European Union

The new Serbian government program reaffirms EU membership as a strategic goal, but refuses to impose sanctions on russia or recognize Kosovo's independence, despite pressure from the EU.

MHP, an international food and agro-technology company, has been named one of the top ten best employers in Ukraine by Forbes and received the Breakthrough of the Year award, moving up from 34th place in last year's ranking.

On May 6, the EU-Ukraine Defense Industry Forum will take place in Brussels to strengthen cooperation between the European and Ukrainian defense industries and help Ukraine build capacity in priority sectors such as air defense, ammunition, missiles and drones.

The Language Ombudsman's report for 2023 showed that not a single Russian song was aired on 14 national broadcasting organizations in Ukraine, with 67. 2% of songs performed exclusively in Ukrainian and the rest in official EU languages, indicating a reorientation towards the European market.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a secret dinner in Paris to discuss European Union policy and, in particular, Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to France.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called on citizens to make an "existential" choice between Europe and Russia amid controversy over the law on "foreign agents" and the suppression of protests against it.

Macron calls for a new European security framework after the end of the war in Ukraine. According to him, the day after the end of the war, Europe should be at the negotiating table to discuss security guarantees.

Germany and Ukraine will jointly host the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024) in Berlin on June 11-12, 2024, aimed at consolidating international support for the recovery, reconstruction, reform and modernization of Ukraine.

President Andrzej Duda proposes to organize two summits - with the United States and Ukraine - during Poland's EU presidency in 2025 to emphasize the importance of Ukraine's recovery and accession to the EU.

Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum on uniting their energy systems, which will enable cooperation in the production and export of green energy to Europe.

Turkey decides to join South Africa's case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

The US, UK, and EU have been pressuring the UAE to crack down on companies evading Russian sanctions over the war in Ukraine by sharing trade data and preventing the export of dual-use goods that could contribute to Russia's military efforts.

Protesters in Tbilisi opposed the law on foreign agents, which led to clashes during which police used pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Left-wing extremists claimed responsibility for the arson attack on the house of Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, accusing the German arms company of profiting from the war in Ukraine.

Amid mass protests, the Georgian parliament passed a controversial law on "foreign agents" in the second reading.

Georgia's prime minister vowed to pass a controversial law on "foreign agents" despite mass protests, calling the rallies "a discomfort that must be endured" to prevent polarization and radicalization in the long run.

On the 20th anniversary of the largest wave of accession to the EU, EU diplomat Jose Borrell said that the work of reuniting the continent is not yet complete, and the Western Balkans, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have a historic opportunity to firmly link their future to the EU, strengthening security, justice, democracy and living standards.

Ukraine is developing mechanisms to prevent mining in nature reserves following public outcry over planned mining in protected areas, ensuring thorough research and balancing environmental protection with business interests in line with EU standards.

EU Chief Diplomat Josep Borrell strongly condemned the violence against peaceful demonstrators in Georgia, who were brutally dispersed by riot police during a protest against the law on “foreign agents”.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister calls on EU partners to adopt a negotiation framework for Ukraine's accession to the EU in June, citing reforms in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption, and a competitive market economy.

The creation of the Unified Database of Tobacco Product Samples by the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute may become an additional tool in the fight against the shadow cigarette market, allowing to quickly determine the origin of a cigarette pack and strengthening the expert capacity in the fight against illicit trafficking of tobacco products.

Estonia does not plan to expel Ukrainian conscripts, even if their documents expire, which allows them to apply for temporary residence permits despite the lack of valid travel documents.

Ukraine needs more air defense systems from international partners to protect its underground gas storage facilities, which are crucial to Europe's energy security.

US climate change diplomat John Podesta will meet with his Chinese counterpart in Washington, DC, in May for bilateral talks on climate change cooperation.

78% of American adults believe that social media has too much influence on politics, with 84% of Republicans and 74% of Democrats sharing this opinion.

Former US President Donald Trump has been fined $9,000 for repeatedly violating an order prohibiting him from making public statements about witnesses and jurors in the criminal trial against him in New York.

The European Commission has launched an official investigation into Meta (Facebook and Instagram) for potential violations of the Digital Services Act related to misleading advertising, disinformation campaigns, lack of effective tools for monitoring public discourse and elections, inadequate mechanisms for detecting illegal content and compensating users, and shortcomings in providing access to data for researchers.

Zelenskyy said that there are no military threats in Europe that affect only one country, as they inevitably affect others, emphasizing the need for cooperation to maintain peace and security across the continent.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects Ukraine to start EU accession talks in June.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonite said that the return of Ukrainian citizens liable for military service home requires discussions at the level of the European Union.