https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Fri, 15 May 2026 13:55:28 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Has the moment arrived to start Ukraine’s EU accession talks? https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-ukraine-moldova-eu-accession/33754585.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-ukraine-moldova-eu-accession/33754585.html Tue, 12 May 2026 12:55:54 +0200 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories In this week's briefing, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak drills down on two issues: Montenegro edging closer to the European Union; and more sanctions on Russians for the deportation of Ukrainian children. https://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro-eu-accession-progress-russia-sanctions-ukrainian-childreeurope-/33750255.html https://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro-eu-accession-progress-russia-sanctions-ukrainian-childreeurope-/33750255.html Tue, 05 May 2026 12:08:02 +0200 Wider EuropeFeaturesRussiaUkraineMontenegroThe Rundown Stories The Armenian capital, Yerevan, will get a rare opportunity to be the center of global attention when dozens of world leaders -- and the NATO chief -- gather in the south Caucasus for two European-led summits beginning this week.  https://www.rferl.org/a/yerevan-armenia-summit-europe-pashinyan-starmer-ukraine/33748205.html https://www.rferl.org/a/yerevan-armenia-summit-europe-pashinyan-starmer-ukraine/33748205.html Mon, 04 May 2026 01:22:17 +0200 ArmeniaUkraineWider EuropeThe Rundown Stories EU ambassadors gave a green light to both a 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine and the latest round of sanctions on Russia, but another decision went largely unnoticed: the creation of a working group to draft Montenegro’s EU accession treaty. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-step-montenegro-accession/33747077.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-step-montenegro-accession/33747077.html Fri, 01 May 2026 15:44:11 +0200 NewsMontenegroEuropeNews Analysis What was missing from the EU sanctions on Russia https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-jozwiak-ukraine-eu-sanctions/33744221.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-jozwiak-ukraine-eu-sanctions/33744221.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:58:13 +0200 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories European Union ambassadors have given a green light to a 90 billion euros ($106 billion) loan for Ukraine for this and next year, after Hungary and Slovakia lifted their vetoes following the resumption of operations on the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-loan-ukraine-aid-package-druzhba-hungary-slovakia/33737963.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-loan-ukraine-aid-package-druzhba-hungary-slovakia/33737963.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:30:04 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope The EU goes full-in on Armenia with mission and summit   https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-armenia-mission-summit/33736474.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-armenia-mission-summit/33736474.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:08:12 +0200 Wider EuropeArmeniaThe Rundown Stories This week, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak drills down on one issue: What will happen with NATO after a few tough weeks https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-nato-future-rutte-trump-meeting-ukraine/33731398.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-nato-future-rutte-trump-meeting-ukraine/33731398.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:39:07 +0200 Wider EuropeFeaturesUkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope ⁠Key ⁠European ‌Union oil and gas ⁠groups will hold meetings this week as countries around the bloc scramble to deal with the impact of the US-Israel-led war with Iran on energy prices and supplies. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-energy-saving-measures-iran-war/33726812.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-energy-saving-measures-iran-war/33726812.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:08:07 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle EastEurope The European Commission is increasing pressure on Ukraine to adopt several key reforms it was expected to pass last year, in a bid to secure more EU funding and advance toward membership of the bloc. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-pressures-ukraine-reforms-funding-membership-delay/33726670.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-pressures-ukraine-reforms-funding-membership-delay/33726670.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:45:11 +0200 NewsUkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope The Hungarian vetoes and how many of them can be lifted     https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-hungary-vetoes-brussels-leaky-city/33720035.html https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-hungary-vetoes-brussels-leaky-city/33720035.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:58:09 +0200 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories How Brussels aims to keep out Russia from Armenia https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-russia-armenia-belarus-potash/33713676.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-russia-armenia-belarus-potash/33713676.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:13:38 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories European nations have tried their best not to get too entangled in the US-Israeli war with Iran, now in its fourth week. They've been weighing whether to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz but said they would do so only after a cease-fire and preferably with a mandate from the United Nations. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-missile-europe-threat/33712889.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-missile-europe-threat/33712889.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 17:42:49 +0100 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle EastEurope RFE/RL takes a closer look at what effects easing US sanctions can have on both Minsk and globally, as the world faces ever-growing price hikes due to the war in Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-potash-exports-barriers-iran-us/33711730.html https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-potash-exports-barriers-iran-us/33711730.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:02:19 +0100 BelarusFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The European Union said it will send financial aid and a team of experts to Ukraine with the aim of restoring the flow of oil from the Druzhba pipeline in a bid to lift Hungarian and Slovak obstacles to EU funds for Kyiv and further sanctions on Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-hungary-slovakia-druzhba-pipeline-oil/33708944.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-hungary-slovakia-druzhba-pipeline-oil/33708944.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:18:02 +0100 NewsRussiaUkraineHungaryEurope Slovenia’s election -- Europe’s crucial forgotten vote   https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-slovenian-vote-eu-ukraine/33708626.html https://www.rferl.org/a/jozwiak-wider-europe-slovenian-vote-eu-ukraine/33708626.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:24:01 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijan, and three Central Asian republics are, via Slovakia, pushing to get Russian-Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov removed from the European Union’s sanctions list ahead of a15 March roll-over of the bloc’s extensive blacklist. https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-central-asia-slovakia-russian-oligarch-usmanov-eu-sanctions/33703059.html https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-central-asia-slovakia-russian-oligarch-usmanov-eu-sanctions/33703059.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:51:43 +0100 NewsRussiaHungaryThe Rundown Stories In this week's newsletter, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak looks at how Hungary and Slovakia could threaten the EU's latest Russia sanctions renewal. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-hungary-slovakia-toying-with-russia-sanctions-renewal/33700432.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-hungary-slovakia-toying-with-russia-sanctions-renewal/33700432.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:06:54 +0100 Wider EuropeFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The EU's 27 member states issued a joint statement expressing "utmost concern" after the bloc's foreign ministers met online for nearly three hours to discuss the American-Israeli attack on Iran over the weekend and Tehran's subsequent military response on several countries in the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-iran-statement-foreign-policy-waning-influence/33692139.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-iran-statement-foreign-policy-waning-influence/33692139.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:19:29 +0100 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesEurope This week, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak is drilling down on two issues: EU support for Armenia and what’s going on with EU sanctions on Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-armenia-russia-sanctions-disinformation/33686837.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-jozwiak-eu-armenia-russia-sanctions-disinformation/33686837.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:04:13 +0100 Wider EuropeThe Rundown Stories