European Union

The massive Russian attack killed and wounded dozens of people and damaged Kyiv's largest children's hospital, prompting EU representative Josep Borrell to emphasize Ukraine's urgent need for air defense and to call for accountability for Russian war crimes.

During a meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, they discussed strengthening cooperation between China and the EU.

EU ambassadors will discuss Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent visits to Russia, among others.

Russia's latest massive missile attack on Ukraine was called a response to Ukraine's strike on energy facilities in Russia. At the same time, Moscow denies striking civilians and accuses Ukraine of provocations.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to moscow and calls for peace talks are intended to distract the West and undermine support for Ukraine, the Institute for War Studies believes.

Ukraine urges Bulgaria not to use the war for political purposes and calls for increased defense assistance to restore respect for international law and achieve a just peace.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed areas of close cooperation between the UK and the EU, including support for Ukraine, climate change and regional security, in a telephone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania reaffirmed their unity against russian aggression, support for European security, and cooperation in areas such as security, energy, and infrastructure during a meeting of foreign ministers in Chisinau.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popschi agreed that Ukraine's victory and their countries' membership in the EU would guarantee Moldova peace and prosperity, as well as a joint fight against Russian aggression and destabilization.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Romania discussed the transfer of the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine and expectations from the upcoming NATO summit in Washington.

Poland is looking for border guards from Germany, Greece and Finland to help patrol the border with belarus amid concerns about migration pressure from the east.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, where they had a "frank conversation" for almost three hours, including about Ukraine.

Putin said he is ready to outline the nuances of his proposals for a "peaceful settlement" of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine at a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted to Zelenskyy's statement that Hungary would be "an important tool to make the first step towards peace" in Ukraine. Tusk wondered in whose "hands is this instrument".

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visits Moscow to meet with Putin, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasizes that "appeasement will not stop Putin" and only "unity and determination will pave the way for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. "

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of his "peacekeeping mission," his spokesman confirmed.

Six Ukrainian communities in Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovs'k oblasts have received mobile Administrative Service Centers that will help residents of frontline areas access public services faster and more comfortably.

Germany has blocked the sale of Volkswagen's subsidiary MAN Energy Solutions to a Chinese company on national security grounds, deepening tensions with its trading partner.

YouTube has closed the accounts of several well-known russian artists, including polina gagarina, oleg gazmanov, grigory leps, yulia chicherina, vyacheslav manucharov, and shaman, due to their inclusion on the EU sanctions list.

The Czech Republic no longer recognizes non-biometric Russian passports for security reasons, which prevents Russians with such passports from legally staying in the country.

British investors have suspended several significant deals in Georgia due to political instability caused by the adoption of the law on foreign agents, which jeopardizes Georgia's EU accession process and foreign investment.

The new EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles do not apply to hybrid cars, allowing Chinese automakers to continue selling partially electric hybrids in Europe at lower tariffs, although they face competition from European manufacturers in this segment.

The European Commission has imposed temporary countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles from China ranging from 17. 4% to 37.6%, while negotiations with China are ongoing.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has no absolute proof that Chinese weapons are reaching Russia, although some dual-use drones or parts for them come from China and Europe, and if China is developing weapons together with Russia for use in Ukraine, sanctions will need to be imposed.

The blackout schedules are in effect throughout the day amid a shortage of electricity, with emergency aid from the EU the day before and significant imports planned for today. Due to the weather, there are blackouts in two regions. In Donetsk region, 280 workers were trapped underground in a mine due to a power outage, and they have been brought out.

Several European countries are negotiating to continue receiving Russian gas through Ukraine after the current transit contract expires in 2024, despite the ongoing war.

Ukraine is discussing the possibility of replacing Russian gas transit to the EU with Azerbaijani gas after the current contract with Russia expires in 2024.

The European Union is considering imposing import duties on cheap goods purchased online from Chinese retailers such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein to protect local producers from cheaper Chinese imports.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty emphasizes the need to strengthen the integration of Ukrainian refugees in the EU and other countries, to ensure decent conditions and to invest in the integration system.

Ukraine and Norway have agreed to extend the "transport visa-free regime" for bilateral and transit traffic without permits until September 30, 2024.