Features

• August 12, 2025

  'Don't Expect Anything:' Ukrainians Skeptical Trump-Putin Meeting Will Help

  When US President Donald Trump and his Russia counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet this week in Alaska for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, many will be looking for a breakthrough, though Ukrainians who recently spoke with RFE/RL don't expect one.

• August 11, 2025

  EU Autumn Challenges: Russian Assets, Ukraine, Moldova Paths, And Georgia's Backsliding

  The European Union is on the beach for most of August. No European Parliament plenary sessions, council meetings or committee gatherings. In short, nothing much is discussed, let alone decided on these weeks.

• August 11, 2025

  From Bosnia To Balochistan, Violence Against Women Goes Viral

  In 2023, Bosnia was shaken by the brutal live-streamed murder of Nizama Hecimovic by her ex-partner. Her killing was part of a wider global trend where technology is weaponized to promote and spread violence against women.

• August 10, 2025

  With Desertions, Low Recruitment, Ukraine's Infantry Crisis Deepens

  As Russia presses its offensive, Ukraine faces a crisis that experts say is as critical as its shortages of ammunition and weapons: a dwindling supply of infantry.

• August 10, 2025

  Study Abroad And Build Drones: How Foreign Children Are Serving Russia's Military Machine

  In Kyrgyzstan, teens are being recruited into Russia’s Alabuga Polytech, a technical school linked to combat drone production, under the guise of career training. Despite its military ties, the school is backed by local institutions, raising alarm over youth involvement in a foreign war.

• August 09, 2025

  Exclusive: Medvedev's Son Works For Russian Military Giant

  Ilya Medvedev, the son of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, has a job at an affiliate of Rostec, the giant state industrial conglomerate that makes many of the weapons Moscow uses in its war against Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, Systema, has found.

• August 09, 2025

  Belarus Steps Up Attacks On Opposition, 5 Years After Crushing Mass Protests

  As exiled Belarusians gather at political rallies in Warsaw, Vilnius, and other cities this weekend, many have packed masks to conceal their identities because they know the authorities back home could target their families five years after they brutally crushed mass street protests.

• August 08, 2025

  Pentagon Faces 'Wake-Up Call' To Meet Drone Innovation Highlighted In Ukraine War

  The war in Ukraine has ushered in a radically different era of drone warfare -- one built not around a few elite systems but around millions of small, cheap, and expendable drones deployed by soldiers at the front. And the U.S. is scrambling to catch up.

• August 07, 2025

  What's Next For Trump's Ukraine Peace Push After The Putin-Witkoff Meeting?

  After what he called “great progress” at his envoy’s meeting with Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump may meet with Putin soon – and a trilateral summit with Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also being discussed. Here are three key questions about next steps in the US bid to end the war in Ukraine.

• August 07, 2025

  Kazakhstan's Atomic Maneuvers: Astana Tilts Toward Beijing In Its Nuclear Energy Ambitions

  Kazakhstan has chosen China to build its third nuclear plant, deepening Beijing’s role in its energy sector. As Russia faces sanctions and funding issues, Astana is shifting toward China as a more stable partner, signaling a strategic pivot in its nuclear and geopolitical future.

• August 06, 2025

  After The 12-Day War, Iran Turns To Veteran Politician Ali Larijani

  As the Iranian authorities grapple with the aftermath of the June conflict with Israel and the United States, the return of veteran politician Ali Larijani as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council marks something of a political comeback but was not unexpected.

• August 06, 2025

  The US Wants To Squeeze Putin. Are Oil Sales To China The Answer? 

  Amid an approaching August 8 cease-fire deadline in Ukraine and ongoing US-China trade talks, the White House is looking to pressure China to stop buying Russian oil. But is Beijing willing to hurt Russia's economy?

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