John Kirby, the former Pentagon spokesperson, told VOA’s Ukrainian service on Thursday the United States is “focused on making sure that Ukraine can continue to defend itself and its sovereignty.” Kirby, who recently became the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, said since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the United States …
President Joe Biden heads to Europe for two major summits with challenges that include how Western democracies can continue to support Ukraine, how they can counter China’s growing influence, and how the world’s most liberal nations can weather these uncertain times. VOA’s Anita Powell reports. …
China ramped up crude oil imports from Russia in May, customs data showed Monday, helping to offset losses from Western nations scaling back Russian energy purchases over the invasion of Ukraine. The spike means Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become China’s top oil provider as the West sanctions Moscow’s energy exports. The world’s second-biggest …
Read more “Sanctioned Russia Becomes China’s Main Source of Oil, Customs Data Show “
The International Energy Agency has warned that Russia could cut gas supplies to Europe entirely in order to boost its political leverage following its invasion of Ukraine. As Henry Ridgwell reports, Europe is scrambling to avoid an energy crisis this winter. Videographer: Henry Ridgwell …
Poles have generously welcomed refugees from the war in neighboring Ukraine in the past few months. But absorbing more than 3 million refugees is a big challenge for Poland, which has a population of about 38 million. As Greg Flakus reports from Warsaw, other European nations are providing help, but the burden could become untenable …
Read more “Poland Struggles to Assist Millions of Ukrainian Refugees”
Ukraine: It was a word barely mentioned but often alluded to as the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — collectively known as BRICS — gave their opening remarks at a virtual summit Thursday hosted by Beijing. In his address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the group’s purpose was to “make …
Investigators and researchers of war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war say their experience holds valuable lessons for those seeking justice for atrocities committed by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine. And while the first Ukrainian verdicts have already been rendered barely four months into that war, the experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina …
Read more “Bosnian Experts: Ukraine Faces Years of War Crime Probes, Searches for Missing”
Valneva’s VLS.PA COVID-19 vaccine was endorsed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday, although the French company’s contract with the European Commission to supply the dose hangs in the balance. Valneva has been trying to salvage the deal with the European Commission after its vaccine program was hit by delays in its marketing …
Read more “EU Watchdog Backs Valneva’s COVID Shot as Contract Talks Go On”
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that Russia could cut gas supplies to Europe entirely in order to boost its leverage against the West following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia has severely restricted gas flows to Europe in recent days. The Kremlin blames a delay in servicing equipment caused by European Union sanctions, while …
Read more “Russia Could Cut Off Gas Supply to Europe, IEA Warns”
To counter the threat of violent extremism, the U.S. State Department recently sanctioned three more people linked to the terrorist group “Russian Imperial Movement” or RIM. Analysts say RIM is among several ultra-nationalist and white-supremacist groups used by the Kremlin to sow division in the United States and Europe even as it falsely claims to …
European Council President Charles Michel said he is confident EU leaders will vote Thursday in favor of granting candidate status to Ukraine. EU leaders gathered in Brussels were also set to discuss the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on global food security, as well as additional EU economic, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine. …
Read more “EU Official ‘Confident’ Bloc will Back Ukraine’s Candidate Status ”
A no-confidence vote on Wednesday toppled Bulgaria’s government and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, who had pledged to tackle corruption and took an unusually strong stance against Russia. Opposition lawmakers brought down the government, which took power six months ago, on a 123-116 vote after the ruling coalition lost its majority over disputes on budget spending …
A day before a meeting of European Union leaders, where a vote is likely on Ukraine’s candidacy to the union, Russian forces pounded Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and the eastern Donbas region. The EU leaders’ two-day summit begins Thursday in Brussels. Olha Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, told The Associated Press …
Read more “As EU Decision on Ukraine Nears, Russia Increases Bombardment of Donbas “
The European Union’s 27 leaders meet in Brussels this week to consider the membership applications of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. As Henry Ridgwell reports, E.U. leaders also will discuss military support for Ukraine as Russia intensifies its bombardment in the Donbas region. …
Ukraine war plays a role in blocking of goods to Russian region of Kaliningrad …
European Union leaders hold a key summit Thursday and Friday with a top item on their agenda — okaying Ukraine’s bid to be a candidate for the bloc — appearing to be on track. The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between Europe and Moscow as the war drags on in Ukraine. Hours before the European …
Read more “Ahead of Summit, EU Appears Unified on Ukraine’s Candidacy”
A United Nations study finds 222 million children and adolescents worldwide have had their education disrupted by multiple crises. Education Cannot Wait, the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, produced the study. When the organization was created in 2016, the number of crisis-affected children whose education had been disrupted stood …
Read more “UN: Education Disrupted for 222 Million Children”
Risk of infection from the disease, which causes paralysis in children in under 1% of cases, was low because of high vaccination rates …
The European Union’s executive arm unveiled groundbreaking environmental proposals Wednesday — a draft law that would halve the EU’s pesticide use by 2030 — and work to restore its land, seas and rivers. The draft legislation aims to restore 20% of Europe’s degraded land and waterways within the next eight years — a measure the …
Read more “EU’s Executive Arm Outlines Ambitious Environmental Bill”
Coinciding with unrelenting cyberattacks against Ukraine, state-backed Russian hackers have engaged in “strategic espionage” against governments, think tanks, businesses and aid groups in 42 countries supporting Kyiv, Microsoft said in a report Wednesday. “Since the start of the war, the Russian targeting [of Ukraine’s allies] has been successful 29 percent of the time,” Microsoft President …
Read more “Microsoft: Russian Cyber Spying Targets 42 Ukraine Allies”
U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a “massive act of aggression,” was a major topic during the Global Chiefs of Mission Conference in Washington on Tuesday. Speaking at the State Department to VOA’s Russian service, Sullivan said, “I think it’s important to understand the scale of the problem and what …
Read more “VOA Interview: John Sullivan, US Ambassador to Russia”
In Kosovo, which has been waiting for visa-free travel to the European Union since 2010, a restaurant owner has erected a large replica of France’s famed Eiffel Tower for its diners. “We have built it as a form of consolation for the people who cannot go to Paris,” said Blerim Bislimi, owner of Te Anija …
Read more “Balkans Losing Hope of Progress on EU Membership”
Elite swimmer Mykhailo Romanchuk doesn’t know if his father was able to see him winning a medal for Ukraine at the swimming world championships. Romanchuk’s father is fighting in the east of Ukraine, where pockets of resistance are still denying Russia full military control of the region almost four months after it unleashed its invasion. …
Read more “Swimmer Wins Bronze Medal While Father Fights in Ukraine”
Ukraine reported heavy strikes Tuesday in the Sievierodonetsk region as Russian forces push to gain full control of the eastern city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that the military situation in the eastern region of Luhansk “is really the toughest area right now. The occupiers are also putting serious pressure …
Read more “Ukraine City is Focus of Intense Fighting: ‘Everything is Engulfed in Fire’”