgarian arms factories and warehouses.

The EU is unlikely to follow through on its threat to cut funding to Hungary if Budapest fails to approve a €50 billion Ukraine aid package later this week, experts told Euractiv.

It is unclear if Belgium will use the option in an upcoming European Union law to block imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), Belgium's energy minister said on Monday (22 January).

The European Commission is expected to table five new initiatives as part of its recent push towards a more comprehensive economic security strategy, according to a draft economic security package, obtained by Euractiv.

As Davos deliberates on the world's economic future, the call from Kyiv is resolute: put an end to Russian oil and gas, and you will not only end the war in Ukraine but also slow the spread of autocracy and speed up the global energy transition, write Svitlana Romanko and Oleh Savytskyi.

The EU on Wednesday (3 January) added Russia's Alrosa, the world's biggest diamond producer, as well as its CEO Pavel Alekseevich Marinychev to its sanctions list as part of its ban of import bans over Moscow's war on Ukraine.

A Western price cap imposed a year ago Tuesday (5 December) on Russia's oil has had limited success with Russia increasingly finding ways to deliver crude at prices above the $60 limit.

Finland has identified a surge in asylum-seekers from Russia and has taken measures to curb it by closing four of the nine border crossing points along its 1,340 km-long frontier with its big eastern neighbour.

Russian oil tankers are not targeted in the European Commission's proposal for tightening the implementation of a price cap on the country's crude oil, EU diplomats said on Wednesday (15 November).

Vladimir Putin’s biggest – and wildest – project is to resuscitate the Soviet Union in some form during his lifetime. But he has a problem: No country wants to join the Russian Federation, not even Belarus, despite its vassal status. Enlargement à …

Media investigations have revealed how European companies continued to provide hardware and services to a massive new gas project in Siberia, despite Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its war in Ukraine. The next round of EU sanctions must put an end to this, write Oleh Stavinsky and Zoe Reiter.

The supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, is on a protracted visit in Russia’s north, where he met President Vladimir Putin and was taken to visit a 'Disneyland' of military paraphernalia.

Russia said on 11 September a EU ban on Russians bringing their cars and some personal goods into the bloc was racist, and one ally of President Vladimir Putin suggested that all diplomatic relations should be suspended in response.

How effectively do social media platforms curb Russian disinformation? A recent European Commission report paints a worrying picture – and points the finger at Elon Musk.

After the recent Niger coup, EU foreign and defence ministers this week are expected to discuss a strategy to deal with the situation and reassess the bloc's approach to the Sahel region, according to an internal memo seen by EURACTIV.