Officials said that the preventive steps are in response to incidents at the company’s sites in several European countries. Bulgarian authorities announced that they are providing additional security for facilities of strategic importance belonging to the Russian oil giant Lukoil, including the Burgas refinery and oil depots across the country....
Russia ready to sell Serbia’s NIS refinery amid US sanctions
The move marks a rare Russian concession amid Western pressure on Moscow’s European energy footholds. Russia’s Gazprom Neft and Gazprom have formally notified the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of their willingness to relinquish control of Serbia’s majority-Russian-owned oil giant NIS to a third party, as crippling...
Bellingcat named again in FSB claim of Ukrainian plot to hijack MiG-31 with Kinzhal missile
Unwittingly, the FSB’s narrative exposes a deeper Russian anxiety: that its own pilots might willingly defect to the West. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have foiled an alleged Ukrainian military intelligence plot, coordinated with what it described as “British handlers,” to hijack a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet armed...
Croatian officials condemn far-right disruptions of Serbian cultural events
A Zagreb official claimed that the real aim was to export Serbia’s internal tensions into Croatia. Mate Granić, foreign policy advisor to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, has described recent far-right attacks on Serbian minority cultural events in Split, Zagreb, and Rijeka as “extremely damaging” to Croatia’s international reputation, adding...
Orbán’s decision to grant refuge to Poland’s Ziobro poses challenge for the EU
Brussels faces the uncomfortable question of how to respond when one member state becomes a safe haven for politicians accused of corruption in another. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has once again stepped in to shield a Polish political ally from possible imprisonment – but this time, the implications are...
Greek lawmakers approve introduction of 13-hour workday
According to the labor minister, this provision will be valid for a maximum of 37 days per year, approximately three days per month and will be voluntary. Greece's parliament approved a government-backed bill allowing people to work 13-hour days, despite fierce objections from trade unions and opposition parties. Unions have...
North Macedonia risks EU funding freeze amid bribe scandal
The opposition warns that the revelations could jeopardize the country's access to €128 million in EU funds, essential for modernizing agriculture North Macedonia’s government is grappling with a deepening crisis after a major corruption scandal erupted at the Agency for financial support of agriculture and rural development (AFSARD). The opposition...
Germany Plans Extra $3.4B Euros in Ukraine Military Aid in 2026
Germany plans to raise its military aid to Ukraine by three billion euros ($3.4 billion) next year to around 11.5 billion euros ($13.2 billion) to support its battle against Russia, the finance ministry said Tuesday. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil “will introduce a further three billion euros in support for Ukraine into the...
A natural phenomenon in Hungary could slightly shrink the country
A striking-and at the same time instructive-natural process is currently taking place in Hungary: a new oxbow lake could soon form at one of the Ipoly River's bends in the Hont region. This change is not only a scenic curiosity but also of geographical significance, as this section of the...
NATO countries to allocate $60 billion to support Ukraine in 2026
The EU is gearing up to extend a bridge loan, aimed at bridging the funding shortfall until a mechanism is finalized for tapping into Russia's froze assets. In 2026, NATO countries will allocate $60 billion to support Ukraine in addition to the so-called NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package provides for several...